Our Story
San and Lani Tran and their nine children came to Bainbridge Island from a refugee camp in Thailand in the early 80's amid rising fears of a communist takeover in the country. In 1992, the couple opened a Thai restaurant called Sawatdy, with all of their children working there. This small restaurant on Bainbridge Island became renowned in the northwest for it's unique flavors originating from Northern Thailand and Vietnam. Today three of the kids run independent Thai restaurants practicing the traditions Mom passed down. In a few words, clean, organized, and loaded with the freshest of ingredients. Lani and San proudly visit each of the restaurants regularly.
Chef Binh Tu Tran
Chef Tran grew up in the family restaurant learning his Mom's secrets. After high school he attended Seattle Pacific University, where he graduated with a degree in biochemistry. It's not surprising he now has a knack for combing flavors to create masterpiece dishes. Chef Tran had every intention to attend medical school but instead, he obtained his MBA while helping in the family restaurant. Chef Tran's love for food and the creative fusion of flavors, instilled by his mother, kept him in the restaurant business much longer than ever imagined: ten years. Eventually, his aspirations led him to diversify his talents, allowing him to work with some of the great northwest chefs, John Howie at Seastar, in Bellevue, and later Toi, another Thai restaurant that was previously located in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle.
Chef Tran has intentionally formed his menu to combine exotic Thai ingredients with fresh local ingredients. The result is Kachai, a magical dining experience.