Saturday, September 19, 2015

Bangkok Trips 2015

Day 1 - 7 May 2015, Thursday

Missed my trip to Bangkok on year 2014 because of the riot. My dreams is to visit bangkok at least once a year, I just love the land of smiles. =D

It didn't start well on day 1, I miss my flight to Bangkok not because we overslept. It is because I see the flight time wrongly. Supposedly the flight is 6.30am and I see it as 8am, so when I reached Changi airport at 6.30am and happily approach the counter for check in. One of the Tigerair staff who serve us was stunted and told us our flight have already took off. I blur for a minute and told him I thought my flight is 8am and he explained to me 8am is arrival time. At that moment, I blank out and don't know what to react. The staff told us there is another flight at 8.30am. So we went to the purchase ticket counter and check the price, it cost $700 plus for 2 tickets (one trip).

Initially I discuss with my bf and he agree to purchase (thank you KL without hesitation and didn't scold me). At that moment when he took his card out, I stopped him and said why not we check other airlines. I glad I did that and we manage to get another cheaper airlines. We took Airasia and cost $347 for 2 tickets. While waiting for the flights, we had burger king for breakfast.


The flights time is 10.10am and we approach the counter around 8am. We ask whether if we can check in now but we did notice that the plasma tv shown KL instead of Bangkok. The staff told us, yes you can check in now so we checked in the luggage.

When we reached bangkok, Don Mueang airport. We walked over to the belt area to collect our luggage. We waited for quite long, our luggage doesn't seem to be around and the turning belt getting lesser and lesser luggage. I find something not right, so I approached the lost and found counter to check with the staff. They are very friendly, help us to check and ask for some information and detail. They told us that they will get back to us latest by 5pm for the luggage status. I was so worry and feel so unlucky. Not a day for us. My bf told me, we must have mental prepared that the luggage might not be able to found.


We left the counter and took taxi to the hotel. We stayed at GLOW Pratunam hotel after read the reviews and most importantly location. The hotel below is a small shopping center with McDonald and Starbucks, opposite is the Platinum Mall.

Finally we reached the hotel, I was famished. Our first lunch (4pm) at the famous sabx2 pratunam wanton mee. We order one dry and one soup version to share. The portion was really small but I had planned to visit cafe for some dessert so must save some space for the tummy. =p


Dry version wanton mee
Soup version wanton mee
While walking to Siam Center, we pass by this cute ice cream tuk tuk car. It only cost 80 baht for every flavour. But I didn't buy because I heading to Petite Audrey for some high tea.




We saw Starbucks just opposite this tuk tuk car and wanted to try out the new flavour, Summer Berry Panna Cotta. I requested to omit the cream. I like the combination, the drink is very refreshing and you get to eat the pudding. Great drink for a hot summer day. 


There is a mini food fare outside the Central World Plaza, salute to those food seller who can stand under the hot weather and cook at the same time.


Here we are at the Petite Audrey restaurant, located at Siam Center 4th floor. They are famous of their thai tea crepe cake and milo volcano crepe cake.







I love the restaurant layout, it give people a kind of relax and cosy feeling. They are very thoughtful in the way that they design and create 3 different menu instead of lump all into one. Like us, we just wanted to eat the dessert and just focus on the dessert menu.

I choose one Thai Tea Crepe Cake with thai tea thick creamy sauce and bf choose Tokyo Mood with fried japanese red bean puff served with green tea ice cream. BF know I love anything related to red bean and green tea, so thoughtful. We love both dessert, if I will choose I prefer the tokyo mood. Especially the red bean puff, the puff is really hot and crispy filled with lots of red bean paste.



After dessert we head down to Yaowarat (known as Chinatown). We took bts and alight at Saphan Taksin Station, S6. After alight, head towards the Sathorn Pier. Look for Chao Phraya Express Boat, you can choose to buy the ticket at the counter or after you board the boat. There will be a staff approach and check your ticket or you can buy the ticket from them. The ticket cost 20baht to Yaowarat.


Alight at Rachawongse Pier, S5. You will saw this big notice board when you alight the pier and walk up the stair.


Walking out from the pier, there are a few street food cart in front of us. Food are everywhere in bangkok, don't need to worry about hungry.


























While walking around, saw a man carry a bundle of cute balloon.



Our dinner, will be at this famous T&K Seafood restaurant. We ask the local people and luckily manage to found the place and take note that all the staff wear green polo t-shirts. We reach there around 8pm and full of diner at the outdoor sit. We are lucky to have a seat at level 2 with air con.




