When the pandemic struck and Erik Miller was laid off in the restaurant industry, he had an idea in his back pocket: the Thai cuisine-inspired Tuk-Tuk. (Named for the auto rickshaws prevalent in Thailand.)
Tuk-Tuk started last summer with Sundays at the golf course. When restrictions lightened and Miller was working at Doc Morgan’s, he did afternoons on the back deck. But when the pandemic flared up in the fall, Tuk-Tuk went dormant.
But this summer, Miller’s popular Pad Thai is back, now as a pop-up takeaway at Tell Your Friends café on the pier.
Miller’s been in the food industry his entire life. He started out working on a farm but got really into food with meat cutting and then working at pubs. He graduated Stratford Chef School in 2015, which led him into more of a career path in the food world and running kitchens. “You get a little burnt out in those types of industries and those apprenticeships,” he said. When he was looking for a change, a friend of a friend was general manager of Doc Morgan’s. They were looking for a chef. So Miller moved to Bowen Labour Day 2018, working first at Doc’s and then at Tuscany. “I thought, ‘this is really fun to be on Bowen Island and cook for tourism,’ which is a great big scene that’s now coming back, and also just a unique venture to see what I could bring to a small community.”
But then being laid off presented an opportunity for Miller to work for himself. “At this stage of my career…I feel like I understand who I am as a cook, as a chef, and as somebody who wants to put flavours together,” he said.
A 2017 trip with his now wife, Sarah Kraatz, spending time in the northern mountains of Thailand, provided the inspiration for Tuk-Tuk – “[It] really made me fall in love with the culture, the people the flavours,” he said.
“With Thai cuisine. It’s the five different kinds of sour. It’s a bit of sweet. It’s umami. It’s spice. It’s not just, ‘Oh, season it with some salt and pepper.’ It’s layer building. So that’s the best part about it, is to build those layers up in every dish rather than just tossing something together.”
“I think it’s just really fun and unique that Bowen Island is open to having new flavours,” said Miller. He tries to do some vegan options – as it can be slim-pickings on-island at times – and strives for sustainability with ingredients.
“I’m really conscious of my waste. I use all plant based compostable materials for my takeaway,” he said. “I’m not throwing food out – I’m giving it away if I have to or using it for other meals.”
As a one-man show, Miller does two dishes for each pop-up: the immensely popular Pad Thai (popular here, not so much in Thailand) and a second item of his choosing. As is the nature of pop-up, Miller isn’t setting days, but could pop-up any night of the week at Tell Your Friends after the regular café closes. Watch Facebook and Instagram for details.
