Head Chef, Nipa Thai Restaurant, Royal Lancaster Hotel London

Nipa Thai’s all-female kitchen brigade is lead by Head Chef Sanguan Parr.  Born in the Chumphon Province of Thailand, Sanguan moved to London in 1984, and has been working in Nipa Thai ever since.

Thai food doesn’t get much more authentic than within Nipa Thai. Having learnt to cook at a young age from her mother and family, Sanguan honed her traditional Thai cooking skills to a fine cuisine level, training at several prestigious chef schools in Thailand, before fulfilling her dream of moving to the UK, and beginning her work at Nipa Thai.

Sanguan started out as an Administrative Chef, and swiftly moved up through the ranks, working as Sous Chef. In 2014, she was promoted to Head Chef, and now has over 30 years of experience under her belt.

The restaurant delivers outstanding traditional cuisine that combines hot spices with mild and sweet flavours, offering a mix of dishes from Thailand’s central region.  The each of the dishes at Nipa Thai are created by the Head Chef Sanguan Parr with her dedicated team according to traditional recipes, and she enjoys developing ideas for monthly specials to add to the menu.

Sanguan is proud that Nipa Thai is often the restaurant of choice for important visitors from Thailand, and her career highlights include cooking for royalty and the Thai Ambassador and other VIP’s.

Recipe from Chef Sanguan Parr

PHAD THAI KHAI HOR

Fried Noodles and Prawns wrapped in Egg Pancake

(1 portion)

Ingredients

8 clean prawns

1 shallot, sliced

2 tablespoons bean curd, sliced into half inch squares and deep fried

1 tablespoon pickled turnip, finely chopped *

1 tablespoon dried shrimps

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup rice noodles (these usually require soaking in cold water before use for 1 hour)

2 dessertspoons sugar

1 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 dessertspoon chilli powder

1 dessertspoon chilli sauce

2 spring onions, sliced

2 cups beansprouts

3 eggs

Additional oil for deep frying etc

*This can be bought ready prepared from Thai supermarkets

Accompaniments

3 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts

1 cup bean sprouts

1 small lime, cut in half

Teaspoon chilli powder (optional)

Teaspoon white sugar (optional)

Method

Deep fry the prawns for half a minute.

Mix in a bowl with pickled turnip, dried shrimps, bean curd and shallot.

Heat the oil in the wok, working it round the sides.  Break in one egg and stir it as it cooks, Add the mixture in the bowl, reduce the heat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Dip the rice noodles in boiling water for 15 seconds, then add to the wok and season with the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, chilli sauce, and chilli powder.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes stirring gently so that the noodles do not break.  Add spring onions and one cup of bean sprouts, remove from the heat and set aside.

Lightly coat the wok with a little oil and heat.  Break the remaining eggs into the wok and spread around to make a pancake.

When cooked, fill with the fried noodle mixture and wrap into a square shape.  Sprinkle ground peanuts over the top.

Serve with the remaining fresh bean sprouts and lime on the side.  To be truly Thai, put a teaspoon of chilli powder and a teaspoon of white sugar on the side.