Noum Bai Chok by the Waterfront, Sihanoukville

Noum Bai Chok (not sure about the spelling), yet another yummy Cambodian dish that came straight our way as we were slurping our mango smoothies, is rice noodles and herbs in a fish curry soup. It's made on the spot by the trusted smiling vendor who wanders around the beach carrying all the products on her shoulders. First she piles a bowl with assorted fresh herbs: mint, banana blossom, green beans and others we could not identify.

Then, she adds a handful of fresh hand-made rice noodles and covers the lot with a hearty fish curry broth.

All that was left for us was to add the condiments of dried/fresh chili, salt and sugar to our liking. God bless.

A word of advice: the best food on Cambodian beaches is sold by these mobile vendors.

Northern Eats, Chiang Mai

In Chiang Mai you are never too far from a hearty and incredibly delicious bowl of Khao Soi. This egg noodle curry soup, made from red curry, coconut milk and pieces of chicken, is topped with pickled mustard greens, sliced shallots, fried noodles and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The place to get it is on Faham Road where many local restaurants serve the dish.

Red Curry Paste, Nam Phik Gang Phet

Curry pastes are not bought but hand ground in mortar and pestle (can be made in a blender). We used this red curry paste as the base for Red Curry with Grilled Duck.

Mash together:
1 red chili
1 tsp. galangal
1 tbs. lemon grass
1/2 tsp. kaffir lime rind
1 tsp coriander root
5 pepper corns
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shallot
10 cloves of garlic.

(The recipe is taken from the Thai Chef International Cooking School)


Kaffir lime, its rind, juice and leaves are widely used in Thai cuisine.


Chopping the chillies. Watch your eyes.


Grinding the ingredients in a stone mortar and pestle.