Sirinthorn Silaphet knows a thing or two about quality food.
Whether it was being born in Thailand and clinging to her mother’s every word in the kitchen, visiting her uncle’s restaurant in England or travelling the world as a flight attendant, Silaphet has seen and tasted food from around the world.
Her passion for fine cuisine began as a young girl by her mother’s side as she prepared food for her large family.
“Every new year we’d have a big party,” she said.
“I’d see how she decorated and prepared the authentic Thai dishes. She would make mushroom curry at a time when nobody made it. My dad would bring friends home and she would always cook for them. I really learned from her.”
Silaphet’s father worked in the airline business, which opened the door to the world of travel at a very young age.
One of her favourite trips was travelling each summer to visit her uncle in England.
“My father was a regional manager of an airline and it allowed us to travel a lot when we were young,” Silaphet said.
“When I was 17, my uncle opened a restaurant in England and my mom was there to help. I would go see how they worked. I always wondered why she never opened a restaurant in Thailand.”
Despite being surrounded by food as a young girl, being a chef and owning a restaurant wasn’t always in Silaphet's plans. She went to school to earn a degree in education with the hopes of becoming a teacher.
However, she realized that being a teacher wasn’t the path for her and instead found comfort back in the sky as a flight attendant.
It was thousands of miles in the air that her love of food grew.
“I got a job at Japan Air Charter, a Japanese airline,” Silaphet said.
“I would serve the food, all the way from economy, to business, to first class. I saw the presentation and the setting of the menu. The food was so good. Japanese people are so organized and detailed with everything. They taught me a lot.”
Silaphet came to Canada in 2007, working several jobs until she decided to take the leap and open her own restaurant, Sticky Rice Thai Restaurant at 12 Queen St. East in Hespeler earlier this year.
Shrimp pad Thai, Thai green curry chicken and sirloin beef with oyster sauce are the favourites among customers so far.
Her life experience and love for sharing her culture makes her restaurant an authentic experience. It’s something she hopes will bring people in the door, and more importantly, back for more.
“I want this place to be like my living room, my dining room,” she said.
“I welcome my friends or family to come and eat my food. I want to treat everyone like friends and family. I always ask if people love the food, and when they say yes, I often tell them it’s my mom’s recipe. Every night I call my mom and tell her that our customers love her.”
Being around people and making them smile is what makes the long days of the restaurant business worth it.
“I love talking with the customers, making a new friend and cooking food for them,” Silaphet said.
“I cook with my happiness and I want to share my happiness with everyone.”