Category Archives: Culture

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Thaithentic Now

Siam in Telluride, Colorado

Telluride_Main Street

It’s a challenge to articulate the distinct charm of the tiny, southwestern Colorado town of Telluride. This former mining town in the San Juan Mountains has become one of North America’s most popular ski and golf destinations. Thousands of people travel here annually for everything from skiing to film, yoga and music festivals. It’s a popular tourist destination because of it’s obvious alpine beauty but it’s the locals who maintain and preserve the authentic charisma of this town. The town of Telluride is a bit of americana, shops, offices, restaurants and bars free of corporate chain stores.

Telluride is also quite challenging to get to — it’s situated in a box canyon in one of the highest elevation towns in North America (at 8750 feet). In terms of food, It’s like being home on the range and offering the magic and worldliness of global cuisine. The public is well traveled and sophisticated enough to appreciate the blend.

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One of the local institutions is called Siam, a few minutes away from the base of the gondola. They serve well-priced, soul warming, hearty Thai fare. A dreadlocked, sunglass-clad and funkily dressed Thai statuess welcomes patrons at the front door. The restaurant is warm, inviting and artfully decorated with orchids, neon lights and impressive amounts of Thai merchandise — toy tuk tuk models, elephant trinkets and colorful silk and sequin tapestries.

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The menu is broken down into 4 sections: traditional Thai, contemporary Thai, hand rolls and lettuce wraps and house specials. The menu is massive, offering traditional Thai dishes like yum woonsen, pad se ew and pad ka prow and “contemporary” Thai food, like choo chi ahi and penang short ribs. Owner Jeff Badger emphasizes the word contemporary, as opposed to ‘fusion.’ The contemporary menu is an adaptation of Thai food, potentially making it more accessible to someone unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. The penang short rib entree, served over a hearty parsnip puree, for example, is the chefs’ take on meat and potatoes. The cooks, A, Sayan, Jam Long and Wandee, are all native Thais.

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The town of Telluride has 2 small (and rather pricey) grocery stores. It’s hard to find a wide selection of different foods, let alone very specific Thai ingredients. It’s incredibly impressive that Siam can source and offer real Thai ingredients — and pay homage to a traditional Thai presentation, garnishing nearly every plate with orchids and carved carrots. They source mainly from Sysco and Shamrock Food Service and Jeff generally makes monthly trips to Denver for items that they don’t stock, like palm sugar. Shamrock Food Service specializes in Asian food and stocks several varieties of soy, oyster, chili and fish sauces with brands like Mae Ploy and Golden Mountain Sauce.

Jeff, his wife Surung (from Chiang Mai, Thailand) and daughter Molly run the show, often seating 5 turns on a busy night. Always a lively scene, but also always consistent, Jeff and Molly insist that the sourcing, chefs consistency and staff continue to draw crowds to this funky Thai restaurant in arguably one of the coolest towns in Colorado.

Jillian Demmerle
By Jillian D.

Jillian is North's wife and writer, she's qualified to write about Thai cuisine after eating his Mother's homemade Thai food for a decade and annual trips to Thailand, not to mention hwe endless all-borough Thai restaurant tours in New York City. She has a corporate job that's not exciting and is also a certified yoga teacher. Jillian, North and their sweet dog, Habibi, live in New York City...and Telluride currently.

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Thaithentic Now

The Thai-In Begins Its Journey in Philly

I am excited to introduce you to “The Thai-In,”  a web series focused on travel, food, people, and how Thai food and culture tie-in to all of it.  We will be exploring local foods and customs across the globe, while focusing on local eats and customs. 

As a NYC born and raised Thai-American, the food and cultures of the world have always been in my back yard. Having a chef for a father provided me with the perfect guide to learning about people and the joys of gastronomy. We had sit down dinners for most of my life and it was at those dinners where I learned that the true essence of food and dining is about people and sharing wonderful experiences with them. It became an addiction. All I wanted to do was travel, meet people, and eat. If there is one thing I have learned from all my travels, it is not to follow food and trends. Follow people, for they will lead you to great food. You will never go wrong following people as they are the greatest sources for new experiences. This is the very essence of the The Thai-In. I want to share my great experiences with all of you as I travel and eat my way through city by city, continent by continent, bite by bite, one meal and one conversation at a time. 

