This weekend, Bangkok movie theaters finally welcome Foodies: The Culinary Jetset (watch the trailer below), the hit 2014 documentary about people who travel the world to scoff grub at restaurants which can charge the same for one meal as many of us earn in a month. Among the profiled foodies is Thai national Poonperm Paitayawat, 31, a PhD student and founder of The Skinny Bib blog—a beautifully composed and witty account of his dining adventures, which we thoroughly recommend you check out. Here, Poonperm shares more of his epicurean exploits.
My Hakka-Teochew parents have taught me to be very open-minded with food. I grew up with the sight and sound of markets. Food is therefore not just eating. It's an exploration of the world through something that is tangible and edible. When I moved to Bangkok and later to London, I kept exploring. To me, food is about taste, history, society. It also takes me out of my comfort zone, even to North Korea, and so connects me with many visionary people. They are not always chefs. Sometimes they might just be strangers I sat next to at restaurants.
Tell us about your North Korea trip.
As it's such a closed country, North Koreans maintain cooking skills that are passed down unchanged. Their cookbooks are fascinating, mainly because the old recipes are so simple. Personally, I was touched by North Korean hospitality. They would entertain their guests with the best food they could find, which in the more rural parts might just be a grilled dried fish or an omelette. White rice was also rare and from time to time I would have it cooked together with millet. It reminded me that this is a country that are bouncing back from the famine era.
What has been your ultimate food experience?
Oddly enough, it was in China. This was at a restaurant that's more than just a restaurant. It has a living philosophy and serves unrivalled taste. The meal has been a great influence on how I see food/eat/create. Coincidentally, my ultimate food experience was recorded in the film. So, please watch it.
What’s the most expensive meal you've ever had?
It was at a beef restaurant in Ginza. You can only eat there after being introduced by their regular customers. There is no menu and no fixed price. The chef determines how much the meal should cost based on produce they have on the day. My meal was around 130,000 yen (B38,000) for one person.
Have you had any food nightmares?
A bowl of live fish. I went to a restaurant in the Japanese countryside. There was live icefish on the menu, a local delicacy, so I ordered it. The fish arrived in very beautiful earthenware, as if they would make a decorative item on a shelf, and were meant to be dipped in soy vinegar dipping sauce. I made the mistake of dropping too many fish in the dipping sauce at once. I could see the fish—they looked like they had smiley faces—struggling and dying. I really lost my appetite, but as I was responsible for killing them, I felt obliged to eat them. Eventually I politely declined and said I could not eat the rest. The incident really taught me that whatever you decide to do/eat can have consequences that you might not want to live up to. It has made me think twice ever since.
What’s the best place on earth for food exploration?
I love Scandinavia.The region is geographically so interesting; icy cold waters and distinct seasonal influences. Also, there is no pollution! Towards the less-populated north, the landscape looks like heaven to me. It's the opposite of Thailand, where I grew up. The icy water also means there is a massive range of premium-quality seafood, from langoustines, scallops and sea urchin to many other lesser-known creatures. I also find many chefs in Scandinavia to be progressive. I'm particularly in love with a place "in the middle of nowhere" in Sweden called Fäviken. I have returned many, many times. We also did a shooting/recording there.
How do you fund your food adventures?
They're self-funded. I am finishing my PhD in Theatre Studies at the University of London but over the last few years I've been actively involved in various aspects of food—writing, consulting, etc. I was invited to lecture at Royal Holloway, University of London last year. It was fun.
Where do you hope to take your blog next?
I want to do something meaningful and fun. I hope I can make food communicate to people in the way it has done to me. Over the last few years I have been involved in a number of food-related projects—from writing, to design, to cooking. I cooked at two events this year in London, with restaurants that I love and chefs that I believe in. I'm bored with just sitting down and eating sometimes. In the long run, I want to have my own food manga, as I grew up reading them, and books.
Watch the trailer for Foodies: The Culinary Jetset:
