Phuket Town, Thong Lor, Bangkok

Phuket Town sits on the corner of Sukhumvit 55 (aka Soi Thong Lor) and Thong Lor Soi 6.  It occupies a small shop house and although I won't go into how charming it looks, because yes, it does look it.  It is small however, with only seven tables in total, one would be forgiven for thinking that this place may feel tiny, but it has high ceilings so it doesn't feel too cramped.  

The food as one would guess, is Southern Thai food from the region of Phuket.  Which I might add, used to be so lovely and sleepy.  Fortunately or unfortunately - depending on which way you look at it - Phuket is now one big bustling, thriving town full of expats and tourists . . . .

The food here is home cooked fare, lots of shrimp paste, Southern style curries and plenty more.  I came here tonight in a group of four, we were all famished and ordered way too much.  Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures of all the food.  A shame and for that, I do apologise.  I just tucked in and forgot all about papping the dishes as they came out.

We ordered the stir fried morning glory with shrimp paste.  If shrimp paste isn't your thing, you might not enjoy this so much.  The morning glory was crunchy and it wasn't spicy.

The bamboo shoots with minced prawn was generous, fresh and again not the least bit spicy.

The eggplant with deep fried seabass was fairly spicy.  I bit right into a red chilli and felt the numbing heat for a good few minutes.  Oh the joy of biting into red chilli seeds. 

The stir fried green beans with prawns in shrimp paste was OK. But I think I was a bit shrimp pasted out by this point.

We also ordered the fish cakes which were quite tasty.  Mini fish cakes that were bouncy, but minus any kaffir lime leaf or green beans.

Kanom Jeen Naam Ya Bpoo (crab curry with chinese rice noodles).  Thick yellow curry sauce with pieces of crab served with a plate of rice noodles, pickles, dried anchovies and chillies, pineapple. fresh beansprouts and Thai basil.  The curry is mild, probably a little too mild for my liking, but good all the same.

Fish balls with dipping sauce which were really plump.  My Western friends didn't really take to these.  Yes, they are an acquired taste - just like Marmite - love them or hate them.  Personally, I love them!

Finally we had the stir fried belly pork with sliced lemongrass and shallots. 

Overall, everyone seemed to enjoy the meal.  I did feel a little overwhelmed with all the food and sorry to say, that we left quite a bit of it as we couldn't finish it all. 

The staff are kept busy and the place has a great bustling feel about it.  We didn't feel rushed, in fact we were the last ones out at ten o'clock.  The owner was tilling up and the waiting staff had already cleared and wiped down the rest of the tables.

My party wanted more drinks, but we decided to move on and let them clear up and close for the night.

Likes: The cute mural on the wall.

Dislikes: The strange look I got from one of the staff when I didn't understand what he was asking me in Thai. 

Final Thoughts: It's a popular place for 'farangs' who love a bit of quaint Thailand.  For me, the food was good, it wasn't out of this world.  But I would go back, if just for the cute charm of the place.

Phuket Town

160/8 Thong Lor Soi 6, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 714 9402

HOURS: 10:30am - 10:30pm

Nearest BTS: Thong Lor, Exit 3.  Catch a taxi or motorsai to corner of Thong Lor & Thong Lor Soi 6.

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Baan Kanitha & Gallery, Sathorn, Bangkok

Having already been to their Sukhumvit Soi 23 restaurant, this one is closer to where I live.  Therefore no having to traipse or drive around Bangkok for ages.  I decided to take my mother here for Sunday lunch.

We were the first ones in today.  Despite our mantra of 'an empty restaurant is never a good sign', we decided to just go with it.

The restaurant is large and spacious and can easily accommodate big parties and lots of diners.  It is decorated in the traditional Thai house style.  

We got the signature complimentary 'meang kum' as an appetite tickler.  It certainly did the trick and made us even more hungry than we had been when we arrived.  

Since our order of grilled fish would take about half an hour, we decided to order a starter to keep us from wilting. 

Our appetizer: 'Krathong Tong' (160 baht), which is basically minced shrimp, crabmeat and corn in a crispy pastry shell arrived in good time. 

