travelfreaks

We have never given her any $ in 2.5 years. She is not a 'working girl' and is college educated and holds a professional job making decent $ for a Thai...she has a nice house, couple year old car, motorbike, etc. No sick family members (or buffalo), or even the slightest suggestion of us giving her $. She would likely be very insulted if I even attempted to give her $.

We have had our fair # of other Thai girls, but we just enjoy them for a couple hours and send them on their way with a few baht. We are far from walking ATM's and know the game well...enjoyed the company of ladies in Mexico, Aruba, Costa Rica, Panama, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, etc.

Anyway, make sure the bugs you buy are fresh...ie. if the larvae are darker in color then they are old. Make sure you get fresh ones and they will taste much better, or so I am told.

transpac

Boat Noodles

Boat noodles or kuai tiao ruea (Thai: ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ)

Victory Monument

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lu...eb903f955d07a8

http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2010/1...-boat-noodles/

http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2013/0...uay-teow-reua/

http://aroimakmak.com/kway-teow-rua-boat-noodles/

http://foodiefc.blogspot.com/2014/01...r-victory.html

transpac

Governor stays execution of Soi 38 food scene

Under the compromise, the sidewalk stalls on east side of the soi must close by Sept. 1. The shophouse restaurants on the west side will have another nine months and must close for good by March 1.

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/06/2...-38-food-scene

njxbean

So how does this affect the street food near the Marriott 57? I will be headed there in October. Thanks.

transpac

Impossible to say as this is Thailand and what might happen tomorrow is a mystery.

Some stalls may close on Sep. 1, or maybe they will all move to "west" side of the street so that they can remain open until March 1, 2016?

In some cases here, squatters have remained for decades.

It seems like they need the extra room to bring heavy trucks and equipment down that small street to facilitate construction. Not sure how this might affect the ambience?

wizzy

My wife and I will be in Bangkok Oct. 11-16 for our 10th anniversary trip. What places do I need to book well in advance? I'm thinking Gaggan, and a high-end (interesting) Thai place; haven't gotten much beyond that. Are there days of the week that we should be concerned about / considering (special things on certain nights of the week, etc.). We'll be at the Sheraton SGS.

willryu

When I tried to book Gaggan through their website it was a fail. This was for Aug 17th and they email me back that they were booked until Sept 14th, so you should immediately. Don't go through their online system. Talk to them directly.

[email protected]

-Will

DirtyDan

Gaggan is a wonderful experience. Was there a couple months ago and have plans to return shortly.

High end Thai.... there's one place in a big hotel in Sathorn that everyone raves about but we found pretentious, overly spiced*, and way too expensive for mediocre food.

I will happily recommend BoLan just off Sukhumvit 53 - amazing tasting menu and the wine pairing we had last time introduced us to completely new varietal. Wonderful experience here every time! http://www.bolan.co.th/

A little less upscale, but in the same area, is a really nice Thai restaurant called Patara http://www.patarathailand.com/, I wouldn't make it a destination for a 10th anniversary, but thought I would mention it if anyone wanted a nice meal (great wine list and veggie options too).

Over in Silom is Eat Me., which is western with Thai fusion elements. Cool place and worth a visit!

There's also some amazing Japanese if you're willing to branch out. There's so many good places to eat in BKK; I can't believe I'm not 500 kilograms after living in this city.

Regards,
DirtyDan



*Mrs. Dirty eats food her Thai born friends say to too spicy: this was intentional over-spicing.

Dr. HFH

I, too, can recommend Bo.Lan. It's excellent in every way. One warning for us westerners, -- Bo.Lan doesn't tone down the amount of chili for western palates. They serve food that way that they feel it should be served. To enjoy this meal, you need to be able to tolerate quite a bit of heat.

dsquared37

And quite a bit of bill.

I thought the meal excellent but the pricing pretentious.

Dr. HFH

Right you are, ds2. IIRC the current prix fixe menu (in the west we'd call it a tasting menu; but they call it something different) is 2,680+.

wizzy

Thanks for the guidance. I reached out to Gaggan, and they appear to have quite a bit of availability for our time period (weekdays, not weekends, so wonder if that makes a difference). Our choices are 6, 6:30, 9, or 9:30. I'm leaning towards 6:30, but is there a "usual" time that people go to dinner in Thailand? Back home, if the kids are with us, we eat at 5:30 or 6:00, but my wife and I are 7:30 or 8:00 people if we're on our own.

Thanks, also, for the mention of restaurants unwilling to compromise on their spice level. That would ruin the evening, as my wife likes some spice, but likely cannot handle more than a bite of truly spicy food.

DirtyDan

Just a note that if you're planning on the bigger Gaggan tasting menu (which I highly advise), it took us 4 hours to get through (2 regular settings and one vegetarian, not sure that made a difference) - so maybe the earlier service might be suitable?

Kalboz

Agreed with you on Bo.Lan ...

I really don't know what to think about this place ... what the hype is all about??? Maybe I am a simple man who rather have basic delicious food at reasonable prices. Hailed by the New York Times as " ... Bangkok’s first chic Thai restaurant with a focus on slow, sustainable, seasonal cooking.", this restaurant is owned & operated by husband-and-wife team Dylan Jones and Bo (Duangporn Songvisava), who met while working at Nahm Thai restaurant in London, have set out to present Thai food using fresh local ingredients while creating traditional dishes that may not be seen quite so often in more tourist places.

Reservations are required and you will be turned away if showed up without one. We were turned back once already. So our hotel concierge made the reservations and arranged for a meter taxi to the location on Sukhumvit 26. Went there for dinner with wife and another couple. Did not order the pre-set menu (Bo.lan Balance) due to its whopping THB 1,880++ per person price tag! (around $76 per person all in). We ordered several dishes a la carte and the interesting thing is that they refuse to honor requests for less spice in certain dishes ... so basically, what they cook is what you will eat.

I like to drink full-bodied Port wine with spicy Asian food, and when I ordered a glass of it, I was told that port is served by the shot!!! First, to wash our palates, we were served Pandan drink in metal cups. Then a complimentary nutty-tasting dish that resembled cereal was served and it was good. We ordered several dishes and the food arrived without prolonged delay. The food was nothing special, of ordinary quality, ample quantity to feed all 4 of us, and tasted good, but it was also extremely spicy hot. I say this and I am a person who enjoys spicy food.​ My wife is Thai and she thought the food was overly spicy. Nothing bad here, but also nothing extraordinary either! Recommend the "Five spiced braised sweet pork belly salad with star fruit and orange dressing" dish.
​
The atmosphere was cozy but clustered while seated indoors. Outdoor seating is available but with the warm weather we chose to be confined indoors. It's a place where the Thai hi-so types hang out. My wife spotted a female Thai movie superstar, while my friend's fiancée recognized a Thai TV celebrity chef. Total bill came up to about THB 3,300 (about $115 at the time) without beverages.​ Not bad for the US or Europe but very steep for Thailand.
​
Do I recommend this restaurant? It all depends! If you like the cultural experience, love real Thai food, and would like to splurge for a special occasion, then this is a place for you. Otherwise, go elsewhere!

Visited April 2014

Photos of our visit including dishes ordered are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz...57641792073465

washeelers747

can confirm that after checking out that place with my mate. We didn't eat there, and decide to check out Faces of Bangkok on Soi 38 (http://www.facebars.com/en/bangkok/restaurant/) it's very good and reasonable from price perspective. However, if anyone have balance or physical issues, then it might be a challenge to take some steps without rail...

I wish i did read this thread before visiting BKK recently. Always next time