3 May and Ton Sonta first made their mark in Portsmouth as chefs and partners at the popular Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro. Atmosphere: 18/20 Menu: 16/20 Food: 18/20 Service: 18/20 Value: 14/20 Total: 84/100 A year ago, they opened Five81NE on Lafayette Road in Portsmouth, focusing on the flavors of the northeastern region of Thailand (Isaan) where they grew up. May Sonta has said that her goal is to honor her mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, who taught her how to cook.
Isaan cuisine is described as savory, spicy and tangy, with Vietnamese and Laotian influences. The restaurant offers lobster, shrimp, beef, chicken, duck and tofu in various dishes. Our party of three arrived on a recent Tuesday afternoon, happy to discover our visit coincided with a happy hour special of discounted appetizers and main dishes.
(There is also a happy hour on Sunday evening.) Settling in at our elegantly set table, we took in the scale of the room — high ceilings and a dramatic horseshoe-shaped bar with white chairs give it a vintage Hollywood feel. There are touches of teak and curving, leather-upholstered booths that break up the space nicely.
The interior of Portsmouth’s Five81NE has a vintage Hollywood feel. It was previously the site of the Tuscan Market, so the challenge was to make the room feel more cozy; the Sontas succeeded. It took us a while to figure out the many menus placed on the table, but our server — a knowledgeable person of great patience — helped us navigat.
