by Scott Coates

In early June I was at a joint American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand – Thai Canadian Chamber of Commerce luncheon and heard an announcement for a Chili Contest as part of the American Independence Day Celebrations to be held on July 3, 2010 in Bangkok. Having made chili a few times, loving a bowl – a rarity when you live in Bangkok – Smiling Albino (SA) Board Member Derek Van Pelt mentioned that a mutual friend had a great recipe for chili and

Some friends at the SA Chili Booth

we should enter the contest. Always up for something fun and the chance to eat chili we signed-up, enlisted the assistance of our friend Phil, a Canadian resident in Bangkok, and Friday, July 2 met at his house to create a winning chili.

Early in the evening someone in the kitchen asked, “What does chili have to do with travel?” and chuckled. Everyone had a laugh, we talked about how funny it would be to beat all the major restaurants that would be in the contest, and continued designing our batch of bliss.

At the event site on July 3 while setting up our booth the owner of one of the city’s leading Mexican restaurants was setting up next to us. After introductions he asked about our restaurant wondering where SA was. After explaining that SA is a travel company and sharing a bit about what we do, it was obvious he was a bit perplexed. Throughout the afternoon as guests sampled our chili it was amazing how many people were surprised that a travel company was in a chili contest. A quick look around at the other booths revealed we were in fact the only non-restaurant in the contest of more than a dozen entrants. One feisty eater who’d clearly had a few too many bowls smartly remarked, “What does a travel company know about chili!” A lot it turns out as he returned shortly thereafter to give us his bean (each taster had one bean to vote for their favorite chili).

Serving it up

With our entire seven liters of chili consumed, the judges announced the winners of the Great American Chili Cook-off and we were delighted to win People’s Choice for Best Chili, no doubt surprising some of the other competitors. So, how did we win? We followed the judging criteria to a tee, nailing all five: Aroma (chili should smell good), Consistency (chili should be a good balance of meat and gravy – the meat should be tender, but not mushy), Color (chili should look good and the color should range from reddish to reddish brown), Taste (chili should taste good) and Aftertaste (chili should leave a pleasant taste after swallowing). Since the competition we’ve talked a fair bit about what a travel company knows about making chili and it turns out there are lots of similarities.

When designing a great trip there must be good aroma all the way through. Asia is one of the world’s most colorful and fragrant regions to travel. From flower markets to food vendors concocting culinary delights and world-class spas emanating sweet-smelling oils, great aromas abound and exposing our guests to them is key.

While good surprises are something we love to sprinkle liberally throughout our adventures, consistency is important. While exploring the unknown it’s vital for guests to feel comfortable and live up to the high expectations we’ve set for ourselves. This especially holds true when visitors return for multiple trips in the many countries travel. It’s all about consistency.

Color: markets, hilltribe communities in traditional costume, glittering temples, tuk-tuks, lush rice paddies, silky-soft beaches, azure seas and neon lights combine to form the colorful backdrop of all our adventures.

Food is a highlight of any trip to Asia and SA has always worked hard to introduce visitors to as many tasty dishes during their trip as possible. From fine dining to street-side fare and everything in between, exposing guests to the taste of the region is a highlight of prime importance.

A journey of a lifetime consists of much more than just the travel days

Accepting the People's Choice Award

themselves. Creating experiences that visitors remember for the rest of their lives is the goal. The joy of recalling a local’s smile as you rode by on a bicycle or watched the sunset from your mountain villa while sipping sparkling wine is an element we consider sacred. Creating a travel aftertaste so to speak is as important as the adventure itself.

With our trophy ladle for People’s Choice for Best Chili mounted on our office wall and thinking about all those people who didn’t understand what chili and travel had in common, I now think it’s rather obvious. We’re ready to make a batch for you. Check-out our Adventures and let us know when you’re hungry.

Over the past year or so I’ve been invited by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to emcee media events such as this year’s Ultimate Thailand Explorer’s Challenge. In addition, I’ve also had the good fortune to be named a tourism ambassador for such events as the revitalization of tourism following the 2005 tsunami, or more recently following Bangkok’s political demonstrations as an internet-television host for interviews about tourism in Thailand.

