Curry from housemade spice pastes is only one of the truly Thai touches offered by Wanthureerat “Kae” Baramee

In Buffalo, you’re more likely to win at roulette than have your pad Thai made by a cook born in the Kingdom of Thailand. 

One in 36 isn’t even close. 

Why does it matter?

I’ll put my cards on the table. Nothing – not suboptimal wok hay, not sickly-sweet sauce, no flaw I could name – has ever stopped me from finishing pad Thai.

That doesn’t mean I don’t hunt better versions, starting with the cuisine’s point of origin. A native cook who grew up steeped in the culture brings nuances to dishes other cooks rarely can.

Wanthureerat “Kae” Baramee grew up in Thailand’s Ang Thong province, north of Bangkok. Her mother had a small restaurant based in the family’s home, and still does. She managed restaurants before coming to the U.S. in 2016 to hone her professional cooking chops. In Portland, Ore., she cooked in Thai restaurants and met her partner Marc Moscato.

In Buffalo she cooked at Yummy Thai, Rin Thai Bistro, 100 Acres, and Grange Community Kitchen before Tiny Thai’s first pop-up in July 2020. It was October 2021 when Tiny Thai rolled out as a food truck, and a takeout kitchen at 37 Chandler St.

To get there, go into 27 Chandler St. The building connects to 37 Chandler on the second floor. The buildings are home to Beard finalist Waxlight Bar a Vin, Crenshaw’s Chicken & Waffles, Logan’s Bagels, Far East Bayou, WNY Empanadas, Buffalo Cake Pops Bakery, and Flat 12 Mushrooms.

At Tiny Thai, you’ll likely find its coconut-based curries taste different than Thai curries you’re familiar with. That’s because Baramee grinds her own curry pastes, selecting, roasting, and grinding spices, herbs, and other ingredients into the powerful base that’s fried and simmered with coconut milk to make curries. Ever roasted and ground your own spices into masala for an Indian curry? Trying Thai curries with freshly made spice paste will have you seeing technicolor after a lifetime of black and white.

Try Baramee’s massaman curry ($15), with potatoes, carrots, peanuts, and chicken. (Or hold the chicken for a vegan adventure.)

Yes, Tiny Thai will make you pad Thai ($14), and it’s lovely. But check out the Tiny Thai dishes I haven’t found elsewhere in my bailiwick.

Gai yang ($17), grilled marinated chicken, is served with a wedge of fresh cabbage, sticky rice, and herbs. Pull off a lozenge of rice, stick it to cabbage and cilantro, and dip the packet in the chile lime dipping sauce. Or have your way with a knife and fork. Either way, it’s a rare bird indeed to find in Buffalo.

So is hat yai fried chicken ($15), with golden shallots embedded in its crust, deserves a spot in the world fried chicken championship. Marinated then fried, it’s served with pineapple dipping sauce.

Crab Rangoon is a crowd-pleaser across wide swaths of the world, but have you ever wished they filled those little wontons better? Tiny Thai has the answer: spring rolls loaded with crab Rangoon filling and mozzarella cheese ($4/8).

Or chor muang dumplings ($10), blossom-shaped dumplings in pastel blue or pink, filled with chicken, peanuts, pickled radish and more. Tiny Thai’s lavender lemonade, peach lemonade, or iced Thai coffee or tea, all $7, make a bid for your thirst.

For a sweet ending, warm, sweetened sticky rice covered with fresh mango and coconut cream is tough to top.

So if you’re hankering to Thai one on, follow Tiny Thai on Facebook and Instagram to track the truck’s whereabouts. Or use the online ordering at tinythai.biz to arrange for pickup. While Tiny Thai does not have a dining room, in clement weather, picnic tables outside make a fine perch for the peckish.

If you’re happy with your pad Thai, I’m not here to sow dissent. 

If you’re looking for better Thai, why spin the roulette wheel? Try Tiny Thai on for size.

Tiny Thai

37 Chandler St. (entrance 27 Chandler St,), tinythai.biz, 716-335-0474

Hours: 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.

Prices: appetizers $7-$10, entrees $14-$17

Parking: lot

Wheelchair accessible:

Vegan: fresh rolls, pad Thai, massaman curry

Gluten-free: fresh rolls, green papaya salad

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