Saowanee's Place Thai Restaurant
When Saowanee de Glanville came to Perth from Thailand's, island paradise of Phuket 33 years ago she could find only one shop that sold Asian food supplies.
So she set to work pounding and mixing her own ingredients and teaching herself to cook the deliciously spicy food cooked by her family. That experience has stood her in good stead over the years, firstly with a catering business and now with her own restaurant, Saowanee's place.
She picked the name, she says with a shy, laugh, because her friends so enjoyed her food that they would always be saying, "Let's go to Saowanee's place".The food in her elegant little North Perth restaurant is a joy to eat, fragrant and spicy with more than a touch of fire in some of the dishes.
Saowanee presents her food in true Thai style not watered down into a Westernised version. Food from Phuket, particularly the curries, she says, is hotter and spicier than from other parts of the country. She is happy, however, to tone down the heat.
One of her favourite dishes, where it is wise to ask for the milder version, is a memorable paw paw salad. Grated green paw paw is mixed with prawns, roasted peanuts, lime juice, palm sugar, snake beans and a fiery dousing of chilli. The first time we tried it we were left gasping but the second time we asked for a milder version which had all the flavour without the heat.
SOURCE: http://www.aroundyou.com.au/place/businesses/saowanees-place-thai-restaurant