How to make authentic Thai food: chef’s Koh Samui cooking school teaches popular dishes
Lin Rattana chops the chilli, ginger and lemongrass at lightning speed as a group of guests looks on eagerly, keen to learn from the chef who grew up in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, where she was taught how to cook by her grandmother.
Today, Lin’s home is the Thai island of Koh Samui, where her culinary knowledge is shared with people from all over the world at the Jungle Kitchen cooking school she runs with her British partner, Tom Charlesworth.
“Listen and watch carefully because you have to make the green curry paste from scratch,” she says to the guests, who will later be tasked with preparing a feast of Thai dishes, including tom kha gai (coconut and galangal soup), kaeng khiao wan (green curry) and som tam (spicy green papaya salad).
What makes Jungle Kitchen stand out from the cooking-class crowd is the traditional way meals are cooked – over a charcoal fire. The only electricity used is for lighting.
On a humid day in June, Charlesworth welcomes guests (up to a maximum of eight) with a cold glass of fresh passion-fruit-infused water, followed by a tour of the grounds during which he gathers ingredients for his partner to incorporate into the dishes.
“The garden is unusually dry,” he says.
Despite the recent drought, the bounty is impressive. Hidden among the banana, papaya, avocado and jack fruit trees he finds basil, chillies, lemongrass, cilantro, chives and galangal, a ginger-like herb that is a staple in Thai cooking.
There are tiny aubergines, also known as pea aubergines (ma khuea puang), which are a regular in Thai cuisine, while in a dark, damp corner grow oyster mushrooms – a fungi rich in nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals and an important ingredient in authentic Thai food.
Fallen papaya leaves also serve a purpose: the stalks are ideal for straws, he says.
Nothing goes to waste at Jungle Kitchen, where sustainability is a key ingredient. You will not see one bit of plastic here, not even for plates or bowls.
“This elephant dung that we use as fertiliser is sourced from a neighbouring sanctuary. It’s sprouting pumpkins because that’s what they ate,” Charlesworth says. “Occasionally you can hear the trumpet of one.”
The lush setting – with Sashimi the cat and rescue dog Nemo running about to a soundtrack of frogs and cicadas – is a far cry from the decades Charlesworth spent travelling the world as an energy trader.
Hong Kong was his home during that time. His mother still lives there and he was, until five years ago, co-owner of The Gallery restaurant on the south side of Lantau, Hong Kong’s largest island.
Jungle Kitchen guests from Hong Kong will feel right at home among kitchenware that includes the iconic red and white vintage enamel plates, rooster-patterned bowls and old-school stacked lunchboxes that are common sights in the city.
The most impressive feature among the rustic chic decor is the wooden table and chairs that have been upcycled from long-tail boats, the traditional Thai vessels that today are mostly used to transport tourists.
“The guest aprons were made by my mother,” says Lin, who sold pre-made meals under the cheeky name Fork It before setting up Jungle Kitchen.
Koh Samui is a popular holiday spot for Hongkongers – it is just a 3.5-hour direct flight from the city – and Jungle Kitchen is a great place for those keen to learn the art of traditional Thai cooking.
The island also has a feast of top-notch restaurants. So if you prefer to have your food delivered to your table, here is a selection that put seafood front and centre.
FishHouse Restaurant & Bar
This seaside gem in the five-star Kimpton Kitalay Samui resort was recommended by Michelin in its first guide for the island, in 2023.
The menu includes cold seafood towers, spicy lobster, fish tacos, seafood bao buns and whole grilled fish. The seared tuna and crab cakes with mango salsa are sublime.
10/79 Moo 5 Bophut, Choeng Mon, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84320
Crab Shack
The Anantara Lawana resort oozes five-star luxury but its Crab Shack shies away from fine dining formality. Instead, guests are urged to get hands-on and messy by digging into seafood buckets brimming with blue crab, tiger prawns, mussels, clams, slipper lobster, squid and scallops.
Its lobster roll, dripping in garlic butter, cannot be overlooked.
Anantara Lawana Resort, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84320
Tembo Beach Club & Resort
This colonial-style beach club and resort – owned by Briton Susan Field, who once ran a PR agency in Hong Kong – is a top place for fresh seafood on Bangrak Beach.
The fish pie packed with barracuda, salmon, white prawns and vegetables in a creamy herb sauce topped with a cheesy potato bake is a favourite, or try the spaghetti alle vongole with local clams.
23/2, Bangrak Beach, Bo Put, Surat Thani 84320
Namu
Located in the luxurious W Hotel and under the helm of innovative executive chef Takayuki Ono, Namu fuses Japanese and Thai flavours to deliver dishes such as lobster udon noodles and sautéed scallops with wasabi pepper sauce.
D4, 1, Mae Nam, Amphoe Ko Samui, Surat Thani 84330
Moonrise Beach Bar & Seafood
Stunning seafood and sea views combine at this funky spot looking over Chaweng Beach. If you cannot find seafood to your satisfaction from its vast menu – which includes rock lobster, squid, prawns and blue swimmer crabs sourced from local fishermen – then you are very hard to please.
Alternatively, kick back on one of the giant leather cushions with a happy hour co*cktail.
Dara Tambon Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84320
