Dominique Woolf: “I don’t feel Thai, but it’s familiar”
The chef on her formative years, an innate sense of adventure and not knowing how she feels
Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to chef Dominique Woolf, who is of mixed Thai and English heritage. Dominique’s heritage influences the flavours of The Woolf’s Kitchen, her brand of sauces, oils and pastes ready to make all of our dinner times delicious. Dominique has also just released her new cookbook The Asian Pantry, which paid subscribers will get a chance to win on Thursday. Hungry yet? Read on to hear Dominique’s story below.
How do you refer to your racial identity?
I never say I’m mixed-race, I would always say I’m half-Thai.
My mum is Thai, her grandfather was Chinese. My dad is English, his mother was Dutch-English and brought up on the Dutch side. She didn’t know her English father. My dad’s father was half-English, half-Swiss French, brought up on the English side. When I say I’m half English, I don’t actually feel English – it’s European.
It’s interesting to hear you say you don’t feel English. Do you feel Thai?
I was brought up in the Middle East where my dad was a TEFL teacher. I was born in Saudi and lived in Qatar until I was about eight and a half. I didn’t feel English because I lived abroad. I moved schools twice before secondary school, so in those formative years there was a bit of moving around. That was as much of the issue as being half-Thai.
What was your cultural upbringing like?
We were in the Middle East expat communities, and as a child I remember that being very English. There was actually a big Indian community in Qatar, so some of the first restaurants I went to were Indian restaurants.
We’d eat out a lot, because that’s what you did. You’d go to a nice hotel for Sunday lunch and have a buffet that would be British. My mum would make Thai stuff sometimes, so it was a bit of a mix.
Was food the way you connected with your Thai culture?
Definitely. The smell of Thai curry paste is very familiar, and when we moved back to the UK we’d always be getting big crates of prawns. There wouldn’t be much finesse with food, my mum would say “we’re having chicken satay” and then make 100 chicken satays.
We did go to the Thai temple in Wimbledon a couple of times. I took the kids there. It was nice to see that cultural side, that’s the most they’ve seen of Thailand other than eating Thai food.
How did all of these bleed into the foods and recipes you make today?
For me, the spicy, salty, sour, sweet and umami are the flavour points that really define the cooking. Big, bold, punchy flavours are the flavours I love. Asian food is my favourite.
My mum grew up in Bangkok which is a melting point of different cuisines, so for me it’s not about traditional or authentic, it’s about using flavours in different ways. It's a very practical thing – if I’ve got a tub of curry paste, yes I can make the curry, but what else can I do with that curry? You can use it to season things as a marinade, you can use it for all sorts of things.
In The Asian Pantry, you’ve got dishes that are not Asian with a Thai or Asian twist. I’ve got a Thai red chicken curry pie, I’ve got a kimchi caesar salad. I’m not only going to eat kimchi with a Korean meal. It’s being creative and using those flavours in your everyday food.
It’s also making it work – I don’t have long to cook, I’ve got kids and a business and I need something that is going to hit the spot in little time and is simple. I’ve never made a Thai curry paste – you don’t need to when there are goody quality brands. It's just knowing how to use those flavours. I think a lot of people are scared initially, but once you get familiar, you can navigate the balance of flavours.
Do you think your mixed heritage and global upbringing has led you to feel a bit more adventurous?
Definitely. Living abroad, you just become a bit more open. When I went to Egypt 14 years ago, I remember thinking ‘this feels really familiar’ even though I’d never been.
I used to watch a lot of cooking shows and I really wanted to travel, experience different foods and be adventurous with that. My kids have that innate adventure. I took them to Wing Yip, the big Asian supermarket, and they were so excited. They wanted to try everything, the weird and wonderful.
You mentioned to me that you don’t feel Thai and that you didn’t expect people to ‘mistake’ you for Thai on your recent trip. Does it bother you that people might not see you in that way?
No, because I don't speak the language. When I went to the Thai temple and was surrounded by Thai people, I didn’t feel Thai but it’s familiar. Familiar, but not belonging. I never know if I feel more white, I think most people think I’m European. I’ve never had anyone say ‘you look half-Thai.’ I don't really know what I feel.
What’s the best thing about being mixed?
It gives me that point of difference, it gives me credit in this space and makes the brand more interesting. It gives colour to the story – I can say that this sauce comes from my Thai aunty’s recipe. For me, it’s been a real journey. Aside from getting called names when I was nine, it's always been an asset. I’m grateful for that.
Can you sum up your mixed identity in one word?
Food. That’s my passion. I love eating. This actually isn't about feeding people, of course I will, it’s because I love eating and I love to have something I can cook that’s delicious. Being half-Thai is the reason for my passion, it’s the crux of everything really. I may well have stumbled upon it, I only really started cooking in adulthood, but it’s ingrained in me.
Buy The Asian Pantry here and stock up on The Woolf’s Kitchen here. Next week, I’ll be speaking to Jaded author Ela Lee. Subscribe to get Mixed Messages in your inbox on Monday.
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Mixed Messages is a weekly exploration of the mixed-race experience, from me, Isabella Silvers. My mom is Punjabi (by way of East Africa) and my dad is white British, but finding my place between these two cultures hasn’t always been easy. That’s why I started Mixed Messages, where each week I’ll speak to a prominent mixed voice to delve into what it really feels like to be mixed.