Bangkok

Bangkok Photo Friday: Erawan Museum

Kevin Revolinski — Fri, 27 May 2011 09:47:52 +0000

You may have seen the giant three-headed elephant just east of Bangkok, but if you haven’t stopped by, you should. It’s the fascinating Erawan Museum which gives you some background on Buddhism and some Buddhist art to look at. But obviously, the most impressive part of the place is this enormous hollow elephant statue. Inside are a variety of decorations and even a blue-toned shrine way up in the head. The scene pictured here is just inside the belly of the beast where you can see some nice stain glass windows. A visit to the Erawan Museum is definitely a kid-friendly thing to do in Bangkok.

Bangkok Eats: Mango and Sticky Rice (classic!)

Kevin Revolinski — Tue, 24 May 2011 07:46:07 +0000

Most people who are familiar with Thai cuisine will know about mango and sticky rice, but for the first time traveler, this is something you shouldn’t miss. Thai mangoes may be even sweeter than the Thais themselves. Always abundant both in quantity and species, the mangoes find their way into a variety of dishes and can be eaten green with salt and chili powder. But a really good way to eat them is with sticky rice. No, not the rice you get when someone cooks it wrong; it is actually glutinous rice, a special variety that clumps together (it’s “sticky”) and can be plain (to be eaten with things like fried chicken) or a bit sweet – the best for mangoes.

Photo by migikata

Drizzle a bit of sweet coconut cream over it and perhaps sprinkle it with some sesame seeds or fried salty mung beans as well. You can find this at a number of restaurants, but also cut up fresh right before your eyes at street stalls. The Thonglor night market at Soi 38 has a couple of mango and stick rice vendors. Good stuff — make sure you try some.

Gaggan: A Fine Indian Food Experience in Bangkok

Kevin Revolinski — Sun, 22 May 2011 01:43:31 +0000

I love it when food becomes an experience. It’s not just delicious, but something comes together in the texture, taste, combination and presentation that transcends just your typical yummy meal. Gaggan, a progressive Indian restaurant here in Bangkok, the creation of Chef Gaggan Anand, a native of Kolkata, is one of those food experiences you are not likely to forget.

Naysayers always balk when portions appear small or attention is paid to they way a dish is plated. Artsy fartsy? Whatever. There may be a point there when the food is mediocre or you end the night hungry, but at Gaggan I walked away pleasantly full at the end of it all, and each and every one of the yes, modest-sized items of the ten-dish tasting menu, compelled me to pause and roll it around on my tongue. While I wouldn’t say this is a not a place to gather with friends for great conversation, I do believe there will be long silent pauses while diners concentrate on each spoonful.

In fact, the very first item came on a ceramic soup spoon. What’s this? A spoonful of yogurt? Yes and no. The chef puts some rich Indian yogurt into an alginate bath which puts a clear gelatinous membrane around it. The result is a sort of egg yolk of yogurt. This slides off the spoon into your mouth and breaks open across the tongue. Both sensual and flavorful and not at all your typical dining experience.

Clam Masala

Familiar items such as chicken tikka or clam masala, just have that extra care of a great chef, the essence of coriander or mint in the foam pack confident flavors that play well together but neither disappear in the tender meat nor overpower.

You can get foie gras in many places, but Gaggan takes it in two directions. The Thai love it seared and so Gaggan gives it a bit of the pan and torch to crisp up the outside while the center is a cream-textured red. But on the other side of the plate, he presents a blend of freeze-dried foie gras and raspberries which are shredded and blended together.

Liquid Magma, unlike hot lava cake, is a cold dessert that flows out of a chocolate shell amid a dust and crumble of cocoa and nuts.

Gaggan Anand shakes his head at the molecular gastronomy label and I’d agree it sounds a bit of nonsense-marketing/let’s-call-it-a-trend terminology. “Progressive” is the label he prefers. It’s still Indian food at its heart and soul but with methods and combinations that take it in a modern direction. Even the cocktails get some alternative treatment, perhaps nitrogen-frozen liquor cubes left to melt into the mix, or a mojito made with dark rum and whole sugar cane melted into it for full flavor.

Potato dumpling with truffles. Even the plates were uniquely designed for this restaurant.

The ten-dish tasting menu is highly recommended for those who do not know where to start, but a la carte is also available. Make reservations for sure. And make them well in advance (days, perhaps weeks!) if you want a seat in front of the picture window that provides a view of what’s going on in the kitchen. It’s a nice show, but the real enjoyment begins when your plate arrives at your table.

Gaggan Progressive Indian Restaurant location and contact information

More Photos below….

Mojito and Oyster

A View into the Kitchen

Gaggan Restaurant

Bangkok Food Tours: Walk Off What You Eat

Kevin Revolinski — Thu, 19 May 2011 06:03:38 +0000

There’s nothing quite like Thai food, an amazing culinary world with variety like no other. Local travel writer Richard Barrow has gone an entire month (twice) eating only Thai street food without ever repeating a dish. Impressive. The food-scape of Thai cuisine is worth exploring as often as you get the chance. What better place to do so than Thailand, and what better way to do it than on a walking tour through the streets of Bangkok?

