Job satisfaction among business partners and staff, combined with a drive to become successful, can take a business venture a long way. Three-year-old Seven Spoons restaurant, which specialises in Mediterranean and vegetarian dishes, has very much followed this formula.
Chefs Chalermpol Stritam, left, getting a helping hand from Prinan Anekrattanasin, whose speciality is baking.
The collective dedication, perseverance and passion for good food of three friends, Somkiet Pairojmahakej, Prinan Anekrattanasin and Chalermpol Stritam — three of the restaurant's five partners — has taken the business from a tiny catering establishment known by a small group of patrons to a thriving eatery, which has in the last year received top accolades from TripAdvisor and a string of prestigious gourmet magazines for its outstanding food.
The stylish yet cosy restaurant, housed in a restored Chinese shop house at the edge of Chinatown, is hugely popular with Bangkok's expat community. They brave the peak-hours traffic to chill out with a sumptuous meal and cocktails — all reasonably priced — to make the trip all the more worth their while. Most Thais have been introduced to Seven Spoons, which is mostly promoted through word-of-mouth and social media, by their expat friends.
Chalermpol and Prinan, who double as chefs, spoke about their success story and the need to further improve on their service and the menu to remain competitive.
"Judging from the fact that we have let our food and service speak for itself, we are happily surprised to enjoy this type of success," said Prinan, who manages the dessert menu. "I think the success we enjoy is largely due to the fact that we are all enjoying our work. During the protests earlier this year, business went down drastically, but we were still catering to events and improving on our menu.
"Our customers might find us special because we are passionate about what we do. We do not just settle for second best, and continue to explore new tastes. The passion and dedication is sincere, and maybe, it is that which makes our dishes stand out.
"It is my opinion, that the success of a restaurant business does not just hinge on a person's passion for food or an attractive location, but rather a collective effort to make it work while everyone enjoys the ride."
Chalermpol, who brings more than 13 years of hotel experience to the business, said much of the credit for their success should be given to Seven Spoons founder Somkiet and his wife Regan. Both are die-hard foodies who have played a vital role in assisting the team with not just setting up the business, but also with sourcing ingredients for their recent "Forest Food" event, featuring a set menu of foraged foods and planning the concept for its dishes.
"We are probably the first restaurant to come up with exotic foods foraged from not just forests within Thailand but also neighbouring countries," Chalermpol said. "As a chef, I find it a great challenge to feature dishes with exotic meats, nuts, herbs and spices sourced from remote rural areas. In one of our five-course dinners, we introduced galangal sourced from Sabah, Malaysia, where it is foraged for by a small indigenous community. For dessert, we served goat cheese cheesecake with Himalayan honey. As it is difficult to get a constant supply of fresh 'forest food' ingredients all year round, we prefer to serve it on specific days.
"It is a novel experience for most foodies, so we have to make sure it is a pleasantly memorable one. A lot of preparation goes into getting the perfect combination of flavours. The work of a chef is a never-ending one because we have to constantly think of improving our menu to add to the culinary experience each time they visit us."
The roles of the three partners is also categorised according to experience and talent. While Somkiet supervises the overall management of the restaurant, it is Chalermpol who is in charge of the the menu, while Prinan manages the dessert corner.
"The direction the menu takes is a collective effort," says Chalermpol.
"What goes into the menu might start out as the special for the day. If the dish proves to be popular, we put it in our daily menu. As Regan's work takes her to a number of exotic countries, she is always on the lookout for forest produce that can be developed into a dish.
"Prinan works closely with us to experiment with sweet dishes that would compliment a dish influenced by forest produce. If the taste is pungent due to strong herbs, she finds a light flavour that would offer a pleasant aftertaste. So I feel its a team effort."
Chalermpol, while happy about the success of their business, said: "As I have a number of years working for a five-star establishment under my belt, I believe we can do better in terms of not just taste but also service. Meals have to be served expeditiously.
"For most of my life, I was an employee, but now I have to also take up the role of a business partner. The dual responsibilities can sometimes become overwhelming, but as long as I am enjoying my work, it is not too big a deal."
Prinan said Seven Spoons' staff is like family, and that she looks forward to coming to work each day.
"I feel blessed to be working in a profession that I would not change for the world. I found my passion for baking here, and I am eternally grateful for this. Happy staff make for a successful business."
