David Thompson (books)

DAVID THOMPSON (BOOKS)

David Thompson is a renowned chef, restauranteur and cookbook writer and has become one of the most famous and successful foreign chefs of Thai cuisine in the world. He was born in Sydney, Australia (like myself).

David's rise to stardom began when he opened his Darley Street Thai restaurant in Sydney in 1992, which took Thai food in Australia to another level. Three years later he opened his second restaurant Sailors Thai - also in Sydney. His restaurant Nahm, which opened in London in 2001 was the first Thai restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star. David re-opened Nahm in the Metropolitan Hotel in Bangkok in 2011. In 2015 he launched the first of his street food restaurant chain Long Chim. He left Nahm in 2018 to focus on other interests. His empire continues to expand, with Aaharn in Hong Kong (awarded a Michelin star) and Mahanathi in Bangkok.

David is the author of the following books:

Classic Thai Cuisine

Published in 1993, with 142 pages, this was David's first book. It contains many authentic recipes covering all types of Thai food - from appetizers, snacks, noodles and main courses to desserts, with an ingredients glossary. A little bit of trivia - my cousin Brenda was the proofreader for this book.

Thai Food (2003 James Beard Award Winner)

First published in 2002 - a huge book, with 674 pages, this is the most comprehensive account of Thai food ever published in English. In addition to its many authentic recipes, it covers the history and modernisation of Thailand and its cuisine, ingredients, etc.

Thai Street Food

First published in 2010, this is another huge book, with 670 pages. This book transports you to the street food stalls of Thailand, over different time slots - morning, noon and night. It contains many stunning photos of both Thai street scenes and the food, bringing everything to life.