Bourdain-isms
“Spirituality, reflection, the serene beauty of the rice paddy, village life; maybe next episode. This time, it’s all about consuming medically inadvisable amounts of food and drink.”
“This may surprise you, but I am not an alcoholic. I don’t drink at home ever. There’s no beer in my fridge. If I’m not working, I’m not hanging out in bars. But if I was an alcoholic, and I did hang in bars, I would hang here.”
“Chiang Mai at night. We are well on our way. To where, to what, I don’t know, I don’t much care. But I do know it’s time to eat. In Thailand it’s almost always a time to eat. Yes, and drink. We shall be doing that, too.”
“I need to have some chicken wings. I need to have some like fried mozzarella sticks. I need to go to a gun range, more beer, more food.”
“Welcome to Chiang Mai Province, tucked up near the borders of Burma, China, Laos, India not too far away. All of them have left their mark on the food.”
By the numbers
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67M
Population of Thailand
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100
Bottles of whiskey produced per day at distillery Bourdain visited
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Countless
Number of shots consumed
Eats
Khao Ka Moo Cowboy Hat Lady
Night Market, Chang Phueak Gate, T. Chang Phueak, Muang
+66-90-051-6573
What Bourdain ate: Khao kha moo (stewed pork leg).
Soom Sien Bar
80/1 Sirinthorn Road, T. Chang Pueak, Muang
What Bourdain ate: Grilled pork intestine and drinks.
Gia Tod Teing Keun
139 Kampaengdin Road, T. Haiya, Muang
What Bourdain ate: Deep fried chicken and Thai chili dip nam prik noom.
Khao Soi Lam Duan
352/22 Chareonrat Road, T. Wat Gate, Muang
What Bourdain ate: Khao soi (curry coconut milk noodle soup), som tam (green papaya salad), Thai iced tea.
Pa Daeng Jin Tup
Located at the corner of Mae Yoi Intersection, T. San Sai, San Sai
What Bourdain ate: Hammered meat and drinks.
Him Tang
32 Moo 3, T. On-Klang, A. Mae-On
What Bourdain ate: Pig-blood soup, grilled pig tail and beer.
Kao Cham Cha
Located at the corner under the Rain Tree, Rattanakosin Road, Wat Gate, A. Muang
What Bourdain ate: Larb (meat salad).
Krapao
1001, Chiang Mai-Mae Jo Road, Nong Jom, T. Fa Ham, A, San Sai
What Bourdain ate: Pad kee mao (drunken noodles), kra pao gai (Thai basil chicken), pad cha talay (seafood stirfry).
Chiang Mai Cabaret
Anusan Market, Chang Klan Road, T. Chang Klan, Muang
+66-95-416-8696
Sidekick
Andy Ricker is the chef and owner of Michelin starred Pok Pok Ny in Red Hook, Brooklyn as well as seven other restaurants in Portland, NYC and L.A. He first visited Thailand as a backpacker in 1987. Since then, he has spent several months each year traveling, eating, cooking and studying the food culture in Thailand and neighboring countries. Ricker has won two James Beard Awards and is best selling cookbook author.
Ricker on the concept of ‘authentic’ Thai cuisine: “If you’re in the United States and you say traditional authentic Thai restaurant, to me that has come to mean a standard Thai restaurant in America. That menu. When you come here, authentic is different. You’re the daughter of the woman who made this, then to you this is the most authentic version of that dish. If you are from Nan province, you still make larb but it doesn’t taste like this.”
Lingo
Kathoey: A term used by some to refer to transgender women.
Nam prik noom: Thai green chili dip.
Khao soi: Curry coconut milk noodle soup.
Som Tam: Green papaya salad.
Khao kha moo: Stewed pork leg.