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Wai Wai is a tiny yet tasty Thai food joint located at the entrance of Nanasawa hot spring resort.
Following some advice, my wife and I dropped by to get a taste of Wai Wai’s lunch.
We ordered tom yum kung ramen for 820 yen and a plate of green curry and fried chicken for 820 yen. During lunch time (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.), each dish comes with dessert and pickled vegetables. Cold chai with tapioca, and mango juice with tapioca for 400 yen, went well with these Thai dishes.
I’m a big fan of Thai dishes, which typically have all four basic tastes – sweet, bitter, hot and sour at the same time.
Despite my belief that Thai foods must be always extremely spicy, the dishes at Wai Wai were rather gen-tle and mild.
Being fully flavored, and shrimps, vegetables, herbs and other ingredients were really fresh and tasty, the four basic tastes stood out respectively. So, I actually didn’t feel to apply any more spice or seasoning to the dishes. If you wish to make it even spicier, you can use the furnished Thai seasonings on the table.
According to Mami Ikeda who runs the restaurant with her husband, Akira, their soup was made from famed natural spring water of Tanzawa Mountains and homemade herbs and vegetables.
“Nanasawa is blessed with clean spring water and vegetables, and that greatly helps us to cook tasty Thai dishes” Ikeda said.
According to Ikeda, their food experiences during a trip to various Asian countries drove them start the restaurant.
“We found Thai dishes the most delicious among Asian dishes,” she said. “My children, especially, were hooked on mild and tasty Thai noodles.”
Confident that Thai noodles would be accepted and enjoyed by Japanese, Ikeda’s husband quit his job and started learning how to cook Thai. When they finally began making their own soup 22 years ago, they started by selling out of a mobile truck.
“It has been 6 years since we opened the current restaurant in Nanasawa,” Ikeda said.
“We love beautiful mountains of Nanasawa as much as tasty Thai foods.”
If you stop by Nanasawa for the onsen or zip lining, be sure to drop by Wai Wai for some tasty Thai and warm hospitality.
Wai Wai
Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (closed Mon.)
Location: 1432 Nanasawa Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Email: waiwaiasianfoodmarket@softbank.ne.jp
Tel: 046-281-8581 (Japanese)
