Wednesday, 3 April 2024

Sisters Go Bangkok 2024

"Take Only Memories, Leave Behind Footprints".


Not our first time visiting Bangkok but is our first time that a trip is purely for the 2 of us!! 
Miss Piggy and I look forward to spend great time together eating, shopping, and spa-ing. 
Bangkok, a city that need no further introductions where you can read up at my previous blogs : 1) Sawadee-ka at Bangkok, Thailand  2) Blissfully Bangkok 7
The must do stuffs that we had done will not all be repeated in this blog especially the religious activities like Erawan Shrine, Yi De Tang (donate coffin temple) & Mae Nak Shrine as they had bee repeat numerous times where you can find information on the previous blogs.


Sidetrack: Introduction about Miss Piggy though she always appears on my blogs.... 
She is my other half, been around most of the times of my life, she is my younger sister though most people think I am then the younger sister. Hahhaaha.. and I love seeing the "roll eyes" face of her's.
Besides being a glutton, she is also very irritating, nosey, loud, and hateful because there is never a moment of peace whenever she is around, she held a record of talking 6hrs nonstop on the flight from Singapore to Seoul!!! Even this round, she did not let me down, the flight was mere 2hrs, she literally talked nonstop too but she is part of me.

We landed Suvarnabhumi Airport on a sunny afternoon, with her talking nonstop, the humidity was unbearable.

We hop on the cab and head straight to The Berkeley Hotel again, which is a common choice for Singaporeans. Hotel gave us a free upgrade to bigger room; well, this is very lucky of us.
This round, just only 2 of us, so we did not book any breakfast in the hotel, we are going out to have a feast outside.





Our fun is officially start now; food hunting is officially start now.
Scroll down and see how much fun we had and how hateful she is. 





Kiew Kai Ka 
This restaurant is very popular in Bangkok, it is always featured on travel magazines and articles. For last 7 years, they had a seat on the Michelin Guide, so we are here to see if it is indeed deserving our time and money here. 


The word "Kiew" means "Green" in English and indeed this place is full of greens.
Surrounded with lush greenery, which relax us mentally and emotionally. 


The restaurant is airy and bright, as we were here after the lunch hours, we were the only customers. 








The menu is quite a variety and Miss Piggy attempted to order 8 dishes for the 2 of us. 
Isn't she crazy ? I slapped down her brilliant ideas and we made it with 5 dishes. 

We ordered dried fish with watermelon, red duck curry, crab omelette, grilled pork, fish fried rice, 

The Pretty Drinks


Dried Fish with Watermelon 
Look pretty and seems special so we ordered to try.
Unique combination to the taste. 

Crab Omelette
This is really very nice, crispy egg topped with fresh crab meat.
Read in a review that there is more crab meat hidden inside but there isn't any at all. 
It will be better if it is served with more crab meat.


Grilled Pork
Serve and ate hot, meat is very soft and flavorful that goes well with the sauce provided.
But once the food turns cold, it tastes normal. 

Red Duck Curry
The curry taste is very nice which is to our liking very much.
Duck meat is normal. 
The curry and the duck cook separately. 
The duck meat seems like a topping to the curry.

Fish Fried Rice
We love it! 
Every grain is separated and well fried.

Even the washroom is also very green and clean.


The service and the atmosphere are good here, it is a nice place to hang out. 
As for the food wise, though they are considered nice, but we do not see the need to return again. 

Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri (Opposite Central World)
#### MUST BRING FOLDABLE SHOPPING BAGS ####
This is a must come place for most tourist, and it is super crowded at night as tourist will come here after they finish their fun in the day.
Bombastic super-duper hypermarket that you can find everything here whether you want to buy one unit or bulk. 
Centrally located, right opposite of Central World, less than 10 minutes' walk from Erawan Shrine. 
In total, we visited Big C twice to finish getting all our needed stuff. 







 Since we were still feeling full from the meal from Kiew Kai Ka, we decided to get mango sticky rice from the vendor whom we passed by. The mango is fresh, sweet and the sticky rice blend well with freshly cooked coconut milk.

