Showing posts with label travel - bangkok. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel - bangkok. Show all posts
December 10, 2009
back in bangkok - the tlc edition!
back in bangkok - the food edition!
i know...bangkok again? yes...this girl ran away from reality for another 6 day bash in the asian city of angels, and while you might be wondering if there is anything left else to see, eat or do in bangkok after my triple post two months ago, i am happy to say that this post will be a picture filled one with more places to eat (see next post for places to relax!) so...sit back and let mojitos take you on a small gastronomic journey (even if it is for five minutes!) back to the land of smiles.
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October 10, 2009
of food courts, cafes and therapy!
its been a week since i got back from bangkok so i think its high time i round up the posts on the capital of the beautiful land of smiles. one of the first things most characteristic of bangkok's food is its fantastically good value for money thai fare served up at the food courts. i used to think it was only the one at mbk, but i was soon realizing that the same authentic food can be found at food courts at the siam paragon and central world alike.
probably not as big and extensive in terms of variety as compared to mbk, both food courts at siam paragon and central world still deserve reserving a meal for. both food courts are located next to or within gourmet supermarkets so be prepared to go a little grocery shopping crazy after satisfying your tummy with some yummy duck noodle and beef broth (at siam paragon) or some thai style oyster omelette, 'ter kar peng' and mango salad on the top floor of central world. i found everything yummy and most deserving of calories (*grin*), especially the oyster omelette which we only found (so far at least) at the food court at central world. not at all oily, fried till the perfect crisp and smothered with oysters... this girl could definitely have more oyster omelette in singapore if only they served it up thai style (chilli sauce included!). so yes, the food courts of the malls in bangkok are a definite safe bet and must try...the best bit is that they are located right in the heart of the mall so its a perfect break to a whole day of fantastic shopping!
siam paragon food court
991 siam paragon shopping center
rama 1 road
pathumwan bangkok 10330
central world food court
4 rajdamri road
pathumwan bangkok 10330
with the increasing number of modern style malls, bangkok is becoming the home of some really nice cafes. the greyhound cafe is probably one of the pioneers in the cafe trend and word has it that they inspired the singapore based p.s cafes! the similarities are most definitely there, modern and edgy decor, laid back and cool vibe, serving up some pretty good fusion cafe fare. the appetisers were pretty good...tomato soup was tangy with the right amount of cream and the crab and corn fritters with thai chilli dipping sauce was very well done too. the corn beef pasta was a tad too oily and lemak to be thoroughly enjoyed, but kudos to the folks for being creative with the dish! if i do have to compare though, p.s. cafe in singapore still gets my vote but the greyhound cafe is worth a visit, if not for a full meal but to rest the tired shopping legs, catch up with friends over some refreshing mocktails and finger food.
greyhound cafe
central chitlom, 2nd floor
ploenchit
central chitlom, 2nd floor
ploenchit
no trip to bangkok is complete without a dose of thai massage. having been to the asia herb association two years back and liking it, g and i went back again twice this time for our stretch, crack and knead fix! in addition, we took the plunge as well and signed ourselves up to be food for the fishes at one of the massage places in siam square. i have to say, if you are ticklish or 'ji-jit', be warned, this might not be for you....think ants crawling all over your feet, between your toes and gently nibbling. it was definitely an experience you will not forget and it is amazing how hungry these fish were! we were supposed to have our fish therapy for half an hour but i think we (or at least i!) do not manage to last more then 15 minutes! but it was good....our feet did feel smoother and cuticle and hang nail free so it was worth the minor 'torture'!
so there you have it...the food and adventure round up for the week i was in bangkok. fingers crossed that trip number 2 will come true this year end for i already have set my eyes on several new places to visit!
khob-kun-kaa bangkok!
