Fifth Flavor, a take-out restaurant serving “Asian-inspired cuisine,” recently opened. The restaurant is located on Temple Ave. in Kent.

The owner, Premmarin Milindasuta, said Fifth Flavor serves Asian-style foods ranging from Korean food to Japanese food. Milindasuta said she began cooking these types of foods because she wanted to be able to bring her background to Kent. 

“I started cooking because I could not find a taste that I missed from home,” Milindasuta said. 

With the wide range of Asian foods served at Fifth Flavor, all food items are authentically made by Milindasuta. 

“I make everything in my kitchen,” Milindasuta said. “Everything [is] just house made in the kitchen.” 

Milindasuta said she picked the city of Kent to open the restaurant in because this is her husband’s hometown, but also because she believes the location has people that are willing to try new things with food. 

“I moved here from Bangkok because I married my husband and this was his hometown,” she said. “Asian food is my expertise. I think Kent is very open to experience cultural things.” 

In addition, what prompted Milindasuta to start the business was her difficulty finding work in the United States after immigrating from Thailand. It is because of this that she opened Fifth Flavor with her extensive knowledge of Asian culture and foods. 

“I was a professor in Thailand, but moving here, it’s kind of hard for me to find a job,” Milindasuta said. “So I just go ahead and create a job on my own, which is Fifth Flavor. Asian food, Thai food, I am from Thailand so I am familiar with Asian food.” 

Milindasuta said she came up with the business name ‘Fifth Flavor’ because she did not want to have a typical name for the business, but instead wanted a name that would showcase all the types of Asian food Milindasuta makes. 

“I don’t want [a] name that just [says] something like ‘Thai Kitchen,’ or something like that,” Milindasuta said. “I want it to represent all the Asian food that I make. You will get that ‘fifth flavor.’” 

Milindasuta said she hopes that those who come by her restaurant will recognize her food as authentic and carefully crafted. 

“I just hope that people feel that this is sincere food that someone made with love and care,” she said.

MinJee Yoo is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].