Pad Man Thet (Wok-Fried Sweet Potato) at Na Na Thai
Winter’s Don’t-Miss Dish
We’ve all enjoyed the sweet-sour-spicy-salty treat that is Thai cuisine. It’s the perfect comfort food, with complex flavors and textures and so popular that it easily serves as the perfect date-night dinner, quick takeout or end-of-the-weekend leftovers from the fridge. But Na Na Thai in Buellton is cooking up Bangkok street food like you’ve never had, and it will surprise even diehard Thai food fans.
Husband-and-wife team Nik and Ashley Ramirez opened in Buellton earlier this year, after a successful run of cooking Thai food pop-ups with their friends at Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos. Now, we can all tickle our Thai taste buds Monday through Friday, at both lunch and dinner service. And recently they announced that you can get it delivered to Buellton, Santa Ynez, Los Alamos and Los Olivos.
Chef Nik’s kitchen makes all the curries, soups, marinades and sauces by hand, using a mortar and pestle instead of using modern appliances, to preserve the techniques of the past. This, along with real Thai spices, peanuts, chilis, fish and soy sauce, keeps the dishes authentic. And delicious.
Nik and Ashley buy most of their produce, whatever is in season, from farmers markets all over Santa Barbara County: fruit, vegetables and herbs from Finley Farms, pork and other meats from Motley Crew Ranch, plus sweet potatoes from Milliken Family Farms, which happen to be their favorite. The sweet, tender tubers are perfect in this Northern Thai wok-fried dish with shrimp paste, crispy shallots, garlic and chili. Winter squash would also work, so watch for this special at the restaurant throughout the season.
To make Pad Man Thet, prepare the crispy shallots the day before (or buy pre-made crispy shallots): Thinly slice a few shallots and season them with salt. Refrigerate them overnight on a tray of paper towels. To make the paste, pound half a shallot and 1 Thai chili with a mortar and pestle until broken down. Add 1 head of garlic and 1 teaspoon gapi (Thai shrimp paste) and continue until a paste is formed, about 1 tablespoon.
Peel 1 sweet potato (or winter squash), and blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute. It should be slightly tender but still firm raw. Slice into rounds. Heat about 2 tablespoons of pork fat in a wok on high heat. Add the sweet potato slices and sauté for about 2–3 minutes, until seared on all sides, then add the paste and cook about 30 seconds. Add 2 cups pork stock, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon oyster sauce. Let this simmer about 5–10 minutes, until it’s reduced to a glaze. Transfer to a plate. Heat more pork fat in another pan and fry some salted shallots to put on top and serve.
