After a fire closed Silk Thai in the summer of 2022, the beloved Charlottesville restaurant is finally welcoming diners back. The road to reopening was long, but owner Mongkhol Chinsetthagit, known as TK Chin, never lost sight of his vision. The fire, caused by a gas leak in the basement of the old building on Fontaine Avenue Extended (home to Thai 99 for nearly 30 years before Silk Thai took over), and damaged both floors of the restaurant, forcing Chin to close for extensive repairs. What should have been a straightforward renovation turned into a two-year ordeal, largely due to delays. His experience with the fire left him with one piece of advice for other restaurant owners, especially those in older buildings: “Do yearly inspections to prevent something like this from happening to you.” Throughout the closure, loyal customers kept the spirit of Silk Thai alive. Chin regularly posted renovation updates on Facebook, prompting comments about the reopening to flood in. When the restaurant welcomed diners back in December 2024, Charlottesville was ready.
“Thrilled to get takeout last night again from our favorite neighborhood spot!” Max Trone wrote on Facebook. Added Reddit user Boxybrown424: “I want to link hands and sing outside of it so bad. Long time coming!”
For Chin, Silk Thai is more than a business—it’s the culmination of a life shaped by food. He grew up in Thailand, surrounded by the scent of his mom’s home cooking and the palm sugar business his grandfather started after emigrating from China. “My mom can cook everything—all the Thai food, Chinese food,” Chin says. “But my favorite food she cooked would be pad kra pao with chili basil, drunken noodles, and also pad Thai.” As the oldest son, Chin was expected to take over the family palm sugar operation. Instead, he pursued a master’s degree in information systems in the United States, hoping to modernize the family business. But after a short stint at a data company, he realized entrepreneurship—like his grandfather’s path—was a better fit. He left palm sugar to his younger brother and shifted his focus to restaurants.
In 2008, Chin opened the first Silk Thai in Manassas, Virginia. The Charlottesville location is now part of a growing lineup, including Mashumen, his ramen and sushi spot next door. “I opened [Mashumen] because of my son and my wife,” Chin says. “My son loves ramen, and my wife loves Japanese food. We have a best friend who’s Japanese and a great cook, so we joined up with her on the recipes.” Chin also operates Mum Mum near George Mason University, another Silk Thai in Hagerstown, and his newest venture in Martinsburg, West Virginia. His wife, Fern Chong, is an expert in northern Thai cuisine and Chin attributes the Silk Restaurant Group’s success to her. “She keeps improving the recipes and the restaurant all the time until it’s as close to perfect as possible,” he says.
While southern Thai food tends to be spicier and richer with coconut milk, northern Thai cuisine is known for its milder heat, earthy flavors, and herbal broths. Try Silk’s khao soi gai, a northern-style dish featuring chicken in a rich, curry-spiced coconut broth with egg noodles, red onion, pickled mustard greens, and fresh cilantro. The newly renovated Silk Thai features a sleek, modern interior with reclaimed barn wood accents and colorful Thai art. The menu remains true to its roots, with favorites like drunken noodles and pad Thai—Chin’s childhood go-tos—alongside a few new additions. Silk Thai wants to be known for its big portions, affordable prices, and bold flavors. “I want to make sure that [students] are full when they come to my restaurant,” says Chin. He refuses to water down the spice or flavor to fit American expectations. “Most of the time, when you open a Thai restaurant in this country, you Americanize it because you feel like people can’t handle the taste,” Chin shares. “But Charlottesville is familiar with Asian cultural food, so I make it taste stronger. I make it as close to our home as possible.” That said, don’t worry if you’re spice sensitive—the kitchen is happy to adjust the heat to your liking.
And Chin isn’t done dreaming. He envisions more restaurants, including a tapas-style Asian fusion concept and quick grab-and-go options, particularly for students.
Silk Thai’s newly renovated Fry’s Spring location returned to serving bold, authentic dishes like Red Duck Curry. Photo by Tristan Williams.
