Piyarat Potha Arreeratn, aka Chef Bee, is no stranger to the kitchen. Growing up in northern Thailand, his parents were farmers, who taught him about growing and preparing his own food. His grandmother was also a cook, who taught him how to make various Thai street foods that she sold at the local market.
Chef Bee eventually made his way to Miami, where he worked up the ranks to ultimately become a sushi chef at Nobu Miami Beach. In 2005, he opened his first restaurant, Oishi Thai {14841 Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami Beach; 305.947.4338} to critical acclaim. This fall, Chef Bee will open his second restaurant, NaiYaRa {1854 Bay Road, Miami Beach}, in the burgeoning Sunset Harbour neighborhood. DiningOut had the chance to catch up with Chef Bee to discuss his new venture.
1. Tell us about your background. Where are you originally from? What made you decide to be a chef?
I’m originally from Thailand. I started cooking with my mother at a very young age, preparing meals for our family in our hometown of Chiang Rai. Throughout the years, I’ve worked as a dishwasher, a busboy, a server, a cashier, and a sushi chef. I’ve always known that I wanted to open my own restaurant.
2. What made you decide to come to the United States, particularly Miami?
I decided to come to the United States to study and open a business many years ago. Miami is one of the best cities in the world. I’m from the mountains in Thailand, but I’ve always loved the sun, beach, and sand. I love the people in Miami and the culture.
3. How did you get the nickname “Chef Bee”?
I am and always have been a workaholic. My friends started noticing how much I worked when I was in my 20s—I had two jobs and slept five hours a day! When I worked with Chef Kevin Cory at Siam River, I would open AND close the restaurant. Friends and customers started calling me “Busy Bee” and it stuck. Oishi Thai has been open for over a decade and you will always see me there—unless I’m sick.
4. How did opening Oishi Thai prepare you for opening a second restaurant?
When I opened Oishi Thai, it was in the middle of nowhere. It was wrong in every sense—there were no residents around, no offices—it was a mistake. But I’ve carried the restaurant through tough times for over a decade. Consistency in food and service is the key to success. NaiYaRa will open in Sunset Harbour, which is a popular destination, not like our first.
5. Tell us about the overall concept for NaiYaRa. How does it differ from Oishi Thai?
Oishi Thai has always been about me. I came to this country to take risks and open a business. NaiYaRa will be for and about my daughter (Naiya-ra is my daughter’s name—in Thai, it means elephant, friendly, honest, hard work, and long life). She was born and raised in America and this restaurant is to show her my roots.
6. And the menu?
The menu will be similar to Oishi Thai, but it will have an emphasis on Thai street food with organic and health-conscious dishes throughout. All the recipes are from my mother and my hometown. I want my daughter to discover and understand how I grew up and our roots.
7. How often do you travel back to your native Thailand and how does this influence your cooking?
I go to Thailand once a year to visit my father and mother. Whenever I’m home, my mother and aunt cook for my daughter and me. The cooking is based on whatever produce is available in their own backyard and in season.
8. What are your personal favorite items on the menu? What do you hope will be your signature dishes?
I have many favorite menu items. Two years ago, I started making a dish called Burmese Noodle Wraps—fresh chow fun noodles filled with roasted chile paste, palm sugar, lime juice, and ground peanuts. It originated in Myanmar, which is next to Chiang Rai. This year, I’m trying to support my Thai friends who are farmers in Homestead. Two signature dishes will be the Organic Crispy Bok Choy with garlic chips topped with sweet sesame soy, and the Crispy Chicken Dumplings with spicy garlic soy vinaigrette.
9. What Miami chefs or celebrity chefs do you admire?
Chef Kevin Cory from NAOE, Chef Brad Kilgore from Alter, Chef Aaron Brooks from Edge Steak, Chef Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine, Chef Michelle Bernstein and Chef Duangwiwat Khoetchapalayook (aka Chef Danny) from Oishi Thai.
10. Do you have a favorite food or guilty pleasure?
I can eat barbecue all day. Tom Jenkins BBQ is my favorite.
By Sherri Balefsky | Miami Editor