A & M-Commerce with a bachelor ’ s degree in business and met his wife Rebekah Ross at a local apartment complex . Rebekah grew up in Campbell and developed a love for cooking by the age of 6 and won awards in cooking competitions . She and Ty learned family recipes from Ty ’ s mother . “ My husband picked up the skills , then I picked up the flavor and continue to do it they way they do it ,” said Rebekah .
Rebekah mastered Laotion cooking so well that Ty ’ s father couldn ’ t tell the difference between Rebekah ’ s cooking and Noudeng ’ s . “ He went , ‘ Oh , very good ,’” said Ty . After completing his schooling , Thonginh worked odd jobs , earning the nickname Ty when he was in tech support . He was a boat captain for a while , working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico , commuting to Lafayette , Louisiana , from Greenville .
In 2021 , when Greenville was going through an ice storm and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic , Rebekah started cooking Asian food and selling it out of their home . They also supplied food to a local nursing home .
“ Everybody was shut down ,” she said . “ We ran on propane and cooked it at home .”
Now they ’ ve built a restaurant in a small business center on FM 1903 . Along one wall of the restaurant is a colorful mural painted by Jay Reeder that depicts the family ’ s flight from Laos .
The Nu Dang Pho menu includes their top seller , Pho , his mother ’ s traditional all beef bone recipe slow simmered … and seasoned with star anise , cloves , coriander , cinnamon , ginger and onion . Served over thin rice noodles .
They also serve sweet and sour chicken , orange chicken , sticky chicken , Lao dishes such as Mekong chicken , beef or shrimp , Larb , Pakse and Khinak stir fry . The menu also offers Korean dishes , including Bibimbap , spicy Bulgogi , curry and vermiceli noodle salad .
Their family includes six children , some of whom help around the restaurant at times . Their youngest son Kragen , 10 , “ wants to be a chef ,” says Ty .
Word is getting out about their restaurant , which earned a third place in the Herald-Banner ’ s 2022 Best of the Best awards in the category of asian food .
“ We ’ ve had people come from Mississippi , Louisiana , Oklahoma ,” said Rebekah . “ They heard about it on Facebook . A lot of them lived in California or were stationed overseas and they say they ’ ve never been able to find that authentic flavor .”
Well , they can find that “ authentic flavor ” now in Hunt County , thanks to Ty and his family .
14 Greenville Life WINTER 2023