 A career born of necessity
Though
some pursue a career path out of desire, Mike Ponluang, the Owner and
Executive Chef of Thai Pepper and Coco Thai Asian Bistro & Bar, had
to cook to support his handicapped mother. Now, nearly half a century
later, he has traveled the world, learning and teaching his love for
the art of food preparation.
Coral Springs, FL – His family ran
a small restaurant out of his home, serving popular Northeastern Thai
dishes like pad Thai and nam sod. But Executive Chef Mike
Ponluang also remembers being obligated to help his mother as she
manned festival booths, selling fresh vegetables and serving homemade
ice cream and popular made-to-order noodle dishes. “I didn’t like it,”
Chef Ponluang remembers.
One fateful day, his mother had
trouble lighting a small kerosene lamp, which caught fire, severely
burning her. During the time it took her to recover, Ponluang was
forced to cook for his mother and father who worked full time as a
teacher.
Eventually, he moved to the city to attend high
school in Bangkok, where his brother and sister lived. His said the
trio learned to enjoy cooking for themselves. Inspired by his new
hobby, Ponluang attended Siam Business School, where he studied
restaurant and hotel administration. During this time, he also worked
as a cook and food checker at the Chaopraya Hotel, the open mess for
United States Army officers stationed there during the Vietnam War.
“Before that,” he says, “I didn’t plan to have my own restaurant in the
future. It was at the United States open mess that I realized I should
open a restaurant someday.”
It wasn’t long before his dream came
true. In short order, Ponluang moved to England to study business
administration at the City of London Polytechnic and South Theme
College. While he was there, he worked his way up from a dishwasher,
eventually opening his first restaurant in London in 1979. The Chelsea
restaurant was called American Heaven, and specials included
traditional American delights like hamburgers, spaghetti and chili.
Ponlaung remained in England for nine more years.
In
1980, eager for a change of environment, Ponluang moved to Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. There, he joined his cousin who ran a Thai restaurant
on the famed University Drive called Yum Yum. “I was excited to be
here,” he says. “I missed my friends in London, but I quickly made a
lot of friends here.”
Over the years Ponlaung worked at a
variety of Fort Lauderdale restaurants, including the always-popular
Hawaiian eatery Mai Kai. Eventually he opened Thai Express (a Thai
grocery store with take-out/delivery service) and served as a chef at
the Lighthouse Point Yacht Club. In 1991, after selling Thai
Express, he opened a successful Coral Springs restaurant known as Thai
Pepper. Since then, he has married, had a son, and served as a Thai
food instructor at Fort Lauderdale’s Chef Jean-Pierre’s Cooking School.
While
Thai Pepper celebrates its 15-year anniversary, Ponluang is opening up
a sister location, which will serve Thai cuisine along with sushi and
other Asian delights near downtown Fort Lauderdale. Slated to open in
February 2006, the Coco Thai and Asian Bistro and Bar promises to
please the eyes and the stomach with a unique combination of dazzling
décor and tasty new menu items.
Though he has been cooking for
nearly a century, the chef seems to have no regrets. “It’s a long way
to look back,” Ponluang says, “but I’m always happy with my experience.”
Photos:
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