Years ago, I fulfilled a dream in an unlikely place: while teaching photography in Cambodia, I landed a job as a radio DJ, at the English-language station LOVE FM in Siem Reap. Our direct competitors were the ABC morning show in Sydney. Needless to say, the Cambodian radio station didn't stay in business for too long.
For years I tossed a podcast into my bucket of ideas. And ignored it. Then I decided it was time to add another dimension to my work, and created Art for Travelers, a way to use my voice and platform to quiz fellow creatives about their work, and become a resource for artists and travelers alike.
For the first edition I interviewed the charismatic author and street-food expert Chow, who plied me with whiskey and a roast chicken for dinner. Afterwards a coffee digestif loosened our tongues (mine? perhaps too much) and we were ready to record the raw material for the first-ever Art for Travelers Podcast.
Art for Travelers #1: E and Chow. A conversation about Art and Street Food in Bangkok, with Elizabeth Briel and Chawadee Nualkhair
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In Delicious Art in Bangkok, we cover:
** Why you have to be a street-food aficionado to live in Bangkok
** Foreign influences on Thai art & food
** How a Japanese/Portuguese royal slave revolutionized Thai cuisine
** How street food is the #1 ticket to the top for class mobility
** Ways Thai art and food are accessible to all
** The phenomenon of globalization on Thai art, culture and food
** Why some Thais now find a pillar of their cuisine "too fishy"
** Where to find the best food in Thailand (hint: it doesn't come from Bangkok)
Listen to the podcast here
or click here for a direct link to the podcast (where you can right-click and "Save As" to download)
Some links to places and foods mentioned in the podcast:
ART:
The Italian sculptor Corrado Feroci, a.k.a. "Father of Thai Modern Art"
Eat Me Restaurant: delicious food and well-curated art
Wai Art Gallery: New artspace showcasing emerging Thai artists
BACC: Bangkok Art & Culture Centre
Cool hangout WTF Cafe
Wat Rong Khun, The White Temple of Chiang Rai, designed by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat
Thai curry/charcoal artist Rirkrit Tiravanija
FOOD:
Zabb Elee, Isaan restaurant in NYC
Beer Chang, owned by a family who were originally Hoy Tod vendors
Nam Prik, essential spicy condiment
Food writer & restaurant owner Jarret Wrisley on Smoke
Pumpkin with Coconut Fuk Thong Sangkaya
Kaeng Tai Pla – Southern Thai dish
Hor Mok Fish Curry
** Intro and Outro music: Chnam oun Dop-Pram Muy (I'm Only 16), circa 1960's by the irreplaceable Cambodian singer Ros Sereysothea, also known as "The Golden Voice"
Comments, questions and more are welcome, and I'll post another Art for Travelers podcast in two weeks' time.
This was a wonderful show about food and art in Thailand. Informative, witty, mind expanding. Thank you for doing it and it got me excited about street food and the Thai culture. Great show. Thanks.
That was wonderful! I learned a lot about Bangkok and Thailand that I didn’t know already. Oyster omelettes sound beautiful! One of the best sugary drinks I drunk in Thailand was 10 baht from a food stall in Chiang Mai… yum!