{"id":244565,"date":"2025-09-21T19:25:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T19:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/244565\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T19:25:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T19:25:18","slug":"baby-hippo-named-restaurant-fills-thai-void-in-beacon-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/244565\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby hippo-named restaurant fills Thai void in Beacon Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pygmy hippos are an endangered species. There are fewer than 2,500<\/a> in the wild. <\/p>\n

An image of one adorns the sign of a small Thai restaurant on Fredericksburg Road near Five Points.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perhaps Moo Deng rings a bell. That\u2019s the name of a lovable baby hippo whose image went viral <\/a>one year ago this month.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> in December.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took me one hour to come up with the name,\u201d said Maksomboon, who is from a province in Thailand southwest of Bangkok. \u201cBut three months to come up with the concept.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maksomboon considered a small menu of fried rice options. He toyed with the name \u201cJoe\u2019s Fried Rice.\u201d Two decades of restaurant experience told him neither idea would work. So he settled on Moo Deng, and eventually, a tag: \u201cWhere Thai Meets Jazz.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Moo Deng\u2019s 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<\/p>\n

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. \u201cJazz\u201d is short for jasmine rice, a national staple in Thailand.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur most popular item is pad Thai,\u201d said Maksomboon, 50. \u201cThe second is Thai fried rice. I know my food is good. I\u2019ve been in the business for 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maksomboon stumbled into the business. He came to the U.S. in 1993 to study computer science at Oklahoma City University. <\/p>\n

After relocating to San Antonio, Maksomboon met his wife. He left his career as a computer scientist and became a restaurateur.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Around this time, a 2-month-old pygmy hippo went viral. Moo Deng, which translates to \u201cbouncy pork,\u201d became an internet sensation, generating millions of views on TikTok.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A global social media audience fell in love with Moo Deng being lifted and sprayed with water, thanks to a TikTok account<\/a> with 3.3 million followers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The zoo says weekend visitors doubled after Moo Deng went viral. According to Forbes<\/a>, the hippo boosted the zoo\u2019s social media accounts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"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<\/p>\n

\u201cThere may be another factor at play behind Moo Deng\u2019s rise to fame,\u201d Forbes wrote, \u201cas her content is said to be something of a \u201ctimeline cleanser,\u201d wiping away much of the toxicity from social media timelines.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hippo\u2019s birth and popularity came at the right time and brings curious customers into a unique dining spot in Beacon Hill.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaming the restaurant after the baby hippo was the best idea,\u201d said Moo Deng chef John Roquis. \u201cIt\u2019s been good for business. We had two parties today. We\u2019ve been going nonstop from the minute we opened this morning.<\/p>\n

\t