Just a few weeks ago I hooked up with the folks at Bangkok Food Tours for a delicious stroll around part of the old city. It’s an old part of the city now, with some yesteryear two- and three-story, shuttered buildings amid the newer high-rises that surround it. But Charoen Krung Road is also known as New Road (its nickname from the time when it was the first road in Bangkok!). It was the original Main Street, you might say.

I find my guides at the exit from the Saphan Taksin Skytrain station, an easy meeting point. Once our group has gathered, the lead guide Jan hands out an itinerary of where and what we will be eating. It’s all Thai but the selections are chosen to show the influences of other cuisines as the Thais assimilated them over the centuries, a bit of Muslim, Indian and Chinese is in there. Plus some regional influences, in this case, the Isaan region of Thailand. It looks great.

Everyone receives a radio earpiece. “So everyone can hear me OK.” I like this a lot. I am a sucker for a good photo opp and on tours I can often get left behind or run off ahead with my camera, out of earshot. This way I can hear whatever is being said no matter how loud the guide speaks, which direction, or if I am still around the corner. Smart idea.

The food tour begins just a few blocks away where we meet the owner of a special duck restaurant. The place has been in his family over fifty years. In fact, all stops on this tour have that sort of longevity. If we were just eating one place to the next, the tour would get uncomfortable. My hosts have taken that into consideration, so in between “testing locations” as they call them, we are taken to a couple local sights – such as a temple or an important church – and given the back story of the neighborhoods and elements of Thai culture. Anything we pass on the sidewalk, especially street snacks and food carts, is another mini-lecture opportunity.

Despite the heat, the walking isn’t bad. The restaurants are not overly spread out and the latter testing locations even have air-conditioning. The creators and guides of Bangkok Food Tours are sincere and friendly. Their enthusiasm for their culinary heritage and for the local legend restaurants is readily apparent and contagious.

I’ve spent a number of years in this city and I know that common knowledge of one neighborhood’s longtime hotspots might be headline news to a guy from a few districts over. Of the five places we went, I had only heard of one – and that was because a friend who worked in Silom Road had taken me there for lunch once in an off-the-beaten-path moment.

So go check out Bangkok Food Tours. Your stomach will thank you and you will have a few new favorite places.

NOTE: Bangkok Food Tours has added a new tour that explores the delicious world of Bangkok’s Chinatown! Expect other great tour ideas in the future.

Anniversary of the Crackdown: Red Shirts Rally Today

Kevin Revolinski — Thu, 19 May 2011 05:27:14 +0000

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since the bloody crackdown by the Thai military against the Red Shirt protesters in Bangkok last year. Since that time, there have been many political word battles, some arrests, some periodic rallies on a much smaller scale, but for a Bangkok outsider — the average traveler — things have really (shockingly) returned to “normal.” 91 people lost their lives during the 2-month-plus demonstration which saw the heart of Bangkok, the intersection at Ratchaprasong, become a protester encampment that slowly grew to occupy a much larger area with entry streets blocked by piles of tires and in some cases, sharpened bamboo poles.

Elections are planned for July and no one can predict what the results are going to be — or the reactions to the results. Today many will gather at Ratchaprasong to remember those who died and were injured during the May 19 crackdown last year.

Soldiers in riot gear back in 2010

Crowds are expected to form at 11 am and spend the day there. Expect traffic problems through that area, but hopes are high that this will likely be a peaceful event. Let cooler tempers prevail.

Visakha Bucha Day

Kevin Revolinski — Mon, 16 May 2011 07:35:08 +0000

This was a long holiday weekend in Bangkok. In case you are wondering, May 17 (this year) is Visakha Bucha Day. It’s a Buddhist holiday and is often called Buddha’s birthday, though that isn’t really an accurate name. It might be better to refer to it as Buddha’s life day, as it is a celebration of the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama’s birth, enlightenment (when he reached nirvana), and death. The day of celebration is determined by a lunar calendar and is officially the full moon of May. Governments may bridge gap days to tie it to a weekend.

For Buddhists this is a day to get to the temple and walk three times around the ubosot in meditation while the head monk gives a sermon and leads the chanting. One should also respect the precepts of Buddhism today (which any Buddhist ought to already be doing anyway, right?) and in many cases, eat vegetarian. (Don’t kill anything, not even a mosquito. Wear white, use repellent, and hope for the best, people.)

Be aware that alcohol sales are prohibited, though there are always those few (many?) random places serving foreigners that somehow pull it off.

Bangkok Summer Festival 2011

Kevin Revolinski — Fri, 06 May 2011 07:53:01 +0000

If you had any doubt that summer is on in Bangkok, maybe the sweltering heat and intermittent rains are a clue. But also arriving with the humidity is a bit of live music. Bangkok Summer Festival 2011 takes place this weekend. Set for May 7-8 at National Stadium (easily reached on the BTS Skytrain at the station of the same name on the Silom Line) the event hosts a truckload of live acts, Thai and international. American band Hoobastank will be part of the lineup this year. Tickets are only 400 baht and can be purchased at Thai Ticket Major outlets, online at www.thaiticketmajor.com or call 02-262-3456.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Bangkok 2011

Kevin Revolinski — Mon, 02 May 2011 03:23:21 +0000

While it might not be an obvious destination to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Bangkok does offer a number of great places to find a Corona or a shot of tequila. See our list of the best Mexican restaurants in Bangkok — always a good place to start. But here are a few specials on the horizon, amigos.

