It takes about a day of travel to get to Thailand by plane so we were fed at least three times and a snack. Below, white fish with rice and veggies.

Western style beef with potato. Didn’t take my own advice here. It was all right.

It’s after midnight-Thursday morning, my aunt Nan picks me up from the airport with the driver who asked me, after being away for so long, what was the food I’d like to have first. The first thing that comes to mind is my fave breakfast… JOHK!! Traditional rice porridge with pork meatballs. This is the comfort food I make for myself in the states if I’m sick or homesick for Thailand.

First lunch is at See-Fah (the color blue) a Thai chain restaurant. Pictured below, noodles in clay pot and Kanom Jeeb (open face shrimp/pork dumplings).

For dinner there was no plan after getting reoriented to Sukhumvit line of the Skytrain. We found ourselves shopping for contingency snacks at the ‘Fresh Market’ of BKK, the Emporium.

And celebrated the safe journey with a refreshing beverage at local expat bar, Beer Republic. My drink was a Linchee margarita… Fabulously delicious.

Friday night… we had a reunion dinner with ICS-Bangkok alumni who did all the ordering at Sarnies, a Thai-Italian fusion restaurant. Thai-Italian cuisine is a popular combo here. The flavors and ingredients just make sense. Below, tuna marinated in fish sauce, citrus, chillies.

Pumpkin Ravioli with crispy garlic, herbs

Linguine with clams, spicy, lemony, peppery delicious

Pepperoni with soft ricotta. Thais love pizza, which tend towards artisan gourmet style. Thin crust, fired and full of flavor.

Krispy Kreme, set up on the Skytrain elevated walkway. We did not partake, just admired. 😉

Located in the BKK shopping district are many posh fancy malls. All of them have a food court. This one, EaThai at Central Embassy, just happens to be the fancy one serving up the best Bangkok street food vendors have to offer, all in one place… and air conditioning. Below, Kweitiew (rice noodle soup with pork) Moo and meatballs.

Pictured below is my grandpa’s favorite and on the TOP of the ’Must-eat-while-in-Thailand’ list. Awl Swoan is oysters and scallions fried in tapioca batter, served with bean sprouts and Sri Racha sauce! I had this dish three times the first 3 days of the trip 🥰.

Dessert is water chestnut Rubies in iced coconut soup.

My cousin Gluay joins us with \240a second dessert of banana crepe, which is fitting, because her nickname means banana 🍌😊

Quintessential Thai brand Soda water Singha (the ‘a’ is silent if you know what you are doing).

Met up with my former student Saranya, she treated us to a very tasty meal at a Rodniyom. Below, TOM YUM GOONG. You may have had this soup stateside. If it doesn’t look like this, it’s a sad fake. The greens are Pak Boong (Chinese water spinach). Available widely in southeast US now at Asian markets. I ordered pak boong pretty much at every meal, so you will see it again.

I win at life whenever I get to enjoy Kapi (roasted shrimp paste sauce). It literally has ALL the Unami I need. Served here with Pla Tooh (small salty mackerel) and a distinctive textural herb omelette and fresh long beans, cabbage, herbs. The sauce is the star of this dish.

ANOTHER favorite… Yum Pla Dook (catfish) Foo. The ‘yum’ dressing is prepared to a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy. A slaw of green mango, onion, roasted cashews is added. The catfish is steamed, the flesh flaked into fine, puffy mounds. The magic happens when the mounds of cooked fish are deep fried, then added to the yum marinade and slaw. The fish was still crackling with heat when this dish was served. Stir it all up, nosh, die and go to heaven.

On Sunday, we have a banquet in honor of my grandpa for the family and company staff who worked in tandem to arrange seating for 7 tables of 10, complete with place cards.

‘Khun’ is the Thai version of Mr or Ms, a unisex term makes things super easy for everyone.

First course is grilled chicken Thai style with Som Tum (papaya salad).

And as these banquets go, there’s more more and more! Shrimp & chicken noodles, fried rice with eggs, and ostrich! I thought it was beef 😳 very tender. Not pictured, Paad Woon Sen stir fried glass noodles.

