STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A new Thai restaurant has opened at 1949 Richmond Ave. in Bulls Head, filling the space left vacant after Farington’s Café closed in late November. Charm Khao debuted just days ago with a menu featuring dishes like Bangkok Roast Chicken and Crab Rangoon. According to a waiter, “khao” refers to a bowl of Jasmine rice, reflecting the restaurant’s Thai theme.
A mural at Charm Khao depicts bowls of rice. “Khao” means “rice” in the restaurant’s moniker. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Appetizers include Crab Rangoon filled with cream cheese and crab, fried tofu with sweet chili sauce and peanuts, and scallion pancakes with a tangy dip. The menu also features vegetable gyoza, steamed edamame (with sea salt or spicy house glaze), and spicy string beans, along with chicken wings, calamari with lemon, marinated shrimp, and chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce.
Charm Khao also offers a variety of rice and noodle dishes, including several gluten-free selections. Diners can order through DoorDash or eat in the restaurant. The restaurant features a side yard and concrete patio that could accommodate outdoor dining, overlooking wetlands connected to Willowbrook Park.
The new restaurant is located at 1949 Richmond Ave., Bulls Head. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The restaurant replaces Farington’s Café, a continental American eatery that operated from 2022 until its closure at the end of November. The surrounding strip mall also houses Sandwich, Eastern European diner Pickle, Polish Specialties grocery store, a vape shop, a nail salon, a pharmacy and a shuttered wellness spa.
In this vintage 1985 photo are the Bifulcos: Gennaro, Michael, Unberto Jr., and Umberto Bifulco III, (left to right).staten island advance
The location has a dining history stretching back decades, having once housed Strawberry Farm, a produce market run by the Bifulco family, before Patsy’s Pizzeria opened there in the summer of 2005.
Charm Khao operates from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with extended hours until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant currently does not serve alcohol but offers soft drinks including sweetened Thai iced tea and hot coffee. The restaurant can be reached at 718-889-0189.