Since it launched on YouTube three years ago, GG Cooking has been a great success, regularly attracting millions of views.
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Hail to the chef
Khwankaew Sumatchaya and Suwitcha Chaiyong
In a food-mad country like Thailand, the popularity of cookery programmes comes as no surprise. But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. This isn’t a problem for GG Cooking, however. Since it launched on YouTube three years ago, the show has been a great success, regularly attracting millions of views. The programme is also available to watch on www.twitch.tv.
GG Cooking was created by Preeroj Kasemsarn (George), who had previously co-hosted another popular YouTube programme, VRZO. George is passionate about food and his natural charisma leads to great chemistry with his guests. Indeed, GG Cooking is as much a talk show as it is a cookery programme. Viewers love his easy-to-follow recipes and humorous exchanges.
S Weekly caught up with the 30-year-old at his kitchen at Rubsarb Production, where he told us about cooking and his show.
Why did you decide to create GG Cooking?
George: I wanted to have my own show. And to do something like that well, you have to be passionate about it. Cooking is a big part of my life, so it felt natural.
What makes your show different from other cookery programmes?
George: I don’t really consider GG Cooking to be a cookery show. Most cookery shows are quite short and just focus on the recipe and method. But some of my shows last as long as an hour. It’s more like a talk show in which we happen to cook stuff.
Do you always test your recipes before a show?
George: Absolutely. There were some dishes that I’d never made before such as lon poo (crab dip), even though it’s one of my favourites. I’d never cooked anything with coconut milk either. So I practised cooking lon poo for four days in a row to make sure that we could do it smoothly on the show. I gained a lot of weight!
What’s the most difficult thing about doing the show?
George: Handling the different tasks. I host and direct as well as cook. I often burn the food. [Laughs.]
Are you trying to inspire people with the dishes that you feature?
George: Yes, of course. When it happens, it makes me proud. In one episode, I made French toast and afterwards, I saw people selling it at art events. Before that, it would usually be honey toast.
Is there any dish that you’d like to do but haven’t done yet?
George: Boeuf Bourguignon, which is a French beef stew with red wine. It takes a long time to cook, so we’d have to be well prepared. I’d planned to do it in Episode 58, but our guest didn’t eat beef, so we had to change it to something else.
Do you watch other cookery programmes?
George: Oh yes, I watch many others in order to get inspiration. My favourite chef and host is Gordon Ramsay. When some chefs become celebrities, they can’t focus on their job as a chef, but Gordon can do it really well.
Have you ever thought about participating in a competition like Top Chef or MasterChef?
George: Sure. I’m not a professional, so I’d be more interested in taking part in MasterChef. I watch both the American and Thai versions and imagine what I’d do if I was on the show. Some tasks I could handle but others I probably couldn’t. But right now, I’m too busy with GG Cooking.
Will you open your own restaurant one day?
George: I’ve thought about it for a long time. In order to have a successful restaurant, you have to be 100 percent dedicated to it. At the moment, I still have other priorities. I once said that if GG Cooking ever reaches 100 episodes, I’ll open a restaurant with 100 dishes on the menu. But I’m not sure if that’s very realistic.
