Bangkok, a City Tasting Tour with Chef David Thompson

“Or Tor Kor market has some of Bangkok’s best produce, no matter what the season. You can catch a taxi or sky train out there, but the underground train is probably the easiest. The market has been renovated, so it’s not as gritty and real as some of the other markets, but it has the most diverse range of fruit and vegetables in Bangkok. In particular the fresh sugar-cane juice is great and some of the cured pork sausages are pretty good.

Or Tor Kor is adjacent to the Chatuchak Weekend Market, so if you go on a Saturday or Sunday you can do two things at once. Although it’s not a food market, you can find almost anything in the world there. One of the most charming things about Bangkok is the local wet markets, the old markets. It all depends on where you’re staying, but they’re always away from the main streets.”

“One of my favourite places for lunch is Krua Apsorn, or Apsorn’s Kitchen, in the northern part of the city. It’s always full of Thais, but there is a smaller English menu. The crab stir-fry is excellent, as-is the yellow curry with prawns and lotus shoots. In Chinatown there’s a small shop that makes one of the best oyster omelettes I have ever had. They sell other dishes, but it’s known to the locals as the ‘oyster omelette house’, or Nai Mong Hoi Nang Tort.

This place has been going for over 40 years - sprinkle the omelette with white pepper and Sriracha sauce and you’ll understand why.”

At the inaugural Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna earlier this year, David Thompson’s Nahm was awarded Best Restaurant in Thailand and ranked third overall. Nahm was one of five Bangkok restaurants listed in Asia’s 50 Best, we ask David Thompson for his verdict. “Bo.lan (#36) opened a few years ago by two cooks - Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava and Dylan ‘Lan’ Jones - who worked with me at Nahm in London. They are a new generation of cooks and Bo.lan is one of the most interesting Thai restaurants in Bangkok. Gaggan (#10) is great for traditional Indian cuisine. The molecular, modern menu isn’t to my taste, but I would recommend the traditional dishes. Eat Me (#19) is great for western food - easy, casual, cute drinks, cute waiters, cute food.”