By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-07-27 17:20:23 | Updated at 2026-07-27 20:54:24
3 hours ago
Business owner Qiao Lin cuts the ribbon on Sam Bistro Thai in the Galleria at Crystal Run mall in Wallkill, N.Y., on July 24, 2026. Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y.—A new Thai restaurant called Sam Bistro Thai opened at the Galleria at Crystal Run mall in Wallkill on July 24, bringing the taste of family Thai food to shoppers.
The establishment is located in the food court at the Galleria, where it has a hot bar for Asian and Thai food and a menu for kitchen-ordered food. The menu includes Thai and other Asian dishes, including Thai lo mein, pad Thai, and ho feng. Variations of popular Asian dishes such as noodle soup, egg rolls, and fried rice are also available.
Sam Bistro Thai soft opened on July 13, and has been testing what is popular with people in the area. The black pepper chicken and bang bang shrimp (a Thai shrimp dish with sweet chili and mayo sauce) have been especially well received by customers, the restaurant’s owner told The Epoch Times.
Qiao Lin, 32, the owner of the restaurant, said she wants to bring authentic Thai food to people at the mall. She noted that there are several other Asian restaurants but that Thai options are lacking in the area.
“I’m a heavy spicy food person, and same thing for Thai food, Thai food has a lot of raw flavors and a lot of spice, sweetness, and mixes it together ... I like that flavor. That’s why I choose Thai as the base for my recipe.”
The food at Sam Bistro Thai is available in multiple spice levels.
Lin runs the establishment with the help of her family. Her father has worked in restaurants since her family came over from China when she was 8, and he has helped pass down the knowledge to the later generations.
“I like to create new foods and new recipes with my dad, and that’s how we tried to create the Thai restaurants. We combined an Asian style infusion with the Thai flavors.”
She said that she likes to work with her family and bring them opportunities. She believes they have a shared vision of how the food should be: “We have the same taste of the food, so that when we create something, I feel like it comes in one direction rather than, ‘Oh no I don’t think that’s good,’ or ‘I think this is better.’ We have more of the same mind.”
Lin has started two other restaurants, a seafood restaurant and a sushi restaurant, both in Connecticut.
She said that her cousin first brought her into the restaurant business, and the first thing he taught her was always to have good customer service. “Our number one rule in all my restaurants is to provide good customer service before people enjoy the food.”
Business owner Qiao Lin in front of Sam Bistro Thai in the Galleria at Crystal Run mall in Wallkill, N.Y., on July 24, 2026. Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times
