I remember watching my mother make sticky rice every morning. She’d be up long before the sun. The roosters crowing along to the sound of lukewarm water running through every hand full of starchy grain.
Washing, rinsing, and repeating as the cloudy water floated away.
Hot steam rises out of the traditional bamboo basket that Christy uses to make sticky rice for an event in San Diego. Sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice, is staple for many people in South East Asia.
Soaking, sitting, steaming.
She’d do this day in, day out. Never skipping a beat, never missing a meal.
Piping hot pillowy balls of goodness. Perfectly salted, perfectly sweet. I never realized how much I craved for something so simple. As I grew older, the annoyance of my mother’s 5am cooking call was a missed memory. I longed for the aroma of freshly steamed rice. Searched the blankets for the warm bamboo baskets she kept it in. Hiding it from my siblings and I, until it was cool enough for consumption.
Once considered a rice for poor people from the countryside, sticky rice now enjoys international acclaim thanks to dishes like mango and sticky rice.
In Thailand’s countryside, Christy examines a photo of her grandparents, who lived in Laos.
The history of this dish originates from my mothers homeland, Laos. Although you can find it in nearly every Thai market, it is one of those Issan dishes that most Lao people eat daily. Oftentimes, multiple times a day. Sticky rice is a long, white fragrant grain almost only discernible by it’s thickness, compared to traditional jasmine rice. You may find it in San Diego’s asian markets labeled ‘sweet rice’ or ‘glutinous rice’. We use it as the vessel to carry other dishes like stews, dipping sauces known as jeow, or to accompany your favorite meat. Unlike Thailand, Laotians eat almost solely with their hands. Sticky rice balls are our utensils, and you scoop your food with the rice, sharing each meal family style.
Historically Lao people ate sticky rice because it sustained them for long days on the farm. Many of them harvesting their own fields of rice as the wet lowlands provided the perfect burial ground for the coveted glutinous rice seeds. My family still harvests rice in their fields in Northern Thailand. As the days begin and end, they always include a warm Thip Khao (a traditional woven bamboo basket) full of the sticky goodness that is affectionately known as khao niew. These are the moments I now long for as an adult; family meals and shared laughter. Learning the history of how we came to be, honoring the land and our ancestors.
Ever wondered why they call it ‘sticky’ rice? This CK student has a clue!
“A single grain of rice can tip the scale. One man may be the difference between victory and defeat.”
– The Emperor in Disney’s Mulan
Take Christy’s cooking class in San Diego, or have an opportunity to taste her food when she cooks at pop up events.
Christy’s Top 5 Tips on How to Make Sticky Rice at Home
Buy the correct rice. Many people don’t know that sticky rice is a species of rice, often referred to as glutinous rice.
If you plan to make it often, consider investing in the bamboo basket to make it the traditional way. Other clever ways include making it in a pressure cooker with options for different types of rice grains.
Don’t wait until you’re hungry to make sticky rice. The process is long. Prepare ahead, washing and soaking your rice the night before you plan to cook it.
A little plastic wrap on the spoon or bowl used for scooping and molding the rice keeps the rice from sticking to it!
Sticky rice is both a dinner staple and a dinner utensil. When the food is ready, this isn’t the time to be posh! Instead use your hands to ball up the sticky rice and dip it into the food you’re eating.
A special invite has our US based team hanging out in the Bay area recently, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share how we brought Courageous Kitchen vibes to employees at Airbnb headquarters!
Courageous Kitchen larb and papaya salad stations in the kitchen at Airbnb Headquarters.
One of the most important ways we raise funds is by hosting tourists for food related experiences in Bangkok and San Diego. Much of this entrepreneurial arm of our charity is possible because of programs like Airbnb Experiences, where Courageous Kitchen is featured as a Social Impact activity. The designation refers to recognized charities who host on the platform to bolster their causes, and has all commission fees waived by Airbnb. Not only is Courageous Kitchen one of only 400 such experiences worldwide, we are the first and only social impact experience in Bangkok.
We’re proud to be working with Airbnb, and most recently Christy was invited to teach a Thai food workshop at their renowned headquarters in San Francisco’s hip SoMa district. Along with longtime volunteer, Beatriz, they taught members of the Airbnb Experiences team how to make traditional Thai iced tea, papaya salad (aka somtam), and a Lao style minced meat salad full of herbs and chilies (aka larb). If you’re unfamiliar with these dishes, lovers of Thai food can tell you that along with some sticky rice, they quickly become one of the most sought after meals you can get in Thailand.
