“The genuine connection and camaraderie you have with each other while sharing food is what makes it all so special for me,” says Jeff Virojanapa, owner of White Orchids Thai Cuisine and Notch Modern Kitchen & Bar. “It gives us all a chance to slow down and be together.”
The memories of waking up to a house filled with the awesome aromas of his grandmother's slow-cooked stews, soups and braised meats, coupled with the fond memories of a shared meal at a restaurant with his family on Sundays after church, ignited Virojanapa's love of not only cooking but of the restaurant industry.
Virojanapa grew up in a fast-paced environment where both of his parents worked full-time and the weekdays were spent having quick dinners. “Sundays, for me, were always the special day of the week when we would all go out together as a family after church and choose a restaurant for lunch,” he says. “This was so memorable to me because it was one of the only few times we would all be together as a family conversing and being together. This created a lifelong feeling of being in a restaurant as a home away from home.”
Once he was old enough to work in a restaurant, Virojanapa's love for the industry was solidified. “Not only did I like eating at restaurants, I loved working in them as well.”
Now more than ever, we can all share Virojanapa's appreciation and love for enjoying a good meal with friends and family.
Ingredients
Drunken Noodles:
- 4–5 cloves garlic, minced*
- 2–3 Thai chilies, minced*
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 bell pepper, julienned
- 1/3 yellow onion, julienned
- 1 whole chicken breast, sliced thin (or the protein of your choice)
- 16 oz. wide, fresh rice noodles
- 2 Tbsp. Drunken Noodle Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce
- 1/3 cup Thai Holy Basil
*Spice Blend
Drunken Noodle Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Golden Mountain Sauce
- 3 tsp. fish sauce
- 2 tsp. palm sugar
Instructions
Mix the ingredients for the Drunken Noodle Sauce together.
Using a blender or mortar and pestle, mince the garlic and Thai chilies. Set aside.
In a wok or big sauté pan, heat up vegetable oil and stir-fry the eggs on medium-high heat until cooked. Stir-fry the Spice Blend (according to taste—1/4 tsp. to start), bell pepper, onion and chicken until cooked.
Add rice noodles and 2 Tbsp. of the Drunken Noodle Sauce. Stir-fry until sauce is absorbed.
Add sweet soy sauce and Thai basil until sauce is absorbed.
Serves 2
2985 Center Valley Pkwy. Suite 200, Center Valley | 610.841.7499 | whiteorchidsthaicuisine.com
