As more new condos come furnished with kitchens or at least stoves of some sort, we hope its inspiring more of you to try a spot of cooking. For an extra push, though, go one beyond the usual, boring pantry standards with these eight upgrades to get you excited.

1. Preserved Goods

Standard: Even the most amateur pantries should have the usual can of coconut milk, maybe a couple of cans of tuna and a tin of plum tomatoes.
Upgrade: You won’t even know what you’re missing until you stock some higher-end preserved goods like capers by Fragata (B89 from Tops), which make a nice addition to many pasta sauces, like a simple marinara you can make with that tin of plum tomatoes, and pickled gherkins by My Garden (B65 at Tops), which fancify that sandwich you’re making.

Seasoning sauces

Standard: In Thai cooking, a bottle of fish sauce and light soy sauce are irreplaceable for everything from eggs and stir-fries to soups and curries.
Upgrade: Ask any auntie, and she’ll rattle off a long list of sauces she uses to get her food tasting just so. So, along with nam pla and see yoo khao, invest in bottles of dark soy sauce (B40 from Tops), which lends a slightly sweet flavor (not to mention color), Golden Mountain seasoning sauce (B16 from Tops) and a jar of prik pao (B29.50 from Tops) for a more complete collection of seasoning options.

2. Pasta

Standard: Boxes of dried pasta make for a quick meal. Or perhaps you’re from the snobby fresh pasta camp and prefer multicolored fettucine or ravioli.
Upgrade: Even in Italy, there’s an occasion for dried pasta from a box and fresh pasta. It depends on the sauce. Factory-made pasta (B32-69 at Gourmet Market) is smoother—and doesn’t have the many microscopic holes it would if it was rolled on, say, a wooden table—and doesn’t soak up sauces as much as San Remo’s egg fettucine (B179 from Tops). It is, however, hardier and does well with chunky sauces and those that involve a lot of stirring.

3. Condiments

Standard: Convenient squirty bottles of condiments like ketchup and yellow mustard are standard for any kitchen, whether or not you cook and can sit in the fridge door for a year, even after they’ve been opened.
Upgrade: Your kitchen will feel way more competent and chic with condiments like Waitrose’s hot horseradish sauce (B109 from Tops), which has similar, nose-blasting flavors to wasabi, but with added creaminess, and a jar of Maille whole grain mustard (B169 from Tops), which has the crunch of little mustard seeds, making for a more textured eating experience.

4. Pepper mill

Standard: Sure the McCormack’s black pepper and sea salt mills are really handy and you feel savvy for using freshly ground seasoning. But other than the fact that they’re so damn ugly, there’s also no easy way to refill them—and it says so in fine print on the bottle. Whatever points you may have earned in the kitchen, you’ll lose with the environment.
Upgrade: Get a pair of simple salt and pepper mills (B425 each from Central). They’re refillable, and a heck of a lot more elegant.

5. Cereals

Standard: Cereals are a long-lasting, quick breakfast option. But the cheap ones are full of all of sugar and chemicals and the expensive ones are, well, expensive. And besides, cereals are too much a throwback to when you were a kid.
Upgrade: Grownups have oatmeal, and not that silly Quaker instant stuff either. Get yourself a bag of Longman’s rolled oats (B125 from Gourmet Market). They’ll still cook in the microwave, with water or milk, and best of all, you can spice them up with anything you like from slices of apples to raisins to nuts. Your options are unlimited.

6. Cooking oils

Standard: As a hip urbanite, perhaps you’ve come around to the idea that olive oil is better for your heart, and that extra virgin olive oil is best of all.
Upgrade: But that’s only half the story. Extra virgin olive oil (B229 from Tops) may be fancy, but it has a low smoke point, which means you can’t really do serious cooking with it. And the strong flavor and aroma will mess with your Thai cooking. For deep frying, stick to canola oil, or rice bran oil, which is better for you. A liter of King Rice Bran Oil is B119 at Tops.

7. Essentials

Central Silom 191 Silom Rd., 02-233-6900. BTS Sala Daeng
Tops Try the one at Marketplace, Thong Lor Soi 4, 02-381-3187
Gourmet Market Try the one at Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., 02-610-9000

Suan Luang and Sam Yam Markets have now been razed to the ground, as part of Chula’s development plans. Long-time food vendors have lost their original spots and, now that parking has gone, a good chunk of clientele. Still, many famous vendors are persevering, and here we round up some long-time favorites.

1) Pheng Pochana

Chula Soi 20, Suang Luang Market. Open daily 3-11pm, 081-899-2173
Just across the street from the demolished market, Pheng Pochana has long been famed for its gway tiew khua kai, which they do with several variations ranging from just chicken and pickled squid (B30) to taro (B40). They have the technique of dry-frying the noodles and lightly charring them down to an exact science, plus their pickled squid are chewy without being too chewy and have just the right amount of fishy flavor. We also like their preparation of the egg, which is lightly scrambled and set on top of the noodles, not mixed in. Watch out for the inexplicably mean manager lady, though.

