In this episode we talk with Allen and Nam Jackson, the husband-wife team behind beloved local restaurant Mu Bahn Thai. We discuss their entrepreneurial journey, overcoming recent health struggles, and the incredible support they have received along the way.
The Fort NOT Lost in the Woods Podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media. For information on guest or sponsorship opportunities, email tracy@oquinnmarketing.com.
This episode has been brought to you by Nexthome Team Ellis, Security Bank of Pulaski County, TK’s Pizza of St. Robert, and Sugarcreek Farms.
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**Intro**
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**Interview**
Thank you for joining me for another episode of the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast. I love every guest that I’ve had on this season, but I feel really blessed to have these two here because I know how busy you all are. Well, I don’t know how busy you are. I assume that I know how busy you all are because you have a very successful business in the Pulaski County area, which I want to learn a lot more about. But I also know you’ve had some health concerns lately, and you just got a lot going on.
In the studio with me, I have Allan Jackson and Nom Jackson from Mooban Thai. You all are the owners, right?
Allan: Correct.
Nom: Yes.
Marv: Let’s talk about you first before we get into the restaurant. And whoever wants to go first on this can go first. She says Allan, okay. Tell me where are you from and how did you end up in this area?
Allan: Well, originally born in Kansas but grew up a little bit of everywhere around the United States. My mother was a bit of a gypsy lady, so we roamed. We ended up here just a possibility to get out of the bigger city and a little slower pace, we thought maybe. Until we took off with the business. So but I knew that was probably going to happen. So.
Nom: To the US, I came here in 2006, September, it will be 20 years in September.
Marv: Okay. So when you first came to the US, did you where were you? Were you in this area or?
Nom: In Springfield, yeah. In Springfield.
Marv: And then you two met after that?
Allan: In Springfield, we met. A while later, had an opportunity with a previous Thai restaurant to move up this way and run that. And we thought, “Why not?” you know. I’m a big fisherman, so all the rivers around here.
Marv: Oh, yeah.
Allan: Woods and.
Marv: Can’t beat that.
Allan: Yeah. A little slower pace for the kids.
Marv: Were you familiar with Thai food before you met Nom? Did she introduce you to it? How did, how did all of that happen?
Allan: Thai food, no. I had worked with a bunch of the Asian chefs in the Springfield area. So I have a long history from Ozark to Branson to Springfield in the industry: Japanese, Chinese, just a variety there. When I started in with Thai food was when I met her and started learning about that and then we ended up together.
Marv: Okay, who did you love first, her or the food?
Allan: Her.
Marv: Oh, okay. You loved the food later, right?
Allan: Yep. Yep, yep.
Marv: Now, what did, what is it about Thai food that that makes it special? Tell me about the food in general because I’ve only had, and actually your restaurant was the first place I ever had Thai food. Actually, your restaurant’s the only place now that I think about it. And it’s so good. And one reason I stayed away from it is because I always thought that it was spicy. That’s what I’d always heard. And someone said, “Oh, no, no, just tell me you don’t, you know, you don’t want it spicy.” So that’s what I did and it was so good. And I thought, “I can’t believe I’ve stayed away this long just because I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy.” So tell me about Thai food, tell me what you love about it.
Nom: All Thai food is not always going to be spicy. Like we tell all customer like it’s only thing going to be a little bit of spicy is the curry that because of the paste that we have to put in and cook with it. But other than that, you can order with no spice. I just cook the way I like it and if you like it, you come back.
Marv: So, I’ve never been to Thailand. So is the food that you serve at Mooban Thai is it if I were to go there, is it going to be similar? Is it authentic? Do you have to kind of change things up when you come here? I mean, how does that work?
Nom: I cannot, I cannot call it authentic because a lot of stuff that we can get here, we cannot get like same thing from Thailand. Yeah. It just have to change it a little bit. Plus a lot of American people don’t eat a lot of like uh, spice and stuff. Yeah.
