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“Eating vegan can be hard,” Lee says. At Khao Kaeng, 80 percent of the menu can be made vegan.
SPICE RACK:
Each of the spicy potions in the tabletop condiment racks goes best with certain dishes. Ask the staff to guide you.
THIS IS CURRY:
With its handmade curry paste and dazzling flavors, the green chicken curry (kaeng keaw wan) epitomizes the made-from-scratch ethos. Team it with Austrian Malat Riesling, a flowery, highacid wine that perfectly balances the curry’s delectable fire.
MEMORY CENTRAL:
“On vacation, people come across these flavors and later think, How can I get that papaya salad or northern Thai curry at home?” Lee says. “We can re-create it for you.”
KHAO KAENG MAKES MONTECITO CURRY CENTRAL
Fresh off their first success - the always-full Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar in the Public Market downtown - co-owners Jerry Lee, Emre Balli and Nui Pannak (she’s the chef, too) are now serving real-deal Thai cuisine at Khao Kaeng (khao means “rice,” and kaeng means “curry”) in Montecito. PRO HOME COOK An adventurous chef, Pannak grew up cooking with her father in the countryside near Bangkok, always “searching for things I had never cooked before.” That spirit infuses Khao Kaeng. 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 9 • 805.770.7170 • khaokaeng.com
Nui Pannak, co-owner and chef
DININGANDDESTINATIONS.COM
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