Chef Nikky

Two foods I skip in the canned aisle: bean sprouts and mushrooms! 🥫🙅🏻‍♀️

I love a pantry shortcut, but these two are worth buying fresh. You get that beautiful crunch from the bean sprouts, better texture from the mushrooms, and none of that canned flavor taking over your dish. 👩🏻‍🍳✨

What’s one food you’ll ONLY buy fresh? Tell me below! 👇

3 things Americans think we put on everything… but we don’t! 👀🇹🇭

🌶️ SRIRACHA: We don’t drizzle it on every dish!
🍛 CURRY POWDER: For our Thai curries, we use curry PASTE—there’s a difference!
🥜 PEANUT SAUCE: Delicious with certain dishes, but it doesn’t belong on everything.

Thai food has so much variety—every dish deserves its own flavors! ✨

Which one surprised you most? Tell me below 👇 Save this for your next Thai cooking night!

Tofu aisle confusion? I got you. 👩🏻‍🍳

FIRM vs. EXTRA FIRM TOFU — what’s actually the difference?

✨ Firm tofu = softer, more tender, and great when you want it to soak up all that delicious sauce.

🔥 Extra firm tofu = less moisture, holds its shape better, and is my pick for stir-fries, crispy tofu, grilling, or anytime you want those golden edges.

I found both at H-E-B, but which one am I grabbing? 👀

For crispy tofu, I’m Team EXTRA FIRM all day.

Save this for your next H-E-B run! 🛒 And tell me below: firm or extra firm?

Why don’t I bottle my Thai peanut sauce? 👀🥜🇹🇭

Because some sauces are just better made fresh — and once you understand the why behind Thai cooking, everything starts to taste better.

But don’t worry… I DO have sauces you can bring home. 😉 And if you want to learn how to create authentic Thai flavors in your own kitchen, grab a copy of my cookbook too!

✨ Shop my sauces + cookbook at ChefNikky.shop

What Thai sauce do you wish I would bottle next? Tell me below! 👇

Fish sauce taste test at H-E-B! 👀🐟🌶️

As a Thai chef, you KNOW I have opinions when it comes to fish sauce. 😂 So when I spotted these bottles at H-E-B, naturally we had to do a little taste test.

Which fish sauce is your go-to? Drop your favorite below! 👇🇹🇭

HEB had whole coconuts… so obviously I had to try one. 🥥😂

There’s just something about cracking into a fresh coconut that immediately takes me back to Thailand. 🇹🇭 The fresh coconut water, the soft meat, the flavor—it’s completely different from anything bottled.

But the real question… does the HEB coconut pass the Thai girl test? 👀🥥

Watch until the end for my verdict!

Creamier, richer, and made for dishes that need that extra oomph. 🥥✨

Why coconut cream instead of coconut milk? Coconut cream has a higher concentration of coconut and less water, giving you a thicker texture, richer flavor, and that silky finish that makes curries, sauces, soups, and desserts taste next level.

Quick stop at HEB? Let me save you from a rice mistake 👀

❌ Long grain rice — dry, stiff, and honestly... kind of sad next to a good curry
✅ Jasmine rice — soft, fragrant, slightly sticky, and the ONLY rice that belongs next to real Thai food

Here’s the thing: jasmine rice isn’t just “Thai rice” for looks. That floral aroma and delicate texture is what soaks up curry, balances spice, and makes every bite taste like it came straight from a street stall in Bangkok. Long grain rice just doesn’t have the same soul (or the same job) 🍚

So next time you’re in the rice aisle at HEB — grab the jasmine. Your pad krapow, your curry, your fried rice will thank you 💛

And once you’ve got the rice right? Pair it with a sauce that brings the real Thai flavor home → chefnikky.shop 🌶️

What are you cooking with your jasmine rice this week? Tell me below!

Kob Kun Ka 🙏