When in Rome (not literally)

[Yorky]

In a discussion with a Farcebook "friend" yesterday he argued that by living here in Thailand we should adopt the Thai way of life and eat the same food as do the locals. Now he lives in Bangkok which is somewhat different to where I live up here in Nakhorn Nowhere.

My belief is that I've visited around 40 plus countries and eaten some of their foods and in many cases loved it - I've even lived in many of the countries. I am of the opinion that I am not going to forgo the food pleasures that I've experienced in those countries (albeit the ingredients are sometimes very expensive here) and eat/cook only Thai food. I didn't work for 40 years and fight my way to the top of the food chain to eat racing chicken, bugs and rice.

Rant over.

 

[Francesca]

@Yorky

I am a grand admirer of international gastronomy which focuses on "the product" and at same time, is natural, wild and / or bio and that is served with a visually appealing presentation ..

I too have travelled alot both for business and pleasure ..

I see that you are "venting " ..

There is an old adge: " When in Rome, do as the Romans do " .. However, from my own experience, this is more related to Protocol and manners than gastronomy.

 

[Yorky]

When I worked for McAlpine in UK, they owned a five bedroom house on Fairholt Street in Knightsbridge just up Brompton Road from Harrods. If we had business in London (or were just there for a pish up) we were permitted to stay at the house (given that no one higher in the pecking order had already booked it). Across Brompton Road was a street with an unbelievable collection of restaurants ranging from Italian to Lebanese to Russian. Unfortunately I was very low in the pecking order so could not take advantage of the facility very often.

But I loved those restaurants.

 

[Elawin]

As you've probably noticed, I eat foods from a variety of countries, either because I've lived there, have visited them, have friends/family either living there or from there, or have worked with people from those countries. I have lived in Brixton and Battersea and worked in Newham, all of which are multicultural areas. Even where I live now has large Asian, West African and eastern European communities, and for the last 15 years of my working life I worked for the NHS - 'nuff said!