Christy greeting Airbnb employees with a traditional “wai.” A polite Thai gesture when you meet or part from one another.
To start off their class, Beatriz showed the group of nearly 30 guests how to make their own Thai tea. She then shared her story of how she became involved with Courageous Kitchen, stemming mostly from her own familial ties to refugees. Her grandparents were spies for the United States Army, and fled Indonesia sometime in the 1950s to avoid being caught by the local government. Next, Christy demonstrated two of her favorite Thai and Lao salads which are staples in her Laotian household. Christy’s background not only provides the cultural context to work with our students, but her own story resonates with theirs deeply. Her parents, who escaped Laos in the early 1980’s lived and worked in a refugee camp in Thailand before resettling to the US where she was born.
The narratives of the people behind the food, are just as important as the food we serve, in helping others understand our mission and vision. By sharing our personal stories with our guests, we realize just how much our own paths are connected with those of our Courageous Kitchen families as well. As Social Impact hosts on Airbnb, we want the customers in our cooking classes and street food tours to understand where their dollars are being spent, and be able to walk away with both satisfied bellies and hearts, knowing they helped a noble cause.
In our short time taking over the jumbo kitchen in Airbnb Headquarters, we attempted to give employees who visited, a mini taste of what we offer each and every guest. That’s a quick serving of friendship paired with cold drinks, spicy bites, and a bold brand of courage that leads us to fight for the most marginalized.
Stephanie, Beatriz, and Christy pose with some of the Airbnb staff
Our team is grateful for the continued support from Airbnb and the entire Experiences community. We’ve met and partnered with some amazing entrepreneurs in California and hope to forge more friendships with likeminded organizations in the future.
We look forward to sharing our story in a kitchen near you!
Special Thanks and hugs to Stephanie H. of Airbnb, for the invite and support every step of the way!
We recently invited our fans and supporters to send in questions for Chef Seng Luangrath of restaurants Thip Khao DC and Padaek. Courageous Kitchen’s own Christy Innouvong, our Thai-Laotian team member, sat down for an intimate conversation about food, family, and her transition from early life in a Thai refugee camp to first settling in the United States.
Chef Seng’s food journey is unconventional, unpretentious, and almost unknown to most of her fanbase until quite recently. In 2008, she left a finance job she was unhappy with, and began pouring her heart and soul into what really brought her joy: cooking. Seng had catered small events, and cooked for her husband’s clients and colleagues for years, but never really dreamed of turning it into a business. She began researching as much about food, specifically Laotian food, as she could. She’d spend hours at the supermarkets, scouring the shelves, reading labels, buying mysterious products, and essentially began conducting what she refers to as her ‘two years of research’ before even considering opening the doors to her own space. Then, by happenstance, the owner of a local Thai restaurant approached Seng saying, Take over my restaurant!
The struggle that I’ve been through has given me the strength to get to where I am now.
With virtually no experience in the food industry, and no experience running a restaurant, Seng Luangrath was now the owner of her very own restaurant. Posing as a Thai restaurant with a secret Lao menu, diners became curious as to what the staff were eating at the back tables and began asking for those very same dishes. They were instantly hooked and came back often. New customers would come searching for off-menu items and within the first year Bangkok Golden started turning a profit. While the unexpected success Seng was more than she’d hoped, several of her diners were demanding a secondary venue to find their favorite Lao dishes. Not long after, she became the very first Lao restaurant in Washington D.C., giving her a launch pad for an exclusively and unapologetically Lao menu.
Thip Khao quickly became the catalyst for broadening the American palette for modern Lao cuisine. To be clear, nowadays Chef Seng is regarded as one of the most sought after Chefs in the culinary world, and is also known as the Queen of the Lao Food Movement. Having received national acclaim for both of her restaurants with the Michelin Guide and two James Beard Nominations, she is now sharing her story through her food, passing along the lessons she’s learned along the way.
We’re fans and confident reading Chef Seng’s interview will leave you just as inspired!
Read below for the full Q+A with Chef Seng:
Name: Seng Luangrath Birthplace: Vientiane, Laos Favorite Chef: Julia Child Favorite Dish of the Moment: Moo Som (fermented pork with herbs) Favorite Ingredient: Padaek (a pungent Laotian fermented fish sauce) Favorite Non-Lao Cuisine: Chinese Definition of Courage: Bravery despite discouragement Biggest Supporter: Boun, her husband
Sabaidee Chef! Can you introduce yourself and tell me about your background?