October 3, 2009
nobu thai
having been used to just heading to bangkok and indulging in all things thai (food wise!), this trip was nice and different in the sense that we had a bit of thai, a bit of japanese, a bit of belgian and a bit of fusion fare. props have to go out first to chris who initiated us to the awesome belgian fare at the house of beers (see earlier post) and gave us the inside scoops to the best places to eat in bangkok...including what is touted to be the best sashimi joint in the whole of bangkok...nobu.
with the restaurant a buzz with japanese and the sashimi chef working his knife on a fresh (huge) piece of maguro, this girl was sure dinner wasn't going to disappoint. following chris' recommendations, we went for a serving of maguro, hamachi, itoryoshi, salmon and ikura sushi. everything was really fresh and served in generous portions...think melt in your mouth textures and fish enveloping the rice instead of just sitting on top of it!
the meal was further supplemented with a serving of duck, stewed then barbecued (i think) which was quite yummy with the thai style dipping sauce. g had an oyako don while i indulged in 2 onigris. sorry there aren't any pics of the onigris but they were totally yum...one was filled with to die for mentaiko and the other with tuna. just typing this now is making me crave some sashimi and mentaiko!
it was a fab meal and i think we will be back the next time we are in bangkok just so that we can indulge in some fresh sashimi and mentaiko onigris!
nobu
414 sukhumvit 55
between thonglor 12 and 14
klongton nua, wattana
bangkok 10110
(02) 392 5297
www.nobuthai.com
October 2, 2009
twp!
twp or the thai wake park is where g and i spent days two, four and six of this bangkok holiday....having heard so much about the place, and being a park built by riders for riders, we pretty much knew that the riding would pretty much be nothing less than fantastic!
with almost glass conditions all the time, some pretty kick ass obstacles, a tuk-tuk pick up service and a huge trampoline on the side, twp really is one awesome playground for riders. located about a half hour to forty minutes from the city, the park is not too far away but yet far enough away from the maddening crowd. everyone knows everyone at the park, local or foreigners a like, be it whether one is a beginner or experienced rider or just there to kick back and soak up the vibes.
apart from the riding, twp serves up some mean thai food...think g and i had most of our thai food fixes at the park! from pad thai to pad si you and rad na...not forgetting the classic tom yum, grilled and deep fried pork, thank god for the whole day rides if not this girl really wouldn't have indulged in all that yummy thai food!
twp's been such a blast that we are already making plans to be back soon for more water time, great food and awesome company!
thai wake park
18/4 soi sudsawas
lieab klong 6 road
lumlukka
pathumthani 12150
(02) 904 7722
www.thaiwakepark.com
September 29, 2009
sawadeeka...welcome to bangkok!
mojitos is coming live and loaded from the beautiful land of smiles! we're actually already into day three and this girl thought she'd better touch base before she gets too behind with updating mojitos! so thanks to jetstar, the journey begins with the first jetstar asia flight out on saturday, bringing g and i into bangkok bright and early saturday morning!
no prizes for guessing our first stop (after leaving our bags at dream hotel that is)...fifth floor food court of mbk! its almost like an unspoken ritual we have now every time we arrive in bangkok, we hop onto the bts and whiz over to siam station and order one serving of ter kar peng and one claypot worth of beef tendon and beef ball soup. and as always, both dishes still taste as good as the last time we had it! i found the ter kar a little porky but i guess together with the stewed sauce, salted veggie and rice, the combination is one that is really quite like none other. the beef soup is as always, very very good...made of probably a mix of pork bone and beef stock with a touch a some special blend of thai herbs and spices, the soup served with homemade beef balls and melt in your mouth tendons sent this girl literally to beef heaven!
satisfied and happy, we decided to head to chatuchak to brave the heat and crowd and hopefully source for some nice pieces of art. we spent a good hour at chatuchak, staying focused and zooming into sections 2-8 which house the art section of the market. we left empty handed as nothing screamed out 'buy me!' but still happy to have made the trip despite getting all hot and bothered. for those who have yet to experience chatuchak, do make it a point to head there either early saturday or sunday, with a stack of cash and loads of patience!
post chatuchak and a 2 hour nap (the egyptian cotton sheets were too comfy to resist!), day one dinner was with friends at the house of beers. opened up by our entrepreneur friend, this place could easily rival brussel sprouts back home and belgos in london hands down. serving up to thirty four different types of beer, this girl downed two fruit beers while g kicked back i think five beers, including the world's best beer - the tripel karmeliet. the frites were fantastic, with a choice of dips (the aioli and wasabi mayo were yums!) and the mussels in white wine were fresh and flavorful. apparently the mussels in leffe blond were even better so this girl's made the mental note on that for next time! the tomato soup was a hit with g...i found it a tad creamy but agree that it is definitely worth kick starting the meal with!