Our first adventure takes us to Philly. Along with Chef Chuck Valla, Thaithentic chef and master of Northern Thai cuisine, we explore just a little bit of what this very American city has to offer. Philadelphia has always held a special place in my heart as fellow sports rival town, but never would I have imagined what kind of bustling food scene existed here. The food talent in this town rivals that of NYC, without much of the trendy tax factored into your food. It’s impossible to find the best of anything as Philly is city of neighborhoods. Each neighborhood usually being the favorite spot of those living there. When we tried to explore different neighborhoods, we found something startling. Not only was the food delicious in every neighborhood, they could be as different and varied as two different cities. Here are a few of the places that we covered in this episode:

Federal Donuts
www.federaldonuts.com

Philip’s Steaks
2234 W Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19145

Taproom on 19th
www.taproomon19th.com

Nick’s Old Original Roast Beef Restaurant
www.nicksroastbeef.com

American Sardine Bar | Philadelphia Bar & Restaurant …
www.americansardinebar.com

John’s Roast Pork
www.johnsroastpork.com

The Dandelion
thedandelionpub.com

Village Whiskey
philadelphia.villagewhiskey.com

Little Pete’s
219 S 17th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House 美味兰州手拉面 …
nanzhounoodlehouse.com

Reading Terminal Market
www.readingterminalmarket.org

You really can’t really talk about food in Philly without mentioning Philly cheesesteaks as Philly is a very sandwich centric town.  However, we found something even more local and has it roots right in Pennsylvania Dutch country. We’re talking about scrapple. Scrapple is made from the unused leftovers of pork grinded into gelatinous form, then breaded and fried. Scrapple was created with the idea that the entire animal should be used in butchery so that no food would be wasted. This way of thinking is very much in line with much of Thai culinary thinking so Chef Chuck concocted a unique creation.  Behold, Thai Scrapple! Using only pork meat, pork liver, garlic, rice, and roasted rice power, Chef Chuck creates a uniquely Thai version of the Pennsylvania classic.   

The adventure continues each month and we hope you will enjoy these videos as much as we love making them.  Let us know where you’d like us to go next on The Thai-In!

Sawadeekrup!

Manus Chaorinuea
By Manus C.

Manus Chaorinuea is the founder of Thaithentic. He is an entrepreneur and food connoisseur. As a son of a Thai chef, he spends his time traveling, eating, and learning about different cultures. Being born and raised in New York City, he is an avid NY Rangers fan and plays goalie for an ice hockey team named Sriracha.

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Thaithentic Now

The Khon at Carnegie Hall

In the summer of 2015, Manhattan was once again gifted with “The Khon” at Carnegie Hall.  Presented by the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations, The Khon is a Thai classical masked drama based on the narrative of the Ramakien, the Thai national epic derived from the Hindu epic Ramayana.khon1

The Khon is performed by The Royal Dance Troupe from the Ministry of Culture of Thailand’s Fine Arts Department.  Traditionally, Khon would be performed primarily in the royal court.  Modern Khon notably includes female performers for female characters once traditional performed by men.

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The Khon consists of four characters types.  These include men, women, monkeys, and demons.  Each has their own unique dancing style, and each character type has a distinct personality which comes alive in the eternal struggle between good and evil.  It takes three hours for the performer playing Thotsakan, the Demon King, to put his costume on.  The costume design is truly a work of splendor and a visual masterpiece.

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The dance performers of The Khon mime the action while the music and singing is performed by the chorus and orchestra.  The orchestra consists of traditional Thai instruments like the ranat ek, a percussion instrument that is shaped like a Thai boat. 

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Many members of the Thai community were in attendance including the Royal Thai Consul General, Pornpong Kannittanon, as well as His Excellency Mr. Virachai Plasai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United Nations.  After speaking with many of the younger Thais in attendance, we found that this was the first time seeing a khon for many of them.  The Khon is a national treasure of Thailand, and quite a gift and an exceptional treat for the United States.

(Photo credits: Justine Chen, Worarat Piriyanasorn, and Jinglebel Shaiyakich)

Manus Chaorinuea
By Manus C.

Manus Chaorinuea is the founder of Thaithentic. He is an entrepreneur and food connoisseur. As a son of a Thai chef, he spends his time traveling, eating, and learning about different cultures. Being born and raised in New York City, he is an avid NY Rangers fan and plays goalie for an ice hockey team named Sriracha.

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Thaithentic Now

WATERFALL Makes a Big Splash in the States

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June marked the world premiere of WATERFALL, a new musical based on Behind the Painting, a beloved Thai short-story written by Thai novelist Siburapha.  Waterfall premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in LA and has been met with much praise and positive reviews from the theater community as well as the local Thai community.

Representatives from Chang presenting flowers to Bie Sukrit and Tak Viravan

Representatives from Chang presenting flowers to Bie Sukrit and Tak Viravan (photo credit: Chang Beer)

Set during the late 1930’s, a time when nations struggled to define themselves, WATERFALL takes us on an powerful journey of love.  Amidst a tug of war of societal and cultural norms, the many themes and conflicts we are introduced to prove their timelessness as we are faced with such similar struggles today.  WATERFALL certainly has the makings of an epic musical.

