Payakk is situated in the middle of Merriewood’s commercial district. Surrounded by trees, those few blocks leading up to the Oakland Hills remind me of an enchanted forest. Every time I catch a glimpse of Thornhill Drive on the way out of Montclair, the neighborhood seems to suddenly materialize the way Narnia did for Lucy at the back of a magical wardrobe.
Instead of a lion, chef Nattaporn Pinpech’s spirit animal is a tiger. Her daughter’s name means “year of the tiger.” Pinpech, who goes by chef Tobb, named her first Bay Area restaurant, Secrets of Tiger, for her. Two years later Tobb has opened Payakk, which means “big tiger” in Thai. Emeryville’s Secrets of Tiger, Tobb told me, specializes in Thai street food. Dishes such as pad Thai; curry puffs stuffed with chicken and potatoes; drunken noodles, so named for their power to cure hangovers; and spring rolls.
At Payakk, Tobb said, “The menu is upscale.” She described the cooking there as closer to “royal Thai cuisine.” But the two menus do overlap in places. A pad Thai chaiya, according to a note on the menu, was served for the first time in the United States at Secrets of Tiger—and I’m not going to contest that claim. This regional dish from Southern Thailand alters the usual pad Thai by including coconut milk, tamarind, cane sugar, shrimp and crab. Someone I know tried it when they went and said the dish was, “omg so good, fresh, high-quality shrimp and crab.”
We tried a different specialty, the Green Lady Tiger Curry. Ribeye steak is chargrilled then served on top of a spicy green curry sauce. Dark green leaves of Thai basil are fried then added as garnish, slick and shiny from their oily bath. Tobb is generous with her serving portions. The plate held more meat than either of us could imagine eating in a single sitting.
To start the meal we split mushroom nam prik and a light, simple plate of bean sprouts and green onion stems cooked in soy sauce. I ought to try making this refreshing dish at home. The nam prik is described as a “rustic chili dip” made with garlic and served with a softboiled egg cut into two jammy halves, lettuce leaves and, oddly, three or four sauteed brussels sprouts.
We also made the mistake of ordering a second heavy meat dish. My instinct was to order the tom yong gai yang soup. But I went to Payakk without my glasses and only read the first line under Sua Yai, which I thought was a grilled pork dish. The description I missed continued with: “And 13 oz. ribeye steak.” It was just too much steak for one meal.
Tobb, who is Chinese and Thai, said her cooking reflects not only her roots but also her training and travels throughout Asia. “We have the same stir fry techniques in Thailand and China. In the United States, it’s called wok,” she said. To make fried rice, she uses a pan on high heat with cold oil to coat every grain. The ingredients in Thai food have also evolved over time. “We didn’t [originally] eat pork or lamb, but we were influenced by commerce with China, India and Persia,” she said.
The interior design of Payakk extends the feeling of that enchanted landing in Merriewood. Tobb’s husband, Jaturakorn “Yong” Pinpech, is the art director. She said he can’t cook, but his background in advertising and graphic design has been good for branding. The strong teal walls are accented with a pale orange that feels exactly right.
One original wood-paneled wall remains in place, circa a hippie-er bygone Berkeley era. With a mixture of plants, benches, tables and framed prints, the two parallel dining rooms look homey and welcoming. Tobb also hired Tle, an architect from Khon Kaen University, who built a large wooden bar adorned with dark green tiles. They match the deep-fried basil leaves.
This month Tobb will change up the menu by adding traditional dishes from the Trat Province in east Thailand, including a super-spicy duck curry.
Payakk, 5761 Thornhill Dr., Oakland. Open Thu-Mon, 5-9pm. 510.844.4010. payakk.com
