Eating in Bangkok.... Part II

1. Seared scallop salad at Greyhound Cafe, 2. Fried ravioli with bacon and brie at Greyhound Cafe, 3. Blended watermelon at Greyhound Cafe, 4. Chicken rice at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar beer garden, 5. Pork on a steamed bun at Royal Vanilla, Vanilla Garden, 6. Crab meat and fried fish maw soup at Royal Vanilla, Vanilla Garden, 7. Strawberry frappé at Vanilla Retaurant, 8. Pear crépe with earl grey ice cream at Vanilla Brasserie, 9. Salt caramel cupcake at After You Dessert Cafe, 10. Curry noodles at a stall in Hualamphong Station, 11. Noodles topped with roast pork outside Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya, 12. Unidentified sticky dessert? at the day market, Ayutthaya, 13. Thai style omelet in the State Railway dining car, 14. Rice noodles and roast pork at a street cart along Soi Rang Nam, 15. Stir fried morning glory at Baan Bar, Soi Rang Nam, 16. Pork tripe salad at Baan Bar, Soi Rang Nam, 17. Grilled fish at Baan Bar, Soi Rang Nam, 18. Unidentified snack of rice cakes + savory topping? at a street cart at Yaowarat and Mangkon Roads, Chinatown, 19. Kway chap at a restaurant on Yaowarat Road near Mangkon, Chinatown, 20. Braised pork trotters at a restaurant on Yaowarat Road near Mangkon, Chinatown, 21. Double boiled soup with pork spareribs and cavilla fruit at a restaurant on Yaowarat Road near Mangkon, Chinatown, 22. Raw shrimp salad at Mango Tree Bistro, Central World, 23. Northeastern pork sausage at Mango Tree Bistro, Central World, 24. Raw shrimp salad at Mango Tree Bistro, Central World

Of course, Bangkok isn't all street eats. It's a booming metropolis with a vibrant and eclectic design and fashion scene. Your dollar will go a long way towards getting delicious eats into your stomach at the finer dining establishments.

If you're weary from a day of shopping at the malls, look around for a Greyhound Cafe. Their specialty may be fashion, but their cafes serve mighty tasty food and refreshing drinks. The soft-shelled crab salad is excellent!

A friend who had been to Bangkok over 30 times recommended some fancy dining for us. At To Die For (in the H1 shopping center along Thong Lor), we ordered a glass of wine, an appetizer, two entrees (one of which was foie gras), and the whole deal came out to under $50 US. It may be pricey by Bangkok standards, but prices would rarely be that low at a classy establishment in NY or Seoul. Oh and it was tasty and came with a free sorbet dessert at the end!

I had read a few reviews that extolled the sophisticated 80-year old setting at Mango Tree, but based on my preconception of the inverse relationship between taste and atmosphere in eating establishments, I was wary of checking it out. However... we stumbled on their more casual outlet, Mango Tree Bistro, quite by accident and found the food really wasn't all that bad. Better than your average American Thai restaurant anyway. I especially enjoyed the subtle flavor of their raw shrimp salad.

There's a Vanilla Restaurant on Thong Lor, a Vanilla Brassierie on the bottom level of Siam Paragon, a Vanilla Garden way out in the 'burbs, and Vanilla Industry in Siam Square... It's clear that Vanilla is slowly creating a dessert café empire! They serve food too but, trust me, the dessert is where it's at. Among the yummies we've had at Vanilla so far: a nice melty chocolate cake, awesome hot chocolate spiced with chili peppers and a delicate crépe with caramelized pears and earl grey tea ice cream. Plus, you can totally tell from the cool vintage decor in each location that they're run by a young former interior designer turned pastry chef. And I adore their branding; I mean, it's got cute critters and bunnies in it, so I'm sold.

I am a big cupcake fan. A little bird told me that I could find a salt caramel flavored cupcake at the After You Dessert Cafe on Thong Lor Soi 13, so of course we sought it out. The salty taste is an unexpected, but not unpleasant, topper to a moist chocolate cake. Delicious with an Americano coffee!

I'm sure we'll have future trips to Bangkok while we live in Asia, so perhaps there will be a Part III to my Bangkok food explorations in the future....

Check out Part I here.

