“Thai Cuisine – A New Orthodoxy?”
Andy Ricker, James Beard winner and famed Thai chef of gargantuan proportions, has banned the use of the words “authentic” as well as “traditional” in his Pok Pok restaurants.
What follows is an interview (translated from Thai) with Chef Prakong of Maui Thai Bistro.
Int: Do you agree with Andy Ricker that authenticity is, essentially, an absurd idea?
Chef P: Totally! I think though that Andy is reacting to the equating of spiciness level with authenticity, which I agree is wrong! In fact the chili pepper, which originated from Central America, came to Thailand rather late, certainly less than 200 years ago. I eat spicier food than just about anybody I know, but that is probably due to my upbringing in Isaan, where we didn’t even have electricity, let alone refrigeration, in my earlier years. The chili peppers were a real boon, especially among the poorer regions, because of their anti-microbial properties, as well as the ability to cover up short shelf-life foods.
Int: But beyond spice, is the concept of authenticity valid? For example, one of your signature dishes is your Macadamia nut panang with short ribs – you’d agree that it isn’t everyone’s idea of a traditional Thai dish…
Chef P: Not traditional certainly, but there are at least two good reasons for that dish. The first reason is that we strive, where we can, to use, indeed to honor, local produce, hence we substitute macnut for the lowly peanut. And the second reason is that it is a far better dish for the substitution! Let me add a point here, which is that, Thai cuisine, like the culture that encloses it, is a living thing so that many foods of our childhood are no longer available!
I actually sense rather strongly that Thais are driven to innovate (within the sphere of food), so that our ancestors would be horrified if we were to stand still…
Some other non-traditional dishes that make an appearance on the Specials Menu are NZ lamb chops with Thai green peppercorn & holy basil sauce ($24), Alaskan king crab in dry curry sauce ($25), and more…
Lunch specials are served daily and include traditional favorites such as kaosoy (northern curried noodles), kaomungai (Thai version of Hainanese chicken), sukee-hang (bean thread sautéed with protein, vegetables and fermented soybean curd), and much more.
Maui Thai Bistro is pleased to announce the opening of its bar extension, aka The Brasserie. The Brasserie’s manager, Cory Wymer, promises fireworks at this newest South Maui hotspot. Seasoned travelers will know that Thai cocktails have become one of Thailand ‘s most exciting exports in recent years. To celebrate this exciting new addition, Chef Prakong will unveil several new single-plate dishes, which should prove popular with bar-goers as these can easily be consumed at our new full-service bar.
