Insane THAI FOOD!! Unbelievable Cooking Skills in Khao Lak, Thailand!

- Hello everyone, I hope you are having an amazing day. It's Mark Wiens. I am in the Phang Nga province in the south of Thailand, right in Khao Lak. And one of the restaurants I was most looking forward to visiting, wellness here, is a restaurant called Khrua Luang Then. They specialize but take Southern Thai Phang Nga

food

to the next level, so we will eat all their specialties. Hopefully, I think they're really cool. We will have the opportunity to see them cook. We will have a feast of southern Thai

food

. In this video, I will share with you all the amazing food of southern Thailand. (upbeat music) We arrived immediately right when they opened and I already love the look of this place.

It is so beautiful. It's like a barefoot beach type place. You could definitely be eating without shoes here. There are sand. Some of the tables are actually in the sand and there are just tables around under these shelters. But the best thing about the restaurant so far, just the look of the restaurant, is this huge tree, which I love because they kept it. It's a kind of shadow, it's a kind of protection for the entire restaurant. There are like vines, there is vegetation everywhere. These are beautiful giant wooden tables and some bamboo tables. I love being here before we even try the food. - (speaking in foreign language) - It's a cool place and now we are talking to her trying to place our order to get some of the special dishes from here.

But another interesting thing about this restaurant is that it was in the 2020 Michelin Guide for Phang Nga in Thailand. - (speak in foreign language) - (speak in foreign language) - (speak in foreign language) - (speak in foreign language) - That should be enough. We ordered eight different dishes, eight dishes for us. But there are so many interesting things on your menu. There are so many unique dishes. There are some ingredients in some seafood that I haven't tried before in other parts of southern Thailand. And yes, they are already great. We go to the kitchen to watch Ping Ken as she starts

cooking

. (upbeat music) So he's the first to do (he speaks in a foreign language).

So awesome. Chef Ken, and this is his name (speaking in foreign language), is a minced meat curry. So he drank that curry paste first. The aroma, incredible. Oh yes, you can smell that. He burned that curry paste and put the minced meat in it and is burning it on the fire. In Thai he is called (speaking in foreign language). It's like a dry fry. It's like a dry curry. - (speaks in foreign language) Because we are the first here today, they are just starting with all our dishes at once on the entire assembly line. She just made our (foreign language speaking), which is an omelet with ant eggs and also the whole ant.

That's one of the best tortillas you can get. And now, there are some, literally, some ingredients that I've never seen before. One of them is called (speaks in a foreign language). I think it is a type of octopus or squid, but locally from this area and then it is called the other main dish that we are going to eat (speaking in foreign language). I've never seen that before. It's a black type of gray. This is incredible. And it's also eliminating that curry flavor. Well, there's too much going on. I'm just confused and happy and sweating and the aromas are (laughs). (speaks in foreign language) (upbeat music) The black stew and the curry, he cut it into slices (speaks in foreign language) and then put it in the curry.

And again his style, his style, in a pot, it just retains the juices, retains that curry paste. The aromas of the shrimp paste and (speaking in foreign language) are amazing. And this is a (speaks in foreign language). - (speaking in foreign language) - I'm just flying around the kitchen. They are just flying around the kitchen. There are three seasons going on, but I love their spicy

cooking

style for the next dish (speaking in a foreign language). It is one of the best dishes in southern Thailand, but we eat it with (speaking in a foreign language), which is catfish, sea catfish, and for it (speaking in a foreign language) he added a huge spoonful of (speaking in a Foreign language). language) which is the orange curry paste used for this with a lot of turmeric.

And he also added like a heaping tablespoon of shrimp paste and that shrimp paste, you can see the quality of it, you can see how lumpy it is. And that smells amazing. The orange that simply bubbles and the fire burns. The aromas are out of control. My mouth is making juices. The saliva is becoming uncontrollable on my tongue. (upbeat music) - (speaking in a foreign language) - And then my favorite vegetable to enter (speaking in a foreign language). It is called pond bathing, which they call here (speaking in foreign language) which are the taro stalks that grow.

They are so you can even see their bubbling. You can see the lightness of them. They are so crunchy that they just soak up all the broth. That's why I like it so much (speaking in a foreign language). And he's about to add it to the curry with (speaks in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - I love everything about this place, and this is kind of an outdoor kitchen section in the backyard, and he He's showing me all the different fish they have for the day. So many different beautiful fish. Fresh fish, large fish, small fish, chopped fish.

What a beautiful place. - (speaking in a foreign language) - So the final dish that we are going to receive is (speaking in a foreign language) which is fried fish with turmeric and garlic, and you can see that the mortar and pestle is completely orange because of the amount of turmeric. he is hitting. He goes in turmeric, a whole stick of turmeric and then garlic and then he will prepare it with a fish called... (speaking in foreign language)-And he said this is the best fish of the day. He said this is his favorite fish. So that's what we're getting. (upbeat music)-(speaking in foreign language)-he crushed turmeric and garlic, then mixed a little flour, a little water, and then soaked the whole soup with that mixture.

