1. 36 Sizzle Winter 14
international flavors thailand
international flavors
M
y first experience eating Thai
food is still a vivid memory.
At age 12, a friend took me
to a Thai restaurant in the Chicago
suburb where I grew up. We shared
vegetarian pad thai and spring rolls.
The fresh, bright flavors and complex
heat of those Thai dishes immediately
stole my heart.
In the early 2000s, I moved to
California, where I was exposed
to authentic Thai cuisine in Los
Angeles’ Thai Town. This elevated
my appreciation for the cuisine even
further. As a lover of American Thai
food, I never imagined there could be a
possibility that I would love authentic
Thai food even more.
During a food-styling shoot in Los
Angeles, I learned about a weeklong
authentic Thai cooking class taught
by renowned Thai chef Roongfa
Sringam. The classes took place on
Koh Samui, an island off the east coast
of Thailand, at Samui Institute of Thai
Culinary Arts (SITCA). I knew I had
to attend this program and added it
to my mental bucket list. After several
years of daydreaming about this trip,
I finally signed up for the classes
and embarked on an epic culinary
journey to include Bangkok, Northern
Thailand and Vietnam.
After two long flights, my trip to the
“land of smiles” began in Thailand’s
Thailand
By Marla Simon, chef instructor at The Art Institute of Colorado, Denver, and Metropolitan State
University of Denver, and a MBA student at Johnson & Wales University in Denver.

2. 37www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digital.com
capitol Bangkok. At first glance,
Bangkok appears to be like any other
metropolitan city. The fast pace, crowds,
noise, extreme heat and traffic were
intimidating. And once I began to
scratch the surface, I experienced a
complete sensory overload. The sights
and smells were unlike anything I’ve
experienced. I could happily walk the
streets for hours and shop in the funky
markets, watch the locals’ commune on
sidewalks and eat street food. What was
originally planned as a stopover became
one of the most thrilling parts of my trip.
The walking food tour through the
Bangrak neighborhood was an exciting
experience. Hosted by Taste of Thailand
Food Tours, it allowed me to see this
“village of love” through the eyes
of a local. Tour guide and company
cofounder Puu led our group of 10
through a series of interesting locations,
stopping along the way to educate us
and offer samples.
Throughout the day, we visited an
assortment of unique vendors selling
curry puffs, fresh-made curry pastes, fish
cakes, Thai desserts made from coconut
and exotic Thai fruits, herbal/medicinal
drinks, traditional roast duck, fried
bananas, and lemon grass and papaya
salads. The tour ended with a sit-down
top: Peanut relish with
grilled prawns.
Courtesy of Nahm, Bangkok
bottom: Spicy pork salad with
roast rice powder.
Photo by Roongfa Sringam

3. 38 Sizzle Winter 14
meal at Than Ying, a restaurant known
for its royal Thai cuisine.
While in Bangkok, I was fortunate to
land a reservation at Nahm, the only
Michelin-starred restaurant in Thailand.
I ordered the tasting menu, which
allowed me to pick one item from
each section. The meal began with an
amuse-bouche of tamarind pork ma
hor (galloping horses), served with
pineapple and followed by a selection
of canapes. The rest of the courses
were served “Thai style”—everything
placed on the table at once. However, I
was instructed by the server to eat the
courses one at a time.
Quenelles of steamed jasmine rice were
served tableside along with lobster
and mangosteen salad; clear soup of
roast duck with Thai basil and young
coconut; fresh tamarind relish with
minced prawns, pork and chilies served
with braised mackerel, deep-fried quail
eggs and fresh vegetables; coconut and
turmeric curry of blue-swimmer crab
with calamansi orange; soft-shell crab
stir-fried with chilies, holy basil and
green peppercorns; and coconut ash
pudding with poached bananas.
The multi-course meal at Nahm is
one of my most memorable dining
experiences. The courses were light,
but bold with the perfect amount of
heat. Executive chef David Thompson
creates dishes in such a way that it
seems possible to individually taste
the aromatics and such ingredients as
kaffir lime and Thai basil in each bite. A
green mango palate cleanser was served
before dessert, and dinner ended with
a selection of Thai petit fours. After
this dinner, I felt inspired and ready to
immerse myself in Thai cuisine.
I arrived on the island of Koh Samui,
and was greeted at SITCA by Roongfa
left: Coconut and turmeric curry
of blue swimmer crab.
middle: Sweet Thai wafers.
right: Lemon grass salad with
prawns, crispy squid and pork.
opposite: Roongfa Sringam
teaching a Thai cooking class at
Samui Institute of Thai Culinary
Arts, Koh Samui.
Photo by Marla Simon
Photos on top left courtesy of Nahm
international flavors thailand

