Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey

After living in Asia for over 6 years, and cooking Asian food for over 20 years. Ricks cook books have always been true to taste! I often get inspired to cook when I turn the pages of his books.The recipes range from simple to difficult, but they have not disappointed me yet. So far I have made at least 4 dishes from this book and it pairs nicely with his Indian book.There doesn't seem to be a reason not to buy this book.Can it impress dinner guests? YESIs it Authentic? YES (I cook everything from scratch and I'm also 80% self sufficient. I have travelled all over Asia and can even speak Thai! So I have a good understanding of Asian cooking)I do however know many of the recipes in this book, and so therefore I have not cooked his version as by now I already have my own!I love Ricks recipes

I was happy with the condition of the book, and the speed of delivery. Unfortunately this was all negated due to the damage incurred when it landed on my hallway floor. Due to the Amazon driver posting this heavy book through the letterbox, and the lack of any padding in the packaging (just a thin layer of plastic, no wrap or even cardboard) the spine of the book split open on impact. Real shame, as its a lovely book.

good for curry, many secrets, lots to choose from

I've only recently started to cook Eastern recipes at home (as there are very limited restaurants of this type where I live). Living in London previously, I was spoiled for choice of excellent restaurants. I've really enjoyed the meals I've made so far using this book, and it's also very helpful that the author has provided info on where to order ingredients online, as many of them aren't available in the usual grocery stores. My only slight gripe is that there are not enough pictures of what each dish looks like. (There are lots of colourful pictures of ingredients, Eastern locales, etc, but not enough of the finished dishes). Very often I just browse through the prictures of a recipe book and decide on meal that looks appetising. With this one, for may recipes, I have to read the entire recipe and instructions and then try to determine if it's something I would enjoy. As a result, I probably use this book less than I would if there were more pictures. But - to repeat - the dishes I've prepared so far have been wonderful!

I got the book i was looking for exactly as described. This is a rich content filled book with many many recipes and I have a few Rick Stein books but for the price this book is worth the money. Sapphire Books sent a message when dispatching the order outlining the timeline of arrival and the book arrived earlier then expected. What was most wonderful was a handwritten note by the owner of Sapphire Books going the extra mile in ensuring I was happy with Book and to contact them for any concerns. Also adding a bookmark. I am very pleased with Sapphire Books customer service! Thankyou & stay safe.

I was a bit suspicious of a white guy doing an asian cookbook but I watched the TV show and it was making my mouth water so i thought I'd give the book a go. I have now tried my 4th recipe from the book and it was not only easy but it was yummy! I just made the steamed fish curry and not only was it easy (well, you need the mini food processor) but the smell was amazing and it's delicious! The other great part of this book is that it has recipes for all the different types of curry pastes which I think is great for people who are fussy with ingredients - so they can not add the shrimp paste to make it vegetarian or not to add peanuts for those that suffer allergies. I highly recommend this book and I expect that I will be doing more cooking from this book in the future. Thanks Mr Stein!!!!Ok I have just tried more recipes and this is definitely the book to buy for those that like Thai and Vietnamese food. Love it still!

Rick Stein's book is an elegant follow-up to a most enjoyable television series. I found his introductions and comments almost as evocative as the recipes based on his experiences in the Far Eastern countries that he visited - Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and last, but not least, Malaysia. He points out that the latter country is a cross road where the whole gamut of Asian cooking meets, along with some dishes, primarily nonya ones that are unique to the country. He also points to the central social and cultural role that food plays in these countries. It is impossible, for example, to have a gathering of Malaysians without the discussion turning at some point to food! In fact, looking rather like a 'shop window' chef at the various recipes and beautiful illustrations it brought to mind a novel, Sweet Offerings, based in Malaysia that I have recently read. Its author Chan Ling Yap has many references to food and the social role of eating. I was very happy to find the dishes that she mentions, some in great detail, all featured in Rick Stein's book, giving it for me an interesting endorsement of his gastronomic discoveries. Sweet Offerings

Rick Stein has the ability to identify a range of recipes which can be reasonably readily reproduced in this country, with produce that can be secured without too much effort, but which are then going to produce something which is both authentic and very representative of a cuisine. I have yet to find anything in any of his books which was can be readily followed , and which then produces a result which is anything but very edible at the end. This book os no exception, the results of all that I have tried have been enjoyed by everyone who has eaten them, and I have enjoyed cooking them all. The instructions are clear and straightforward. So anyone with an interest in reproducing south east asian food can do not wrong by buying this book and following the recipes , as Vietnamese and the other national cuisines in this book are all very distinctive, and well worth exploring.