By Simona Trakiyska

UW News Lab

Bellevue’s King and I restaurant has offered customers a rich collection of Thai dishes for more than 25 years. Its reputation has earned busy lunches, dinners – and sometimes lines out the door.

“We love it, it’s the food and the people,” said Sheila McConnell of Bellevue, who has been coming to the restaurant with her husband, Ron, since before they were married 22 years ago.

The restaurant took its name, King and I, from the 1956 musical film “The King and I,” which takes place in Siam, a name formerly used for Thailand.

The restaurant’s lease is up at the end of this year, and the possibility that their favorite place will relocate worries the McConnell’s. The sign in front of the restaurant indicates that changes may take place, but no one is certain when.

“At the moment, everything is in the air,” said owner Nooch Bunyaketu. “We hope that our customers will follow us anywhere we go.”

The owners, Nooch and her husband, Kane Bunyaketu, say they work very hard, but it is more than rewarding.

“The management style is different here; the restaurant feels like a family,” Nooch said.

Two of the chefs, Nai Ian Fong and Manyvanh Keovongsa, have been working there for 18 years, and some of the other staff for about 10. Bunyaketu spends most of her time in the restaurant, side by side with the rest of her team, which is important to her, she said, adding that the atmosphere and the dynamic of the restaurant is different when the management participates in the day-to-day operations.

“I treat my customers the way that I want to be treated,” Bunyaketu said.

While Bunyaketu did not start cooking until she was 28, she said enjoyed the cooking of others, one person in particular – her grandmother. She always paid close attention to which ingredient went where. Her culinary interest from a young age landed her at the doorsteps of King and I.

Kane originally bought the restaurant with a partner, and Nooch started working there – doing everything. When the partner left, Nooch and her husband became the primary owners. This is when she became more involved in cooking and developing her own recipes.

If she has to move the restaurant, Bunyaketu suspects the change will take place in about a year. She hopes to keep King and I in the Bellevue area, mainly because of the strong community and friendships she has built over the years. In the meantime, she and the rest of her team will continue to do what they know best, bringing smiles and joy to their customers.

Simona Trakiyska is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.

Ron and Sheila McConnell of Bellevue have been going to the King and I restaurant since before they were married 22 years ago. SIMONA TRANKIYSKA photo