I have to remind myself that it's okay not to like every book I read. And with this cookbook, it wasn't so much that I didn't like it, more that it was too advanced for me. I was daunted by the scope of the recipes and the ingredients contained within many. The recipes seemed so complicated. Now, the flip side of that is that I have no doubt they are thorough, authentic, and delicious. The pictures are gorgeous and I did note a few of the more familiar dishes to try, mostly curries and noodle dishes. I am glad I had the chance to learn more about common ingredients and techniques in traditional dishes of Bangkok.

A perfect cookbook,wonderful,mouth-watering recipes (and feasible recipes) and gorgeous photographs....who needs more...

I like the design of the book very much. The photography is beautiful, and so is the typography. This would be a book I’d love to browse through in the hardcopy version.

I find I particularly like the inclusion of the dishes’ names in Thai script. I do not understand Thai script, but its presence evokes that "authentic feel" the author is clearly aiming for with this book. I like it.

Interestingly, the cover is black&white while the photography within is mostly very very colourful.

The digital version I received did have Index pages at the back, but these were empty. I trust a thorough index will be added before this book is published. An index, I think, is essential for a cookbook. One should be able to search on recipe names (both Thai and English) as well as main ingredients.

It is obvious the book is aimed at the US market. I suggest adding a US-to-UK-to-metric conversion table to the book if no separate UK or European editions are planned. Perhaps also review the substitute ingredients which are mentioned in a couple of places; these are US oriented as well and perhaps not available this side of the Atlantic.

Nice short introductory pieces about the author and the (culinary) history of Bangkok. Everything is very well-written, everything flows very nicely.
I like the personal notes and history pieces interspersed with the recipes. I know people who dislike this format, only wanting to see the bare recipes, but in my opinion these personal notes absolutely give context to the dishes.

The book is dedicated to 'Isaac'. In a cookbook filled with personal recipes, personal stories and recollections I would have expected at least a small story about Isaac. I did a text search on 'Isaac' but he wasn't mentioned anywhere apart from the dedication page.

Recipe instructions are very clear and in places quite detailed. A minor gripe is the ingredients list: it’s printed in a rather narrow column to the left of the main text, and as a consequence there quite often are “broken” lines. That’s not easy on the eyes.

I don't understand why chapters 'Bangkok Pantry' and 'Basic Recipes' are separate. To my mind, it makes perfect sense to merge them.

The book has quite a lot of recipes. I recognized some well-known dishes but also saw many new and interesting ones. The recipes have a very authentic feel to them, due to the types and range of ingredients and, at times, the cooking methods used.

I haven’t yet cooked any of the dishes (due to lack of time) but am planning to try some soon. Also, I need to explore ingredient availability: I live in a provincial town with no Thai community to speak of.

The ingredient list in the back of the book is pretty cool. However, it could be improved, in my opinion, for use by Thai-food newbies. For instance, three types of basil are mentioned, of which Sweet Basil is 'probably the best known'. Then why show a picture of Sweet Basil and not Holy Basil, the lesser known and perhaps-not-as-easily-recognized type? And since photographs are used in this section, why not use a comparison shot of the different types of noodle in their dry and cooked state?

I read the book on an iPad Air with Bluefire Reader. It was a very pleasant experience.

Love it - love the stories, the pictures, the recipes. Takes me back to Bangkok and the amazing sights, sounds and tastes there. Thank you. Have cooked a few of the dishes and look forward to cooking more!