• Thailand •
DANCING CRAB THAI NOODLEHOUSE
February Showcase
2126 E Carson St Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Phone: +1 (412) 431-1984 https://www.dancingcrabnoodle.com/ |
Dancing Crab Thai Noodlehouse is a delightful Thai eatery in the Southside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. With popular dishes like drunken noodles and pad thai, Dancing Crab also offers a selection of Thai curries, innovative dishes, dumplings and drinks. In a city with a small Thai population, Dancing Crab provides a polished hub for authentic cuisine and is sure to have something to please everyone within its growing fan base.
Owner and Restaurant
We talked to the owner, Lek, a native of Sukhothai, Thailand. When she first moved to the United States to pursue nursing at UCLA, Lek says she didn’t know how to cook, claiming that she couldn’t even make a simple bowl of rice. Over time, because she had to cook for herself and her family, she drew inspiration from her mother’s home-cooked meals and taught herself how to create an array of Thai dishes. Drawn to Pittsburgh by a friend in the city and the potential she saw for her own growth, she moved here after her divorce. She found herself trying different Thai food around the city when she missed home and would recreate the meals at home, adjusting the flavors of each dish to perfection. In doing this, she began to develop a love for cooking that transformed her career path.
Her first experience selling Thai food came when she opened a grocery store which sold products imported from Thailand. Reflecting back on this time, she says the store helped her make connections in Thailand that continue to provide the goods needed for her restaurant. She also revealed that it makes her “happy to support the Thai farmers and businesses,” though it is more expensive than purchasing ingredients in the United States.
Following this endeavor, Lek ran a Thai food truck for four years before making the decision to open an official restaurant. She named her restaurant “Dancing Crab” because she found that many people enjoyed crab dishes, but also wanted to match the South Side vibe; she explained that many students come to the area to party, and she wanted the name to imitate the fun atmosphere. She also revealed that the restaurant was often popular at night because many people crave Thai food after a night at the bars. She joked with us that she thought opening a restaurant would be easy because she didn’t think people had experienced true Thai food, but she “cannot fool people” because many people of her customers have actually been to Thailand.
Because she grew up in a big family with many close neighbors, she often finds herself missing her loved ones and the warm environment they provided. In Thailand, people were more friendly and inviting, always leaving their doors open and popping in and out of each other's houses to share meals and stories. Another thing she misses are the street vendors that lined the street of her hometown and claims that the authenticity of the food they sell makes them allows them to be "much much better than the 5-star restaurants.”
Food
Growing up, Lek ate lots of curries, namely green curry. Her mom, who loved to cook, made her own curry paste and mainly used raw ingredients. Inspired by this, Lek uses market-bought products to try to recreate her mom’s signature curry paste. Common ingredients she uses in the curries she serves, as well as other popular dishes, are coconut milk, tamarind, Palm sugar, Kaffir leaves, and Thai chili for spice. Thai chili comes in two different varieties: mild and hot. Although many people can’t handle the level of spice the hotter chili provides, Lek loves it and always makes her food the spiciest it can be.