In this episode, Chef Pailin and Chef Hong take you on a journey to Northern Thailand, chef Hong’s home region. It is a land of misty mountains, ancient Lanna heritage, and bold, earthy flavors. From Khao Soi (ข้าวซอย) and Sai Oua (ไส้อั่ว) to the beloved Nam Ngiaw (น้ำเงี้ยว), they explore how geography, history, and culture have shaped this unique cuisine. Along the way, they share personal memories and the warmth of the Khantoke (ขันโตก) tradition that brings people together through food and community.

About the Hosts

Hong Thaimee

Chef, entrepreneur, and storyteller behind Thaimee Love in NYC, Hong is passionate about sharing the heart of Thai culture through food. She also curates experiences on CookUnity and runs her shop at hongthaimee.com.

Pailin Chongchitnant

Best known as the creator of Hot Thai Kitchen, Pailin is a chef, cookbook author, and YouTube personality who brings Thai recipes and culture to a global audience with clarity and warmth. 

In this episode, Chef Pailin and Chef Hong take you on a journey to Northern Thailand, chef Hong’s home region. It is a land of misty mountains, ancient Lanna heritage, and bold, earthy flavors. From Khao Soi (ข้าวซอย) and Sai Oua (ไส้อั่ว) to the beloved Nam Ngiaw (น้ำเงี้ยว), they explore how geography, history, and culture have shaped this unique cuisine. Along the way, they share personal memories and the warmth of the Khantoke (ขันโตก) tradition that brings people together through food and community.

About the Hosts

Hong Thaimee

Chef, entrepreneur, and storyteller behind Thaimee Love in NYC, Hong is passionate about sharing the heart of Thai culture through food. She also curates experiences on CookUnity and runs her shop at hongthaimee.com.

Pailin Chongchitnant

Best known as the creator of Hot Thai Kitchen, Pailin is a chef, cookbook author, and YouTube personality who brings Thai recipes and culture to a global audience with clarity and warmth. 

In this episode, Chef Hong and Chef Pailin unpack what “spicy” really means — from chilies to spices, heat to flavor. They share stories from their own kitchens and careers, plus listener anecdotes, to explore how restaurants manage spice levels, why chefs may (or may not) adjust heat for different diners, and whether Thai food has to be spicy to be “authentic.”

Along the way, they bust the myth of “Thai spicy,” talk about balance over bravado, and offer practical tips for enjoying chili heat without losing flavor. A lively, flavorful conversation that proves spice is about joy and choice — not just about how much heat you can handle.

About the Hosts

Hong Thaimee

Instagram: @hongthaimee

YouTube: @hongthaimee

TikTok: hot-thai-kitchen.com.

YouTube: Pailin’s Kitchen

Recipes: hot-thai-kitchen.com

Cookbooks: Hot Thai Kitchen Cookbooks

Cultural hits and misses — Where the show’s representation of Thai traditions, etiquette, language, food, spirituality, and social dynamics is authentic or falls short.

Spotlight on hospitality & power — How The White Lotus portrays Thai hospitality, hotel culture, and the subtle interplay of class and privilege.

Food as culture — Real Thai dishes vs. their fictionalized versions, and what the show gets right about dining rituals, flavors, and the soul of Thai cuisine.

Behind the scenes vs. reality — Insights into Thai customs around respect, gender roles, communal life, and spiritual beliefs—and how those compare to the show’s narrative arcs and character interactions.

What we can learn — A reflection on opportunities to correct common stereotypes, promote cross-cultural understanding, and celebrate Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

Hong Thaimee

Hong’s Instagram / @hongthaimee

Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop

Hong’s YouTube Channel / @hongthaimee

Hong's Tiktok @hong.thaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant Pailin’s YouTube Channel / pailinskitchen

All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/

Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/

Cultural hits and misses — Where the show’s representation of Thai traditions, etiquette, language, food, spirituality, and social dynamics is authentic or falls short.

Spotlight on hospitality & power — How The White Lotus portrays Thai hospitality, hotel culture, and the subtle interplay of class and privilege.

Food as culture — Real Thai dishes vs. their fictionalized versions, and what the show gets right about dining rituals, flavors, and the soul of Thai cuisine.

Behind the scenes vs. reality — Insights into Thai customs around respect, gender roles, communal life, and spiritual beliefs—and how those compare to the show’s narrative arcs and character interactions.

What we can learn — A reflection on opportunities to correct common stereotypes, promote cross-cultural understanding, and celebrate Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

Hong Thaimee

Hong’s Instagram / @hongthaimee

Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop

Hong’s YouTube Channel / @hongthaimee

Hong's Tiktok @hong.thaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant Pailin’s YouTube Channel / pailinskitchen

All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/

Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/

In this episode, chef Hong and chef Pailin are diving into into the colorful, delicate, and deeply cultural world of Thai desserts. Discover how Thai desserts go beyond sugar—they reflect tradition, celebration, and the balance of texture and taste that makes Thai cuisine so unique.

Hong Thaimee Hong’s Instagram / @hongthaimee Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop Hong’s YouTube Channel / @hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant Pailin’s YouTube Channel / pailinskitchen All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/ Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cook...

In this episode, chef Hong and chef Pailin are diving into into the colorful, delicate, and deeply cultural world of Thai desserts. Discover how Thai desserts go beyond sugar—they reflect tradition, celebration, and the balance of texture and taste that makes Thai cuisine so unique.

Hong Thaimee Hong’s Instagram / @hongthaimee Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop Hong’s YouTube Channel / @hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant Pailin’s YouTube Channel / pailinskitchen All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/ Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cook...

Pailin’s meatless recipes: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/category/all-recipes/meatless-recipes/

The word for vegetarian AND vegan in Thai is “mangsawirat” มังสวิรัติ. The word “jay” เจ is the stricter-than-vegan, religious way of eating. Some Thai people use the word jay as a shortcut to mean vegan but it’s best to avoid using it as restaurants may not be willing to accommodate.

Four key areas in Bangkok with more vegan restaurants : 1) Sukhumvit; 2) Banglamphu/Khao San Road; 3) Indian neighborhoods such as Pahurat or around the Hindu temple on Silom; and 4) around Chinese Buddhist temples such as Wat Mangkon Kamalawat in Chinatown.

Ed’s favourite “bougie” places in the Sukhumvit area are Vistro, Broccoli Revolution, and Veganerie .Around Khao San Road his favorite is Mango.

Hong’s vegan restaurant recommendation: Nature's Charm Cafe

Phrases to print out and show restaurants: เป็นมังสวิรัติ - I’m a vegetarian/vegan ไม่กินไข่ - I don’t eat eggs ไม่กินน้ำปลา - I don’t eat fish sauce ไม่กินนม - I don’t eat dairy (FYI traditional Thai cooking does not use dairy, but drinks and modern desserts may contain dairy.)

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai culture and the Thai way of living from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

In this episode Hong and Pailin talk about Southern Thai Food. You will learn about the region's flavor profile and how it is uniquely different from other regions of Thailand. 

Connect with us at [email protected]

Recipe mentioned on this episode: 

Pailin Chongchitnant

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai culture and the Thai way of living from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

In this episode Hong and Pailin talk about Southern Thai Food. You will learn about a flavor profile from the region and how it is uniquely different from other regions of Thailand. 

Connect with us at [email protected]

Recipe mentioned on this episode: 

Pailin Chongchitnant