The Real Thing : Thai food in Bangkok can be quite different from the same food as prepared at restaurants in Los Angeles. A weeklong cookery class held in the Thai capital presents the dishes as prepared in traditional style.

Los Angeles may be inundated with Thai food, but it takes a journey to the source to taste the real thing.

During a week of cooking classes in Bangkok, I watched the preparation of several dishes that are basic to Thai restaurants in Los Angeles. In each case, the approach was different, sometimes radically so. And the results were entrancing, attesting to the Thai taste for refinement, artistry and ornate blending of flavors.

The most startling difference was in the noodle dish, mee grob. In Los Angeles, mee grob is usually a crackerjack-like, sticky mound of deep-fried rice sticks. “Fast food style,” is the way Chalie Amatyakul, director of the Oriental Hotel’s Thai Cooking School, describes this version. In fairness, it is almost the only style found in Bangkok, too.

But there is another way, a classical, intricate, time-consuming method that one reads about in books and that Amatyakul teaches. The rice sticks are moistened with water, then towel-dried and air-dried. Next they are dipped in beaten egg, then towel- and air-dried again. When deep-fried, the noodles become crisp and firm. They don’t explode dramatically into puffy strands as do rice sticks straight from the package.

“Good mee grob is loose and crumbly,” said Amatyakul, mixing the noodles with a sauce that was lightly sweetened and not sticky enough to bind them together. The difference between the two versions is roughly the difference between sickly sweet cereal and high-grade granola.

Our five half-day sessions were filled with such revelations. Americans, who are accustomed to buying headless shrimp, might have been aghast to see Amatyakul spoon a sauce made from the soft orange matter inside the heads into the spicy, sour shrimp soup, Tom Yaam Goong. But they could not quarrel with the flavor, which was rich and full.

Duck eggs, both fresh and salted, are widely used in Thailand, and we worked with them too. We pounded the salted eggs with garlic, chiles, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar to make a pale orange dip that reminded me of the Greek taramasalata. The Thais take such dips with rice. I visualized the mixture with crudites , or on top of cucumber slices or unsalted crackers.

Fresh duck eggs went into a custard-based dessert, Khanom Maw Gaeng. Instead of using a rotary or electric beater, the Thais squeeze the custard mixture gently with strips of banana leaf, which contain some substance that counteracts the “egginess.” This is necessary because duck eggs have stronger flavor than chicken eggs. They are also more deeply colored, and the reddish-orange yolks showed well in small egg flowers for garnishing.

Certain techniques are so simple that it is hard to understand why overseas Thais neglect them. One is to deep-fry basil leaves until crisp before adding them to a stir-fried dish. They then retain their texture rather than going limp.

Amatyakul followed this practice when demonstrating Gai Paad Bai Kaprow (stir-fried chicken with holy basil). Thai restaurant chefs in Los Angeles not only skip this step but invariably substitute mint for holy basil. However, the herb is available in season in Thai markets and can be grown at home from seed. Holy basil (bai kaprow in Thai) is mildly spicy and lacks the licorice flavor of sweet basil (bai horabha), which can be substituted if necessary.

The deep-frying of the basil leaves was only one change in the dish. Amatyakul seasoned the chicken with Thai shrimp paste (kapi) and added handfuls of crisp fried garlic and shallots, creating a flavor very different from the Thai-American concept.

Food Colorings Substituted

Other American deviations are more understandable. One is the substitution of food color for natural dyes obtained from plants and of flavoring extracts for fresh jasmine petals and pandan leaves. Amatyakul used a blue flower and the green pandan leaf to tint waterchestnut cubes for a dessert in which the colored cubes float in sweetened coconut milk. In Los Angeles, these ingredients are not available, although some hobbyists have managed to grow the blue flower and to cultivate pandan on a small scale.

Despite his emphasis on what he describes as “very, very traditional Thai dishes,” Amatyakul condones some shortcuts. Making sure we knew how to prepare fresh coconut milk, he showed us cans of Chaokoh-brand coconut milk, which he sometimes uses. The same brand is exported to Los Angeles. If the can is not shaken, the rich coconut cream rises to the top and can be used instead of the thick first pressing of freshly grated coconut.

