Chef Nooror

Where are you from?
I was born in Chachoeng Soa near Bangkok – where the best mangoes in Thailand are grown. But I've lived for over 20 years overseas in Europe – in Brussels and Paris. My husband is from Belgium and he handles all the business side of things; the kitchen is my field of expertise.

When did you move to Phuket?
I'm based in Bangkok, but I do travel back and forth to Phuket. My son, Kim, lives there with his family and he also runs 'the mansion', which we opened four years ago.

Tell us something about your work
Apart from the actual cooking my work also involves a lot of travel promoting Thai food. The government is active in this area and I've been invited by the TAT, MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and DITP (Department of International Trade Promotion) to promote Thai cuisine worldwide.

Also, we have cooking classes designed to explain the 'secrets' of Thai cuisine and sometimes I attend food seminars tool. Recently, I was invited to attend a food seminar in Hat Yai and tasted Southern Thai cuisine, which is extremely spicy! I discovered some interesting dishes and totally love the flavours. It makes me want to promote southern Thai cuisine even more in my restaurant and worldwide!

You also promote what some term as 'forgotten' Thai dishes
That's right – some of the older dishes we like to serve up at Blue Elephant date from the time when Rama II was on the throne, before coconut milk was used in recipes. As a result, they're quite different. Examples include tumi curry with giant grouper – a Penang-influenced sweet and sour curry with dahla flowers, okra and cucumber. And then there's one of the oldest dishes around, gaeng som, another sour dish with no coconut milk. In fact it may be the oldest Thai dish.

Is Thai food actually good for you?
Of course, but you have to be sure to have the freshest of ingredients. People sometimes say it's too sweet and therefore unhealthy, but if you use natural palm sugar and make the right choice of oil it's extremely healthy.

Is the Phuket Branch of Blue Elephant different from other branches?
Yes! We're lucky to have an organic garden, where we grow local herbs and spices which we use in our cuisine. And we're located in the eight rai grounds of this amazing historical mansion, which gives us the chance to create magical events such as weddings and corporate events. Once my son, Kim, even organised an elephant polo game in our garden.