Porky goodness at the end of Soi 11

Staying over the Sukumvit side of town meant a whole new world of discoveries. We found an awesome foot massage place a few soi's over, and conveniently we walked past a charcoal grill full of porky goodness so we always found ourselves stocking up just because .....

The charcoal grill would usually have a few fresh things sizzling away ...



but there was always the tray at the front that was piled with all sorts of pig, you just pick up the sticks you want, place them on the end of the grill to warm them up and you're away.



The chosen sticks would then be packed into a bag with chunks of cabbage, Thai herbs, scud chilli's and slices of fresh ginger.



A perfect walking snack on the way to another wonderful massage ...

Pepsi Green

Our friend Glenn got us onto Pepsi Green. I've never been a fan of the traditional Pepsi, will always drink coke !! And it does seem that pepsi always runs with the way-out-there flavor's. Recently in Japan there's even been a white, yoghurt flavored pepsi. Eeeew! But the pepsi green I quite liked. I thought it had a honeydew melon flavor, with a splash of something else I couldn't quite pick ....



I've just been looking around online and it seems to be the case everywhere. There's no information about what the flavor was intended to be, except obviously green, but there's plenty of speculations. Some of them including mouthwash, mint, cinnamon, kiwi fruit and cucumber. Well, who knows?? but it was rather refreshing ...

Some of the reasons I love Bangkok shopping malls ...

Of course there's the air-conditioning !! A perfect retreat from the outside heat ...

Then there's the cinema's. All the latest movies, spanking new cinema's and really cheap!

Don't forget the shopping ... Bangkok is one place where we have no trouble finding clothes in our size.

And all shopping malls usually have basement, or rooftop, eating emporiums. As well as other eating and drinking venue's scattered throughout the other floors.

It's at Central World where we're drawn towards a cute little shop, it looks a bit like an old pharmacy. Karmakamet, a candle and aromatherapy shop with little bottles lining the walls and a quaint little tea-house attached.



We feel it's always tea time, and quite appreciate the sit. Kim try's the peach iced tea. It's served in a giant glass, with lots of ice, and has a deep tea and pleasant peach flavors.



I have an iced tea with vanilla, cinnamon and milk. The spice is pleasant and the tea refreshing.



We also discover a traditional Thai tea time snack, Kanom Kleeb Lamduan. Little aromatic cookies that are smoked with jasmine candles. They are crumbly like short bread and the mellow jasmine smoke flavor instantly fills your whole head. I just adore these cookies !!



Another awesome find, and indeed another reason on the list as to why I love Bangkok shopping malls so much.

Karmakamet
Second Floor, Central World Plaza,
Bangkok, Thailand
Phone: 08-1947-8611
http://www.karmakamet.co.th

Bourbon St, Bangkok

We watched a fair bit of Top Chef while down in Koh Phangan and particularly enjoyed the controversial finale that saw many asking whether Kasey's influence as sous chef to sous vide over Carla may have lost her the game ....... but all the New Orleans had us amped, and I had indeed been wanting to try a Cajun gumbo.

Luckily while in Bangkok we found a little piece of Bourbon St.



Once we stepped inside it was as if we weren't even in Bangkok anymore. Mardi gras beads and giant tabasco paraphernalia adorned the walls ...



and it had an all round homely and welcoming feel.

Bourbon St. Restaurant and Oyster Bar
29/4-6 Sukhumvit Soi 22
Washington Square
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: +66-2 259-0328/9



We start with a bloomin' onion. An onion sliced to open like a blossom, dusted in a nice spicy flour and fried until crisp and served with something called a tiger sauce. It was finger-lickin' delicious.



Next up we try the spinach and artichoke dip. The spinach and artichokes are blended with 3 types of cheese, to a chunky dip. There's also a chunky tomato salsa and piles of tortilla chips. The spinach and artichoke dip would be my favorite dish of the day.



We then had the house-made Italian style sausage po' boy. The sausage grilled and split open on a toasted bun with fried peppers and onion. The onion and pepper mix had a nice surprise of toasted fennel seeds, and the side of mayonnaise being slathered on with each bite.



Last dish up, the gumbo. We try to chicken and andouillette version. A bowl of food that definitely tastes more appealing than it looks. It's such a homely dish, packed with flavour, spice and chunks of meat and a touch of rice. The home-made cornbread, that's served warm, is the perfect way to mop up the remains.



A nice little escape in the heart of Sukumvit, with plenty of soul and good food !

Tapas Cafe, Bangkok, Thailand.

While it's nice to make an event out of the journey taken to get a meal sometimes it's also nice to only have to walk a few meters.

This was the case with Tapas Cafe, located three shops down from Suk 11. Most nights we had walked past and it had always been full, so we had decided to give a go one noght when we weren't particularly inclined to spend to much effort in getting anywhere.

