CityView Magazine

52 June 2021 Every day but Sunday, the restaurant is a revolving door of humanity – including Gen Z to Boomers, artists to active-duty soldiers, local business owners, as well as lawyers and judges from the nearby county courthouse. And her homeless people. "I love to cook so much!" she says, demonstrating her skills in an open kitchen with her trusted "second cook," Francisco Argueta, who is from El Salvador. "I love to see all the smiles!" e menu is primarily ai with some Chinese dishes. One of the most-requested orders is traditional Pad ai, flat, silky rice noodles mixed with stir-fried chicken strips in a "secret blend of seasonings," and then topped with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts and bean sprouts. e flavor just gets better with every forkful, if that's even possible. Ms. PJ's personal favorite dish is basil chicken spooned over fluffy jasmine rice. e basil is grown on-site, alongside individual pots of lemongrass, cilantro, lime, green onions and more. Also popular are the curries, which come in the colors of a rainbow, and are punctuated with your choice of chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or duck and, of course, supremely fresh vegetables. We are asked to specify 1 through 5 on the spicy scale (aware that even a 2 or 3 could mean fire on your tongue). On one of my visits, Ms. PJ had me sample the red curry as she prepared it. "I like spicy, but it's just a little hot," I said upon first taste. "I calm it down!" she replied, going back to work in her sizzling wok. Who does that? She cares that much. And, yes, the curry was perfection. at brand of caring brings new folks in almost daily. Two people who were among the first to get hooked and sing PJ's praises on social media (and beyond) are David Nash and Jenny Bell. ey discovered the owner and her place just aer she opened on March 4, 2019. Bell, a local marketing professional, is an advocate of downtown Fayetteville. "Whether she's serving a group of attorneys or filling up to-go plates for people without housing, she ensures everyone who walks through those doors on Person Street knows they're valuable, loved and worthy of respect," Bell says. "We need more Ms. PJs in our world. Downtown Fayetteville is beyond lucky to claim this 'godmother' as one of their own." Nash is the research and data manager for the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, just a stone's throw from PJ ai. Before civilian life, he spent seven years in the Navy, including time in ailand where he grew to appreciate the cuisine. "I like PJ's food hot and will order red curry with chicken, pineapple and bamboo shoots," he says. But some days, he will ask PJ "to make something not on the menu." One day recently, she surprised him with a "crispy pork dish, and it was great." Nash says he, too, has witnessed Ms. PJ reaching out to feed homeless persons "on several occasions." Like a schoolteacher preparing for her students, Ms. PJ oen begins her mornings arranging a white board on an easel with photos of the day's specials. We see a variety of items, from summer rolls to soups to satay and fried rice to fried fish. Prices range from $6.95 to $10.95. On this day, the first customer orders the fried tilapia at 11 a.m. He works at the motel next door. We watch him eat half and save the remainder for dinner, savoring every bite. He says he will order the same dish at least three times every week. "It's good food," he says, "and she's good people." Another customer, Tim Juneau, says his job as safety director for Horne Brothers Construction frequently takes him out of town, and one of his first stops upon returning home is PJ's. He spent time in ailand while serving in the military some years ago and notes that Ms. PJ can cook the styles of all the various regions of the country, so just ask her if you have something special in mind. He leaves it up to PJ to surprise him with lunch, and she delivers a beef salad, beautifully presented on a bed of lettuce with carrots, cucumbers, chili peppers, cilantro, basil and mint in her special dressing. "It's all at once sweet, spicy and sour," he says, relishing every bite. Ms. PJ will tell you that, growing up, cooking was survival. She never knew her parents and was given a birth date of Aug. 2, 1951 in an orphanage just outside of Bangkok. At 9, she was adopted into a family that made her cook and clean to earn her keep. She tells of abuse and was given very little to eat. She was still a teenager when she came to the United States in 1970 with her first husband, an American soldier. He kept her in their small apartment in Hackensack, New Jersey. "He wanted me to cook and clean," she says. But she wanted more. She taught herself how to speak English by watching "Sesame Street" and "e Electric Company" on TV. Aer 13 years, she divorced. Always one to work hard, she had jobs managing custodial PJ Smith serves authentic Thai dishes at her namesake restaurant on Person Street in downtown Fayetteville.

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