Eating in Bangkok.... Part I

1. Fried catfish salad at Chatuchak Weekend Market; 2. Fried chicken at Chatuchak Weekend Market; 3. Barbequed beef on Convent Road; 4. Fried chicken at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar beer garden; 5. Barbequed pork on rice at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar beer garden; 6. Ice cream from a street cart east of Lumphini Park; 7. Crispy crabs at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar beer garden; 8. Tom yum gung at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar beer garden; 9. Chili hot chocolate at Vanilla Restaurant; 10. Seafood noodles on Convent Road; 11. Condiments on Convent Road; 12. Mini sorbet at To Die For; 13. Foie gras salad at To Die For; 14. Garlic butter clams at To Die For; 15. Chocolate mint ice tea at Create8 in Central World Plaza; 16. Soft-shelled crab salad at Greyhound Cafe; 17. Papaya salad at Soi 38 Night Market near Thong Lor BTS station; 18. Pork laab at Soi 38 Night Market near Thong Lor BTS station; 19. Some kind of dumplings? on Sampeng Lane in Chinatown; 20. Siu mai on Sampeng Lane in Chinatown; 21. Khanom krok in Chinatown; 22. Sticky rice balls? on Yotha Road in Chinatown; 23. Fried vegetable puffs on Trok Itsaranuphap in Chinatown; 24. Amok at day market in Ayutthaya

In our hunt for yummy eats in Bangkok we hit a few bumps and we made some delicious discoveries. And we found ourselves rethinking and relinquishing some misconceptions. Not all street snacks are good. Not all mall food is bad. Not all Thai food is spicy. Food in a bar can be great. And sometimes taxi drivers will lead you astray....

For an introduction on what Bangkok has to offer, photographer Austin Bush has a wonderful food blog, coupled with a handy Google Map. Cheap Eats Bangkok also has noteworthy food guide, updated with a handydandy Google Map this year. And, the folks over at Chowhound can always be counted on to obsess about great food and where to find it.

In the end, though, finding street addresses in Bangkok is an exercise in futility for the uninitiated. A good rule of thumb? Use guidebooks as just that: guides to get you in the general vicinity; but ultimately, trust and follow your nose to sniff out the best street carts and restaurants. It's true: if the restaurant has lots of locals in it, it's probably very good! Also true: it may be good advice to ask taxi drivers for restaurant recommendations in other cities, but don't do it in Bangkok! In fact.... try not to ask taxi drivers for anything other than getting from point A to point B. And make sure they turn the meter on before you get in.

The streets are congested along Yaowarat Road in Chinatown but it's worth the fight through the crowd to find yourself a streetside seat and indulge in some delicious Chinese Thai food. The flavors hail from the Chiu Chow provence from whence Chinese immigrants arrived hundreds of years ago. Over half the population of Bangkok has some Chinese ancestry, affecting the flavors and character of food throughout the city.

Street stalls appear and disappear at different times of day, so even if you've walked down a road once, don't think you've seen all it has to offer! On Convent Road between Sathorn and Silom we found noodles during the day and barbeque at night.

A lot of my favorite Thai dishes come from Isaan, the northeast region of Thailand bordering Laos. At first, I dispaired of finding any fiery-pungent laab (meat salad) or som tum (papaya salad) during this trip. Thankfully, we found our way to Soi Rang Nam, a street near the Victory Monument BTS Station where a number of Isaan restaurants can be found. Arriving late, we found only one bar open, but the patrons were all heartily eating from a full menu of northeastern Thai cuisine and we happily joined in.

At the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, the stalls are filled with cheesy souvenir tchotchkes and crowded foot massage parlors, but the beer garden is a festive place for eating and drinking the night away. It's not the pinnacle of Thai tastiness, but you can try a variety of things in one setting for very reasonable prices. A caveat: freshness really depends on the traffic and turnover, so if the beer garden is looking empty for some reason, you might want to head elsewhere. Buy some food coupons, order a drink from a beer girl who's touting your favorite brand of beer, and have your pick...

...more Bangkok eats to come...

Bangkok, Thailand

1. Lobby, 2. Branches, red and yellow, 3. Tattered lanterns, 4. Wat Arun

Gavin and I went to Bangkok twice this year; the first time for New Year's Weekend and the second time nearly 12 months later for Christmas. So here is a 'lil Bangkok mini-guide, edited with updates from the latest trip and bumped up in the blog post roster.

