The restaurant nestled at the back of an alley just off the Church Street Marketplace is open once again. It’s still Thai, but a new owner and chef team have shifted the menu — and the vibe.
Thai in the Alley opened on January 30 at 36 Thorsen Way, replacing BKK in the Alley, which closed in the fall. While BKK was known for its cocktails and hookah bar, the new restaurant will have “more focus on food,” owner Suntarin “Boom” Henson told Seven Days.
Chef Tokyo Asissara’s menu features appetizers, curries, soups, noodles and other entrées from all regions of his native Thailand, he said, both traditional and creative. One of Asissara’s unique offerings is pad Thai tom yum, which melds fragrant herbs and spices found in tom yum soup — such as lemongrass, makrut lime leaves and chile — with classic pad Thai noodles.
Asissara has been studying herbs’ effects on dietary health, he said. Fresh ingredients deliver what he calls “extreme flavor,” especially in elements such as tamarind sauce, which the restaurant offers with various proteins, including chicken wings.
Henson, 40, and Asissara, 42, became friends “a long time ago” while working as restaurant servers in Hanover, N.H., Henson said. Asissara has been cooking since he was 8 years old and used to run a Thai pop-up at Waterbury’s Blackback Pub.
Henson, who came to Vermont from northeastern Thailand in 2011, has owned Stowe Thai Cuisine at 504 Mountain Road since December 2024; she’s also a full-time registered nurse.
“I love [Stowe]. It’s just charming,” Henson said. “But it’s seasonal. Burlington is the big city, and this is a great location.”
Thai in the Alley serves lunch and dinner, with online ordering available for takeout and delivery. The restaurant will offer Thai-style cocktails once its liquor license is approved. Learn more at thaiinthealleyvt.com.
This article appears in February 11 • 2026.
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