Jawl Beary, SOI-3 Kitchen & Bar – deliciousness in a side lane
Martinborough resident, Jawl Beary chose the Pour & Explore Festival held in Martinborough over August to launch her latest venture, SOI-3 Kitchen & Bar, offering contemporary Thai cuisine.
From a young age, Jawl learned to cook in Thailand working alongside her mother preparing family meals. Later, she trained as a chef. In 2007, she came to Martinborough via Taupo where she had spent seven years working as a chef. After separating from her husband, Jawl found herself in Martinborough with no plans. She said to herself, “I like this place and I decided to stay”. With a son to support she needed to work. “Because I am a “doer” I thought I would do something different”. Jawl learned about viticulture and set up her own contracting business. Employing mainly Thai people, “they work hard”, she provided vineyard services and supervision for vineyards for the next 15 years.
The lure of cooking never left her; she ran the kitchen for Tohu Gin Room & Eatery in Martinborough for three years and then in 2019, set up her Food Truck serving “Bangkok-style street food”. Based mainly at Schubert Vineyard, it became a popular destination. When the former Crouching Tiger restaurant became available for lease, Jawl jumped at the chance to set up her own permanent brick and mortar restaurant named SOI-3.
A soi in Thailand refers to a side street, lane or alley which branches off the main road. They are usually numbered and food trucks can often be found offering tasty street food. With a clever play on words, Jawl named her restaurant SOI-3. It is in a lane off 3 Kitchener Street. She says her menu is “a step up on the food offerings of the typical Thai food truck”.
SOI-3 opened with neighbouring tasting room, The Good Way, providing wine matches for the seven-course degustation menu “they are my neighbours around the corner on Ohio Street”. From the get-go, SOI-3 has flourished. As the menu leaflet says “…we bring you the heart of Thailand to your table with bold flavours, traditional recipes, and genuine hospitality in every dish” which can be paired with local wines and cocktails.
Early reviews sing the praises of SOI-3. Favourites include Duck Curry, Braised Beef SOI-3 Curry, Prawn Spring Rolls and Snapper Fish in Tom Yum Broth. A Passionfruit Chilli Margarita or a crisp Wairarapa Riesling are highly recommended accompaniments.
Jawl is delighted with her new venture. She shared a post expressing gratitude to the Martinborough community and visitors for their support over the first two months of operation and thanked the kitchen team, Terapon and Bo for their hard work. Jawl noted her excitement to continue serving Thai. SOI-3 is a dream come true for the hardworking, friendly entrepreneur who is Jawl Beary. May this early success continue.
