Soi 38 Night Markets, Sukumvit

Staying over the Sukumvit side of town we had all these new places to explore. One thing we heard is that Soi 38 turns into a bit of an evening food market that runs until about 3am. Perfect! We take the MRT and upon leaving the station look down to see Soi 38 alive .... this is a good sign!



I start with a coconut milk shake and we take a walk.



We settle back at the beginning for some firey pad Thai. The guy working the wok at the front is giving a little show with each wok of noodles being fried, and his little cart is plastered in awards and newspaper articles.



We order the noodles and also a plate of crispy pork and vegetables. The pork arrives first, so we beginning picking at this.



I then sneak away to take a few shots of him cooking our noodles ...



Then the pad Thai arrives. It looks pretty good, but the flavor just isn't quite there. We pile on the chili, peanuts and fish sauce.



The whole time we're eyeing off the sticky rice and mango cart across the way.



We get a mango sticky rice to go.



And enjoy it back at Suk 11, sitting in the little Soi and watching the night go by ....

Samui's famous Khao Mon Gai

At Mike's birthday bash the end of the evening evolved into drinking games and magic tricks and all 'round craziness. Despite this Kim and I both recalled talking to some locals about an amazing khao mon gai stall that was supposed to be within walking distance of Kelli & Glenn's place. This is supposed to be 'the' place the locals travel to, from all over the island, for their fix of khao mon gai, or chicken rice.



On several occasions we tried to find it ..... the directions were a bit hazy (or at least our heads were) and we weren't having luck from the beach side or the road side. But one day, scooting through Bang Po beach, from the Na Thon side we spot an unassuming little place that had about 6 cars and a pile of scooters outside. We wanted to check it out regardless ..... but turns out this was the spot!



We walk in, there's some glass cabinets with the chickens hanging in all their glory, and some plastic tables down on the sand.



There's a cute little jar of firey vinegar / chilli sauce with a little dish of fresh chilli's and tiny garlic cloves acting as a lid.



There's also a stack of little ramekins, piled high, in a little wooden stand that intrigues us both.



2 plates of chicken rice soon distract us from the little tower and we dig in. The chicken is plump and juicy, sitting on top a beautifully fragrant rice, with a few slices of cucumber and a little dish of soy and ginger sauce. A small bowl of the chicken soup and it's a chicken-licious trifecta! I add a touch of the chilli vinegar to both my chicken and the soup. Mmm.



We notice everyone around seems to be enjoying a few of the little dishes that are piled up on the tables so we dive on in ....... on first glance it appears to be a cute little coconut custard.



Once we scoop in, it's apparant there is a layer of gooey pandanus custard underneath.



A fantastic finish to an incredible lunch. And all this, including 2 drinks, for under 100B.

Siripoca Khao Mon Gai
Bang Po Beach
Koh Samui, Thailand


View Big Food Big World in a larger map

A cup full of coconut & custard, Hanoi

Wandering around the streets of Hanoi we spot a little hole in the wall that is full of people.. We stand out the front for a while observing what is being crafted and enjoyed. They do one thing and one thing only .. it's a cup of red beans, a rich custard and coconut water topped with shaved ice and freshly grated coconut. We settle on a tiny stool and enjoy! and are pleasantly surprised by the additon of more fresh coconut half way through ....