The Blue Dragon is city’s best new restaurant
06/18/08
BY TREENA MIELKE
Red Deer Express
Pete, Pon and Danny Sok’s natural gift of hospitality is evident in their eatery, The Blue Dragon Fine Thai and Cambodian Cuisine Restaurant.
Specializing in Thai and Cambodian food, The Blue Dragon is a cozy little restaurant located northeast of Boston Pizza.
The restaurant won the top spot for Best New Restaurant in the Best of Red Deer competition.
“I’m quite surprised we won,” said Pete Sok. “We’re still growing, but we totally appreciate it. A big thank you to everyone who voted for us.”
The three brothers purchased the restaurant from their sister, Sue Sok less than a year ago.
“We did renovations, changed it from a cafeteria style. We wanted to have a cozy, warm atmosphere,” said Sok. “People around here deserve something comfortable, they are hard working people, and they need something a little bit warmer than your corporate feel.”
Making the ambiance of the restaurant as pleasing as possible is important to the Soks, but they are all strong believers that it takes more than colour and art to make a business successful.
“We are slowly getting to know everyone and their dog, too,” he said. “It’s all about family and feeling comfortable and relaxed.”
Sok said establishing a personal relationship with their customers is a natural for himself and his brothers as their home is often filled with friends and family.
“We did it for the longest time at our home, we have just extended it (the hospitality),” he said.
The brothers pride themselves on the carefully prepared food on the menu at The Blue Dragon. Tomyum soup, a hot sour shrimp soup with exotic mushrooms and a touch of coconut, fresh lemon grass and kaffir has proved to be a favourite. Another popular menu item is Dragon Bow, a noodle salad originating from Vietnam. The warm noodle salad is served with barbecued pork, shrimp and spring rolls.
Sok said their mango cheese cake is also a hit.
“People speed to get here for the mango cheese cake,” he said. “It is a beautiful, well balanced dessert.”
The carefully prepared specialty dishes speak for themselves.
“There is nothing like it (our menu items) in town and we were confident that the food was going to bring people in,” said Sok. He noted that customers have come not only from Red Deer and surrounding area but from other countries including China.
“We are grateful. We don’t do much advertising, so it has just been through word of mouth,” Sok said.
The brothers all have many years of restaurant experience. Pete was general manager at The Keg in Red Deer and his brothers were employed as head cooks.
While Danny and Pon do much of the cooking and Pete takes care of the administrative duties, their roles are interchangeable.
“We are still developing our roles and we all work together,” said Sok.
The restaurant which seats 40 people, can fill up very quickly, so the brothers recommend reservations. Large groups can also book the restaurant.
“It can fill up in five minutes,” Pon said. “We have had to turn people away.”
tmielke@reddeer.greatwest.ca 309-5452
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