Mainely Isaan, a Northern Thai Food Popup returns to Lambs! Here 5pm - sold out.
Menu:
SATAY NIGHT
Chicken Satay (pronounced “s-stay”) served with Nam Jeem Satay (peanut sauce) and Ajard (pickled vegetables)
About the folks behind the popup:
“Apple was born and raised in Udon Thani, a province in the ethnically Lao part of Thailand called Isaan. She grew up in a family that appreciated the value of good food, and for whom the preparation and sharing of food was at the very least as important as the eating. No excuse was ever needed to make some food. Apple moved to Chiang Mai to work and attend university, and in 2004 while she was living there she met PJ, who was new to the country.
Happily, they both felt the same way about food, and they spent the next couple of years mostly cooking and eating and being in love. Eventually, they got married and decided to move to PJ’s home state of Texas. They were living on the coast, so of course PJ started pedaling fish from boats to restaurants, and thus seafood entered their lives forever.
Even in Houston, Apple couldn’t always find the food she wanted to eat, so she set her mind to remembering, perfecting and even improving upon all she had learned and eaten growing up.
Because he had worked in some kitchens in the past, PJ dedicated himself to being Apple’s assistant in her endeavor. They started sharing their food with friends, and eventually were asked by a hospitality group to run a restaurant in Houston. Due to some legendary and spectacular shenanigans by the group’s owners, everything folded in less than a couple of years- yet despite this, the restaurant earned national praise for its bold menu and product sourcing.
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic (and in the middle of winter!), we relocated from Houston to Portland to pursue opportunities here. We have since fallen in love with our newly adopted home town and want to share our food with you.
We hope to be here at Lamb’s on a semi-regular basis, offering the kind of food Apple grew up on. This means mostly Isaan food, though with some common favorites and specialties from other regions. Of course, because seafood is so important to us, we’ll also have from time to time some special menus featuring only locally harvested seafood. Finally, everything we offer pairs wonderfully with the beer, wine, and spirits available from our friends at Lamb’s, and we encourage you to follow their recommendations!
Our instagram is @Khaolaeng - follow to keep up with events and announcements!
Satay is definitely not an Isaan or even Thai dish, but instead originally from Malaysia.
However, over the years, it has become ubiquitous in Thailand (kind of like pizza in the US). In Chiang Mai, for example, one cannot (or at any rate should not) eat Khao Soi (which is an iconic northern dish) when ordering a side of satay.”