2) Seng Sim Ee

Chula Soi 5, Suan Luang Market, 02-214-0612.
Open daily noon-midnight
Around for several generations, Sing Sem Ee has been the go-to nam khaeng sai (Chinese shaved ice and syrup dessert) place for Chula kids and neighborhood enthusiasts. While the recent changes to the area have meant a slight dip in customers, the place is still full to the brim most nights, necessitating table-sharing. If you’re anything like us, cover your head, duck and run past the bees swarming the dazzling display of over twenty sweet toppings out front to reach the safety of the back room. Here you can enjoy the range of rice flour balls, pickled plums, glass noodles, balls of ice and more. Prices for a bowl range from B20-40.

3) Paw Pang Ping

168, Chula Soi 5, Suan Luang Market, 084-911-8896.
Open daily 10:30am-10:30pm
This famous grilled bread (khanom pang ping) cart had been sat outside Sam Yan until the demolition. Now it has moved across the street, conveniently next to Sing Sem Ee, where it now has to stay open longer to break even, due to the diminished customer base. The shopfront grill operation lures you in with its range of toppings, including more pricey ones like coconut paste (B30) and ice shavings (B30). Most range from B15-18, though, and they also do Thai iced tea and related drinks. If you’re lucky, you might also spot the cute cat in the dining room.

4) Rad Na kiang empire

Corner of Chula sois 20 and 5, 089-771-8131.
Open daily 11:30am-11pm
At the corner of the two sois, diagonally across from a bua loy cart and flanked by moo daeng stalls, is a little shophouse that specializes in pad see ew and rad na (B30-40). Not much more to say, except that the special, marinated kiang recipe is delicious, especially the rad na broth which is slightly gelatinous and porky, and that the outdoor seating on the corner gives a really nice, wide angle vantage point for people watching in the evening.

5) Khao Moo Daeng Nakhon Pathom

206, Chula Soi 50, 02-215-4354. Open 5am-3:30pm
Many of the food vendors from the now-demolished Sam Yan Market have been moved to this little soi, flanked on both sides by two-story shophouses. This moo daeng (red pork) place proudly says on its sign “the old face of Sam Yan” and dishes up a very generous B30 plate of rice with moo daeng, moo krob (crispy, three-layered pork) and Chinese sausage. Tea and ice are free—that’s old school hospitality.

6) Khao Man Kai Sam Yan

234, Chula Soi 50, 089-007-4585. Open daily 7am-5:30pm
Further down the street is the new home of a forty-year-old khao man kai (Haianese chicken rice) stall from Sam Yan Market. We like the cute little shophouse with its pale green walls, the long mirror and the odd combination of old wooden booths on one side and metal tables with plastic stools on the other. In addition to khao man kai (B30-40), they also do a mean gway tiew ped (duck noodles, B30-40).

The folks: The estate in southern France is owned by the Sumeire family and goes back three generations. Currently under the direction of Regine Sumeire, it’s a feel good tale of family dedication, particularly in a region whose wines are not nearly as famous as Bordeaux or Champagne. What’s more, they are certified “bio,” Euro-speak for organic, which always makes us feel all warm and fuzzy.

The grape: This rosé is a blend of no less than eight varietals, including familiar ones like Cabernet Sauvignon (4%) and very local ones like Mourvedre (5%). The two most prominent grapes are Grenache (29%) which, despite being low in acid and tannins, lends berry flavors and high alcohol, and Cinsault (pronounced “san-so,” 38%), also rich in berry flavors.

The label: This wine has an appellation from Cotes de Provence, a region in southern France famous for its rosés, so they know what they’re doing. Further evidence that these guys are serious is found on the back of the bottle which contains notes on how the wine was made—very rustically, from the sound of it, with hand-picked grapes that are lightly pressed (which ensures the nicest, most aromatic juices).

The look: Very intriguing, clear but with an intense color that’s hard to pin down: salmon pink with copper hints. If you’re a newcomer to rosé, you’ll feel a little seduced by the lovely color.

The smell: Lots of booze on the nose. You might think of rosés as wimpy wines, but this one packs a very respectable 13.5% alcohol level. Some unexpectedly warm honey and melon aromas, which is a nice surprise since one might anticipate little but berries. It’s pretty fruity, though—that is, not much herb or spice.

The sip: Medium-bodied and subtle, semi-dry, hints of melon, honey and strawberries, with a mineral and ever so slight herbal note at the end and a long finish. Nice.

The food: Perfect for an aperitif, but as a delicate pink wine, it’s a good choice for your romantic dinner as well. Have it with some simple, unadorned seafood like salmon.

The damage: B995 from Italasia Showroom, G/F All Seasons Place, CRC Building, Wireless Rd., 02-685-3862. Mrigaa Sethi