06/08/2026
4 August, around 4:00 p.m.
The phone rang. On the other end was someone speaking Thai, although not very fluently.
👱🏻 “Hello, is this Rest Space Home Cafe?”
👩🏿🍳 “May I ask which country you’re from?”
👱🏻 “China.”
👩🏿🍳 “Would you be comfortable speaking in English?”
So we switched to English and learned that they were looking for somewhere to have dinner that evening.
I explained that if they were simply looking for a regular meal, there were plenty of good local restaurants to choose from. That day, we were only serving pork, and many of our dishes require several hours of preparation. Some take as long as five hours before they’re ready to be served.
👱🏻 “In that case, we’d like to book for tomorrow.”
👩🏿🍳 “Which app would you prefer to use? WhatsApp, WeChat, or Rednote are all fine.”
We continued our conversation on WhatsApp, where we finalised the menu and the number of guests. They were travelling as a family with two young children, and as always, we were happy not to charge for the children on this visit.
Throughout the meal, I did what I love most—sharing the stories behind Thai cuisine. I explained the cooking techniques, the origins of the ingredients, why certain dishes take hours to prepare, and the philosophy behind a traditional Thai samrub.
A well-balanced samrub embraces all eight traditional Thai tastes: sour, sweet, rich, salty, spicy, bitter, astringent, and herbaceous. Creating that harmony is something we always strive for in every meal we serve.
As it is durian season, we finished with Mon Phra Ruang Durian, one of Sukhothai’s best-known local varieties. Its creamy texture, delicate aroma, and rich flavour make it a memorable way to end a meal.
At the end of almost every dining experience, we are often asked the same questions:
“Have you ever worked in a hotel?”
or
“Were you a chef in a restaurant before?”
My answer has always been the same.
No, I’ve never worked as a hotel chef, nor have I worked in a professional restaurant kitchen.
My culinary journey began much more simply—preparing appetisers for informal evening gatherings with colleagues at my previous workplace. From there, I continued to learn, practise, and improve, driven purely by my love of cooking and the happiness of seeing people smile over a meal prepared with care.
Perhaps what our guests remember isn’t just the food itself, but the stories, the passion, and the experience shared around the table.
Before they left, they asked if I could recommend a good noodle shop, as they had been rather disappointed with the one they had visited earlier. As always, I happily recommended my favourite local place—Pa Chuay Thai Noodle Shop—a humble little restaurant that I never hesitate to suggest to anyone visiting Sukhothai.
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