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.

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.

Half a world away, the Thai people are celebrating Valentine's Day with more romantic zeal than ever as seven couples bring their lips together in one of the longest most exciting "kiss offs" on the planet. The event, hosted at the Thai beach resort of Pattaya near Bangkok, just may break the world record.

The marathon, which started yesterday, will continue through tomorrow, assuming the young couples are able to keep it together as they set their sights on the record. The current time stands at 46 hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds, which was set last year by Lakkana Tiranarat and her husband. They are back this year.

"I love that Thailand holds the world's record for the longest kiss, especially on Valentine's Day, because it shows the world how progressive and inventive the Thai people can be," says Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas. "I wish the event were held here in Las Vegas, given that we are the number one city in the United States for weddings. Even so, I would want Thai people to win. Although Las Vegas also has a few interesting ideas."

Unlike many kissing competitions, the world record standard is especially challenging. Participants cannot break their lip lock for any reason — bathroom breaks, drinks, food, or teeth brushing. The contestants who win will receive a 100,000 baht diamond ring and a hotel gift voucher for 200,000 baht.

 The kissing contest is one of many celebrations in Thailand. 

In Thailand, another record might have been set. Thirty-four couples took part in the the sixteenth mass underwater wedding where couples traded vows, kisses, and the "okay" sign to seal the deal for their marriage. The ceremony was staged just off the coast of Ko Kradan, which is considered one of the most picturesque islands in Southern Thailand.

"It started because young people started to fall in love with Valentine's Day, but it has since taken the country by storm. Everybody in Thailand loves the holidays," said Wong. "And now I am reading that everybody else in the world is in love with Thailand's love for Valentine's Day."

What's not to love? The romantic affair is observed with a grand celebration, romantic dinners, flowers, chocolates, and candies. And since young people have embraced the holiday, adults have started exchanging gifts and affections too.

What's more, some publications are starting to suggest that Thai food be the cuisine of choice among those who feel the pangs of love. About.com even suggested that all dinners for two ought to be Thai because of its special, spicy, and sensual overtones.

"I love the idea that Thai food could become the meal of choice among Valentine's Day patrons," says Wong. "The menu they suggested, however, all seems rather cliche. There are better ways to pick cuisine than red foods and so-called aphrodisiacs."

Instead, tom yum soup (which also has red highlights) is the best starter because it warms the heart. Any number of Thai-style sweet and sour dishes (jumbo shrimp, chicken, pork) would make a great choice or Kung Fu Plaza roast duck for those preferring Chinese. For dessert, Kung Fu Plaza serves six ice creams and two fruits (lychee and longan).

Kung Fu Plaza was originally founded in 1973 as a small 25-seat restaurant in Downtown Las Vegas. It later moved to become one of the first independent Las Vegas restaurants inside the then-legendary Plaza Hotel at the urging of its owner. When Chinatown opened in Las Vegas, Kung Fu Plaza moved again so it could better serve the hotels and resorts along the Las Vegas Strip.

There is plenty of buzz surrounding the opening of Pok Pok in New York City, which is the Thai restaurant owned by James Beard Award-winning chef Andy Ricker. New York seems excited. It started in Portland a few years ago when Ricker decided to bring a taste of Southeast Asia (North and Northeast Thailand) to Portland.

The creations he made were surprisingly good for a non-Thai native, but maybe not surprising for someone who has studied the cuisine for 20 years in Thailand. It's not uncommon for him to invest as much as one full year learning a single dish. And this is very likely the reason The New York Times called Ricker the ambassador for Thai food in the United States.

"It might seem unusual for a Thai restaurant owner to wish another Thai restaurant owner good luck," said Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas. "But Ricker is one of the few chefs who knows what he is doing with Thai food. Somehow it got in his blood and once New Yorkers taste his take on Thai food, we're hoping it will expand their palates. Once you start to move beyond the typical dishes, everything about Thai food tastes better."

Although Ricker is known for being brazen about his dishes, Wong says Ricker is always respectful about Thai cuisine and the Thai people. And while Ricker tends to place his restaurant above others in the United States, he's earned the Wong family's respect for introducing a broader Thai menu to America. He does his research, learns the dishes in Thailand, and then brings them home. Recently, Ricker even put off a cookbook until he can visit the region again.

Authentic means you preserve the recipes as they were intended.

"I like that he is not trying to claim to be authentic or attempting to introduce an Asian fusion, which is not traditional or authentic," says Wong. "He is really trying to bring Northeastern Thai dishes to America. While the Northeast is heavily influenced by Laos, it helps to diversify the number of dishes available. But most importantly, he doesn't mess around with the food."

The Wong family, which moved to the United States in the 1970s and opened the first restaurant of its kind in Las Vegas, places the same emphasis on Thai food, except with dishes from Central Thailand. They frequently describe their cuisine as authentic, especially off-menu dishes, because most are family recipes brought over from Thailand.

"Much like Ricker says, the secret is to not mess with the recipes, except when you don't have a choice because the ingredients aren't available," says Wong. "Likewise, I trust he understands that not all Thai restaurants are authentic in Thailand. Many of the chefs that cook in Thailand are not Thai and many more have adapted recipes for tourists. Here in the United States, it is even more confusing because many Thai restaurant owners are afraid to cook real Thai food, assuming they know how."

Wong says that he isn't criticizing anyone, per se. He is just stating a fact. Even the Wong family had some challenges early on.

When his family decided to retain their family recipes brought over from Thailand in the 1970s, they soon found out that Americans weren't ready for cuisine they couldn't recognize. But because the family wasn't willing to alter the recipes, they did the next best thing. They placed their Thai dishes on the menu next to the Chinese dishes so many people ordered, including Mongolian beef and chow mein.

Most families aren't willing to take such a chance, and generally try to make a menu of Americanized Thai. What the Wong family did instead was create a menu for both the expecting patron and the more adventurous. The decision paid off. After only a few years, the Plaza Hotel and Casino asked Kung Fu to become the first non-property owned restaurant in the hotel.

Today, Kung Fu Plaza has since moved from the Plaza but still serves equal amounts of Thai and Chinese dishes to walk-in guests and patrons who order food from their hotel rooms. When you consider all the resorts in their delivery service area, Kung Fu Plaza might even have the mot expansive delivery area in the United States.

"When most restaurant owners want to expand, they have to duplicate their restaurant," said Wong. "We just wait until the next resort opens on the Las Vegas Strip."

Wong says his family did open a second location for a brief period of time a few years ago. While the second restaurant seemed to do fine, they closed it because it did not meet the Wong family's standards. Having a master chef on premises is the only way to ensure consistency.

"It's not like other food, which is why most Thai cookbooks produce mixed results," he said. "If even one ingredient is varied in maturity, flavor, or heat, it will change the entire dish. It takes years before a chef knows precisely what to do to correct it and achieve the same taste."

Founded in 1973, Kung Fu Plaza is the oldest and most authentic Chinese and Thai restaurant in Las Vegas. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is also the most recent of all Las Vegas restaurants to become 100% Angus Beef Certified, and the only Asian restaurant to receive this certification.