Allan: The total traditional way is going to be a little bit varied. So it is somewhat Americanized or influenced by the products we get in this area.
Marv: Yeah. What I’ve seen online and what I hear people talk about you all is that you have been wildly successful since you opened. Is that true or? It’s that’s how it appears.
Allan: I would say we filled a a niche that is popular. I’d like to think we do it well, so that is why people still come back. If you do it good, it’s that’s just it, right there. If it’s good, they’ll come back. If it’s not, they won’t. So.
Marv: That’s yep, interview over. That’s that’s so true.
**Business Talk**
Now, when did you all open Mooban Thai in Waynesville? How long’s it been?
Nom: 2024, April 18.
Marv: You’ve worked in the restaurant industry, but that’s the first time you’ve had your own restaurant, correct?
Nom: That’s correct.
Allan: Correct.
Marv: And so what kind of surprises or lessons or what were some of the things that you’re like, “Oh, I didn’t think it would be like this,” or or was it just kind of smooth sailing?
Allan: Well, I guess, you know, as anything it’s still a learn as you go, even with the experience we both had with it and what we thought it would be, there’s always the parts you didn’t think there would be.
Marv: Like what?
Allan: Uh, staffing is a good one.
Marv: Oh, yeah, that’s such a big one.
Allan: Like that’s one, which we’re actually taking on a couple more people recently. The dynamic of us working together as well as being married.
Marv: You know, that either goes really well or not.
Allan: It goes back and forth day to day.
Marv: Does it really? Yeah. I with my husband and I, it it’s so funny because I’ll look forward to working with him. I’ll think, “Oh, this is going to be fun.” And then I think, “What? This is not fun. This is horrible.” What was I thinking? Because we are so totally different. Now, we really compliment each other’s styles, but as far as on the job, I’m better if I’m doing something and he’s focused on something else, you know, rather than than working with each other directly. So I didn’t know if other couples were like that or not. I’ve I’ve heard good and bad about working with your spouse.
Allan: It is both, you know, you try to balance each other out and hit the right spots where you need to and that’s just how it is.
Marv: How do you turn that off or do you at the end of the day?
Nom: We just both kind of decompress around 9 o’clock.
Allan: Something like that.
Marv: And do you turn it off when you go home or or are you?
Allan: Well, sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t because there’s stuff that has to be taken care of and you’ve got to do it.
Nom: Yeah.
Allan: Other times you can just kind of separate and do your own thing for a little while and whatever that would be. Like I, she’s big into social media and I’m more of a TV person. So.
Marv: Well, that’s nice. You have that, you know, you kind of have that quiet time. We kind of do that at my house too, where one of us will be just maybe over here on social media, the other one will be just watching TV and you just kind of decompress a little bit. Do you guys have kids?
Allan: We do.
Nom: We do.
Marv: How many kids do you have?
Nom: Well, with us right now, we have two at home.
Marv: Well, that’s exciting. How old are they?
Nom: 14 and 12.
Marv: Do they help at the restaurant?
Allan: From time to time.
Nom: Yes. When we need them to.
Marv: When they’re in trouble. What does Mooban mean?
Allan: Village.
Nom: Village, yeah.
Allan: So Thai village.
Marv: Oh, okay.
Allan: So it’s actually a village too like some of the others around here, but it’s just the other culture.
Marv: I love that. I love that. So tell me about some of the items that you have on the menu at Mooban Thai. What is your best seller? Like if you were going to, if someone said, “Wow, I’ve never had Thai food, tell me what I should try when I come in.” What would you say?
Allan: The most popular is the Pad Thai. It’s the most common, everybody knows it.
Marv: That’s what I started with.
Allan: Yeah. Everybody goes to. Around here, probably the Woonsen because it’s so close to like a pan seet and the glass noodles. Everybody’s familiar with. The Mongolian, that is a big seller as well.
