Alada Poodtajan will proudly tell anyone that visits her restaurant, Tee Rak Thai, that Drunken Noodles changed her life.
The gifted chef started cooking the classic southeast Asian stir-fry dish for enthusiastic patrons at Tower Grove Farmers Market in 2023, eventually saving up enough funds from vending to open her first brick-and-mortar business last November. At the Shaw neighborhood eatery, she whips up more of the best-selling entrée in a fiery hot wok than ever – around 500 to 600 pounds of hand-cut rice noodles worth a week, to be exact – in addition to a full menu of favorites from her home country.
Growing up in a small village outside of Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand, Poodtajan became adept in the kitchen from an early age out of necessity. Due to the remote nature of her upbringing, she was accustomed to cooking with her mother, utilizing their family’s own farmed goods including everything from chicken and eggs to fresh vegetables.
She went on to develop an even deeper passion for Thai cuisine while studying hotel and tourism hospitality at a university in Bangkok, sampling all of the big city’s dynamic street food that her heart desired. Poodtajan and her husband Tom met when he traveled to Thailand from the river city for kickboxing training, and the rest is history.
With Tee Rak, which translates to the term of endearment, “my love,” the married couple brings a taste of Poodtajan’s authentic Thai recipes to St. Louis – a duty the chef does not take lightly. To prepare for her role as a culinary ambassador, she spent two years working at four different area restaurants in various roles to learn the ins and outs of the industry. After the duo made a name for themselves at markets and festivals, Poodtajan returned to Chiang Rai for a month to develop her skills at a professional cooking school.
Now, with a new debut storefront, Tee Rak Thai is already the talk of the town. The casual full-service dining destination features a bold, colorful yet down-to-earth interior design that celebrates Poodtajan’s cultural journey, complete with imported decorations from Thailand and meticulously hand-painted art. The vibrant gold, blue and red space complements the flavor-packed food that steams out from the kitchen, including her famous Drunken Noodles, or Pad Kee Mao…