Smer Jai Khao Soi Gai

Chiang Mai, Thailand – In between shopping at JJ market, the ever empty decor, art, antiques and clothing market just north of the old city, and perusing the galleries on Th Faham, I snuck in my requisite Chiang Mai khao soi at Smer Jai also on Th Faham.  It would be my last Chiang Mai khao soi (for awhile at least) so I wanted it to be a good one.  Smer Jai didn’t disappoint.

JJ Market

Baan Orapin on Th Faham

Fried Flowers Salad at Pun Pun

Chiang Mai, Thailand – On a quick trip to Chiang Mai, I ended up bumping into two friends from Bangkok in the cafe of the guesthouse I’d recommended to them (Elliebum).  Since half of the couple is vegetarian, the whole couple leans heavily that way. So I’ll call them the V’s.  Luckily they both eat fish, which makes eating out in Thailand a whole lot easier than full on jay, as vegetarianism or practically veganism is known of in Thailand.

Vegetarian restaurants seem to have proliferated around Chiang Mai, much more so than Bangkok, so I got a few recommendations for the V’s from my Chiang Mai friends.  The general consensus on vegetarian-friendly restaurants was on four places – Blue Diamond, a small, homey Thai and western restaurant and vegan bakery off of Moon Muang; Pun Pun, an organic Thai restaurant behind Wat Suan Dok; Khun Churn, a charming vegetarian Thai restaurant set in a garden in Nimanhaemin, and Whole Earth, an atmospheric Thai and Indian restaurant located in a teak house surrounded by a quiet garden near the night bazaar.

The V’s tried Khun Churn the night before I arrived and found it good, but lacking the characteristic intensity they’d come to expect from Thai food and it sounded like they were slightly disappointed by the place.  So for lunch we stopped in Pun Pun, after a rambling wander around Wat Suan Dok, one of Chiang Mai’s lovelier temples.

Pun Pun turned out to be a vegetarian dream.  It had a good-sized menu of interesting choices, including some originals and traditionally meat-based dishes, like massaman curry and khao soi, as well as a full list of refreshing herbal juices and shakes, like banana-sesame and passion-fruit and papaya with lime andhoney.   Our meal was composed of an unusually thick khao soi, a delightful fried flowers salad with fresh corn kernels, bits of herbs and a sesame dressing, a tasty green curry with roti and a banana blossom salad.   Stuffed and satisfied, I think the V’s forgot about their previous night’s dinner.

We had wanted to try Blue Diamond for our next dinner, but their early closing time meant that we would have to rush from our massage so we opted for Whole Earth, the only restaurant my Chiang Mai friends hadn’t tried.  Located near the Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel near the night market, we had little trouble finding it before pulling up a to a beautiful, quiet garden.   The restaurant was housed on the glowing upper floor of a teak house.  Unfortunately, after a pleasant walk up to the balcony and a nice exchange with the staff, things took a turn for the worse.

We were handed three menus – one had pictures of the food, a second had prices and a third had drinks.   It was an annoying and unwieldy affair and to top it off the menu selection was rather uninspiring.  We pored over the menu, reviewing green curry, green curry, phad thai, phad thai before Miss V made the brilliant suggestion that we stop struggling to find something, pay for our beer and go elsewhere.

We hopped in a tuk tuk and headed off for the only nice restaurant I could think of off the top of my head – Hong Tauw Inn – decidedly not vegetarian, but it would certainly have good options.  Hong Tauw is a charming little place specializing in northern Thai cuisine on Nimanhaemin near soi 1.  The wooden wall are mint-green and decorated with an array of old-time clocks and other antiques.  As soon as we sat down, we all breathed a sigh of relief to be out of Whole Earth’s tourist trap clutches and in a more sincere setting.  As it turned out, Hong Tauw offers any of their set menus vegetarian, but we had plenty to choose from a la carte and even trouble narrowing down our choices to a final order.

