Tamnanthai’s success is due to delivering a consistent recipe of authentic Thai cuisine with a touch of the South.

In all types of business it pays to think out of the box and be ready to get creative when the market dictates. The family behind Tamnanthai authentic Thai restaurant, a member of the prestigious Thai Select scheme, has done exactly that, which is why it is one of Bangkok’s longstanding traditional eateries.

While Tamnanthai has become a Bangkok institution, at the start of the 1990s neither owner Supa Yanyonglert nor her husband Chai ever dreamed of running a food operation. At the time, they were busy running a productive leather business, but the first Gulf War had an adverse effect on their company, and so the pair decided it was time to try something new. Supa had grown up in

Nakhorn Sri Thammarat helping relatives cook – her mother ran a khao man gai (chicken rice) business for factory workers – and so she figured why not take a stab at the restaurant business.

They started with a small eatery near their home in Lad Prao Soi 71. Tamnanthai soon gained popularity by word of mouth, drawing in plenty of local followers during an era when epicurean dining was hardly de rigueur in Bangkok. In 2001, the restaurant expanded, with a second branch opening up at the Ploenchit Centre, followed by another one at Asok’s Times Square.

While most Thai Select establishments focus on traditional Thai recipes, often coming from the Royal Palace, Tamnanthai adds into the mix the southern roots of the owners. Staples on the extensive menu that you do not often find elsewhere include spicy gaeng tai pla fish curry and sataw pad goong (stir fried stink beans with shrimp), both of which pack a punch in terms of heat and spice.

Catching up with Khun Supa and her daughter Au during an afternoon break at their Ploenchit Center location – which features a dining room full of traditional Thai antiques, wall hangings, and paintings, as well as an outer eating area overlooking Sukhumvit – they served up not only their southern specialties, but several of the restaurant’s signature dishes, which include pork satay with pickled cucumbers and sweet sauce, goong tawt sauce makham (giant prawns in tamarind sauce), pla kapong neung manao (sea bass steamed in lime and chilli) and spicy tom yum soup with king prawns and young coconut.

Both mother and daughter agree that maintaining consistency, whether it be in service or the quality of the food, is of utmost importance. “Using the same high standard ingredients, even if food costs are going up, is one way to show your customers you care about them,” says Au.

If the pungent and tantalising flavours coming from my gaeng tai pla or lip and throat soothing khao niaow mamuang (sweet mango and sticky rice with coconut cream) were anything to go by, Tamnanthai has the Thai cuisine scene figured out just perfectly.

Tamnanthai Traditional Thai Cuisine: www.tamnanthai.com

Story and Photos by Dave Stamboulis