Actually last week's first show from Thailand was rather disappointing but still very good - just not as fun as the one from Hong Kong. But tonight's at 8 should be good on BBC2.

Thai food has been my favourite ever since my first visit to Bangkok in the 1960s - before I was Jonathan.

The best dish? Tom Kha Gai... chicken in coconut cream soup with straw mushrooms, ginger, lemon grass... served with white rice. It's the dish I always order to test the chef. And I make it myself too. Pork with garlic and black pepper is also fantastic. Ditto Pad Thai (Bean's favourite) - prawns, noodles, bean sprouts, peanuts.

absolutely love it but Vietnamese food is probably as good.

Have a friend, Aussie chef David Thompson who has just one Best Chef in Asia with his Nahm restaurant in Bangkok.
His food is to die for- he also cooks banquets for the Thai Royal Family..

he discovered via his upper class Thai partner that Thailand had two foods- the 'street' food (delicious) that most Thais know about and then old recipes that were only handed down through the Thai ruling classes...simply divine.

A good PHO is magnificent.