Treat Your Mom (and Your Friends) to this Fantastic New Thai Restaurant in Bend

by | Sep 10, 2023 | Food & Drink, Restaurants

The Dear Mom Cafe is an impossibly cool Thai restaurant with impossibly cool owners that just opened in Bend. Jattalee (JJ) Chalernhinthong, the owner, is a mom herself and opened up the restaurant with her husband in honor of her own mother who still lives in Thailand. The dishes are inspired by her mother’s traditional recipes and values she helped instill in JJ. The staff, most of whom JJ knows personally, wears cute shirts that say, “Have you called your mom today?”

The dining room is open and modern with bright wallpaper and upbeat, pop music playing on the speakers. The whole atmosphere is fun and inviting with the hope that customers feel comfortable and welcome to stay as long as they like. The menu is also refreshingly small, which lets you know the chefs are really focusing on making all the dishes right and you know no matter what you order it’s gonna be good—each plate looks like a work of art and it smells and tastes just as good ! They also have options for those with dietary restrictions like vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free dishes or substitutions. 

dining room
dining room, photo via Dear Mom facebook

Start off with an order of the delicious Midnight Chicken Wings for the table that are tossed in a caramelized fish sauce chicken wing served with veggie pickles. Then move on to your entree where every choice you have will leave you singing the chef’s praises.

Yellow curry
curry, photo by Dear Mom Cafe Google Local

One great option is the Yellow Curry (the only curry they offer) that’s perfectly spiced and made with crispy red norland potatoes, onions, cherry tomatoes, and roasted vegetables served with rice. Or if your go-to at a Thai restaurant are noodles, the dependable Grandma’s Pad Thai are some of the best around made with a cage free egg, bean sprouts, chive, shallot, and peanut.

pad thai
Pad thai noodles, photo by Dear Mom Google Local

Another standout that customers rave about is the Spicy Crispy Holy Basil made with bird's red eye chili, mix roasted vegetable, broccolini, bell pepper sautéed in mom's spicy umami sauce and served with fried egg over rice (you can also get this made with tofu or roasted veggies).

Spicy Crispy Holy Basil
spicy crispy holy basil, photo via Dear Mom Facebook

Don’t forget to leave room for dessert, and maybe you should consider ordering two! Two of the best are the Sweet Mango Sticky Rice and vanilla ice cream, and Aunty Jeep’s Daily bake, a decadent toffee cake served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Round it out with a refreshing glass of Thai Iced Jasmine Green Tea and you’ll have the perfect dining experience. 

Mango sticky rice
mango and sticky rice, photo by Dear Mom Google Local

Hours: 

  • Saturday and Sunday, 12:00pm to 8:00pm
  • Monday - Friday, 11:30am - 2:00pm for lunch, 4:30pm to 8:00pm for dinner 

Address: 320 SW Century Drive, Suite 100, Bend, OR

Phone: (458) 281-0511

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Written By Diana Flowers

Diana is a writer living in Portland with her delightful son and crotchety cat. Growing up in the area, family vacations were often to nearby destinations reachable by car. She has since expanded that love of local road trips and has been all over the great state of Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest, frequently pairing backpacking trips with exploring new towns and regions.

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