The first time I went to the Siam Rice Thai Cookery, I experienced the single greatest day of over-indulgence of my life. For my second visit, I expected more of the same, and I wasn’t disappointed.
As friends and family might attest, I have two remarkably hollow legs in which I can store large quantities of food. That said, a full day cooking course at Siam Rice pushes my limits, and I found myself mentally preparing for a painfully fulfilling day.
Our first course consisted of two dishes, an entree and a soup — for me, that was chicken with ginger and hot and sour soup. After making the dishes, we served ourselves and took our bounty to the communal table, where I tried to remember, “Slowly…” as I shoveled Thai food into my mouth. By the time I’d finished, I realized I was nearly full. With four more dishes to go, that just wouldn’t do.
My last course before break time? Papaya salad. Prep-wise, it’s a breeze. The final result was sweet and spicy, with just a tang of saltiness. It was amazing.
Break time involved me passing out on my back in a garden hut. My stomach felt like it was going to explode, and — by that point — my appetite had been straight-up murdered. But I sucked it up, bounced it down, and tried to make a little room in my belly before the final two phases of Food-pocalypse 2015.
Massaman curry is a mild, richly-flavored curry long extolled for its tastiness. Even King Rama II loved it, writing:
Massaman, a curry made by my beloved, is fragrant of cumin and strong spices.
Any man who has swallowed the curry is bound to long for her.
I have a feeling that dude and I would have gotten along famously.
Last, but certainly not least, we made our dessert. This was the only dish I repeated from last time. Mango with sticky rice is a dessert so tailored to my tastes it’s scary. I love fruit, I love rice, I love sweet things — it’s perfect. While seemingly simple, getting the flavor right is a little tricky, since you have to balance the amount of coconut cream, sugar, and salt you use. Luckily, I got the amounts right and slipped into food nirvana as I crammed the final bites into my mouth. When I finished, I slumped back and cradled my swollen abdomen.
Mission complete.
While our instructor at Siam Rice was different — as were the dishes I decided to make — the lessons were still excellent, the food scrumptious, and the jokes… well, those hadn’t changed at all.
Check out Siam Rice’s website if you’d like to try them out for yourself!
Have you ever done a cooking class? What cuisine was it for? How did you like it? Share your answers in the comments below!
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Oh Nathan, I am so jealous of this whole experience. Thai food is so great, I have the most hilarious image of you cradling your swollen abdomen, but I really can’t blame you! Your pad see ew looks delicious. The fat noodles are definitely my favourite. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the mental image 😛 It was impossible NOT to eat the food… it was just so good!
A cooking class is one thing I managed to miss out on in Thailand. I’m kicking my former self right now – what the hell was I thinking?! This looks amazing.
May you continue to gorge upon pad see ew and mango sticky rice for those of us less fortunate 😀
*sigh* if I must… 😛