BOUNTIFUL—There is a new Thai restaurant Makmak on Main Street that officially opened last Saturday but there’s more to it than just good food – the backstory of the family behind it. Osmond Seangsuwan is one of four owners, Tyler Rohwer, Lynzie Johnson and his mother, Nadda, whose recipes are used in the restaurant. 

Seangsuwan’s parents were from Thailand and the story of how they came to be in Utah is quite amazing. 

“My dad was born in southern Thailand in a rural community,” said Osmond. “Growing up my father was a bit of a rebel. He was hanging out with the wrong crowd. On the job he fell from a ladder and almost lost his life. He decided he needed a change.”

In Buddhism becoming a monk blesses your mother in the afterlife, he said. “My father went into the monastery and was a monk for three years. It was life changing but he always felt there was something more. He wondered ‘Why do we do this life? It’s not just about coming back in another form.’”

One day he was out collecting alms in the street and saw two Mormon missionaries doing street tracting, said Osmond. “They had a sign that said, ‘Why are we here? Where did we come from? Where do we go after this life?’ That’s what he was looking for.”

On his own time at the monastery he decided to do Bible study, Osmond said. “It was clear there was more and he ended up leaving the monastery. He kept meeting people who told him about the Book of Mormon.”

Nadda and Mani in front of the Hawaiian Temple. The couple wanted to get married there but it was under renovation so they were married Oct. 28, 1977 in the Los Angeles Temple. Courtesy photo

He joined the church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), said Osmond. “He was the first monk to convert.”

“When I joined the church I wanted to make sure that was the right thing to do,” said Osmond’s father Mani. “Changing religions is not easy. In the village they knew nothing of Christ. I thought I’d like to be a missionary too. After one year I became a young missionary in Thailand.”

Mani said when he was almost finished the missionaries brought in a lady to teach her about the gospel. “I went home and she got baptized. Later I came back to date her.” 

“My father was going to school at BYU Hawaii,” said Osmond. “He worked to pay for her ticket to come. They wanted to get married in the Hawaiian Temple but at the time it was being renovated so they had to go to the Los Angeles Temple. They were married Oct. 28, 1977. They were the first Thai couple ever to be sealed in the temple.”

After Mani retired, he had a strong feeling he should go back (to Thailand) and serve, Osmond said. “They were the first Thai couple to go serve their people.”

Mani and Nadda went on to serve other missions and they’re also part of Makmak.

“From monk to missionary,” said Osmond. “We want to have their presence here (at the restaurant) and hold onto everything they’ve done and continue on as much as possible.”

Mom has the best recipes, he said. “This is something we’ve always wanted to do.”

Osmond said his mother works at the restaurant and trains all of the chefs. “She makes sure they get it right. She is very strict. She’s working day and night and saying her feet hurt but she says ‘It’s worth it. Trust me.’”

The goal with Makmak is to bring people down to Main Street, said Osmond. “We want people to have fun and eat good Thai food.”

It’s a fast casual setting, he said. “It’s got a good vibe with music and low dim lights. We don’t accept tips. We say, ‘skip the tip, give us a review.’”

Makmak is open Monday – Friday for lunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Monday – Thursday 4-9 p.m. for dinner, Friday dinner from 4-10 p.m. and all day Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. It’s located at 353 S. Main St., Bountiful.