THE FOOD ITINERARY
Aussie chef DAVID THOMPSON eats the streets of his adopted hometown. Interview by ED PETERS 澳洲名廚David Thompson接受Ed Peters訪問，暢談其第二故鄉的街頭美食
Australian chef DAVID THOMPSON, founder of Bangkok’s acclaimed Nahm restaurant, on his favourite places to eat in the Thai capital
THOUGH BROUGHT UP in Australia, David Thompson’s heart, soul and taste buds are firmly rooted in Thailand, where he is hailed as one of the country’s foremost authorities on all things food.
A holiday for the classically trained chef in the 1980s turned into a lengthy culinary education, taking in everything from street food to ‘royal cuisine’. Two cookbooks and a clutch of restaurants on three continents later, Thompson opened his first outlet in Hong Kong – Aaharn, in the renovated Tai Kwun heritage and arts complex in Central – last September.
Thompson is passionate about his adoptive homeland and its cuisine. Nahm, the Thai restaurant he founded at Como Metropolitan hotel in Bangkok (and left last year to focus on new projects), is regularly lauded as one of the world’s best. ‘Some people think Thai food is a jumble of flavours, but Thais delight in the complexity,’ says Thompson.
Here, he picks the places – from highfalutin to high energy – where he loves to eat in Bangkok.
1 100 MAHASETH
‘As far as restaurants go, this could very well be my first choice. It’s Isaan food, from the northeast of the country. I’m especially fond of the curries and the grilled meats,’ says Thompson. This Bangrak district restaurant does nose-totail dining, with highlights including rice noodles with pig’s brain, and oxtail braised in herb stock and cassia leaves. facebook.com/100mahaseth
2 YAOWARAT ROAD
The main artery of Chinatown is rammed with family-run hawker stalls, making it the capital’s capital of street food. Two dishes in particular are worth seeking out: oyster omelette and duck smoked over sugar cane. Picking where you eat is a matter of sizing up the queues: ‘If a stall’s busy, it’s busy for a reason.’ Regulars are said to patronise their favourite stall only if it’s being tended by the most seasoned member of the family.
3 SAMSEN ROAD
Samsen runs parallel to the Chao Phraya river and, like Yaowarat, is a street food funfair. Stir-fried noodles are a particular draw. Durian lovers – and Thompson counts himself among them – flock here when they’re in season, from April to June, though the less enamoured have likened it to ‘eating blancmange in the toilet’.
Two varieties, dubbed ‘golden pillow’ and ‘long stalk’, attract their own camps of fanatical adherents. ‘Never mind the stuff from Malaysia or Indonesia: Thai durian is the best in the world – and the smellier it is, the better I like it.’
4 BO.LAN
Occupying a glamorous space in Sukhumvit and serving authentic Thai food, Bo.lan cruised to number 19 in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018. ‘It’s run by two great friends, Bo and Dylan. They go for upmarket, sustainable, organic. I especially like the curried guinea fowl, and they do a good tom yam gung soup, but the menu changes swiftly.’ Bo.lan also runs twice-monthly cooking classes and sells curry paste, chillis and pressed oils. bolan.co.th
5 THE NEVER ENDING SUMMER
‘ This place serves old-fashioned, homely food. I’ll just say one thing – the stir-fried cabbage with fish sauce. Superb.’ The location is also a winner – and far removed from pavement dining – as it’s within The Jam Factory, an old warehouse near the river that’s also home to an architecture studio, a bookshop and an art gallery. The beef massaman and green curries are more conventional fare but still pack an enormous capacity to surprise. facebook.com/theneverendingsummer 雖然David Thompson在澳洲成長可， 是從心靈到味蕾，徹頭徹尾都是植根於泰國關。 於泰國美，食 就連泰國人都認為他是這方面數一數二的權。威
這位接受傳統廚藝訓練的大廚，於1980年代前往泰國度假，結果卻變成在當地接悠受 長的烹飪教育，鑽研的範圍從街頭美食到「皇室御宴」，一一包羅。苦心學藝的結是果， 出版了兩本泰菜食譜，以及在三大洲開設多家餐廳。現在他更將拿手的風味泰菜帶到香港，於去年9月在位於中環、翻新後開幕的大館古蹟及藝術館開內 設Aaharn餐廳。
Thompson對他的第二家鄉以及當地的烹飪十分熱愛，他在曼谷Como Metropolitan酒開店 設的旗艦餐廳Nahm備受各方讚譽，經常推為被 許 全球數一數二的食府。Thompson說有：「 些人以為泰國菜只是將不同的味道混在一起但， 泰國人卻常非 喜歡這種複雜味道。」不過他已於去年離開餐廳，專注於其他新發展。
以下是他挑選的曼谷愛心 餐廳食肆，既有氣派堂皇的高級食府，亦有充滿活力的平民小店。
1 100 Mahaseth
Thompson說：「就餐而廳 論，這家應屬我的首選。這裡供應的是國泰東北部I saan區的菜式，我特喜這別 歡裡的各式咖哩和烤肉。」這家餐位廳 於Bangrak區將，各種食材物盡其用，烹調出的特色美味包括豬腦米粉、桂葉香草上湯炆牛尾等。facebook.com/100mahaseth
2耀華力路
這是曼谷唐人街的主要街道沿， 街擺滿小食攤，通常都由一家大小合力經營。這條街可說是泰國首都裡的街頭美食之都，在琳滿瑯 目的美食之中，有兩樣特別得值 一試：就是蠔仔奄列以及用甘蔗煙熏的鴨至。要於 光顧哪一個小攤檔，就要看看排隊等候的人龍有多長。「如果某個攤檔大排長龍，必定有其原因。」據說有些主老 顧更會等到檔主一家之中手藝最好的那一位主理攤檔時，才會前去光顧。
3 Samsen Road路
Samsen Road路沿著湄南河岸而建，跟耀華力路一樣，是街頭美食天堂。炒麵是這裡特別垂令人 涎的風味美。食 Thompson自認是榴槤擁躉年至，每 4月 6月的榴槤當造季節，他會與一眾同好者前來這裡解饞。雖然不喜歡的人覺得吃榴槤有如「在廁所裡吃牛奶凍」，歡喜 的人卻有許多學問和講究。其中「金枕頭」和「長柄是」 兩種最受榴槤歡迷 迎的品種，各自擁有一群忠實粉絲，形成兩大陣營。「不必理會馬西來 亞或印尼出產的榴槤，泰國出產的才是間品人 極 ，氣味烈喜」愈濃我愈 歡。
4 Bo.Lan餐廳
Bo.lan位於素坤逸區，室內裝潢精美，十分迷人，以風味地道的泰菜客奉 。這家餐廳於2018年洲在亞 50最佳餐廳中排名19，除了烹調出色餚的佳 之外，餐廳每月舉行次兩烹飪班，還出售自家品牌的咖哩醬、辣椒以及多種冷壓。油類「餐廳是由兩位好朋Bo與Dylan一同經營，的 他們走檔高 路線、使用可持續發展及有機食材。我別特 喜歡他們的咖哩山雞，冬蔭功湯亦做得非常好，不過菜單更換得很快」。bolan.co.th
5 The Never Ending Summer餐廳
「這裡的食物充滿老派家庭式風味，它的魚露炒椰菜不可不試。」餐位廳 置遠離路邊的小食攤，設於河畔一座經改建的倉庫The Jam Factory內。這個湖邊倉庫還有一家建築事務所，一家書店和一家藝廊。這裡的馬沙文咖哩牛肉及青咖哩雖然是都常見的菜式，但是風味絕佳，令人驚。喜facebook.com/theneverendingsummer