One of the secrets to cooking great Thai food, is the right coconut milk. There are only two brands you should ever get – both available at Uwajimaya.

Mae Ploy is my favourite, it is very rich and creamy.

The other great brand is Chao Koh. This one is easy to remember as you can look for the "A-OK" in the middle of the word.

If a recipe calls for "Coconut Cream" – don't buy a special can of it, just put your Mae Ploy in the fridge overnight and the cream will float to the top.

Likewise, don't be tempted by "Lite Coconut Milk". It's just coconut milk with water added. If you are making a soup – like Tom Kah Gai, then you can use this technique to water down the coconut milk to make it lighter on the palette.

Don't be fooled by other brands, or think you can get by with "Thai Kitchen" brand from QFC.