Our recipe for satay sauce specified freshly ground peanuts, but Amatyakul said he has had good results with Skippy crunchy peanut butter. Another sauce ingredient, panaeng curry paste, is best freshly made, of course. If one should resort to the commercial paste that is available in Los Angeles, one should enhance the flavor by adding fresh ingredients such as the roots of the coriander plant, lime peel and garlic, Amatyakul said.

Three Ingredients

Coriander root, garlic and peppercorns, the three most important ingredients in Thai cookery, “will make anything rather Thai,” Amatyakul said. Unfortunately, in the United States fresh coriander (cilantro) comes to market trimmed of its roots. Americans have to make do by adding stems to the tiny bits of root left on the bunches.

Thai cooks pound these three basics to a paste in a mortar, and Amatyakul does not recommend speeding the task with a food processor or blender. The pounding helps to extract oils and flavors. “Blender blades just cut through,” he said.

We were surprised to find the Thai dishes in our curriculum less tongue-tingling than expected. “I’m normally accused of whipping up foods for tourists because the food isn’t bitingly hot,” said Amatyakul, denying the charge.

In one session, we learned how Thais employ dips to extend their dishes and to accommodate varying tolerances for chile. The dips range from thin sauces to thicker pounded mixtures that blend every nuance of flavor. They are served on the side, so one takes only as much as desired. Unlike American dips, which accompany chips at cocktail parties, the Thai mixtures are stirred into rice to make it more tasty and satisfying. They are so important to the Thai diet that Amatyakul ranks them close to a national dish.

Thai Food is Fiery

Our classroom recipes showed a reasonable range of spiciness, but there is no question that Thai food can be fiery. “Hot food with class,” is the way Amatyakul’s teaching assistant, Sarnsern Gajeseni, described it. Gajeseni, who has managed a Thai restaurant in Boston, explained that there are regional differences. Southern and Northeastern Thais like very hot food. In central Thailand, dishes are milder.

Some of our recipes employed tiny, thread-like, superhot chiles called prig khee nu. This chile is easy to find in Oriental markets in Los Angeles, but I have never been able to find prig chee fah, a long, slim red chile that Thais rely on as an ingredient and garnish. The plump red chiles stocked in Asian markets in Southern California tend to be hotter.

Most of our dishes were cooked in a wok--not the usual iron or carbon steel wok but a glistening, handmade brass pan so beautiful it seemed more fit for display than a hot stove. The shape was ideal--flat enough to sit securely on a burner. And the brass required no oiling after use to prevent rusting. Gajeseni said the woks were made at a shop somewhere in Chinatown and procured them for those of us willing to splurge.

The Oriental Hotel initiated its Thai cooking classes slightly more than a year ago and offers them every week, even if only one student is enrolled. My class had eight members: four women from Japan, including a mother and daughter; three European residents of Hong Kong and myself. I was the only American except for a one-day visitor, a professor from the University of Michigan who was teaching American contract law in Tokyo.

The hotel overlooks the Chao Phrya River, and each morning we gathered for breakfast on the river bank where we could watch the barges, tour boats and launches that noisily ply the waters. Just as some Thais hitch rides to work on boats instead of buses, we hailed a launch to cross the river to school.

The classes are held in an old Thai house that has been refurbished with such comforts as air conditioning. We assembled first in a lecture room, where white-coated waiters brought us coffee or tea. This room was furnished with rosewood chairs and desks, each mounted with a small vase of roses. On the first day, we found gift packets of spices, aprons with the school logo and bottles of fish sauce and Sriracha chile sauce in the desk drawers. After the daily lecture, we moved next door to the practice room, where we watched and participated in the assembly of the dishes. The actual cooking took place in still another room.

The same waiters that brought our drinks assisted throughout the morning. They rushed up with napkins when we stickied our fingers on coconut palm sugar and brought glasses of ice water to refresh our mouths after we tasted something spicy-hot. When I set to work wrapping shrimp in bean curd sheets for an appetizer called Prataad Lom, a helpful finger steadied my plate. The same attendant showed me how to smooth and turn the wrapper and spread my egg yolk seal more thoroughly. After class, our helpers served what had been cooked at a table set in the shade of a porch.

