This document provides a summary of the author's culinary adventures throughout Thailand beyond typical tourist destinations. The author is guided by local experts to experience authentic Thai cuisine, including street foods in Bangkok markets and stalls. A highlight is visiting royal agricultural projects in Chiang Mai that support local communities and showcase northern Thai recipes. The guides introduce lesser-known restaurants highlighting regional specialties from Isaan, northern and border regions of Thailand off the beaten path.
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ISSUE 18 Summer 2015
FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO read, LOVE TO eatAND LOVE TO travel
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3. …one can
literally buy
food for
the Gods…
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD LEFT
Anantara rice paddies. RIGHT
Chaing Mai temple.
THAI CUISINE IS HOT,
figuratively and literally. A decade
after most of us discovered pad thai
and satay, Anthony Bourdain and other
photogenic travel show hosts are
sprinting through night markets in
Bangkok and Chaing Mai to convey the
message that one has not experienced
Thailand's culinary soul without
experimenting with less familiar dishes
in out-of-the-way places.
Here's an example: On my last
Thailand visit, my companions were
not just bent on hitting Chaing Mai’s
night market, but the exact food stall
where a pretty, cowboy hat-wearing
cook was holding court. A few months
earlier, the woman gracing the Khao Ka
Moo Chang Phueak food stall had been
anointed by Bourdain and Oregon
restaurateur Andy Ricker on Parts
Unknown. Thanks to that exposure and
ensuing travel-blog buzz, there were
more westerners than locals hanging
on her every move.
My challenge hitting the now well-
trodden food trails of Thailand was to
find new treasure beyond the night
market. This I achieved with the help of
Thai-born guides who had a clear sense
of what they felt was good.
To get our feet wet for a journey
focused on the rustic north, my
companions and I put ourselves in the
hands of Kitti for the first couple of
days. A jovial guide with 40 years of
experience, he was as determined as we
were to find life beyond the Chatuchok
Night Market. From his perspective,
visitors have become so focused on
night markets that his tours balance
worthwhile, rough-hewn spots (we
chose the best Hainan chicken-and-
noodle soup place based on the length
of the line out front) with spanking new
food courts and manicured bungalow-
style cafés.
After cocktails at the Vertigo & Moon
Bar atop the Banyan Tree Hotel, Kitti
launched our food adventure in
Bangkok’s Chinatown, alive with tri-
lingual signage, aromas and sights
representing a compelling fusion of
pan-Asian culture. Next morning, he
brought us to Pak Klong Talad, the city’s
principal flower market. Besides vibrant
blooms, one can literally buy food for
the Gods, fastidiously packaged and
ready to place at the feet of various
deities at nearby temples.
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho, The
Temple of the Reclining Buddha, are
feasts for the eyes and the biggest
tourist draws in town. However, beyond
the palace gates, thanks to Kitti’s keen
eye, we happened on a large blue tent
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4. shading a group of military wives preparing and offering passers-by khai loog kuey
(deep-fried hard boiled eggs bathed in chili and cilantro) free of charge.
Kitti next spirited us through a maze of streets to Taling Pling, an exceedingly girly
pink-and-purple restaurant. Our skepticism was put to rest with dishes that reconciled
beautiful tapas-sized portions and rich, complex flavours. The dainty feast consisted of
bean salad with curry paste, minced pork and prawn and coconut cream; stir-fried ivy
gourd leaves in oyster sauce with minced pork, a vermicelli variation of pad thai with
crab, bean sprout, peanuts and dumplings stuffed with minced pork and crab.
If we had read about Asiatique/The Riverfront and Terminal 21 Shopping Center
rather than visit them, we probably would have written them off as too touristy and
tidy — and missed out on wonderful things to eat as well as great people watching. At
Terminal 21, each floor represents a major city, such as Paris and Tokyo, with retail that
corresponds to public perception of that destination. Experienced and first-time
visitors to Thailand alike are best advised to bee-line to Pier 21, the Thai-centric section
of the ‘San Francisco’ floor’s expansive, well-organized food court. A family of four can
eat for about ten US dollars, picking and choosing new things or familiar favourites
amid the clean grid of stalls.
