Paul’s Place brings new flavors to Ogden, plans to remain open for carry out during COVID-19 crisis
Story Update: Paul’s Place – Thai Fine Food will be closed until Monday, March 23. They plan to reopen at that time. Check their Facebook page for updates.
BY JESSICA SCHLUTER
Since opening last October, Paul’s Place has been bringing a little bit more variety to the village of Ogden. Pasit Jisook, or Paul (pictured above), is the owner.
The chef, Morakot Vannavat, known to everyone as Dang, worked at a Thai restaurant in Champaign for many years before coming to work at Paul’s Place.
“I’ve lived in Champaign for 22 years. I came from Thailand in 1997.”
Dang now lives in St. Joseph with his wife, Jampoon Vannavat, who also works at Paul’s Place. Jampoon is Paul’s sister, so it’s a family operation.
“We worked in Champaign before for almost 20 years until the owner retired.”
After their workplace in Champaign closed, they moved to Effingham. Paul owns a restaurant there as well. But when Jisook saw the opportunity to open a restaurant in Ogden, he knew who he could call to help him run it.
“Paul, the owner, wanted to open this so he called me.”
Dang and his wife work alongside each other in the kitchen, each cooking their respective specialities. The menu at Paul’s Place isn’t extensive due to the small working space, but it has something for everyone.
“The Pad Thai is the most popular, but people also love the Cashew Chicken, the Hawaiian Chicken, the Sweet and Sour, and the curries.”
Paul’s Place has space for dining in, and they also offer carry out. Currently, due to the shutdown of restaurants related to COVID-19, they are only offering carryout.
“The carryout hours are the same as our regular hours, Sunday to Thursday, 11-8, Friday & Saturday, 11-9.”
For some, Thai food might seem out of the ordinary for a small town but so far, people are appreciating it.
“We have people come from Sidney, St. Joe, Danville, all over. Danville doesn’t have a Thai restaurant, so we’re the only one around here except for Champaign.”
Pad Thai is arguably the most popular and recognizable menu item, but there are other great options to venture out with as well, such as the chicken Pad See Ew pictured below.
The menu also features several appetizers, such as Crab Rangoon, Eggrolls, and Potstickers. They even have American-style breaded chicken sandwiches.
Last week, they started featuring lunch specials. For just $7.50, you can get an entree and an egg roll. These are available for carryout as well.
To place an order for carryout, you can call the restaurant at (217) 582-8012. For more information on their menu and hours, you can check their Facebook page.
