Customer Reviews

Tommy Tang's Modern Thai Cuisine

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a book full of tremendous recipes, from classic Thai curries to superb innovative takes on dishes such as mee krob. An excellent introduction to Thai cuisine for anyone interested in cooking or eating! Although Tommy gets creative at times, this should not be confused with the Asian fusion approach which is so fashionable in 1999 --it is truly Thai cuisine. Buy this book if you can find it! Your taste buds will thank you.

As a person who never cooks,after eating at Tommy Tangs restaurants in Pasadena and Hollywood,I had to rush out and buy the cookbook.WOW!!!!!!What a book!!!!!!I found the recipes to be well written and easy to follow,and the pictures were absolutely mouthwatering,like the dishes at the restaurant.Since then, I have eaten at many Thai restaurants and purchased Thai cookbooks and have yet to find one that is remotely close in quality to Tommy Tangs.The cookbook is absolutely the bible of Thai cooking and a must for any kitchen.

I have prepared many of the recipes in this cookbook. It is my Thai cuisine bible and I have never prepared anything but something ( or many things)that were not rated superb by everyone at my dinner table. Tang's recipe for tom kha kai is amazing, though I cut the coconut milk ,two thirds coconut milk and one third water. I have not found a light coconut milk that is worth using. His pad thai recipe is difficult but good if done correctly and I made the Salmon with Kaffir Lime Sauce last week and it was amazing! I have other Thai and Southeast Asian cookbooks, but none compare to Tommy Tang's. I have gone to his restaurants in LA and Pasadena, and they have both been great.

Not the quick & easy recipes from the TV show. Most are labor intensive (try deboning chicken wings!)and have 15-20 ingredients. The majority call for Tommy Tang's "secret" sauces, spice mixes etc. that can only be obtained at addtional cost on-line. The least useful of the 30 or so cook books I own.

I feel a bit dissapointed when I tried some recipes - to me the result is more west than east . EG. I cooked Pad Thai with my own n Tang's recipe and serve to some friends. They said mine is better, Tang's has got olive oil flavour.

I have to say that I have made nearly every recipe in this little cookbook.
It was my introduction to Thai Cooking and although all the recipes are a
little different from "classic" Thai cooking (using Olive Oil), I have
thougholy enjoyed each meal and so have my family and friends.

The book is very easy to follow and has simple instructions on how to make
each dish. Unlike his follow up cookbook, which I find difficult to cook with.
I can say that this is my favorite cookbook ever and I would take it anywhere
and people would enjoy the food.

I had this book years ago but someone borrowed it and never gave it back. Since then, we've missed the recipes. The peanut sauce is fantastic, among the best we've ever had. I love just about all the recipes I've tried, Tai Fish, Tai Pasta, the Cucumber sauce all come to mind as standouts. I'm not a Tai chef but this book gave me a lot of insight and when we eat out of this book, we certainly don't miss the restaurant.

I have tried quite a few recipes in this book, and have to say that this cookbook is one of my all-time favorites. Every single recipe is delicious. Don't worry that you can't find Tommy Tang's Thai Seasoning in the local asian markets; he lists the ingredients in the glossary, so you can approximate your own version... garlic, black & white ground pepper, chili powder and cayenne. The recipes are rich, flavorful, clearly written, original and well-rounded, except for dessert. When you love savory and spicy foods as much as I do, who cares about dessert anyway?!

We don't eat Pad Thai in restaurants anymore, because after we tried Tommy Tang's version in our kitchen, nothing else comes close to being so fresh and wonderful. My coconut curry favorite is the Green Curry Salmon... what a treat! Another can't miss authentic dish is the Green Papaya salad. But there is much more, and I'm sure I will eventually make every dish in this cookbook.

While the recipes in this book look pretty good, I do not recommend that anyone buy it. The 50 cents + S&H I spent was too much. Why? In several of the recipes, Mr. Tang requires 'Tommy Tang's Thai Seasoning'. However, the sources given in the back of the book where you can buy this seasoning, no longer carry it. So, is this just a hook to get you to buy it from him? For me it is. The recipes are useless if you cannot get or make the ingredients.

Disappointed in the Bay Area.

Reading this cookbook one has to wonder, is this about food, or is this about Tommy? I've eaten for several years at his restaurant (far better 10 years ago than now) and honestly, the recipes in the book are less than reproducible. There is a recipe for Tiger Roll-about as Thai as Pizza. The pictures are good, but the Tommy's tenor of 'Ain't I great and witty?' makes me gag. Sorry...give me a good recipe for a good Lemon Grass soup and you've got a devotee. I pour over Pad Thai recipes, this one just doesn't cut it. I'll eat at the restaurant (especially on Drag Night) but I won't cook from the book.