They looked fairly pretty, but unfortunately were rather sweet.  Whilst corn has a natural sweetness to it, I think these had been bumped up with extra sweetness.  A shame, because they would have been good otherwise.

We duly waited for the rest of the dishes to come out, and the first dish to be served was the stir fried bok choy with garlic (160 baht). 

Thankfully, it wasn't greasy, but in my personal opinion, I thought it could have done with a tad more garlic to really impart their flavour onto the bok choy. 

The grilled cotton fish in Thai herbs wrapped in banana leaf (520 baht) was the next to come out.  The fish was moist and tasty.  My mother thought it could have done with a little more spice.  It had already been de-boned and beheaded, so those a little squeamish about being served a whole fish with head still on need not worry here.

The final dish to arrive was the 'Gai Phad Khing On', chicken with sliced young ginger (190 baht).  Again, not greasy, but not enough ginger.  I only got little morsels of ginger here and there, which for me, just wasn't enough to really love this dish.  Personally, I love this when it is loaded with lots of sliced ginger, in fact, an insurmountable amount, the better.

I have to agree with my mother, the food is catered more to the foreigner. The dishes just didn't reach the point of spicyness that Thai food (catered to Thais) should be and the tastes of the dishes were more subtle in flavour.

It makes sense that many foreigners love Baan Kanitha and the fact that the other tables occupied today were indeed occupied by foreigners.  

Service is polite and friendly.  There is also a bakery and cafe to the side of the restaurant.

Baan Kanitha & Gallery
69 South Sathorn Road, Thungmahamek, South Sathorn, Bangkok 10120
Tel: +66 (0)2 675 4200-1
Nearest Station: Lumpini MRT, take exit to Sathorn Road.  Get a taxi or motorsai or walk about 8 minutes.  Baan Kanitha will be on your left hand side.


HOURS

Daily 11am-11pm

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Boran Noodle Shop, Klong Toey, Bangkok

Boran, simply put, is a traditional Thai-style noodle shop set in a modern air-conditioned retro Thai-style cafe.  Located on the second floor of the Exchange Tower makes it within walking distance to Asoke BTS via the sky walkway.

Retro posters adorn the walls, along with a retro looking portable tv that takes pride of place on a high shelf next to the semi-open kitchen.  The dark wooden stools and tables that populate this noodle cafe is a salute to the old school markets and stalls.  

The menu comes in Thai, so if you don't read Thai (like me) just request for one in English instead.  Saves having to work out how to decipher the menu with limited or no Thai reading skills. 

Unsurprisingly, reading from the title of this post, it's all about the noodle here. The main showstopper - in my opinion - being the traditional boat style noodle soup.

Simply pick your protein from pork or beef in your preferred style: meatballs, sliced, braised, combination and so on.  Then select the broth; aromatic boat style, clear soup.  Move on to choosing your noodle from thick rice noodles to egg noodles to glass noodles.  And finally don't forget to specify whether you require a large or a small portion.  Prices range from 55-105 baht.

They also have a small selection of dim sum: pork or prawn shui mai, prawn har gau (all 45 baht each), bbq pork buns and a couple of others for 25 baht each.

My steamed prawn shui mai came out alarmingly quick.  This is good if you are super hungry, bad if you are a little wary (like me) of why food comes out so soon.  But, I have to say they were plump, juicy, and really quite tasty considering.  Just remember that this is Thai style dim sum, not Cantonese style dim sum.  Yes, there is a difference!

Now for the braised beef boat style noodles.  I chose glass noodles (woon sen) as they are made from mung beans and therefore, I regard them as a healthier alternative to rice noodles. 

Below is a small, but very generous portion.  It had lots of yummy fresh veggies; cabbage, greens, coriander and beansprouts.  The braised beef was super tender, although a little fatty.  But nothing that a bit of carefully orchestrated biting with good chopstick skills can't solve.  Besides, cooking with the fat still on the meat only helps to tenderise it during the cooking process and adds a bucket load of meaty goodness to the flavour of the soup.

On a separate occasion, I came back to try their braised pork boat noodles, again with glass noodles.  The pork was less fatty, but still super tender.

