# @pittsburghpg on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVn9cMJlI58
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/58946346-pittsburghpg-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/5dda0283a6.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-08T13:01:31.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@pittsburghpg) — https://gondola.cc/pittsburghpg

## Caption

Spice Island Tea House made waves when it opened in Pittsburgh in 1995. It was the first restaurant with a menu that featured Indonesian, Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian food alongside more recognizable dishes like pad thai, owner Ron Lee said.

Like lots of restaurants, Spice Island took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. A rescinded government grant that would have helped with pandemic-related revenue losses “really hurt.” Even with takeout and extended hours for lunch service, “we never got back on track,” Lee said with a sigh.

So in September 2023, the restaurant ended its 28-year run, with promises of occasional pop-ups while Lee ponders a future that includes seeing his daughter, Alice, head off to college in the fall and his son, Henry, follow in a couple of years.

While he misses the restaurant business and the community it built — he met his wife, Danielle, there in 1999 — “I haven’t found what I want to do yet,” he said.

One idea he’s considering is a smaller eatery with a more focused menu.

To make waiting easier to bear, Lee agreed to share the recipes for two customer favorites from Spice Island: Rangoon Night Market Noodles and Chiang Mai Noodles. 

Get the recipes at the link in our bio.

📝: Gretchen McKay/Post-Gazette
📸: Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette

#pittsburgh #pittsburghfood #pgheats

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## Tags

pgheats, pittsburghfood, pittsburgh

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