Khon kaen: A female civil servant from Khon Kaen, who loved eating Khanom Jeen Nam Ya but couldn't find a restaurant that satisfied her, decided to open her own Khanom Jeen Nam Ya shop. "Khanom Jeen By Mae Yai Pui" is located on the road around Bueng Kaen Nakhon Lake in Khon Kaen Municipality. Owned by Ms. Chitra Phunachai, also known as "Mae Yai Pui," a civil servant from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the restaurant officially opened on August 22nd. Customers who learned about it through social media have been flocking to try Mae Yai Pui's Khanom Jeen with curry sauce throughout the day.
According to Thai News Agency, "Mae Yai Pui" is a lifelong fan of Khanom Jeen Nam Ya, especially those with a rich, spicy, and flavorful sauce, complemented by a wide variety of fresh vegetables and side dishes. Despite trying many restaurants, none truly satisfied her taste. Thus, she decided to open her own restaurant to fulfill her craving for spicy flavors and to provide an option for customers who enjoy rich and spicy Khanom Jeen Nam Ya. The restaurant's special features include its rich sauces, made with fresh ingredients daily and generously seasoned with a variety of spices. These include jungle curry, fish curry with coconut milk, fish kidney curry, and green curry. A wide selection of fresh, blanched, and boiled vegetables, including eggs and various local vegetables like morning glory and water spinach, are also offered.
Her core philosophy is to share delicious and high-quality food with her customers. Another unique feature allows customers to suggest their preferred sauces. If there is enough demand, the restaurant will add them to the menu. "Right now, we're not thinking about profit. We're only thinking about whether the customers enjoy the food and are happy; that's our profit," said Grandma Pui.
Grandma Pui also added that the restaurant offers free papaya salad to customers who dine in. They have a counter where customers can make their own papaya salad to their liking, with plenty of papaya and other ingredients available. Customers can customize their salad to their preferred taste as a way of showing appreciation for their patronage.