New stall day — and this time it's kinda the best Italian restaurant in New Orleans. Padrona is open inside St. Roch Market.
Chef Orawin Yimchalam serves up Thai food at the market. You may have eaten at her stall, the aptly named Thaifood by Chef Orawin. If you haven't, you really should. She grew up in her mom's restaurant in Thailand. She'd take her bike to the markets before school to pick up ingredients for the day. She's got the authentic Thai chops for sure.
But if you noticed, there's a ravioli in one of the Thai dishes. There's also a crawfish ragoon on the menu. She's cooked and sold Thai food in Thailand, San Francisco, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. The southern Louisiana influence has snuck in. But what's the deal with the Italian?
A Truffle That Changed Everything
Here's where that inspiration came from. She landed a job at a five-star Italian restaurant in a hotel in Bangkok. Italian chefs would roll in, teach and feed the staff. That first taste of a magical truffle changed her life in ways she couldn't have ever dreamed. She kept chasing those simple, fresh flavors of Italian cuisine.
So she got a job on Princess Cruise Line — and she took the Mediterranean route specifically to get the opportunity to discover more Italian food. Every port, she stepped off and found pasta, pizza, and ordered a caprese in Venice that made her cry. Real tomatoes, real food. The beauty in their simplicity inspired her, and it was then she really fell in love with Italian food.
Simple, Fresh, Done Right
At home, she cooks almost only Italian. Pasta with garlic and basil. Splash of white wine, done, simple. When she came to me wanting to do an Italian stall, she came at me so strong and with so much passion — it was an easy yes.
This is what I love about St. Roch Market. You can start up any cuisine. You only need the passion for it. While Orawin doesn't look Italian, her food certainly tastes it — in the most perfect way.
The Name
Oh, and the name — Padrona. Girl boss. Her daughter is always around the market, helping, learning, the way Orawin did in her mom's place. Orawin picked the name to inspire her. If you ask me though, making a banner to hang on the wall doesn't hold a candle to Orawin herself. She's enough of a Padrona to inspire us all.
Come eat today. Bring friends. Let her cook you her whole story.
Meet me at St. Roch,
Kevin
Padrona is open now at St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117. Open daily.
