Pick your theory, then Thai one on in Fremont

Wednesday, January 1, 2003

By PENELOPE CORCORAN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER RESTAURANT CRITIC

"What's with all the Thai restaurants in Fremont?"

It's a question I've been asked repeatedly by savvy observers over the past several months. Often, it's followed closely with a second, more credulous, query: "And how do they all stay in business?"

Indeed, the number of Thai restaurants -- hovering at six, for the moment -- concentrated in such a small area boggles the mind.

Clusters of same-Asian-cuisine eateries located within the International District or nearby Rainier Valley don't raise an eyebrow. But as the number of Thai restaurants in Fremont approached some critical mass, people began to notice and wonder. Why all these Thai restaurants? And why, of all places, in free-thinking, (formerly) funky Fremont?

No one knows. But plenty of unscientific, unquantified theories abound. Here are three of my favorites.

The high-tech theory. Since 1998, when Adobe (801 N. 34th St.) installed about 500-plus employees in its new buildings in Fremont, the area has attracted other global high-tech businesses with hungry employees. Getty Images (601 N. 34th St.), the "world's leading imagery company," also has headquarters here. It makes sense that those employees would walk to nearby restaurants for meals.

Overgeneralizing terribly, high-tech employees tend to be well-educated, younger (or younger-thinking), culinarily adventurous and pressed for time. Thai food meets many needs: for something hot and homey (like a curry with rice); for something "packing heat" (i.e. macho levels of spiciness, if desired) or bland; for soup; for noodles; for salads; for meat eaters, fish eaters and vegetarians.

If one or two Thai restaurants couldn't keep up with demand, and the wait to eat became too long for high-tech appetites, opening more Thai eateries doesn't sound like such a dumb proposition after all, does it?

The vegetarian theory. This theory draws both from Fremont's long-standing post-hippie identity and its current incarnation as friendly home to hip, high-tech industries. Vegetarians of all descriptions are common in both cultures. Thai cuisine is vegetarian-friendly. Enough said.

Location, location, location theory. If Fremont truly is "the center of the universe," why not open a bunch of Thai restaurants here? Call this the "If you open them, they will come" destination-restaurant theory. It's not a bad one. Fremont is easily accessible from many other nearby, well-populated neighborhoods

As for whether Fremont can sustain its current number of Thai restaurants, that remains to be seen. In the meantime, happy eating.