Another occasion arose to get in the game of revitalizing Thailand’s tourism image this past weekend during the “Smile@Ratchaprasong” Festival coordinated by the TAT and the Ratchaprasong Business Community. The Ratchaprasong area of course is where the Red Shirt demonstrations took place this past spring (perhaps you heard about it?), which left a temporary sour note in one of Bangkok’s ordinarily more vibrant neighbourhoods. The “Smile@Ratchaprasong” Festival sought to bring people back by way of a town fair– type atmosphere: live music concerts, games, competitions, crafts workshops, photo contests, retail space, moms & tots, etc. In addition, the TAT invited a wide range of media to the event, from traditional TV, newspaper and magazines, to the active social media influencers around town who were vital in reporting on-the-scene truths during and after the demonstrations this past spring. So, in an inspiring step forward, the TAT sought to recognize the importance of this new media vehicle and build bridges into this community. I was to host them on the first morning of the festival, followed by an informal lunch with the Governor of the TAT, Suraphon Svetsaranee, as well as Deputy Governor Prakit Piriyakiet, Executive Director Sugree Sithivanich, and Director of Communications, Thapanee Kiatpaiboon.

Some of our guests on the outing included local social media notables Michael, Richard, John, Greg, Jack, Anthony, Trevor, and more.

Social media celebrities unite!

So, how do you impress a group of seasoned locals and keep them interested for a half-day of visiting the very neighbourhood where many of them live, work and play regularly anyway? Enter Smiling Albino!

As an enhancement to the festival, Smiling Albino was asked to provide some entertainment and information to this group of bloggers, tweeters, online travel gurus and iWizards. So, rather than bludgeoning them with miles and miles of retail and music, we did what we have always thought travel should be about anyway: get involved with the locals.

Using the Ratchaprasong neighbourhood as our canvass, we drafted up a simple walking adventure, mixed with a private boat trip and a few sneak-a-peaks into local villages, shops, homes, boat piers and focused on the life and times of the local people who live, work, and pray in Ratchaprasong. In a two-hour jaunt we tasted the local food, heard the stories of the local shopkeepers, cooks, villagers, and spoke to boat drivers and pier custodians about life before and after the demonstrations. Some of us even tried our hand at making the curious kanom tokyo snacks. Nothing fancy – just an opportunity to get in touch with the community, and make the locals the stars for a day. The concept was “live, eat, work and pray in Ratchaprasong”

Here’s a quick breakdown of the trip:

Pray 1 – start at Erawan Shrine – the venerable spirit keystone of the entire neighbourhood. Flanked in untold mystery and curious history, the open-air goodness emanating from this corner of Ratchaprasong is a must for any walking experience in the neighbourhood.

Eat 2 – from here it was time to walk along Ratchaprasong Ave across from the recovering Central World Complex, currently getting a new make-over to grace Bangkok’s retail block once again. Here we spoke with Khun Tan, the lady who has run a small clothing shop (read: clothes hanging on a pole beside a tree along the roadside) for many years. Over the past few months her revenues have been cut in thirds, and she is improvising with a new Thai sweets stand selling kanom tokyo.

Greg steps into to street-hawker shoes and makes kanom tokyo

Greg kindly showed us how it was done and may have even sold some of his innovations to the passers by. This is a great strip of Bangkok to sample all kinds of street food, from kanom krock (the ping pong ball-looking coconut snack), to moo satay (pork skewers that taste better than they look) beyond the canal bridge, to Isaan-cum-urban dweller favourites, som tam and gai yang (papaya salad and grilled chicken).

Live 3 – Tao Phu Village

From here cut across the street into what looks like a construction site across from the canal bridge over the Saen Seab Canal. Beyond this cement factory is a narrow series of streets that pass through the Tao Phu Village (cement mixer village in Thai, named after the giant factory that dwarfs its sensibilities to the north). This oddly peaceful pocket of Ratchaprasong was a hotbed of activity during protests last spring, and the locals were happy to share their stories and demonstrate that they were ready to step into a fresh new chapter. A few hundred families make up this community, sequestered between the factory, Central World, and the edge of the Centara Complex to the west. Just another one of those places you’d never knew existed in this amazing city…

Tao Phu Village - stuck between a cement mixer and mega-mall

Work 4 – from Tao Phu Village cross back to the boat bridge and meet Mr Lert, the long-time manager of the boat station which serves as a main hub for what is Thailand’s longest canal, Khlong Saen Saeb. Mr Lert runs 60 boats up and down the canals from Bangkapi all the way to the Phan Fah Bridge in Banglampu, near Democracy Monument and Khao San Road. On our SA mini-adventure we hired a private boat to take our guests down the canal to famous Hua Chang Bridge station at Siam Square and the Bangkok Art & Culture Center. It was nice to see the boat business back at full throttle again, and Mr Lert kindly gave a couple of quick interviews before returning to his liquid thoroughfare office.

