by Daryle Rico | Sep 7, 2026 | Food, Hua Hin
One of the things I have come to enjoy about my newly adopted hometown of Hua Hin is that there seems to be no shortage of special events on the calendar. Were that not wonderful enough, most of them seem to revolve around food. My latest adventure in this category...
by Daryle Rico | Aug 31, 2026 | Cooking, Culture, Favorite Tours, Food, Thai Smiles, Thailand
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 | Aug 3, 2026 | Culture, Food, Hua Hin, Thailand
Just three short blocks from my condo sits one of my favorite discoveries in Hua Hin: the ever-delightful Cicada Market. Now, calling it a “night market” feels a bit like calling the Grand Canyon a “nice ditch.” Technically correct… but wildly insufficient. Cicada...
by Daryle Rico | Jun 9, 2026 | Cooking, Culture, Food, Hua Hin, Thai Smiles, Thailand
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 5, 2026 | Culture, Food, Thai Smiles, Thailand
One of the greatest joys of living in Thailand—and yes, I’m including the beaches, the people, and the dangerously affordable cost of living—is the food. But dining here? That’s a whole different experience. And I don’t just mean swapping burgers and fries for curry...
by Daryle Rico | Jun 1, 2026 | Culture, Food, Vietnam
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...
