Chang Noi’s brings authentic Thai to Niagara
By Molly Harding - The Standard
The elephant sits just inside the door, a gold-daubed glittering companion to the china and wood figures placed elsewhere in the dining room. In Thailand, where the elephant is a beloved and meaningful part of Thailand’s history and culture, his name is chang. Add “noi” to the name, and you have “little elephant.”
It’s not surprising, therefore, that in choosing a name for their traditional Thai restaurant on Queenston Street, ‘Ku’ Buddhasit Kanokchote and Usaporn Pharoongapinant (known to friends and customers as Usa) decided to honour the traditions of their native Thailand. And on Oct. 22, they introduced Chang Noi’s to Niagara. In this short time, Chang Noi’s has already earned a reputation for excellence of food, service and setting.
It’s exciting to explore this vast menu, written in both Thai and English. The dishes are all authentic, with appetizers such as shrimp chips, garden salad rolls, spring rolls and chicken wings. Soups include lemongrass soup with chicken or shrimp, coconut ganlanga soup with chicken and glass noodle soup with veggies or chicken.
There are salads, chicken, beef and pork specialties, curries and veggie dishes, seafoods and noodles and sides.
If you’re not sure what you would like to taste, Chef Ku might recommend Peek Gat Top (chicken wings) with his own house sauce; Tom Yum Prik Sod (authentic country lemongrass soup); Yum Ma Muang (green mango salad); and a choice of Chang Noi’s Pad Thai, Talay Dued (spicy seafood madness) or cashew nut or mango curry chicken. If you’re a Pad Thai lover, choose this, for though Pad Thai always a dish to be enjoyed, there’s simply nothing as fabulous as Chang Noi’s Pad Thai. The traditional fried rice noodles are richly enhanced with chicken, shrimp, tofu, eggs and peanuts in Chef Ku’s own sauce, and the whole is wrapped in a thin sheet of egg.
You will be asked your preference in curry spiciness or vegetarian dishes. There are daily specials at lunch and dinner. And a must for the taste experience is Usa’s own recipe for iced tea, a delicate flavouring of Red Rose tea and jasmine, topped with whipped cream. Before you leave, Usa will hand you a small pot of gold leaf, for you to add a daub to the elephant and bring luck upon yourself. In the menu forefront, the couple explain the concept of their restaurant. “We named our restaurant Chang Noi’s for two main reasons. We would like to be a transportation, taking you to know more about Thailand, starting from the food along with cultures, and we would like to help in saving and nurturing our Honoured and Lucky animal.” In Thai history and culture, the elephant is believed to be the honoured and lucky animal of the Great King and his Warriors for hundreds of years, the legend continues. The white elephant was the symbol on the Thai national flag between 1855-1916. The elephant also served as the royal transportation of the kings and members of the royal family, and is still used in many significant national ceremonies.
Ku and Usa have carried on the tradition of honour and respect for their culture. Brought up in a Thai family whose culture embraced cooking, Ku came to Canada at the age of 25 and apprenticed to the great Thai chef at Young Thailand Restaurant in Toronto. Many of the recipes he learned here are mixed with the family recipes he brought with him.
Usa was born in a Chinese compound in Bangkok and was used to traditional Chinese- Thai food. She learned about the religious and cultural festivities and is delighted to be able to implement some of them here.
Usa and Ku met in Toronto, went back to Thailand and married, then came to Niagara to honeymoon. It was a lucky day for Niagara, when they decided to bring Thailand to Niagara in a restaurant of their own.
A Delicious Trip to Thailand
By Mike Lowe - Pulse Niagara
Tucked away in a small commercial plaza located on a busy St. Catharines thoroughfare lies a gem of a restaurant just waiting to be discovered. Only five weeks after opening, Chang Noi shows that it just may have what it takes to become one of the city’s favourite new dining destinations. The atmosphere at Chang Noi is one of calm, casual elegance with splashes of red and gold to contrast the warm wood tones. Chang Noi's signature elephant motif, complete with chef headgear, emblazons the menu and elephant figurines are proudly displayed around the restaurant. There is also a classy, intimate dining room, separated by sliding glass doors, that is suitable for small groups.