SA's Bank aboard a canal water taxi towards Siam Square

Live 5 – at the Hua Chang Boat Stop, one exits the boat stand into a small but lovingly cared for garden area run by Khun Rampui. She is the jovial lady who runs the red fridge with cool drinks and snacks for boat passengers. She graciously invited us into her wooden two-story house which precariously lurches out over the water. She has been there for many years and in exchange for rights to live and work in the space, she is also the custodian of the boat pier, hence the greenery and generally nice atmosphere.

Work (and shop) 6 – from here we walked along Rama I Road and checked out work on the rebuilding of retail space around the old Siam Theater. Many of the tenants who lost their space after the spring fires have set up a mini strip mall of canvassed cubicles on Siam Square Soi 4, while work is done to rebuild more formal retail space beside the theater. Life is marching on – and the resiliency of Thais and the smiles on their faces was a positive reminder that indeed The Land of Smiles is back in business! Travel here now!

Pray 7 – We ended the walking trip in an affirming manner, giving alms to monks at the Pathum Wararam Temple. This deep garden sanctuary is cocooned between Siam Paragon and Centara Grand/Central World complexes.

Wat Pathum Wararam's garden walking paths

It was also a safe haven for the fleeing protesters during the sweeping up operations which ended the demonstrations last spring. We thought it was a fitting ending to end this mini adventure on a high spiritual note, and a chance for a nice stroll through the temple gardens, and to use one of the nicer bathrooms in the neighbourhood.

From here along the skywalk all the way to the Grand Hyatt Erawan for a lunch with the TAT Governor and friends to discuss tourism initiatives and how to bridge ties into the social media world. All up – a good morning.

Long table discussion with TAT Governor Suraphon Svetsaranee

There was some positive discussion during our luncheon about how the social media community can get involved in the revitalizing of Thailand’s tourism industry, and more importantly how the TAT can catch the slip string of this momentum and make positive inroads into this exciting medium. Great work from Kae, Bank and Scott in the SA Office to get this mini-adventure off the ground last week, and special thanks to Bank for being a great host and trip leader for our media guests.

Great to have you all on board guys and thanks for the extra photo support, John!

Smiling Albino entered the US Independence Day Chili Competition in Bangkok on July 3, 2010. We were the only non-restaurant to enter and won the People’s Choice Award for Best Chili! Enjoy these photos:

The Smiling Albino Chili Booth

A young girl enjoys her Smiling Albino Fan

Scott serves up some chili

Scott & Erika maning the booth

Fans of Smiling Albino Chili

Scott & Erika accept the People's Choice award for Best Chili

Scott enjoys a victory sip from the prize ladle

by Bank Takaeng

Another Thai Noodles Recipe. it’s easy to make and it’s a good appetizer. I have tried this kind of dish so many times and one of the good restaurants that make this dish so delicious (I think) is in Amphawa Floating Market (see more on Smiling Albino Bangkok 1910)

Ingredients:

• Rice Noodles – 150g
• Shrimp 100g.
• Yellow Bean Curd – 2tbsp./30ml.
• Chopped Garlic – 2tbsp./30ml.
• Chopped Shallot – 1tbsp./15ml.
• Fermented Soybean – 1tbsp./15ml.
• Tamarind paste – 1tbsp./15ml.
• Fish sauce – 1tbsp./15ml.
• Palm sugar – 1tbsp/15ml.
• Ground dried chili (option) – 1tsp./5ml.
• Red chili, finely sliced – 1
• Pickle Garlic bulb, finely sliced – 2
• Tomato sauce – 1tbsp.//15ml.
• Bean sprout – 50g.
• Chinese leek – 3
• Cooking oil – 2tbsp./30ml.
• Egg – 1

Preparations:

• Fried the noodle in oil until crisp and golden, then drain.
• Heat cooking oil, fried garlic and shallot until brown. Add shrimps, bean curd, fermented soybeans, tamarind paste, palm sugar, tomato sauce and fish sauce, then balance your own flavor
• Add powder chili for your spicy, reduce the heat, thicken the sauce.
• Add noodles and continue turning them until they are stick together, serve with sprinkle with pickled garlic, and sliced chili.

