The coriander's ok though hard to find, the Vietnamese mint (baan- chow?) is great and plentiful, but in the year or so i have spent there I have never managed to find any of that other herb that i would rate at more than 3.5/10 (and even the 3.5 was something of a find). I'm not expecting perfection, if I could find a "5" I would be over the moon. Any suggestions? Please, I am not seeking details of specific providers.

Go to some of the "foodie" friendly bars around town. Find and ask other "baking" aficionados. The irl grapevine is still the best (but slowest and most difficult) way to find just about anything here. Also, what you rate as a 3 might be an 8 to someone who has been living here for awhile. In my experience, some of the best "locally" grown "spices" come from Lao, or so I've been told.

If you really want real basil, there is a guy growing and selling 2 types of real basil. Really. It's just basil. No quotation marks. My spidey senses tell me that you don't want basil, but I could be wrong. I'm old and decrepit.

Just be on the lookout for Drone Cows! Luckily they're not stealth yet!

I grow my own, easy enough.

Thanks for the suggestion chkwoot. Wasn't meaning basil but I am a fan of basil as well. Hanno, that would be the ideal but I'm not well placed for that. If i don't have some luck soon I'll have to give up beer too. Maybe sounds strange but that herb allows me to drink very moderately.

Thanks for that suggestion Jamie.