Many restaurants in Eugene make a good enough impression that customers return and become patrons who eagerly recommend the restaurants’ enjoyable dining experience. One restaurant in Eugene focuses so much attention on its customers and their personal satisfaction that everyone who dines there will leave wishing they could make it a weekly, maybe daily, ritual. It’s Ring of Fire, a swanky, white table-clothed eatery specializing in traditional Thai and Asian recipes.
Its name reflects the fare; Ring of Fire refers to the chain of volcanoes that lines the Pacific Ocean, where most of the restaurant’s recipes originate. Authenticity is its guarantee; the restaurant’s head chef is Thai and cooks with a genuine flair for ethnicity in the kitchen.
The appetizers, all made for two people, include tempura, spring rolls with spicy plum sauce, beef, chicken or vegetable satays and crispy tofu. Diners have dozens of main dishes to choose from: noodles, curries, fried rice, meat, vegetable stir-fries and grilled fish, plus several daily specials. Every item screams deliciousness and looks equally appetizing, and the vegetarian options are frankly the best for Thai restaurants in Eugene.
One daily special offered was a stir fry of green and red peppers, grilled onions and shiitake mushrooms with beef, chicken, tofu or tempeh sitting atop thick slabs of eggplant. The tofu, browned and juicy, complements a jalapeno-based curry sauce with a hint of coconut milk to sweeten and subdue the spiciness.
Restaurant General Manager Seth Long said students do eat at Ring of Fire, but the price range may deter strict budget diners from venturing down West 11th to this tasty goodness. The prices for main dishes range from $11-$18, but a dinner for two could include only one main dish, considering how generous the portions are. Long said jokingly, “It’s almost too much food,” and that students will leave with leftovers.
While Ring of Fire is for customers who want to dine in a more formal setting – with orange walls, dim lighting, soft jazz and Asian decor â?” the two other rooms of the establishment, the Orchid Room and Lava Lounge, offer alternative atmospheres. The Orchid Room is available for large parties, banquets, meetings, etc., while the Lava Lounge appears more relaxed, with tables for dining and a massive bar with a wide array of drink varieties. When asked for specifics, Long replied, “Pick your vice,” with a laugh, quickly listing several popular cocktails such as Thai Me Down, an iced tea mixed with vodka and vanilla.
Both Ring of Fire and Lava Lounge appeal to customers because of their late hours.
“Our long hours allow people to order full meals until midnight every weeknight and 1 a.m. on weekends,” Long said.
The hours reflect Long’s strong commitment to the restaurant’s management: “m’jai,” which is Thai for joy and contentment from good food. Long strives to make m’jai his employees’ mission, working for the customers’ enjoyment of the dining experience. This shows in how many times servers fill water glasses for diners and how many servers and employees approach a customer’s table – enough to make their customers feel valued and appreciated.

Surprisingly, most servers are college students who Long is willing to work with flexibly to maintain the restaurant’s professionalism.
“I tell servers to think of their section as their stage; they are the vendors at a Saturday market, selling themselves.”
Apparently they are successful. The business does not buy print and radio advertising; it relies completely on word-of-mouth and loyal customers to build its impressive reputation.
In “Chow!”, the Eugene Weekly’s restaurant guide, Ring of Fire has won Best Southeast Asian, Best Asian and Best Pacific Rim cuisine, Best Chef, Best Take Out, Best Bartender and Best Bloody Mary.
Need more convincing? First-time customers enjoy a free dessert: a cup of either chocolate or coconut ice cream.
Also, check out Ring of Fire’s sister restaurant, Cafe Lucky Noodle, which offers a sample of Ring of Fire’s selection along with Italian cuisine.