Night + Market: A Cookbook of Delicious Thai Recipes to Enjoy with Friends

Kara G: Life changing

United States on Sep 21, 2023

Katie: Buy it for the basic recipes alone. There are plenty of more adventurous recipes in it, but some of the recipes for Thai classics have already paid for themselves, since I can now make a lot of my favourites at home in minutes... and they're dramatically better than anything I'd order in, anyways.... I was genuinely shocked to find that, since I haven't been to Thailand, some of the best Thai food I've ever eaten was made by... me. I have become an evangelist for Kris' easy pad thai, as well as the larb recipes, the tom yum soup, and the omelette, all of which I now make all the time. If you stash your pantry with basic sauces and seasonings and your freezer with aromatics you're in good shape for something truly great in about 15 minutes.

United Kingdom on Jul 22, 2023

Chuck EldridgeChuck Eldridge: I cannot speak highly enough about this cookbook. The author showcases his family history and cuisine in an entertaining way. The picture and recipe layouts are vibrant.

But most importantly: you will EASILY cook from this cookbook. Unlike many other cookbooks - looking at you “Pok Pok - that enforce a stringent adherence to hard-to-source ingredients, this author readily provides alternatives and explanations to help craft fantastic meals with what may be on-hand at your local Asian grocery store.

The accessibility of the flavorful meals cannot be understated. The pictures I included were a week-long attempt to see what I could easily churn out for quick weekday meals for my busy family of four. I went on a Sunday to our local 99 Ranch Market to get some ingredient staples for the pantry and freezer, and was able to whip up each of these meals - in full - in less than half an hour.

My family loves the recipes. The easy larb is a quick go-to. The “Startled Pig” packs ALL the flavor.

I don’t normally write reviews, but this cookbook has been such a go-to since purchased earlier this year that I felt it deserved to have my praises added the other...

United States on Sep 14, 2022

E. Owes: Many of my favorite recipes in this book actually work out well for organized, week-night cooking. I make his recipes for red curry paste, peanut sauce and khao soi paste on the weekend, when I have plenty of food prep time, and then keep them in the fridge/freezer to throw together the full meals throughout the week. I'm lucky to live in California where I have a makrut lime tree in my yard and grow lemongrass and Vietnamese cilantro in my backyard. Layering fresh ingredients into his recipes makes for killer dinners and I love that his flavors remind me of some of the best meals I've ever eaten at Thai restaurants, but he is not weighed down with the concept of "authenticity." (There are taco recipes.)

The only complaint I have is that the measurements aren't by weight. Garlic, turmeric, galangal and ginger are much easier to prep in grams. (I've converted the recipes that I use the most, myself.)

United States on Apr 26, 2021

Aaron P: Bought this cookbook after moving to the east coast from LA. I've always been a huge fan of Night+Market and have often longed for their food but one can't always fly back to LA. This book is amazing and attempts to demystify the Night+Market menu. Kris does go into pretty decent detail on how to build the box whose walls balance Thai flavorings, aka yum. I also really enjoy the bits of history he weaves between the recipes. So far, I've made Pad Thai, Pad Kee Mao, and a few other chicken dishes. Very doable for the home cook. Granted, there are many recipes in this book that I don't see myself making because I'm either not interested in the food or the amount of preparation doesn't make sense for me. I'm looking forward to making the Crispy Pig Tails and the Startled Pig next!

United States on Jun 28, 2020

K I: Quick delivery to my home address. Thanks a lot!
This cookbook is very cool! Lots of photos and recipes. I went to this restaurant in LA last month, their food was all yummy :) I found out the same menu what I ate at Night+Market! I’m a Thai cooking beginner but it was not too difficult for me to try some dishes since there’s is lots of explaining each step. I’m so satisfied with my purchase :)

Canada on Feb 04, 2019

Ollie: I really love what Kris is doing in this book, he isn't saying this is the gran opus of Thai food and thats not the point, if you're looking for that buy a book by either David Thompson or Andy Ricker. I've cooked about 12 of the recipes from this book so far and all have worked well. They are simple and the ingredients are not hard to find.

United Kingdom on Aug 26, 2018

B2dbb: Excellent book. An interesting read as well as an outstanding recipe book. Love the kitchen essentials section where he tells you all the basic ingredients needed to get started with Thai cooking. Some great traditional Thai recipes along with some interesting new ones. Highly recommend.

Canada on Mar 20, 2018

N.N.: Night+Market is a beautiful cookbook packed with lots of personality from chef Kris Yenbamroong. His unique style of cooking is bold and the dishes in this book bring a lot of wisdom on how you can play with Thai cooking in your home kitchen. This book will probably be most accessible to someone who has some experience in Thai cooking and is wanting to build off of some basic knowledge. The writing style is less hand-holding although Yenbamroong is nevertheless very knowledgeable in sharing certain tips to help you choose ingredients or learn new methods of cooking. He gives details on how to prepare recipes with traditional Thai kitchen essentials, like a mortar and pestle, but also provides directions on how you can still get the most of the recipes with whatever you do have in your kitchen.

My favorite recipes were for some pantry basics which you can make in a large batch and store for later use. The "all-purpose curry paste" is an aromatic blend of many ingredients from fresh herbs, shrimp paste, and more. It's highly adaptable and is called upon in many recipes throughout the book. Out of this one paste you can achieve several different types of homemade curries. All...

United States on Dec 13, 2017

Hisham: Great recipes that are fairly easy to put together. Highly recommend to anyone looking to learn more about Thai food you may not traditionally find in most Thai restaurants in North America

Canada on Dec 04, 2017