so there. day one covered....day two coming up!
mbk
http://www.mbk-center.co.th/en/
522/3 thonglor soi 16, sukhumvit 55
(bts - thonglor) (opposite macdonalds at j avenue)
dream hotel
www.dreambkk.com
March 21, 2007
khorp khun kha....
its been 3 days since we got back from bangkok, and all i can say is....'when do we go again?'
it was fantastic,with many firsts, resulting in, i guess, part of the reason i decided to plunge in and start a blog :)
so, here's the 'if i were to go again, where would i go to' list:1. asia herb association
we were not sure if this was the massage place recommended by an uncle, but it was along the same soi, had a write up in a local spa directory and looked quite good so we decided...ok go! 5 stars from me, coming from a traditional massage point of view. i'm a no oils, no aromatherapy, just bring it on hard and strong kinda girl so although it seems more spa like, the traditional thai massage was probably the best that i have had so far. standing at only 50 baht more expensive then marble house and other recommended places in guidebooks, it was definitely worth it. think spa like environment, dark wood, soft water sounds in the background, experienced therapists who exert the right amount of strength at the right spots according to how you specify it in your customer form. 2 hours of bliss! and if i may steal this off someone's blog....it truly was a lazy man's guide to yoga!
www.asiaherbassociation.com
2.platinum fashion mall
raved about by my good friend janice who bought and bought last december at this new mall, we made it our first shopping stop of the trip. it reminded me of a more 'packed in' version of the clothes floors of MBK. the platinum mall is a gem, once you get warmed up. prices are good just because the more you buy, usually 3 and more, you will get each piece at a wholesale price. more girl stuff then guys, so girls, pack another bag or buy one whilst you are there because you can get a whole new wardrobe from platinum! i got 3 dresses for 750 baht and made a mental note to redefine the term 'good deal' next time i go shopping! best of all is, if you have patience and a good eye, you will be able to get really nice stuff, many of which might be one off pieces, and or cost a third of the price here in singapore! bags, shoes even children's clothes are good there....so go armed with lotsa baht and get ready to conquer the new mall to be at in bkk.
3. my favourite steak house
after trying to walk 307 units down to this restaurant, we decided to hunt down this place again on our second night. with a rather patient driver and several rounds around the neighbourhood, we not only pretty much know all the shops at soi 39 but have also discovered a cool steak joint. once there, the place reminded me alot of those small laid out mall concepts they have in the states that i love. less the thai people around, one would not think you were in bkk. quaint little restaurant that had a live jazz singer (which was amatuer but still not bad) and very good food. we started with a foie gras appetiser,nestled in a bed of spinach and apple cider dressing, which had the melt-in-your-mouth consistency. mains were a medium rare 12 oz wagyu ribeye and a thai basil beef pasta, both of which were fantastic. the ribeye had the almost perfect amount of marbling, whilst the pasta was done al dente, with lots of garlic, fresh pepper which you scrape right off the stalk and crispy basil. the only regret was we had no room for dessert as we had sharksfin soup (siam square soi 1 i think, last shop in taking reference from siam center) for tea! and of course the fact that we were lacking a camera to document the evidence...(dia's made a mental note to locate a cheap and good camera)
307 sukhumvit 39 (phromphong), sukhumvit rd, n. klonton, wattana, bkk 10110
directions: easier to access if from soi 31 or new petchburi road.
disclaimer: this is of course over and above heading to MBK and siam square for more shopping as well as to the MBK food court for the must-eat claypot beef noodles, te kar rice, duck noodles and cha yan.
one last thing to round up this post, is if you can, try to get on a taxi and run it by the meter. we discovered that it costs us half the amount to get to the airport (no jam of course).
sawatdii kha!
ps: shout out to www.aziacity.com/bk for the piccie
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