Longtime Thai Restaurant in Newton Sees a Changing of the Guard

Revere Thai restaurant Rice Passions will expand to Newton Centre, taking over an existing Thai restaurant. The Rice Passions team will be taking over the space at 759 Beacon St. currently occupied by Coconut Cafe, which has been in operation in Newton Centre since 1996, Rice Passions co-owners Teradate Suntornnut and Fonthip Suntornnut told Eater via email. The transition will happen in early July.

The new owners plan to honor the original restaurant by keeping elements of the name and the menu.

“Since this restaurant has been in Newton for a very long time, and with respect for chef Visoot Sueksagan, who is Coconut Cafe’s original founder, we decided to keep some of their original recipes on the menu,” they said in an email.

Instead of rebranding as a second Rice Passions location, the pair plans to call the restaurant Coconut Newton (see the new restaurant’s Instagram account here.) Menu items will include butterfly pea sticky rice, spare rib buns, and more.

Rice Passions opened in Revere in January 2018 in the space once occupied by Maekha Thai (163 Squire Rd.).

Hours of operation for the new restaurant will be 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 12 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Coconut Newton doesn’t have a liquor license, and the balance between takeout and dine-in will be 60/40, according to the owners.

• Rice Passions Opens With Beautifully Composed Thai Dishes [EBOS]