4. 39www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digital.com
The first menu item was krung gaeng
ped daeng (red curry paste). Sringam
showed me two types of mortar and
pestles we would use in the kitchen.
She explained that the set used to crush
ingredients for curry pastes was made
of heavy stone, while the other set is for
salads and is made of a lighter material–
typically wood or clay.
Red curry paste is made with two types
of red chilies, garlic, shallots, kaffir
lime peel, lemon grass, galangal, black
peppercorn and shrimp paste. Seven
small red Thai chilies were on the platter
of ingredients to make the curry paste.
When Sringam asked me how many
chilies I wanted to use in my dish, I
told her to use all of them. She laughed
and said two would be enough for me.
I convinced her to let me add a third
chili, despite her reservations. Using
the mortar and pestle, she pounded
the ingredients into a paste. Sringam
Sringam and her devoted staff. On the
first morning of my weeklong intensive
professional training, I was told that I was
the only chef signed up for this course.
Sringam typically teaches four chefs at
a time on a monthly basis. Additionally,
her staff hosts multiple cooking classes
for tourists throughout the day.
Professional chefs from all over the
world come to learn from Sringam,
who has won awards for her fruit and
vegetable carvings and has been a
guest chef at The Culinary Institute
of America, Hyde Park, New York. I
was thrilled to learn that I would be
receiving one-on-one training from her.
The first day began with a lesson on
Thai ingredients such as lemon grass,
galangal, betel leaves, coconut cream,
crispy eggplant, dried shrimp, chilies and
different types of basil. Sringam explained
that several of the ingredients used in Thai
cooking also have medicinal benefits.
regional flavors
Thai cuisine varies between the Southern,
Central, Northeastern and Northern regions.
Southern Thailand
The food from this region tends to be
spicier. Coconut is heavily used, and the
abundance of fresh seafood makes it an
easy protein choice. Jasmine is the staple
rice variety. The curriculum at SITCA covers
a wide variety of Thai food, from all four
regions—but the majority of the recipes
were based on traditional Southern Thai
cuisine. David Thompson, executive chef at
Nahm, also relies heavily on the cuisine of
Southern Thailand for his menu.
Central Thailand
The curries of this region are less spicy than
those of the South. The artfully prepared
royal cuisine of Thailand is historically a part
of Central Thailand cuisine. Jasmine rice
is preferred over sticky rice. Typically, the
curries and noodles of this region influence
Thai restaurants in the U.S. While Bangkok
is in Central Thailand, the cuisine varies, and
it is possible to find cuisines from all regions.
Northeastern Thailand
Laos and Cambodia influence the simple
and often spicy food from this area. Sticky
rice is the staple. Som tam (green papaya
salad) is the region's most famous dish.
Northern Thailand
Laos and Myanmar (Burma) cuisine
influence the food in this region, which uses
the least sugar. Sticky rice is preferred.
Traditionally, food is served on a khantoke
(low, round table) to diners who sit on the
floor. Larb or laap, a minced meat salad
seasoned with fish sauce, lime, chilies and
toasted rice powder, is popular.
Interesting fact
Chopsticks are not native to Thailand and
are used only when eating noodles—both
of which were brought to Thailand by the
Chinese. Spoons are the preferred eating
utensil in Thailand.

5. 40 Sizzle Winter 14
stressed the importance of making curry
paste from scratch. Good curry paste
should be made daily and is what sets
the best Thai chefs apart. Many Thai
restaurants rely on store-bought paste.
This is unacceptable to Sringam.
She watched as I used the mortar and
pestle for the first time and joked that I
would get better as the week progressed.
On the first day, we whipped through six
dishes to include red curry chicken with
potatoes; tom yum soup with prawns;
crispy golden cups with fried fish and
herb salad; two types of pad thai; and a
steamed Thai pancake with mung bean
and coconut.
My instruction continued in the same
fashion for the rest of the week. I spent
up to 10 hours a day in the kitchen,
rotating between the cutting board,
mortar and pestle, and wok stations.
Every morning before I arrived, the
staff shopped for ingredients at the
local market to prepare the day’s mise
en place. I prepared salads, soups,
appetizers, entrees, noodles, curries
and desserts. I lost count after 70
dishes. I was given extra instruction
in the art of Thai fruit and vegetable
carving. At the end of the week, I felt
confident in my wok skills and Sringam
commended me on my mortar-and-
pestle abilities. My tolerance for spicy
food had increased, and I was able to
handle seven chilies in my curry pastes.
Sad to leave, the hospitable Sringam
sent me on my way with gifts, and I was
on to my next adventure.
After I left Koh Samui, I spent time in
Northern Thailand and Vietnam. Now
that I’m back home, my former favorite
Thai restaurants seem lackluster and
uninspiring. I can tell that the bland
curries served at most Thai restaurants
are made with premade pastes, and the
ingredients are nowhere near as fresh
or flavorful as those found in Thailand.
Someday, I hope to return to the
“land of smiles.” I’m thankful for this
experience and can’t wait to pass on my
new skills to my students. 
top left: Yellow rice with chicken.
Photo by Roongfa Sringam
middle left: Papaya fruit carving by
Marla Simon.
Photo by Roongfa Sringam
bottom left: Crispy golden cups with
fried fish and herb salad.
Photo by Roongfa Sringam
middle: Clear soup of roast duck.
right: Ma hor.
Photos on top right courtesy of Nahm
international flavors thailand