$50 Pad Thai makes a hard man humble
<Initial Bangkok impressions>
Ok the Pad Thai was only $22 (780 Thai Bhat), and it wasn’t $50 total for my lunch, but $41 all in with glass of wine and a San Pellegrino. But it was the best Pad Thai I’ve ever had. And I know, I know, it would be so say for me to say that, because it was in Bangkok, and it would sound so touristy to say “Omg you guys, they know how to make the best Pad Thai here!”
But seriously, it was actually kind of a deal at $22. There was one King Prawn on top (I honestly don’t know if King Prawn is a variety of prawn or if this one gets crowned as King because it sits atop the dish), but either way, there was a king’s court of smaller shrimp in the dish and then some tiny ones for good measure.
<this is where I should insert a picture of the Blue Elephant’s pad Thai, or a reasonable facsimile, but I can’t find one that looks as good as it did. And I am also not a picture taker, generally speaking, and I still refuse to take food pictures. I know I sound like I think I’m being old school by saying that, but it irritates me when people take pictures of their food to post online — — and I still refuse to do it. Food is for eating, not pausing for a photo shoot?>
And the noodles were perfectly cooked. Yes, that also sounds ridiculous, and tell me to shut the f*** up…
But how many times have you had Pad Thai or any Thai noodle dish and some or many of the noodles were sticking together in a clump or kind of gummily cooked? Or maybe just gummily made? I’m kind of thinking it’s every time for me.
This time, however, every noodle seemed to maintain a quantum distance between the adjacent noodle (lack of entanglement, but yet they still communicated across a spooky distance otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to eat them simultaneously; thank you, Misters Schrödinger and Einstein).
So I’m guessing however the Blue Elephant cooked or mixed or applied the spices or oil or something — had something to do with it — - but it was a gourmet mouth feel? And for added bonus, a tasty little appetizer of spicy shrimp soup — — you do it like a shot and then follow it up with a little canape with some crunchy peanuty stuff on it and some other attractive garnishes.
And yeah, I “knew” what a canapé was, but my memory was refreshed because the last place I stayed had a little hors d’oeuvre happy hour with a sign in English that labeled the canapés. Without the visual from that sign in my head, had someone said “Spell canapé” to me I would have had to Google it and then said “Oh yeah, that’s right, I knew how to spell it” but without Google I would have been grabbing a dictionary.
It also just took me 5 minutes Googling and Window-ing to figure out how to get that accent above the e, as in é.
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Bangkok- it’s not Kathmandu (yay?)
So far, Bangkok is a welcome relief to Kathmandu. Sorry, Kathmandu. I have faith in you and I like your people, but your food is mostly very average and you desperately need sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic signals. Oh, and most importantly, drinkable water.
Bangkok: even though my hotel is not in a super touristy walkable area (that was by design) there are 2 strangely large 7–11s within a block either direction (yes, 7–11 markets like we have at home) and thus great for protein shakes, toiletries or snacks. And thank god there are sidewalks here. Wide ones.
My hotel has a skywalk (all of 100 feet maybe) to the Bangkok elevated train system (BTS). Kathmandu’s public transportation, aside from taxis/InDrive, was rickshaws. The rickshaws seemed to also double as daybeds for the their drivers.
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The simple things in life. Like not getting hit when crossing the street
You get exhausted walking in traffic for 10 days. Not just crossing the street, but going anywhere. It made a 5 minute walk arduous in Kathmandu. And it made a 10 minute walk a 20+ minutes walk if you had to cross major streets. I never in my life have felt grateful for sidewalks, and not having to constantly look over my shoulder at what’s coming beside me, or not having to do the “no sidewalk sidestep” as people approach you from the opposite direction.
Cairo and Marrakech are my closest comparisons to Kathmandu chaos, but they were nothing comparatively to Kathmandu. Bangkok feels like civilization again, in that respect.
10 days in Kathmandu (maybe as little as 2) actually conditions (PTSD’s) you to be on edge when walking anywhere. — -it is such a daily nonstop occurrence. Your best move is to cross streets or walk behind Nepalese women. Maybe that sounds sexist, but it keeps you safer. A pregnant Nepalese woman is a big bonus.
I never saw old people in Kathmandu to cross the street with. No joke. I suspect traffic gets them before the age of 45 or they just say f-it and stay home. If I had to cross 2 major streets in Kathmandu to go somewhere (restaurant, pharmacy, whatever) I found myself looking for an alternative.
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The Blue Elephant restaurant
My Bangkok hotel is next to the Blue Elephant. It’s a restaurant and allegedly a cooking school? At least the sign says that. It’s a gorgeous looking colonial mansion that became a restaurant on the 70s. A Belgian chef (who was native Thai, so I guess a Thai chef?) started the place, and I think she may still be around. I only glossed through the “About” section, but will update this later maybe.
The building itself pulls you in — -Picture an area with a lot of high rises, a busy thoroughfare, and an elevated train (which interestingly, you never seem to hear). Now plop in a cool looking 3-story colonial mansion, that I’d describe as an island mansion. Maybe the best description to me would be something you see in Key West, Florida?
However, the Blue Elephant is out of place, in that it looks as if the last property owner on the block held out and refused to sell as the entire area was being redeveloped. Some old guy or lady who said “I’m never goanna leave this house!” kind of thing. This building will never be torn down.
