A new seafood boil restaurant blending Cajun spice with Thai herbs is heading to Pompano Beach's East Atlantic Boulevard, with owner Laddawan “Tammy” Boonlong targeting a December opening for the 80-seat concept called RimLay Seafood. The name, Boonlong says, translates to a place next to the beach in Thailand — a fitting description for a restaurant set to land just blocks from the sand.
Boonlong, who is from Thailand, previously operated a seafood boil restaurant in the Washington, D.C., area that she opened in 2018, according to WhatNow Miami. That restaurant closed during the pandemic, after which Boonlong and her husband relocated to Florida, where she now lives in a condo in Pompano Beach. A 2019 hearing transcript filed with the District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board lists an alcoholic beverage license number for Oki Bowl Ramen and Sake Bar at 1817 M Street NW.
Boonlong is opening RimLay alongside her husband, Dusadee “Mr. Big” Boonlong, with the pair targeting an operational launch shortly after Thanksgiving this year as a full-service dine-in restaurant, per a report from Business Debut. RimLay will occupy 2,300 square feet at 3428 East Atlantic Boulevard, with 40 indoor seats and 40 outdoor seats. Boonlong told the publication she expects RimLay to be the best Cajun-style seafood boil in the area.
Thai Herbs Meet Cajun Butter
The menu centers on New Orleans-style seafood boils reworked with Thai flavors, using a sauce built from Cajun butter, chili, garlic, spice, Thai herbs, and salt. “It's going to be the seafood boil, steamed seafood with the Cajun sauce, but with Thai herbs in the sauce,” Boonlong said, per the same account. The approach fits into a broader culinary movement: Asian-influenced Cajun seafood boils, which combine traditional Cajun boils with garlic butter, ginger, lemongrass, or regional herbs, originated in Gulf Coast immigrant communities and have expanded into a major national dining trend through the 2020s, according to Chowhound.
Boonlong selected the East Atlantic Boulevard location for its proximity to the beach and foot traffic, the report notes. The spot carries its own history in Pompano Beach's dining scene — the commercial space previously housed Mediterranean restaurant Mora Grill. Frank's Ristorante & Pizza was also located at 3428 East Atlantic Boulevard in 2008, according to Jeff Eats.
A Corridor Riding a Redevelopment Wave
Pompano Beach's Community Redevelopment Agency supports redevelopment efforts, including downtown infrastructure and streetscape work, according to the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. The corridor is also a focal point of the city's broader commercial revitalization, which includes a $2 billion, 75-acre downtown master redevelopment plan approved in June 2024, per Josh Stein Realtor.
RimLay joins a growing cluster of Asian dining concepts along the strip, including Pho Bar's new Pompano spot, which expanded to 2515 East Atlantic Boulevard in late September.
For now, Boonlong and her husband are focused on turning the former Mora Grill space into a seafood boil destination that carries a taste of Thailand to the Pompano Beach shoreline.
