Saiphin Moore, founder of Rosa’s Thai, whips up noodle soup in Wapping
Saiphin has loved food for as long as she can remember. She grew up on a vegetable farm in Khao Kho, a mountainous region in northern Thailand, and was taught to cook from an early age by her mother and aunts. By the age of 14, she started her first culinary business: a noodle shop, which she opened in Phetchabun, north-central Thailand. In her late teens, Saiphin moved to Hong Kong, where she worked as a nanny and honed her skills in their kitchen, her dishes becoming something of local legend – neighbours would come knocking for a bite of Saiphin’s food. It’s here that she opened another noodle venture, a restaurant specialising in soup. As for her little shop in Thailand? Her parents took over and ran it for 20 years.
But it was coming to the UK and launching Rosa’s Thai, however, that put her firmly on the culinary map. You’d be forgiven for thinking ‘Rosa’ is a family member or friend. In fact, the restaurant was named after Rosa’s Cafe, a greasy spoon that held the site of Saiphin’s first spot in Spitalfields before her. It was a nifty tribute – at the time, Saiphin couldn’t afford to change the sign. She might have come a long way since, but Saiphin still personally develops every plate on the menu, inspired by her early memories of home cooking. But perhaps no plate has played as much of an important role in shaping her career as noodles. “I’m addicted to them,” she says, with a smile.
Having worked in restaurants for most of her life, Saiphin has a soft spot for a proper industrial kitchen – and this inspired the stainless-steel one in her home. “I designed it myself,” she explains, while praising the fact that it’s particularly easy to polish. “I love a clean kitchen,” she beams. The scheme is practical too, with three fridges, plenty of storage space for pots and pans, and shelves stacked with jars of ingredients – from dried fruits to grains, spices to herbal tea. “I’ve got everything I need,” Saiphin adds. “I love having a big space in front of me,” she says of her terrazzo-topped island, “so I can cook for my friends and family.” Their most requested dish? Her noodle soup, of course, which you can find the recipe for below.
“This recipe reminds me of when I was 17 and I had my first noodle shop in my hometown. If you go to Thailand, you can get noodle soup on the street with pork, beef, chicken… It just makes me really happy – and it’s a part of my life”
Serves 2-3
400g chicken thigh
100g carrot, thinly sliced
50g daikon (Chinese white radish or mooli), peeled and cut into 2½cm pieces
2 coriander roots (or 10 fresh coriander stalks), chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1tsp sugar
1tbsp light soy sauce, plus more to serve
60g dried flat rice noodles
100g bean sprouts
100g julienned white cabbage
Fill a large saucepan three-quarters full with water and heat until simmering. Add the chicken and once cooked, set it aside. Then add the carrot, daikon, coriander roots (or stalks) and garlic. Stir in the sugar and light soy sauce and simmer over a very low heat for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and tender.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside. Blanch the bean sprouts and cabbage together in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and place in a serving bowl along with the cooked chicken. Pour over the soup and to serve, sprinkle over the pickled green cabbage, chopped coriander leaves, spring onion and crispy fried garlic.
Finish with a dusting of white pepper and serve with small bowls of light soy sauce, dried chilli flakes and sliced chillies in rice vinegar, so everyone can season the dish according to taste.
RELATED ON THE MODERN HOUSE
How chef Johnnie Collins makes the most of his compact kitchen in Dalston
How Abby Lee, founder of Mambow, is modernising Malaysian cuisine
Kitchen tips and kimchi pancakes with Jesse Jenkins, founder of Another Day in Paradise
Kitchen Stories: chefs on shopping responsibly and home cooking in lockdown
Kitchen Stories: top chefs and restaurateurs talk family time and home cooking, plus a recipe for leek and mushroom galette
Kitchen Stories: chefs reflect on the importance of home and food, plus what they're cooking right now