Together, married couple Supawan Au aka Tai and Ricky Au own and manage The Spice Club, a beloved local venue. The restaurant has been serving up all of your favorite Thai dishes in a casual, comfortable space on Main Street in the heart of Niantic since 2012. The unique Asian restaurant prides itself on offering dishes made fresh from start to finish. They’re happy to customize your requests, too – just ask!
They offer healthy, home-cooked Thai, sushi and Pan-Asian dishes in a casual, family-friendly environment. Ricky says, “Our philosophy has always been that our guests should be shown the same hospitality here as they would be shown if they were a guest in our home. We hope this sentiment shines through from the moment you walk through our doors.” Whether you’re a Niantic local, or here for a visit, the team is always happy to welcome you in for a fresh, healthy and authentic Thai meal.
Their cozy space offers a full bar with Asian and tropical inspired drinks. You’ll find a relaxed, yet classy atmosphere. Their sushi – shipped overnight from Japan so their guests can truly experience the freshest fish possible – is the real deal!
Tai is from Thailand and graduated from Bangkok University. Ricky grew up locally in the Groton/Mystic area. After graduating from Fitch High School, he attended University of Connecticut. Ricky and Tai met soon after Tai came to the U.S. in 2004 as an au pair. They married in 2006 and opened their first restaurant in Groton in 2007, Thai Sawasdee. After having to close this location last summer due to the pandemic, they have since decided to sell that restaurant.
The couple has always loved the Niantic vibe and saw an opportunity to offer a new type of cuisine to the community. Ricky says, “Since the day we opened, the support has been amazing and more than we could have ever imagined. We have found that the other business owners in town all have big hearts and genuinely want to support each other. We’ve been happy to work together with them throughout the years.”
The Spice Club is excited to participate in this year’s 10th annual Niantic & East Lyme Restaurant Week – March 4 through 13. They’re offering a $5 menu (dine-in only), so you can sample some of their popular dishes. Be sure to include The Spice Club in your Restaurant Week plans!
Looking for a special night out? In addition to the casual, fun atmosphere and delicious entrees, enjoy talented local musician Brad Bensko who performs weekly, typically on Saturday nights.
In addition to The Spice Club, Ricky and Tai own Pink Basil in Old Mystic Village (opened in 2015) and Samarai Noodle in downtown Mystic (opened in 2018). Ricky says, “Through the years, we have worked hard to continually improve our culinary skills, menu offerings and service.”
The eatery has always had an active take-out business, and that significantly increased during the pandemic. Luckily for them, they had set up their user-friendly online ordering system in 2018. So, when the pandemic happened in early 2020, they were prepared. Also, they use third party platforms for delivery, such as Grubhub, Ubereats and Doordash.
They plan to keep the seasonal outdoor dining, which they initiated during the pandemic. In order to leave space around their business and their neighbors, they feel they can comfortably accommodate four tables of four.
Ricky is quick to express gratitude for the continued support of their loyal customers, and they are always happy to welcome new guests.
Future plans include a new business venture in frozen food products. They hope to get their product on shelves or freezers at a local grocery store or club store in the near future. The Spice Club is always giving us something new to enjoy!
Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay on top of their news, special offerings and events. Visit their website at http://www.thespiceclubct.com to see their full menu.
The Spice Club
239 Main Street, Niantic
thespiceclubct.com
860-451-8121
Hours: Monday through Wednesday: 11:30 am – 3:00 pm; 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Thursday: 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday: 11:30 am – 3:00 pm; 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
About Our Main Street Blogger:
Joanne lives in, and loves, our community. She was looking for an opportunity to help share all that our local businesses do to make East Lyme such a special place to call home, and she is excited to contribute to our blog. Joanne brings to the role her experience from New London Main Street where she contributed content to their website, newsletters and email communications for many years.