As WATERFALL is a collaboration between Asian and American theatrical professionals, this collaboration is rich in every aspect of the show.  From the performances to the set design to the costumes and the music,  WATERFALL oozes with cultural authenticity and speaks of the attention to detail this show is being given.  I never felt the Thai aspects of the show were dialed in nor did I feel that Asia was used simply as a setting, but rather another character on stage with it’s own fears and desires.  Although the story is set in Japan and Thailand,  the show speaks with American audiences in mind.

Part of the WATERFALL cast with Director, Tak Viravan

Part of the WATERFALL cast with Director, Tak Viravan (photo credit: Chang Beer)

With a predominantly Asian-American cast, WATERFALL does a great job of transcending the traditional archetypes of Asian roles in theater by tackling themes that elevate our vision of the world.  Bie Sukrit, Thai pop superstar, makes his American debut as the leading man, and guides you through the entire journey as your hero and narrator.

Cast and Creative team of WATERFALL

Cast and Creative team of WATERFALL (photo credit: Chang Beer)

WATERFALL brought pride and joy into my heart as the show spoke to my identity as an American as well as a Thai person.  At the end of the day though, Producer Jack M. Dalgleish  says, “The show is about love.”

WATERFALL ends it’s premiere run at The Pasadena Playhouse on June 28 and heads to Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater in October.  We have high hope for this show and are excited to see the production head to Broadway in 2016.

Manus Chaorinuea
By Manus C.

Manus Chaorinuea is the founder of Thaithentic. He is an entrepreneur and food connoisseur. As a son of a Thai chef, he spends his time traveling, eating, and learning about different cultures. Being born and raised in New York City, he is an avid NY Rangers fan and plays goalie for an ice hockey team named Sriracha.

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Thaithentic Now

Thai DNA Interviews Chef Bao Bao

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Bao of Baoburg in Williamsburg, NY.  She is the executive chef and co-owner of Baoburg and is an upcoming Thaithentic Chef.  As fate would have it, she was also doing a simultaneous interview with Thai DNA, a television show in Thailand showcasing Thai success stories across the globe.  Eventually our interviews would merge and the interviewer would become the interviewee as I became part of Chef Bao’s story for Thai DNA.  It was a fun and enriching experience for me as it serves as proof that topics like food and culture are always inevitably meant to become shared experiences.  Check out the episode and see for yourself.  Although my interview was in English, most of the show is in Thai.  If there are parts you’d like to understand, don’t be afraid to ask us!

Manus Chaorinuea
By Manus C.

Manus Chaorinuea is the founder of Thaithentic. He is an entrepreneur and food connoisseur. As a son of a Thai chef, he spends his time traveling, eating, and learning about different cultures. Being born and raised in New York City, he is an avid NY Rangers fan and plays goalie for an ice hockey team named Sriracha.

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Thaithentic Now

What’s Songkran like in Bangkok?!

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As the hottest season approaches in Thailand, you see the entire country go bananas by celebrating in overly friendly water fights and street parties that last for 3 days. It’s called Songkran, the Thai New Year.

During Songkran most businesses and shops shut down completely, leaving big shopping malls and local bars open to accommodate the festive goers. Half of Bangkok’s residents travel back to their hometowns for family reunions, while the other half stays in Bangkok to join the fun.

What is Songkran?

Traditionally, Thais celebrate Thai New Year by gently pouring water on elders’ hands, visiting temples, and attending family reunions. On the first day of Songkran, Thais usually perform the Rod Nam Dum Hua ritual. During the ritual, the younger generation would pour fragrant water into the elders’ palms as a gesture of humility while asking for blessing and forgiveness. Another important religious ritual during Songkran is ‘Bathing the Buddha,’ in which people pour fragrant water over Buddha statues at the temple, at home or on the streets.

The date of Songkran is from April 13th to 15th every year in Bangkok in keeping with the Buddhist/Hindu solar calendar. Depending on where you are in the country, the dates of festivities may vary.

Water Symbol

The traditional water pouring is meant as a symbol of washing away sins. Traditionally, Thais would politely pour a bowl of water on family members and their close friends. Somewhere along the way, a bowl became a bucket, and a garden hose became a water gun and now we have fire trucks! Songkran has since taken a more festive note turning the city into a giant water fight.

The Hot Spots in Bangkok

There are a few hot spots in Bangkok for celebrating Songkran, but the two places that attract the most crowd are Silom and Khao San Road.

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Silom Road

Silom Road attracts the largest and wildest crowd in Bangkok. The entire 3 mile (5 km) length of Silom road is packed with young Thais carrying anything that can spray water. The city sets up automatic spraying machines and giant barrels of water to aid the celebration. The best, and the worst, part is that everyone’s water temperature is different. If you’re carrying water guns with your friends be prepared to experience water from all directions from lukewarm to icy cold! I had water sprayed and poured on me from all directions, and I am definitely grateful that there wasn’t any dirty water thrown on me!

