Pygmy hippos are an endangered species. There are fewer than 2,500 in the wild.
An image of one adorns the sign of a small Thai restaurant on Fredericksburg Road near Five Points.
Perhaps Moo Deng rings a bell. That’s the name of a lovable baby hippo whose image went viral one year ago this month.
The hippo from Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand also inspired a retired restaurant owner in San Antonio. Robbie Maksomboon recognized a dearth of Thai food options in Beacon Hill and opened Moo Deng Thai Restaurant in December.
“It took me one hour to come up with the name,” said Maksomboon, who is from a province in Thailand southwest of Bangkok. “But three months to come up with the concept.”
Maksomboon considered a small menu of fried rice options. He toyed with the name “Joe’s Fried Rice.” Two decades of restaurant experience told him neither idea would work. So he settled on Moo Deng, and eventually, a tag: “Where Thai Meets Jazz.”
Moo Deng’s Pad Thai dish is comprised of stir fried noodles in egg and fish sauce with green onions, bean sprouts and peanuts with proteins like chicken or tofu. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
There is no live music at Moo Deng, a six-table eatery with walls painted popsicle orange. There is no cool jazz playing through speakers. “Jazz” is short for jasmine rice, a national staple in Thailand.
“Our most popular item is pad Thai,” said Maksomboon, 50. “The second is Thai fried rice. I know my food is good. I’ve been in the business for 20 years.”
Maksomboon stumbled into the business. He came to the U.S. in 1993 to study computer science at Oklahoma City University.
After relocating to San Antonio, Maksomboon met his wife. He left his career as a computer scientist and became a restaurateur.
The couple opened two restaurants, Chongco Thai Rice & Noodle and Tiger Wings, which eventually closed. Maksomboon retired until his brother needed help launching a new Thai restaurant.
Around this time, a 2-month-old pygmy hippo went viral. Moo Deng, which translates to “bouncy pork,” became an internet sensation, generating millions of views on TikTok.
A global social media audience fell in love with Moo Deng being lifted and sprayed with water, thanks to a TikTok account with 3.3 million followers.
The zoo says weekend visitors doubled after Moo Deng went viral. According to Forbes, the hippo boosted the zoo’s social media accounts.
Owner and chef of Moo Deng Thai Robbie Maksomboon poses for a photo inside of his restaurant on Fredericksburg Road. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
“There may be another factor at play behind Moo Deng’s rise to fame,” Forbes wrote, “as her content is said to be something of a “timeline cleanser,” wiping away much of the toxicity from social media timelines.”
The hippo’s birth and popularity came at the right time and brings curious customers into a unique dining spot in Beacon Hill.
“Naming the restaurant after the baby hippo was the best idea,” said Moo Deng chef John Roquis. “It’s been good for business. We had two parties today. We’ve been going nonstop from the minute we opened this morning.