With it's red and yellow awning and outside tables it looks the part,





Having both seen what we wanted to drink on the way to our seat, we ordered one of both the red and white sangria, mixed in little jugs with a little wooden spoon and served with a glass of ice, cute and tasty.





We start off with a plate of boquerones; pickled anchovies marinated in olive oil and garlic, served with fresh bread to mop up all the goodness.



And quickly followed up with ham and egg croquettes, crispy outside and gooey ham and eggs inside, mmm breakfast in a bite.





Then a plate of sliced meats, sweet sweet meat. Chorizo, salami and a proscuitto.



Next a plate of salt cod fitters, five quenelles of salt cod and potato fried crispy golden and spiked with a tooth pick for easy eating.



The toasted goats cheese and peppers is a mound of goats cheese spread over slices of baguette and grilled before being topped with red and green peppers.



I do love olives and this little bowl was was tasty, in amongst the olives, slices of cornichon and pickled onion.



Another tapas standard, pork meatballs in tomato sauce. Nicely seasoned meatballs sitting in a puddle of rich tomato sauce, Yum.



Potata's brava's is one dish we always order if we see it, so simple but nothing quite like fried potato's slathered in garlicky mayo and sweetened with more rich tomato sauce.



The final plate of the night was toast with sobrasada pate and honey. Sobrasada being a raw cured sausage spiced with paprika and cayenne. Unfortunately this dish was a bit of a let down for us the pate texture was a bit unappealing and the honey made it all a bit sweet.



Over all the food was good, it'd be much more affordable to go for the happy hour two for one tapas and sangria in the afternoon.

Peter Evan's Dinner at the Met., Bangkok

It was all by chance that we happened to be in Bangkok when Peter Evan's was doing a dinner at the Metropolitan hotel, Bangkok. Kim and I both spent a chunk of time working at Hugos while in Sydney, and it had been a while since we'd seen Pete. We always enjoy going to Met. as well, to catch up with the genius (and crazy!) brother pair of Daniel and Shannon, the Executive chef and Pastry chef of the acclaimed Cyan restaurant.

We arrived a little early and took a seat in the lobby. From across the room we noticed someone who looked awfully familiar ... he seemed to notice us, also. He makes the first move to come and chat to us and turns out it's John Sussman, Australian seafood pioneer, who happened to be in town as well, but ended up donating a lot of seafood for the dinner. We manage to say Hello to both Daniel and Pete, them both popping out into the lobby before we are all ushered into the dining room ...



We are seated and immediately receive a glass of Queen Adelaide Brut but the thing that has me bubbling in the too-cute little dish of balsamic / oil marinated olives, with a sprig of rosemary that is used for dipping the bread ... and the bread, a choice of about 4 freshly baked breads, I start with the foccacia and do manage to sample the other 3 throughout the meal.



First course is a quadruple of Australian seafood. Snapper tartare with bacon and black bean dressing, smoked ocean trout on betel leaves, Coffin Bay oysters with mirin, sake & wasabi dressing and a sweet corn soup with Kinkawooka blue mussels, basil & chili oil.



The second course is accompanied by a glass of Naked Range Sauvignon Blanc a very nice drop that compliments the pepper seared black kingfish salad with wakami and ponzu dressing. The little tobiko (flying fish roe) that are discovered throughout the dish a pleasant surprise.

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A glass of Black Opal Chardonay carries us through the next 2 dishes. Firstly, Spencer gulf prawns grilled with oregano, lemon and chili. The flavors were nice, but the prawns themselves were quite disappointing. Mushy and rubbery at the same time. Perhaps it was something about the dinner Pete was holding and the sponsorship / donation of Australian seafood, but there is so much local Thailand seafood that would have made much more sense, being in Thailand and all. (~*Same thought on just eating Australian ocean trout and highly acclaimed Hokkaido restaurant .... nani kore?!?! why?? we are surrounded by some of the most amazing seafood in the world right here, anyway ...)



The last of the savory dishes brings back a lot of nostalgia, and I'm not sure if it was all good ;) We cooked I don't know how many thousands of these while at Hugos, and neither of us really understood why ..... the fish was perfectly cooked, sweet and delicious but paired with sweet potato puree and a coconut lime sauce, there's just a severe lack of texture, and an awful resemblance to baby food. But it works for Pete!?



After we'd all finished our main, Pete has a bit of a chat. The crowd is amped, and his side kick Udo is whizzing around taking photo's throughout the night.

Pre-dessert is a Campari (Yum!) and grapefruit granita that is topped with hand-spun fairy floss .... one of Shannon's new toys.



Then dessert, another familiar contender, the Goats curd cheesecake with passion fruit sauce (this one's for you, Jarrod!) A glass of Wolf Blass Frontignac Traminer pairs nicely with the tart cheesecake.