We ordered a pomelo salad (yum som-o), a standard dish, but theirs was sublime, perfectly balanced acid and sweetness with juicier than normal pomelo segments.  I insisted on the chu chi pla, two fried whole fish dressed with a “dry” red curry.  The tender fish had crispy skin was covered in a sweet-spicy red curry enlivened with heady julienned kaffir lime leaves.   Hong Tauw has a whole section on nahm phrig, the spicy chile relishes, and we opted for nahm phrig num, the roasted eggplant relish, served with an array of northern appetizers – blanched cabbage, long beans, and greens, crispy pork skin and lanna sausage (small rewards for my going vegetarian for half a day).   We also got another spicy chile relish with ginger and served with tiny blanched mushrooms.  Each dish was truly, simply delicious.   It would be easy to compose a fully vegetarian meal at Hong Tauw if one was so inclined.  In the end, our last meal didn’t test out the best of Chiang Mai’s vegetarian restaurants, but our semi-vegetarian affair had something for everyone and we were happy enough to enjoy each other’s company and share good food in a lovely little restaurant.

Pun Pun Restaurant
Wat Suan Dok Temple, Suthep Road (between the Suan Dok Gate and Chiang Mai University)
+66-081-470-1461
Open 8am – 7pm, closed Wednesday

Khun Churn
Nimmanhemin Soi 15
+66-081-881-3032
Open daily 9:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-8pm

Blue Diamond
Moom Muang Soi 9
+66-053-217120
Open 7.30am-10.30pm, closed Sunday

The Whole Earth
88 Sri Don Chai Road (at Changklan Road)
+66-053-282-463
Open daily 11am-10pm

A more comprehensive listing of vegetarian-friendly restaurants can be found here.

Pad Pak Muu Grob (Crispy Pork and Vegetables)

Bangkok, Thailand – Every time I ask someone where their favorite street stand is, I get “oh there’s the best noodle place down the street from my apartment” or “the best crispy pork in Bangkok is right by my work.”  Of course, there are a some places that are famous citywide and a few devoted food fanatics who have pinpointed outstanding spots, but in this sprawling city with legions of food vendors checkering the vast maze of streets, it’s the local cart that rules our hearts and stomachs.

Where I am staying on Rama III, there is a vendor right outside my building.  I can’t get enough of her pad krapow muu (stir-fried pork with holy basil) for breakfast.  I’m devastated if she’s out of sen yai (wide rice noodles) for pad see ew muu (noodles stir fried with soy sauce) when I’m hungover and under the impression that her noodles are the key to my recovery.  Her khao pad (fried rice) never fails for the days when I’m feeling like a lighter meal.  She’s kind of like my street food mama.  She is always there for me when I need a hot meal (well, Monday-Saturday anyway) or friendly smile and her version of a dish has come to be my ideal.

It’s no surprise that when I moved to Sukhumvit Soi 20 to dogsit for a month, the vendor outside of my new building, recommended by the driver for the owners of the dogs I was watching, disappointed a little.  Her pad see ew was a touch too salty and soft.  She never gave me the little bags of fish sauce and chili with my khao pad takeaway.  And her pad krapow muu was too wet for my taste.  It was time to change it up.

It’s often a good idea to order what other people are ordering at a stall.  Sometimes it doesn’t work out for your palate, but worse comes to worst, you’re down 25 baht (~$0.75) and you get something else.  I noticed a few plates of pad pak moo grob (crispy prok with vegetables) and in this case my lunchbox envy worked out.  Each vendor has their own mix of vegetables and my new local vendor wok fried small mushrooms, baby asparagus, baby corn and cauliflower florets until they were crisp tender and tossed them with crispy, fatty pork slices and a good helping of chilies.  I think I’ve found my street food stepmama.

Pad See Ew Muu (Stir Fried Rice Noodles With Pork)

It’s mango season here in Thailand and the full range is on display from green to ripe, 10 baht/kilo to 80 plus, small and large and everything in between.  The mango I had in Sparkles was a rare variety so difficult to grow that it isn’t produced commercially.  Of course, you can find plenty of others in the markets, and it’s the best time of year to indulge in foreign favorite mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang), simply ripe or blended in a shake.

