By Shilan， Liu Rong

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A Bite of China-Thailand Friendship

By Shilan， Liu Rong

Tee hopes to be an envoy for the exchanges of food culture between China and Thailand

In Thailand， Chinese food is enormously popular， just as Thai food is enjoyed by millions of diners in China. The two cuisines—sharing similar historical roots—represent a unique aspect of the cultural bonds that exist between Thailand and China.

Beijing's 798 Art Zone， a trendy area of art galleries， shops and restaurants based on a complex of decommissioned factory buildings in the city's northeast， is where you'll find Historia Thai Cuisine， a unique Thai eatery. Tee， head chef of the restaurant， first came to China because of his obsession withChinese cuisine. Now， he is promoting Thai cuisine in Beijing.

Tee enjoys his life in the Chinese capital

1. Tee's kitchen wall is decorated withThai menus andoperation manuals 2. Tee holds his staff to extremely highstandards with strict rules regarding food authenticity

Tee hails from a small village in central Thailand's Samut Prakan Province. As a young man he worked in a local Chinese restaurant and fell in love with Chinese food. Eventually， he came up with the idea to promote Thai cuisine in China.

That idea persisted in Tee's mind for years before he finally traveled to China to learn how to prepare authentic Chinese cuisine. His knowledge and skills in Thai cuisine allowed him to find work in several Chinese cities before taking on the role as head chef at Historia Thai Cuisine.

Tee values customer feedback， and often interacts with patrons at his restaurant

Working as a chef is a test of one's patience. In order to ensure the authenticity of his restaurant's food， Tee is very strict with his team of cooks. From the selection of ingredients to the ratio of seasoning， Tee adheres to traditional standards in Thai cuisine to prepare each course of the meals. Along with his experience in studying Chinese taste（especially that of Northern China）， Tee developed a menu combining Thai authenticity with local flavor. The new menu has been well received by Historia regulars.

Papaya salad with mixed greens and Tom Yum Goong （shrimp） soup are the most popular items on Tee's menu. Both dishes are Thai classics， but extremely difficult to recreate with authenticity.

When not busy cooking， Tee likes to get out of the kitchen and discuss with customers ways to improve the restaurant. He said he looks forward to more opportunities to travel around China， taking in local traditions and culture and better understanding China's diverse and complex cuisine. He hopes his experiences in Beijing and other Chinese cities will help him promote Chinese food culture in Thailand in the future.