One of a Thai to be on TV
Food-truck owner to compete on Chopped Canada
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Friday, August 26, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
One of Yellowknife's own food trucks is rolling onto national TV.
Sousanh Chanthalangsy, left, and Thip Chanthalangsy stand outside their food truck, One of a Thai, on Wednesday. The mobile restaurant owner and operator is being featured in an October episode of Chopped Canada on the Food Network. - Beth Brown/NNSL photo |
Chef Sousanh Chanthalangsy and her restaurant-on-wheels, One of Thai, are being featured in an October food truck episode of the competitive culinary show Chopped Canada. Contestants for the season were announced on Aug. 22.
The 34-year-old says participating in the series was one of the best experiences she has ever had.
"Being on the show is a real opportunity to represent Yellowknife and to get my name, and One of a Thai food truck, out there," says Chanthalangsy.
"And to actually be on the Food Network, that's huge."
As for her business, she says it all started in the kitchen of the Yellowknife Curling Club, back in February 2011. By March she had purchased a trailer, with one grill and a burner, which she used to sell curry and sprout-rich dishes for the next five years.
The young chef got her first real food truck - a shiny red vehicle decorated with ornate yellow designs - around the same time she was applying to be on Chopped Canada.
Parked outside the Greenstone Building downtown on Wednesday, Chanthalangsy was busy preparing chicken skewers and marinating lemongrass wings. Her most popular combo is the pad Thai, with a coconut curry chicken skewer and a choice between pork or shrimp spring rolls.
Her dishes have always been made from scratch, and they have always been Thai.
"It will always be Thai," says Chanthalangsy. "I will never change it ... All the recipes are either my mom's or my own. All my cooking skills are from my mom."
Her mother, Thip Chanthalangsy, helps run the business. The two collaborate on preparation of their daily dishes. She says her mom's meals usually have a little more spice.
When the cooking gets tough, she says the curbside view from her truck's counter window of customers enjoying their meals makes it all worthwhile.
"What I love about cooking is seeing the smile on peoples faces when they eat," says Chanthalangsy. "It makes cooking fun."
