Chef Sirikullaya ‘Layla’ Martinez at Chalawaan Thai Delish in Tampa, Florida on July 16, 2026. Credit: Ray Roa

In Tampa, the stretch of N Armenia Avenue between Interstate-275 and Waters Avenue is known for international cuisine, be it Filipino (Lucky Tigre), South American (La Pequena Colombia, L.P.C.X, Antojito’s) or even Italian (Cacciatore & Sons).

Add Thai to the flavor profile, too.

Chef Sirikullaya “Layla” Martinez opened Chalawaan Thai Delish inside the Citgo gas station on 5018 N Armenia Ave. three months ago. 

Named after Chalawan, a folkloric crocodilian king revered in Martinez’s home provinces of Phichit, the restaurant boasts a menu broken up into four sections—appetizers, noodles & fried rice, stir-fries & curry, and desserts—with close to three dozen items to choose from. Prices range between $6 (egg rolls, pot stickers) to $18 (fried catfish in green curry sauce); Thai teas and coffees are $5.

This massaman curry and Thai tea was around $20 before tip (got it “Thai hot,” and while the heat almost killed me, it did not mask the deeply aromatic, nutty and creamy flavor of the sauce).

A top-down overhead photograph of a takeout Thai meal from Chalawan Thai Delish in Tampa, Florida, on July 16, 2026, set on an outdoor wooden bench next to a concrete sidewalk. In the center, a round clear plastic bowl filled with rich orange Massaman curry sits lined in a white plastic bag, featuring visible pieces of sliced chicken, potatoes, and onions topped with red chili flakes. To the upper left, an open small square styrofoam container holds steamed white Jasmine rice. To the lower left rests a plastic cup filled with iced orange Thai iced tea, complete with a straw inserted through the lid.Massaman curry and Thai tea at Chalawaan Thai Delish in Tampa, Florida on July 16, 2026. Credit: Ray Roa

Martinez told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay she’s been in the U.S. for about five years and previously worked in other Thai restaurants including Lemongrass on Kennedy Boulevard. She does her shopping pretty much every day at Sanwa Farmer’s Market just a 10-minute drive away.

Tampa’s Chalawaan Thai Delish is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

This article appears in July 23 – 29, 2026.

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