Supatta Banklouy: Soothr Thai
East Village, Manhattan
At the heart of most cuisines, food equals family. Dinner is where you would spend your time, even if it was the only free time of the day catching up with your loved ones and hopefully, relaxing. The atmosphere could be loud and boisterous if there is much to catch up on or quiet, with only the tinkering of chopsticks and spoons to bowls. That feeling of sitting, eating, and belonging is at the heart of Soothr, our newest favorite Thai spot in the East Village. Soothr offers not only your familiar Pad Thai (and they sure make a mean one) but also, invites you to try generational family recipes that you may not have had the chance to try at other Thai restaurants. We were lucky to be invited to sit at the table at Soothr and talk with bartender extraordinaire Supatta Banklouy.
Full name, age, where are you from?
My name is Supatta Banklouy and I’m 35 years old from Sukhothai, Thailand.
What was growing up like for you and did you have family meals growing up?
I grew up in a big family with my parents, grand parents and other cousins around. My grand parents have a farm that we grew a lot of vegetables and herbs. Every time when we would cook for our family my grand parents would go out and pick all those fresh vegetables and herbs to cook. Everything was so fresh and organic.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
My earliest memories of dining out were going to a small street food stall very close to where I grew up. It is a small noodle shop run by one old lady. She has managed to do everything on her own which surprised me the most. I went there every week through out my school year. It was that good!
Was there a definitive moment or person that drew you to the restaurant industry?
I love cooking and eating out a lot so I wanna get a job that I could surround myself with food and drinks. Of course, a restaurant would be a great place to start. After having worked in a restaurant for a short period of time, I found myself in love with mixology. Just like cooking, you mix a lot of ingredients for that dish. I apply that same strategy to mixing the drinks. I would love to elevate the Thai ingredients to our drinks.
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
Always look to explore for new things and knowledge. Never stop improving yourself. I love eating out and going to try new bars and restaurants. The most important thing is to have a passion in what you do. It will help you last long in the career you’re pursuing.
What do you think working in this industry during this time has taught you?
This industry has thought me a lot and it has shaped me for who I am today. Firstly, I have learned to be patient. Working in the service industry you have to be patient and listen to what your guests say. You also need to learn to be a risk taker, be different to succeed in this competitive industry.
What's your favorite dish/drink on the menu?
All of our signature noodles in general. Especially Sukhothai Tom Yum noodles both soup and dry. It’s my family recipe. It’s my comfort food. It reminds me of home. As far as drink on the menu, Dara Citrine is my most favorite. It is very special. I created tamarind syrup for the drink and added chili sea salt to the recipe to kick a different note in a drink. It is very Thai as it gets.
What is your number one place to go out and eat, what are you ordering?
Oxomoco, hands down. I love Mexican food with a twist. I love the vibes in there. Watching people in their kitchen working and people enjoying their meal are very intriguing to me. I always try their new items since they always change their menu seasonally. They also have an amazing selection of tequilas and mezcal.
Their tacos are out of this world! And their tuna tostadas are to die for.
WORD ASSOCIATION
Caffeine | drip coffee
Munchies | crispy chicken skin (chicken rind)
Shots | Clase Azul Reposado Tequila
Condiment | fresh chili in fish sauce (Prik Nam Pla)
First Date | street food cart selling grilled meatball sticks in front of school
Home | where best food is made
Vice | impatient and moody
Future | trying to check off the lists of things I wanna do