You can make it as salty, sour, sweet or spicy as you like with the traditional four condiments that is mandatory for Thai noodle soups.  Thai noodle soup served without these four condiments is like serving a scone without jam and cream.

Drinks here include old fashioned rock sodas, iced teas and coffees, Singha beer and a handful of other soft drinks. 

Service is quick, friendly and easy going.  It may not be as cheap as a street stall, but in my book, it is certainly more comfortable and you do get very generous portions.

BORAN
2/F, Exchange Tower, 388 Sukhumvit Rd, Klong Toey, Bangkok
Tel: +66 (0)88 022 4022
Nearest BTS: Asoke, exit 6.  Walk along the skywalk and take the walkway into the Exchange Tower on the right hand side.  Boran is the second shop on the left as you enter the building.

HOURS
Mon-Fri: 7:30am-8:30pm
Sat-Sun: 10:30am-8:30pm

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Cabbages & Condoms, Klongtoey, Bangkok

Unlike any other, this restaurant supports the promotion of family planning, safe sex and HIV prevention in Thailand.  Set up by former politician and activist Mechai Viravaidya, Cabbages and Condoms serves Thai food in a two storey building with a beautiful garden courtyard. 

As you enter the Cabbages & Condoms hexagonal brick path, you'll pass their handicraft store which sells all sorts of condom related gifts.  This place is light-hearted, fun and most important of all, is geared towards a good cause. 

When you get to the restaurant's front desk, you'll be met by friendly service who'll take you to your table. 

There is plenty of dishes to choose from and for a lunch time, I was pleasantly surprised to find a mixture of clientele from tourists to ladies who lunch to men in suits.

Being on my own, I don't like to order too much, so I opted for stir fried rice noodles with chicken in soy sauce (phad si-ew gai) 100 baht:

Along with stir fried morning glory with chilli and garlic (pak boong fai daeng) 100 baht:

The food was tasty, filling and plenty of it.  I simply couldn't finish it all as it really was enough for two people.  

If you want a meal in a unique setting where part of the profits go towards a good cause, then make sure Cabbages & Condoms is on your list.

Come along in the evening and sit in the beautiful courtyard which lights up like a pretty fairyland and take in the beautiful surroundings. 

Cabbages & Condoms
10 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Bangkok 10260
Tel: +66 (0)2 229 4611
Nearest BTS: Asoke, exit 2.  Walk straight ahead at the bottom of the stairs, past Times Square building.  Take a left onto Sukhumvit Soi 12 and walk up a couple of hundred metres.

HOURS

Daily 11am-10pm

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Baan Kanitha, Wattana, Bangkok

A long established restaurant, Baan Kanitha (House of Kanitha) occupies a traditional Thai style house with plenty of parking on Sukhumvit Soi 23.  It's a fair few minutes walk from Sukhumvit road and you'll need to pass all the masseuse girls along this soi before you reach the restaurant on your right hand side. 

There is seating both indoor and out in the pretty lamplit lush garden.  Just be weary of mosquitos lurking around; get your spray on or be prepared to be bitten.

Traditional teak wood furnishing lends to the old style feel of this place and in doing so, creates a warm and pleasant atmosphere.

A waiter took us to a table by the window and handed us some menus.  There is a wide variety to choose from: starters, curries, vegetables, stir fries, seafood and so forth. 

After Mr. P and I avidly discussed the game plan for our feast, we placed our order and we were pleasantly surprised when the waiter asked if we had any allergies.  As this is the first time that I have ever been asked this question in Thailand, BIG kudos to Baan Kanitha for implementing this into their standard order taking procedure.

Our waiter duly went off with our table order and swiftly came back with a complimentary plate of 'meang kum'; a tasty Thai appetizer traditionally served to welcome guests. 

For those unfamiliar with this dish, it's betel leaves served with roasted unsalted peanuts, dried shrimp, diced young ginger, lime, chilli, shallots, toasted shredded coconut and a shrimp paste based sauce which includes shredded coconut, garlic, ginger, shallot, fish sauce and palm sugar. 

