Two tables had been joined to make just enough room for nearly a dozen people seated in tiny plastic chairs that seemed to just barely be able to support their own weight. Three teenage boys stood attentively, closely monitoring Son in case he had a demand or if anyone at the table needed a beer refill. But not just any beer: This was Bia Hoi.

There is one phrase that was most striking when interviewing Andy Ricker that is unmistakably at the core of his guiding principles. “Sometimes you gotta buy the beer” is fundamental to how he travels and undoubtedly what led him to discover Thai cuisine