Reviewed February 23, 2014 NEW
The class was a much anticipated element of our Bangkok visit and my foodie husband enrolled well in advance. Since he does ALL the cooking I planned to go along to take pictures. We were told on arrival that only enrolled students could attend, so I was signed up, a little trepidatious about what would be required of me. In the end I had a fantastic time, as Chef Lee herself absorbed my part in a kindly subtle way. So if this sounds familiar to anyone reading this, fear not and do not miss the class. First of all, if for any reason this renown chef should choose to stop teaching her very delicious Thai cuisine, I am certain that she would have great success as a stand-up comedian. Laughter was certainly a spice of the day. We joined an international group of three other couples and set off on a field trip to the nearby market, making a brief stop to wonder at the monitor lizards sunning in the canal along the way. Without our guide we would never have guessed what emerged when we entered a narrow alley. A warren of stalls, each specializing in a product Chef Lee narrated (e.g., how the Taiwanese invented the coconut shredder for the essential Thai ingredient, what ingredient was a good or bad choice, how the cats came to enjoy preferential treatment after a flood that miraculously spared the market they frequented, and many instances of products that would never be sanctioned in a Western culture but are essential to the preparation of authentic Thai cuisine and more). The butcher’s stall was remarkable with production ongoing. Back to the school where an incredibly delicious meal was demonstrated, produced and enjoyed, in part due to the choreography of the staff who enhanced the convivial experience. Our menu of the day included the following: chili paste (hot) on toast, both clear an creamy chicken soup, pad Thai with shrimp, green and massaman curry (a name that evolved from the original Muslim adjective), papaya in a spicy vinegar preparation, polished off with mango and sticky rice. We had a phenomenal meal and a truly memorable day. For a final observation, I was curious about the roll of toilet paper at each station before we began to eat, but it was soon obvious it was there to capture the Thai food tears we all happily shed in the process.
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