Thong Sala’s Panthip Food Market is one of Koh Phangan’s most famous attractions, numbers of locals and tourists visit the market sometimes every day to get their breakfast, lunch and dinner from one of the many stalls or shops which have a vast diversity of cuisine to choose from.
It’s latest offering is Capana which is noticeably situated it one of the largest shops at the back of the seating area and it is always exciting to see what new delights are being offered at the market.
Leo Beer took us down to meet the super lovely husband and wife team Dima and Peter, both originally from Bulgaria who are behind Capana to hear their unique story and learn more about the healthy looking food on offer…
Hey guys so tell us your Koh Phangan story…
I was living in London and Peter in Berlin so we both left to travel and find a new place to settle down and have a better lifestyle.
You know that when you really want something it doesn’t come and we were travelling but just didn’t find the right place so we went back to Europe for a while and then to India to learn more about yoga. India wasn’t what we hoped for and we decided to go to Thailand for a couple of weeks before we headed back to Europe.
Phangan was a planned two-days trip but once we set our feet here we felt that this place was special so we stayed for a month. We then went back to Europe for two months before we found ourselves at the terminal waiting to board the plane back to Thailand.
We knew from our first visit that Phangan still has good business opportunities and when we saw this place for sale, we both felt that this is it.
Why the name Capana?
In Bulgarian it translates as ‘trap’ but in Bulgaria we have these small places on the beach where people gather to eat, drink and sit socially around big tables that are called ‘Capan-che’. We just shortened it to make it easier to pronounce.
And what’s the concept of Capana?
Peter has been vegetarian for sixteen years and vegan for four and I’ve been vegan for five years but we both started eating eggs just a little especially when we are with our families back home. In the Bulgarian kitchen there is a lot of yogurt, eggs and white cheese and it is really difficult not to have them in the menu. We always cook vegan food at home and you’d never find dairy in our fridge.
But seeing as we are in Panthip Market, where people come to be spoilt for choice, we thought we should also have meat options so that we can have something for everyone. This may confuse vegans and vegetarians but we can reassure them that it is all cooked separately. We have three or four meat options and the rest is vegan and vegetarian food.
What style of food can people expect?
All homemade, all fresh and nothing frozen. Every morning our staff peel fresh potatoes so we can make our homemade fries, it’s more work but the taste is superb. Exactly as we remember the fries our grandmothers did.
We have from the super healthy Creamy Porridge breakfast to the famous German Arme Ritter, there is something for everyone. Our mains include delicious potato kofte, stuffed peppers with yogurt (available Vegan too) and traditional Mish-Mash and we always have fresh homemade vegan cakes.
If someone wants something special and if we have the products to do it, absolutely we will. We already have customers with very precise taste and we are very happy to accommodate them.
We have a daily special which offers customers to try dishes that are off the menu. This also help us to understand what people like and if there is a dish that sells good, we will put it in the menu.
We have a great team and we are working closely with them to teach them to appreciate and love the food we make.
Where did you guys learn to cook?
At home, cooking for friends and family. We have never been so proud of the Bulgarian food as we are now! People really like the food and you cannot find it anywhere else on Koh Phangan.
So what are your hopes for the future, tell us more about the farm…
We want to start the farm as soon as we have more time on our hands. It will be interesting to see what seeds can grow and survive here as the climate is very different than back home. Everything will be organic, just using the sun and water but we heard that the monkeys are trouble makers and will eat the tomatoes ha-ha!
We are also expecting our first child, Dima is five and a half months pregnant, so we have a lot going on in our lives but we have never been happier. We are a great team, best friends, inseparable and in tune with each other. We are very grateful that we have the opportunity to raise a child away from the western world where everything seems to lose its authenticity.
What we value most here in Koh Phangan is the connection we make with people. We can talk about all sorts of things, different than the boring standard questions like what do you do for living, where you from, how much you earn etc. People in Europe are very judgmental and they like to put everyone in a box depending on their job, nationality, accent, income and lifestyle. Here at the market we meet people from all walks of life and it has been great.
What is it like working in Koh Phangan’s famous food market?
Exciting and fun, not boring at all! As it is a new business, we spent most of our day here but even after a very long and busy day, we don’t feel as we have been working. There is a very special vibe here in Panthip and people are very laid-back.
You must be busy but what do you like to do in your free time?
We’ve not really had free time since we’ve been back but I like to read whenever I have a moment, work on my food blog and short stories, go to the gym and do yoga.
Peter loves his documentaries about nature and animals as well as looking after our plants (our house is super green). Any free minute he has he would spend in nature exploring every moving little creature. Riding his bike around the island is a wonderful meditation and freedom.
And leave us with your life philosophy…
Be positive, always smile and love life with its colourful palette. Be yourself and enjoy every moment as it is your last. What you give is what you get ;-))
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