Sabai Talk Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Thai Culture & The White Lotus | SabaiTalk S02 E07 (video) Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Join Chef Hong and Chef Pailin for the sixth episode of SabaiTalk Season 2 as they dig into The White Lotus Season 3 through a Thai cultural lens. In this insightful conversation, our hosts explore:

Cultural hits and misses — Where the show’s representation of Thai traditions, etiquette, language, food, spirituality, and social dynamics is authentic or falls short.
Spotlight on hospitality & power — How The White Lotus portrays Thai hospitality, hotel culture, and the subtle interplay of class and privilege.
Food as culture — Real Thai dishes vs. their fictionalized versions, and what the show gets right about dining rituals, flavors, and the soul of Thai cuisine.
Behind the scenes vs. reality — Insights into Thai customs around respect, gender roles, communal life, and spiritual beliefs—and how those compare to the show’s narrative arcs and character interactions.
What we can learn — A reflection on opportunities to correct common stereotypes, promote cross-cultural understanding, and celebrate Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

Hong Thaimee

Hong’s Instagram / @hongthaimee

Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop

Hong’s YouTube Channel / @hongthaimee

Hong's Tiktok @hong.thaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant Pailin’s YouTube Channel / pailinskitchen

All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/

Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/

May 31: Exploring Thai Desserts | Sabai Talk S02 E05 (video) May 31, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, chef Hong and chef Pailin are diving into into the colorful, delicate, and deeply cultural world of Thai desserts. Discover how Thai desserts go beyond sugar—they reflect tradition, celebration, and the balance of texture and taste that makes Thai cuisine so unique.

Hong Thaimee Hong’s Instagram / @hongthaimee Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop Hong’s YouTube Channel / @hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant Pailin’s YouTube Channel / pailinskitchen All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/ Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cook...

Exploring Thai Desserts | SabaiTalk S02 E06 (audio) May 31, 2025

Show notes

Hong Thaimee Hong’s Instagram / @hongthaimee Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop Hong’s YouTube Channel / @hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant Pailin’s YouTube Channel / pailinskitchen All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/ Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cook...

Vegetarian & Vegan Thai Food | Sabai Talk S02 E05 Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Pailin’s meatless recipes: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/category/all-recipes/meatless-recipes/

The word for vegetarian AND vegan in Thai is “mangsawirat” มังสวิรัติ. The word “jay” เจ is the stricter-than-vegan, religious way of eating. Some Thai people use the word jay as a shortcut to mean vegan but it’s best to avoid using it as restaurants may not be willing to accommodate.

Four key areas in Bangkok with more vegan restaurants : 1) Sukhumvit; 2) Banglamphu/Khao San Road; 3) Indian neighborhoods such as Pahurat or around the Hindu temple on Silom; and 4) around Chinese Buddhist temples such as Wat Mangkon Kamalawat in Chinatown.

Ed’s favourite “bougie” places in the Sukhumvit area are Vistro, Broccoli Revolution, and Veganerie .Around Khao San Road his favorite is Mango.

Hong’s vegan restaurant recommendation: Nature's Charm Cafe

Phrases to print out and show restaurants: เป็นมังสวิรัติ - I’m a vegetarian/vegan ไม่กินไข่ - I don’t eat eggs ไม่กินน้ำปลา - I don’t eat fish sauce ไม่กินนม - I don’t eat dairy (FYI traditional Thai cooking does not use dairy, but drinks and modern desserts may contain dairy.)

Southern Thai food | Sabai Talk S02 E04 (video) Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai culture and the Thai way of living from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

In this episode Hong and Pailin talk about Southern Thai Food. You will learn about the region's flavor profile and how it is uniquely different from other regions of Thailand.

Connect with us at sabaitalk@hongthaimee.com

Recipe mentioned on this episode:
Pailin's Khao Yum https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/kao-yum/
Hong's Khao Yum (as featured on Food Network) https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/khao-yum-southern-thai-rice-salad-with-butterfly-pea-flower-21525399

Hong Thaimee
Hong’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee
Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop
Hong’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant
Pailin’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/pailinskitchen
All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/
Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/

Southern Thai food | Sabai Talk S02 E04 (audio) Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai culture and the Thai way of living from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

In this episode Hong and Pailin talk about Southern Thai Food. You will learn about a flavor profile from the region and how it is uniquely different from other regions of Thailand.

Connect with us at sabaitalk@hongthaimee.com

Hong Thaimee
Hong’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee
Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop
Hong’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@hongthaimee

Khao Soi | Sabai Talk S02 E03 (video) Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai culture and the Thai way of living from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

In this episode, Hong and Pailin dive into the rich, flavorful world of Khao Soi—a beloved Northern Thai curry noodle soup with a creamy coconut broth, fragrant spices, and tender meat. But did you know this famous Thai dish didn’t actually originate in Thailand? Join us as we explore its fascinating history, cultural influences, and how it became a Thai culinary icon.

Connect with us at sabaitalk@hongthaimee.com

As Mentioned in the Episode:

Khao Soi: Thai Curry Noodle Soup: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/kao-soi/

Khao Soi: https://www.hongthaimee.com/recipes/khaosoi

Hong Thaimee

Hong’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee

Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop

Hong’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant

Pailin’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/pailinskitchen

All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/

Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/

Khao Soi | Sabai Talk S02 E03 (audio) Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai culture and the Thai way of living from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

Connect with us at sabaitalk@hongthaimee.com

As Mentioned in the Episode:

Khao Soi: Thai Curry Noodle Soup: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/kao-soi/

Khao Soi: https://www.hongthaimee.com/recipes/khaosoi

Hong Thaimee

Hong’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee

Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop

Hong’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant

Pailin’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/pailinskitchen

All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/

Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/

Massaman Curry | Sabai Talk S02 E02 (video) Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai cooking and Thai culture from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

In this episode Hong and Pailin talk about one of Thailand’s iconic dishes: Massaman Curry. We will cover the fascinating history of this dish, its significance in Thai poetry, as well as tips for cooking it at home.

Connect with us at sabaitalk@hongthaimee.com

As Mentioned in the Episode:

Instant Pot massaman beef curry with semi-homemade curry paste: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/instant-pot-massaman/

Massaman chicken recipe: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/massaman-curry/

Hong Thaimee

Hong’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee

Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop

Hong’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant

Pailin’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/pailinskitchen

All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/

Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/

Massaman Curry | Sabai Talk S02 E02 (audio) Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Sabai Talk Podcast is a conversation about Thai food, Thai cooking and Thai culture from the most visible Thai female Chefs in media: Hong Thaimee and Pailin Chongchitnant.

Connect with us at sabaitalk@hongthaimee.com

As Mentioned in the Episode:

Instant Pot massaman beef curry with semi-homemade curry paste: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/instant-pot-massaman/

Massaman chicken recipe: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/massaman-curry/

Hong Thaimee

Hong’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee

Hong’s Shop https://www.hongthaimee.com/shop

Hong’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@hongthaimee

Pailin Chongchitnant

Pailin’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/pailinskitchen

All of Pailin’s Recipes https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/

Pailin’s Cookbooks https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/htk-cookbook/