Thai cuisine enjoys resurgence of popularity in China

CHONGQING: Many bricks-and-mortar stores have felt the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but restaurants featuring Thai cuisine seem to have bucked the trend in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.

According to Chen Shaoling, a Thai resident who came to Chongqing in 2019 and named herself in Chinese, the number of restaurants providing their national dishes has risen steeply since the pandemic started in late 2019.

In Huangnibang, along the city’s major subway line in the downtown Jiangbei district, at least five new Thai restaurants have been opened since 2020.

Two of these establishments are run by Yuli and Chen Meilin, both originally from Thailand.

Now well established in their adopted home, they have acquired Chinese names based on their favourite Chinese characters.

The two women came to Chongqing in 2012, a time when Thai food was of little interest to most Chongqing residents.

Yuli and Chen Meilin used to open large restaurants inside shopping malls, featuring upmarket decor and plenty of floor space.

However, last year, they decided to offer something different, serving authentic Thai street snacks in smaller outlets, aiming to reproduce the Thai street-food experience with cheaper price.

“The dishes we serve are mainly staples and snacks. The average cost per customer has dropped from 150 yuan (RM100) to 60 yuan (RM40),” said Yuli.

Serving up to 100 tables each day, Chen Meilin’s eatery has been a big success with customers, who have warmed to the novel tastes of Thailand, despite the pandemic.

“Though Chongqing lies relatively far away from Thailand and is not the most famous Chinese city for Thai people, the sour and spicy taste of Thai food suits the locals perfectly,” said Yuli.

Although the recent spurt in interest has been impressive, Chongqing’s love affair with Thai food goes back a long way.

About 18 years ago, a famous Chinese chain restaurant named Thai Rice House set up its business headquarters in Chongqing.

In 2020, the brand received official recognition from Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and several franchises were labelled “Thai Select restaurants”.

Restaurants bearing this title are recognised as using raw materials from Thailand and professional chefs with expertise in Thai food. Each dish presents an authentic flavour and eateries are decorated with Thai elements. — Xinhua