Chef O's philosophy is “get to know your work,” and in the restaurant business, people are what the work is all about. So when he wanted to come up with a name for his new venture, he naturally asked the people. He knew he wanted to name it after an ingredient, like the restaurants where he got his start, Thai Spice and Lemongrass.

So he presented his customers with a choice: mint (sa-ra-nay), garlic (ka-tiam), or basil (ka-prow). They agreed with him that mint sounded too “soggy,” so that was scrapped; the ladies then preferred ka-tiam and the gentlemen almost unanimously chose ka-prow. No one said he couldn’t take sides among his customers, so he went with the gents… and a new restaurant was christened.

Chef O believes that the most important part of his job is interfacing with the people that come to his establishment. As a writer for Eat & Drink Austin, I was given an interview with the Chef… but the interesting thing is, it wasn’t the first time I had talked to him.

I first went to Ka-Prow as a normal customer shortly after it opened a couple of years ago. I was enjoying my food, savoring the aroma of the namesake herb, when from out of the kitchen came Chef O himself. He was asking people if they were enjoying their meals. “Not too spicy?” he was inquiring. When he got to me, I said, “Not spicy enough!” by way of expressing my delight (I had chosen the Pad Ped, which means “Spicy Stir-Fry”—though I didn’t know that at the time). He then surprised me by saying, “Wait, I’ll be right back.”

He vanished into the main kitchen, and soon came back with a salver full of spicy ingredients in condiment bowls. He explained what each one was, recommending one over the others if I didn’t want it to be too salty. After a few minutes he came back and made sure I was happy—to be honest, I had just been showing off my flame-proof tongue, and now I was more than satisfied. I finished enjoying the fresh ka-prow, the garlic, the succulent pork, and the whole time I was wondering how many weeks this new restaurateur would keep up this kind of service. It is now two years later, and I have seen him interview customers on at least two other occasions when I’ve dined there.

Of course, the best thing about having such a hands-on chef is getting recommendations. If you do talk to him, I recommend that you are prepared to answer questions on three subjects: diet, spice, and starch (rice or noodles). Of course, if the diet is one that includes no starch or (heaven forbid) no spice, there will only be two questions—you get the picture. If you want a recommendation with no questions asked, he will not hesitate to proffer the Paradise Duck. Mild in spice and comparatively low-carb, this dish is not half-heartedly named—oh my, no! Lovingly sautéed and served up on a bed of steamed vegetables, kissed with a light honey sauce, this is the best game dish I have ever had. Vegetarians can visit Paradise, too—almost everything on the menu is available as a vegetarian dish. If you’re looking for more standard Thai delights, try the spicy Pad Ka-Prow: your choice of meats (I recommend the pork) stir-fried with onions, peppers, mushrooms and that famous aromatic herb ka-prow—a feast for the nose as much as the mouth.

So come see the Paradise Duck, come for the wealth of herbs and veggies, come to talk to the chef (no promises, of course—he’s always working like mad), come to see live music on Friday and Saturday nights, but above all, get up to Ka-Prow. It’s the spice for a variety of lives.