It’s around 9 o’clock in the morning in Pai, a charming town in the north of Thailand. 

We arrived at Bebe Spicy restaurant, where two days before we spent many hours discovering and tasting through the Thai cuisine nooks and crannies with a playful and powerful chef, vivid and amazing woman, Thom. 

With no hesitation, Thom invited us for a coffee and we shared a very nice moment together. We laughed a lot and left with a whole branch of home-grew bananas!

What’s your favourite dish?

Seemed like an easy question to a chef. She immediately answered:

Basil fried rice with fried egg (Pad Kra Pao) and noodle dish. “I love noodles, stir-fry, anything with the noodles, I love it!”. Rice noodles being a favourite type. 

What is your dream for the next 5 years?

She stopped for a moment…and said: 

 “5 years is too far” (of course, with her temperament!:)), so we asked for the next dream. 

Here a total surprise for us: 

“I want to open a community, Israeli one, where the young Israeli coming from the army can stay, here in Pai. Community that would offer the cooking class, the room, to exchange information..”. She smiled and said that would be fun!”. 

What is the most difficult part for you? When do you struggle the most?

Me? It’s when doing the class, the phone starts ringing and that means I have to answer quickly… even if on the website it says everything…(she says with a mocking and satiric voice) “Do you have a class? How much is the class?”. IN FRONT OF THE PAGE they have it ALL WRITTEN. (Yes, after a class we know very well – first read well the recipe, then ask the questions to the chef!). She starts to laugh. 

What’s the part that you like the most?

With my class? – Her eyes have sparks – Oh my God. I met so many interesting people and I enjoy every single class. Small or big. It’s the meeting, getting to know, it’s more fun! Not boring, not standing in the shop – and again she starts mocking-  “Sabadee ka, Sabaadee ka (Good morning, good morning in Thai)”. 

This, I can be ME. I don’t need to pretend. I can be ME. 

And being her students we can fully subscribe to those words. She is such an energetic and charismatic chef! 

What was your happiest moment? 

She was quick with the answer with her typical twist:

 WHEN I LIE DOWN, I just burst laughing that I am in bed (and she did laugh so much when saying this).

Would be your piece of advice for life?

“The principle in life is simple, honey. So simple. Think good, look for good thing, listen to good thing, talk good thing and do a good thing. Then you don’t have to worry about yesterday or tomorrow. Keep doing the same everyday. Whatever tomorrow’s outcome, do exactly the same. Simple. Simple principle.”   

Nothing more to add. Beautifully resumed the jai way. 

Grateful for having met you on the way and we can’t wait to have our kitchen and cook your dishes. 

Should you be travelling to North of Thailand, do yourself a favour and head to Pai, unwind, relax and go for a cooking odyssey with the chef Thom. You can find and READ all the information here.