Getcher RICE on! Asian Food Feeding Frenzy Part 2: Thailand

A most divine Thai stir fry with prawn, squid and mussels! When the shrimp "pop" in your mouth and the squid is tender, you know the seafood is uber-fresh!

Darlings, La Diva is frustrated! Why, you ask? Because I've realized the shortcomings of being a foodie blogger. After watching a recent episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations "Obsessed" about the obsession of foodie bloggers, La Diva just had to laugh with embarrassment as I was guilty of some of the same "crimes."

• Taking my camera everywhere and photographing everything ALMOST to the point of obsession.

• Making my friends salivate and wait to eat their food while I fiddle around with styling, lighting, settings, etc.

• Going overboard by taking excessive photos of food, places and people who have anything to do with food.

• Acting all self-important while liberally taking shots and explaining to perplexed waiters, "I'm taking these for my blog."

Anthony Bourdain arrives on set and arranges the pig parts to his liking for the episode of "Obsessed."

Another thing I realized about my little, ahem, "hobby " is just how hard it is to take decent photos at a restaurant for dinner. It's usually dark because it's, ah, dinnertime, and poorly lit because of this thing called "mood lighting" and most people, especially my husband, get mighty impatient when their hot food is sitting in front of them and La Diva is crying, "Wait, wait!" while I fiddle around with the camera.

So, thus explains the absolute crap photos of some of the best Thai food I've eaten EVER. Alas, my poor little "point and shoot" camera that served me well for so many years is slowly losing focus. Another disadvantage was that we were eating outside at night under street lights. It also didn't help that I had a smudge on the lens the entire time I was in Sydney and only found out once I uploaded photos back at home (a lesson there, fo sho!)

What happened to the $hit-hot new Nikon you recently purchased, I hear you ask? A very un-trusting DJ Nevah L8 took it back home with him to Miami and frankly, La Diva couldn't be bothered lugging it around as I was galavanting about Sydney. So, deal.

Beautiful and colorful dancers (yes, you can click to see more detail!) La Diva never made it to Thailand while living in Sydney but I wish I had!

And now, we get back to my EVER PATIENT AND ACCOMMODATING gal pal Lady Fiona who not only constantly indulged La Diva's Asian food cravings but carted my ass all over Sydneytown! Fifi had wanted to take me to Yok Thai, located in the northern beach Sydney suburb of Manly, the last time I was in town. She had given it high praise for its unique and fresh offerings. Fiona has eaten a LOT of jungle curry in her life and I knew she knew her Thai food. I eagerly anticipated the dinner.

La Diva was NOT disappointed. It was easily the best Thai food I'd eaten and while I still adore my beloved Suma Lee Thai at the Bank Hotel in Newtown, Sydney, Yok Thai had the most unusual meals I'd ever seen on a menu. With dishes like "chicken in pandana leaves" and "grilled garlic quail" and "spicy warm duck salad with lime," Yok Thai offers more than a typical Thai menu selection, click here to see some of the menu.

I tried to "borrow" some photos from the web but, alas, Yok doesn't have their own website and I wasn't able to take any from the other sites so you can go to a link here to see more Yok Thai foodie porn! (clickety-click on the food photos to enlarge, but try to do it AFTER lunch!!)

The usual Thai appetizers include: spring rolls, fish cakes, curry puffs and STUFFED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS? Wha?! We had to get them and started off the meal with breaded, fried and stuffed zucchini flowers filled with minced prawn and garnished with chile, green onion, cilantro and peanuts! Crunchy, spicy, sweet delightful YUM.

La Diva is still dreaming about this dish and how I can re-create it! Betel leaf topped with seared scallop and garnished with very finely shredded kaffir lime, chili, toasted coconut and peanut. Fresh and delicious, you pop the entire thing, leaf and all, into your salivating maw!

The kaffir lime leaves were cut very finely, otherwise you would not be able to eat them, as they are very fibrous with a tough middle stem. But you can't beat the unique and bright, citrus taste they add!

Slightly sweet yet very spicy, this is stir fried eggplant with chile and Thai basil. What La Diva found amazing about this dish was that the eggplant was sliced so finely, yet was not mushy but was well-cooked and while sliced super thin, had still retained it's shape and texture. Another mystery to me!

I realized that the succulent duck salad we ordered did not make it onto the camera! Boo! How did "Obsessive Foodie Blogger" forget that?!

While I am back in the land of "Beans and Rice," at least I have my photos, albeit over and underexposed, to remind me of a most delightful, fresh and unique Thai food experience. Sydneysiders are very spoiled for choice when it comes to authentic Asian food.

Ciao for now, darlings!cooking class, cocktails, parties, cocktail party, Miami, coral gables, events, bartending class, cocktail class, Laura Lafata, Miami Beach, miami cooking classes, bachelorette parties, bachelorette party, personal chef, corporate events, catering, personal chef, party entertainment, www.ladivacucina.com