Deservedly proud of his wife’s culinary skills, Mick passed around an article he had written about Noi and Doi Ka Noi for Lao Airlines’ inflight magazine. I barely had time to skim the story before we were off to our next destination but I took note of the headline: Cooking in the Slow Lane.
Luckily I grabbed Mick’s card making a mental note that the dishes we had consumed with such gusto would make an excellent food page for the Weekender.
I also took note of Mick’s stunning photography on the walls of the restaurant. The perfect match, I thought. Fabulous food and photos.
Illustrious companyIt was only later when I read the full article that I discovered we were in such illustrious company at the restaurant that day.
Noi is the first and currently only Lao member of the global ‘Slow Food’ movement.
“When I found out about Slow Food, I was excited,” says Noi in the magazine article.
“Here was an organisation that truly reflected my philosophy towards food and life.”
Last year, she was invited to attend Slow Food’s biennial event, Terra Madre del Gusto in Turin, Italy.
“Lao food is not well known outside our country. As the first Lao person to attend the event, I was extremely proud,” she says.
“This was an opportunity to present my food and culture to the world. I was also able to meet cooks, farmers and activists from around the globe, all with an interest in food traditions and the issues we face. I found the whole experience to be empowering.”
While at Terra Madre del Gusto, Noi met Carlo Petrini, the founder and president of Slow Food.
“Carlo is a food hero and an inspiration to thousands of people around the world,” she says.
Noi returned to Laos full of ideas for Doi Ka Noi which has quickly gained a reputation for its distinctive authentic Lao food and a menu that changes daily.
Recently, Timm Vladimir, the Danish celebrity chef, two-time MasterChef winner, cookbook author, TV host and passionate foodie, spent a day with Noi learning the secrets of Lao food.
“He discovered that all ingredients are bought fresh from the market each morning, soups and stocks are made the old-fashioned way without the need for MSG, and sausages are home-made,” says Noi.
Daily changing menu“Depending on the season, the daily changing menu of just seven or eight items can include ingredients dok krajeow wild ginger flowers, a tiny but flavourful mushroom called hed bee that grows on tamarind trees and is only available for a few weeks a year, pak koot foraged fiddlehead fern tops, and others used in dishes rarely found elsewhere.”
Mick says Noi is a passionate and intuitive chef, and Doi Ka Noi is much more than a commercial venture to her. It reflects her history and her outlook on life today.
“I learned to cook as a young girl at my late grandmother’s side. The recipes I use every day are tangible memories and a celebration of my love for her,” says Noi who grew up a rural subsistence farming community.
The food also reflects Noi’s determination “to stay true to Lao cuisine and protect it from becoming debased by fads for fusion, the influence of neighbouring Thailand, an influx of fast food and international restaurants, chefs using poor quality ingredients, liberal use of MSG and stock powders . . . and a young generation that has little interest in its own food”.
Noi is an absolute gem. So is Doi Ka Noi. Go there!
• Excerpts from Cooking in the Slow Lane: The World Catches Up To Laos, by Mick Shippen
• Justine Tyerman travelled to Laos with NZ boutique tour operator Innovative Travel www.innovativetravel.co.nz
and Singapore Airlines: www.singaporeair.com