That goes directly to the hot oil to the fryer that goes in the (speaking in foreign language). Oh, that's beautiful. (boiling oil) (jazz music) - (speaking in foreign language) - Okay, I think that was the final dish. In fact, I'm going to run back to the table. I have never been so excited in my life. Oh, he's a teacher. He is so good. Yes. Wow! I don't just say that lightly. I say it a lot, but I don't think I've ever been so excited to try this food in my life. It's all his cooking style and you can tell he's doing things without even thinking about it.

He shows that he is a great teacher. He knows what he's doing. He has a close relationship with curry pastes, ingredients, fish and the things he uses. You would just trust it for any type of southern Thai food. I'm sure I guarantee, even before you try the food, that anything he cooks, anything that's on his, Ping Ken's menu, will be exceptional. He is simply a genius. I'm almost nervous, I'm so excited. Rice in the bowl. Ping says I have to start with him (he speaks in foreign language). This is southern Thailand. One of the main staple foods of southern Thailand.

It is a sour curry, we get it with catfish, sea catfish, ocean catfish and pond sauces which are taro stems. And then yes. Look at the thickness of that (speaks in foreign language). Look at that color. Look at the thickness of that and this is a water based curry. Oh, wow. That is a masterful flavor. And yes, I noticed that when he made this he put a lot of shrimp paste, more shrimp paste than normal, that gives it such a rich umami, shrimp flavor and this is a water based dish so It is not rich. or it is not thick from the coconut milk.

That's just thickened by the shrimp paste or the curry paste, which is krill paste, maybe krill or shrimp paste, I'm not totally sure, and the curry paste, turmeric and garlic. Wow. Yes, that's amazing. It's less acidic than some versions, but more umami because of the amount of shrimp paste he used. That's impressive, incredible. And only to taste the catfish in the next bite. Oh, it's very firm. That catfish is amazing. I think seawater catfish have a slightly firmer texture than freshwater catfish. Freshwater catfish is sometimes a little softer and melts in your mouth, and just wrapped in that curry, it's amazing.

Well, the next dish I can't wait to try is that (speaking in a foreign language). This is the dry curry with meat and just look at that color, how much curry paste there is, the green peppers. And he also added a big handful of different herbs. There's some bevels there, there's some green peppercorns, there's some (mumbles). Just look at that closely. The amount of texture in it, the amount of spices and herbs, the mashed curry paste, it's lumpy. This amount in this spoon right now could be a flavor overdose and I'm willing to take the risk.

Wow, it should go on top. Oh, that's masterful. All that flavor is wrapped in that paste that he seared, that he dry fried, mixed with the cooked meat until it was as if dehydrated, so it is dry, the flavor is completely condensed. The green pepper in there. You taste the variety of herbs, the bevel there, that's an overdose of flavor. It's spicy, but very well balanced all together. And while it's still hot and fresh, I'm going to get right to it (speaks in foreign language), the fried fish with turmeric and garlic. And I love the way he cut it, strategically so that it absorbs more of the turmeric and garlic and also so that you can get it right out of the bone structure, just take out those fillets that are like blooming and crispy.

Put that on the rice and then I'll immediately reach for some sauce. Oh, that's impressive. Wow. I looked at him while he did this. He took great care to make sure it wasn't overcooked and that it wasn't dry. You can taste the juicy unctuousness of the fish so well fried. And then that amazing mustardy flavor from the fresh turmeric, the garlic, it's crunchy, a little bit of flour to keep it extra crunchy, which is perfect. And there is (he speaks in a foreign language) the garlic sauce is also very good, with a lot of garlic, cold, lemon juice with that acidity and not too sweet.

That combination. I like the softness of that fish. He recommended this fish and now I know why. You say it's incredibly spongy and oily. It's absolutely delicious. (jazz music) Now that we have tried a couple of dishes, now would be an appropriate time to explore the dish, in southern Thailand it is known as (foreign language speaking), which is the raw dish. They always give you a plate of fresh raw vegetables. Often when you take a bite of spicy curry and then need a mouth cleanse before the next dish, this is what you end up with. So this is an appropriate time right now.

Today we have some eggplants, we have some of these (speaking in foreign language) I don't remember what it is, but I think it almost has a licorice flavor. There are some stink beans, some long beans and then this one here. This is the special event of the day. Our pickled stinky beans. In Thai it is called (spoken in a foreign language). Yes, that's amazing. That stinky juiciness just overwhelms your mouth. Oh I love it. And then I'll try this one next. And the salty taste of that stinky bean and then that aroma are delicious and transformative.

I love them. Stinky beans are one of the best natural ingredients in the world in southern Thailand and especially in the Malay Peninsula and throughout Indonesia. Oh yeah. That leaf is definitely licorice. (coughing) I'm talking (mumbles) Oh, and that chili sauce. Wow, that's unique to that (speaks in a foreign language). That chili sauce is amazing, it's spicy. Choking and spicy and licorice-like. Oh, it's making me cry a little. Incredible, what a combination of flavors. That's an amazing combination of (mumbles). It just leaves you speechless. Next is also the dish I most want to eat, which is black stingray curry (speaking in a foreign language).