Marv: Oh, really? I’ll have to try that. Okay. Gotcha.
Allan: Everybody loves fried potatoes.
Marv: When deciding where you wanted to put your restaurant, you picked Waynesville. Tell me what you like about Waynesville.
Allan: Well, the downtown is nice. It’s definitely coming up and it’s nice to be involved in a part of it when we can be. Just a small town. I like the square. Something about it.
Marv: The square is, I know. I love the square too. It kind of reminds you of one of those Hallmark movies. You know, everybody knows everyone and.
Nom: What we like about it.
Marv: Nom, where you’re from, was it a small area as well or were you raised in more of a larger city or?
Nom: No, I’m from pretty close to same here.
Marv: Like the same geographical size as as the Pulaski County area?
Nom: Yes.
Marv: What are the similarities between here and uh, well, this is home now, but between here and home, what are the similarities and what are some of the main differences?
Nom: Well, from out here is not much different because I’m from like farm area. That I can see around here, like a lot of green, that’s how I like it.
Marv: That’s how I like it too. You said you’re from the, you know, it’s kind of a rural farming area. What kind of livestock is raised there?
Nom: Oh, some cows, chicken.
Marv: Pretty much the same.
Nom: Pretty much the same.
Marv: Tell me about when you all first met. How did you meet? You were working together or how did you meet?
Nom: We were.
Marv: She’s like pushing him towards the mic. Like, you you tell this story.
Allan: Yep. Well, we were working at a Thai restaurant. She was actually the the kitchen manager and I kind of wanted to get back out of the management side and just produce. So I had started a new job at that restaurant just as a a normal walk cook and she was the boss and.
Marv: She was the boss. What was it like working for her?
Allan: She liked me. So it was cool.
Marv: I was started to say, it must’ve been good. You married her, right? It’s got to be good, I guess.
Allan: You know what I’m saying? Yeah. When the boss likes you, it’s a different environment. So.
Marv: That’s true. That’s true. Why did you like him? Was he a good employee?
Nom: He good employee.
Marv: Yeah. Yeah. So you get a husband too then? He’s a good employee, even better husband.
Allan: Yes.
Marv: So good we decided to open a restaurant together.
Nom: We work well together.
Marv: That is so great. Well, we’re going to take a real quick break here. When we come back, we’re going to talk about some of the trials and tribulations of owning a business, especially a restaurant. And Nom, I know you’ve had some health concerns. I don’t know if you want to address those or not. I know a lot of people have really been pulling for you and worrying about you and praying for you. So we can talk about that. And then I ask them both, what are some things that people might be surprised to learn about them? So when we come back, we’ll talk about those things as well.
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**Interview**
Back with Nom and Allan Jackson from Mooban Thai in Waynesville, one of our local favorites. I think one of the hardest things about really any small business, but owning your own business, especially a restaurant, is just some of the online chatter. And you shared, one of you, and I don’t know which one of you shared this, but you shared um, kind of a snippy review that someone had made here a while back. And it was after you were dealing with some health concerns, right, Nom? And and so when that happens and you’re a family-owned business, what do you do? You have to shut down. Well, you don’t want to do that because you have bills to pay. But you have to do that. And then when someone comes on and, “I went down there and they weren’t open.” It’s just like, “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” So, first, let’s talk about what you’ve been going through health-wise. Whatever you’re comfortable with sharing.
Nom: Yeah, uh, I have been in hospital for six nights in the hospital in Springfield because of the.
Allan: Mini strokes.
Marv: Mini strokes. So what are the symptoms of that? What happened?
Nom: Well, it’s that with the really bad headache and then um, numbness on whole right side and it just like keep happening. Well, the beginning of it is like a month ago, and then it’s reoccur and keep happening closer and closer. And then I decide to, we decide to go to the hospital.
Marv: Good. Good. And um, how are you feeling now?
Nom: I feel better, but still kind of weak and take time to regain strength, I guess.
