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Thai food has always been in the international spotlight and once again, we have a representative who’s on a mission to showcase her talent in front of the stars of Manchester City.
As a maestro who’s recently been handed the golden ticket to showcase her passion to the Man City stars by Australia’s leading winemaker, Wolf Blass, Chef Phattanant Thongthong (aka Chef May) is ready to prove why she’s worth it. This Thailand-based chef is all about promoting her signature dishes around the world, and the Premier League’s back-to-back champion Manchester City is about to experience it first-hand.
The seed of passion was planted years ago
Chef May has been exposed to a kitchen scene since the age of 10, as she helped out at her father’s restaurant whenever she was free. She took it upon herself to inspect all the dishes leaving the kitchen to ensure that guests received the best restaurant experience. Her time in the kitchen ignited her interest and passion for cooking and she decided to take over her father’s responsibilities of running the business. Determined to be her family’s head chef, she picked up the mantle (or more accurately, the knife, spatula, pan and every other utensil she could find in the kitchen) and never looked back since — because it brings joy to see family, friends and customers appreciate her cooking.
A bridge connecting East and West
What exactly is Chef May bringing to the table of worldly cuisine — besides her valiant effort and passion? As a proud chef who has never been schooled in any prestigious cooking academies, this self-taught wonder cooked her way onto several notable TV shows.
Of all the things she is proud of, including her ability to replicate KFC’s mashed potato and gravy at a tender age of 10, Chef May is also eager to demonstrate her current approach to cooking: a blend of Thai and western recipes.
In an interview with Chef May-Phattanant Thongthong, she opened up about her cooking style, “Western cuisine could use a few elements from the Thai and Asian kitchens to balance the flavors. Each bite, let alone, each dish, should deliver a full force of flavor and its key ingredients — the same way Thai food does.”
Chef May has been experimenting with the dish that she will be preparing at the private showcase with Manchester City – a northern Thai-style beef tartare with avocado cream. Imagine that zesty, herbal, and mildly spicy flavor seeping into small juicy rare beef cubes, we can definitely hear our stomach growling.
Did someone say Manchester?
Australia’s leading award-winning winery searched all over South East Asia for someone to share their passion with the Man City stars, and with a unique mix of talent and passion, Chef May was the perfect choice.
She is now packing up her kitchen tools to meet the stars of Manchester City Football Club on their turf, at the Etihad Stadium. But what excitement awaits, we’ll find out very soon on Coconuts Instagram.
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