Thursday, December 3, 2015

I must go down to the sea again – Sailor’s Thai Canteen still cooking

Here we are – driven down from Canberra to say a final farewell in Sydney to someone from Adelaide. Someone who was good at steering yachts – and guiding people. When it was all over I had to go down to the sea again. We were staying at Cremorne Point, one of those fabulous spits that stick out like a finger into Sydney Harbour, so we jumped on the ferry.

We went to a favourite spot, Sailors Thai Canteen, established by renowned chef David Thompson who has now long relocated to Bangkok, where it all originates. When he was writing his first famous cookbook he drew on the ‘memory books’ handed out at Thai cremations. These contained all the things important to the deceased, and since food is often important to Thais, frequently included a recipe or so ­– and often many. Highly appropriate, given the circumstances of our visit.

I must go down to the sea again

There were just the two of us so we kept it simple. We could hardly hear seated across from each other at the long metal bench that serves as a single table for everyone in the central corridor-like room.