Moving mountains

Editor’s note: As a component of The Food Section’s partnership with The Assembly, I assign and edit one story each month about food in North Carolina for the digital magazine. The below feature was reported by Asheville writer Emma Castleberry, who gamely agreed to look into the most astonishing dish I ate at DaLaya Thai in September. Have a great weekend!

Khanom jiin naam yaa plaa is a mountain trout curry distinguished by a velvety, golden sauce melding coconut milk with pounded fish. Kanlaya Supachana, known better as Chef Gun, serves it the way her father did, the local trout plated alongside rice noodles and presented with an array of bright accompaniments: a soft-boiled egg, bean sprouts, pickled mustard greens, green beans, and lemon basil.