I was born in Laos and came to the US in 1983 when I was 14. My family lived in (Nakhon Phanom, Thailand) refugee camp for two years, because we were trying to escape from the war. We eventually resettled in San Francisco. I now live in Washington D.C. with my husband and my two sons. (Read more about Chef Seng’s journey to the US here.)
I want to share my culture through food. I’ve always been happy in the kitchen and love to serve people. I want to see people enjoying my food, it can change their life, you know laap*? Once you do, it will change your life!
* laap is a minced meat salad with herbs
When did you shift from being someone who just cooked Lao food, to a two-time James Beard nominee and ambassador for Lao cuisine?
I feel very proud at this time in my life in my career, to share Lao culture through food. It’s one of the proudest moments of my life. It makes me so happy. It has been a busy 8 years and I think to myself, how did I get here? I’ll be driving and just thinking in my head like, “Wow, how did I get here?” And you know, it’s not about me. It’s about the culture. We came from such a small country, but recently I thank God that I’ve connected to so many people from all over the country and I’m so proud to be part of this culinary journey. It’s surreal.
I didn’t start cooking professionally until I was 40…
The struggle that I’ve been through has given me the strength to get to where I am now. If I hadn’t lived in a refugee camp and been raised as a refugee in America, and gone through those hardships I probably wouldn’t have found the strength. I’m learning everyday, growing everyday. It’s motivating. I think back to what I’ve been through in my life, what my parents have been through. Sometimes we feel down about our situation, but it forces me to push myself to be better. At one point in my life, I hit rock bottom. But once you hit that point, you know I had to pull myself back up. It’s never too late. I didn’t start cooking professionally until I was 40 and here I am with two restaurants.
Family
What was the ‘spark’ or the shift for you?
There’s always room for us to get back up again. I told myself “I’m still alive, I’m still healthy, I should just get back up and move on with my life.” I just said, “come on, do it.”
My husband is one of my biggest motivators, I was sad, feeling very disappointed when I went into work everyday and he noticed it. I told him I wasn’t happy and I didn’t want to sit in the office and do paperwork. I’m in this job that I have to force myself to do. He said, “You know what? I think you need to figure out what you want to do.” and he gave me a break for two years. Thank God for Google! I did a lot of Googling recipes and testing things out. I would go to supermarkets and walk through each aisle finding new items. I would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning trying out all the new recipes. At one point my husband said, “You need a bed in the kitchen!” Then he came home one day and said, “People have been talking about your food and I think you really need to think about doing something with it.”
Clients told him, “Gosh, I think your wife is in the wrong business, you need to go home and tell her she should cook.” My husband, Boun said, “When I told you this, it showed on your face, you lit up.”
I started catering, but later I realized I wanted to cater to everyone, not just Lao people. After two years, I was lucky to find an existing Thai restaurant, Bangkok Golden in Falls Church, Virginia. I don’t remember feeling scared, I remember this was the moment I’d been waiting for. I’m gonna take this rollercoaster and ride on it. But I had actually run out of my money. The owner was so kind she’d heard about my cooking and my story. She saw in my face that I believed in it and said, don’t worry about the money, pay me back later, and I did. I took over and just sat in the restaurant for the first month. I had no experience in a commercial kitchen, no idea about the restaurant business.
How long did it take to become profitable?
I was so lucky, it just happened. I was lucky that I didn’t struggle financially at the restaurant so I didn’t have to worry about paying the rent or covering supplies. We had enough to get by. People kept coming and heard about it and we stayed open. All I knew was that I was capable of cooking, and I trusted my food. I told myself, ‘you can do it.’ The only way I could survive 9 years ago was taking over something existing though; taking over a Thai restaurant because people didn’t know me or Lao food.
Life put me in this spot for a reason.
Everyone in my family has been a big support, but early on they kind of questioned me. Like, ‘Why do you want to be in a job where you work crazy hours, with no time off?’ A family friend asked me what I’m doing with my life and kind of shook me and said “do you know you’re not going to see anything else for the rest of your life except this restaurant?” and for me that was just more motivation! I didn’t feel upset with her, that was motivating for me. That’s the question that I needed to push me to work harder.
I didn’t have much money to be honest. I don’t even know how I did it, but it happened for a reason. Life put me in this spot for a reason.
Speaking of family, your son Bobby is also a chef, can you tell me a little bit about your work relationship?
