Sa Bai Dee! - Chef Seng

SA-BAI-DEE means HELLO! Welcome to my blog, I am Chef Seng, head chef, and owner of Bangkok Golden. Obviously it’s a Thai restaurant, but don’t let the name fool you, it’s popular for it’s Laotian cuisine. The reason why I wanted to have my own blog is to share my passion of cooking food from my native country of Laos. I am hoping to share the straightforward flavors of the well kept secret cuisine of Laos.

I’ve been blessed to have my husband and my sons, who for the past 4 years strongly support and believe in me. Cooking had been my life ever since I was 7 years old. Being around with my grandma who raised 12 children was very inspiring. She would get up at 4 or 5 every morning and steam sticky rice for her children and grandchildren. After school everyday, I would help her cook dinner for everyone before doing my homework. One night, before heading to bed, she called me to come help her scoop sticky rice grains into a large bowl, had me sit on a wooden chair in a lady like position, and pour water in the large bowl of sticky rice grains. Then I rinsed it out 3 times, added water and let it soak over night. Early in the morning she woke me up and teach me how to steam it the proper way. Since then I have been cooking and every moment I am in the kitchen always brings me happiness.

March 1, 2010 was when my dream came true. I wanted to open up my own restaurant and share my love of cooking for so many years. On my first day in the kitchen, I knew in my heart what I wanted to do, share my native cuisine of Laos. What excited me the most is a non Lao person and his friend walked in and his first words to my server was, “We are here for Lao food and we want it as the way the chef would eat it.” A month later the gentleman called and said he wanted to talk to the chef. My heart was beating when he mentioned his name Tom Sietsema, and in November of 2010, my goal and dream had been accomplished, being a chef of my own restaurant and teaching people Lao food.

I am hoping my blog will spread knowledge of our flavors, as I share with you my greatest passion, representing the cuisine of Laos and creating the Lao Food Movement in our Nations Capital of Washington DC.

3 thoughts on “Sa Bai Dee!”

Hi Chef! I just wanted to write that I am so very happy and proud of you. I still remember our conversation in your kitchen and we talked about your greatest passion and the dream of one day having a kitchen 10 times the size of the one we were sitting next to in your home. Dreams do come true and you continue to inspire me. Congratulations my friend and sister. Wishing you all the success you surely deserve. Sending love to your boys and Ai Boun.

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