Though Asiatique, a 1907 warehouse on the Chao Phraya River, is slightly Disney-
eqsue, it’s an approachable alternative to Chatuchok. Asiatique’s sit-down restaurants
could just as easily exist in any American beachfront town, but the outdoor kiosks are
rich in local flavour. The guide brings us to one specializing in Isaan food, a pungent,
hot and spicy regional style from Thailand’s northeast. Sticky rice is ordered in
abundance to quench the heavy use of different chilli peppers, hot basil and
fermented flavours in the green papaya salad, larb (a salad of ground meat), grilled
pork and grilled chicken.
The real discovery for food travellers is found two hours outside of Chaing Mai,
inside Doi Inthaion National Park. Though it is filled with challenging hiking trails,
waterfalls, and other adventure travel delights, the best find is the first Royal
Agricultural Project, established by King
Rama IX (Bhumibol Adulyadej) in 1969.
At that time, the opium trade had
economically, environmentally and
culturally devastated the region and its
occupants, including indigenous tribes
such as the Karen and Hmong as well as
refugees coming from China.
Rama IX invested in a large swath of
land to establish this breakthrough
agricultural research station and to plant
orchards for temperate fruit, vegetable
gardens, trees and flowers as well as
engage in major reforestation efforts. As
a result, 45 years later, the area is
flourishing economically as well as
providing foodstuffs and flowers to
restaurants and markets around
Thailand. There are also offshoot royal
projects that have opened economic
and educational opportunities for the
communities involved.
The project now encompasses the
Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang,
opened in 1979. Amid the hills,
waterfalls, and rivers, hikers at all fitness
levels will behold orchards, flower
plantations and vegetable fields adding
colour to the already beautiful
landscape. Along the trails, we amble
into villages to purchase simple, freshly
prepared snacks and witness cultural
traditions restored thanks to the monies
coming in from the project. There's even
a coffee roaster along one of the trails.
A few feet ahead of us, we see four
Italian visitors purchasing dozens of
bags of freshly roasted beans — a very
telling sign the coffee must be amazing.
And it was.
In order to further preserve the area's
integrity, The Angkhang Nature Resort,
adjacent to the Angkhang Station, has
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT
Veteran wives; Deep fried eggs;
Doi Inathion Resevoir; Bangkok
Chinatown; Wamlamun drinks.
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5. MASSAMAN CURRY reflects the Muslim influence on
Thai cuisine. Unlike red and green Thai curry pastes,
massaman curry paste includes Indian and Malay spices.
Vegetable Oil 2 Tbs
Massaman Curry
Paste1
3 Tbs
Fresh Ginger
1” piece, minced
Skinless, Boneless
Chicken Meat
1 lb, cubed
Brown Sugar 3 Tbs
Fish Sauce 3 Tbs
Tamarind Paste
3 Tbs
Peanut Butter
1/3 cup
Potatoes peeled,
cubed, 3 cups
Coconut Milk
1 x 13.5 oz can
Fresh Lime Juice
3 Tbs
1 HEAT the oil in a large saucepan
over medium heat. Stir in the curry
paste and minced ginger, and then
cook and stir for 2 minutes.
2 STIR in the cubed chicken, and cook
until the pieces turn white on the
outside, about 3 minutes.
3 STIR in the brown sugar, fish sauce,
tamarind paste, peanut butter,
potatoes and coconut milk.
4 BRING to a boil, then reduce heat
to medium-low, cover, and simmer
until the potatoes are tender and
the chicken pieces are no longer
pink in the center, about 20 minutes.
5 ADD the lime juice and cook for an
additional 5 minutes before serving.
SERVES 4
Chicken Massaman Curry
1
In Canadian supermarkets, massaman curry paste is sold
in jars under the Thai Kitchen brand.
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Cook
it
From the cooking class at the Resort of the Royal
Agricultural Project.
6. CHILLIES AND GARLIC cloves can vary in
pungency so start with the lesser amounts and
taste as you go when making the dressing.
rooms outfitted with just the basics for a two- or three-day stay.
The focal point is its terraced restaurant whose kitchen uses
produce from the projects' farms and showcases recipes from
northern Thailand.
While some travellers may insist the soul of Thai cuisine can
be found at the night markets, food stands and mom-and-pop
restaurants, we decide the heart and roots of Thai cuisine can be
found at Angkhang. Between mealtimes, and hiking around
farming sites and past roadside markets selling nuts, dried fruits
and local produce, we're positively immersed in the essence of
Thai cuisine.