You can buy it peeled and sliced in street carts or fruit shops, both ripe and unripe.  The first time I bought green mango, it tasted so raw that I thought the fruit vendor gave me a bad one because I was a foreigner.  Over time, I’ve come to appreciate green mango on its own, with a dipping packet of sugar and spice or julienned in a spicy, citrusy salad with lacey, crispy catfish on top (yum pla dook foo).  I’ve even discovered that I like the Thai mango pickles – sweet, sour and salty with a tender crunch.  Any way about it, it’s a good time for mangoes.

An Ode to Mangoes
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OW-pkaaYc4

Common Mango Dishes
Fresh Mango Sliced, Ripe or Green: look out for fruit carts on the street.
Mango Pickle: look for pickle vendors.  I’ve found some in the Pahurat textile market.
Dried Mango: found in any dried fruit store.  The outdoor dried fruit stalls in markets, like Pahurat, are cheaper than in the malls.
Mango Salad with Crispy Catfish: a standard on many Thai menus.
Mango Sticky Rice: found in restaurants.  There is a street stand, open 5 p.m. – 2 a.m., on the left among Sukhumvit Soi 38’s famous row of street stalls, but one of the most famous vendors is across the road.

Mae Varee Fruits Shop
1 Soi Thong Lor, Sukhumvit 55
02-714-4223

Fish at Pak Khlong Talat (the closest picture to Khao San I could find )

I recently received an e-mail from a traveler staying near Democracy Monument interested in some recommendations.  Since she’s staying relatively close to Khao San road, also known as the travelers’ ghetto, I thought that my response might be of general interest.  First of all, Bangkok traffic can be hellish and I don’t want anyone traversing the city for some asinine amount of time because I happen to like a noodle joint across town so all these recommendations are either close to Democracy Monument or an easy commute.

Now this traveler specifically asked for restaurant recommendations, and I’m giving a few, but the markets in this area have great food offerings and are so full of life and activity.  So, here it is:

-    Sorndaeng – This upscale Thai restaurant is located on the rotary encircling Democracy Monument.  The atmosphere can be a bit stiff (or just flat-out weird if the live music kicks up when there are only a few diners), but the food is quite good. 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. 78/2 Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd. 02-224-3088
-    Chote Chitr – The famed family-owned restaurant has been written up in nearly every western publication for its banana flower salad and crispy noodle salad and rightfully so.  I think it’s a nice place to meander over to for lunch.  10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. 146 Praeng Phuton Rd. 02-221-4082
-    Raan Jay Fai Noodles – Some make fun of the idea of paying 250 baht ($7) for noodles, but I quite like them and they’re always well made.  Plus Jay Fai is killer with the wok and so much fun to watch.  You could do much worse for hyped restaurants (see Thip Samai down the street).  5 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. 327 Mahachai Rd. 02-223-9384
-    Krua Apsorn – Take a boat up the river to Thewet, walk straight off the pier, past the lovely flower market, and turn left onto Samsen.  Walk up the road on the left side until you reach the restaurant (before the 7/11 at Samsen Soi 9).  I remember the mussels with green peppercorns and the crab with yellow curry as stand outs.  Don’t forget to dip into “the wet” market en route.  Mon-Sat 10:30am-7:30pm Samsen Rd (south of Samsen Soi 9) 02-241-8528
-    Pak Khlong Talat (north of Memorial Bridge) – Bangkok’s largest wholesale flower market also includes wholesale produce operations off the main drag.  Walk back into the alleyways on both sides of the street to see the wholesale produce – huge baskets of chilies, galangal, lemongrass and more.  You can also see the range of Thai fruit from durians to dragonfruit and, of course, there’s plenty of street food.  I like going early in the morning, but it seems to be open 24/7.
-    Saphun Phut Night Market (south of Memorial Bridge) – Haven’t heard Flo Rida’s Low at least 5 times today?  Need a few new pairs of converse?  Thinking about a new tat? Time to visit the Thai teenage mecca Saphun Phut, a fantastic spot for watching Bangkok’s youth smoking and shopping with plenty of student-budget eats mixed amongst the stalls.
-    Yaowarat Road – At night Chinatown transforms from its drab daytime self into a trippy neon dream, complete with durian trucks and duck noodle stands.  Avoid the restaurants that have their employees soliciting customers on the street and peek down some of the alleyways to scope the low-key, local action.
-    Phahurat Market (Phahurat Rd.) – This daytime market is not meant for the claustrophobic or the ditsy.  But if you can bear walking past endless stalls of textiles and cheap goods, and hop out of the way when motorbikes come puttering through the narrow walkway, there’s some great food to be had.  I think the khanom (Thai snacks and desserts) in this market is particularly good.  You’ll also be in Little India so a survey of the area might reveal some good Indian snacks as well.
-    Maharat Pier Market (Maharat Rd.) – A great daytime market for all sorts of curries, dumplings stir fries and more.  Don’t miss the orange juice this time of year!  It’s ten baht, it’s freaking delicious and you cannot get it back home.  Not necessarily just at this market, it’s just the last thing I had there, but it’s all around town and that’s the final word on Bangkok for today.

