Somrom Space

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ยำเทะมุงมัง

"Yum Teh Mung Mang"

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"Where appreciation begins"

Dishes from the past were never created randomly. They grew out of necessity and were shaped by seasonality. Beyond this frame they evolved through the quiet yet profound wisdom of local people who understood how ingredients come together, how they balance and how they interact in the most nuanced ways.

To appreciate everyday cooking is to look beyond the plate. It’s about respecting the cultural roots behind it and about understanding the land, the soil and the rhythms of nature from which a cuisine has evolved.

This is the point where appreciation turns into understanding.

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Testimonial written by
Kumiko from Tokyo


"I’ve studied Thai cuisine for years, but I wanted to learn more about the cuisine of southern Thailand, a region I’m less familiar with. So I enrolled in a four-day masterclass at .space

It turned out to be one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.

Ying taught me how to analyze and build flavors with great insight, while considering culture, traditional wisdom, the history behind each dish, and the way our ancestors lived.

She told me that if you sharpen your senses and try to imagine the message hidden in a dish, you start to understand why certain ingredients come together.

Their combination creates a kind of synergy, and from there you shape the dish.

“Just imagine and assemble it freely and see what happens,” she said.

In the end, time and experience are what matter most.

From now on, I’ll keep her philosophy in mind as I continue exploring Thai cuisine.

Ying and Daniel, thank you sincerely for your warm welcome and generosity in sharing your knowledge.
These four days meant a great deal to me, and I truly hope to return and learn from you again someday."

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Thank you, Kumiko, for those thoughtful words. Seeing that you felt like this means a lot to me. Keep on walking this reflective and mindful way of cooking. It's where true joy arises. Hope to see you soon again 🙏

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In a Buddhist teaching that I once came across, the abbot of a monastery approached his disciples with a metaphoric anecdote.

He brought an empty glass jar into the classroom, had it filled with large rocks and asked, “Is it full?”

The students said yes.

Then he added sand, shaking the jar so the sand filled the gaps. - “Is it full now?”

The students became suspicious.

Finally, he added water, filling the last tiny gaps between the sand grains. - "And now? Is it full?"

The disciples were left puzzled and were uncertain of how to answer.

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I see this anecdote often being reflected at our masterclasses at Somrom Space.

When arriving at new places, to continue our growth, we often carry our own big rocks with us. We have tasted Thai food before. We have read about it, cooked it or even traveled around remote villages of Southern Thailand. We recognize ingredients, techniques, familiar fragrances and flavours. These are the rocks, the solid foundations which for the most part make sense.

And yet, there is always more.

Between those larger pieces of understanding lie quieter spaces. Why are specific 'gaeng' not covered with oil? Why is one paste pounded coarse and another one fine? Why balance is not only about spicy, sour, salty and sweet, but also about timing, intention, physical character of ingredients etc.

These details are like the sand in our jar - subtle, but essential. They refine the structure of what we think we already know.

And even then, something softer begins to fill the jar. A shift in perception, very often a deeper respect for patience. A clearer connection between culture, local people's lifestyle, wisdom and even beliefs. This is the water that fills the jar - it seeps in quietly and transformative. It rearranges our understanding from within.

At the masterclasses, we do not necessarily have to replace the rocks we bring with us. We build around them. We fill the spaces in between. And we often leave realizing that the jar was never as full as we thought.

This is the very moment where learning begins.