Tinawat "Gai" Klaimongkol is chef at Bangkok Alley Thai Sushi Lounge at 121 Union.Michael DonahueThe Commercial Appeal
Title: Chef, Bangkok Alley Thai Sushi Lounge, 121 Union
Age: 42
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
Tinawat "Gai" Klaimongkol is chef at Bangkok Alley Thai Sushi Lounge at 121 Union.Michael DonahueThe Commercial Appeal
Who or what was your first cooking influence? My dad. ...When he cooks, he cooks a lot, so he needs the helper. So I volunteered to be in the kitchen with him. First thing, I don't like it that much 'cause you put your hand on slimy chicken, raw meat and stuff like that. He did say to me, "If you're afraid to touch 'dirty' things, don't be in the kitchen."
What was the first thing you ever cooked or baked? Fried egg.
What was your first food-related job? Winterplace Ski Resort in Flat Top, W.Va.
What made you decide to become a chef, and when was that?I got a a job at the Holiday Inn. When I started ... I see more than what I did at the Winterplace. I did more than flipping burgers and throwing a frozen pizza in the oven. Now I have to cook real food.
What was something important that a fellow chef taught you? How to work with other people. They're all different.
What is the Gai Klaimongkol style? Thai home cooking ... with a twist.
Describe a dish you created. My wife bought the pork tenderloin. ... I cut up the tenderloin to small pieces, then I got the Asian pear. ... I got some celery ... and the prune. I stir fried them together. It's good.
What do you cook or bake at home, if anything? I just open up the freezer and see what's in there.
What's your least favorite ingredient? I can eat everything.
Bangkok Alley Thai Sushi Lounge is at 121 Union; 522-2010.
Contact Michael Donahue at 529-2797 or e-mail donahue@commercialappeal.com
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