We only order 4 dish as we are still pretty full and there are only 2 of us to share. Grilled scallop with garlic, Grilled prawns, Stir fried dou miao with garlic and one steam fish with chilli an garlic sauce.

Almost every dish has garlic, except for the prawns. Overall I don't find it very fantastic for the food. The steam fish is really hot and spicy, my palate feel numb after a few bites and I give up. The prawns look big but the body meat is very small. Dou miao taste nice but too many garlic and slightly oily. Among all, scallop taste the best.




Night view at Yaowarat. Lots of street food every where and every alley. 



Walked past this old school shop selling lap cheong (臘腸 / chinese sausage). My favorite food when used it to cook with egg or fried rice. 



We saw this hotel and went inside to take a toilet break. It look so grand and big and there is a mini shopping mall inside the hotel.

We wanted to walk back to the pier and take the boat but we can't find the way. I went to a 7-Eleven shop and ask the staff for help and he told me is very far away from here. So I ask him, can you help me to fetch a cab go by meter? He's really a nice guy, he walk out from the shop and help me to communicate with the cab driver. Initially the cab driver do not agree to go by meter, but I told the staff I want it by meter so he help me to tell the cab driver and at last he agree by meter. Thanks to the friendly staff.


Day 2 - 8 May 2015, Friday

Wake up early and have our breakfast while shopping around the Pratunam area, is just located beside the hotel. Walked past the alley or main road and get to see many different kind of interesting food.

This store selling many different kind of Kueh / Dessert
Grilled Banana
I saw my favorite comfort food, Bread! The seller using the traditional charcoal method to grilled the bread. There are a few choice of spread, I choose the butter and sugar, kaya and nutella if I did not remember wrongly. =p The bread taste so good even without the spread, heaven!



Next we went to an alley with table and chair where we can enjoy the food and drinks. I order this bowl of mix soup and I requested to add pig blood. The soup taste rich and good although it look clear. Bf order a plate of pig trotter rice. The trotter should have cooked for long hours, the meat so tender and fats literally melt in your mouth.



After breakfast, we continue my shopping paradise. I pity and sorry for my bf, I know he is tired but he did not complain yet he will carry my barang (shopping goods) accompany me the walk and sweat. Thank you my dear, it has been a hard day for you.

After a few hours of shopping, is time to have our lunch. Back to the alley and I can't resist this omelette when I pass by this store. Somehow it attract me must try, so I order egg with spring onion.





Bf said he wanted to try the famous sabx2 pratunam trotter rice and see the different between the alley store and sabx2 pratunam. Bf ask me, do we need to Q since we are ordering pack away? So I walk up the stair and ask the staff but they seem like ignoring us as all are so busy. But we manage to get hold one of the staff and told us, no queue are require if order pack away.



We pack back to hotel room and enjoy our lunch. After all, we both agree that the trotter rice winner goes to the alley store. We enjoy this as well and the yummy omelette.

I pre book an body message at The Touch Therareutic Massage after read the good review. I totally disagree with the good review. The staff are manner and friendly but the massage is terrible pain. The lady who serve me keep using her elbow to rub my bone. I'm so regret that I took 2 hour of body massage. The massage room are share by all the people, you can heard sound clearly when people enter in and out the room. Hardly to relax and enjoy. I still prefer Urban Retreat although is slightly costly but is definitely a better choice.

Before we went for our massage, we had a coconut ice cream. The topping is free flow, I added alot of peanuts. 



After our massage, we went to the nearest 7-11 to get a drink. I was surprise to see so many kind of CP products, sandwich, burger, finger food, even rice and noodles. Feel hungry in the middle of the night, just visit 7-11 and there are plenty of choice.



After our massage is around 5 plus, so I decided to go Siam Paragon and had my craving for MK Restaurant.
Siam Paragon basement is a food paradise, how I wish time will slow down and let me enjoy seeing every store of the food. Below is some of the photo that I took over there.





We had our dinner at MK restaurant. We didn't wait for too long to get a seat. I like the service and food but the only thing that I think they should indicate english word on the receipt as well. Because the receipt they gave is all written in thai and when I want to check if the order is correct or not, we have to check against with the menu.

We order a set of vegetable, fish cake in a plastic bamboo, shrimp ball, crab ball and slice pork, slice beef and green noodles. All the side dish are delicious.






We even order dim sum because I requested it. I tried before their dim sum and I like it. We order roe shumai, pork shumai, noodle sheet wrapped with prawns and some sauce on it, steam custard cake. The steam custard cake is the worst over all, the cake is so dry and tasteless. For the rest of the dim sum are good.






