Jeab Prapunwong - Owner of Mantra Thai
How long have you been the owner of Mantra Thai?
We opened Mantra Thai in October 2014 so it has been almost nearly nine years now. As with all of the hospitality industry we had a hard couple of years during the pandemic but we are proud to still be going and serving authentic Thai food to the people of Newcastle and beyond.
Tell us about your role at Mantra Thai.
As the owner its has truly been a lot of hard work to make my dream come true, from concept, design to continuing work on the restaurant to keep it a success. You always have to be thinking one step ahead. It can be demanding at times but Im incredibly passionate about Mantra.
We heard you got married here, is that true?
I met my wife here over 20 years ago and got married here, so the restaurant has always held a special place in our hearts!
Whats new at Mantra? What are you currently working on?
I’m very proud of our new re-fit of the downstairs restaurant creating a lounge bar feel, with relaxed casual dining options, like our new lunch menu or just having a coffee & cake break or a couple of cocktails with our Thai sharing platter. Its a great way to get the summer started! We hope to attract lots of new customers to Mantra over the the next few months.
Tell us about your team you work with.
Our team is led by very experienced professionals from Thailand. Chefs with over 50 years’ experience between them, and who have been with us from the beginning of our journey. Im very proud of what we’ve accomplished and we are excited as a team about Mantra’s growth.
Whats the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
Location location location! That’s why Mantra Thai is in such an iconic place on Newcastle Quayside.
What does the future hold at Mantra?
We always strive to bring the best Thai to North East and are always looking for ways to improve. This summer, I’m going back to my roots in Thailand to explore the Isan mountains region to search for new ideas to bring back to Mantra. Watch out for updates this Autumn!
www.mantra-thai.co.uk