Today we’d like to introduce you to Sureeporn Tattumle.
Hi Sureeporn, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
my husband Kris and I spent over a decade working as flight attendants. Traveling extensively across Far East Asia and Australia didn’t just give us a passion for aviation; it exposed us to diverse street foods, regional flavors, and traditional family recipes. We always dreamed of translating those mid-flight experiences and global flavors into a dining environment of our own. The name Galley directly honors that aviation backdrop—referencing an aircraft’s food service hub.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and opening a restaurant far away from home brought a unique set of challenges—starting with sourcing authentic ingredients.
Central Oregon is a fantastic region with an incredible community, but finding specialized, high-quality Far East Asian ingredients locally is a constant hurdle. Coming from Thailand and having traveled extensively across Asia, maintaining absolute culinary authenticity is non-negotiable for us. While main distributors can supply about 70% of what we need, tracking down that remaining, hidden 30% takes extra effort. We regularly have to make the drive back and forth to Portland to hunt down those hard-to-find ingredients, and we even have to directly import certain specialty items ourselves to make sure our dishes taste exactly as they should.
Beyond sourcing, making the transition from aviation to building a brand-new restaurant concept in Bend required navigating local permits, setting up operations from scratch, and adapting international street foods for the local market. Overcoming these distribution and operational hurdles has been tough, but seeing people enjoy genuine, uncompromised flavors makes every mile driven completely worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Galley Bend, we specialize in Far East Asian cuisine, serving authentic flavors from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and down to Australia. What sets us apart—and what I am most proud of—is how we blend high-standard aviation principles with local hospitality to create a unique experience for both our team and our guests.
Coming from over a decade in the airline industry, we’ve brought strong aviation training procedures into our kitchen and front-of-house operations. A core part of our philosophy is applying Crew Resource Management (CRM)—a system originally designed for flight crews to improve situational awareness, open communication, team problem-solving, and safety. By adapting CRM into our restaurant, we empower every team member, flatten hierarchy barriers, and build a culture centered on working with genuine happiness, mutual respect, and calm under pressure.
That same flight-safety mindset extends directly to our standards for cleanliness and hygiene. Following strict Health Department regulations isn’t just a requirement for us—it’s standard operating procedure, leading us to earn a 100% perfect inspection score. Combined with premium hospitality training, this unique blend of safety, precision, and joy makes our staff stand out and allows us to deliver exceptional service every day.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Right after graduating from university in our early 20s, both of us stepped directly into the world of aviation as flight attendants. That job completely expanded our horizons, taking us across nearly half the world—from the bustling street markets of Asia and the vibrant cities of the Middle East, all the way down to Australia.
Every time our flight landed in a new city, our first priority wasn’t just sightseeing—it was discovering local dishes and authentic street food. Whenever we tasted something truly exceptional, we made a point to remember every flavor, ingredient, and technique. We used to joke about wanting to wrap those incredible meals up, bring them back onto the aircraft, and store them in our own Galley so we’d never forget them. Those early years of travel in our 20s laid the foundation for our deep love of Far East Asian cuisine and built the collection of memories and flavors that we cook with today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://order.toasttab.com/online/galley-62080-dean-swift-road-suite-100
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galley.bend/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Galleybend/
Image Credits
Galley @ Bend, Oregon