Smer Jai Khao Soy on Th Faham

Chiang Mai, Thailand – Returning to Chiang Mai always feels like coming home, even though I’ve never held a residence here.  It’s a welcoming city, sunny and slow, with enough to do to keep things from getting boring, yet contained enough to retain a neighborhood feel.  Of course, the first thing I ate here was khao soi, the famed northern curry with egg noodles. There’s many spots to grab a bowl around town, but I decided to return to Smer Jai Khao Soy on Th Faham because the last time I went there the chicken khao soi was all out and we had to make do with beef.  I’m glad I returned.  The chicken khao soi, much preferable to the greasy, overly rich beef version, was creamy, sweet and spiced with a good dose of sourness and served up with plenty of smiles.  I also tried a plate of khiew ngiew, minced pork and rice grilled in a banana leaf, which, unfortunately, was completely overpowered by the fried garlic topping, a taste that’s been sitting on my tongue ever since.  No matter though, one out of two isn’t so bad for my first day back. 

Khiaw Ngiew (Rice with Minced Pork Grilled in a Banana Leaf)

Khao Man Gai Stall

Bangkok, Thailand – Khao man gai is a popular lunchtime dish throughout Bangkok.  Originally from China, called Hainanese chicken in some places, it is a simple meal of poached chicken served over rice made with chicken fat, oftentimes with cucumber slices on the side. In Thailand it’s hacked to order and served with a spicy sauce of soy sauce, chili, garlic and ginger that adds zing to the otherwise gently flavored dish, as well as a warm, savory chicken broth sometimes with cilantro and mushrooms or radish.  I got my last one amongst the busy lunch street stalls on Lang Suan Soi 5. The chicken was a little dry, but the sauce was just right and the broth good for the soul.  I quite like the version on Sukumvit Soi 38, but you can find it all over.  Just look for whole steamed chickens hanging in a stall.

Ingredients for Thai Sauce Accompanying Kan Man Gai

Khao Man Gai Stall

Khao Man Gai Sauce, Cilantro and Fried Chicken Sauce

Bangkok Traffic at Night

My first few weeks in Thailand I wandered around in a haze, sometimes for eight hours a day, grazing on whatever I happened upon – noodle soup, ice cream sandwiches, grilled bananas and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Newly unemployed, single and without a friend within 8,000 miles, I barely knew where I was. Still some of the places I stumbled across then are the places I keep returning to four months later.

Somewhere along the way, I got the idea in my head that I should check out the recommendations of the experts and that’s when the eating got tough.  Bangkok is a sprawling, tangled metropolis and many cab drivers don’t know all of the streets scattered across this fair city, though many don’t tell you that when you get in a cab and might drive in circles and take the highway (an additional 45 baht) before you discover that small fact.  To make matters more difficult, I barely speak any Thai and restaurant listings often don’t include the cross street.  