At the beginning of '08, Bangkok was filled with festive spirit for the holidays, but some of the places we wanted to visit were closed or looked less active than usual. On the other hand, all the shops had great end-of-year sales, which on top of the already low Bangkok prices made shopping super affordable. We spent 4 days and 4 nights there and had a great time enjoying this intense and intriguing city. I felt we barely even scratched the surface.

At the end of '08, we spent another 4 days / 4 nights. Bangkok was just as we had remembered, but a little more quiet and subdued. The recent airport takeover and demonstrations, though largely finished, seem to have made tourists skittish. No worries though; we saw no protesters while we were there, and at no point did we feel threatened or unsafe. In fact, on a few occasions, random friendly locals came up to us to make sure we were finding our way properly (I guess standing on a street corner analyzing a map DOES make one look lost).

You can see photos from our first trip here and our second trip here.

We slept:
Metropolitan Hotel
Hip atmosphere and understated, elegant design. The breakfast, served in their acclaimed restaurant C'yan, is delicious.
Rates are $155 and up (at the time of this writing) and booking on their website seems to be a little cheaper than doing it through other travel portals. They're located on Sathorn Road, about a 10 minute walk from the Lumphini Subway station. Not all the cab drivers know it, so make sure to get a little directions card from the front desk. Check their packages; you might be able to take advantage of a free night offer, as we did, if you stay long enough. In Bangkok, there are a ton of accommodations for all budgets. For our future trips to Bangkok, Phranakorn Norlen Hotel and Baiyoke Boutique Hotel look like great mid-range finds while Ariyasom Villa and Seven Hotel are tempting luxury options.

We saw:
Wat Phra Kaew
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located on the grounds of the Grand Palace. Respectful attire (no shorts, jeans, miniskirts, overly revealing clothing or open-toed shoes) is necessary to enter.
Wat Pho
Wat Pho is the largest temple in Bangkok and houses a 46-meter long, gold-plated Reclining Buddha.
Wat Arun
Wat Arun is located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. It's impressive when seen up close because every inch is decorated with bits of seashells and porcelain shards that were previously the ballast in trading ships from China.
Wat Ratchanatdaram
The "Metal Palace" here is impressive with it's 37 pointy black spires.
Ayutthaya
This is a little bit further afield, about 1-1/2 hours by train, so it makes for a good day trip. Ayutthaya is a former capital of Thailand that was sacked by the Burmese in 1767. The temple ruins here are in various states of restoration and joined the roster of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1991.


1. Street corner, 2. Alleyway

We shopped:
VAT Refund & Tourist Discounts
Ok, we were kind of unprepared and didn't realize that we could have saved a few bucks until we were at the airport, leaving. But here's the low down. You can get a refund of the sales tax (7%) you paid if you spend at least 5,000 THB (about US $143) and the individual purchases are at least 2,000 THB (about US $57). But purchases must be made at places that display the 'VAT Refund for Tourists' sign (most malls and high-end stores) AND you need to get a form from each store (or mall) on the same day as purchase. You'll probably need to present your passport (or at least have your passport number ready) in order to get the form. Bring all the forms and receipts to the VAT Refund counter at the airport to get your moolah. More details here.
Sampeng Lane
It probably goes without saying that a VAT Refund doesn't apply here. If you're looking for all manner of wholesale made-in-China cutesy toys, both plastic and plush, head over to Sampeng Lane in Chinatown. Before you go, mentally prepare yourself. Take a deep breath, let go of whatever silly hang-ups you have about personal space, lose those bizarrely Western notions about walking in straight lines or getting to specific places in timely fashion, and plunge in. Get lost and go with the flow.
Pahurat Market
To quell my craft supply / fabric / sewing notions addiction, I dragged Gavin to the fabric stalls in Little India. As for navigating this crowded marketplace, the recommendations listed in the above paragraph also apply.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
If you go to one market at all in Bangkok, go to Chatuchak. It's HUGE. If you want to approach it in an organized fashion, you can attempt to use a map. Or you can just dive in and get lost in piles of clothes, electronics, pets, fabric, housewares, groceries and more... The clothing selection is more fashionable than you might expect; a lot of young Thai designers get their start here. The pets section might hold some surprises...
Siam Paragon
One of the newer and fancier malls in Bangkok, it has all the usual-suspect luxury brand names on the first floor. If you're into that sort of thing. Local Thai designers Flynow have a couture shop here which is a fun browse even if you're not looking to make a grand entrance at the Acadamy Awards à la Björk.
Siam Centre
Adjacent to Siam Discovery Centre (and connected by a hallway), Siam Centre has a range of Thai designers on their third floor: Greyhound, Flynow III, Senada and more...
MBK
Crowded and claustrophobic, MBK is where the locals get their shopping done. Here, and Harajuku-inspired Siam Square across the street, is where the cool kids hang these days. From what I hear.
Central World Plaza
Inside Central World Plaza is the design department store ZEN, which is sort of a whole bunch of stores inside a store. It's a great collection of cool design stuff, a lot of it by local Thai designers.
Gaysorn
Another fancy-pants mall. Mainly notable because I really loved Myth, a bizarre little collection of design and fashion goodies. Cloud 9 is cool too, but kinda pricey.
Playground!
A 2-story design shop featuring the work of various Thai designers. They have an art & design bookstore, cafe and restaurant inside too. [*EDIT: Regrettably, this cool store is now closed...]


