On the surface, Thai Topaz is a classic Thai restaurant featuring bright and flavorful dishes boasting tamarind, mangoes, lime and basil leaves, ginger, and hot chilies. But there is more to the eatery than an adventurous menu. Thai Topaz is, above anything else, the testament to a loving and long marriage and the product of long-revered family traditions.

Husband-wife owners Somchai and Jiraporn Namarsa combine their diverse backgrounds in engineering and biology to create a menu rooted in healthy living and innovation. By updating old family recipes taught to them in Thailand, the couple eschews the deep fryer and heavy pours of oil in favor of more nutritious cooking methods, such as using minimal oil and not cooking with ice cream. Their flavors come from their own supply of garden-grown herbs, including lemongrass, basil, mint, and kaffir lime leaves.

David Thanairongroj is the owner of the 2177 NW Military location. David and his wife are the son-in-law and the daughter of the original location's husband-wife owners Somchai and Jiraporn Namarsa. The Thanairongroj are carrying on the family tradition with a new location and more modern decor.