KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 27 -- Back in Bangkok, I would hear my Thai friends say "Taan a rai dee krub?", which basically meant "What should we eat?" or "What tastes good?"

(That's the polite version, at any rate. For my closer friends, they'd use the more casual "Gin a rai dee?" The switching between formal and informal speech, depending on seniority and level of intimacy, always fascinates me. What a beautiful language.)

I love that question, for it always meant a healthy debate on what to eat next, and everyone had an opinion. The best part was that nearly all the suggestions were good ones.

It's easy to find good food in Thailand, you see. One is spoiled for choice.

Outside of the Land of Smiles, however, too often we find Thai cuisine w...