By Robbie Pangilinan
An escape from the hustle and bustle of busy Taft Avenue. A breathing place where great food and good friends meet. An oasis called “Doon” – which is a witty name as when Filipinos often ask, “Saan tayo kakain?”, the reply is usually, “Doon.”
“Doon” serves authentic and delicious Thai cuisine at very low prices – all in a very homey and chill ambiance that is in stark contrast from the typical Taft atmosphere.
The owner, Jun Puno, is a pastor, hence the fitting slogan of Doon: “A Plate of Faith.” Jun, the brother of the late Pinoy music icon Rico J. Puno, opened “Doon” in 2017, in a space beside the family-owned laundromat and dormitory.
“I opened the restaurant because of the opportunity to use my skills in Thai cooking in a place where no Thai resto exists. Our dishes capture the flavors of Thailand without having people to spend much,” says Pastor Jun, who manages everything from the creation of the menu, to the handling of staff and over-all operations.
Jun is able to cut the costs because he grows most of the ingredients he uses in the dishes. The herbs and vegetables are readily available in his backyard, such as kaffir lime, lemongrass, basil, and galangal, a ginger often used in Thai, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisine.
The pastor actually had doubts if the resto would click or not, given the slightly hidden location and fairly long walk from schools like De La Salle University and College of Saint Benilde, whose students and faculty are among Doon’s regular goers.
“We cater to sophisticated eaters particularly DLSU and CSB students and personnel who love to explore cuisine from all over the world. There seems to be a rise in people travelling and their knowledge in different cuisine also seems to expand. Why not take this as an advantage?” muses Jun. He shares that he developed the menu based on staple Thai dishes normally sold on the streets and local eateries in in the Southern Thailand region, particularly Bangkok.
But his doubts were erased as people simply kept coming back. And now, people not only within universities are becoming more aware of it and are now visiting it.
Patrons swear by Doon’s tom yum goong, catfish salad, curry with coconut milk (which comes in yellow chicken curry, green curry, and red curry), butter garlic shrimp, sweet and spicy chicken with basil, sticky rice with mango, and pad seuw and pad thai, plus their millk tea. Western and non-Thai dishes such as barbeque rice sets, pastas and burgers are also served.
Visit Doon at DOON THAI AND ASIAN FUSION CUISINE
