Why is this new Thai restaurant in Vienna called “Pumpui”? It means ‘chubby’ — that is not what you will get from eating Khao Soy, Pad Krapao, or Curry but that is what Thai friends will call even their slimmest crowd members after they’ve gained one kilogram.
Common greetings in Thailand are “Have you eaten yet?” and remarks like “You’re fat!” while at the same time encouraging the other person to eat (more).
As you might’ve figured out, food is a very important part of this culture. So it is a must for any restaurant that claims to be authentic, to transfer this message. An original Thai experience should be a mirror of what a visitor would get in the kingdom of smiles.
I’ve lived in Thailand for a year and travel back and forth ever since. One thing I could not get anywhere outside of the Southeast Asian country was the locally brewed beer “Leo,” which happened to be my favorite. Yet they very recently seem to have changed their export strategy because not only did I spot it last week at the only Thai shop in Vienna, but also here at Pumpui’s fridge. Of course, we had to have it.
Oh yeah, about the place: super tasty! The interior intends to give you a street food feeling, hence the container-like kitchen front and the ceramic dishes imitating paper plates or the plastic baskets with sauces and tissues on each table.