We ate a great deal, because in addition to school fare, we had packets of coupons for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The night we arrived, we met each other over dinner at the Sala Rim Naam, the Oriental’s Thai restaurant. Another night, we rode far from the hotel to eat at a restaurant called Lemongrass. The many courses served there ended with the waterchestnut dessert that Amatyakul would later demonstrate, along with candied strips of fresh mace and aromatic lemon grass tea. Still another night we attended a lavish barbecue beside the river.

Graduation Dinner

Our gala graduation dinner took place in the Normandie, the Oriental’s French restaurant. We sat at a table laden with orchids, drank French wine and ate exquisite French-Thai food as a change from our traditional Thai diet. I especially liked a plate of white and green asparagus fanned from a base of shiitake mushrooms. Thai asparagus is brighter green, more crisp when cooked and more delicately flavored than ours.

The cooking school package included two afternoons of touring during which we visited the Grand Palace, Suan Pakkard Palace and the home of Jim Thompson, the American who promoted the Thai silk industry and vanished mysteriously in Malaysia.

One morning before class, Gajeseni walked us through the nearby Bang Rak market so we could see the profusion of vegetables, herbs, fruits, meats and other ingredients that Thais use. Outside, along the street, were stalls selling rambutans, pineapples, mangosteens, lychees and many other fruits. One area was devoted to flowers, and we admired the heaps of brilliantly colored orchids.

Well-Organized Classes

The classes themselves were well organized, and we could follow along with printed recipes that were in good order. Each day, we concentrated on a different topic--appetizers, soups, salads, curries and accompaniments, dishes that demonstrated major cooking methods (stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming and grilling) and, finally, desserts. Fruit and vegetable carving, flower arranging and ice carving were also discussed.

The following recipes represent a small portion of what we learned. All were retested in The Times Test Kitchen. A minor change was to reduce the number of chiles called for in Gai Paad Bai Kaprow because the little jalapenos we substituted for the Thai chiles were extremely hot. We shopped for ingredients at Thai and Chinese markets in Chinatown and at the Bangkok Market on Melrose Avenue. The only ingredient we did not locate was fresh duck eggs. However, chicken eggs work equally well in the dessert, Khanom Maw Gaeng.

The Oriental’s cooking school starts each week on Sunday night and ends Friday noon. The rates until Oct. 1 are $1,150 for single occupancy and $965 for double occupancy. On October 1, prices will rise to $1,265 single and $1,060 double. The package includes accommodations, most meals, the classes, tours and airport transfers. For further information, write to Chalie Amatyakul, director, the Thai Cooking School at the Oriental, 48 Oriental Ave. Bangkok 10500, Thailand; or call (800) 663-0787.

PRATAAD LOM

(Prawn Rolls)

Dried bean curd sheets

1 pound shrimp with heads, shelled and cleaned

1 teaspoon coriander root

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce

2 egg yolks, beaten

Oil for deep frying

Plum Sauce or bottled Sriracha chile sauce

Sprinkle or brush bean curd sheets with water and allow to soften. Shell and clean shrimp, retaining tails. Make slits in inner curve so shrimp will lie flat. Combine coriander root, garlic and pepper in mortar and pound to make paste. Stir in fish sauce. Combine mixture with shrimp and marinate 5 minutes.

Cut bean curd sheet into 3-inch squares. Place 1 shrimp on each square near top, allowing tail to extend over edge. Fold top of square over shrimp. Roll up tightly. Brush lower edge of bean curd sheet with egg yolk to seal. Place rolls on rack until ready to fry. Fry in deep hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve at once with bowls of Plum Sauce and Sriracha sauce for dipping. Makes about 2 dozen.

Note: Sriracha, which is Thai hot sauce, and bean curd sheets are available in Asian markets.

Plum Sauce

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 Chinese dried preserved plums

Combine water, sugar, rice vinegar, salt and whole plums in small saucepan. Bring to boil and boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove plums and cool sauce to room temperature.

TOM YAAM GOONG

2 cups medium shrimp with heads

6 cups water

8 kaffir lime leaves

1 sprig cilantro

6 white peppercorns

Cilantro roots and stems

2 teaspoons oil

3 thin slices thawed frozen galangal

3 stalks lemon grass, lower thick part only, thinly sliced

3 to 4 tablespoons lime juice

3 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

5 tiny chiles (prig khee nu), crushed

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

When removing heads from shrimp, scoop out and save soft orange fat inside. Pound heads and shells in mortar. Place in saucepan and add 6 cups water, 1 lime leaf and cilantro sprig. Bring to boil and boil gently, uncovered, 30 minutes to make broth. Strain and reserve. Shred remaining kaffir lime leaves and reserve.