He’s actually taking over my position at Thip Khao. He has experience in fine dining and worked in high profile kitchens so our styles are very different. We bump heads sometimes, but we have one rule: we don’t talk about work when we’re out of the restaurant. The first six months we fought a lot, and we still fight in the kitchen sometimes but that’s normal. In the beginning it was hard, Bobby came from another restaurant to be with me, I think the transition from fine dining to a homestyle kitchen was difficult. Lao people we don’t have recipes you know, I just eyeball recipes and I go by taste. Bobby’s more technical. I’m so proud of him though, he’s grown up so much.
Inspiration
Can you tell me what courage means to you?
What courage means to me? That’s a tough question.
Courage means strength, inspiration. To me it means to be brave, follow my gut feeling, facing my fear despite any discouragement from my friends and family.
Be patient with yourself and never give up. It will take time.
Our Courageous Kitchen students are also mostly refugee youth whose families have fled traumatic persecution in their home country. What advice would you give them on overcoming hardships?
Keep calm, stay true to yourself and your passions. Be patient with yourself and never give up. It will take time. If you have a passion in cooking, just hang in there. It’s hard. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. It’s not easy to be in the kitchen, to be on your feet, and work with your hands all day. It’s nonstop working. For me it helps a lot to keep myself calm when I work. I don’t talk much in the kitchen, I save my energy, and don’t use my voice a lot. Only outside of the kitchen! (laughs)
Don’t listen to the negativity of others, just listen to your heart. Be honest, stay true to yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else. Hopefully my story will inspire other young women, and young refugees will be encouraged. It’s for anyone. This can show them that anyone can do it. Anything is possible.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years and how will you continue to share your culture?
Sharing my story and traveling the world. I want to tell others to follow your hopes and dreams. Don’t open a restaurant just for marketing. It’s not easy. My goal is to see more Lao restaurants all over America. I want to promote Lao food and do some mentoring.
I’ve also been traveling all over cooking, and meeting other Lao chefs and foodies, so I want to continue to do that. For the future I want to do more consulting, training, and mentoring younger chefs. Bobby will take over at Thip Khao so I’ll have more time to travel and teach. I have people reaching out to me and wanting to go back to their roots. My goal is to give those young chefs my attention. To invite them to Thip Khao, to spend time with them.
Now I just got back from Iceland. It’s so crazy, I never thought I would ever go to Iceland and cook there, it’s just so different. They weren’t expecting to have something as exotic as Lao food and it was one of the craziest adventures I’ve ever had. It was hard to find ingredients in such a cold climate, I was nervous about it. We both use funky fish though! You know, we have padaek (fermented fish sauce) and they have fermented shark. You could see it on their face like, “Wow, what is this?” It was an experience I will never forget.
Would you have a Lao culinary training program?
Yes, I’d love to. They can come here or I can come to them and train. I do recipe consulting, help restaurants with their menus, travel to their locations and test the markets for them. I try to let them know that my experience in DC is different than in their towns. My city is much easier to do the fermented and non-watered down food, but other cities you may have to tone it down. Share our culture, but make it friendly. You might need to cut down on the crab paste in papaya salad. Ease them into it!
FOOD
What have been some highlight moments for Thip Khao and Padaek?
Being the first Lao restaurant to be awardeda Michelin Bib Gourmand is the highlight of my career, and being nominated twice for a James Beard blew my mind — I never thought in my cooking career I’d be nominated. Getting locally recognized was already a top highlight of my career, but to be recognized on a national level is even more amazing. Then last year, when I saw my name nominated again next to Padaek, oh my God, I was shocked, it was surreal! Really? Padaek? That’s the home where we started, the foundation of my cooking. And also, the name Padaek, I was just like ‘wow.’
You know another highlight is opening Thip Khao in 2014. We have guests that are willing to try anything new. I have people who recognize me and want to talk to me. They tell me to never water down my food and stick to who I am. That’s amazing. I feel like this is the moment where the food is speaking its own language. Its telling our story of Lao people and of Laos.
You know being this tiny, petite Asian woman, Lao woman, and standing amongst some of the world’s top chefs is just so surreal to me. People are eating my food, I love it, I’m so happy! Lao food is for everyone, it’s for the community. I did not expect any awards, I just want to do what I love and do what makes me happy. Food makes me happy. I’m always happy in the kitchen. I like to serve people. I never thought about getting any awards. I just wanted to share my culture, that was my goal.
