April 12 marks the beginning of Songkran, a four-day celebration welcoming the Thai New Year. The holiday marks a time of renewal, in which people use water to promote a fresh start.
Its incredble people in the streets will drive by in trucks throwing buckets of water at each other. There is so much fun and excitement, says Siriwan Rerksuttisiridach, owner and executive chef at Vancouvers .
Songkran is also a time when neighbouring cities share their culture and special dishes, and Simply Thai relishes in sharing traditional Thai cuisine.
Rerksuttisiridach, known as Chef Grace, will be creating daily specials in recognition of the holiday, crafted with fresh ingredients, including Thai herbs such as lime leaf, lemongrass and Thai basil.
We make it fresh day by day, Chef Grace states seriously. We dont keep it in the freezer nothing is precooked or preboiled, everything is made on order.
When asked the secret to an authentic Thai dish, Chef Grace takes a deep breath and a slight smile comes to her lips as she places her hand over her heart.
You have to give from your heart, you have to have passion. If you dont have passion its going to be a waste of time, she says.
Growing up in Bangkok, Chef Grace could be found in the kitchen acting as assistant cook to her mother for her 15 brothers and sisters.
To this day I can still remember my mother telling me to focus, she recalls, something I will always be thankful for.
By the age of 22, she was developing her own recipes, such as curry paste from scratch. But it wasnt until she gave some to her sister-in-law to sell in a market that things really took off everything sold.
Apprenticing under Penpan Sittitrai, teacher of chefs for the royal Thai family, Chef Grace finetuned her methods including the art of vegetable and fruit carving, a skill that she enjoys demonstrating to customers.
Coming to Canada was a chance to share my cooking and culture, she says.
With staff members from all over Thailand, and a relaxing interior showcasing traditional d茅cor from all areas of the country, Chef Grace says the restaurant is a little piece of traditional Thailand, and we welcome everyone to come and celebrate with us.