We are greeted by one of Chang Noi’s owners, Usaporn Pharoongapinant, who politely escorts us to our table and, bowing slightly, hands us our menus. Most Asian restaurants are known for offering a vast array of dishes and Chang Noi uphold that tradition. There are no less than 70 dishes, not counting side dishes and desserts, to tempt the palate. Appetizers range in price from $4.95 – $12.95 with soups, salads and main dishes (chicken, pork, beef, seafood and vegetarian) going for between $7.95 and $18.95. Wine choices are modest but the list offers a couple of appropriate Niagara wines that will pair with many menu choices as will a handful of recognizable beer selections.
We get off to a fine start with “Chang Noi’s Jan Yai.” This platter of appetizers ($12.95) includes fresh, minty garden salad rolls stuffed with fresh vegetables, moist and tender chicken satay, light and springy golden–fried tofu, crunchy spring rolls, and wide rings of calamari that have been coated in a delicate tempura–like batter and flash fried to perfection. Sweet chili sauce and a thick, mildy spicy peanut sauce are perfect for dipping. My partner’s “Nuer Pad Khing” (ginger beef) is loaded with succulent slices of tender beef, thin strands of fresh ginger, green onions and onion slices. A notable ingredient is a variety of black fungi whose gelatinous texture adds a wonderful earthiness to the dish. My dish of Mango Curry Chicken, suggested by our gracious host, is remarkable and I applaud her recommendation and the chef’s deft hand in preparing such an aromatic combination. This version of red curry with coconut milk is simply one of the finest I’ve tasted. The rich velvety sauce is vividly complex and flavours are expertly balanced. Chang Noi’s spice–o–meter consists of five levels of heat ranging from mild to “Passport to Thailand.” My selection is prepared to a level three (spicy) and the intensity of heat stands up to the bold flavours admirably while sweet ripe mango adds a touch of sweetness. Thin, crepe–like roti is both tasty and helpful in making sure to get every delicious drop of sauce.
Dessert comes in the form of creamy, rich coconut ice cream ($3.50) and banana fritters with ice cream ($4.95). I recommend the fritters for the thin, crispy exterior that encases warm bananas and a sweet honey glaze. At the end of the meal we are given squares of gold leaf and invited to make a wish as we help to gild the black elephant statue near the entrance. Usaporn Pharoongapinant and partner/chef Buddhasit Kanokchote, aka Chef Ku, are off to a fine start, sharing their traditional version of Thai cuisine with Niagara diners. The elephant may well come to symbolize the unforgettable experience of dining at Chang Noi.
Chang Noi is open Monday to Friday from 11 am until 10 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 am until 10 pm.
Time for Thai
By Niagara This Week
For tasty Asian cuisine, there’s nothing like the real thing
Thai food is excitingly engaging, brilliantly clear and delightfully delicious, yet few of us really know what it’s all about. Ku and Usa immigrated from Bangkok, Thailand, five years ago and have just opened their first authentic Thai restaurant on Queenston Street in St. Catharines called Chang Noi. Ku grew up with a family that loved to cook and caught the culinary bug at ,a very young age. When he first arrived in Canada, Ku worked in Toronto restaurants to hone his skills. When he felt he was ready, he and Usa came down to Niagara to be closer to friends and decided this was a great place to put down some roots. Chang Noi (which means Little Elephant) serves two different kinds of customers. Those who have been to Thailand and are looking for delicious memories of their exotic journey, and locals who are used to Canadianized Thai food. What most people don't realize is that there's a world of difference between the two.
On the menu you'll find traditional dishes such as Tom Yum (lemongrass soup) and Pad Thai - not so surprising you say? What is surprising is that there are both authentic and Canadianized versions.