If you could only eat one Lao dish what would it be?
I could eat thum mak hoong (spicy papaya salad) everyday for the rest of my life! I never get sick of it. I always have the ingredients in my fridge for it. Papaya, padaek, crab paste — are always in my fridge!
How many chilis do you put in your thum mak hoong (Laotian papaya salad)?
(laughs) Before about 10-15 chilies (that was 8 years ago) now about 3-4 but maybe 5 maximum. But if I need some extra energy maybe 10, but I have to pause and walk around, it takes me like an hour to eat.
If others want to support Chef Seng, the Lao Food Movement and follow your delicious food journey, how can they do that?
Don’t be shy, don’t be afraid to reach out, I respond to all of my messages. I’m very open, and love to share my knowledge, my story. I’m very active on Instagram (@ChefSeng), send me a DM!
For all of our guests joining in on our Bangkok classes this coming April, we’re proud to announce a special menu!
Songkran is one of Thailand’s most famous holidays, especially for locals. When the heat of the Thai summer is in full swing, people come out to celebrate Thai New Year and the harvest season with great food, drink, and giant water fights! The holiday lasts for several days, so during this time people usually make the migration back to their hometowns in the provinces to be with family. If you’re visiting Bangkok, during this time we’d also like for you to get a taste of the Songkran celebration.
The Songkran in the Countryside menu is as follows:
Soothing Jungle Soup with Pumpkin and Mushroom
Papaya Salad Sans Papaya with Traditional Herbal Thai Whisky Tasting (optional)
Choice of Glazed Pork Neck or Banana Leaf Steamed Fish with Fresh ‘Jaew’ Dipping Sauce
Dok Jok Lotus Cookies and Ice Cream topped with Crispy Mung Beans
Fresh Fruit from the Local Market
The festival with origins in India aims to celebrate the harvest season and inaugurate the start of the rainy season. Traditionally this is an extremely important time for people around the country, especially in the rural Northeast. Issan, pronounced ‘e-san’, Thailand’s poorest region is often where people forsake village life to earn money living and working in Bangkok. The five course menu pays homage to the people of the Northeast, while giving you a chance to experience a taste of these special provincial dishes. This experience is especially recommended for people who may already be familiar with the typical Thai dishes you see repeated daily in the average cooking classes in Bangkok. That means if you want to go deeper than pad thai and green curry, this is the perfect time of year to try cooking some new dishes with us!
Read These FAQs to Be Prepared for Songkran
When is the 2018 Songkran Festival happening? Friday, April 13th – Monday, April 16th in most places. However, some cities may have their own dates.
Should I be prepared to get wet and splashed by strangers? Yes. When we visit the market in the morning, many of the market goers, people in the street, and even cars going by may be splashing water.
What items should I bring with me? We keep towels available, but you may want to bring along dry clothing if you’d like to change after visiting the market. We have a dry bag where you can safely keep your cell phone or other important small items. If you have a water gun, bring it! Most importantly bring a sense of adventure and your appetite and it should be a fun, festive, and wet time for everyone involved.
Is Songkran a safe holiday? Motor accidents, especially due to drunk driving make Songkran a dangerous holiday. You should avoid riding motorbikes, and wear your seatbelt when traveling. If joining large events happening in Bangkok, avoid taking valuables to prevent petty thefts and them getting ruined by water. We hope you come and enjoy Songkran without incident, but consider it our responsibility to inform of some dangers associated with the festival.
Should I book in advance? For the best experience, we do recommend booking in advance. Since we prefer to do small classes, the spaces can fill up quickly. If our morning 10am class is full, we may give you the option to come during our 2pm session. We will also be running our evening kids dinner and demo classes during this period.
Can I request a different menu? If you would like to cook more classic Thai dishes, hilltribe or other menu theme, please let us know in advance and we’ll try to adjust accordingly. Please message us with other special requests, but due to the amount of interest during this time of year, we may not be able to honor every request.
Just a quick message to all of our customers stateside. Because of the impact of the recent wildfires, we have been forced to reschedule this month’s classes. Our team is safe, but located in an area not far from where people have lost their homes and livelihoods.
Thank you for your patience as we’ve had to reschedule our cooking classes for the month. We will return to our regular schedule in the new year and pray you all a swift recovery.
Note: If you missed the announcement that we had launched our cooking classes in San Diego, we’d gladly welcome you to try our classes in 2018. You can even book the class on airbnb!
