Zing! The pleasure of unexpected pesto

by Neasa Murphy (Ireland)

I didn't expect to find Thailand

Zing! The pleasure of unexpected pesto I’m a hungry traveller. In fact, I’m a hungry person, no matter what I’m doing. You’ll often find chocolate in my gym bag, cereal bars in my bedroom, and “emergency” bananas in my backpack. Food is much more than just energy to me; it’s memories, it’s emotions, it’s my moods and my experiences. A waft of roast potatoes carries me home to my family in Ireland. A fiery mouthful of spicy noodles brings me back to a table of beer bottles and laughter, surrounded by fellow exchange students in Shanghai. I’ve only tasted the zing of freshly made lemon pesto once in my life, under a parasol at a garden table, and no, it wasn’t in Italy. I went to Thailand in search of alone time and adventure. Bangkok greeted me with smoothie bowls and cocktails. Chiang Mai treated me to sweet fried banana and salty street omelettes. Having explored the North and eaten to my heart’s content, I moved south to Koh Yao Noi: a small, scarcely populated island an hour from Phuket. I arrived on a crowded longtail ferry, ready for a few days of beaches, nature, and solitude. Koh Yao Noi had all that and more. Some places are for sightseeing, some are for relaxing in the sun. There are cities for partying, for living, for working, and then there are places for eating. I came to Koh Yao Noi for tranquillity, to meet the locals, and to admire the few beaches in Thailand that remain relatively deserted. Having set myself up in a beach hut, I went about my business: sunbathing, journaling, meditating and of course, eating. Juicy pad Thai omelettes, cool watermelon juice, creamy iced coffee with condensed milk…Thailand is delicious. Of course, I was expecting pad thai. I wasn’t expecting fresh lemon pesto. After a quiet two days in my beach hut, I got itchy for some activity. It’s true what they say about Geminis; one minute I’m on a journey to inner peace, the next I need a good party. Koh Yao Noi doesn’t have much in the way of nightclubs…but it does have bicycles, hills, and a road that that will take you around the whole island. A challenge. That’ll do. The cycle was sweaty but beautiful. The sun was shining, the locals were friendly and there were some other tourists to bump into. I even met some adventurous families who were exploring Thailand with children – a pleasant surprise. After two hours of peddling and picture stops, I arrived at Coco Bello restaurant. The most picturesque meal you will ever enjoy. Who knew there was an Italian foody serving authentic fresh pasta on a near deserted island in southern Thailand? Not enough of us, that’s who. Beneath a parasol in the humidity of south east Asia, my eyes feasting on the blue skies and natural beaches of southern Thailand, I tasted the zing of unexpected lemon pesto. Fresh and creamy, and paired with perfectly al dente pasta, this pesto cemented itself in my memory as the most delicious and out of place satisfaction I had ever experienced. It came as no surprise that the man behind this unforgettable meal was Italian. I felt lucky to meet him when I went inside to pay, and lucky to learn that the unique lemon flavour comes from lemon basil, a fragrant herb grown in southern Asia - a new experience for me. I cycled home slowly, full of pasta and the satisfaction of a new discovery. Koh Yao Noi had blown my expectations out of the water. I was expecting tranquil beaches and coconut water. I was expecting sun and spicy noodles. I wasn’t expecting fresh lemon pesto.