He grew up in the area. He knows the culture,
the cuisine and the people. According to Chef,
“There is a waiting list of restaurants who
want to participate in my tour. They know I
pick the best of the best. If they’re part of
this tour, they’re one of the best.” He’s going
to help you understand – and taste why – Thai
people frequent restaurants for one particular
signature dish.
Perhaps the biggest strength of this tour
(besides the great food) is the one- on- one
access to Chef Tila. The tour guide is actually
Chef Tila. He meets you, he walks with you
from restaurant to restaurant, he dines with
you, and he introduces you to the customs,
culture and insider information you can’t get
through a guide book or menu cover. He
encourages questions. He’s kind of a new best
friend, coach, mentor and teacher all wrapped
into one. I never felt hurried. I never felt like I
was bothering him. I never saw him roll his eyes
or sigh under his breath. He remembered my
name and my guest’s name from introduction.
He asked what we wanted out of the tour. He
took us from our knowledge base of Thai food
(mine was pretty strong, my guest had never
had Thai food before) and was able to weave an
Wheel of Yum
of writing this article was a flat $2,250 fee. It
is available through Melting Pot Food Tours and
includes the services of Chef Jet and Andrew
Harris as guides, your food and some beverages
at several restaurants. This is an easy flat
walking tour which takes about 2 hours or so,
features easy parking, and sends you home
with a box of killer desserts.
Final tip. Although Chef Tila do