We enjoy a cup of tea after our dinner, before being given a handful of cocktail vouchers for Met Bar.



We check on the boys, there a while off, so we tell them we'll head to Met Bar and they can meet us there. The first round are 2 signature Hugos cocktails (I totally forget what they were) and a bowl of the delightful Met nuts, cashews, macadamia's and peanuts fried with garlic, galangal, kaffir lime, chilli and baby shrimp. Delish!



2nd round is another pair of signature Hugos cocktails.



We still manage a few more rounds, including a delicious honey cocktail and a Hendricks martini before the boys arrive ....



and Udo busts out some sick dance moves before passing out on the couch !!



We pile into taxi's and make our way over to Bed Suppa. Here we meet Paul, the talented head chef behind Bed Suppa's success as a restaurant. He has kindly saved us a 'bed' that is loaded with alcohol ....



Fun times were had by all, including meeting the amazing Austin Bush and talking away with him for hours in the Bed Suppa kitchen ... It would have been after 4am when we emerged and piled into 1 tuk-tuk in search of food. A unanimous decision was made to head towards the Arab Qtr.



We enjoy a fair spread of food ...



and somehow Shannon manages to knock over and break a giant hookah pipe ... ah, it's all in a nights fun when hanging out with the Moran boys in Bangkok.

We wish both Daniel and Shannon all the best on their new venture to Parrot Cay !! Good luck, guys !!

the Metropolitan Hotel
part of the COMO group
27 South Sathorn Road
Tungmahamek
Sathorn
Bangkok 10120
Thailand

Where we always end up on a visit to Chatuchak Markets ...

A trip out to Chatuchak markets is a great way to spend the weekend. The BTS sky train takes you all the way to Queen Sirikit park. On this particular stroll through the park we are greeted by a rather peculiar ring of mushrooms ....



Anyway, I digress. We're quickly stopped by some piping hot Khanom Krok. Sweet little pancake like things filled with coconut cream and specked with bits of taro and sweet corn.



Next we spot a row of woks, all parts of chickens and pork being fried away.



The bits are glistening away under some oh-so-bright lights, but we're both immediately drawn to the little wingettes that have been fried along with a stack of pandan leaf.



We wander some more through the markets, picking up some goodies and munching away on our little chicken wings.



Before we end up where we always do, Green Chili.



Green Chili is run by Chef Ann (Dararat Wisaijorn) who opens at Chatuchak Markets on Saturdays and Sundays. Monday is the only day off Chef Ann and her team have, they then go back to work first thing Tuesday morning trawling markets and starting preparation for the impressive 27 varieties of curry prepared each weekend. Tuesday after hunting down mountains of garlic and shallots, her team sets to then peeling them all. These are used in the various curry pastes. Tuesday they are also grilling sun-dried salid fish and shredding it for salads.



Wednesday see some of the garlic and shallots meticulously sliced and deep-fried as well as the massive amounts of nahm prik (Thai fish sauce and chilli condiment which accompanies the kanom jeen) prepared.

On Thursdays they make the various chili relishes and peel eggs ready for the kai palo. The simmering of the pork broth takes place on the Friday. Some people say Chef Ann may be going over the top, especially with all the conveniences to make life easier (peeled garlic / shallots / ready made curry paste etc.) yet Chef Ann says "Well I think I am more meticulous about what I eat than many other things in life. Preparing real and traditional Thai dishes requires lots of artistry and knowledge".



Even the fluffy white rice is organically grown in Ubon Ratchathani. Pretty impressive!



Today we start with a chat to the ever friendly Chef Ann, and within moments, 2 coconut bowls holding bael fruit tea placed in front of us.



Then the smorgasbord of food commences. There's a salad of dok khae, an edible Thai flower, that's packed with pork floss, shallots and chili.



A little pot of simmered pork with boiled egg and tofu is next to arrive.



Khun-Amanda, who first referred us to the delightful Chef Ann, all time favorite is the gaeng som. A sour orange curry packed with mackerel and green papaya is of course on the list ...



One of the mild selections for the day, sweet crab meat mixed with egg and spring onion. The chunks of crab delectable and sweet with the ribbons of egg and spring onions adding another dimension ...



Chef Ann's pad prik king is unlike any other we have tried ... shreds of chicken are smothered in a rich red curry paste and cooked until almost candy-like with little shreds of kaffir lime appearing throughout.



Last to arrive, panang curry. Tender chunks of pork simmered in a mild coconut curry until they're falling apart.



And then the feasting begins!



You really can see how 4 days goes into the preparation for all these dishes. And you can taste the passion and love in which they've been made with!



We bid farewell to Chef Ann, and all the other girls at Green Chili.



..... Until next time !!