Beef satay is one of my favorite dishes. Give it the time it needs to cook and a near-magical transformation occurs—the flavors concentrate and what develops in the pot is unbelievably good. Satay (saté) hails from Indonesian cuisine and is now enjoyed worldwide. This recipe takes its cue from traditional […]
A spicy coconut broth loaded with shrimp, chicken, rice noodles, and fresh herbs—rich, aromatic laksa. The first thing you notice is the aroma. Coconut cream blooms in a peppery heat that swirls above the pots of a Kuala Lumpur food court. One spoonful later, the dish’s quiet thesis reveals itself : […]
A fragrant, spicy Thai Tom Saap soup where a simmered pork broth meets roasted herb paste, fresh lime, and chili flakes. Say saap in the Isan dialect and the scene is set : the word simply means “delicious.” Add the simple verb tom (“to boil”), and you get Tom Saap—a bowl […]
As soon as the red curry paste hits the shimmering oil, a fragrant cloud rises. Diners sitting street-side lean back, their eyes already watering. Phat Phet makes its presence known from the very first bite. The meat is coated in a chili paste so intense that even Bangkok’s seasoned commuters […]
A creamy, spicy Thai crab curry, blending roasted chili paste, milk powder, and crisp aromatics for a main dish packed with flavor. Follow the scent of toasted curry mingling with briny steam drifting through Bangkok’s alleys at dusk. You’ll likely stop in front of a wok where a crab sizzles. […]
A slow-cooked Thai Hang Lay curry, where tender pork soaks up fragrant spices and homemade curry paste. Lift the lid off a pot of Gaeng Hang Lay. Aromas of ginger, tamarind, clove, and melting pork fat drift out. Unlike the coconut milk-rich curries most travelers know—like Thai red curry or […]
A Thai stir-fry of pork and crisp-tender beans, coated in a homemade red curry paste fragrant with citrus and warm spices. The name promises ginger (“khing” in Thai). Yet most wokfuls of Pad Prik Gaeng lean mostly on chili and makrut lime leaves, with no trace of the rhizome. The absence puzzles […]
A savory Thai stew of pork belly, eggs, and tofu, scented with spices and soy sauce, simmered until tender. As soon as the palm sugar hits the hot oil, it turns into a dark, nutty caramel that coats the pot. A few seconds later, star anise and cinnamon release an […]
Pillowy Japanese steamed buns with a juicy pork center perfumed with ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and soy sauce. On an icy night in Tokyo, numb fingers seek comfort. They find it in the plume of steam rising from a street vendor’s bamboo steamer. Inside are snow-white buns, so soft they tremble; […]
A delicious butter chicken: fire-kissed chicken blanketed in a creamy, aromatic tomato sauce Imagine a platter of tandoori chicken, its edges smoky and blistered. It then sinks into a vivid orange sauce, so bright it reflects the dining room lights. The first bite slides across the tongue : tangy from ripe […]
