With her petite and slim frame, it is hard to picture Boosarin Piyacharoenwatana as a diehard foodie who would go to great lengths to get her fix, but she is candid about her love affair with mouth-watering dishes from across the globe.
Known affectionately to friends and acquaintances as Ploy, the 25-year-old's passion for good food, particularly Japanese cuisine, played a deciding role in her life-altering decision to resign from a promising career at a Japanese auto company to set up Sankyodai Japanese Restaurant two months ago with two friends from university.
After graduating from Chulalongkorn University with a degree in mechanical engineering, her attempt to work in the private sector was short-lived, largely because of her desire to be her own boss. And what better way to combine that with something you love, she says with a smile.
"Back then, the thought of living my entire life as an employee was rather troubling for me," Boosarin said. "While going through the options I had for a possible career change, what I was focused on was finding something that was unrelated to what I was doing at the time.
"As a person that loves to eat, especially Japanese food, and also travel, I used to think what better way than to put them together and make it into a profession. Being a person that can accept change as a challenge in life turned out to work in my favour. I do not regret studying engineering because it has taught me fundamental concepts for working life."
It was at about this juncture in her young life that she began to seriously contemplate setting up a Japanese restaurant. She was rather fortunate to have like-minded friends who shared a passion for Japanese food to become her business partners.
As the threesome are sushi lovers, they wanted a restaurant that would captivate the alluring forms of sushi in its entirety, she said. It was unanimously decided that the outlet be called Sankyodai (Japanese for three brothers) Japanese Cuisine, offering traditional/fusion sushi, centrally located on Sukhumvit Soi 24.
A painstaking effort has been made by the business partners to serve customers with the best-quality dishes to spice up their eating experience, with sushi and sashimi presentations served in a warm and friendly Japanese-style shop with earth-tone decor.
Boosarin takes a personal delight in sharing one of her favourite dishes from the menu.
Seikai aburi, a combination of six aburi sushi (aburi means grill on top of fish or meat in Japanese), is where diners can expect the best the ocean has to offer, she said, with such toppings and fillings as otoro, kuruma ebi, and enkawa, while another set has Matsuzaka beef, beef tongue and foie gras.
These six have been chosen as the most appropriate aburi sushi, she said with delight, her eyes glancing at the dish with appreciation.
Setting up a Japanese restaurant business takes a lot of on-the-job training and lessons learned along the way.
"This is my very first business, so there are many, many things to learn," enthused Boosarin with a tone of anticipation.
"A couple of tips I was given by well-wishers that have been helpful since our soft opening was the need to have passion for what you do. If you do things with passion, you tend to generate more enthusiasm in yourself to overcome the most difficult hurdles that come along the way. That seems to be very true.
"One has to also be daring enough to take up the challenge. Also be ready for change. The more we can adapt to circumstances, the easier it gets to reach our goals. Be optimistic - there is always light at the end of the tunnel, I am told. Also keep yourself updated on what is happening in the world."
Boosarin says she is fortunate to have found career that suits her. She considers herself lucky to be doing what she loves while still in her 20s.
"Everything works together in life for a purpose," she said. "Prior to setting up my own business, both my student and working life revolved around science and maths. I never really thought I had a creative side till I had my restaurant.
"If you happen to be in your 20s like myself, there are numerous options out there for you to experiment with, so don't settle for something you are not sure is for you. See what passions you have and follow your heart. As a foodie, for me it's to keep eating and managing the business of my dreams."
PHOTOS: PORNPROM SATRABHAYA
