Editor's note: This story was originally published in August 2022. We're republishing it on Jan. 21, 2023 because Tuk Tuk Thai's new location on Sunrise Drive is now open.
Tuk Tuk Thai is planning to open a third location this October in the Catalina Foothills area at 6878 E. Sunrise Dr.
The buzzy Thai restaurant has been a cult classic in Tucson since it opened its original location, 2990 N. Campbell Ave., in 2020 and enchanted us with regional northern specialties like Khao Soi chicken. They expanded to a second location in Oro Valley less than a year later.
Before bringing Tuk Tuk Thai to Tucson, its owners, Noy and Bud Sayso, opened Khao San in Portland, Oregon. Its hallmarks were a menu featuring street food like Hoy Joh meatballs — delightfully sweet-savory things wrapped in fried bean curd skin — and a tuk tuk table, installed in a vehicle imported from Thailand.
The Saysos installed a tuk tuk table in their first restaurant in Portland, as well as the one pictured here in one of their Tucson restaurants.
The Saysos’ plans for expansion don’t end at Sunrise Drive. Not only did they hint at an upcoming location on Tucson’s east side in their Facebook comments, but they’re also opening a new restaurant concept.
Noy’s House will be a chef’s table, with a new menu each month — a restaurant-within-a-restaurant at Tuk Tuk locations. They aren’t accepting reservations yet, but keep tabs on their Facebook page for further details.
Tuk Tuk Thai
Locations:
Midtown | 2990 N. Campbell Ave.
Oro Valley | 12125 N. Oracle Road
Foothills | 6878 E. Sunrise Dr.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
For more information, check out their website.
