Chef Napharphak Pompraksa better known as Chef Tam is an expert at Thai cuisine. More specifically, flavours from the Northern Province of Isan where she grew up. After stints in different parts of the world, she is bringing a unique menu of specialities to Chennai as part of a Thai promotion at Trident, that kicks off next week. Excerpts:
Take us back to growing up in Isan. What is your earliest food memory?
I still often remember my mother’s bustling kitchen, brimming with aromas of delicious local fare made with fresh ingredients from our farm. Our house was always full of guests and my mother would not let anyone leave without tasting her food. I get my hospitality genes from her.
Are any of the dishes from your childhood featured on this menu?
Khao niaow na muang — fresh Mango with coconut rice and Kaeng paa (jungle curry), both originate from my home province.
We have read that the flavours in Isan are fairly different from the rest of Thailand. Could you tell us more?
Isan food is spicier in comparison to the food from other regions of Thailand. Isan cooking is focused on the techniques of steaming, boiling and grilling.
What are some of the highlights of this Thai festival that are a must-taste?
The whole menu. Being a festival and a showcase of our restaurant Rim Naam at The Oberoi, Bengaluru; I have handpicked the dishes which I feel all the diners in Chennai will relish and enjoy.
Also, do give us a little bit of a backstory. How long have you been a chef? Where have you worked across different stages in your career?
Thirty years! I have worked everywhere from Thailand to Qatar and Doha, the Maldives and different parts of India. But long before I became a chef, I was drawn to cooking and feeding people from an early age as I lived as part of a large joint family where the kitchen was always brimming and the house filled with visitors.
Meal for two at INR 2,500 approx. June 26 to July 1. 7–11 pm. At Samudra, Trident Chennai.