McDang

Mom Luang Sirichalerm Svastivadhana
Born	(1953-07-06) 6 July 1953 Sukhothai Palace, Thailand
Occupation	Chef, Writer
Parent(s)	Thanatsi Svastivadhana (father) Pra-on Malakul (mother)

Mom Luang Sirichalerm Svastivadhana (Thai: ศิริเฉลิม สวัสดิวัตน์; rtgs: Sirichaloem Sawatdiwat; born 16 July 1953), usually known by the nickname McDang^[1] (Thai: หมึกแดง; rtgs: Muek Daeng), is a Thai celebrity food expert, chef and writer. He is the only Thai chef to have his own training class (called "Principle of Thai Cookery") with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.^[2][3]

Early life and career path

Born into the Thai royal family, 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 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, Delaware, USA) .

Thai Executive Chef and Food Expert Route

Upon returning to Thailand in 1993, McDang began writing about food and cooking, and appeared on TV cooking shows.

McDang has become Thailand's most famous food expert and a respected ambassador for Thai cuisine.^[4] He is the author of several best-selling Thai language cookbooks, 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^[5] and Wai Wai instant noodles.

Internationally, 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. The notes for these lectures formed the basis for his first English language cookbook, The Principles of Thai Cookery (2010).

Bibliography

Since 1998, McDang has written 8 books. He also writes a "McDang Guide" column in the newspaper Daily News, which presents good foods and great restaurants in Thailand and around the world.

Thai language

• McDang Cook Book (1998)
• Yum Thai Yum Farang Cook Book (1999)^[6]
• 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)^[7]

English Language

• Principles of Thai Cookery (2010)

Television Shows in Thailand

• McDang Show (MCOT Channel 9, 2007 – present)^[8]
• 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 Ramsay on Gordon's Great Escape, Series 2, Episode 4, (UK, 2011)
• Guest appearance on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations' (USA, 2009)
• Guest appearance with Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin (USA, 2009)
• Guest appearance on Ishai Golan show Street Food Around The World, Series 1, Episode 5.
• 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 Channel (UK, 2001)

References

External links

• Homepage for Chef Mcdang