It’s been a while since we’ve discussed the food truck scene, with winter upon us and the pandemic afoot. But spring is just around the corner, and you can almost hear the revving of the engines, as they prepare for… well… that’s anybody’s guess at this time.
As far as the summer event season goes, the Buffalo Garden Walk announced yesterday that it’s “game on” for 2021 – they are currently seeking people to sign up for the beloved garden festival.
Along with the news that the Garden Walk plans on being back on track this summer, Chef Kae Baramee of Tiny Thai has announced that she is launching a food truck that pretty much sums up ‘the Buffalo story.’
The truck, financed locally by Good Neighbors Credit Union, will be serving up ‘hard-to-find Thai dishes.’ Baramee wound up going to the brand new Credit Union branch (see story) on Grant Street for funding. The result will be a roaming Thai-infused truck with strong ties to this region. Pretty cool.
As for Baramee, who originally hails from Uthai Thani, Thailand, her cooking experience here in Buffalo ranges from 100 Acres at Hotel Henry to The Grange. Back in her native land, she started cooking at the early age of 11 with her family. She continued to hone her skills in her home country, by working at MK restaurant company where she climbed the ranks to become manager.
In 2016, Baramee came to the US on a work visa, while learning to cook American dishes that allowed her to expand upon her flavor profiles. That’s one of the reasons that she’s been able to advance in ways that she could never have imagined, by cooking at some of the hottest restaurants around town, and formulating integral relationships with other respected foodies in the process.
Some of those relationships are now coming in handy. Before hitting the road in her new food truck, Baramee will be hosting a series of pop-up take-out events where people will be able to try out her food, including her signature dish, Khao Man Gai (popular throughout Southeast Asia, typically sold from food carts, and dating back to the Chinese Qin Dynasty in 200 BC.) The Thai version is poached chicken over rice and sliced cucumber, with a ginger soy sauce.
Each of the pop-ups will feature a recipe mashup that will spotlight Baramee’s dishes, as well as guest influences from, say, Southern Junction?
On Wednesday, March 3 (6pm-9pm), Tiny Thai will team up with Southern Junction for a special platter collaboration limited to 70 orders. Orders of Khao Man Gai are $29 (feeds two), and are to-go only and by pre-sale only. On that day, Southern Junction will be smoking slow cooked BBQ pork prepared in a special Chinese-inspired sauce, and adding in its Texish Char Siu with five spice chicharrónes (topped with all the fixings, including pickled onions and BBQ sauce.) The meal will be served with a soup made of chicken broth, winter melon, cilantro, and garlic.
Attendees to the event will get a firsthand chance to learn what the Tiny Thai food truck is all about. At the same time, it’s the perfect opportunity to sample the scrumptious fare from a Texas-inspired barbecue joint isn’t afraid to flex some international muscle when it comes to experimenting with flavors.
Southern Junction is located at 27 Chandler Street, in the rear, with off street parking
Tiny Thai food truck will open in Summer 2021 (date TBD). It will also offer catering services, events, and cooking classes. More information is available at .
This content was originally published here.