City on the sea

I like Venezia better at night.

When the endless, sometimes maddening crowd somewhat dies down.

When she puts on her mask, and starts to show a bit more of herself.

Still, there is something to be said about all the shimmering water all around you, reflecting the sunlight.

My biggest gripe about Venezia is the sheer number of people like me. People who flock to her, jostling for her attention.

People who wanna sit at the pier and gaze at the cliche that is those annoyingly loving couples (or nowadays, noisy but well-moneyed Chinese tourists) being serenaded to in gondolas (80 Euros per ride, the last we asked).

I realize now, I could never compete amongst Venezia's many admirers. I just don't have the moolah (or the willingness to spend so much) to eat at Harry's Bar, or buy a few Gucci bags, or sit on at St. Mark's Square at Cafe Florian with a cappucinno. Venezia really made me feel rather poor and unworthy. Well, on the bright side (I guess), I am not the only one.

We did try a gorgeous fritto misto at a little touristy osteria which for the life of me I now cannot remember the name of.

Truth be told, we ate mostly at this little place, mostly Mozzarella in Carrozza. With ham, and plain.

I also knew I had to take home one of these. A lovingly Made in Venice paper mache mask.

Ahh Venezia, we had our little moments. I pray that you'll forever be awash in all that glitz and glamour.

I hope you'll always stay aloof and unattainable, and keep to that little habit of always holding a little something back. I'm pretty sure you will.

 

More BKK Shots



Love the mango lady's hat, just outside Chatuchak Market





Backpacker spotted at Chatuchak



Bar in a minivan @ Sukhumvit 11





At a noodles stall near the Patpong area





Coffee to go

If you're in Chatuchak and find yourself craving caffeine, may I recommend this stall opposite the KK Bank outlet. Best damn iced cappucinno I had in a long time (topped with steamed milk, mind you - not cream). I tried numerous other iced coffees all round BKK (in the most upscale malls, on the streets, you name it) - in vain. I still dream of a cup of her brew in the afternoons.



Art fixture in Section 7 of Chatuchak

Aloft in the City of Angels, and eats in BKK

Bangkok is my favourite city in the whole wide world. The dust, the humidity, the horrendous traffic, they're all nondeterrents for me. I love the food, the shopping, the all-round friendliness of the people.

We roomed at the Aloft Bangkok, a pretty cool place that's part of the Starwood chain. What we liked: the 42-inch LED televisions, the ports to plugin your hard disk or portable dvd player, the iPod docking station, the Nespresso machines and complimentary coffee pods in each room. Oh, and the super comfy bed that is the Starwood chain signature. The lounging area was also pretty nice, with its stock of snacks (yogurt, cereal, instant noodles) and coffee at very affordable prices. The lounge was also equipped with foosball and pool tables, comfy bean bags and a Sony PS3 console. AK and I spent a good amount of time trying to beat each other in beach volleyball, medieval swordplay and archery.

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If you're ever feeling peckish at the Aloft, then we do recommend the steak sandwich. Thick, juicy, totally tasty and worth the splurge. This was so good that we ordered it again  the night before we departed Bangkok.

 

 

 

 

 

Erawan Tea Room was a place I read about here and also in the Bangkok City Guide provided by the hotel. We tried the seafood "stir fried with rhizome" and red duck curry, plus pork noodles to share. Everything was superbly done, and I left with a tin of silver-tipped white tea leaves and a jar of prettily packaged guava jam. I vowed to return to try their exquisite looking afternoon tea.  

 

Seafood stir fry at Erawan Tea Room

 

Another place we really loved was Laem Chaer Roen Seafood. They apparently have non-distinctive outlets at both Central World (tucked in a little corner) and Siam Paragon (Level 5), but remain a local rather than tourist favourite. A friend generously bought us dinner at the Central World outlet, where we had the signature Deepfried Snapper in a sweet Thai fish sauce, Tom Yum Goong (with lots of super fresh prawns), an ikan bilis salad and stir fried morning glory. The snapper was addictive, the Tom Yum was perfect. Defnitely a must-return.

 



Deepfried snapper in a sweet fish sauce, ikan bilis salad and fried morning glory at Laem Cha Reon Seafood Restaurant



 

 

I love Siam Paragon's abundant, slightly chaotic basement food court, with its combination of street food (barbecued pork skewers for 15 bath, grilled squid, rice paper rolls) and relatively upscale cafes and bakeries all under a single roof.  

 

 

Chocolate inspirations (love the brownie cake idea) at Siam Paragon's basement Gourmet Market

 

 

 

The best is yet to come

Congratulations President Barack Obama! I toast your integrity, your ultra-coolness, your efforts at bipartisanship, your love of your people.