This serves for 2 people.

by Bank Takaeng

There will be a confusion of the name of this hot sauce, Is it originated from Thailand or Vietnam? My guess is they just accidentally using the similar name. Sriracha sauce from Vietnam is quite an international brand rather than Sri Racha from Thailand which is famous among Thai people. I never tried the Sri Racha sauce from Vietnam but I assume that they taste will be similar.

Ingredients:

• Thai Red Chili Peppers – 100g
• Crushed and minced cloves of garlic – 4-5
• Minced Shallots – 2
• Vegetable Oil – 1 tbsp / 15ml
• Tomato Sauce – 16 oz. / 480g
• Fish Sauce – 1 tbsp / 15ml
• Rice Vinegar – 3 tbsp / 45ml
• Sugar – 3 tbsp / 45ml

Preparations:

• Remove stems of chili peppers, rinse clean. Blot dry with paper towel (Wearing rubber gloves while you mince the chili peppers.) The smaller the cut, the smoother your final sauce will be.
• In sauce pan, heat oil then add minced garlic and shallots. Over medium-high heat saute for a about 1 minute or until light brown and fragrant. (don’t burn your garlic!)
• Add tomato sauce and minced chili peppers. Let sauce come to a simmer then lower heat to keep at a low simmer. Add fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar then mix well.
• Continue simmering sauce for about 5 minutes. This will break down the chili peppers and soften them to create the smooth consistency.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
• Transfer sauce to blender and blend till smooth or until most of the chili pepper skin and seeds break down- preferably on the “liquefy” mode.
• Taste the hot sauce. Further customize the hot sauce to your liking: add more sugar, vinegar or water. Blend one last time till smooth. Pour into clean, air tight jar and refrigerate. Use within about 1 week.

Source: http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/sriracha-chili-garlic-hot-sauce-recipe/

by Bank Takaeng

Chili Paste can be cook in various means. Thai will mostly make hot soup, or fry it. This dish is the good example. You can alternatively replace pork with fish, prawn or chicken.

Ingredients:

• Pork, sliced or minced Pork – 250g
• Thai chili paste – 3tbsp / 15ml.
• Soy sauce – 1 1/2tbsp 23ml.
• Fish sauce (optional) or A pinch of salt
• Sugar – 2 tsp / 5ml.
• Garlic, chopped – 3 cloves
• Onion, sliced – 1/2
• Chili, chopped – 3
• Spring onion with leaves, chopped – 3
• Fresh basil (optional)
• Water – 1 tbsp / 15ml.
• Oil – 1tbsp / 15ml.
• Cowpeas

Preparation

• Put oil in the sauce pan, turn on high heat. When it heat, add chopped garlic and sliced onion, stir until they are slightly golden brown
• Add chili paste and mix.
• Add pork, fry until they are almost cooked
• Add soy sauce, fish sauce (or salt), and sugar; keep stirring. The secret is you have to taste it while you add flavor to make your own flavor.
• Add chopped spring onion, chili (or chili pepper), (and fresh basil),and cowpeas. Stir fry for another 2 minutes or until spring onion lightly cooked. Serve with rice.

This is for 2

As experience design specialists, we make a point of being as close to the final product as possible, and that includes having an intimate knowledge of accommodation options we propose to our valued guests. Anyone can book a resort, but knowing which resort is right for which guest in relation to their larger SA experience involves some science.

Last week I stayed a couple of nights at Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi, one of the flagship properties of the luxury-wellness resort group, Six Senses. Having stayed at Six Senses Evason Resort in Phuket, and also recently at Soneva Kiri on Ko Kood, I had equally big expectations for Yao Noi. In short, the resort is absolutely stunning.

view from the suites

The Approach – I’m a fussy traveler and hate multiple transitions to get to the beach, but the Six Senses people make the transition relatively painless. I landed in Phuket at 0900am, and was met by the resort staff, then transferred 25 minutes in a BMW 5-Series to the Ao Po pier (ride was enjoyable but some ambient music would have been a nice addition to get you into island mood, or perhaps a piece of lemongrass to gnaw on for fun.) At Ao Po pier the resort staff pack your bags on to the large, comfortable speedboat, and then a nice 45-min ride brings you to the resort.

