I was never a fan of tasteless American instant ramen noodles, aka the ridiculously cheap Maruchan Ramen that give legit Japanese ramen a bad name.
So when I saw the variety of Thai instant ramen noodles called Mama sitting on the shelf at the one of the many 7/11’s that sits at every corner in Bangkok, I thought, “Ew, they have instant noodles here too??”
I raced down the Skytrain’s steps as I saw the red bus pull up with number 47 emblazoned at the top. I gasped as I made it right as the driver squeaked open the doors.
Thai Hubby and I both zoomed back in time yesterday. Our first bite of rad na, aka lad nah, aka wide rice noodles with gravy, pork and Chinese broccoli was our Delorean that took us there. Continue Reading
A summer day for us means tubing in the refreshing New River, hiking to take in the mountain views on the Blue Ridge Parkway or swimming in in the pool with a backdrop of the picturesque mountains.
But after a day full of summer fun, do you always feel like the warm sun put a snuggly blanket on you, and all you want to do is curl up somewhere cool and fall asleep? The last thing you want to do is go behind the stove and cook something that takes any effort or is hot.
The first time I tasted Tom Yum Spaghetti was when in Bangkok sitting inside a restaurant chain called Kin Kao Kin Pla, which is what my Thai Hubby calls a “hiso” restaurant (hiso means high society, but we consider hiso restaurants in Bangkok anywhere that isn’t a street vendor and in an air-conditioned building). Continue Reading
Most “Thai” recipes created by Americans that I see when I’m scrolling through Pinterest have some sort of Thai peanut sauce made of sugary peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes (none of which are used in a Thai peanut sauce you would find in Thailand?!).
I often wonder, “Oh wow, do most Americans think that almost all Thai food has peanut sauce, and that it tastes like this??” Continue Reading
I could feel my stress float away and relaxation take its place, like it always does whenever I’m about to open my new issue of Bon Appetit. But before I could open it, Thai Hubby saw the glistening pictures on the cover of what looked like a Thai version of a chicken soup, and freaked out.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m traveling abroad for a few weeks, if I start craving any kind of American food, it’s usually not something healthy, instead it’s Chick-Fil-A spicy chicken sandwich, homemade gooey brownies, or crispy sweet potato fries.
A few weeks after I got to Bangkok, I ordered Pad See Ew (Soy Sauce Fried Noodles) for the first time at a food stall in a cozy soi (alleyway). I loved the food vendor’s quaint wooden benches and how it was under a little building so there was some shade.
“I love that I can finally cook again!” I told my friend on the phone.
“Wow, I’m never that excited about cooking!” my friend said, laughing at me.
