Much like Day 1, Day 3 started with a market tour. This time it was with Ning. She took us to the stalls that sold some of the ingredients we would later use in class. After our brief visit, we headed to the school and started on our dishes.

Our menu was as follows:

Tom Kha Gai – chicken in coconut milk soup

Raad Nah Muu – fried big noodles with thick sauce and pork

Gaeng Phed Play – red curry with fish

Phad Hed Ruam Khao Pod Om – fried mixed mushrooms with baby corn

Som Tam – papaya salad

Khanom Kluay – steamed banana cake

Ning taught us to taste and either add sugar or soy sauce to moderate the saltiness or heat of each dish. The best technique that I learned from her was to cook the wide flat noodles in a cold wok with the oil and flatten/fry them like a pancake to give them a smoky texture. Though everything was delicious as always, of today’s menu, I give a two thumbs up to the steamed banana cake. Not being much of a desert person, I appreciated that this was not overly sweet and beautifully presented. 

After lunch, we walked around the property which I somehow had not yet done in the past few days.

The grounds are quite expansive and we found out from Ning that some of the herbs and fruit we used are grown on-site.

I once again walked away with leftovers and am looking forward to continuing to learn more about the flavor pairings that make Thai cuisine as unique as it is. 

Thai Cookery School 

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