The view of the resort from the water doesn’t do justice to the tropical luxury therein. Mostly covered by dense foliage, the views of wooden rooftops scattered over an expansive hill are all you can see beyond the long, wooden pier. Turning your head 180 degrees however enables the stunning view of Krabi and the hundreds of karsts dotting the distant sea.

Arrival at Six Senses resorts is always smooth – it is one of the highlights. Your ‘Butler’ and the rest of the resort team greet you right from the boat, attend to your bags, feed you a drink, and whisk you away on a golf cart to your hideaway. For the duration of your stay your personal butler attends to your needs, arranges dinner reservations and activity excursions, and personally takes care of your check-in/check-out. This simple in-room check-in process could easily be done at virtually any resort, but oddly it isn’t. There is value in it and the Six Senses folks have it down to a science.

For those with no time for the BMW and boat trip to the resort, a helicopter transfer can be arranged approximately $1,000US per way from Phuket. This would be a lovely way to arrive with the hundreds of islands and karsts dotting the approach.

Pool Villa Suite

Rooms – I’ve been spoiled here in SE Asia with the opportunity to stay at some of the finest resorts in the world, and the rooms at Six Senses Yao Noi rank up with the best of them at their price range. My room was #51, a Pool View Suite, on the nearest side to the pier and water sports area (perhaps they knew…).

The master bedroom is a spacious, full-windowed suite with tropical hardwoods and state-of-the-art gadgetry and audiophile treats, a steam room, and so many nooks and crannies and places to hang things that I’m sure I donated half of my clothes unknowingly to the resort. Below the room is a spacious pool deck, your private pool, and the 2nd bedroom in the case of the suites. There is also a nice wooden deck bridge that leads to a garden area and sala for afternoon chess or quiet reading. No steal beams or concrete pillars or platforms – the entire room and surrounding area is hardwood and exotic, tropical furniture. The rooms are gorgeous, offer total privacy, multiple bathing/showering/lounging options, and eclipse the private tropical villa fantasy image.

Living Room in the Pool Villa

Some other rooms to note:

Slightly closer to earth are the entry level rooms, Pool Villa and Deluxe Pool Villa, which are the same in virtually every respect as the Pool Villa Suite less the 2nd bedroom.

Ultra Luxury Suites

The Retreat is the resort’s 2nd highest room category. There is only one of them, and it features two separate master bedroom villas, an enormous private pool with panorama views and Olympic-sized deck, as well as a large common room for entertainment, meals, etc. This would be brilliant for a couple of small families, or a pair of couples. A few kids could be set up with extra beds in the common room (200sqm or so itself). Fabulous private hideaway surrounded by lush natural surroundings.

Aerial shot of The Reserve upon approach from the clouds

This room is fit with extra rooms for nannies and bodyguards, has a full conference room and wine cellar, gym, sauna/Jacuzzi and an enormous indoor/outdoor common area with multiple tables and lounging facilities, a water slide (great for kids, or adults after enjoying the wine cellar). The grand, tropical luxury of this super suite just might be worth the price. The view alone from opening the front doors has to be one of the most magnificent panoramas in all of Thailand.

Out and About Six Senses Yao Noi - Getting around the resort is easy with multiple buggies whizzing back and forth. My room was one of the furthest from the dining area but I found the 5-minute walk quite nice through stone pathways and wooden bridges. Ordinarily I don’t like buggy resorts where guests are left in sequestered corners of massive resort complexes, but the size here at Six Senses Yao Noi is very manageable on foot, or, as is the custom, just call your butler for a buggy. A short walk out the back gate leads you to the tennis court and a small local village if you’d like to briefly re-connect to the rest of the planet.

There are only 56 units at Six Senses Yao Noi, so the distances to the spa, gym, restaurants, beaches, etc. are all very doable without the buggies.