The next day, we take a tour of the family Greennut and rice cracker factories.

All shapes, sizes and textures. This factory is one year younger than me. ☺️

This shape is my fave…the round puffy one!

Greennut ready for distribution across Asia 😃

And Tabi too! 😋

After the tours, we enjoy Splendid weather at an Ayuttayah riverside restaurant. Even though it is a rainy season we did not get any rain in the first week in Bangkok. We were told we bought the good weather with us😇. The meal below was enjoyed with my aunt Nan, her husband Ron and their daughter Natalie’s family.

My other favorite dish, Soft shelled crab stirfried with young white pepper, Kaffir lime leaves, basil, chilies… 😩 tastes as good as it looks… I assure you!

Chicken with cashews… sweet & salty delight

Tom yum Gai (chicken) this one came mild, for the kids😉 and without coconut milk thus, it is clear.

Apparently this place is known for grilled prawns so some was ordered. Ended up taking the flesh out for everyone cuz I don’t mind getting my fingers dirty—getting them delicious more like! The Nam Jim (dipping sauce) is key—lime, sweetness, garlic, fish sauce and Chili 🌶!

This beauty is a fried tilapia covered with a sweet-and-sour sauce and chilies. There’s nothing quite as fun and satisfying as a fried fish Thai style.

Cannot be in Thailand and not have Moo Satay!! Yeah… Bring IT!!

This is Wednesday, a week into the trip and we head to MBK Shopping Center. Of course there’s a food court upstairs… This is one of my favorite Thai comfort foods. Laad Na (charred rice noodles) with pork and Chinese broccoli gravy.

After a day of shopping, I stopped by the neighborhood coffee shop for a cap.

OMG… it never ends!! My Uncle Pichit orchestrated another family meal for final day all stateside folks are in town together. He introduces my cousin Natalie’s sons Charlie and John Paul to Traditional Chinese food of our family ancestorIal region. Below, the first course, antipasto Chinese style, from top: steamed chicken, served cold and surprisingly full of flavor, jellyfish, fried fish, fish stomach w/egg and mushroom. All have dipping sauces…

My uncle explains the dish and which sauce goes with which item.

Second course… Roast duck/Peking style. The server shaves off the skin, which we fold in the thinnest flour crepes imaginable, add scallions and molasses.

These boys are picky eaters… and yet, they try everything! 👏🏼

3rd course, hot and sour soup. Delish…

Fancy pants battered and fried shrimp over fruit salad with sweet mayonnaisy cream sauce on top, served in a crispy taro bowl.

This hearty stew contains braised fried tofu medallions, whole shiitake mushrooms, tender white fish, bok choy and something else, which I ate, but have no idea what it is.

Under this chicken, Chinese broccoli mushroom gravy is fried egg noodles. My kids go ga-ga for this when I manage to pull it off!

The noodles are underneath… you gotta stir it up. Rob’s washing the meal down with a ‘beer Singh.’

The fish below is called ‘lazy fish’ because it’s so lazy it’s flesh is very tender. It’s steamed with soy sauce, scallions and ginger. There was a dessert… I forgot to document, plum crepes.

Ok…Phew! We leave BKK for a few days. The hotel we chose on Samui Island has a restaurant called Journeys. After checking in, we enjoy a refreshing drink! It was somewhat hard to decide…

Settled on Tom Yum Iced tea (brilliant drink) and a Journey Bay, served in a coconut.

Island Lunch is served seafood Pad Krapow (Thai basil stir fry with chilies) fried egg on top

Finally. Paad Thai in Thailand!! 🇹🇭

At last… a Beer Chang. (Chaaang means elephant)

Lays has so many flavors here, it so fun. Not much room for potato chipping these days tho, I prefer the Thai snacks, which I ate before taking a photo.

What is that a pina colada? I can’t remember 😹

Guess what I ordered for dinner… more Pak Boong!!!😻also had a curry dish.

Breakfast buffet at Thai hotels are legendary. This one hits the spot.