Day 3 - 9 May 2015, Saturday

Weekend on a morning, as usual we hunting for breakfast near our hotel area. I saw my favorite food again, bread! This version is slightly different from the one I posted Day 2, uncle bread. For this version, they toast the bread with the charcoal, apply a layer of butter, sprinkle some sugar and condensed milk. It just taste so awesome.







When we walk further ahead and shopping, I saw this stall selling eggy waffles. My favorite as well, the stall just open and I'm the first customer of the day. I love the mold, wish I can own one. The eggy waffles taste crispy and soft when it is still hot but it taste soggy after cool down.







We went Chatuchak after the breakfast walk. As usual is flooded with lots of people. We bought this Mango Sticky Rice with coconut milk where we saw at the entrance area.


Been to Chatuchak everytime when I visit Bangkok but I haven't try to find a seat and table to enjoy their Thai food. So this time round, I told BF let's try their "Zi Char" (refer to home style dishes with different variety of choices).

We order Pineapple fried rice. They use real pineapple and placed the fried rice inside the fruit. The portion can feed 3 person. The rice so fragrant and delicious.


I choose this minced pork with thai basil rice. We didn't finish the white rice as the fried rice taste better. Side dish, we order stir fried clams with basil leaves. I love the sweet and spicy sauce.



I walk around the food market and saw this street food, stir fried squid egg with chili. I didn't try before so I bought one portion. We didn't finish this, the texture is very chewy and too spicy.


Lastly we end our lunch with a bowl of coconut ice cream.


I went goggle and search for the best pad thai in Bangkok. Many people recommend this area for good pad thai. We started our first stop at this pad thai restaurant, name Thip Samai. The address, 313 Mahachai Road, Samranrat, Phra Nakorn 10200 จังหวัด กรุงเทพมหานคร. We took taxi from the hotel and it take about 30 minutes due to the traffic jam, actually is not very far.


We was surprise by the queue when we alight the taxi. It was a really like a snake long queue but no worries the waiting time are pretty fast. After order the food and the staff will serve the pad thai within 10 minutes on the table.




They are very organize, one station purely do the stir fry of pad thai, another station in charge of cooking the omelette and wrapping. For the omelette station, they are still using the charcoal to cook, so authentic.




Post a video of their fast and cooking skill.


They will issue a receipt upon order. We order one plate to share among the 2 of us because I have to reserve my stomach for more pad thai. =p


Every table will serve with a plate of raw bean sprouts, green onion and lime but we didn't consume.


Here come the pad thai. The omelette are pathetic thin, I prefer thicker omelette. The pad thai are not very dry nor watery, the taste just nice.



Next stop, Lueng Pha Pad Thai. Address: 315/1 Mahachai Road, Samranrat, Phra Nakorn 10200. The shop is just right beside Thip Samai and is located at a corner side. But there are no queue as compare to Thip Samai and there is only one female chef who cook everything.

Inside the restaurant look so retro, there are many photos and articles hung on the wall. 



The menu placed on the wall, in english: (the information got from http://praneesthaikitchen.com/2011/03/07/best-phad-thai-in-bangkok-is-on-mahachai-road/ )
1) Phad Thai Regular without egg , 40 Baht
2) Phad Thai Regular with egg , 40 Baht
3) Phad Thai with Shrimp Fat and Egg , 50 Baht
4) Phad Thai with Shrimp Fat, Fresh Shrimp and Egg , 80 Baht
5) Phad Thai , Shrimp Fat, Fresh Shrimp, Wrapped with Omelette , 80 Baht
6) Additional Egg , 10 Baht each

Someone will approach you and take the order. We order the last one, Phad Thai with shrimp and wrapped with omelette.



I prefer this stall pad thai. You can really taste the eggy, the noodle is really moist and I love the big crunchy prawns.

The third stop, Tee Yen Ta 4. The stall famous of their Pork Stew Noodles and Yong Tau Fu. When you exit from Thip Samai restaurant, walk towards the left side and cross the road. You will saw this road side open space stall with lots of table and chairs surrounding.





We are lucky to have a table and chair without sharing with others. The place are quite packed.




For the side dish, nothing special to crave about. The wanton filling doesn't seem to be there, more like eating crispy wanton skin. The heart shape minced meat just a pork minced meat I would said.
I like that bowl of vermicelli with assorted meat and vegetable, especially the soup taste so rich and sweet.

