by Daryle Rico | Sep 14, 2026 | Food and Drink
One afternoon following my tour of the ancient city of Ayutthaya, my guide Annie asked our driver to pull over at a small roadside stand. From the comfort of my air-conditioned car seat, the place didn’t look particularly remarkable. But after a morning spent...
by Daryle Rico | Aug 31, 2026 | Food and Drink
If you ask me, the next best thing to eating Thai food is learning how to cook it. Fortunately, Thailand makes that remarkably easy. Whether you’re in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hua Hin, or some tiny village whose name you can’t pronounce without...
by Daryle Rico | Jun 9, 2026 | Food and Drink
Ah yes, Som Tum—the famous green papaya salad of Thailand. A dish so beloved, so iconic, so deceptively innocent-looking… you’d never suspect it might double as a controlled burn for your internal organs. On paper, it’s perfection. A bright, crunchy mix of shredded...
by Daryle Rico | Jun 1, 2026 | Food and Drink
While planning my first trip to Southeast Asia back in 2024, I asked my Vietnamese friend Kieu if she had any advice for me before I boarded the plane. She gave me two priceless nuggets of wisdom. First: carry pristine $100 bills. Apparently, wrinkled American money...
by Daryle Rico | Apr 3, 2026 | Food and Drink
Picture this: you check into your Bangkok hotel. You’ve liberated the complimentary mini shampoos (as one does), admired your stunning alleyway view, and then—there it is. A small, innocent sign on the nightstand: “No Smoking. No Durian.” Naturally, you think: What on...
