Supranee Phramdang ‘Nem’ Of Nem’s Bistro: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restaurateur
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Your budget is not enough. All the quotes from plumbers, electrical, contractors, and vendors will go up substantially. All of them. It’s a basic rule.
As a part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restaurateur”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Supranee Phramdang ‘Nem’.
Supranee Phramdang (Nem) is a Thai entrepreneur who grew up helping her family run restaurants in Bangkok. Passionate about Japanese food and culture, she opened her first smoothie bar at ten. After moving to Greenpoint, she gained a following for her creative fresh fruit and vegetable shakes at her small pop-up. Due to its growing popularity, Nem opened Nem’s Japandi Bistro, blending Japanese and Scandinavian culinary influences.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restaurateur?
My parents own a restaurant in Bangkok, so I was exposed to the hospitality industry at an early age. When I arrived in NYC, it was natural for me to explore the possibility of sharing my knowledge within my community.
Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?
I grew up in a mixed Thai-Japanese family. I have always been passionate about Japanese cuisine. In recent years, I discovered the New Nordic movement, and after visiting Copenhagen, I fell in love with it. I then felt compelled to explore the possibility of combining Japanese and Scandinavian cuisines. Interior design has already tried this approach successfully. My goal was to translate it into my cuisine.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you became a restaurateur? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
One of the most heart-warming and curious things that happened in my small bistro was when a few kids who came with their parents got curious and peeked behind the open kitchen. When I asked them if they wanted to help me, they all got super excited. In no time, one of the kids was on a stool helping me blend strawberries and bananas. It was lovely to see them happy and excited to create something with me. I just hoped that the Health Department inspector didn’t show up in the middle of this underage work.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? How did you overcome this obstacle?
Covid and anti-Asian hatred-I started my first seasonal pop-up outside a restaurant in Williamsburg during the summer of 2020. It was a difficult time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented challenges it brought. Additionally, as an Asian person, I had to face the hatred and discrimination that was directed towards my community in the wake of the outbreak. Despite these challenges, I persevered with the knowledge that I had done nothing wrong. The support and love of my customers played a vital role in my recovery.
In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?
I am always listening and keeping my eyes open. I constantly request and absorb feedback, am curious, try new things, and explore a mix of flavors, even if they have never been tried before.
Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal for you’?
It combines four flavor profiles: salt, sweet, bitter, and sour. It starts with a small soup, rice, proteins, vegetables, and different spices and dipping sauces.
Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?
My matcha, which I import directly from Japan, and my 20-minute daily Meditation.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?
Nem’s Food + Love Bank. I have never seen so many unhoused people. People in need. It makes me so sad. I am trying to bring together other restaurateurs, find partners and build a not-for-profit organization to alleviate the pain of the less fortunate.
What advice would you give to other restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?
This may sound obvious but try to find a balance within yourself. Daily meditation helps me a lot.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Restaurateur” and why?
“Do not even think of opening a restaurant!” Five times. Lol.
Jokes apart:
You need a lot of patience. More than you may have ;).
Your budget is not enough. All the quotes from plumbers, electrical, contractors, and vendors will go up substantially. All of them. It’s a basic rule.
Finding qualified staffers is extremely hard at this time.
The kitchen staff will fight with the floor staff and vice versa, and you will have to mediate every single day.
Forget having your vacations when you want to have them. You will only have them (perhaps) during the restaurant’s low season.
What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?
Our 48-hour house-cured, Japanese-influenced Gravlax.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
As I mentioned, Nem’s Food + Love Bank. I have never seen so many unhoused people, people in need. It makes me so sad. I am trying to bring together other restaurateurs, find partners, private and institutional, and build a not-for-profit to alleviate the pain of the less fortunate.
Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!
Supranee Phramdang ‘Nem’ Of Nem’s Bistro: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.