Duang-rithi  Klaewplodthuk is the person behind the cooking of Thai food as an expert instructor at many university-level educational institutions. From his own experience, he called ML Nueng Nilrat as Grandma. After working for a while, he began to realize that he liked food because he often liked to write short articles about food on his personal Facebook page, using the title ‘Stories from the Charcoal Stove’. Then, the editor of Health and Cuisine magazine at that time invited him to write the Taste and Tales column in that magazine. He wrote for almost two years and started designing menus at the same time.

During his university studies, Duang-rithi received kindness from ML Nueng Nilrat, the granddaughter of M.C. Ying Sabai Nilrat, who was in charge of the kitchen in the palace of Princess Vimada during the reign of King Rama V. Because of his love of history and food, he often visited Grandma Nueng, who treated him kindly and let him learn the secrets and recipes. He used the knowledge gained to write about it in the Taste & Tales column. After that, he became a food stylist for Harper’s Bazaar magazine, presenting new menus that were more fashionable in the style of the magazine, both Thai and international menus.

Later, Duang-rithi became a menu consultant for Baan Suriyasai restaurant, which was managed by Thai Beverage Public Company Limited. His main duty was to oversee all menus in the restaurant, including a royal Thai style menu, the taste of the food, the design of the menu, and the media.

During the menu setup period, Duang-rithi would prepare  it for himself every time to ensure the taste, and also to recommend techniques and secrets to the restaurant’s chefs. He would also taste each dish and include the story of each dish, such as the history of that dish, which ingredients were outstanding. He paid attention to every detail until it turned out to be royal Thai food or food from old Bangkok nobles, according to the concept set by the restaurant.”

Duang-rithi added that most of the menus in Baan Suriyasai restaurant were recipes from various palaces or from menus of various families. The stories of each family's food and desserts will be presented in this shop.

After 7 years, it was an opportunity for me to interview Duang-rithi Klaewplodthuk again. (See: https://www.scene4 .com/archivesqv6/2017/feb-2017/0217/janineyasovant0217.html). From that time I have been regularly following his work.

It is always surprising that Thai food sets a standard of cooking which is thorough and amazing in taste. The selection of ingredients, the use of herbs or the proportion of meat and vegetables that have been selected make the standards from every region careful to transfer knowledge to foreign kitchens without limitations. Thai cuisine that calls itself the "royal kitchen", comes from the King, e.g., the royal journey by water, the songs of rowing by the crew who work together or at different times, will refer to recipes from literature that still appear in royal ceremonies today.

JY. Do you have any ideas or inspiration from Thai culture in designing the menu? If so, tell us about your design experience or examples of the menus you have created.

DK. Thai culture is constantly changing. It is diverse, colorful, and lively. There is a mix of old and new, and a mix of cultures from many countries around the world. However, these things make Thai culture a unique culture because Thai people are smart in “selecting, accepting, and adapting” things around them to make them suitable, which eventually becomes who we are.

In my creative food design work, I always use them, such as the Food Stylist presentation of #PadThaiFaiTalue noodles by Chef Andy Yang, a new generation of Pad Thai with world-class flavors that has received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for several consecutive years. I have presented everything from #AuthenticThai or Very Thai to lighting, colors, and prop selection in dishes with universal cooking methods, which has always been a part of Thai culture.

Or Food Styling, Food Arrangement, and Food Design to create a menu for #Khao, a classic Thai restaurant, where I present the warmth, simplicity, and exquisiteness of the way of life and lifestyle of Thais in the past, along with techniques, lighting, colors, and perspectives in an international style. In order to communicate in line with international tastes as easily as possible

Including Food styling, food arrangement and design to create menus for Thai restaurants of various types of Street Food, which is a distinctive food culture of Thai people. I try to bring out their identity as much as possible by presenting it with universal techniques and methods.

JY. Tell about your past experiences in studying, teaching cooking or food design so that readers in Thailand and abroad can get to know you (once more).

DK. I have been honored to be the organizer of Food styling, food arrangement and design to create menus for many international restaurant brands, such as Sizzler, which has created five menu books, Swensens ice cream two books, The Coffee Club two books, including many other brands and restaurants throughout Thailand, from fine dining to street food, as well as being a lecturer at various institutions, such as Le Cordon Bleu Dusit, as well as universities in every region of Thailand. This has allowed me to see the evolution and changes in the food industry both in Thailand and abroad all the time, so I have consistently applied it to my work.

JY. Using local ingredients to enhance the nutritional value of the menu, such as experience in using local ingredients in design or designing a menu that can accommodate people with different health and cultural backgrounds, such as experience in designing a menu that is suitable for those who want to lose weight or are concerned about their health. How much?

DK. I have experience when I have to create Food styling for Thai food that customers give me the task of wanting it to be Thai Fine dining or creative Thai in order to elevate Thai food or using local ingredients. I will always be aware of their unique identity or distinctive identity to the most accurate.

In my opinion, Thai food that is Fine dining must be eaten in a perfect ancient Thai style in one set, which is having rice as the main dish and having side dishes with all flavors: sour, sweet, creamy, salty, spicy, astringent, complete in the set, which will be in all types of food, such as boiled, stir-fried, curry, fried, spicy salad or chili paste, and ending with dessert or fruit, all of which must use good quality ingredients, arranged appropriately, in the right amount, and leave you feeling full and satisfied, not too little or too much.

We will not arrange it in small bites, decorated with various edible flowers. The new Western style of food arrangement, which I think is not very suitable for the truly fine Thai style of eating. I don't think it is an elevation of food, but rather a violation of the nature of Thai food. It is a playfulness, a creation of art, or a fashion in food rather than eating in real life. We may have to ask ourselves our true feelings about how to eat Thai food to the fullest.

Or even about the carving of Thai food in the eyes of Westerners in the past, I once read a message from His Majesty the King, in which His Royal Highness Prince Damrong Rajanubhab said that during the reign of King Rama V, when preparing a meal for the Tsarevich of Russia, the royal amulet room was very determined to arrange the table by carving vegetables meticulously and skillfully to show the civility of the Thai people and to show that the Thai nation was not a barbaric nation.

However, the Tsarevich did not eat at all because he considered it unclean (as stated in the record).

But I believe that he really did not eat because Westerners took this matter very seriously, which is the matter of hygiene. Or cleanliness and hygiene, that is, they often admire and express excitement because they see that these foods are made (beautifully decorated) entirely by hand (handmade), which Westerners do not do with food. Therefore, it is considered something that takes a long time to make and has sentimental value.

Like when the Royal Palace arranged "Thong Ek Krachang" dessert as a dessert in Princess Alexandra's meal at the light and sound show at Wat Arun Ratchawararam, with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presiding, decades ago. The Princess praised and was very impressed when she learned that this dessert was decorated entirely by hand, but she only tried one piece.

These ideas are not right or wrong because everyone in the world has their own ideas, according to their way of life and the environment that has shaped them since birth, including the framework of customs, beliefs, and traditions.

JY. In creating new menus, do you have any ideas about using technology or special materials to increase the interest and value of the menu?

DK. I use it all the time because I understand the changing trends in the world.