The team behind Tee Jay Thai Sushi in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors and Thai House in North Miami Beach, will soon open Sky Thai Sushi on a Broward thoroughfare whose turnover is second only to the seedy hourly motels on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Sky should begin serving in about a month at 350 E. Las Olas Blvd., in the same building as the Royal Pig Pub and across the street from The Restaurant Peoples' YOLO, according to co-owner Wanlada "Winnie" Gebhard.
See Also:
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She and her family -- husband Rob Gebhard, mother Khurawan Russmetes and aunt Suttinee Nanakhornpanom -- will stick to the Thai sushi menu they've replicated across South Florida but are also hoping to spin it toward the old and the new.
"What we're aiming to do is to make the curries a little bit more authentic and then have some modern dishes," she said.
They're still finalizing the menu and have yet to release a preview. Sky will offer beer and wine, but, thanks to sake's designation as wine, will also be able to squeeze out a few cocktails as well. Teera Jiriyasin, who's a partner and the namesake of the two Tee Jay locations, isn't involved in Las Olas project. Gebhard said he remains a partner in the other restaurants.
The 100-seat restaurant will be housed in the space formerly occupied by Japanese Village Steak House. They've also received a permit to put a handful of tables on the covered sidewalk, offering an al fresco view of YOLO debauchery.
When asked why the group would jump onto Las Olas Boulevard, with high rents and stakes, Gebhard said it was the building itself, 350 Las Olas Centre II managed by Fort Lauderdale real estate firm ComReal, who approached them.
"There are other Japanese restaurants on the other end of Las Olas," she said, "but there's nothing [on the east end]. There are a lot of offices, and a lot of people looking for nice sushi to eat at lunchtime."
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