For our final meal at the resort, we crack open a bottle of local
mulberry wine (best served ice cold), which we enjoy with tom
kah soup with chicken; breaded shrimp with fried seaweed; fried
trout with red chillies, tom yum soup with crawfish; beef with
peppercorns; sweet and sour chicken with exotic mushrooms
and steamed morning glory with garlic; and the massaman curry
and seasonal papaya salad we helped put together in the late
afternoon cooking class.
Tippie Thepthewi, our second guide, is particularly fond of
two things — desserts and restaurants with river views. The
suites and food at our Chaing Mai resort, RatiLanna Riverside
Spa, are perfect — yet made more memorable with the daily
opportunity to give alms to Buddhist monks at sunrise. Before
leaving Chaing Mai for Chaing Rai, we fuel up at Wanlamun, in
every way a sibling to Bangkok's Taling Pling, down to adorable
tapas-sized portions and frilly decor. Its dishes, however, are
sweeter, hotter and spicier, which Tippie says defines the flavour
profiles of Northern Thai cuisine. Standouts include kaeng ped
Fresh Thai
Chillies 1–2,
chopped
Garlic 1–3
cloves,
chopped
Palm Sugar
1 Tbs
Fresh Lime
Juice 3 Tbs
Fish Sauce
2 Tbs
Tropical Fruit
8 oz, diced
Roasted
Cashews 2 oz,
finely chopped
SERVES 2
Som Tam Phonlamai
Tropical Fruit Salad
1 COMBINE the
garlic and chilli in
a big bowl and mix
together with palm
sugar, lime juice and
fish sauce.
2 ADD the fruit and
toss gently to coat
with the dressing.
3 GARNISH with the
chopped cashews.
From the cooking
class at the Resort
of the Royal
Agricultural Project.
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Cook
it
7. Tippie Thepthewi (guide)
Thip_thepthewi@yahoo.com
Taling Pling
www.talingpling.com
Queen Bee
www.queenbeebangkok.com
Terminal 21
www.terminal21.co.th/main
Asiatique The Riverfront
www.thaiasiatique.com/index.php/en
Ratilanna Riverside Spa Resort
www.ratilanachiangmai.com
The Royal Agricultural Station at Doi
Inthanon National Park
www.royal-inthanon.com
www.theroyalprojecttour.com
Angkhang Nature Resort
www.mosaic-collection.com/angkhang
Wanlamun
www.wanlamun.com
Doi Tung Café
www.doitung.org/cafe_our.php
Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp
& Retsort
www.goldentriangle.anantara.com
Charin Restaurant
www.chiangraiprovince.com/htl/charin
Sriwan Coffee & Restaurant Chiang Saen
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sriwan-
Coffee-Restaurant/279260135447750?fref=
photo&sk=photos
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Royal Project
vegetable garden; Anantara sunset; Karen Village Lodging.
bped (duck curry) and poo nim thod (fried soft shell crab with papaya
salad). Desserts are clearly inspired by French patisseries, but with local
flavours such as tea, mango and papaya brought in from local farms.
Midway to Anantara Elephant Camp, a five-star resort known for its
culinary program, we stop at Charin Garden, an inn and restaurant located
in Mae Suai, along the Ruak River. Tippie admits that the desserts
informed her choosing both this restaurant and Wanlamun. Here, the
bakery case looks like something out of a coffee shop along US Route 66.
Owner Charin Singkarat perfected the art of creating American-style pies
in Los Angeles for 18 years before doing the same on her home turf. The
peach and mango pies quench some seriously spicy soups and red curries
that start sweet and build in intensity on the palate.
While The Anantara’s Thai and Italian restaurants, and its Spice Spoons
Cooking School are posh, sophisticated affairs, we enjoyed the contrast
offered by the nearby Sriwan Coffee and Restaurant which also overlooks
the border towns of Laos and Myanmar. The recipes blend influences of all
three countries, with a big emphasis on local seafood, in dishes such as
mixed seafood curry served in a coconut, tod mun goong (fried prawn
cake with plum sauce), and pan-fried steamed ruby fish, which Tippie
informs us is specific to Thailand.
As Thai restaurants abound in cities across North America and Europe,
it is a foregone conclusion that the appeal of Thai cuisine extends beyond
borders. However, if you get to Thailand, make it a point to cross the
borders of what you think you know to discover something authentic and
memorable. You’re as likely to find it in a sit-down restaurant or spotless
tourist spot as you are at a night market.
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Click
it
