She opened her celebrated hidden gem café because she missed the taste of home and has spent six years building up a loyal customer base from all over Asia as well as closer to home.
Orawan Walton, known as Katie, of Thai Street Café, Southampton, talks spicy chicken soup, watercress and crispy pork belly in our meet the chef column.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
"A few years after I moved to England, I started missing Thai food so much. The Thai restaurants in the UK didn’t cook the dishes that we get in Thailand, so this inspired me to open a café and cook the street food we’d always eat in Thailand for Thai people who miss real Thai street food."
What was the first meal you cooked for someone else?
"My first memory of cooking was when I was six years old and I cooked spicy chicken soup for my poorly mother."
Tell us a bit about your career so far…?
"I opened the café in 2019. I created a unique menu and have over 30 dishes to choose from. All the dishes are inspired by the food I like to eat in Thailand. I have now been open for over six years and have a good mix of customers from the UK, Europe and Asia."
What is your proudest career moment to date?
"My proudest moment is always when the customers come and tell me how good the food is and when they leave amazing feedback."
What is your signature dish?
"I have a range of signature dishes which are: Slow cooked beef noodle, Pad Si-ew (hor-fun noodle stir fry), Crispy pork belly pad ka pow (basil) and Tom yum gung (prawn).
What is your favourite dish currently on your menu?
"My favourite dish is slow cooked beef noodle."
Where is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire?
"For lunch I like dim sum at Shanghai Bay in Southampton's Above Bar. In the evening I like a spicy curry from Purbani in Romsey."
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
"Me and my family like Thai chicken soup which I love to cook at home."
What do you like to drink with dinner?
"Thai iced tea."
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
"Crispy pork belly."
Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?
"Lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chillies."
What is your favourite Hampshire ingredient?
"Hampshire watercress."
Which chef do you most admire?
"Marcus Wareing for his attention to detail and respect for the ingredients."
What’s your career ambition?
"I would love to expand and champion real Thai street food to as many people as possible."
What do you think will be the next big restaurant trend?
"Asian street food."
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