Thai restaurant Maki Mojo recently opened at 1210 West Main Street in Franklin. The small stone building has been home to several restaurants, most recently Smoking Bowls.
After Noi Reagan, owner of Smoking Bowls, decided to close her restaurant, she leased the property to her friend and fellow chef Siripong “Maki” Suntikul. Thus, it became the home of Maki Mojo.
Maki Mojo Offerings
While both restaurants have some similarities, Maki Mojo is different than its predecessor. Maki Mojo offers traditional Thai food, such as pad thai, tom yum and tom kha soups, noodle dishes like pad kee mao and pad see ew, and their version of chicken satay served with peanut sauce over a bed of curry rice.
One distinctive feature at Maki Mojo is the “Specials of the Week”, where Maki offers a new and distinctive dish or small menu each week that is not part of the regular menu. This is Maki’s way of showcasing his experience, passion, and creativity as well as offering food that you wouldn’t find elsewhere.
Unique drink offerings include their own homebrewed iced Thai teas and Thai coffee as well as “Butterfly Tea”, which is made with what is called butterfly pea flower. The tea is brewed from the flower and sweetened with honey and can be spritzed with a bit of lemon, so it’s naturally sweetened and contains no sugar.
Chef’s Background
Maki brings over 30 years of restaurant experience to Maki Mojo. Locally, Maki has cooked for Peter’s Sushi & Thai in Brentwood, Ichiban’s Japanese Restaurant in Downtown Nashville then later in Murfreesboro and Ken’s Japanese Restaurant in Downtown Nashville.
Suntikul says that Franklin was always an attractive destination for Maki Mojo for its rich history, current development and growth, and large and diverse population. Suntikul says he heard that there is a healthy appetite for Thai food and other Asian cuisines in Franklin, and has since found that out and enjoyed having customers of all kinds who have come for great Asian food.
What to Order at Maki Mojo
We asked Suntikul what he would order at Maki Mojo and he replied, “If it were my first time at Maki Mojo or my first time with Thai food in general, I would order the Pad Thai. As one of the most popular and well-known staples of Thai cuisine, Maki’s pad thai is absolutely delicious and an excellent and authentic representation of that Thai street food influence.”
Details
Maki Mojo
1210 West Main Street, Franklin
Hours: 11 am to 8 pm, Tuesday through Saturday
Facebook
