Thai Bistro at Tellico Village

(Tellico Village) The Best of Bangkok is coming to Tellico or maybe better said The Tour of Asia has arrived to stake a claim to the culinary taste of the Villagers of Tellico and Loudon County. The Thai Bistro at Tellico Village will be opening in Mid-May at 222 Lakeside Plaza and offering Asian Cuisine from Thailand, China and Japan.
Chintana (Gina) Makin brings over 30 years' experience in the restaurant business with her to Tellico Village. She came from a humble upbringing in rural Thailand. As a young woman, she wanted more for her family and moved to Bangkok to learn a trade skill that would afford her children a better life. She began working in restaurants and built her experience from the bottom up. As she grew in knowledge of the restaurant business she worked her way to the 4 and 5-Star Thai-Asian and Italian restaurants training as a chef in a predominately mans world of the culinary arts. "I wasn't allowed to work the Hibachi Grills in front of customers because Thai culture believes that being a performing chef in public is a man's job.” She didn't give up on her skills as a chef and happily worked in the kitchens preparing dishes of mainly Thai recipes but also Chinese and Japanese cuisine. "After several years, I was trusted by the owner to help with manager duties and be responsible for handling the finances of the day to day business. That responsibility meant a lot too me and I worked hard to show I was worthy of their trust,” Gina stated.
In 2009