By MONTANETTE MURPHY
Utica Observer-Dispatch (Utica, New York)
The family operators of Sunny Restaurant Asian Cuisine say they owe their success to family and friends who encouraged them to save money and one day realize their hopes of owning a restaurant.
“It was a long process,” said Sojattra Soeung, daughter of restaurant owner Sanh Soeung. “It’s been going on ever since we could dream about it.”
The family had been saving money for 10 years, and even friends contributed financially, Sojattra said.
Sunny’s, located at 530 Albany St., has been open for six months.
Sanh owns the restaurant, and Sojattra does the cooking, which includes Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese and Japanese dishes.
Business is good, Sojattra said, and has flourished just by word of mouth.
“People are spreading it,” Sojattra said. “They take made-to-go menus and give them to their friends.”
Sanh, who was born in Cambodia, loves to cook and was encouraged by friends and family to open a restaurant after they raved about her cooking.
One of the more popular items served at the restaurant is Pap Thai, a stir-fry noodle dish prepared with bean sprouts, cabbage and scallions and topped with ground peanuts. It’s accompanied by a peanut sauce.
Sunny Restaurant Asian Cuisine is the first restaurant for Sanh.
Wondering how Sanh ended up in Utica?
“A lot of her friends moved up here, and she thought it was a great place to start a new thing,” Sojattra said. “It’s very diverse here, and people are very adventurous here.”
The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m Sunday. It is closed on Monday. Sojattra is waitress and manager at the restaurant.
“It was a long process,” said Sojattra Soeung, daughter of restaurant owner Sanh Soeung. “It’s been going on ever since we could dream about it.”
The family had been saving money for 10 years, and even friends contributed financially, Sojattra said.
Sunny’s, located at 530 Albany St., has been open for six months.
Sanh owns the restaurant, and Sojattra does the cooking, which includes Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese and Japanese dishes.
Business is good, Sojattra said, and has flourished just by word of mouth.
“People are spreading it,” Sojattra said. “They take made-to-go menus and give them to their friends.”
Sanh, who was born in Cambodia, loves to cook and was encouraged by friends and family to open a restaurant after they raved about her cooking.
One of the more popular items served at the restaurant is Pap Thai, a stir-fry noodle dish prepared with bean sprouts, cabbage and scallions and topped with ground peanuts. It’s accompanied by a peanut sauce.
Sunny Restaurant Asian Cuisine is the first restaurant for Sanh.
Wondering how Sanh ended up in Utica?
“A lot of her friends moved up here, and she thought it was a great place to start a new thing,” Sojattra said. “It’s very diverse here, and people are very adventurous here.”
The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m Sunday. It is closed on Monday. Sojattra is waitress and manager at the restaurant.
