THAI10 605 SPOTLIGHT
It all started with family and food. Growing up, Ruth Kitilach’s dad, Berdin Soukkeo , asked his kids the important questions. “From when we were little, he always said to me and my brothers, ‘You’re going to know how to cook. Otherwise, how are you going to feed your family?’” she remembered. “That’s the one thing he always made sure we had: food in our stomach.” Ruth is a first-generation Southeastern Asian-American born in San Diego, CA. When she was 12, her Laotian mother and Thai father moved the family to South Dakota. Though Ruth works full-time as a nurse practitioner at Sanford Health , she and her husband, Seuk , opened Mekong Asian Market in 2014 to facilitate their passion for cooking, food, and family. As the grocery store flourished, Berdin and his wife, Houan , dreamed of starting a restaurant. When a lot a few blocks away from the grocery store was available for purchase, the family took note.
“We saw it, but it wasn’t listed. We were like, ‘This is fate,’” revealed Ruth.
written by Greta Smith + photos by Cailyn Patterson
60 | 605MAGAZINE.COM
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