McDang
Encyclopedia
ML Sirichalerm Svasti frequently nicknamed Chef McDang, is Thai
celebrity food expert
, chef
and writer
. He is an only one Thai chef who has his own training class called “Principle of Thai Cookery” with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
, McDang completed his early education at Cheltenham College
(Gloucestershire
, England
), Georgetown University
, School of Foreign Service, (Washington DC, USA) and at the Culinary Institute of America
(New York
, USA), which led to a career as executive chef at The Marriottee Reach Hotel (Key West, Florida
, USA), Food & Beverage Director for Paul Tripp Restaurant Group (Key West Florida, USA) and restaurant owner and manager of Back Porch Cafe’ (Rehoboth Beach, DE.
, USA) that saw him travel from Washington DC to Florida
and California
.
in 1993, McDang began writing about food & cooking and appeared on TV cooking shows. Sixteen years later, McDang is Thailand’s most famous food expert and a respected ambassador for Thai cuisine. He is the author of several best-selling Thai language
cookbook
s, host of the popular weekly TV program, ‘McDang Show’, pens weekly food columns for leading Thai and English-language newspapers, and consults for a number of companies, including Bangkok Airways
, Siam Winery and Wai Wai instant noodles
.
At an international level, McDang has appeared on a number of TV shows and has performed lecture tours in Australia
and New Zealand
. Each year he is invited to lecture at culinary schools in the USA about Thai cuisine. It is the notes for these lectures that form the basis of his first English language
cook book The Principle of Thai Cookery, which is due to be published in 2009.
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
celebrity food expert
Celebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
, chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is an only one Thai chef who has his own training class called “Principle of Thai Cookery” with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
Early Life and Career Path
Born into the Thai royal familyRoyal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
, McDang completed his early education at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
(Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
), Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, School of Foreign Service, (Washington DC, USA) and at the Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is a non-profit culinary college located in Hyde Park USA, founded in 1946. The CIA also has branch campuses in St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as a campus in Singapore. It is a not-for-profit academic institution of higher learning...
(New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA), which led to a career as executive chef at The Marriottee Reach Hotel (Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, USA), Food & Beverage Director for Paul Tripp Restaurant Group (Key West Florida, USA) and restaurant owner and manager of Back Porch Cafe’ (Rehoboth Beach, DE.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...
, USA) that saw him travel from Washington DC to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Thai Executive Chef and Food Expert Route
Upon returning to ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in 1993, McDang began writing about food & cooking and appeared on TV cooking shows. Sixteen years later, McDang is Thailand’s most famous food expert and a respected ambassador for Thai cuisine. He is the author of several best-selling Thai language
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
cookbook
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
s, host of the popular weekly TV program, ‘McDang Show’, pens weekly food columns for leading Thai and English-language newspapers, and consults for a number of companies, including Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways Co., Ltd. is a regional airline based in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Maldives, Burma, India and Singapore...
, Siam Winery and Wai Wai instant noodles
Instant noodles
Instant noodles are dried or precooked noodles and are often sold with packets of flavoring including seasoning oil. Dried noodles are usually eaten after being cooked or soaked in boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, while precooked noodles can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet...
.
At an international level, McDang has appeared on a number of TV shows and has performed lecture tours in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Each year he is invited to lecture at culinary schools in the USA about Thai cuisine. It is the notes for these lectures that form the basis of his first English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
cook book The Principle of Thai Cookery, which is due to be published in 2009.
Thai Language
- McDang Cook Book. (1998)
- Yum Thai Yum Farang Cook Book (1999)
- McDang Cook Book 2 (2000)
- McDang Guide 2001 (restaurant guide) (2001)
- McDang Guide 2003 (restaurant guide) (2003)
- McDang’s Recipes (2003)
- Mcdang Guide (restaurant guide) (2004)
- Delicious Food from McDang’s kitchen (2005)
Television Shows in Thailand
- McDang Show (MCOT Channel 9, 2007 – present)
- McDang’s Kitchen Weekly (ITV, 2003–2007)
- Father & Son Kitchen (ITV, 2000–2003)
- McDang Koo Krua (Channel 5, 2000–2001)
- McDang Plang Ros (Channel 7,1998–2000)
- Krob Chakraval Kitchen (Channel 9, 1997–1998)
International Television Cameo Appearances
- Guest appearance with Gordon RamsayGordon RamsayGordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
on Channel 4's Gordon's Great EscapeGordon's Great EscapeGordon's Great Escape is a television series presented by chef Gordon Ramsay.Series 1 follows Ramsay's first visit to India, where he explores the country's culinary traditions...
, Series 2, Episode 4, (UK, 2011) - Guest appearance with Anthony BourdainAnthony BourdainAnthony Michael "Tony" Bourdain is an American chef, author and television personality. He is well known for his 2000 book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and is the host of Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure program Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.A...
on No Reservations (USA, 2009) - Guest appearance with Jeff CorwinJeff CorwinJeffrey Scott Corwin is an American animal and nature conservationist, best known as host and executive producer of Animal Planet cable channel television programs, The Jeff Corwin Experience and Corwin's Quest.-Early years:...
on Extreme CuisineExtreme Cuisine with Jeff CorwinExtreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin is a television show where host Jeff Corwin travels to various parts of the world and samples diverse, local foods and learns about the various methods of preparation and attainment of foods.-External links:*...
Citizen Pictures (USA, 2009) - Appears in Taste Takes off to Thailand 2004 (New Zealand, 2004)
- Guest on City Cabs / Letterbox (USA, 2003)
- Guest and consultant for Planet Food Thailand on the UK Travel ChannelTravel Channel (UK)Travel Channel is a British satellite television channel, transmitting 24 hours a day in 19 languages across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific...
(UK, 2001)