Before heading south to Koh Jum and Koh Lanta, Robert and I spent a few days in Bangkok. To describe Bangkok as a bustling city would be a gross understatement. Bangkok is…insane! Every square inch of space is filled with something: people, stray animals, food vendors, tuk tuks, you name it. And it is all moving around you at an intensely frenetic pace. I was a little bit freaked out at first, but now I kind of miss it. Seattle seems so still and desolate by comparison (that said, I was relieved to have my personal space back.) Our first night in Bangkok was a bit rough. After a full day of flying, then being thrown immediately into the heat and madness of the city, we come to find out that there is no alcohol being served anywhere due to it being an election day. No beer! We stayed at a small hotel on Rambuttri Street which is a pretty touristy area but not nearly as touristy as nearby Khao San Road. I don’t even know how to describe Khao San Road other than “total sensory overload.” This short street is chock-full of cheap backpacker hostels, food vendors, bars, souvenir shops and tourists from all over the world. Although I loved the islands, I wish we could have spent a bit more time in Bangkok. I could have easily spent another week eating my way through the city. Fortunately, although our time in Bangkok was brief, we did manage to eat some very memorable meals. Here are the highlights.

Siam Paragon Mall – Visiting a shopping mall while on vacation may seem like a waste of precious tourism time, but we decided to make a stop at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon Mall anyway since it was right by one of the major skytrain hubs. Plus, sometimes it’s more fun to get outside of the tourist bubble and do the things that the locals do. You get to view a slice of regular life that way (not that malls necessarily represent real life, but you get the point.) Believe it or not, Bangkok’s shopping malls are also good places for tourists to go to try lots of different Thai dishes. The malls have big food courts, and all of the dishes are very clearly labeled making it easier for people who don’t speak the language. We sampled a fatty and spicy glass noodle sausage, and we also tried some sort of Japanese snack which consisted of fried balls of flavored batter topped with mayonnaise and a thick barbecue sauce and served in a little carton. They are made in a specialized cast iron griddle that helps mold them into their round shape. The four available flavors – prawn, octopus, vegetable, and ham and cheese – all pretty much tasted the same. They were gooey and yummy, although the sauce was a bit overpowering. If these were served at Safeco Field, I’m sure they would be a huge hit. We also ordered a couple of cookies that looked like little crepes with various fillings. The cookie part was similar in taste and texture to a fortune cookie. We had one topped with something called “golden threads,” which was very sweet, and another topped with a mixture of sweetened carrot, cilantro and salt. I liked the carrot one best because it was salty/sweet, one of my favorite flavor combinations. We also, gratefully, found a place in the mall to order our first beers of the trip!

Aw Taw Kaw Market – Aw Taw Kaw Market was my favorite place that we visited in Bangkok! It is a giant food market located across the street from Bangkok’s famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. Although it is located so close to a major tourist attraction, few tourists visit the Aw Taw Kaw Market. But, as a foodie, I knew I had to check it out. We spent a good amount of time just wandering around and gawking at the giant piles of unidentifiable dried goods, exotic fruits and vegetables and even more exotic (sometimes downright creepy) fish and meats available. This is a great place to go for lunch because a large portion of the market is set aside food vendors. Some sell only the one dish that they cook best and some offer more of a full lunch; you get a plate of rice and a choice of one or several items from a vast array of premade dishes. I ordered a clam dish (pictured) that was sweet and spicy and a mind-blowingly spicy fish cake and eggplant dish. Since the food was all premade, they weren’t able to tone it down for my supposedly delicate Western palate like some places do. This was perfectly fine by me. I was sweating a bit, but it was delicious! Robert had a green bean and pork dish and a crispy fish dish. We also split a plate of fresh-off-the-grill chicken skewers with peanut sauce. For dessert, we had fried bananas and these little coconut custards called khanom krok. The bananas were quite firm, more like a plantain. They were good, but the coconut custards were the highlight for me. Crispy on one side and soft on the other, they were like little disks of pure, silky coconut goodness. Some were topped with scallions and some were plain. I could have easily eaten about twelve of these!

Chote Chitr – Chote Chitr is a pretty popular restaurant with foodies visiting Thailand (NPR and The New York Times have both done stories about it so its popularity is no surprise – while we were there, people were even getting their photo taken with the lady who runs the place.) Chote Chitr is located just off Tanao Road in the heart of Bangkok. Despite its new-found fame, it still only has four or five tables and looks like a hole in the wall. The owner is a pretty funny lady. She’s got a couple of dogs that run around wreaking havoc in the restaurant, and she often greets her guests while wearing safety goggles (this may seem strange but, after pounding a batch of green curry paste in my new mortar this weekend, I think I might have discovered why she wears them – I came dangerously close to splattering chili oil into my eyes.) We ordered a couple of Chote Chitr’s more famous dishes: Mee Krob and Banana Flower Salad. We were also persuaded to try the nightly fish special, a whole fried fish in a sweet and sour Thai sauce. Mee Krob consists of a little basket of crispy fried rice noodles topped with a tart-sweet citrus sauce. It was a little sweet for my tastes. I’m sure that Chote Chitr’s version is very good, but I prefer more savory dishes. The Banana Flower Salad, on the other hand, was amazing! I couldn’t get enough of it. The sauce, an unassuming brown color, tasted of fried shallots and coconut and citrus and a million other flavors all in perfect balance. I know I won’t be able to get banana flowers here, but I may try to make this salad using something else. That sauce would be good on anything. The fish was great as well. It was crispy on the outside and perfectly moist and tender on the inside. Robert proclaimed the fish best in show, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that banana flower salad.

Hemlock – Hemlock was recommended to us by several people, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! Although it looks like an upscale restaurant, with a tastefully decorated dining area and plenty of art up on the walls, the prices were still very low (four dishes, rice, and two large beers came to only $18 US including tip.) Hemlock’s menu is huge and features many ancient Thai dishes, the kind that you just don’t see in Thai restaurants in America. We started with one of my favorites, Miang Kam. This appetizer consists of toasted coconut, dried shrimps, sliced chilies, peanuts, lime, ginger, and shallots which you wrap up in a betel leaf and top with a sweet chutney-like sauce. You pop the whole thing in your mouth, and it’s like a little explosion of flavor. I use spinach leaves when I make this at home so it was nice to finally try it with the betel leaves. Miang Kam is perfect beer food! I was very excited about our next dish, Nam Prik Pla Too. Nam Prik refers to a Thai condiment or paste that is served with a very specific set of accompaniments. Usually, this is an array of raw vegetables but, depending on the type of Nam Prik, it may also be served with fish, omelets, or deep-fried vegetables. Ours came with fried “pla too” (mackerel), a piece of omelet, deep-fried eggplant and an assortment of interesting raw vegetables. This Nam Prik is made from fermented shrimp paste so it has a very pungent (but appetizing) flavor. It is said to be a favorite among Thais. Now, it is a favorite with me too! Next up was Pad Ci Ew. This is Robert’s favorite Thai dish of all time, and we hadn’t seen it on any menu yet so we had to try it. Not surprisingly, the Pad Ci Ew at Hemlock was much more subtle in flavor than what you get here in Seattle. The rice noodles were soft and not too greasy. We ended the meal with Tavoy Salad, an ancient recipe consisting of an exotic assortment of vegetables - eggplant, morning glory, banana flower, beans sprouts, bamboo shoots, and wing beans - topped with chicken and served in a spicy, sour dressing. It was refreshing and delicious. We ate at Hemlock on our last evening in Thailand, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the trip!