Chef Purida "Pu" Theeraphong is probably best known for being the first female chef to win Iron Chef Thailand 2012. Since then she has been executive chef at many five-star establishments in Bangkok, her most recent position being executive chef and head of the creative kitchen at Osha. Chef Pu has more than two decades of experience in the culinary industry, having honed her skills in Australia and Bangkok. Now, she takes her knowledge, skills and passion for Thai cuisine and food design and has decided to keep tradition alive by opening Old Town Thai Cooking Studio. Guru speaks to chef Pu about her month-old cooking studio and why she chose this over opening a restaurant.
Old Town Thai Cooking Studio. (Photos courtesy of Old Town Thai Cooking)
After being a chef for so many years, why did you decide to start a cooking school?
Operating a cooking school has always been my dream, more than working in a restaurant. Of course, I have cooked for people for many years but opening a cooking school means I can teach people how to cook. I can share my experience with cooking and my cooking techniques. Before, when I was a chef, it was all about people eating. This is different. It is about teaching people about Thai cooking culture, ingredients and techniques. I like when people come and learn and go home to cook for their families. It is good to see smiles on their faces, knowing that happiness has come from learning to cook Thai food.
Why did you choose Charoen Krung to locate your cooking school?
I found this place years ago but it needed much renovation, which a little more than six months. The location is good for tourist and locals as it is near the BTS. This area also has its own history and character and this was the right place to represent Thai culture. This building is around 60-70 years old and much like Thai food, has been passed down from generation to generation. It was a good match.
You are used to modern Thai cooking techniques when you worked as a chef, why have you changed to traditional ways of cooking?
I think modern techniques are a bit over skilled for normal people. Not many people know how to cut vegetables or control heat. If you are more than just a basic cook, then it is okay to learn the modern techniques like liquid nitrogen. My school is aimed at beginners who need an introduction to Thai cooking. It is for people who want to learn how to cook tom yum kung and feel good about it. My school is not aimed at people who want to be chefs, it's more for the home cook.
You recently consulted for a Thai restaurant in Beijing, China, called Keaami. How did that come about? The Chinese owners were looking for a good Thai chef to be their brand ambassador. They want the Chinese people to explore Thai food, so they approached me to do the consultancy for the restaurant. The menu is about authentic tastes used in the right method and has become very popular with the locals. The menu uses a lot of edible flowers because the Chinese like decorative dishes. It is real Thai food with modern presentation.
What was it like being Thailand's first female executive chef?
When I became an executive chef, there were few female chefs and this was mainly because there were not many culinary schools for people to learn at to become professional chefs. I was lucky as I earned my culinary degree in Sydney, Australia. Being an executive chef was a lot of hard work and the job was very demanding, because it doesn't only involve cooking. There is a lot of managing skills needed, like controlling food costs and quality. It was very tough.
What is your culinary philosophy?
Cooking with passion and love. You have to love what you do, which means you are never short of energy. My school is a representation of that. Everyone here has a passion for cooking and food. It is a "we" not just because "I" love to cook.
Luckily when I returned to Bangkok from Australia, I found Ajarn Kingkaew, who was the top instructor at the Thai culinary school at Suan Dusit. I learned cooking from her and learnt the old cooking techniques, so my cooking involves both traditional Thai and Western methods.
Are there plans to open your own restaurant?
This is a difficult question to answer, because a lot of people have asked me about it. I love to have people come to eat my food, but what I love more is having people come to learn how to cook from me. While I don't plan on opening a restaurant in the near future, I am content with operating a chef's table for which I take advance bookings and reservations. I also do consultancy for many restaurants and hold private dinners for people in my cooking lab on the ground floor of the cooking school.
Old Town Thai Cooking Studio, 19, 12-14 Charoen Krung 67 / Open Monday to Saturday, 9am-5.30pm / Email oldtownthaicooking@gmail.com, 02-086-2463 / Visit oldtownthaicooking.com.