To eat, simply pick up a leaf, spoon a bit of everything into the centre, fold leaf together to make an easy all-in-one parcel, pop into the mouth and enjoy.  It is a simple, yet delightful explosion of many different flavours all at once and is a great way to whet the appetite.  Mr. P gave this a big thumbs up!

We followed this with a pork red curry (gaeng phed moo).  A coconut milk red chilli based curry with sliced pork, Thai pea eggplant and quartered Thai green striped eggplant, kaffir lime and basil leaves.  It wasn't overpoweringly spicy (as requested) and was really quite delicious:

Next up, the stir fried mince chicken with Thai basil and chilli (phad krapow gai sarp).  A favourite of Mr. P's and a well known Thai dish which when served as a one plate dish comes with a fried egg on top.  Again, just lovely:

And to make sure we got our 'five-a-day', stir fried morning glory with garlic and chilli in yellow bean sauce (pak boong fai daeng).  We both love this vegetable and Mr. P confesses to liking the Thai style of stir frying it over any other.

Ingredients were fresh and tasty.  None of the dishes were bland, they don't use MSG here and they also have brown rice instead of Jasmine should you have a preference.

Mr. P and I thought service and food were good.  We were treated well and after a satisfying meal, asked if we needed a taxi. 

A really tasty meal with fresh ingredients set in a beautiful old house with good service.  They also have a few other branches around central Bangkok which I can't (yet) comment on.  Perhaps if you can, you would?

Baan Kanitha
36/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel:  +66 (0)2 258 4181  / 4128
Nearest BTS: Asoke, exit 6.  Take the steps on your left hand side down to Sukhumvit road.  Turn left at the bottom of the stairs to walk along Sukhumvit road.  Take a left onto Sukhumvit Soi 23 and keep walking for about five or so minutes.   Baan Kanitha will be on your right hand side.

HOURS

Daily 11am-11pm

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Hai Som Tam Convent, Silom, Bangkok

Love Thai food?  Then I'm guessing you may very well know which region of Thailand 'som tam' (papaya salad) comes from.  For those of you who don't know, it comes from the northeast region of the country, known as Isaan.

Isaan has its own language, a dialect derived from the Lao language, but written in Thai alphabet.  Their food is hotter, they don't use coconut as liberally as the rest of Thailand and it gets so freakin' hot during the early part of the year.

A friend of my dm's who is Isaan has to eat som tam everyday, otherwise she just doesn't function very well at all.  It's akin to those who have to drink a shot of caffeine when they wake up or those who have to eat potatoes everyday.  The last one may sound a little absurd, but I knew a guy back in my uni days who had eat potatoes everyday.  No, he wasn't Irish, although he may have had Irish blood running somewhere down the line.  Each to their own I say, each to their own. 

Now, pretty much every Thai girl, woman, man who-is-watching their figure that I know simply loves som tam.  Why?  It's tasty, it's cheap, it's healthy and did I say it's tasty?  OH yes, it sure is.  I love it too.  And yes, I am a woman who-is-watching her figure. 

On Soi Convent off the busy Silom road, you'll find the aptly named Hai Som Tam Convent on the right hand side as you walk up from Silom.  Not hard to spot, just look for a big space with strip light ceiling and bright plastic green stools:

It's farang friendly, meaning the menu has been translated into english and some of the serving staff can converse in the language too.  Otherwise, just use the universal sign language of pointing to what you want on the menu. 

Works like a dream, unless the font is so small that it makes your finger look like a podgy sausage and no matter how much accuracy you aim for, sometimes the wrong dish inevitably gets ordered.  Yeah, happened to me once, can't remember where, wasn't in Thailand, but let's just say it definitely wasn't what I intended to order.

As I read through the menu, I couldn't help but watch the chef chopping the grilled chicken (gai yang) just in front of me.  Of course I had to get me some of that juicy looking meat.

And here is half of my lunch: sticky rice (khao niew) 15Baht, small portion of grilled chicken 70Baht (or 100Baht for large portion).  Comes with a plate of raw cabbage and green beans, and sprigs of fresh Thai basil.  The two chilli sauces are a hot and a sweet. 

