海角社区官网

An unexpected gust of grandeur 鈥� here on this patch of St. Clair West near Dufferin Street in Toronto? Possibly, but then so is the art deco-ish restaurant as a whole: the six-month-old Savor,聽 in which a former Iron Chef from Thailand is doing some of the punchiest cooking in the city. Corso Italia, meet deluxe Bangkok.

鈥淐all me Art,鈥� says the man of the hour, beckoning me to a banquette 鈥� an invitation to inquire about the roots of his name. Born Prasopchok Trakulphat (admittedly a mouthful), he was given the nickname 鈥淎rt鈥� when he was a baby, as is often the custom for children in Thailand. All things considered, a neat bit of early branding given his culinary prowess today.

Sporting a gallant moustache and a discreet earring in one ear, and speaking in a fluid, bro-y English that shows remnants of his upbringing in Southeast Asia, but also many years spent in the Pacific Northwest, he gives me the pitch: 鈥淭his is a Thai restaurant where we try聽and serve Thai food with a different approach 鈥� not only ambience, but also Thai food that’s never been served in Canada. A tasting menu and also聽脿 la carte. Traditionally prepared, but also Thai food that is turned into our own creation.鈥�

When wading into a discussion about the global embrace of Thai cooking 鈥� that symphony of sour and sweet and savory and spice 鈥� he gets almost existential when talking about massaman curry, a staple of the cuisine. 鈥淥ur curries, we tend to say: if you can pinpoint individual ingredients, then it is off. Because it so balanced. The massaman is one of the hardest curries to make, labour intensive to roast and grind the spices, but also the hardest to make rounded. When you have it, you cannot tell what it is 鈥� you cannot say there鈥檚 cardamom or is it cumin in there, because it is all working in harmony.鈥�

(Spoiler alert: I had the massaman later and it was as advertised! Nixed my sinuses and chased away all the winter blues!)

How did Chef Art end up in 海角社区官网(at the behest of restaurateur Patrick Suksaen, the man behind EAT BKK, Koh Lipe, Som Tum Jinda, among other places?) It is a long story, stretching back perhaps to Art’s earlier days, when he was a kid always attracted to fire. A 鈥渟tepping stool鈥� plays a vivid role in this chapter of his life: provided for him so he could help his aunt, in particular, with the cooking on weekends when the extended family would gather. 鈥淚 was welcomed in the kitchen,鈥� he remembers.

Later, he went to Seattle for college (maybe with the goal of working in 鈥渋mmigration policy鈥� like his father did), but it was not meant to be. Food remained his passion. 鈥淚 hated studying!鈥� He started working in a Thai restaurant in the city and, at home, watched the Food Network. A lot of the Food Network. Bobby Flay! Emeril! That whole gang!

鈥淒on鈥檛 you get bored? You work in a restaurant 鈥� and then coming home to watch more cooking?鈥� a friend asked Art. Turns out he never did. 鈥淲atching those shows,鈥� he tells me now, 鈥渋t dawned on me: there is something called chefs 鈥� and that there are schools you can go to become a chef.鈥� A-ha.

After completing culinary school in the area, he opened a restaurant with a friend. A different kind of Thai restaurant for Seattle, he says, in that 鈥渨e did our own curry paste.鈥� Eventually, he returned to Thailand, where he opened a restaurant, and an opportunity came long to compete on “Iron Chef” there as a challenger.

鈥淚 hate competing! I still do,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I knew the platform was important” in his country of nearly 72 million people. Was he scared? You bet. That first time, he could not finish all his dishes on time, so he got points deducted. The challenge, as he recalls, involved using five different Thai ingredients 鈥� durian, dried fish, shrimp paste, among them 鈥� in five different dishes, with four portions each.

What did he make with the durian, a spiky, stinky tropical fruit? I was curious. Art genuinely cannot remember. 鈥淚 blocked it out!鈥� he laughs, going on to share, 鈥淲hen you are in a competition, you don鈥檛 think at all 鈥� you are focused on the tasks. One hour seems like two minutes.鈥�

He distinguished himself enough to get a supporting role on the show and then, later, himself became one of the resident Iron Chefs. Which is how Patrick, here in Toronto, first got wind of him. Connecting through people in common, he finally lured Art to Canada, an elevated Thai concept in their sights. Savor had its official opening back in September.

For all his achievements, Art surprises me when he happens to mention at one point, 鈥淚 love doing dishes.鈥� He loves doing what? Yes, he repeats, eyes lighting up. 鈥淥h yeah, I do. I like the idea of transporting something from a pile of dirty dishes to 鈥� nothing.鈥� A tiny victory.

Talking to me a little bit more about the many influences in Thai cuisine 鈥� it was heavily influenced by Indian cooking, but also by Persian traders 鈥� he is not afraid to mix and match with his own dishes. The roasted duck curry comes with obvious French riffs. There is a lobster tortellini, but with a Thai twist. The almighty Pad Thai is done with an unexpected kick: Japanese katsuobushi flakes for some extra smokiness. The words 鈥渟riracha sherbet鈥� come tumbling out of his mouth at one point.

As for this restaurant being in a part of town not exactly known as a fine dining destination, Art is nonplussed. As the restaurant is filling up around us, its emerald green walls giving the requisite glamour, he tells me: 鈥淚f we do our job well enough, they will come.鈥