Penfold's South East Asian Odyssey

My home has just been visited by a corpulent bearded fellow who appears to have consumed all my rum and mince pies.... I'm assuming its Christmas and the guest was Santa, unless I've just been burgled by Oliver Reed!!!! I have always enjoyed festive period and I can see this continuing even when I'm in my dotage!!!! I really enjoy the food and drink, decorating the Christmas tree and hanging your stocking out for Santa!!!! But, these days, I'd much rather see the stockings on my missus!!!! Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. I look forward to 2010 being a great year in the bloggersphere!!!!

Let's face it, when the mercury tips 100 degrees and the plastic flowers are even starting to wilt, there nothing is better than supping on an ice cold glass of wobbly pops!!! Although, if you're a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, Thailand isn't exactly the best place to hold your next meeting!!! I am well placed to comment on this aspect of Thailand, thanks to my penchant for the amber nectar and having consumed more beer over the years, than a coach load of hillbillies at a Klu Klux Klan convention. One of things that tourists often find strange is that the Thais drink their beer with ice!!! For the first time visitor this takes some getting used too, but it is an aspect of the drinking culture that I have come to accept. And you soon understand why this is the case when you're sitting in the sun and your beer starts going warm!!! In the next few paragraphs, I shall endeavour to provide information and tasting notes covering the most popular brands together with highl...

Where better to review than the inimitable Thai city of Bangkok. The capital of Thailand has many monikers, "the Big Mango, "City of Angels" or "Krung Thep" as it is known to the locals. It currently holds the record for the world's longest place name. So, I shall give it ts full dignified title.......... "Krungthep Maha Nakorn Amorn Ratanakosindra Mahindrayudhya, Mahadilokpop Noparatana Rajthani Burirom Udom Rajnivet Mahastan Amorn Pimarn Avatarn Satit Sakkatuttiya Vishnukarm Prasit". Wow, what a tongue-twister, I think even most native Thai speakers would struggle with that!!! Better still, try saying it after a couple of Johnnie Walkers!!!! Bangkok is often described as a city of contrasts. This is reflected both in the cityscape, with the juxtaposition of centuries-old temples and gleaming 21st century skyscrapers and in society itself, with beggars sharing pavement space with the Gucci-wearing members of Thailand's high-society!!!! The ci...

Ahhhh.....Thai food, don't you just love it?!!! Urm.........99% of the time yes!!! But there are occassions when you just can't stomach noodles or fried-rice for breakfast. Or, when you're in the middle of the jungle, squatting over a toilet pan (the word toilet, being used in the loosest possible sense!!!!) and watching a spectacle that is akin to muck spreading, the thought of eating a curried rat or portion of fried crickets is probably the furthest thing from your mind. However, despite the odd gastronomic hiccup, which has lead to me purchasing of immodium on an industrial scale and experiencing a burning sensation in the nether regions, giving a whole new meaning to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", overall the standard of Thai food is exceptional. The sheer number of ingredients, flavours, aromas and textures are mind boggling, as are the different dishes and styles of cooking. Contrary to popular belief not all Thai food is so spicy it will melt your teeth...

Welcome to the December installment of my supplier of the month, featuring the world-renowned Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School run by Thailand's answer to Ainsley Harriott, Khun Sompon Nabnian. About the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School Sompon Nabnian and his English wife, Elizabeth, were the first to open a cooking school in the north of Thailand in 1993. From humble beginnings, the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School has since spawned a phenomenon, turning cooking courses into one of the most popular tourist activities when visiting Thailand. The Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, with over thirteen years’ experience in the business, has garnered a reputation which has reached far beyond Thailand. Sompon has been invited to appear as a special guest by numerous television programmes on food and travel, including the BBC ‘Holiday’ programme, the National Geographic Channel, ZDF and the Thai Channels 3 and ITV. In 2001 he hosted his own series for UK television titled ‘Thai Way II’. Sompon’s ...