The other half, som tam at 40Baht is a decent size.  Freshly grated papaya, dried shrimps, peanuts, tomato, chilli, green beans all in a yummy, ever so slightly sweet dressing.  Just be careful if you don't or can't take hot chilli, just ask for it without.  I ordered mine with just a little chilli and I found it fairly spicy.  Many locals think I am a bit of a chilli wuss.  Compared to them, I am! 

I got here before the lunch time rush so service was quick and attentive.  There are loads of waiting staff so even during busy times, service will still be quick. 

This place is clean and I even got lots of friendly smiles and laughs as I took my pictures.  They didn't seem to mind at all.  If you're in the area and looking for a som tam place, take a visit to Hai Som Tam Convent. 

Otherwise if you live fairly close by but can't be bothered to venture out, they do deliver at a charge of 80Baht.  Although I am not sure how easy it would be to order if you can't speak Thai, would love to find out ....

Hai Som Tam Convent
2/4-5 Soi Convent, Silom, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel:  +66 (0)2 631 0216  / 2514
Nearest BTS: Sala Daeng

HOURS
Mon-Fri: 10am-3pm
Sat: 10am-2pm

Closed Sundays

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Taling Pling, CentralWorld, Bangkok

Bangkok is known as a shopping as well as an eating destination. Bangkokians love nothing more than to go shopping and to take part in eating, all the time, day and night.  

But why are Thai women so skinny you ask?  Let me just say, it's part gene, part eating habit. There's no need for me to go into detail.  But I will say this, unfortunately I didn't inherit the first part ... yes, yes, boo hoo to me.  I did however inherit the Thai 'love of eating'; which without the skinny genes, is not a good predicament to be in.

So before I get completely depressed about how I can't eat a whole tub of ice-cream without putting on weight, CentralWorld shopping mall is a huge complex which can be accessed from the skywalk which connects to both Siam and Chidlom BTS stations. 

It used to be the World Trade Centre years ago and I remember it as a pretty empty, quiet sort of a place.  It also came under fire during political unrest in the second quarter of last year.  Nowadays, it's buzzing with life.

Having been to the Taling Pling chain of restaurants before; in Paragon shopping mall and a visit to another outlet, I liked their food.  So tonight after a bit of shopping, I decided to try out their outlet in CentralWorld.

It's located in the Atrium zone of the 3rd floor and the casual, smart contemporary décor with mood lighting and floor to ceiling windows at the back, all makes for a pleasant cafe-style restaurant.

Their helpful picture menu is a godsend for those who aren't familiar with the dishes and is just a really nice guide for those who are.  The focus is on homestyle Thai cooking and there's loads to choose from: appetizers, curries, noodles, one plate rice dishes, vegetarian, fish, desserts.

I wanted something a bit different and something that I hadn't eaten for some time.  So I went ahead and ordered the 'spicy stir fry "sator" beans (otherwise known as fava beans) with minced pork and prawn '(155 Baht). 

For those who have never eaten sator/fava beans, they have a sort of mild nutty taste and are slightly crunchy in texture.  Some say these beans are slightly bitter in taste.  Cooked well, i.e. with a really good, strong stir fry sauce, the bitterness is hardly noticeable.  At least that's my opinion anyway.

Now, I must forewarn, this is a truely 'nose-runner' of a spicy dish, so if spicy, and by this I mean really spicy chilli is not your thing, then do remember to ask for it mild or mi phet (not hot).

And to ensure I got my five-a-day, I also ordered a plate of 'Stir fry morning glory with garlic, chilli and oyster sauce' (95 Baht).  This is one of my favourite vegetable dishes of all time, although I am told that I shouldn't eat too much morning glory as it's not good for energy levels.  Not sure where I heard this, but I rarely heed this advice.  Needless to say, maybe this is the reason for my low energy dips in the afternoons, or maybe that's more to do with eating too much for lunch?!
 

Staff are friendly and polite here.  Food didn't take too long to come out and I can't remember whether there was music in the background or not.  Shh, I would make a rubbish restaurant critic, good job I am not one then.  Although secretly, I would love to be, and now my secret desire to be one is not so secret anymore.  Anyone need a restaurant critic?  I am really good at eating ....