Service - This isn’t a 5-star resort, it is an ultra luxury resort, so the expectations one would have for service could make evaluating it rather severe. The service was very good – although at breakfast I did wait longer than I like to for someone to offer coffee on the 2nd day, and the milk wasn’t warmed as I’d requested on the first day. A very minor detail, however ultra luxury resorts should get this right.

The spa and fitness center were well attended with spiffy, knowledgeable staff. The butlers are the real stars here, and as they are commissioned to attend to your every need, the result clearly is that the service is excellent. The beach staff vanish when not required, and magically reappear out of nowhere (from the forest I think) when needed.

Food/Beverage – This is a great place to eat! I started with my customary club sandwich (Dan’s gold standard starter for any hotel). It may have eclipsed the supernatural club sandwich I had at Soneva Kiri, though it was 30% more expensive, but perhaps wasn’t as heroic as my personal favourite at D2 Pattaya. Either way, it paved the way for several more great dishes, salads, burgers, Greek sides, Italian pastas, and spontaneous off-menu Thai dishes as well. Everything was outstanding in accordance with the cost of each dish.

Happy Hour at The Den

Dining at The Den and the The Dining Room are both cool experiences. The Den is a large wooden, two-story house with ambient music, massive couches with pillows and coloured cushions. You could slurp cocktails here all night and never tire of the groovy, chill-out vibe. Again, very nice, well-trained staff.

East Beach

The Beach – The resort is built on a hill that slopes onto two different beaches: front beach and back beach. The back beach beside the pier is the water sports area – again well attended by attentive staff. I went kayaking at sunset to some remote beaches around the bay. Very user-friendly. The front beach is gorgeous – a great stretch of manicured beach sloping into clear water – the postcard image of idyllic sandy bliss. Sunsets here on the east side are fantastic as the trees and umbrellas cast long shadows into the water – creating pockets of sunshine and shaded swimming holes. The beach is wide enough to stretch out and have a full game of Red Rover, but it is doubtful this occurs very often. There are a series of deck chairs on a white sand bluff, attended by staff that seem to float in and out from the sky.

The Crowd – During my stay in April the guest mix was nicely eclectic. Young couples, Scandinavian families, retired couples, plus a few middle-aged single travelers. It was a healthy-looking, smart crowd, part of the extended Six Senses fan club of which I’m becoming a member (smart notwithstanding in my case).

Take-Aways - From tennis to snorkelling to wine tasting courses, there’s no shortage of things to do here. Those who fear being locked-in to a resort and prefer the freedom of strolling out into the real world might be claustrophobic. However, most Six Senses guests tend to indulge in the resort itself and intentionally shut off the outside world, so it is doubtful that this would be a drawback for any potential guest. The ‘Hideaway’ series of resorts in the Six Senses repertoire certainly make hiding away a pleasure.

Minor annoyances are the need to make dinner plans in advance. This is due to the intimate seating arrangements at each of the funky restaurants. You can always choose in-villa dining, or splurge for private BBQ or private beach dining, so this may only be a drawback for indecisive types like myself.

Sunset from The Reserve

We have sent several Smiling Albino guests to Six Senses resorts around Thailand, including Yao Noi, and the reviews are always exceptional. Our guests have high expectations – which is why we feel comfortable putting those expectations into the care of the Six Senses team. Often we supplement their experience there by offering our own value-added features like customized paddling outings to remote caves and islands, eco-discoveries with recognized experts, etc.

All in this is a spectacular tropical luxury experience. The transfer in and minor commutes within the resort are quickly overshadowed by the luxurious chill-out vibe the villas and grounds create. Food, while expensive even for a high-end resort, is quite outstanding, and the overall services and amenities are fit for the price tag. Per one of the Six Senses mottos, it redefines experiences….

Ideal for couples, honeymooners, families, those able to make advance dinner plans.

It is Thai-style fish cakes, packed with aromatic ingredients and hot chilli, make a great snack or main course.

Ingredients:

• Cooking oil (for deep fry) – 2 cup / 480ml.
• Fish Fillet-minced – 250g.
• Red curry paste – 1tbsp. / 15ml.
• Fish sauce – 1/2 tsp. / 2ml.
• Egg-beaten – 1tbsp. / 15ml.
• Tapioca flour – 1 tbsp. / 15ml.
• Kaffir lime leaf thinly sliced – 1/4 cup / 60ml.
• Sugar – 1/2 tsp. / 2ml.

