Lotus Thai Celebrates 20 Years of Bringing Thai Flavours to St. Thomas Twenty years ago, opening a Thai restaurant in St. Thomas was something of a gamble. Today, Lotus Thai Restaurant has become a familiar part of the city’s food scene, and co-owner and founder, Pom Quang-Montague, is proud to have proven the early doubters wrong. Located at 295 Talbot St., Lotus Thai is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades since Pom first introduced her Thai cooking to St. Thomas. “We didn’t have any Thai restaurant back in the day,” Pom says. “I’m the first one who opened one in 2006.” Before opening a restaurant, Pom had been doing private catering for friends, and word quickly spread about her cooking. As demand grew, people began encouraging her to take the next step. “A lot of people talked her into it,” says co-owner, Peter Murphy: “Why don’t you open a restaurant because your food is so good?” When the restaurant opened, Thai food was still relatively unfamiliar to many local diners. At Lotus Thai, Pad Thai remains the most popular dish; however, Pom says the Thai curry is her personal favourite. The restaurant’s handmade spring rolls and wontons have also developed a loyal following. Peter estimates that every week they now make more than 2,000 of each, all wrapped and rolled by hand. That hands-on approach extends throughout the menu. Sauces are made in-house, including their plum sauce, and Pom remains heavily involved in maintaining the quality of every dish leaving the kitchen. “I want everything perfect,” she says. “Customers are spending their money; I think they should receive the best!” Even after 20 years, Pom says she is still involved seven days a week, keeping an eye on the kitchen and making sure the food meets her standards. For Peter, Pom’s story is also an important part of what Lotus Thai represents. He points to her journey arriving in Canada as a refugee who didn’t speak much English and building a successful local business around recipes and food that are very much her own. When first launching the restaurant, Pom remembers hearing plenty of predictions that the restaurant wouldn’t survive. “I feel excited. I feel like, wow – I made it this far!” Pom says. “A lot of people think, ‘You’re going to open this restaurant? I don’t think
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it’s going to last.’ And then I want everybody to know that I made it.” Lotus Thai plans to make sure its customers are part of the celebration. Throughout September, in recognition of its 20th anniversary, the restaurant will offer a new promotion each week, a month-long thank you to the community that helped turn a new and unfamiliar restaurant into a St. Thomas success story! RUSH HELLOS
September 2026 Issue 82 Hometown St. Thomas
Hometown St. Thomas September Cover To celebrate 100 years of Arthur Voaden Secondary School, our cover is a yearbook of some of the volunteers for the 100th Anniversary, their photos then and now. Look at that hair! New photos by Geoff Rae.
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Celebrating 40 years of serving St. Thomas & Area.
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Hometown St. Thomas • September 2026 • Page 3
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