Bangkok Uncovered!

Continuation of the Bangkok adventure.

Went Maboonkrong area for some shopping and mani pedi session. Of course everything there was much more expensive compared to the Pratunam area because once again, its targeted at the tourists. But anyhow, we had awesome mani pedi (200Baht + 100Baht) with pretty good service. Remember to tip everyone who does your nails! Important and only a small tip like 20Baht per person is sufficient.

Lunch was Shabu-Shabu at MBK. Its on the same level at the food court and really cheap! Could do better with the flavoring of the food but still an enjoyable meal!

Headed for desserts after lunch at the MBK foodcourt. In my opinion, Platinum Shopping Centre's foodcourt still wins handsdown even though the one at MBK is bigger. The quality of the desserts were not good. We actually had a tapioca block that tasted bad and had to throw the whole piece away. The red ruby was fine though.

redruby is a popular thai dessert which looks like mock pomegranate seeds but is actually pea sized water chestnut bits coated in red jelly and served with coconut milk and ice. really yummy!

How to aid digestion of a full meal? Take a walk around the supermarket to scout for any interesting or cheap snacks etc that can be stocked up or bringing back home! Pineapple Basil drink sounds....quite questionable. We bought quite a few fresh fruits and snacks!

Since we ate so much for lunch, we decided to 'detox' by going to Chinatown for the famed Kaya Butter toast bread. I have never tasted such awesome Kaya in my life, plus look at the generous heap of kaya dumped onto the bread! The bread has been spread with butter and toasted over charcoal before the Kaya is placed on top and cut into bite sizes. It was fantastic and worth every bit of the 15Baht we paid for one slice. Go early to avoid disappointment. This stall is a complete sell-out by 10pm every night and it only starts operations at about 6pm. Location is opposite the Bank of Ayudya.

We also tried the Butter Condensed Milk toast but it didn't taste as awesome as the Kaya toast so we ordered the latter again. We had 3 Kaya toasts in total!

Chinatown here is a long stretch of shops, restaurants and make shift food stalls. A pretty interesting sight. We had bird's nest for 20baht and iced ovaltine for 15baht. The hot drinks cost more than the cold drinks cos they put so much ice into the drink, only 1/3 of the cup is actually non-ice. The durians are so huge! I think 3 people can share one durian and be full from it.

After that we wanted to go out for another night of shopping at the locals market, Sepanput. Unfortunately, it started pouring and since it was only a short distance away from Chinatown, we took a cab there to wait for the rain to stop (36baht taxi fare). But the rain did not stop so we took shelter at a random roadside stall and warmed ourselves up over a steaming bowl of tom yum soup. it was good, and it only cost 70baht though the locals will have it cheaper.)

Street corn is delicious! Steamed and juicy, no salt/butter is needed. Eat it while shopping for a healthy, cheap snack at 10baht!

My random tidbits buys for eating and to bring home. Chinatown has a few quirky things that I use to eat while growing up, such as fried ikan bilis, peanut candy, cuttlefish sheet, pork floss rolls etc, and I had to buy them home!

The Thai fishcake is a must try also! eat it with the thai sweet chili and prepared fresh on the spot is so good! 20baht only. I'd say, we had a field day scouting for different local food along the street to try!

Thai massage before heading back to the hotel. The one next to our hotel cost us 200baht, while the one at platinum cost us 350baht. really ticklish but good.

Packed red ruby back to eat cos we were so full from lunch but wanted to have our last taste of it before we pack up and leave for the airport. They packed it for us separating the rubies, coconut milk, ice and included the bowl! so thoughtful!

The insane Bangkok traffic. The hotel staff advised us leaving the hotel 3 hours before the flight and it sure was a useful tip because we were caught in the peak hour traffic and unfortunately i really needed the toilet. Sure was an experience, especially with the taxi driver going at 140km/hr on the highway and I didn't dare to move myself in order to belt up.

Had dinner at the airport. The prices there were quite high for the local standards but still affordable. I had green curry rice, where the rice was served star-shaped, for 250baht. I liked it. It was really tasty.

Thus concludes the Bangkok adventure. It was a good break away from work/studies and we had a great time on an affordable budget. Would recommend anyone who is looking for a great time shopping, eating, relaxing and on a budget!