How one chef’s Thai upbringing has inspired her cuisine
Chef Nutcha Phanthoupheng, the owner and chef of Vancouver’s award-winning restaurant Baan Lao, grew up in Issan, a northeastern region in Thailand commonly called the “rice bowl.” Its agricultural bounty feeds much of Thailand – a befitting beginning for the hospitable chef. Now a celebrated culinary figure, Nutcha channels her roots to bring the spirit of Thailand to her menu, where each dish expresses her homeland’s culinary richness and traditions, often loaded with her personal holy trinity of Thai ingredients: lemongrass, tamarind, and pandan leaves.
Growing up on a farm, Nutcha got her first taste of the culinary arts by tending her family’s land. “My parents, two siblings and I lived almost exclusively off the land. My mother taught me how to farm rice, vegetables and fruit; and how to raise buffalo, pigs and chickens; and to forage mushrooms, wild honey, insects and lizards. Nothing went to waste!” she says.
Although Nutcha credits her mother with teaching her everything she knew, eventually she went on to pursue formal culinary education, first studying privately with chefs Vichit Mukura and Chumpol Jangprai, then pursuing accreditations from the Blue Elephant, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Bangkok Cooking School and Bussacrum Royal Thai Cuisine before opening Baan Lao.
Every January, Nutcha returns to Thailand for the month to see her mother, gain inspiration, and check on her family’s 15-acre rice farm, which is still harvested solely by hand and uses water buffalo to fertilize and plow the fields. During her trips, Nutcha likes to visit the surrounding Thai regions to seek out innovative flavour combinations. “A lot of the Western world is only familiar with Thai street foods like Pad Thai or meat skewers, but there’s so much more complexity ingrained in every distinct region. Central Thai cuisine emphasizes balancing sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavours, whereas Issan highlights a unique, bold, herbaceous and spicy profile. And then there’s Royal Thai – my passion – which showcases traditional dishes originally served in the royal court. Royal Thai is typified by the highest-quality ingredients, intricate presentation, delicate flavours and elaborate cooking technique,” she says.
When friends ask about the best places to visit in Thailand, she insists that visitors spend at least two weeks enjoying the immense range on offer. She notes that visiting Thailand isn’t just about eating the food – it’s about experiencing the colourful markets, stunning landscapes and warm hospitality that define the country.
There’s so much to see, but if I had to make a few suggestions, [I recommend] immersing yourself in the bustle of Bangkok, then making your way to Chiang Mai for a big dose of art and culture, then finishing your trip in Phuket on some of the world’s best beaches.
Baan Lao’s dynamic Thai menu is clear proof of chef Nutcha’s culinary talent, but it’s also a way for her to keep her homeland close, share its beauty with the world, and stir up a longing for the flavours and warmth that can only truly be found in Thailand.
Sponsored by
Photography by Nora Hamade & Courtesy of Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine
Share: Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter)