Mixing it up with some Italian next door. The view was nice, the pie a bit dry. We will not speak of the chicken jerky Caesar salad 🤐

Sue’s Ocean restaurant entices us with tables on the beach and this pick your own seafood array.

I picked out a couple of crabs to stir fry in curry powder. Pooh Paad Pong Kali. The flavors of garlic, curry, scallions infuse the eggs binded coating on this dish. One of my favorites of all Thai cuisine!

Another fave is glass noodles baked with Prawns. The cilantro root is key to the broth. If you have a clay pot you could make this at home…😊

Of course, there’s Pak Boong to round out the meal.

One of the tent tables next door.

These mangoes grow beside the patio. So tempted to pick some.

More breakfast to fuel our Saturday adventures…

Which is really just poking around the beach on a paddle board, shopping around Koh Samui and having a beer on the beach, where the shopping comes to you 😉.

We found this amazing Italian place on the west side of the island, just in time to catch the lasts gasps of the sunset.

Salefino is the name, authentic Italian is their game. As authentic as one can get in the gulf of Thailand.

Started with bruschetta topped with tomato and ricotta.

Catch of the day is white snapper… Rob ordered Mediterranean style.

I have seafood pasta… more getting down and dirty with my food! 🦀🦑

On Sunday we tour with Mr Tu tour company. Complimentary chicken rice soup before the journey.

For our last night, we happened upon a posh hotel’s Sunday seafood buffet. Lucked into an open table. For starters, the salad bar.

There are lots of chafing dishes filled with lots of options. The best part was the grilled seafood and various sauces available.

The seafood Boat-fet. Ha haaa 🤭

The not so humble dessert bar. A fitting end to last dinner on the beach.

Last Monday in BKK, a friend suggests Ma Maison. Pricey, but worth every baht. We start to notice the restaurants we pick, there’s always somebody celebrating a birthday. We must be going to the fancy birthday worthy places.

Checking Haw Mok off the list. My absolute fave Thai food of all time! I know I say that about a lot of dishes, but this time it is true. Haw Mok— fish cooked in coconutty kaffir limey curry custard wrapped in banana leaves really is the best!

Also must eats, green curry with roti bread. No Pak Boong?! No worries…Pak Waan stir fried with egg.

Server recommended this dessert, Louk Bua Loy, shredded coconut inside sticky rice balls floating in salty/sweet intensely jasminey coconut soup🫠.

Last day in BKK, we have bonafide street food. Two plates Hong Kong noodles Jae (vegetarian) red chicken curry… rice and Pak Boong!! Total price: 170 Baht ($4.47)!

Kanom Chun (layered treat) and tong yod (golden morsels). I was craving these two desserts and happened to find them on the street, during our last day in Bangkok. Also happened upon my favorite fruit green guava and green mango! I like them crunchy and unripened.😋

My grandparent’s housekeeper’s kitchen. A lot of home cooking is done outdoors in Thailand. Just makes sense.

Inside, less messy things happen. I remember mixing Ovaltine that was kept in this cabinet, when I was a young.

Our last meal in Thailand occurs at my grandparents home, prepared by my grandparents’ caretakers and housekeepers. This venuel is very fitting and consists of dishes I find comforting and familiar. It is a simple meal, which warms my heart…

And of course Pak Boong makes an appearance! 😂

Thai dinners in NC… I credit my mom for keeping Thai food in my life. She always kept the flavors true, even though we were far from ‘home.’

Back on the plane again folks… I did not take my own advice and chose the western omelette instead of the Asian option. 😅silly me.

Did better during the next flight… Korean style beef with salad-soup, you pour the cold broth into the salad. Wow… interesting!

Thank you for looking at this journal. If you made it through, congrats! You reviewed two weeks worth of meals in an amazing country resplendent with culinary history. There’s so much more to enjoy, see and taste in Thailand. We certainly consumed more food than what is shown here and checked pretty much everything off the ‘must eat while in Thailand’ list for this trip.. I am making a list for next visit, already! What a great trip it was. Until next time, Choke Dee (good luck) and sawasdi, ka!