Marv: So I noticed that everyone sort of came out in a protective nature about you guys. Everyone that I saw in response to that review. And I thought it was interesting that you guys actually shared that on your page and said, “Hey, you know, and you were so nice about it. You’re like, you know, we’re sorry. We’re experiencing this.” And everybody’s like, “Grrr. You stay away from them.” And don’t you just love that about this area?
Nom: Yeah.
Marv: You don’t have to say anything because they’re gonna say it for you. Those that love you, right?
Nom: Yeah.
Allan: For real.
Nom: We try to keep it updated what’s happening on our Facebook page on the restaurant.
Allan: Yeah.
Nom: Business now.
Allan: When you’re connected with the community as we are and people I guess depend or rely on you to be there, but then you can’t be. And there’s nothing really you can do about it. So you just, well, this is what it is, and here we go.
Marv: Yeah, exactly, because you have to put your health first. I mean, there’s just no, no way around it. How hard is it to deal with sometimes we can’t as business owners, we can’t really tell the other side of the story or we don’t want to. You know, you don’t want to put all your business out there sometimes. How hard is it for people to, I don’t want to say attack, but they do tend to attack sometimes online. When it’s something that means that much to you. You know, like you’re it’s your business, it’s your livelihood, it’s your, you know, blood, sweat and tears. How hard is it to deal with that online stuff?
Nom: Well, for me, if like people don’t like my food, I’m I kind of understand because we all like it different, have different taste and I’m not get upset if they complain about the food, but I will be upset if they weren’t understand what’s going on and we can’t control. Just that’s me.
Marv: If someone is unreasonable, that’s when it bothers me. If they’re reasonable, yep, sorry, we let you down, you know. But if they’re unreasonable, it’s like, “Ugh.” So what do you guys do for fun? ‘Cause I know it’s a lot of work to run a restaurant or any business, but.
Nom: Yeah, if we have time, we like to spend time together and he like fishing. I do like fishing, but when I fishing, I like to catch fish.
Marv: You like my husband. He does not like fishing if he’s not catching anything. Well, I asked you both, what are three things people might be surprised to learn about you? And Allan, you said Christian, fisherman, motorcyclist, and 15 years Asian cuisine. Which one? I I bet I know the answer to this. Which one of those is the most important to you?
Allan: The Christian part, of course. It was first on the list there.
Marv: Yep, absolutely. And I asked you what your favorite thing about the Pulaski County and surrounding area. You said the community spirit and slower pace of life. And Nom, I asked you the same things and you said you’re a farm girl from Northern Thailand. You’ve lived in the US for 20 years and you’re a foodie, and then you put in parentheses Thai food. So are you only a foodie when it comes to Thai food or is there any of this unhealthy, horrible American cuisine that that you have gotten used to since you’ve been here?
Nom: Well, for American food is steak, but yeah, Thai food is always my go food.
Marv: So even when you’re at home, you still eat Thai food, you still cook Thai food. Is it the same?
Nom: Most of the time.
Marv: So when it’s not Thai food, what is it?
Nom: Steak.
Allan: Shepherd’s pie. We make a good shepherd’s pie.
Marv: Oh, okay.
Nom: I like shepherd’s pie sometime.
Marv: What’s a breakfast food that that would be considered a Thai? Or what would you eat in Thailand for breakfast?
Nom: Rice soup.
Marv: For breakfast? That’s so interesting. I love that kind of stuff.
Allan: Yeah. There’s no breakfast, lunch or dinner. There’s not, it’s just food. So you eat whatever like you can have a steak for breakfast. You can have any meal.
Marv: Really? So you don’t call it breakfast and.
Allan: So it’s not like cereal or waffles. Like no, in the morning is fried rice. Yeah. You know, and.
Marv: I like that idea a lot.
Allan: Yeah. So I could have pizza for breakfast and not feel bad about it.
Marv: Yes.
