Interview with Pat Wanasawage
Owner of Bow Thai Restaurant
Behind the large gate, was this beautiful well-manicured garden mansion where we met with our cover model, Patravee Wanasawage, the owner of Bow Thai restaurant. We drove inside the gate admiring the rolling, manicured lawns. The place looked nice but seemed like no one lives there. All was quiet except for the delicate sound of fountains and wind blowing through the beautiful tall palm trees standing near the swimming pool. A huge and heavy wooden door to the Queenslander home was already opened revealing a grand piano in the middle of the house.
Pat explained the deal with the big empty mansion that it belongs to her son and his family who is now residing in Paris. She would come to this place once in a while to check around to make sure it’s in good condition but most of the time no one lives there.
Overall the inside of the home sends an airy feeling with cross-breezes from the open windows, and calming vibe from the soft creamy-white furnishings. Pat welcomed us with her softest voice from the other side of the house and glides across the room in a red lace dress. Her hair is well set and her skin is luminous. She smiles widely to welcome our team including a photographer and make up artist for the photo shoot.
Like most things involving Patravee Wanasawage, stepping foot into her mansion is an experience so heightened as she is known for “a proper lady”, everything she organizes or has control over, has to be proper or nearest to perfection.
“All the staff male or female who worked with me at my restaurant have to behave properly and dress properly, even when they are not in their working hours in my restaurant, because they still represent Bow Thai, myself and also Thailand”, recalled Pat. She said that she’d change the uniform for her staff at Bow Thai every three months or so. Each collection was an adapted Thai traditional outfit or “Chut Thai” and staff not only had to wear them accordingly, but needed to know about each style so that they can share Thai culture with her clients.
As soon as she starts speaking and telling stories about her time at Bow Thai, we realised that a bit of our preconceived notions about Pat weren’t quite right. She’s not a high-and-mighty lady who wants everything perfect all the time. She is not as intense as many of her adventurous journeys suggest — or at least not obviously so. She comes across rather like an older sister, who is friendly, practical and a very kind person.
The Bow Thai
After migrating to Australia in 1989, Pat saw potential growth in the Brisbane city, so she started her restaurant business in the heart of busy Queen Street Mall. Bow Thai later relocated to a larger premise in Fortitude Valley in 1999 and was awarded the 8th best Thai restaurant in Australia by the Thai Restaurant Association. Her partner, Dr Anusorn Anjanbutra was a successful property developer in Thailand travels back and forth between Brisbane and Thailand. Together they have two children.
Bow Thai in Fortitude Valley became very well known for the authenticity of its food and (very) proper service. For Pat, the place was almost her second home. She would make sure everything is in order, the kitchen was clean, her staffs were well dressed, well-mannered and the food presented to client was cooked and looked the best.
Bow Thai is where a lot of stories and history of her family were made. “Fortitude Valley is a cultural hub with people from a mix of cultural backgrounds. Her clients came from all walks of lives. “Cliff Richard was also one of my regulars, whenever he’s in Brisbane, he will call in my restaurant. We became good friends”.
She also had to deal with some imperfect clients. On one occasion, a client just walked out of the restaurant without pay. When Pat realised he was gone she ran after him and he ran faster. “I chased after him up the road. A policeman helped me catch him. If he said he didn’t have money to pay for dinner, I would have fed him for free” said Pat laughingly.
It’s also a place where Pat created a little family and a home away from home for many students from Thailand who came to study in Brisbane and worked for her. “They still keeping in touch with me after many years have gone by. Every time they know that I go to Thailand, they’d want to catch up or visit me at my home in Bangkok, they bring their families to the meet up as well.” Pat said that it gives her such good feeling that they respect her and treat her like a member of their family “they still call me Auntie Pat and I am like a grandparent to their children.”
Almost 30 years later, Bow Thai has now become a smaller takeaway restaurant in Birkdale Fair Shopping Centre, where her son was managing the Centre before moving to France. Pat shared the reasoning behind the downsizing “my husband and my children didn’t want me to stress over the big Bow Thai in the Valley anymore. They wanted me to retire or just do light work. So these days I just help my daughter run this small business, a little takeaway restaurant with a café next to it, but it’s a Bow Thai business for me.”
One could wonder that with all the wealth and comfort that she has, why is it she bothers getting all dress up in the morning to go to work. Why doesn’t she spend her time enjoying her retirement, going to temple, making merits, help the community just like she always does. She could also spend her retirement travelling back and forth to Thailand and Paris (where her son and her grandchildren live). But instead she is still very hands on and enjoys her small business venture. When questioned why Pat replied “Working makes me happy. It gives me life and something to do which I am good at. Although my daughter is very good at it too, but it’s always nice that I can have a part in the business and share my experiences with her”.