STREET FOOD ABOUNDS
Thai chef makes it big in Mumbai
It’s all begun from the curiosity when Seefah Ketchaiyo was a little girl. She went to observe her grandmother in the kitchen as she cooked dinner for the family. For some people, reading books opens a new world to them, but for Seefah, entering the kitchen was a whole new world for her. She began to be fascinated by the traditional Thai cooking her grandmother did. An iron wok, mortar and pestle, traditional Thai coconut grater, charcoal stove, and much more equipment laid in the kitchen made her realise where her real passion lay.
Seefah, who would later learn further skills in Thai cooking from her dad, chose to pursue a livelihood as a Thai chef.
She received professional training and kicked off her career as a chef. After amassing enough training and experience, Seefah, who believes in the authenticity of Thai food, took her passion for the Thai culinary arts abroad.
She started off by working in China before heading to India where she is now the owner of one of the most talked-about restaurants in Mumbai called The Blue.
Unlike other Thai restaurants in the city, The Blue is focusing more on Thai street food.
With multiple awards to her name, chef Seefah has proven that the authenticity and passion can invest in her job can take her far.
SECRET RECIPE
Seefah always remembers how she got so upset she didn’t get to help her dad in the kitchen when he was preparing family meals.
It was the highlight of her day to be able to help her dad cook and watch how he did it. Before she received professional training, her dad was the first person to teach her how to cook.
“I still remember my first dish I made when I was 10. It was kai look kheuy (fried hard boiled egg with tamarind sauce). It didn’t come out perfectly at all but my dad ate them all and told me how talented I am,” Seefah said.
After realising her dream, Seefah put all her focus into cooking.
She studied at a famous cooking school in Bangkok. Her father also got her non-paid work in the kitchen at a five-star hotel on Sukhumvit Road where he was working so she could learn from the real situation rather than from a book.
She slowly developed her skill in cooking and finally got a job in the kitchen at the beginner level.
After working at a few hotels and many restaurants, Seefah took her eight years of experience to work in Chengdu, China in a five-star hotel. She worked there for a couple of years before her reputation began to spread among hoteliers.
She was head-hunted by one five-star hotel in Mumbai, India to work as a sous chef cooking Thai food for the hotel. Unlike other Thai chefs who cook for foreigners, chef Seefah doesn’t believe in toning down the flavour to accommodate local taste buds.
“I cook Thai food the same way Thai people eat it. If you want to try Thai food, you must experience the original flavour of it. If you can’t handle spiciness, then this is not the food for you. It has always been my philosophy to cook an authentic Thai food the way Thai people would eat,” Seefah said.
REAL THAI FOOD
Locals started talking about chef Seefah’s workmanship. She gained a reputation at the international food restaurants where she worked.
“I don’t buy ingredients locally. I always go back to Thailand to get everything since I know that part of the authenticity in my food came from local ingredients from my home country,” she explained.
With renewed skill, reputation, and confidence, Seefah left the five-star hotel to start her own restaurant in the heart of Mumbai where she met her business partner who later on become her life partner, Karan Bane.
Mr Bane is a trained Japanese chef who is also passionate about Asian food. They combined their skills and created magic at their own restaurant called The Blue.
Her customers look for something different from what they can find at other Thai restaurants in the area. Seefah intended to make a difference by offering her customers the real flavours of Thailand.
“Everyone I talk to here, especially those who have visited Thailand before, are in love with Thai street food. I think it’s a perfect opportunity for me to offer that to my customers and I hit the right target. People here love it,” she said.
“I know the best Thai food is mostly available on the sidewalk such as the street food in Yaowarat (Chinatown) or local markets in Bangkok. That is what I cook here for our customers and people love it,” she added.
KEY TO SUCCESS
The Blue is nothing more than a single unit, small-scale restaurant but it’s always filled with customers who line up to eat the Thai and Japanese food on offer.
Famous dishes include moo ping with kao neaw (grilled pork on stick with sticky rice), pad krapao gai (stir fired chicken with basil leaves), som tum (papaya salad), mango sticky rice, katsu don (fried pork cutlet on rice), and Japanese maki.
Earlier this year, Seefah and Bane received an award for Best New Asian Restaurant offered by Mid-day, and a joint award as Chef of the Year as well as well Noteworthy Newcomer (Japanese and Thai casual dining) in Mumbai offered by The Times of India.
“We love what we do and be honest in what we love. I didn’t expect to be this successful when we decided to open the restaurant but here we are hanging awards on the wall of our small restaurant. I think when people do things with passion, it will do well no matter what and people can see it,” Mr Bane said.
Besides working at her own restaurant, Seefah always finds an opportunity to seek new ideas to create interesting food.
Besides focusing on her business, she also helps the Thai consulate in Mumbai with their functions, and organises cooking classes for locals to help the community learn more about authentic Thai food.
“It’s not difficult to be kind to people around you. Besides cooking, I also love networking and learning about different cultures,’’ said Seefah.
“It’s the best way for me to experience their authenticity and apply that knowledge to my work. I also believe that the key to my success story is that I have stayed true to what I love and work hard to offer the best dining experience to my customers.’’