Misadventures have been numerous.  When I tried to visit the covered market Talad Loong Perm with a friend, our taxi driver drove us back and forth over the highway, dumped us on in front of a different market where most of the stalls were closed and then asked for a tip (tipping is not obligatory in Thailand). We only found our destination by luck after bumping into some kind Thai Airways employees in coffee stand who led us back through a few winding streets to the market. When I tried to bring my parents to noodle-joint Raan Jay Fai, I wrote down the number incorrectly and we were driven around on the highway for 45 minutes by a taxi driver, who barely spoke English, had picked us up without knowing the road we requested and kept calling some woman for me to speak to.  My parents looked at each other nervously until I had our driver pull off the highway and let us out.  Then I remembered I had the restaurant’s number in my call register.  

The fact of the matter is there are very few eateries on the planet, if any at all, that will live up to hours of stress and travel.  So if you’re coming to Bangkok and you’re dead set on visiting certain recommended places, here are a few tips for getting there with as little hassle as possible:

(1) Before leaving the country, have your phone unlocked. Once in Thailand, pick up a SIM card, available in any 7-eleven, and put some minutes on your phone.  Having a cell phone is extremely handy because restaurants with numbers can usually give your taxi driver directions, which is sometimes the easiest way to get there.  

(2) If you can, always call the restaurant before heading off just to be sure it is open when you’d like to visit.  Hours are sometimes different from what is published, many restaurants close on Sundays and there are sometimes unknown holidays to contend with so it’s best to take the 30 seconds to make sure someone is at the restaurant.  

(3) Bring the restaurant number with you. If you’re scatter-brained as I am, double check that it’s written down correctly.

(4) If you can, get a cross street or nearby soi number. A street address is only helpful if you’re already in the vicinity.

(5) Have another activity close by to make your travel time worth it. Bangkok traffic is notoriously bad.  If you’re going to make an hour-long trip to a restaurant or stall, it’s better to have something else planned close by so you don’t feel like you’re spending all day in a taxi.

(6) Don’t rely on a free or cheap map.  Sometimes there are many streets missing and the landmarks are misaligned. It’s worth the few extra dollars to have a good one. Nancy Chandler’s maps, now updated by her daughter and woman-about-town Nima Chandler, are highly recommended by most travel books and you can get one delivered internationally for $12.95 including shipping.

In my own research for finding restaurants, I’ve come across a few Bangkok itineraries posted on message boards all over the internet.  I’ve collated a listing of commonly visited restaurants and how I found them below.  This is not a list of personal favorites or recommended destinations, but a set of directions for popular restaurants.  

BANGKOK EATERIES

Chote Chitr

Hours: Mon – Sat 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Address: 146 Phraeng Phuton off Tanao Road

Tel: 02221-4082

Directions: Have taxi driver call the restaurant.

Area Activities: Khao San Road, Wat Phra Kaew, Grand Palace, Wat Po

Chua Kim Heng

Hours: Lunch

Address: 105 Pattanakarn Road near Pattanakarn Soi 6

Tel: 02319-2510

Directions: Have taxi driver call the restaurant.

Area Activities: Emporium

Polo Fried Chicken

Hours: Daily 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Address: 137/1-3 Soi Sana Khli (Soi Polo) right off Wireless Road

Tel: 01252-2252

Directions: Take MRT to Lumpini. Walk along Wireless with Lumpini Park on left.  Turn right after Police Station on Soi Sana Khli.  Or take a taxi to Lumpini and Sarasin. Walk along Wireless with Lumpini Park on right.  Turn left on Soi Sana Khli. 

Area Activities: Lumpini Park, Lumpini Boxing Stadium

Raan Jay Fai

Hours: Daily Dinner

Address: 327 Maha Chai Road, near Wat Saket/Golden Mount

Tel: 02223-9384

Directions: Have taxi driver call the restaurant.

Area Activities: Golden Mount, Ratchadamnoen Boxing Stadium, Thip Samai

Thip Samai

Hours: Daily Dinner

Address: 313 Maha Chai Road, near Wat Saket/Golden Mount

Tel: 0112221-6280

Directions: Have taxi driver call the restaurant.

