Since first meeting Ann some five years ago, what and how I eat has changed quite a lot. I have always loved Thai food but came rather late to realise that most suburban Thai, while delicious in its own right, is different in so many subtle ways from the food Thai's actually eat. The latter can be had in Sydney but you have to know where to look. And for that, of course, one needs a Thai friend, or a Thai wife.

Ann has two favourites in the CBD, both in Thai Town, which she attests do the real thing. There is something about the flavours, but also about the ingredients, that make a dish authentic in this regard. She doesn't like to see certain vegetables put willy-nilly into Thai dishes - if they are not used in Thailand, then they are out. The combination of sauces and ingredients should combine to give the diner a saap saap experience, something deep, spicy and complex. I am afraid that I am out of my depth when explaining this phenomenon.

Ann's daughter JJ is even more of a purist when it comes to this authentic experience, so buying take-away for her to bring home is fraught with danger. A perfectly delicious meal from a Thai-run shop in town might get the thumbs up, or it might not, but I am unable to explain why this is so. If I put two boxes from different shops side by side and which, to the average eye, may seem identical, you can be sure than one does not meet the minimum standard. Even if I do a taste test the difference may be that one is slightly spicier than the other. Alas, one must be counterfeit, for so it is written, somewhere!

I find it amusing. I am not a fan of foodism or any of the TV shows that play to this strange hedonism. But I know what I like and most Thai food, no matter what the shop, hits the mark for me.