About this episode

Dave Arnold interviews chef Max Wittawat about Thai cooking techniques and the realities of running a restaurant in New York.

This week on Cooking Issues, Dave and the crew are joined by chef Max Wittawat of Bangkok Supper Club for a deep dive into Thai cooking technique, restaurant life, and ingredient realities in New York. Max talks through the logic behind Bangkok Supper Club’s kitchen-counter tasting menu, why some dishes translate better than others outside Thailand, and how he approaches Thai flavors with precision rather than nostalgia. The conversation gets into makrut lime sourcing, cilantro root versus cilantro stems, galangal, fresh versus frozen aromatics, limestone water for crispness and texture, Thai basil oil, culantro, betel leaves, toasted rice powder, coconut milk, and why mortar-and-pestle work still matters. Plus: Dave gets into hardtack and ship’s biscuit, Sunken Harbor Club, crinkle-cut fries, fennel hatred, durian tolerance, mandoline injuries, and the eternal problem of expensive bread. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Dave Arnold

Guest: Max Wittawat

Topics covered

• Thai cooking technique
• restaurant life
• ingredient sourcing
• cooking methods
• flavor profiles
• culinary challenges

Keywords

• Thai cooking
• Bangkok Supper Club
• culinary techniques
• ingredient sourcing
• restaurant challenges
• flavor precision

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bangkok Supper Club, Sunken Harbor Club

Products: makrut lime, cilantro root, cilantro stems, galangal, fresh aromatics, frozen aromatics, limestone water, Thai basil oil, culantro, betel leaves

Places: New York

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