I ordered both versions of the Tom Yum to compare and, wow, what a difference. The authentic version had elegant, lively flavours that brightened the palate with a sudden flavour surprise from the tomato, mushroom and shrimp. The fresh flavours awakened the palate in one of those eye-popping moments that make you stop, take notice and share the discovery with your dining partners.
The Canadianized version was very one-dimensional with thick, rich, savoury flavours that filled your mouth and belly with every sip. A good soup and very robust in a cool climate Canadian way, but certainly not Thai.
Usa said they did their research, eating frequently at Niagara’s restaurants to learn what flavours were the most popular. But they did it so they can educate Niagarans about real Thai food graduating them from where they are to the delicious possibilities coming from their country.
Personally, when I want Thai food, I want the real thing. Thai cuisine is unique in the world of Asian cuisine because it’s filled with bright, fresh flavours that can have both lime juice and bird eye chili in one mouthful. It’s one of the world’s emotional and stunning cuisines.
Pad Thai is the equivalent to my Italian cupboard supper-that is, whatever is in the cupboard is what you make for supper. Pad Thai was created after the Second World War when food was scarce. It became a dish of the country that everyone could make because it was made with ingredients that are very common in Thai kitchens. There are many different versions of Pad Thai from the simple noodles and egg to the inclusion of vegetables and of course, for special occasions, caviar to give it a bright red colour. Again, here you can order the Canadianzed version or the authentic version, wrapped in an ultra thin layer of egg, this dome is filled with sweet rice noodles and lots of flavor.
Chang Noi means little or baby elephant and a Thai symbol of good fortune. After each meal your’re presented with a small gold leaf square that you use to cover the elephant that sits by the front door. Go to Chang Noi and enjoy some amazingly fantastic Thai food and cover the elephant giving Usa and Ku good fortune in their country.
Lynn Ogryzlo writes for Niagara this Week and Niagara Life Magazine. She is the international award winning author of Niagara cooks, a farm to table cookbook. You can reach Lynn for questions or moments through her website: www.NiagaraCooks.ca
Niagara This Week
Thursday, January 7’2010
Vol.6, Issue 37
Fundraiser growing at college
Posted By MAGGIE RIOPELLE , TRIBUNE STAFF
Niagara College student Amy Cain says she's just the spark that lit the fire that spawned a flurry of fundraisers for earthquake victims from Haiti.
The business administration student said after she saw the news and the devastation, she jumped into action at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus hoping to find a way to get donations for the cause.
"I didn't have money to donate, but I knew I could donate my time and organize a fundraiser," she said.
The idea started off fairly simple -- she went to Student Administrative Council for advice and contacted the cam-pus's international club and Red Cross so, through a third party agreement, she could start collecting money for victims.
"Then I put together a quick campaign" she said, adding she recycled juice boxes and newspapers to make posters and get the word out that students and staff could play a part in helping rebuild that country.
A number of clubs -- the majority of which are members of the Niagara College student clubs Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE), the Niagara College International Club and Niagara College Conservatives -- started offering assistance as volunteers at a collection table. Students and faculty started giving donations and as of yesterday, the total amount collected was at $3,100.
"I thought we might raise $500 then we went up to a goal of $3,500," said Cain, adding funds are being raised at the Welland campus as well.
At Wednesday's basketball game, administration and 50/50 draw proceeds will go to the cause and a table will be set up to collect donations. As well, at the Welland campus, aside from the donation table, there are also student ambassadors at the information centre selling assorted bags of candy for the cause.
Students have also organized a fundraising event -- Network for Haiti on Thursday, Feb. 4 at Chang Noi's Thai Cuisine in St. Catharines, sponsored by the restaurant and Konzelmann Estate Winery. The event sold out fast, she said, so now organizers are considering a second event.
"Our goal was only $3,500 and I can't see why we won't raise $5,000," she said. "I was just the spark that lit the fire -- I couldn't have done all this by myself. So many of the clubs and other students have been involved. It's been great to see everybody come together."
People can also help, by making donations online at www.niagaracollege.caand clicking on the Canadian Red Cross Donate to Haiti link.