about

Bangkok to Sterling: Authentic Thai Made With Love

Eed Banchanurat Landon, the Chief Chef at Thai by Thai, has been cooking traditional Thai dishes for as long as she can remember. Growing up in the center of Bangkok in a small business, she absorbed the lessons of great stir-fry from her Chinese-born father, how to make spicy Northeast Thai and Lao dishes from her nanny, and the importance of healthy, fresh ingredients from her eldest sister. Helping them prepare three meals a day for her lively family and employees meant going to the nearby street markets for fresh meat, fish and vegetables. She remembers as a little girl squeezing coconut milk from the flesh of fresh coconuts to make curries.

After graduating from Chulalongkorn University, Eed decided to move to the United States. She eventually found herself in Illinois, where she continued to develop her passion for cooking while pursuing an MBA and MIS. It was here she met her husband Matt, who was studying Thai and SE Asian Studies. They moved together to Bangkok for a few years where they married and Eed worked at IBM Thailand, before returning to the US with their first son. When Matt began law school at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Eed spent the long winters cooking Thai dishes and mastering her craft, using Matt as her very willing taste tester.

After settling in Washington DC in 1997, Matt and Eed bought a Subway franchise in Fairfax City. She was initially attracted to Subway by the focus on healthy food, and they eventually owned and operated three locations in the Fairfax area.

In 2007 they opened Thai by Thai restaurant in Sterling, basing it on the same type of places she and Matt loved to frequent themselves - kid friendly, casual, quick service, and amazing food. The focus on quality ingredients and authentic Thai dishes not typically available in the U.S. rapidly made it a huge success, especially with the local Thai community.

Eed creates the recipes, chooses the ingredients, and manages the kitchen to ensure that Thai by Thai's customers benefit from her extensive experience and unique style. They have always tried to incorporate innovative and healthy concepts into their restaurants, such as including a selection of gluten-free items.

Over the years, Thai by Thai grew beyond its original home in Sterling, expanding to additional locations in Fairfax, Annandale, and Dunn Loring as more guests discovered and embraced Eed’s approach to authentic, thoughtfully prepared Thai cuisine. Ultimately, the challenges of COVID forced difficult decisions, and Thai by Thai emerged with a renewed focus on its original Sterling location.

Today, Thai by Thai proudly continues at Sterling, which has been serving the community for nearly 20 years. Eed remains deeply grateful for the loyal guests who have supported the journey and is thrilled to keep sharing her love of Thai food with new generations — honoring tradition, embracing quality, and carrying forward the strong brand that Thai by Thai has become as it continues to grow and thrive.