Family seems to be the driving force behind Jutaporn Sae Bang's new Stoughton restaurant Ruk Mae (which translates from Thai to "loving mom."), which opened in June at the Planet Fitness Plaza on Route 138.
Ruk Mae is named for Jutaporn's mother, Thiwa Sae Lim. Thiwa owned a well-known Pad Thai (a favorite noodle dish) restaurant in Bangkok where Jutaporn worked as a teenager.
Jutaporn also has two sisters. And together with their mother, they were raised by Bou Kelo Sae Bang, a hard-working, stern, but loving father. So it's easy to say, family has always been an important part of Jutaporn's life.
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Jutaporn came to the U.S from Thailand in 1992. She attended and graduated from Cambridge College in 1998 with a Masters of Management and Organization Development. She says that she's a "life-long learner."
She moved on to open Siam House in Quincy, a Thai restaurant which ran for 15 years, and was honored by Boston's Best Magazine in 2003.
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She still lives in Quincy, but after Siam House closed, she found a new home for her business in Stoughton. Ruk Mae is Stoughton's first Thai restaurant in The Planet Fitness Plaza.
Jutaporn said she prefers Stoughton's laid back atmosphere. Her favorite dishes are Pad Thai and Chicken Hot Basil. Ruk Mae also has a wide variety of fried rices, curry and noodle dishes served with vegetables, as well as chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu.
All of the dishes have an emphasis on having many vegetables and being healthy. Ruk Mae's menu offers many low sodium, gluten-free and vegan options.
Customer satisfaction is important to Jutaporn. She said that if a dish were too hot she would always bring a more mild substitute for the customer.
Jutaporn and her family have cooked for Stoughton's Fire Department and she looks forward for doing the same for the Police.
Family gives Jutaporn's life meaning, and she said she wants her customers to feel like family and to feel at home when they are in her restaurant, like she did when her mother would cook Pad Thai in Bangkok.
"When customers come back, that means something to me," she said. "It makes me happy."
Ruk Mae is located at 1778 Washington St. Unit # 4B in Stoughton. The restaurant, which also does takeout and delivery, is open Tuesdays through Sundays.