Coming off of the thoroughfare that the Blue Elephant is adjacent to, the restaurant has a large landscaped roundabout area for drop-offs. Inside it is equally as inviting, with what were once separate rooms in the house, I assume, divided and decorated with dark hardwoods and eye level hardwood dividers. Not formal looking “English library” dark hardwood, but just dark…. ummm… island-y wood? To me, anyway. Reservations are generally recommended for lunch and dinner — — I have a feeling I will eat there daily.
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And I did notice something about Michelin Star as I left — — and just read online. I wonder if this had something to do with the hostess asking me if I had a reservation and seemed a bit put off that I didn’t. But to her credit, she accommodated me, and I’ll be a regular this week. Jesus this place is already such a contrast to Kathmandu where I was thrilled to get edible pizza. Or any other food that I would describe as “above average” and more than just mere “sustenance”.
On that note, related but unrelated, I really want more for the Nepalese people. They deserve it and I think corruption and industry and pollution has gotten the better of them. F*** me, they have Mount Everest with people from around the world spending $50,000 to go up and $30,000 to go only part-way up, and a country full of beautiful pristine nature. But where and how the people live isn’t always so great, in my experience. Things could be a lot better.
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The hotel pool. A thing I typically avoid — but not this time
I’m sitting here writing this at my hotel pool. And I freaking hate hotel pools, generally. Especially huge resort pools with palm trees around them, or even nice inground pools with cabanas that you either have to reserve or get there early to grab a spot. I don’t know what it is, because I do like cooling off and lounging by a pool, especially with some wine.
So I shouldn’t say hate, I just don’t get excited about them anymore and they all kind of seem the same and yuk and kid-infested. And mainly the thought of roasting in the sun or contending with constantly repositioning an umbrella to get the shade you want is just work.
And I want all shade, all the time. I probably got enough skin cancer exposure as a child of the 70s-80s.
Although… this pool — the one at my hotel — — was beautifully designed. Almost perfectly, for what it is. It’s how I might design a pool? It’s on the 14th floor of the hotel and looks out at Bangkok and a good number of high rises.
It’s an infinity pool with a “not-cheesy fountain-y waterfall-y area” that feeds into it. But the skyline infinity pool is the selling point. If it were on the top floor (which is another 20 stories up) it actually wouldn’t be as cool. At mid-building level, this pool area feels like you are “in the trees” as opposed to “above the trees” as you might feel on an exposed rooftop
And surrounding the pool are not cabanas with privacy sheets/blinds. Instead, they have these egg-looking loveseats you can lay in, some are closed off “roof”, some partial roof that are big enough for 2 people, but if you had little kids, a family of 4 could enjoy them. Inside, big cushions made to get wet.
But to me, the best part is what sets back from the pool… Where I am… out of the direct sun. It’s a large covered area with lots of huge pool furniture couches and giant lay around “love seats” big enough for 3 adults (so perfect for 2, amazing for 1).
There are enough of these large pool seats that you don’t feel like you’ll have to scout out a place to relax. And the area is divided up (with a bar and some restaurant seating, columns) such that where-ever you sit, it feels like an intimate area with a great view of the pool and skyline.
And it’s so humid here (it’s their winter, and its 95 degrees and humid-as-f***, so much so that I thought I might pass out today waiting in the shade waiting for a river ferry) that a pool is actually needed. For me it was, anyway, just to bring down my body temperature. I overheard a Thai guide today in English, mentioning the Bangkok summers, and he said this “winter” day today was nothing heat-wise. Jesus.
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Temples, Palaces? And the hotel.
And yeah, there are some cool things to see around town. I saw some today on the tourist ferry, which is a deal at $4 for all day rides. You ride up and down the Chao Phraya river, which is where the main sites area. Great experience, and a real deal.
And I did see Wat Pho temple from the river, which definitely has wow factor. I actually took the picture below from the river boat ride. Inside tomorrow.
I’ll get to the rest of the stuff in town in the next few days, but mostly I’m in minor jet lag mode and relishing in the Executive lounge/club of my hotel with amazing views, breakfast and happy hour (essentially dinner) included in the price.
If my room were $300+ a night, I wouldn’t be surprised — -but it’s not. I think there is very healthy luxury hotel competition here, and the Thai Baht- US Dollar conversion must help too.
Also, I’m frugal and would not pay $300/night on this trip (ok, I guess I’m paying within 25% of that —which is not my norm ), but let’s just say this is place is well worth what I’m paying, especially as the breakfast and “happy hour” food/drink is reallllly good in the club lounge and is saving me money, or at least shaving money off of what I’m paying for the room by virtue of no breakfast of dinner bill, if I want that.
In the States (or Europe) depending on the location, this would very easily be $500/night+ hotel. And part of their Executive happy hour food (actually worth being called “executive”, unlike a lot of places) includes sushi, smoked salmon and a variety of yummy Dim Sum — -on top of other Western fare you’d expect. That, along with impressive night-time Bangkok skyline views from every seat.
Last night, I arrived tired and hungry, but still in time for the above mentioned lounge happy hour on the 31st floor, which the check in people took me to before I even saw my room — -at first I was thinking “No, I want to go to my room first”… but trying to change my ways, I went with the flow.
And the hotel staff definitely made the right call in directing me elsewhere first. It made me think how many times in my life I’ve said “No, let’s do it this way” that I would have been better off not doing it my way. I ate and drank about $200 worth of food last night that cost me nothing. No exaggeration, especially at hotel prices.
So my $50 lunch at the Blue Elephant — — which wasn’t even close to the most I’ve spent for lunch (think sushi — or anything in Dubai) — — was a deal in that sense, and so is this hotel with the food that comes with my particular room choice.
Oh and yeah, and they have a train connected to the hotel. And sidewalks.
