“At a restaurant where the signature dish is called metmamuanghimmaphan, first-time diners

“At a restaurant where the signature dish is called metmamuanghimmaphan, first-time diners are sure to have a few questions. The spirited servers at May Kitchen + Bar, May Chaleoy’s highly anticipated Vashon Island foray, are perpetually untangling foreign phrases, matching pandan leaf and Siamese watercress razzle-dazzle spied on neighboring tables to their menu descriptions, and assuring patrons that, yes, they really are allowed to wander into the kitchen.”Read the rest of Hanna Raskin’s review here.Photos by Joshua Huston.Published on September 24, 2012

Eaters who've soured on moo satay will appreciate May's cliche-wrecking version of grilled pork skewers, supple and rich from a swim in a curry propped up by coconut milk.

Eaters who’ve soured on moo satay will appreciate May’s cliche-wrecking version of grilled pork skewers, supple and rich from a swim in a curry propped up by coconut milk.

Asking an accomplished Thai cook to tackle phad see iew is probably akin to asking Gabby Douglas to turn a cartwheel, but the dish doesn't suffer for its simplicity or ubiquity. The dusky, soy-soaked sprawl of yielding wide rice noodles, Thai broccoli and scrambled eggs has a ridiculously good garlicky char. Like most of May's dishes, it's not spicy, but diners who want to add heat can request a caddy of pickled peppers and chili sauce. As the menu patiently explains, aEœauthentic Thai menu menu items are not served on a star system.aE 5. Phad thai—traditional thai stir fried thin rice noodles with chicken or tofu in tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, chive & egg garnished with sprouts, lime & ground peanuts.

Asking an accomplished Thai cook to tackle phad see iew is probably akin to asking Gabby Douglas to turn a cartwheel, but the dish doesn’t suffer for its simplicity or ubiquity. The dusky, soy-soaked sprawl of yielding wide rice noodles, Thai broccoli and scrambled eggs has a ridiculously good garlicky char. Like most of May’s dishes, it’s not spicy, but diners who want to add heat can request a caddy of pickled peppers and chili sauce. As the menu patiently explains, aEœauthentic Thai menu menu items are not served on a star system.aE 5. Phad thai—traditional thai stir fried thin rice noodles with chicken or tofu in tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, chive & egg garnished with sprouts, lime & ground peanuts.

"At a restaurant where the signature dish is called metmamuanghimmaphan, first-time diners

Asking an accomplished Thai cook to tackle phad see iew is probably akin to asking Gabby Douglas to turn a cartwheel, but the dish doesn’t suffer for its simplicity or ubiquity. The dusky, soy-soaked sprawl of yielding wide rice noodles, Thai broccoli and scrambled eggs has a ridiculously good garlicky char. Like most of May’s dishes, it’s not spicy, but diners who want to add heat can request a caddy of pickled peppers and chili sauce. As the menu patiently explains, aEœauthentic Thai menu menu items are not served on a star system.aE 5. Phad thai—traditional thai stir fried thin rice noodles with chicken or tofu in tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, chive & egg garnished with sprouts, lime & ground peanuts.

Thom ka soup, enticingly smooth and vaguely butterscotchy. The hot soup helps soften the chicken, which was brutally overcooked. Although thick sauces lessened the blow, chicken and beef were tough every time they appeared, whether in soups, noodles or fantastically velvety curries.

Thom ka soup, enticingly smooth and vaguely butterscotchy. The hot soup helps soften the chicken, which was brutally overcooked. Although thick sauces lessened the blow, chicken and beef were tough every time they appeared, whether in soups, noodles or fantastically velvety curries.

The shrimp in an arresting pra ram loang soang, a stir fry of baby corn and bean sprouts swamped with a sunset-hued peanut sauce, were perfectly cooked.

The shrimp in an arresting pra ram loang soang, a stir fry of baby corn and bean sprouts swamped with a sunset-hued peanut sauce, were perfectly cooked.

May serves outstanding versions of central Thai classics.

May serves outstanding versions of central Thai classics.

The back door leading to Chaleoy's genuinely open kitchen is the entryway likely to garner the most attention. Designed to mitigate customer traffic once the restaurant adds take-out to its repertoire, the door is now available to anyone who wants to peer at the tidy line and absorb the hushed rhythms of sauce-stirring and noodle-garnishing. And May's cooks won't mind if your admiration for a meticulous rear-wall pantry arrangement of fish sauce bottles and coconut milk cans inspires you to reach for your camera.

The back door leading to Chaleoy’s genuinely open kitchen is the entryway likely to garner the most attention. Designed to mitigate customer traffic once the restaurant adds take-out to its repertoire, the door is now available to anyone who wants to peer at the tidy line and absorb the hushed rhythms of sauce-stirring and noodle-garnishing. And May’s cooks won’t mind if your admiration for a meticulous rear-wall pantry arrangement of fish sauce bottles and coconut milk cans inspires you to reach for your camera.

The most interesting scenes unfold at the restaurant's front door. It is here where Vashon Islanders, who've anxiously waited a year for May to open, get their first glimpse of the lemongrass-scented refuge that Chaleoy has created. They inevitably swing their gaze around the 60-seat room, cloaked in rich teak and mahogany panels that make the space feel as special and secure as a ship captain's quarters, perhaps alighting first on the central u-shaped bar that serves all manner of alcohol.

The most interesting scenes unfold at the restaurant’s front door. It is here where Vashon Islanders, who’ve anxiously waited a year for May to open, get their first glimpse of the lemongrass-scented refuge that Chaleoy has created. They inevitably swing their gaze around the 60-seat room, cloaked in rich teak and mahogany panels that make the space feel as special and secure as a ship captain’s quarters, perhaps alighting first on the central u-shaped bar that serves all manner of alcohol.

May's wooden walls are between 100-150 years old and where brought over from Thailand.

May’s wooden walls are between 100-150 years old and where brought over from Thailand.

The restaurant's tremendous success—although reservations aren't formally required, they're a wise idea at any restaurant where half the tables are filled by 4:30 p.m.—is a gratifying reminder of how much a restaurant can mean to the eaters who live nearby.

The restaurant’s tremendous success—although reservations aren’t formally required, they’re a wise idea at any restaurant where half the tables are filled by 4:30 p.m.—is a gratifying reminder of how much a restaurant can mean to the eaters who live nearby.

May Kitchen + Bar, 17614 Vashon Hwy SW, (206)408-7196, maykitchen.com.

May Kitchen + Bar, 17614 Vashon Hwy SW, (206)408-7196, maykitchen.com.