Somying Fox recently opened her newest restaurant, Fox Fire (6679 Delmar Boulevard, University City) in the former Publico space on the Delmar Loop. Fox also owns My Thai and Basil Spice, and at Fox Fire, she serves pan-Asian specialties along with a few surprises.
Born and raised in Thailand, Fox came to the U.S. after high school to study business and finance. She ended up staying after falling in love, and opened Basil Spice in 2008 after her husband's job brought them to St. Louis. Ten years later, she followed that with My Thai, and now, just one year after that, she's opened her third restaurant.
The Latin-themed Publico had earned raves as one of St. Louis' sexiest restaurants, and many of the things that gave this space a romantic aura remain the same, with a large lattice-lined bar anchoring the center of the room, modern tree-like sculptures on one wall and a wood-fired grill. With the calming music and low lighting, you'd swear you'll be paying an arm and a leg for the food — yet at Fox Fire, nothing exceeds $16.
The menu has quite a variety. You can choose from a list of noodle and rice dishes such as pad Thai or Chinese fried rice, as well as a list of protein options including chicken, pork, tofu, beef, shrimp or seafood combo.
And that's not all. "Wood-Fire Specials" include dishes such as a pork chop, spaghetti and meatballs, a cheeseburger, a Philly cheese steak, a spicy fish filet and shrimp scampi. There's definitely something for everyone.
And while many of the Thai menu items are traditional, the presentations are not. For example, the crab Rangoon is wrapped in thin wonton wrappers and rolled lengthwise like a spring roll so you get more of what you really want: the warm cream cheese filling. And the pad Thai is served with some of its components deconstructed; you can add the amount of peanuts and bean sprouts you'd like, since they're stacked neatly on the side. It has an excellent smoky taste (perhaps from that wood-fired grill).
Fox Fire is a full-service restaurant and bar, and there's an extensive list of cocktails and beer. They even sell Yuengling, a rare score in the St. Louis area.
Fox Fire is open 11 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m to 11 p.m.on Friday and Saturday.
