Thai food

The best lunches often occur in the most incongruous of places. It was just after noon, deep in the khlongs (canals) of Bangkok. The sun beat down and all was languid, save the occasional put-put of river-boats selling noodles, chillies and herbs in every hue of green.

We were with David Thompson, one of the world’s great Thai chefs and the author of Thai Food (Pavilion 2002), the finest work on this cuisine in the English language. And we were hungry. Suddenly, without warning, he tells the boat driver to stop. We pull up at a makeshift pontoon, where a noodle seller is bent over bubbling pots. You choose your noodles and whatever you want on top – fish balls, chicken or prawns – then everything is covered with a rich pork broth. You add fish sauce, or fresh chilli, or dried chilli powder to taste (‘Every dish in Thailand is personalised at the table,’ says David, ‘a touch of sugar, a handful of chillies, whatever.’) and dig in.