La Monita in Bangkok

A favorite among many, La Monita is firing up some special menu items for the day. Go try some El Pollo Loco-style chicken (popular in Southern Calilfornia). Their carne asada with chipotle mushroom sauce already has us salivating. And a couple of special taco selections: grilled lamb and a mix of tender lamb with crunchy chicharrones. Ever had cojonudo? Chorizo with quail eggs and yet another item not always on the menu. Drink specials can also be expected, naturally, and you’ll find the most potent margaritas in Bangkok here.

Los Cabos may be the king of special event buffets. (Thanksgiving was pretty awesome.) From 6 to 9:30 pm on Cinco de Mayo, pay 350 baht and get all you can eat from a spread that includes turkey mole, duck carnitas, mesquite smoked ribs, carne asada, and much more. Live music will be provided by Latin Beat Band with Joe Cummings and Pascual Conteras from 7:30 to 10 pm. Reservations may be a good idea.

Tacos & Salsa will feature a DJ: France’s DJ Mikus. (Is that a stretch for Cinco de Mayo? Nope. The French were the ones lamenting the day when the Mexican army opened that May 5 can of whoop-ass on them in 1862. So we can partly thank them for the holiday.) Head for “The 2nd floor” at Tacos & Salsa starting at 9 p.m. Also enjoy Mexican food with French wine, a set menu dinner for 350 baht, 6-9 p.m. There is a cover charge of 200 baht for the party which includes 1 drink (or just purchase the dinner). Jarritos cocktails in Mexican clay buckets for 190 baht, 110-baht margaritas, Coronas for 165 baht, Tequila shots for 95 baht. Suggested dress code: sexy Mexican or French outfit. A prize will be awarded for the sexiest male and female costumes. But register before 11 p.m.

It’s not just all the Mexi joints celebrating. Check out the Tequila Supper at Bed Supperclub. Chef Dan Ivarie is whipping out a fiesta dinner that runs four courses, each of which is to be paired with a fine tequila. Reservations are required so give them a call soon at 02-651-3537 or 088-525-0101 or shoot them an e-mail at info@bedsupperclub.com

Wine Pub of the Pullman Bangkok King Power is jumping on the bandwagon as well, offering all you can drink sangria and all you can eat nachos, guacamole, tacos, burritos, chili con carne and churros. Throw in a DJ with all that. Cost is 505 baht net per person from 6.00 pm. — 10.00 pm.

Just looking to bury yourself in some tequila? Though they aren’t doing something special for Cinco de Mayo this year like that have in the past, Q Bar is still the best selection of fine tequilas in Bangkok.

Songkran Photos from 2011

Kevin Revolinski — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:56:41 +0000

Another wet and wild Songkran comes to an end. Songkran Festival didn’t have the lingering shadow of the Red Shirt/government conflict as it did last year and so the crowds of both tourists and locals appeared much larger down on Silom Road. Even road fatalities, an ugly reality of the Songkran holiday, were at 271, down 90 from last year. Still tragic. There was plenty of water fighting as usual and even a World Record set just outside Central World — the largest water pistol fight ever at 3,477 people (outdoing previous record holder Spain by nearly 1,000). The attention stealer for this year’s event, however, was the dancing of three topless teenagers in Silom — recorded, posted and viral on the internet in no time — which drew indignant complaints from Thai officials. The outrage itself drew heaps of debate and mockery from others who found it insincere considering the whole matter took place just a stone’s throw from one of the city’s infamous red-light districts, complete with porn DVDs and “illegal” live sex shows. But like everything in Songkran, it’ll all dry up by tomorrow.

Check out some photos from Songkran 2011:

Bangkok Meets Hancock: Jazz Legend Comes to Thailand

Kevin Revolinski — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:03:27 +0000

There aren’t too many old-school jazz legends left. Herbie Hancock is surely one of them, however. Having played way back in the day with Miles Davis, this jazz pianist is a performer one shouldn’t miss. And next month he’ll be playing at Royal Paragon Hall here in Bangkok.

Like one of his most famous songs, Hancock has been a bit of a “Chameleon” over the years. From his quintet performances with Miles Davis, to funk and the advent of synthesizers, through some fusion in the 70s, and even a bit of MTV pop work with the song “Rockit” when scratching was still a new thing, Hancock has had a colorful career. He has almost 50 studio albums to his name and played for the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

If there is one jazz event you attend this year in Thailand, this wouldn’t be the worst choice. Herbie Hancock will perform at Royal Paragon Hall at Siam Paragon on Sunday, May 8 at 8 pm. Tickets available via Thai Ticket Major, range from 1,200 to 4,500 baht. Go to www.thaiticketmajor.com or call 02-262-3456.

Looking for a club where you can catch some live jazz in the Big Mango? See NileGuide’s list of best places for jazz in Bangkok.