Area Activities: Golden Mount, Ratchadamnoen Boxing Stadium, Raan Jay Fai

Nguan Lee

Hours: Lunch, Dinner

Address: Soi Lang Suan and Soi Sarasin, near Lumpini Park

Tel: 0250-0936

Directions: Take taxi to Lang Suan and Sarasin.

Area Activities: Lumpini Park, Lumpini Boxing Stadium

Talad Loong Perm

Hours: Lunch

Address: 89 Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road, behind the Thai Airways building

Tel: N/A

Directions: Take MRT to Phahon Yothin. Leave out of Exit 4, cross the street and walk over overpass (with back to SFX Cinemas). Follow sign for Din Daeng along road curving to the left.  Walk along Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road past Yontrakit Interstiles Co. Ltd. and turn left after Audi-VW sign before the footbridge.  Follow the curving road past clothing stores and juice and coffee stands.  Turn left before the 7-Eleven. Food court will be on your left. Or take a taxi to Vibhavadi-Rangsit Soi 22.

Area Activities: The market offers plenty to see, but Chatuchak Weekend Market, Chatuchak Park and Or Tor Kor Market are a short cab ride away if you’re up for more full-sensory stimulation.

Krua Apsorn

Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30 a.m. -7:30 p.m.

Address: Samsen Road, south of Samsen Soi 9, between

Tel: 02-241-8528

Directions: Take taxi to Samsen Soi 9. The restaurant is south of Samsen Soi 9 (to the left if you’re facing the 7-Eleven from the street).  Or take water taxi to Thewet. Walk straight along road. Turn left on Samsen at the bridge and walk north. Restaurant is on the left side just south of Samsen Soi 9.

Area Activities: Thewet Flower Market

No-Name Samosa Vendor

Hours: Afternoons

Address: Phahurat and Chakraphet Roads close to “Sunny Video Indian Movies.”

Tel: N/A

Directions: Take taxi to Phahurat and Chakraphet Roads.

Area Activities: Phahurat Textile Market, Pak Khlong Talat

Food Loft

Hours: Afternoons

Address: Top floor, Central Chidlom department store, Ploenchit Road and Soi Chidlom

Tel: 02793-7070

Directions: Take BTS to Chit Lom.

Area Activities: Central Chidlom, Gaysorn, Central World

Yaowarat Street Stalls

Hours: Evenings

Address: Yaowarat Road, Chinatown

Tel: N/A

Directions: Take a taxi to Yaowarat.

Area Activities: Walking around Chinatown at night is an activity in itself.

For a printable listings, click here.

Rice Flour Batter for Khanom Krok (Coconut Pudding)

Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand – I got my iron stomach, my willingness to try new foods and my lack of concern for salmonella from my father.  Dad always had a corny sense of mischief about food.  There was that time he served purple potatoes for dinner, an oddity in the mid 1990s, without telling anyone and sat there chuckling to himself as we all cut in.  Or that other time when he brushed aside our questions about the mystery meat until the end of the meal and then gleefully announced that we’d just consumed “bunny stew!”  (I still think that night was a major contributor to my middle brother becoming a militant vegetarian.) Just this year I found out that when no one was looking dad used to mix medium salsa into the mild salsa to ratchet up our heat tolerance.  

A self-taught homecook, when it comes to meals, dad always had a sense of adventure and a distaste for anything that smacks of snobbery.  He’s always scoffed at dress codes and what he calls “designer water,” known as bottled water to the rest of us.  So it’s no surprise that in the land where street food is king, he’s been at home.  Our first meal together in Thailand was a deliciously intense khao soi at Khao Soi Lamduan in Chiang Mai and he crushed that bowl in about 3 minutes flat, enthusiastically squeezing more lime into the curried broth and slurping up egg noodles with vigor.  Meanwhile my mother, from whom I may get my neurotic tendencies, was staring nervously at the glass of potentially unsafe ice and recounting all the things their travel clinic told them not to consume in Thailand.  Dad rolled his eyes.  Mom drank out of the bottle.