Ingredients (for red curry paste):

• Dried red chili – 7
• Galangal – 1tsp. / 5ml.
• Garlic – 1tbsp. / 15ml.
• Lemon grass – 1tbsp. / 15ml.
• Kaffir lime out side skin – 1tsp. / 5ml.
• Shrimp paste – 1tsp. / 5ml.
• Black pepper  - 5
• Salt  - 1/2

Ingredients (for dipping suce):

• Sweet plum sauce – 2tbsp. / 30ml.
• Vinegar, diluted – 1tbsp. / 15ml.
• Water – 1/2 cup / 120ml.
• Salt – 1/2 tsp / 2ml.
• Red spur chili, finely chopped – 1/2tbsp. / 8ml.

Preparations:

• Red curry paste: pounded all the ingredients together until ground.
• Dipping sauce: combine ingredients in an pot and boil over medium heat. Simmer for 5-10min, stir and remove from heat when it is done.
• Mix all the ingredients for the dish cakes together in a bowl until they are thoroughly combined.
• To make the sauce, pit the water, sugar, and vinegar into a pan and dissolved bring the water to boil and boil for 2 min. Turn off the heat and add chilies, peanuts, cucumber and shallot, leave to cool and serve garnished wit the coriander leaves.
• Make the fish cake mixture into small, flat cakes about 5cm. in diameter. Put the oil into a wok and when it is hot, add the fish cakes, fry them until they are golden brown (about 3-4 min). When they are cooked take them out and then on the kitchen paper to drain. Serve the fish cakes while they are still hot with the dipping sauce.

This is server for 2.

Some may say this is slightly Vietnam food, but I rather say that is Thais because the ingredients are typically thai. It may a bit difficult to cook, it make take loads of time but  you won’t feel wasting your time making this after your first taste it.

Ingredients:

• Glass noodle – 50g.
• Lean pork, minced – 5og.
• Cooked shrimp, peeled and chopped (option) – 50g.
• Cabbage sliced – 50g.
• Bean sprout – 50g.
• Garlic, finely chopped – 1 clove.
• Shallot, finely chopped – 2 tbsp. / 30ml.
• Egg – 1
• Vegetable oil – 1tbsp. / 15ml.
• Pepper – 1tsp. / 5ml.
• Carrot, grated – 1
• Spring roll wrapper – 10
• Cooking oil (for deep-fried) – 2 cup. / 480ml.
• Oyster sauce – 1tbsp. / 15ml.
• Soy sauce – 1tbsp. / 15ml.

Preparation:

• To prepare filling, in a wok, stir-fried minced pork, prawn(shrimp) and garlic in oil, until cooked.
• Season with pep, salt, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce. Add bean sprouts, cabbage, glass noodles and carrot, stir briefly, and remove from heat. Place in a bowl.
• Now for the packaging, use a clean damp cloth or towel to keep the spring roll wrapper on the cutting board with a corner towards you. Wet all the edges with egg. Place 1tbsp of filling in the nearest corner to smoothly rolled. Seal the edges with more egg. Repeat with remaining with wrappers and filling.
• Deep-fry spring rolls in hot cooking oil, several at a time, turning then over to brown evenly. Do not over cook, as they become soggy inside. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

This is served for 2 and Enjoy your Songkran Festival!

by Bank Takaeng

It’s easy to cook. You can make either shrimp or pork.

Ingredients:

• Cooking oil – 1 1/2 tbsp. / 22ml.
• Garlic, crushed – 3tbsp. / 45ml.
• White pepper – 1/2 tsp.  / 3ml.
• Shrimp – 200g.
• Salt – 1/4 tsp. / 1ml.
• Sugar – 1/2tsp / 2.5ml.
• Soy sauce – 1tbsp. / 15ml.

Preparation:

• Marinate shrimps, crushed garlic, salt, sugar and soy sauce for 20 min. Separate garlic from shrimps, just before frying.
• In the hot oil, stir fry (low heat) garlic, when it turns brown, add shrimps and don’t let it over cook.
• Garnished with cucumber and tomato slices and sprinkle coriander leaves on the top.

This is for 2