Silk Elephant earns Thai approval
Silk Elephant Thai Tapas and Wine Bar in Squirrel Hill is only the second restaurant in Pittsburgh to be recognized and honored by the Thailand government as serving authentic Thai cuisine.
Owners Norraset and Eileen Nareedokmai received the Thai Select award this month from Somjin Plengkhum, executive director of the Thai Trade Center in New York City.
The couple's other restaurant, Bangkok Balcony in Squirrel Hill, was the first Pittsburgh restaurant honored by the Thai government, in 2005.
"There are many thousands of Thai restaurants in the U.S., but only a few hundred are certified," Plengkhum says. "It's an honor to receive the Thai Select certification. We want the Thai culture to be represented authentically, and we do not want fusion."
As executive chef at both of his restaurants, Norraset Nareedokmai makes sure that what he's preparing stays within the parameters allowed by the Thailand government. Passion for his homeland and sharing its cuisine is what drives the 42-year-old, who spends most of his time at Silk Elephant.
He and his wife took over Bangkok Balcony in 2004, and opened Silk Elephant less than a block away two years later.
Bangkok Balcony has a traditional Thai menu, while Silk Elephant offers modern Thai cuisine in a different form or presentation, according to Eileen Nareedokmai, a former Duquesne University literature professor. The menu is rich with curry entrees, stir-fries, noodles, fried rice, pad Thai and salads.
"With modern Thai, the chef has the creativity to put a twist on the dishes," she says. "They use the same ingredients, but are prepared and presented differently."
Diners at Silk Elephant might feel as though they're transported to Thailand when they enter the 100-seat restaurant. A huge wooden sculpture of a Thai face was shipped piece by piece from Thailand. Warm red and yellow cylindrical lights hang from the exposed ceiling.
Colorful tapestries adorning the walls come from Thailand, as does the mural on the back wall depicting life in a Thai village. A beautiful silk awning cascades over several tables on one side of the dining room, complementing the black tablecloths and red cloth napkins folded onto plates.
"I would say that 60 to 70 percent of our customers come from the neighborhood," Eileen Nareedokmai says. "And we get a lot of international workers, professors, students and travelers."
Norraset Nareedokmai became a professional chef in a roundabout way. As a child growing up in the Tak province of northwest Thailand, near the border of Myanmar, he learned how to cook from his mother and aunts. His mother had a food stand and owned a grocery store where she created the chile pastes for which Thai cuisine is known.
While her only son loved cooking, he decided to travel to America 18 years ago to attend Duquesne University, where he achieved his MBA and a master's degree in information science and became an information technology consultant. Everything was going well until 2001, when the "IT bubble" burst, says his wife.
"We were at a crossroads -- Nor had changed jobs three times in one year," she says. "He had accepted a job in Philadelphia but didn't want to leave Pittsburgh. That's when we took over Bangkok Balcony."
Getting into the restaurant business was a good move for them, as well as for discriminating diners looking for a traditional Thai culinary experience. While Chef Nor, as he's called, never went to culinary school, he had kept the skills his mother and aunt taught him as a child, and found that he enjoyed being in the kitchen.
After taking over Bangkok Balcony, he returned to Thailand for additional training, and the restaurant received many awards from local publications shortly thereafter.
"I've learned to enjoy the restaurant business, but it's a lot of work," he says with a laugh. "I tell my chefs to cook with your heart and soul. That's how I approach cooking. It's my passion, and it's a good outlet."
Thai Select Thai Cuisine
The designation is awarded by the Ministry of Commerce in Thailand. Qualifications include:
• Thai or international restaurants serving Thai dishes not less than 60 percent of entire menu.
• In operation 6 months or more.
• Chefs may be Thai or other nationalities with more than 2 years of Thai cooking experience, or having Thai Cuisine Training certificate
• Thai Trade Center or Thai government representatives must test applicant's food without prior appointment.
Tilapia Kee Maow with Crispy Basil
Chef Norraset Nareedokmai is sharing his popular Tilapia Kee Maow with Crispy Basil dish. He says cooks can substitute another white fish, such as sole or roughy, for the tilapia. Or, they can use chicken.
Many of the ingredients are exotic, but all can be found at Wing Fat Hong grocer in the Strip District.
This is a typical Thai dish that's quick, simple and spicy, and goes well with a light-bodied white wine.
- 1 (7-ounce) tilapia filet
- 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tablespoon to thicken sauce
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying tilapia and basil, plus 1 tablespoon for stir-frying
- 5 to 10 green chiles, depending on spiciness desired, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon pickled and shredded rhizome
- 1 whole stem green peppercorn, cut in half and divided
- 1/2 carrot, peeled and diced
- 10 fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 sweet yellow bell pepper, julienned
- 1/3 cup water, plus 1 tablespoon to thicken sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 20 sweet basil leaves
- 2 kafir lime leaves
- Steamed rice, for serving
Rinse the tilapia, pat dry and cut into 6 pieces . Dredge in the cornstarch and set aside. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat in the skillet and then add the fish pieces. When the fish hits the oil, turn the heat up to high, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Remove from the oil and set aside. Reserve the oil for frying the basil.
Mix the chopped chiles and minced garlic together. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add the chile-garlic mixture. Cook until golden, for less than 2 minutes, and then add the rhizome and green peppercorn.
Stir-fry for approximately 15 seconds, and then add the rest of the vegetables and 1/3 cup water.
Stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes and then add the sauces and sugar.
While the vegetables are cooking, reheat the reserved fish oil and, when hot, put the basil leaves in and fry until you don't hear the sizzling sound anymore, for 15 to 20 seconds. Remove from oil and set aside.
Add the kafir leaves to the vegetables.
Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water to make a paste and add to the sauce to thicken.
Place the tilapia pieces on a plate and pour the vegetables and sauce over them. Garnish with the crispy basil leaves, and serve with hot steamed rice.
Makes 1 serving.
Additional Information:
Silk Elephant Thai Tapas and Wine Bar
Cuisine: Authentic Thai
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Entree price range: $12.95-$20.95
Notes: Major credit cards accepted. Handicapped accessible. Full bar. Reservations accepted, but not required.
Address: 1712 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill
Details: 412-421-8801 or www.silkelephant.net
