When Supannee Saengwong and her family came to Lewiston several years ago to open the Thai Jarearn restaurant, they brought with them more than the traditional flavors of Thailand. “My family comes from the border of Thailand,” she explained, “so the food, it’s not just Thai, it has the taste of Laos, Vietnam, China, even Japan.”

Supannee, her father, Samer, and mother, Somrudee, bought Thai Jarearn four years ago after moving to Lewiston from Massachusetts. And the business continues to be family operated; its core employees are Supannee, her parents and her sister, who cook, serve, run deliveries and cater.

Supannee’s family offered samples of and demonstrated cooking of Thai food last Wednesday as part of the St. Mary’s Farmer’s Market. Fresh spring rolls, vegetable Pad Thai and brown rice with vegetables were the offerings, and all the food, Supannee assured, is made with fresh ingredients, sourced locally and organically when possible.

Supannee learned the traditional Southeastern Asian recipes from her father, she said. Her favorite dish from the Thai Jarearn menu is the Drunken Noodle, which is a stir fry of rice noodles, eggs, vegetables and a spicy chili sauce. However, she said, the most popular item on the menu remains the Pad Thai, a noodle dish with eggs, bean sprouts, scallions and peanuts.

While her father, Samer, wrapped up a fresh spring roll before the many curious and hungry people who stopped by for the demonstration Wednesday, Supannee explained the process:

First, they let two rice-noodle wraps (think rice-based phyllo shells) soak in hot water. After a minute, they lay them flat and cover them with a filling of chopped lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro and mint. Samer rolls the filling up tightly in the rice-noodle wraps, before cutting the spring roll in two and drizzling on a sauce made primarily of peanut butter, vinegar and sugar. The spring rolls have few calories and virtually no fat. The ingredients are fresh and healthy. The taste is subtle, reminiscent of an herb salad, but the flavor is enhanced by the combination of mint, cilantro and the sweetness of the peanut sauce (these being three primary ingredients in Thai cooking).

Earlier, Supannee also explained how to make the vegetable fried rice she was serving that day. “Start out with a pan of hot oil,” she said. Traditionally the oil is sesame, but most cooking oils will work. “You fry up an egg in that,” she continued, “then you throw in diced zucchini, carrots, broccoli and onion. You let that stir fry, then drop in your pre-boiled Jasmine rice.”

What makes it brown rice? “Well the last thing,” she said, “you season it with a lot of soy sauce. And mix it all together.” Most of the recipes on the menu, Supannee said, are relatively simple, based on a few fresh ingredients.

Thai Jarearn Express serves traditional Thai cuisine, as well as dishes inspired by Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian and Japanese influences. It is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays noon to 9 p.m. To see a menu or for more information: http://www.thaijarearnexpress.com/

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