DINING OUT |
MICHELLE BANSE STOKES
All Thai’d Up Where tradition, passion and originality converge in Columbus, Texas. PHOTOGRAPHY BY LYDIA FORD
Locals call her Ying, but the lady behind Columbus’ Thai food sensation, All Thai’d Up, is actually named Saowanee Sherwood. While her traditionally inspired dishes tell her story, it’s easy to tell that it’s also her contagious smile and warm presence that draw customers in over and over again. Starting off in a simple food truck with dishes like Laab Moo, Pad Thai and Dragon Wings, Ying has now moved her establishment into the old Walnut Street gas station to allow for her to add more dishes, including the frequently requested traditional Thai dessert, Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango. Learning to cook in her grandmother’s kitchen in Northern Thailand, Ying’s story is an inspiring one of someone who fought against all odds to follow her passion of sharing her food, her culture and a piece of herself with her community. “My mom and my grandma, they taught me,” said Ying. “One of my first memories is of watching them cooking together and laughing with each other. Cooking is a happy time for me. I learned from them, and they taught me how to add in all the spices and they said that, ‘Anyone could follow a recipe. You learn to cook once you learn to taste how to season, that’s the secret.’ My in-home cooking lessons began when I was eight years old with a Thai style fried egg. I moved onto fried rice and I still continue through today to try and master curry. “My daughter and son, Victoria and Orion, love watching me in the kitchen. I say, ‘Look, watch how I cook, watch how I am moving. In the kitchen, I move smoothly.’ I don’t want them to be serious, I want them to have fun!” In Thailand, Ying worked for seven years in a factory building wiring harnesses
26 | COLUMBUS, TEXAS
