7 minute read
Spice it Up
From Factory Worker to Michelin Star Recipient
We are very honoured in this issue of the magazine to feature the Boo Raan Restaurant in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, serving traditional Thai food, they were awarded their first Michelin Star in January.
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In January a small Thai restaurant in Knokke-Heist received a Michelin Star, the first and only Thai restaurant in Belgium and Luxembourg to do so. In their review the Michelin inspectors said: ‘Boo Raan is the best Thai restaurant in Benelux’.
The Boo Raan Restaurant doesn’t have the appearance of a typical Thai restaurant found in most European countries. Not an elephant or lantern in sight, it has a very contemporary feel from the tableware to the interior. This was one of chef Dokkoon Kapueak or Koon’s stipulations when she and business partner Patrick de Langhe started the restaurant in November 2016.
Their story began eight years ago when Patrick asked Koon for a Thai restaurant recommendation. She was working at her Aunt’s Thai massage salon at the time and told him she only ate the Thai food she herself prepared. Intrigued Patrick asked if she would prepare a traditional Thai meal for him and some visiting friends from America. He was impressed with her cooking and challenged her to provide the food for an event he was organising.
“As an event organiser, I wanted to offer something different from the usual buffet or classic French cuisine,” Patrick says. “Koon delivered and that was when we began discussing the idea of a restaurant. I felt it wasn’t fair not to share her food with other people!”
Koon hails from Isaan, in the north east of Thailand. Her parents were construction workers and she learned to cook living with relatives, while her parents worked.
“I come from a very poor family, we had very little, I finished elementary school and went to Bangkok to work in a factory. My aunt suggested I take massage courses which is what enabled me to get a visa to work for her in Belgium. I had taken some cooking classes in Thailand, but I don’t consider myself a chef, I was never trained properly, but Patrick believed in me, so we started to work on the restaurant project together.”
The first step they took was to check out the competition. They visited at least 20 Thai restaurants in Belgium, to find out how they worked, and every time Patrick came away thinking: Koon cooks better than they do and we will organise our restaurant better. For Boo Raan’s co-owners making money was not the objective, they were driven by a passion to create somewhere people wanted to eat, with a nice atmosphere, smiling people and great food.
The name they decided on, Boo Raan, means Following the Tradition. This they do not only with the food, refusing to tone down the spiciness or adapting to European tastes, but also with the way people eat their food.
“In Thailand they eat with a fork and spoon,” Patrick explains. “So you won’t find chopsticks or knives on our tables. Thais share their food, the dishes are put in the middle of the table for people to share, which is very different from the traditional way Belgians eat.”
They explain these traditions to all new customers arriving at the restaurant. “It’s the event manager in me,” says Patrick smiling, “I want to make each visit to the restaurant an event for people.”
Another tradition they have at the restaurant is no telephone. It is important to Patrick and Koon that all attention is on the customers and not diluted by answering calls. Bookings are taken remotely, with the staff receiving notification of them or any changes by an online booking system.
“it may be a small thing, but for us, it is all part of the service we give our customers,” says Koon.
Working in the open restaurant is an all-female team of four, all of which were Isaan born, although they met in Belgium. Koon is the only chef. With two sittings each night they are open – Wednesday to Sunday - they are able to serve up to 80 people.
On the night of the Michelin Star awards announcement, Koon and her team were working in the restaurant. As with many events this past year, the Michelin Star awards were held virtually. Busy in the kitchen, they had the television on in the background and were only paying it limited attention. so when Koon heard the name of Boo Raan mentioned it didn’t sink in at first.
“It was such a shock,” she grins at the memory. “I only listen to the announcements to keep updated. I was really not prepared for it. I always thought to receive a Michelin Star, the presentation of the food played such a large part. There is no amazing presentation with our food, it is actually very basic it has always been about the taste.”
In their guide, Michelin has this to say about the restaurant: “Boo Raan is the best Thai restaurant in Benelux. The buzzy vibe of this exotic establishment immediately incites you to take a seat as you drool over the menu. Dokkoon Kapueak prepares authentic dishes in the open kitchen to order. A festival of fresh ingredients, spices, unctuosity and manifold flavours explain why Boo Raan is such a benchmark locally and nationally.”
However, sticking to the traditional Thai recipes has its challenges. Although there are many Thai shops in Belgium, it is still necessary to import some of the items from Asia and a large part of their budget goes on sourcing the correct ingredients. With COVID-19 this has proved even more challenging with fewer flights and doubling prices. The pandemic has proved a testing time for all, fortunately Boo Raan has been able to continue serving food through a take-away service.
“We are very lucky, our kitchen is set up in such a way we have been able to adapt and continue cooking, “ explains Patrick. “Our food is simple, we are not reliant on lots of fancy sauces and decoration, so we have been able to stay open for take-aways.”
Having come from such modest beginnings, Koon is determined to help young people in her native country. Two years ago they started to support the Baan Som Rong school in the part of Thailand Koon is from. They put aside part of the restaurant budget each year and they ask their customers to pay an extra Euro when they want to take their leftover food home from the restaurant, to go to the school. Koon visited the school to discuss what was needed and then presented them with the items.
“I wanted to give back, I had nothing and I understand what it is like to have to go to school in slippers,” says Koon. “We have bought them desks as the children were sitting on the floor, as well as books and sports equipment. They are so grateful for every little bit of help. I find
it very emotional, but also very fulfilling to be able to do this. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been possible for me to visit again due to the pandemic, but we continue to support them.”
Despite her success and the Michelin Star, Koon remains very humble. As a young women entrepreneur and an immigrant to Belgium, we asked her what her message would be to other women. The answer is a simple one – Never forget where you came from and be grateful every day for the little things. Never give up, learn every day and when you are given a chance, take it and make the best of it.
“I am lucky to have met Patrick, he is my mentor, my brother, my family. The vision for Boo Raan came from him and together we have made it work.”
Will there be more restaurants?
Koon laughs, “We have this discussion every year. Patrick would like to, but I tell him: you only have one Koon, if you have more of me, it might be possible, but I am only one person.”
Patrick concludes by saying: “It’s not just about knowing how to cook, it’s about having the right people, the right team. Restaurant hours are long and it’s hard work. Having a good life/work balance is very important.”
So what is next for Boo Raan and its inspiration owners?
The changes they make will be small. They plan to have their own garden so they can grow their own ingredients and would like to make their own coconut milk. Their aim is to continue to provide great food in a relaxed environment. They feel receiving the Michelin Star is the highest appreciation and to have achieved one is above anything they expected.
The Boo Raan restaurant is located in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, a seaside resort along the North Sea.
Boo Raan Restaurant
Photo credits for all photographs: Louise De Langhe