And it's like a hot mass of curry paste. Even look at the color of that fish. Yes, look at its color. Wow, that's spectacular. The green pepper flavor, and added a handful of (foreign language speaking) which I think is tree bevel in English but gives almost like a bitter licorice herb. It almost has a licorice flavor. And then he added a bunch of (speaks in a foreign language) in there too, then wrapped it in that curry paste. The fish, the stingray, almost tastes like chicken, its mouthfeel and texture, and its flavor is huge. And then a spicy dish like that, you want to pair it with some fresh vegetables, like some fresh stinky beans.

Fresh, natural, beautiful vitamins, nothing better than curly ones. There is no greater natural ingredient in the world. It seems like an appropriate time to try that (speaking in a foreign language). What is the omelet with ant eggs? And you can see that there are also whole ants. Oh, and there, they're right there. If you push down a little, it's an egg. A little bite of bubbly, buttery joy. And the best thing to do with this tortilla is to just dip it in some (foreign language speaking). The combination. Omelet, (speaks in foreign language) with red ant eggs.

They're very buttery, and then if you feel one on your tongue, it has a little bubble texture and you bite into it. It's literally that creamy. Buttery texture that just releases in your mouth, on your tongue. Well, atNext they call it (speaks in foreign language) but local octopus and then we fry it with pineapple. This could be a less spicy dish, but I think they could add shrimp paste to it. Well we'll see. But then there's pineapple, here's some onions, there's some chili. (mumbles) It's very refreshing. I don't know if it's shrimp paste or if it's just the octopus juices, but it's a little sweet from the pineapple.

Light and refreshing, you have the onions still crushed. All of that is delicious. That's like reassuring. It is good to complement all other spicy dishes with this type of sweet and citrus dish like pineapple. And that's perfect. Okay, and the final dish we got is called (foreign language speaking). And it's called (speaking in foreign language) because it has this little foot that sometimes you can just use the foot and take it out. But these are a little stuck here, so you have to use a toothpick or a kebab stick here. There, that's a little foot and you can't eat the little foot because it's very hard.

It feels like my foot has just been broken. (laughs) Okay, I'll have to pick up the stick again and dig this guy out again. Here we go. And put this in (speaks in foreign language). It's just pure, it's just delicious. The (speaks in foreign language), the seafood sauce is delicious. It has a kind of squid texture. Whenever we come to this region of southern Thailand and to Phang Nga and Krabi, Ying ama (speaks in foreign language). I love it too. We always order it. They are simply fresh, simply delicious. They are from this area. (jazz music) I think we've already tried all the different dishes.

Yes. Literally, every dish, incredible flavor, full of ingredients, full of spices, full of herbs. This is the ultimate happiness for me and besides that, right in this place under the tree, my feet are in the sand. A perfect atmosphere for dinner either. I love this and now we will try to finish the rest of the meal. I'm going to go around the (speaks in foreign language). Just the color, just that spicy curry paste batter, moist curry paste and some green pepper corn. Like wet curry paste, chillies, that's just an overdose of flavor. (jazz music) It's so addictive.

You just can't, you won't be able to stop. You can't stop, you don't want to stop. Yeah, (speaks in foreign language), wow. These little ones I think are called (speaks in foreign language). They are like little sprouts with beans. They also have a stinky hat-like aroma and taste. Oh yeah. Oh, those are fresh, like little cuts, like you mix them in your mouth. Oh I love it. (upbeat music) Incredible. Oh I love it. That was, without a doubt, one of the best meals of southern Thai food I've ever had in my entire life, and southern Thai food is one of my favorite regional variations, regional styles of cooking throughout Thailand.

I love the south of Thailand. I love southern Thai food, curries, Ying, my wife is from southern Thailand in Krabi and I usually eat a lot of southern Thai food, but that was a real highlight, really spectacular. Her curry paste mix, his (he speaks in a foreign language) is beyond your wildest flavor imagination. I can taste it like curry paste, like the herbs, spices and chillies are almost coming out of my face. Khrua Luang Then, and her name is Ping Ken. He is the cook. This is what I call a five star restaurant. The combination of the amazing food and care he puts into it, the kindness of Ping Ken, his wife and his staff make you feel at home.

That combination of everything together makes this what I consider to be the best restaurant style place in the world. That was amazing. (speaks in foreign language) When in Khao Lak, this place is worth the drive from anywhere in Thailand. I came here from Bangkok to eat here, but definitely if you are in Phang Nga, if you are in Khao Lak. What restaurant. I want to thank you very much for watching this video. Remember to like it if you enjoyed it. Leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you, and if you're not already subscribed, click subscribe and also click the little bell icon so you'll immediately, oh yeah, reach the top with curry paste. right now. (laughs) I can't even believe it, I can't understand it.

Well, click the little bell icon and subscribe to receive immediate notification of the next video I post. Goodbye from Phang Nga and see you in the next video. Thanks again for watching.