Chang Puak - White Elephant Restaurant

The chef-owners, a husband and wife team, of the White Elephant Restaurant have been making wonderful and delicious homemade Thai food for as long as they can remember. Laddawan, or "Mae" (Mom in Thai) as the regulars call her following the lead of her children who are a constant presence at the restaurant either working behind the counter or eating alongside the customers, began at the knee of her mother. Peter began by helping with his family's restaurant in Phitsanulok. Mae grew up in Northern Thailand helping her mother cook and prepare authentic Thai dishes for her 13 brothers and sisters and eventually for her own family of four children. She learned to cook everything from simple but delicious noodle soups to dishes full of complex flavors using spices, curries, and other classic Thai ingredients. One thing that never fails to be recognized by everyone who ever tastes her food is that it's just like Mom's cooking everywhere regardless of cuisine: made with lots of love.