If you’ve walked around Eugene, you’ve probably noticed an abundance of Thai restaurants, each varying in authenticity and quality. Among these, one establishment has quickly made a name for itself in town by serving exceptional Thai classics with a twist: Krob Krua, located at 1313 Pearl St.
The bustling location has recently expanded from limited seating in the basement of Wildcraft Ciderworks to a full-size dining room, bar and patio in a space of its own. The menu is varied, with classics such as Pad Ke Mow and Thom Kha alongside originals, like their wood-fired Thai pizza. Currently, it is currently open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays.
At the center of its popularity and innovation are the restaurant’s founding chefs, Sujitra “Pat” Baker, Varalux “Luk” Hardinger and Luk’s husband, Jeff Hardinger. After many years away from Oregon, the Hardingers opted to move to Eugene, the city where Jeff got his start in the culinary field as a member of the opening crew at Marché.
Jeff’s love for cooking Thai cuisine also started in Eugene. “There used to be a Thai restaurant here in town, Ring of Fire,” Jeff said. “That’s where I kinda started cooking Thai.” After a move to New York in 2000, Jeff met his wife and proceeded to open and manage several restaurants up until 2015.
One thing that sets Krob Krua apart from other Thai establishments that Jeff has worked at in the past is its wood oven, which is used in preparing several items on the menu to provide a unique spin on traditional Thai cuisine.
One other noticeable aspect of Krob Krua is its decor and theming, which is bright, colorful and features plenty of elephant iconography. “Right before we opened, we went and visited Thailand and we brought a bunch of funky decor stuff back,” Jeff said. “We decided on the elephant theme before we rebranded a bit…we kinda ran with the whole elephant theme cause they’re cool and they’re cute…it got folded into the logo and became part of the identity.”
The menu at Krob Krua is meant to be a mix of classic and experimental dishes. “It’s kind of a bit of both, you know?” Jeff said. “A lot of the wood oven stuff is trying to utilize that instrument of cooking with traditional and non-traditional things…they do a lot of open fire cooking in Thailand — especially with street food — so I feel like it’s not terribly far away from that at all.”
Some of the dishes are in themselves a blend of old and new ideas, such as Krob Krua’s take on Thom Yum soup, which has the non-traditional addition of crab and shrimp dumplings. “That Thom Yum you had? That’s not a super traditional version of it,” Jeff said. “But I really like dumplings, and having dumplings in soup is kind of fun. It kind of adds the flavor profile that wants to be there anyway.”
After trying some of the menu –– such as their delicious Thom Yum –– I can say that Krob Krua is hands -down the best Thai cuisine that I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in Eugene. Its approach to providing guests with authenticity is given just enough wiggle room for inventive dishes to culminate, providing some of the most richly flavorful and interesting dishes I’ve had since moving here. If you know someone who’s never tried Thai food or has been meaning to get into it, you owe it to yourself to take a trip to Krob Krua. Chances are they’ll become a fan for life.
