Michelin-recognized chef installed at Whistler’s new Thai restaurant

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Mekong

Where: 2067 Lake Placid Road, Whistler

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When: Dinner, daily. Lunch and après-ski during ski season.

Info: 604-972-1065. 88mekong.ca

Why, I’ve wondered, doesn’t Whistler have more international restaurants? Pepe Barajas asked himself that very question and, go-getter that he is, got busy expanding the diversity of cuisines, first with a Thai restaurant.

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He travelled twice to Thailand which “profoundly” affected him.

“Beyond the food, I was deeply moved by the warmth and hospitality of the Thai people. Their passion for food and the way it brings people together was truly inspiring,” Barajas says.

He enlisted Angus An, respected chef-owner of Michelin-recommended Maenam Thai restaurant, to be culinary director. And, in July, he opened Mekong in Creekside Village as part of his Infinity Group collection of Whistler restaurants, which includes Mexican Corner and Tacos La Cantina for starters, and Rockit Coffee, a cool coffee bar with retro vibes he opened last December. Next up, he’s opening Balam, a Latin American restaurant, in spring or summer.

“We’ve secured a world renowned chef from Peru and I’m ecstatic about the unveiling his menu,” he says.

It’s not surprising he’s racked up awards such as Forty Under 40, Best Immigrant Entrepreneur in B.C., and Rising Star of the Year.

An, who’s also busy with six businesses — Maenam, Longtail Kitchen, Fat Mao in two locations, Sen Pad Thai and a partnership in Popina Canteen —  appointed Bonnie Khummuang as the on-the-ground head chef.

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“She’s been with us in every single restaurant and worked through different roles and is very familiar with how I do things,” An says. The opening menu, however, was all his. Now transitioning to a fall menu, it will be more collaborative, An says. “It’s nice to have her native (Thai) palate.”

They’re aiming for relatable.

“We’re not trying to do David Thompson food. It’s food people can enjoy after a long day of skiing, presented in our unique way.”

Thompson’s Nahm Thai Bangkok restaurant nabbed the first Michelin star for Thai cuisine and he’s the Thai food giant who inspired An to open Maenam after his modernist Gastropod restaurant faltered during a recession.

“If I hadn’t worked for David, that would have been the end. Little did I know what that experience would morph into.”

Mekong’s food might be relatable, but a swish room, heavenly cocktails and service lifts it to a finer experience. Lunch and après ski menus, set to go live when ski season opens, will be much more casual.

After a good Thai meal, I feel an addiction. I want more. I can’t stop thinking about it. And that’s what Mekong did. The symphony of flavours and aromas are exciting and exhilarating, awakening so many tastebuds. Even the funk in some of the dishes appeals.

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A good Thai curry comes with the full orchestra, like the gaeng gari chicken ($32), an Indian-influenced yellow curry with coriander, cumin and fennel. “It’s one of the oldest styles of curry. The word curry came from the ancient word ‘gari’,” says An.

The Fraser Valley laong kong chicken in the dish is a cross between the flavourful but tougher free-run Asian chicken and the juicier Western roaster breeds. For the curry dish, the chicken is brined and dried to concentrate flavour.

A beef curry ($41) featured short ribs, fresh baby corn, and Thai eggplant in a rich green curry. The beef is braised in coconut milk, then fried for texture. I loved the sauce, and the beef was super tender. Until the kitchen is fully on its feet, curry pastes are made by someone in Thailand. “Whistler’s been a whole new learning curve for me, too, over the different seasons,” An says.

A fresh and bright-tasting tuna crudo ($21) leans Thai-ward with nam jim sauce, lemongrass, lime leaf and ikura. Pia goong prawn salad ($28) starts wth greens from Brew Creek Farm, a regenerative operation 15 minutes south of Whistler. The prawns are fried for a crisp contrast and the dressing is a spicy, sweet, salty, sour nam jim.

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Who doesn’t like chicken wings? Mekong chicken wings ($24) are seasoned to taste like tom yum soup. A tom yum spice mix, galangal, lime leaf and citric acid are dehydrated and pounded into a powder for the wings.

Hoi tort ($23) is a lovely, light, crispy turmeric egg crepe enveloping Salt Spring Island mussels, bean sprouts and served with a sweet chili sauce. An likes whole fish on his menus but simplified the eating process for the tourist market. Instead, for a sea bass dish, he deep fries the whole bone and places it in a swim position, curled around a vegetable and fish stir fry.  It’s served with a sweet, sour, savoury sauce.

Pad see ew beef noodles ($32) reminded me of Korean sweet potato starch noodles (japchae) with its bouncy chewiness, but these noodles are made in Victoria with tapioca and rice flour. It’s wok-fried with sweet soy sauce, beef hanger steak and Chinese broccoli.

For dessert, try the Thai iced tea semifreddo, crowned with a deep-fried lotus blossom cookie — you might have seen them at the Richmond Night Market. There’s a black sticky rice dessert but personally, I’d have preferred the cliché-but-heavenly mango sticky rice.

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Thai food is regional variations, and Mekong’s food has wanderlust for all of it. But winter dishes will reflect the hardier foods of northern Thailand and summer fare will tend to be southern dishes. Diners can order a la carte or choose the prix fixe for $37.

The wine list is modest but aims to complement the intense and aromatic flavours of the food. There’s lots on offer by the glass. Both zero-proof and bespoke cocktail lists lean to the fun and tropical. I loved my Aroi Mak Mak Thai, floral and refreshing with St. Germain, prosecco, mint and cucumber. “I wanted cocktails to be more flavour driven, not spirit driven, to work with Thai food,” says An.

As for Barajas, with a company name like Infinity Group, you know he’s not done yet. And yes, he’s got concepts brewing, not just in food and beverage but other industries, all in Whistler.

“It’s home. As an immigrant who arrived in this country 15 years go, I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey with no resources. My belief is that with unwavering determination, any goal can be realized or achieved,” he says. “Stay tuned.”

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