Those who have recently been to the BX may have noticed that MAFB has a new food truck! Little Blue Elephant, located just outside the Food Court, made its debut on April 23d of this year. The friendly face serving you at the lunch counter? Little Blue Elephant’s owner Ken Thedsomboon.
Hailing from Bangkok, Ken began cooking with his mother, whom he credits for his recipes, at a young age. After coming to the United States he expanded his culinary repertoire while working at the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. He made his way West and after pausing in Grand Forks for a year, arrived in Minot at the peak of the oil boom in 2013. And if the question was whether this small corner of the Midwest was ready to embrace Thai cuisine and Sushi, the answer seems to have been a resound ‘yes!’
Not just a food truck, Little Blue Elephant operates as a brick and mortar restaurant for part of the year. Tucked away in an atrium on 22 S Main Street, fans of their food know to keep a close eye on their Facebook page for dates and hours of operation. They are often closed from December through March, to visit family in Thailand. In the summer, the restaurant also shuts down and Ken takes his skills on the road for ‘Food Truck Season.’ Little Blue Elephant’s food truck has been all over the Midwest, including South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Their current three month contract with AAFES will mean that, with a few exceptions such as an event in Watford City the first week of June, and, of course, the North Dakota State Fair, Ken and his truck will remain parked right here on MAFB. After that? Who is to say. Perhaps this brief three month relationship could evolve into something longer term for the base community. When Ken was asked he smiled and said, “I want to stay forever because I love it already.”
The truck’s busiest time is often right around 10:45. Good things take time, and while normally food is prepared more quickly, during these surges it can take 15-20 minutes from when an order is first placed to when the food is ready. Ken emphasized that there is no online ordering option because this would stretch his truck beyond its capacity. He added, “I want to make good food that is good quality with fresh vegetables. I want to be able to guarantee the quality under my hand.” He shared that he doesn’t take shortcuts, and prefers to allow ingredients (his vegetables are purchased, the evening before they are served) and his time-honed technique to deliver on both texture and flavor.
Customer favorites include pot stickers, Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, Young Ginger, and Pepper Steak. People are also very enthusiastic about the sushi selection, which changes depending on the day of the week. While Ken loves everything on his menu, he suggested that those new to Thai food try the Pad Thai if they enjoy noodle dishes or Hot Pepper Basil for a rice based dish. He also mentioned that, as with all Thai food, it can be ordered with no spice or on a spice scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being ‘Thai hot.’ Newcomers may want to scale up with caution. Ken also suggested that customers try a Thai Iced Tea or Watermelon Smoothie, which are made fresh and might help offset some of that Thai spice in their meal.
Ken’s pride in the food his mother taught him to make, love for ‘food truckin’, and joy at being a part of what fuels Team Minot was emphatic. “I love to make good food for the military who work so hard for this country. I love this country that has given me opportunities. This is a very, very [emphasis his] good country.”
Through July 22d, Minot AFB residents can enjoy Little Blue Elephant’s freshly prepared Thai and sushi on weekdays from 10 AM to 6 PM. Dates and times are subject to change – please see the Minot AFB Exchange Facebook page for updates.