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If you’re not into getting soaking wet, but prefer watching other people getting soaked, you can enjoy the party and witness the full extent of the water fight on the BTS sky walk that runs above the street. BTS is the city’s sky train transportation system. If you’re standing at the right spot on the BTS sky walk, you can spot the fire trucks ambush people with their incredibly powerful water hoses. Usually, the crowd is really into it as the heat can reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in the sun.

Khao San Road

If you like the idea of getting soaking wet from head to toe in an overly populated crowd, you should definitely head to Khao San Road. You really don’t even need to get close to get wet as the surrounding streets are packed with people spraying and pouring water on you along the way.

At both Silom and Khao San Road, there are rows of stalls and booth selling water guns, waterproof bags for your valuables, food, drinks, alcohol and, of course, water for refilling your water guns.

Local Bars

It’s not just wet on the streets; it’s also wet in the bars. During the 3 days of celebration, I’ve experienced the most friendly and polite water fight in my life. Before they pour buckets of water on you (usually ice water), they would politely said “Ko Thoot Na Ka/Krab” with a bow. It means “excuse me/apology” in English. When was the last time someone said sorry to you before dumping a bucket of water on you?

So, here I was sitting down and drinking my Singha beer while people pouring buckets of water on me, simultaneously. Overall, Songkran is an amazing cultural experience.

Emma Tsui
By Emma T.

A Taiwanese-Canadian currently living and working in Bangkok, Thailand. An ideal day involves frequent naps, and strategizing around how to combine her two loves: travel and crêpes. But mostly, she spends her time working to bring travellers a safe, unique and memorable backpacking experience. With Koonapa Traveler, she hopes to provide an engaging opportunity to explore cultural differences and diversity.

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Thaithentic Now

Welcome to Thaithentic

Our parents are Thai chefs and cooks. Growing up, they made sure that we understood and appreciated basic Thai cooking to elevated “Royal” cuisine, and everything in between. We ate our Grandmother’s Thai food, our parent’s interpretation, and tasted street vendor’s version. We have explored New York City’s myriad Thai restaurants; we’ve tasted the food, listened to the stories and hope to help communicate Thailand’s cultural impressions and influences in the clearest way possible.

Finding Thai food in NYC is easy. Learning the names of dishes and ingredients is not. At Thaithentic, our goal is for you to become an informed Thai eater. We work with Thai restaurants to understand the regional differences in their cooking so that we can be your guides, and post interesting, easily digestible articles and videos with the hopes that you try something new. The best way to understand Thai cuisine is to taste it so we strive to work with innovative, expert Thai chefs who showcase real Thai cooking and flavors.

So if you love Thai food and Thai people come and join our culinary adventure through the tasty, sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, salty, spicy Thai food scene. And along the way, learn about our beautiful culture.

Manus Chaorinuea
By Manus C.

Manus Chaorinuea is the founder of Thaithentic. He is an entrepreneur and food connoisseur. As a son of a Thai chef, he spends his time traveling, eating, and learning about different cultures. Being born and raised in New York City, he is an avid NY Rangers fan and plays goalie for an ice hockey team named Sriracha.

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Thaithentic Now

Songkran – A Thai New Years Celebration in Queens, NY

This past weekend Thaithentic joined the Songkran Day Festival at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY. Councilman Daniel Dromm and the Wat Buddha Thai Thavorn Vanaram Temple in Elmhurst hosted the event.

Khan Dok dance by students from the local Thai community
Khan Dok dance by students from the local Thai community

Students from the local Thai community filled the day with dance performances call Khan Dok dance. This type of dance symbolizes Thais’ worship of Buddha by offering flowers, candles and incense. Festival participants enjoyed to-go boxes of Thai food from local Thai restaurants including Eim Khao Mun Kai, Ayada and SriPraPhai in Woodside. Among festival attendees was newly appointed Thai Consul General Pornpong Kanittanon.

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This is the inaugural year for the Songkran Day Festival. “We look forward to doing this every year and we hope to make it bigger and better,” Councilman Dromm said of the festival.

“New Years is about peace and happiness,” said Juttana “Moo” Rimreartwate, a Thai community activist.

Manus Chaorinuea
By Manus C.

Manus Chaorinuea is the founder of Thaithentic. He is an entrepreneur and food connoisseur. As a son of a Thai chef, he spends his time traveling, eating, and learning about different cultures. Being born and raised in New York City, he is an avid NY Rangers fan and plays goalie for an ice hockey team named Sriracha.