Taling Pling

3rd Flr Atrium Zone, CentralWorld Mall, Bangkok

Tel: +66 (0)2 613 1360-2

Nearest BTS: Siam and Chidlom

HOURS

Daily 10am-10pm

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Crêpes & Co, Klongtoey, Bangkok

Love crêpes?  Me too.  For those of you who don't, what's there not to like?  Seriously people, they are goooood.

I actually prefer crêpes over any other style of pancake.  These thin crispy edged pancakes are a wonderful French export and yes, we have them here in Bangkok.

I had been meaning to check out Crêpes & Co for some time now and today, I finally managed to get there.  

It's about a five (sweaty) minute walk down Soi 12 from Sukhumvit road.  Add a couple more minutes or so if walking from Asoke BTS (exit 2).

You'll see a painted white wall with their sign sticking out and at first, you may start to doubt whether this place was really worth checking out or not.  At least this is what I did.  And after a sweaty walk down, I was damned if I was going to turn back around.

As I approached the entrance though, I was presented with the most lush and beautiful jungle garden.  I have to admit, I was VERY pleasantly surprised.  Maybe this place was worth seeking out.

Walking into the restaurant, I was instantly greeted by a friendly waiter in the typical Frenchman outfit: a blue and white striped top with a red neck scarf and a black beret.  All he needed was a moustache and a french accent.  Thankfully he hadn't acquired the abrupt Parisien manner that I had been accustomed to. 

I chose to sit in the front room on a table by the low window and I was immediately poured a lovely glass of iced cold water and handed the menu.  Ahh, this place just kept getting better by the minute.

There is seating outside on a beautifully decked verandah and a large dining room up a few steps from the front room which also houses the bar. 

There's a couple of tall bookcases with magazines, cushioned rattan seating with a coffee table covered in newspapers, a basket full of teddies and toys for the kiddies.  Music plays out softly in the background and the owner comes around to say hello to all his patrons ... a really lovely touch.  There is also free wifi for those who want it.

As you can imagine, there are crêpes galore here: French, brunch style, most popular and international flavours.  There's also appetizers, pasta, Mediterranean plates such as moussaka, Tajine of lamb and so forth, and 14 different salads.  And if you would prefer, you can also make up your very own savoury crêpe by ticking off your own ingredients:

Being in Thailand, I decided to go for the Massaman chicken curry crêpe.  I was very tempted to go for a French one, but decided that curry was the order of the day.

I didn't have too long to wait, but it didn't come out right away, which in my book is a good sign that the crêpes are cooked fresh.  As you can see below, it was a very generous portion.

The curry was delicious, the potato was cooked through, the chicken pieces were tender and crêpe was scrumdidlyumptious.  My only gripe and this is just an aesthetic one: the chef could have cleaned the plate of crumbs before it came out ... it looks like a bad case of crêpe crumb dandruff.

That said, I will definitely be back.  I love the ambience, the setting and the lush green jungle front garden.  The serving staff are all so friendly and polite, along with the owner himself. 

They also have a branch in Thonglor and you can find the details on their website.  

So if you're in the mood for crêpes in Bangkok, you really need to check this place out.

Crêpes & Co
18/1, Sukhumvit Soi 12, Klongtoey 10110, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 653-3990 / 3991
Nearest BTS: Asoke, exit 2

HOURS
Daily: 9am-Midnight

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Bar Bar Black Sheep, Boat Quay, Singapore



If you grew up in England, then the name of the bar sounds familiar.  For those who didn't, who don't know what I'm talking about ... it shares the same sounding name as a fairly old English nursery rhyme. 

Anyhow, back to the bar, this place serves up Western, Thai and Indian food.  It's located pretty much in the middle of Boat Quay, which is packed with restaurants and bars.  A popular area with the afterwork crowd and tourists alike.

I met with an old friend who recently moved to Singapore for a quick afterwork bite and a catchup.  Seeing as I was in the mood for a burger (and my friend Mr. A was too), we decided to try our luck at this place.

With the few tables outside all occupied, as well as the bar stools, there were only a handful or so tables inside and we managed to grab the last available table at the back.