1. Chair, pipes, 2. Painting

We ate:
Oh, Thai food, how I love thee... ^_^
I'll save this for the another post... There'll be a lotta pictures....

We got around:
On foot
It's hard to navigate Bangkok by foot. It's pretty spread out, the traffic doesn't stop, the air is dusty and hot. If only we could figure out the bus system... but we can't read Thai! Oh, and as for crossing street amidst never-ending traffic with nary a traffic light in sight? Shadow a local! On more than one occasion, friendly BKKers actually took pity and helped us cross the street!
By taxi
Not a bad way to see the city. Air conditioned, and cheap compared to other cities. Well worth it to not worry about getting run over by a crazy scooter... A lot of the drivers didn't speak much English, so if you can't speak Thai it might help to carry a map or directions to your destination written in Thai. Also, some taxi drivers, especially ones loitering around touristy spots, will insist there is some reason why they can't turn on their meter and try to negotiate a price with you. Unless you want to pay way more than necessary, get out and find another taxi.
Skytrain (BTS)
It's not an extensive public transport line, but a good way to get from point A to point B. You can buy a card for each trip from a vending machine. Also walking along the Skytrain walkway is a good way to get from mall to mall without having to brave crowds and traffic down on the street.
Subway (MRTA)
There are transfer points between the BTS and MRTA systems. But they are different systems, so you have to go all the way down (or up) the stairs and pay again. You can buy a single round-trip token from a vending machine. Like the BTS system, prices depend on how far you're traveling.
River Taxi
These make stops along the west and east banks of the Chao Phraya River. At first we thought this might be considered the "scenic route," but... well there's really nothing all that scenic to see. However, it does seem to be the most convenient way to get to certain points along the river. There are local, semi-local and express tourist boats. If you want to take the express boat to get to your destination faster, bear in mind that you might be subjected to the annoying banter of the boat guide....

We navigated:
Lonely Planet Maps
Sometimes their recommendations can be off, but their maps are always good. You can download just the maps using the Lonely Planet website's Pick & Mix feature.
Nancy Chandler's Maps
I keep hearing about Nancy Chandler's maps of Thailand, so I just might purchase the Bangkok one for our next visit to the BKK...

Happy New Year!

Feet
Originally uploaded by annamatic3000.

Happy New Year, everyone!

For Christmas we enjoyed some sun and sand in Thailand. Check out the photos here.

When we got back, Seoul was in the midst of a cold snap. The house, sitting empty for a week, was a frozen popsicle. It took half the day with the ondol (heated floor) turned up high plus baking several batches of oatmeal cookies, before our home returned to it's normal cozy temperature.

For New Year's we took a 3-day 2-night trip with some friends to the East Sea (you might see it on some maps as the "Sea of Japan" but shhhh don't call it that here) to watch the sunrise. Pictures of the trip to come soon. Unfortunately, Gavin and I slept right through the sunrise, but we did ring in the new year with yummy seafood and some rounds of poker.

Every Seoul resident must have a holiday traffic story to tell, right? We left Donghae at 4:30 pm and didn't get back into Seoul until 12:30 am!!! That's about 8 hours to traverse about 120 miles...