WINSLOW, Maine – Two restaurant owners from Central Maine made a memorable trip to Los Angeles in late April, not to soak up the sun, but to make their mark in the world record books.
Sourasay Senesombath and Anima Nikonthet, who run the Asian Noodle Bowl in Augusta and the Asian Cafe in Winslow, traveled across the country with one clear goal in mind: “The intention was to beat the record,” Senesombath shared.
They joined 37 other vendors at a major event, where they managed to serve over 1,300 plates of pad thai in just one hour. This impressive feat surpassed their original goal of 1,200 and put them on track to be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.
“The moment it began, it was like, ‘Go, go, go!’” Nikonthet recalled. “For about the next 45 to 50 minutes, we were just rushing and didn’t even have time to think.”
Their efforts were part of the city’s 17th annual Songkran Festival, which celebrates Thai New Year. The event brought together restaurants from all over the country and attracted around 200,000 visitors worldwide.
“It was amazing to see so many Thai people in one place outside of Thailand,” Nikonthet noted, reflecting on the diverse crowd.
Each restaurant had its unique approach to the dish, leading to a variety of flavors and styles. “Everyone has their own technique, so each pad thai turned out differently,” Senesombath explained. Their version stood out as they don’t use fish sauce, tailoring it to fit the local tastes.
Their pad thai was a hit, selling out within just 45 minutes at the event. Upon returning home, they found that demand remained high. “The weekend after the competition, we were so busy that we ran out of supplies and had to close early,” Senesombath added.
Both restaurants are open every day, inviting customers to explore their tasty pad thai options.