In mortar, pound peppercorns with enough cilantro roots and stems to make 2 tablespoons paste. Heat oil in small skillet. Add 1 teaspoon paste to oil and saute until fragrant. Add reserved shrimp fat. Stir in small amount of shrimp broth and bring to boil. Set aside.

Bring 2 cups remaining broth to boil in saucepan. Add remaining cilantro paste and simmer 5 minutes. Add galangal, lemon grass, shrimp and remaining broth and bring to boil. Season to taste with lime juice, fish sauce and crushed chiles. Add reserved shrimp sauce, bring to boil and stir gently. Garnish soup with chopped cilantro and shredded lime leaves. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Kaffir lime leaves (double lime leaves) are often available in Thai markets. Do not substitute ordinary lime leaves. Galangal, also called laos root, lengkuas or kha, is a root that resembles ginger.

NAAM PRIG KAI KEM

(Salted Egg Dip)

3 to 4 fresh red chiles

3 cloves garlic

2 salted duck eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

In mortar, pound chiles and garlic together. Add salted eggs and pound until finely mashed. Add sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and mix well to make dip. Makes 3/4 cup.

Note: Salted duck eggs are stocked in most Oriental markets. They do not require cooking prior to use.

YAAM TALAY

(Seafood Salad)

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tiny chiles (prig khee nu), crushed

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

1 tablespoon thinly sliced thawed frozen galangal

1/4 cup peeled cooked shrimp, diced

1/4 cup diced cooked firm fish

1/4 cup cooked scallops, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup cooked squid rings, cut from small squid

1/4 cup shelled cooked clams

Lettuce leaves

Shredded fresh red chiles

Cilantro leaves

Mix lime juice and fish sauce. Add chiles, garlic and galangal. Stir lightly. Add shrimp, fish, scallops, squid rings and clams and mix with seasonings. Serve on bed of lettuce and garnish with shredded chiles and cilantro leaves. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Cooked beef can be substituted for seafood in this recipe.

GAI PAAD BAI

KAPROW

(Stir-Fried Chicken With Basil)

1 heaping cup crisp, fried Thai holy basil or sweet basil leaves

1 tablespoon Thai shrimp paste (kapi), roasted

5 dried or fresh red chiles, roasted

1 or 2 slices thawed frozen galangal, optional

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups minced chicken

Water

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained and halved

1/2 cup roughly chopped peeled tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced garlic, fried crisp

1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots, fried crisp

2 fresh red chiles, diagonally shredded, dropped into hot oil and drained

Drop well dried basil leaves into deep hot oil. They will become crisp very quickly. Drain on paper towel. To roast shrimp paste, wrap in foil and press into hot skillet.

In mortar, pound dried chiles, shrimp paste and galangal together. Heat oil in wok. Add pounded chile mixture and saute about 1 minute. Add chicken and stir until well mixed. If too dry, add small amount of water. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and stir well. Stir in most of fried garlic, shallots and basil leaves, reserving some for garnish. Stir in red chile shreds, reserving few for garnish, if desired. Turn out onto heated platter. Garnish with remaining fried garlic, shallots and basil leaves. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Shrimp paste will give off strong aroma when roasted, but its flavor in the finished dish will be mild.

KHANOM MAW GAENG

(Baked Custard With Taro)

3/4 cup palm sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup thick coconut cream

1 cup mashed, steamed taro, sweet potato or soy beans or 1 cup dry roasted mung beans, ground to a powder

1 cup eggs (about 5 large)

3 tablespoons crisp fried shallot slices

Blend palm sugar and salt with coconut cream until dissolved. Add mashed taro. Mix egg whites and yolks together gently, then combine with taro mixture. Pour into 8-inch square pan. Place in pan of hot water and bake at 325 degrees 35 minutes, or until set and surface is browned. Remove from water and cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with fried shallots and cut into squares to serve. Makes 9 servings.

Note: Palm sugar is available in Thai markets. Coconut cream is thick rich coconut milk, not sweetened drink mix. Thick milk at top of can of coconut milk may be substituted for fresh coconut cream.