Allan: Cold or hot, however you like it.
Marv: I say, I think we should start a movement. I like this. Was that something that you was hard for you to get used to when you came here? You know, when like when you heard people say breakfast, lunch, dinner, were you just like, “What is that?”
Nom: Yeah. Why is it have to be certain thing for breakfast, certain thing for lunch and certain thing for dinner?
Marv: Now that you say that, I really feel stupid that I’ve lived 53 years this way. But it’s true.
Allan: It’s just our norm.
Marv: That is why I absolutely love these interviews. I always learn something. And I had no idea. I wonder how many other countries and how many other places are not like us with the breakfast, lunch and dinner thing. I mean, is that just an American thing and I just didn’t know it?
Nom: I don’t know.
Marv: I’m going to have to hear from listeners on this because, yeah, I haven’t traveled that extensively to know the answer to that. So I need your feedback, guys. Just get in on the Fort Not Lost in the Woods Facebook group and tell me the answer to that. If you’ve traveled extensively, are we the only ones that do breakfast, lunch and dinner? I had no idea. What about snacks?
Allan: Snacks are all the time. That’s all they do.
Marv: I love you too. I love you too. I have new best friends.
Allan: Like eat, and think about food.
Marv: Yes.
Allan: Eat, think about food, sleep, eat.
Marv: I’m assuming Thai food is a much healthier choice. It seems like it is fresher, healthier.
Nom: More simple.
Allan: Most of the time.
Marv: Anything that we need to know about you all or Mooban Thai that you just want to clear up and you just want people to know in this area?
Allan: We’re planning on sticking around as long as you’ll have us. So that’s pretty much that.
Marv: Well, it seems like everybody wants to keep you around from what I hear. All right, before you guys go, one of you give that a spin and then we’ll have the other one. No, that was way too wimpy. Come on. There you go. All right, Nom gave it a good spin.
Allan: Your favorite food. How comforting.
Marv: Are you serious? Okay, well, what is your favorite food? I mean, obviously Thai, but what explain your favorite dish.
Nom: Salad.
Marv: Salad?
Allan: In particular.
Nom: Thai salad, like papaya salad.
Marv: I was not expecting that. Papaya salad. Yep. So what’s in that?
Nom: Well, it’s have different style, like Thai style and Laos style. Laos style will be stronger in the fish sauce. Yeah, and Thai style will have peanut in it. But I do like the Laos style because I’m not a big fan of peanut. It’s stronger smell, fermented fish sauce.
Marv: Fermented fish sauce.
Allan: You get into that fermented fish sauce. There’s some some potent ones. Um. One of my favorites, I’m a meat and potato guy. Give me a steak and some baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. But if you go Thai food, the grapow or the Pad Khee Mao and then fried rice is always good. So.
Marv: I’m so thankful for you to come and do this and I’m so thankful that you’re feeling better and I hope that that continues. Take care of yourself and get lots of rest and and lots of prayers and love from the community. I know are going your way. You’re closed today, right?
Allan: We are.
Marv: Well, let’s talk about your hours.
Allan: That would be 11 to 2 and 4 to 8, Tuesday through Friday, and then Saturday is 12 to 8.
Marv: How can we uh find out more? Do you have a Facebook page, website?
Allan: The Facebook page is where we we do most of our announcements and anything that’s coming up. Uh, we’ve got the online for ordering now, just Google Mooban Thai. You can pull us up that way and get it through there. Phone number always give us a call. That’s 573-451-2773.
Marv: Well, guys, thank you so much for doing this and uh, best of luck to you and Mooban Thai.
Allan: Thank you.
**Outro**
This episode of the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast is sponsored by Security Bank of Pulaski County, Next Home Team Ellis, TK’s Pizza in St. Robert, and Sugar Creek Farms, your home for farm-fresh pork products. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Oakwin Media, its hosts, affiliates or sponsors. Content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Thank you for listening.