Dinner was more her style.  We ate at the cozily sophisticated Huen Phen, a restaurant serving northern Thai on Ratchamakka Rd, digging into chicken wings fried with lemongrass, a sour northern curry with pork ribs and banana flowers, fried rice with northern sausage and a pomelo salad.  A meal and a setting they could both agree on. 

When we got to Bangkok, dad was turning his head to gawk at the stall tables filled with pots of curries, stir-fries and stews and diving into meals with unadulterated relish.  It was almost more fun to watch him eat than to eat myself.  At Sorndaeng, an upscale and slightly uptight Thai restaurant, he would scan the table – which held chewy broiled cockles, a spicy and sour banana flower salad, a sweet red duck curry, deep-fried chicken with herbs, soft eggplant with pork and basil, and stir-fried catfish with bitter roots – then bolt for one dish pouring or scraping a good portion of its contents on his plate before rapidly cleaning it.   

There were also concessions to my mother.  Afternoon tea at in The Oriental’s quietly gentile Authors’ Lounge was a must.  Although the Oriental tea set of bite-sized sandwiches and pastries wasn’t the top of its class, the coconut ice cream starter was delightful and the setting beyond reproach. We also trekked out to the stylish Buri Tara (first introduced to me by the gracious Wendy Bank of NYC’s Land Thai via the wonderful Dorie Greenspan) set by the river on Rama III to lean back on modern black couches on a patio taking in the night breeze.  Dinner was lit by tea lights floating in a curving vase.  And both mom and dad enjoyed the ultra spicy tamarind soup with omelet, crab fried rice and a spicy shrimp salad.

Of course a few days in mother accidently drank water from the tap and after experiencing no devastating consequences, she relaxed a bit.  We ate at scrubby noodle temple Raan Jay Fai, where the thin, stretchy wide noodles are worth their 250-baht price tag, as is watching Jay Fai dance with flames in tight, efficient movements turning to whisk up ingredients, pivoting back to her work and finally floating a heavenly plate of noodles out to our table.  At Bangkok’s largest wholesale flower market, the Pak Khlong Talat, we scooped up scallion khanom krok (coconut pudding), fried chicken, grilled bananas and khanom jean num ya (fermented rice noodles with a spicy red curry with broken-down fresh water fish) out on the street. After a week of eating in sprawling street markets, posh hotels, trendy riverside restaurants, and junky noodle shops, Dad’s favorite was Raan Jay Fai’s noodles and mom’s was the street fried chicken at the Pak Khlong Talat.  Mine was feeding the two people who patiently shoveled in my first bite.

Afternoon Tea at the Mandarin Oriental

Drunken Noodles at Raan Jay Fai at 327 Mahachai Rd

So-so Fried Fish with Chili Sauce, Pork Satay and Brussels Sprouts at Suda on Sukhumvit 14

Fried Chicken at the Pak Khlong Talat

Khanom Krok (Coconut Pudding) in the making at the Pak Khlong Talat: Pouring in the Rice Flour Batter

Congee (Rice Porridge)

Chiang Mai, Thailand – Growing up, I always had a snack after school, something that I could grab out of the cupboards and serve myself.  With sun streaming onto our kitchen table, I would nibble on crackers and cheese, chips and salsa, sandwich cookies, apples and peanut butter and so forth.  Outside the Anuban Chiang Mai school, a joyful scene fills Ratchamakka road as kids start pouring out of the school 3:30-5:30 laughing, chatting with friends and buying small snacks in groups or with their parents.  For about 10 baht, school children can pick up fried noodles, mini bowls of khao soi, thai omelettes, french fries, a bag of chopped hot dog with sweet and spicy sauce, fried balls of chicken and flour and much more.  If they’re craving something sweeter, there are soda popsicles, pancakes, and plenty of sweet drinks, like thai iced tea.

Little Boy Waiting for His Father to Buy Snacks Outside Anuban Chiang Mai

Children Waiting for Pancakes with Fried-Egg Bottoms

Pancake with Fried-Egg Bottom

Thai Omelettes and Steamed Rice

Boy Buying Popsicles

Boy with Thai Iced Tea