The waitress eagerly came along with menus and took our drink orders.  There's a good choice of food, but like I said, I was really hankering after a burger.  So of course being in South-East Asia, I went for the Rendang beefburger.  The waitress asked how I wanted it done, to which I replied, "medium".

Without trying to sound funny here, I was a little surprised not to see any lamb burgers on the menu.  I actually prefer lamb burgers to the beef variety.  Perhaps lamb costs a lot more than beef over here as they have to import it from further away, or maybe they are just not popular in Singapore to warrant putting on the menu ... who knows ....

My verdict on the burger; the bun had been toasted, but the bread was really chewy.  I also found the burger meat a little chewy, and it was medium to well done.  The sauce had a bit of a kick which added a subtle spicyness to the burger. 

Chips were good though and the coleslaw (like any regular commercial coleslaw found in supermarkets all over the UK) was a little bit too creamy for my taste, but that's only because I have grown to love good old homemade coleslaw.

For around $14.50, I guess it's not the cheapest burger in town, nor the most expensive either. 

Bar Bar Black Sheep, not a bad place to come with friends after work or even at lunch time.  Location is right on the river, the place is buzzing in the evenings, the bar is really quite pleasant and there are lots of other bars if you wanted to do a bit of a crawl.

Bar Bar Black Sheep
55 Boat Quay, Singapore 049844

HOURS
Mon-Thu: 12pm-12am
Fri: 12pm-2am
Sat: 9am-2pm
Sun: 9pm-12am

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Thai Street Food, Bangkok

Anyone who has visited Thailand will know that Thai street food can be exciting, colourful, interesting and wonderful, as well as downright dodgy for those without an iron stomach. 

Food hawkers move around by simply pushing their four wheeled food carts from place to place on foot.

They come alive when the sun goes down with many locals getting their evening feed.  Having eaten at many stalls over the years, I can attest that some are better than others.  And I always stay away from the ones that are on a busy main street.  With all the pollution, especially in Bangkok, I'm not fond of having it in my food if you catch my drift. 

Still, it doesn't hurt to have a look and for those who are interested in food, there are some truly fascinating things on offer. 

Of course not everything will be to everyone's taste, so it is important to go with an open mind and a willing appetite for an encouraging start. Just beware if you don't have the constituency of a hardened traveller's stomach.

Since Thai street food is very inexpensive for Westerners, with prices starting at 15 Baht upwards, it is possible to get a very good feed without spending a fortune.  The beauty is in being able to try as many different things as possible. 

Below is a hawker selling deep fried potato and taro wedges (upper basket) and deep fried Thai bananas. 

Another hawker was selling deep fried whole fish, prawns, chicken legs and barbequed sticks of kidneys and chicken (see images below).

Another hawker was deep frying ready made fresh spring rolls to sell on the spot.  They looked deliciously golden and crunchy.  They are served with a little bag of sweet chilli sauce and fresh basil leaves.

Fresh curries, vegetables and stir fries.  Most of which you can see has already gone.  It was past lunch time though...

Sticks of fish balls, pork balls and sausages.  Asian fast food delights...

Thais love their sweet desserts.  Here are tapioca water chestnut balls, sweetcorn, tapioca pearls and a huge bowl of sweet coconut milk at the front, a big bag of crushed ice sits behind the table.  You choose what you want from the selection, it gets topped with a spoonful of crushed ice and sweet coconut milk on top.  Mix it up and it becomes a deliciously cool dessert - seriously!

Below are some roti style pancakes.  A typical breakfast treat is a roti style pancake with egg and sugar.  Rather sweet, but oh sooo good - definitely 'a minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips' sort of a treat... Once in a while, but not every week. 

A lady grilling Thai bananas over stone coals. 

Delicious golden deep fried sesame seed balls.  These are glutinous doughy balls made with rice flour and filled with sesame paste or red bean paste.  One of my favourite snacks, they are truly delicious, but again not good for one's waistline. 

And here are some sweet coconut sticky rice parcels - wrapped in banana leaf.   Shredded coconut on the side.  Sweet, sticky and good...

And finally, a hawker selling Thai style coffee.  It's sweet, made with condensed milk and served cold - just how the locals like it.

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