Nodus, located on Queens Blvd (Photo: QueensPost)
May 27, 2011 Staff Report
A new Thai restaurant is scheduled to open on Queens Blvd. by the end of June.
The restaurant, called Nodus, will be located at 45-04 Queens Blvd, and its focus will be on Thai noodles. The owners of Nodus said the restaurant will be modern-casual, offering a combination of tables and stools that will cater to about 45 people.
Chai Chunton, co-owner and Sunnyside resident, said the aim is to show that “Thai food is more than Pad Thai.”
The idea is to provide everything from “rice noodles in a spicy broth” to curry noodles. “We want to focus on Thai noodles both broth and without the broth,” Chunton said.
The goal, Chunton said, is to produce food that includes the five fundamental taste senses in each meal: hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty, and (optional) bitter.
“There will be options like creating your own noodle bowl,” Chunton said, adding that most people find this to be a lot of fun. Entrées, he said, will be less than $10.
Chunton said the restaurant will cater to vegetarians, although not vegans. He said that it will also offer traditional Thai items.
Chunton runs another Thai restaurant in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, although it is not so much of a noodle shop, he said.
He is in business with Tony Tang, a popular Sunnyside figure who ran Flagship Entertainment at that location on Queens Blvd for more than 28 years.
Today, Tang is the owner of the UPS store, which he opened after closing down half of Flagship’s retail space, about 2 years ago. In February, he closed Flagship for good, converting that space into Nodus.
“Nodus” is the Latin root-word for noodle.
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7 Comments
i can’t wait for nodus, i have walked past the store everyday and it seems to be making great progress. very excited.
Another Thai restaurant? I happen to like the one on Skillman between 51st and 52nd. How can all these Thai places compete with each other? Japanese food was chic and now Thai – and that trend will not last forever. I am sorry about Flagship Entertainment closing. Some of us do not like Netflix! Some of us are more spontaneous.
@QitnBitnM: your point is valid, but the quotes from the owner in the article sure make it seem like they’re not targeting the actual Thai population. Though maybe that’s just for the sake of the interviewer.
@nobody
Did you ever think that maybe the reason there are so many Thai restaurants in Sunnyside is because there is a very significant population of Thai residents? Is it really that perplexing to be in a particular neighborhood and see a multitude of restaurants that reflect a specific demographic? My guess is you’re not originally from New York…not the city at least.
Gosh! That’s positive, Like “nobody”‘s business….
I for one can’t wait. We need more well-conceptualized, modern-casual food and drink places in Sunnyside. It will help breath freshness and life into our neighborhood and attract the young and hip crowd (and the money they bring). It’s the type of business we need, even if we already have “enough” Thai places (never enough in my opinion).
Bring on the new organically formed businesses to Queens Boulevard! Especially food and/or coffee places!
I encourage Nodus to use SeamlessWeb.com so we work-week-weary folks can order delivery with ease! ~Good luck!
great. another thai place in sunnyside.
sunnyside is the united states’ go-to hot spot for nail salons, thai restaurants, pubs, and run-down bodegas.
here’s to another failed business.