Nikky Phinyawatana of Asian Mint, a Thai-Asian fusion restaurant with locations across Dallas, has just released a line of sauces and a line of chili crisps.
Inspired by her most notable menu items, the sauces can be used to make popular Thai dishes such as Pad Thai, Pad Kee Mow and Pad See Ew. Made in collaboration with the brand Drama Queen, the chili crisps can add a savory kick to top off any dish or meal.
“It’s like Asian Mint has a collaboration with Drama Queen and Asian Mint has a collaboration with Nikky Feeding Souls,” Phinyawatana says. Nikky Feeding Souls is the chef’s side business of travel and cooking experiences. “With this sauce, you don’t have to go out and buy five different types of soy sauces. It’s already been cooked and reduced down to the flavor profile that it needs to be, so you just pour it in and you’ve got that perfect flavor every time.”
Phinyawatana has been experimenting and toying with different Thai flavors and recipes for over 16 years, but only recently did she decide to actually bottle them up and sell them in a different way.
“It’s been really fun. Me, getting to play in the kitchen with my chefs, that process is really fun,” Phinyawatana says. “And then designing the label, doing the pictures, deciding what to put on the label, how to create the look and feel has all been really fun. Beginning to end, once the flavor was established, I would say [it took] a couple of months to finish.”
Phinyawatana also hosts virtual cooking classes. Tickets range from $29 to $119 and feature an immersive walkthrough of different Thai dishes and recipes. But looking forward, she’s revamping her approach for the next four classes.
“It’s not just a cooking class anymore,” Phinyawatana says. “It’s now going to be experiential around different parts of the country of Thailand, where I can incorporate my story and maybe a special holiday.”
On Oct. 22, she’ll be focusing on Northeastern Thai food, showing viewers how to prepare a spicy papaya salad with sticky rice, Thai steak and Nam Jim Jaew dipping sauce. Customers from the Dallas area can purchase a kit with already prepped ingredients, making it especially easy to follow and cook along.
And although kit-buyers will receive one or two bottles of her sauce, Phinyawatana isn’t concerned with pushing the sale of her sauces to her cooking class customers.
“I haven’t really focused on the sauces,” Phinyawatana says. “It’s more like, join the class, join the experience, and enjoy the sauce.”
Sauces and chili crisps can be purchased at all restaurant locations, through Asian Mint’s website, or through Amazon.
Sauce flavors include Pad Thai Sauce, Stir Fry Sauce, Black Soy Sauce, Sweet and Sour Sauce and a Hot Sauce. Chili crisp flavors include Original Crispy Chili, Basil Thai Crispy Chili, Original Thai Crispy Chili and Basil Thai Crispy Chili.
For more information, visit asianmint.com.
