Pad Thai, tom yum goong and tom kha gai may be familiar crowd-pleasers but at The Local by Oam Thong Thai Cuisine, two siblings, Ployparn Markawat and Tanaporn Markawat, carry on their parents’ dream to serve lesser known royal and regional recipes.
The family opened its first restaurant, Naj Exquisite Thai Cuisine in Soi Ari almost thirty years ago. Run by their mother, Luckananaj Markawat who was born in the southern province of Trang, the modest restaurant attracted a faithful following including ministry officials and neighbourhood locals. Tanaporn, known as Kan, remembers serving ice and soft drinks after school, while Ploy recalls being frustrated “because I was too young to help”.
The family moved to a better location in soi Convent, but that house was slated for demolition. They reopened as Oam Thong in Phahonyothin Soi 11 before relocating to Sukhumvit 33, but each time circumstances forced them to move. Finally, they found this quaint wooden house in Sukhumvit 23 and struck a long-term lease with the landlady on one condition: that they would preserve the house and respect the trees on the land in honour of her ancestors.
One of the enduring favourites is gaeng run juan, a dish created in the era of King Rama V. Slices of beef are tossed in a sauce made from lemongrass, baby garlic, and the best shrimp paste from Rayong, which gives this dish a distinctive flavour. Run juan which means “smells good”, was given to the dish by a royal guest who found this dish to be very aromatic.
The siblings haven't been afraid to tweak old dishes as well. For the pla tapien tom kem, they use female silver barb fish full of its eggs to give texture. The fish is stewed for thirty hours to allow the meat to absorb all the flavour of their grandfather’s secret soup made with sugarcane syrup and ginger. The slow cooking dissolves the bones, making the fragrant fish easy to eat.
Another fish dish with a new twist is their mother's own recipe for pla tubtim krob pud kuakling samunprai. Cubes of red tilapia are fried until golden, then kuakling, a southern dry curry paste, is added to coat the fish. As southern blood flows in their mother’s veins, it’s no surprise that fiery kuakling is part of their cuisine. Khun Luckananaj still visits the restaurant regularly to ensure that everything is up to her demanding standards.
Yum bai chakram uses ingredients such as cashew nuts, chilli paste, palm sugar, fried chilli, fried red onion, fried garlic, fried shallot, fish sauce, minced pork, lime juice and coconut cream to dress little-used chakram leaves. The recipe was a lucky discovery on their way back from purchasing sea salt on the road to Hua Hin. The Markawats grow many of the ingredients on their own farm, while others like the chakram leaves are sourced from the best suppliers around the country. “The first thing I do when I arrive in a new town is to go to the market,” says Kan.
The siblings haven't just updated the dining menu. Kan has also turned his attention to their cocktail menu creating drinks like the Safflower Cocktail, Bangyikhan Thai vodka mixed with pineapple juice and sprinkled with dried safflower, or their homemade Mojito, a twist from a classic like Mojito, which is topped the fresh mint leaves, white rum, lime and sugar then charged with Thai beer instead of soda.
Here's what our Inspectors had to say about The Local (Bib Gourmand)
As condos and mega-malls pop up like daisies, colonial-style buildings, like the one that houses this authentic Thai restaurant, become harder to find. Private dining rooms are dripping with Old World charm and antique décor while the main restaurant, Viva Room, has thick wicker chairs and artful murals. Dishes are crafted from secret family recipes and represent all regions of Thailand. Service is warm and friendly.