The last stop for the day is Raan Jay Fai , ร้านเจ้ไฝ ประตูผี
Is located at the same roll with Thip Samai restaurant, walk towards the left side and is a corner stall.
Address: 327 Maha Chai Rd., Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200




As you can see the price on the menu are pretty steep and is not a shopping center restaurant with air-con but I still want to try and see how special is the food.


I order Phad-kee-mao Goong or Talay (Drunken Noodle with seafood). There is only one chef in the house, so you must be patient and willing to wait for the good food. We waited for about 30 minutes, we didn't complain about the wait because both of us not hungry. The wait is totally worth it.

Finally the food is here after 30 minute. It look like hor fun but in dry version, the taste is very uni and I have never try before. The woh kei, fresh ingredients and springy rice noodle make the entire dish taste so delicious. Until now I still miss this drunken noodle very much. Definitely I will be back for this stall.

Day 4 - 10 May 2015, Sunday

Today is a hot hot day. Pass by this building and saw the display 41 degree celsius. Omg!


Today we are going for boat noodle which I have never try before on my previous trip to Bangkok.
I went research and people recommend go to Victory Monument for boat noodle.

We took BTS and alight at Victory Monument station. Exit heading towards the monument and walk all the way around the skywalk until you reach the Fashion Mall (across the street from Center One – the more popular mall). Go down the steps from the skywalk at Fashion Mall and walk North through the van station and market. We have a difficult times to locate the shop so we ask people around and YES we found it. Address: Sutyot Kuetiau Lua Payak Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400

There are 2 stall selling bowl noodle, how we know? Because of the staff uniform, both competitor wearing different colour. So is easy to recognise.

This way towards the stall, will walk pass a bridge.

We choose this stall, The Best Of Noodle Boat. 


The open kitchen at the entry door. There are outdoor and indoor seat. When we arrive, the indoor are full house so we seated outside. After awhile the staff told us there are seat and of course we are glad to have a seat with air-con, the weather outside is just terrible hot.


 Coke in old school glass bottle




We order 3 side dish - Streaky Pork with crispy crackling, fish meatball and pork meatball. Both meatball taste like frozen commercial food.


Every table have this small bowl dessert. I was curious, took one try and I got hook on it. I had 4 bowl of this. It taste like Kueh Talam, it has 2 layer with green colour and white colour coconut.


There are 4 kind of noodles, choose the flavor as shown on the menu and which noodle on this bowl.





We try all flavor and all noodles. The portion are quite small for each bowl. My favorite will be kuey teow (flat rice noodle) thicken soup with pork and the most weird taste will be the Brewed Bean Curd (pink colour sauce). Each bowl of noodle only cost 12 baht.

 13 bowls in total and 5 dessert we had for the lunch. 


After lunch, we walk back to Victory Monument and saw this street stall selling Honey Drink. We bought one cup and one big cup only cost 35 baht. 


Croissant Taiyaki is in the trend at Bangkok, so is a must to try if you are here. There are a few outlets, we went to the outlet at Siam Centre, outside the food republic.

 Majority are the youngest q-ing up for the croissant taiyaki.


There are 3 flavor, Redbean or known as Azuki (my favorite) , Cold Custard and Apple Pie. There are drink to pair with the food as well. 




Here is the process of the taiyaki. The staff are very organize, staff at step one in charge of rolling the dough, step 2 input the fillings, step 3 coat with pearl sugar and place on the electrical mold, step 4 cut away the excess on the side and place in the paper sheet and last take order and collection payment. 


 
Here a short video clip to share




We order each taiyaki flavor and one cup of Macha Green Tea Latte. Consume it while is still hot and crispy, we like both the custard and red bean flavor, not so much on the apple pie flavor.

We head down for a massage in the late afternoon, near by our hotel area. This is my first time tried leg message, not so bad and scary as I imagine, is very relaxing and make me fall asleep.

After a good message, we have our dinner located at the hotel we stay. The stall is placed around the street area and I like the ambient, is very cooling and relax. 




Overall the food taste very normal not very impresssive. After that we walk further and saw this salted fish which bf have been craving about. So we order one salted fish and indeed this is so delicious. The fish meat is so tender and juicy, ever better than steam version.

Day 5 - 11 May 2015, Monday
This is the last day of our trip, I can't bear to leave Bangkok but life still have to go on. For the last day is more on shopping at platinum mall and we had our lunch at the food court.




We had Hor Fun with slice pork, Oyster with egg and Takoyaki. The slice pork very tender but the sauce too thick like glue. For the 2nd dish, there are lots of oyster, worth it. This takoyaki is the worst I ever had, the texture is so hard and salty.

That all for the 5 days 4 night at Bangkok. I miss U, Bangkok!

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