While most people think Thai cooking is all about following a balanced recipe, more aspiring cooks are learning something else about Thai cuisine — just because you make the dish right one day, doesn't mean that the dish will turn out right the next time. Sometimes Thai dishes taste remarkably different, even if you think that you did everything the same.

"When some Westerners cook, they think in terms of balancing ingredients," says Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas. "But really, Thai cuisine is more about balancing taste and flavor. There is a remarkable difference between the two."

As an example, Wong looks to the chili pepper that has long become associated with Thai cooking. Two different chili peppers can be remarkably different based on the region they come from, the growing conditions that year, the maturity of the pepper, and dozens of other barely noticeable differences.

"It is easy to think that one chili pepper is the same as another, but the truth is that most chili peppers are not the same," smiles Wong. "One of them could be hotter than another or sweeter or more flavorful. You really cannot tell until the dish is being prepared."

Wong says the same holds true for many Thai ingredients, especially those imported from Thailand. Although some of them are becoming more common in the U.S. like kaffir lime and Thai basil, others are still a little more difficult to find such as Guinea pepper or piper sarmentosum.

Along with variations in the ingredients themselves, Wong says everything impacts the flavor of a dish. Temperatures and the order in which ingredients are added can all impact the dish. In some cases, something as simple as a sauce can be ruined if a cook attempts to combine it while cooking the main ingredients as opposed to separately in its own wok.

"One of the reasons we don't use packaged mixes here at Kung Fu Plaza is because our chef rightly insists that mixes do not blend ingredients properly," Wong said. "While some restaurants think that mixes increase consistency, we have learned that they only increase the wrongness of the flavor."

To cook authentic Thai food, the ingredients have to be combined or added at the same time. And in some cases, experienced Thai chefs know how sauces, accompaniments, and garnishes are supposed to taste before they are added to the main dish. At any stage during the cooking process, the chef or cooks will know exactly which ingredients to add to balance the flavor.

Wong says most people know the basics such as coconut milk can tone down spiciness or that fish sauce can add saltiness, but some ingredients are much more temperamental. Fish sauce, for example, also carries a distinct taste as does soy sauce and even various kinds of salts and sugar.

"This is one of the reasons my family has always taken pride in our food," says Wong. "Part of it is science, but so much of it is culinary art."

Founded in 1973, Kung Fu Plaza serves the most authentic Chinese and Thai cuisine of all Las Vegas restaurants. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The average entree is under $10 and most patrons order family style. You can find details about Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas here.