What We Love Now

The mastermind behind this move is Pepe Barajas, president and CEO of Infinity Enterprises Group Ltd., whose funky neighbouring Creekside coffee shop Rockit Coffee opened last year. “I’m excited to be part of the renaissance of Creekside,” says Barajas. “It was the original village in Whistler, and slowly it’s coming back to life again.”

After two extensive culinary research trips crisscrossing Thailand, tasting everything from fine dining to street food, Mexico City-born Barajas, who owns The Mexican Corner and La Cantina Tacos, concluded that Thailand and Mexico share many characteristics. “It’s how they cook, and utilize ingredients, the mix of citrus with sweetness and spice,” he explains. “So many cooking techniques are traditional too — no gels or foams! The flavours are complex and the regional differences vast.”

At Mekong, Barajas explains that guests can enjoy a true taste of Thai flavours — not a North Americanized version — and many of the front-of-house and kitchen staff will be Thai too. Thai-born Chef Bonnie Khummuang, who cooked alongside Chef An for three years and then helmed An’s treasured Longtail Kitchen for three more years, will enact that vision. “We’ll be importing the herbs, spices, and veggies you can’t get here, so we can create those authentic flavours.” In keeping with Thai traditions of eating many small dishes at the same meal, family-style dining will be encouraged to explore the full spectrum of flavour profiles and textures.