My first experience trying this dish was probably not the best one. I tried it at a restaurant here in Seattle before going to Thailand. I felt it lacked a little bit of flavor so I asked the waiter to bring me more chilies. He brought a tray with different sauces, I decided to go for the one with freshly diced chilies. It was spicy, tangy and different, I liked it. I asked the waiter: “What is this one made of?” “Fish sauce,” he said. At first, I felt it was gross. My mind tried to convince my taste buds that the dish wasn’t good, but my mind failed. The fish sauce goes very well with this dish.

On my first trip to Thailand on my way to a snorkeling trip, we stopped at a beach hut. It was one of those days when you miss western food. I decided to go for something familiar and ordered Basil Chicken. The dish arrives and to my surprise, it looked very different from the one I was used to eating. The chicken was minced, it smelled different and it was definitely saucier. I took my first bite. It was delicious. The basil tasted peppery, the chicken was juicy and the sauce was flavorful. Amazing..

After this experience, this became one of my favorite Thai dishes and my go-to dish with the hot weather because it pairs extraordinarily well with a cold lager beer. This dish is easy to make and delicious, for better results make it on a hot summer day.