Buay Pochana 
Located in Thonglo area of Sukhumvit, this restaurant is specialized in goose / duck meals for over 60 years.
We came here for breakfast as today we will be spending most of our time in Sukhumvit.





Weather is super-hot, cold drinks are appreciated at any time of the day. 

We both order duck drumsticks noodles which was serve in hot claypot. 


The duck is tender and awesome while the broth is very tasteful and delicious, it shows the stewing for long hours under low fire. 

This is duck intestines which is very chewy, fresh and well cooked. Miss Piggy said she never eat something like this before. 

Duck Dumpling which is made of minced duck meat. I also never had duck dumpling before, it tastes good, I am sure this dish is thoroughly handmade because mini bones bits are found in the dumpling.


(un)FASHION Vintage Collection
Quirky spot with a cafe for light bites, cake & coffee also selling vintage shoes, handbags & belts.
The exterior of this cafe looks something from an Animation which I cannot recall.




The interior, though has 2 levels which is not big, but it is very cozy, comfortable and clean.




We both ordered Rose Latte, which is very beautifully presented, scatter rose bits as topping and indeed there is an aftertaste of "Rose".


HealthLand Ekkamai 
Located just next to (un)Fashion Cafe, we are here for 3hr Ayurvedic treatment for our bodies, our minds and our souls.



Ayurvedic medicine is about much more than providing treatment. Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest medical systems. Originating in India 5,000 years ago, it relies on a natural and holistic approach to physical, mental and emotional health.
The word “Ayurveda” is derived from Sanskrit and means “science of life.” In Ayurveda, there’s an underlying belief that everything in life is connected. Because of this, general health and wellness rely on achieving balance and harmony.




The package included massages on Abhyanga, Shirobhyanga and Shirodhara.
Abhyanga and Shirobhyanga are more to slow massaging technique which relax the mind totally.

As for Shirodhara, which is to be done in a different room, on different bed because it is warm oil dripping over the head process. If you were to see the photo clearly, there is a drain surrounded the bed and a small drainage system attached.
 I did double check with the masseur that the bed for Shirodhara is not suitable for massage.  





It cost us only SGD145 per person here is Bangkok.  This is my second time doing this and I really love this Indian Massage. 
Even first timer, Miss Piggy - she also sang high praises and swore her love for Ayurvedic. 

Here Hai Restaurant



We are lucky to q for only 15min, the procedure is you take queue by filling your name on the notebook and wait here or come back later.
Spoiler Alert, there is alot of flies while we were queuing outside as this place deals with seafood. 

This insane restaurant sells mostly seafood like crab, prawn and scallop and all the items we ordered are insanely delicious. There are other patrons even extended second orders.


We ordered the insane crab fried rice, insane crab omelette and insane mantis prawn with garlic.


Insane Crab Fried Rice
All other tables within my view ordered this too.
The wok hei went deep into every single grain of rice.
Crab meat was insanely alot and insanely fresh!


Crab Omelette
Watery egg + fresh crab meat while serving hot.
No words to describe.
We were contemplating to order the crab omelette again.


Fried Mantis Prawn with Garlic
I always like mantis prawn compared to the normal prawn.
What most important was that they are super fresh that blend perfect with the garlic.


Here Hai accepts cash payment only, the service is good, and staff speaks English.
We will come back again; this insane restaurant got a seat on my "must come" list.
It is a pity that it just 2 of us, if we have a bigger group, we sure ordered much more food.

This is the queue formed outside after we finished the meal which is about 5pm.

Liab Duan Night Market
This place is located quite a distance from Pratunam area. 
The long cab drive did not deter us from visiting because I heard that this place has less tourist and most of the shoppers here are locals. 
It is proven that there is only a very small handful of the shoppers are tourists, the air of local is very high which is what we want. 










When Miss Piggy wana eat grilled fish....






Lung Pratu Nam Boat Noodle
Located opposite of the hotel, this 3RD generation family run business is still busy running around, serving good food to people. 
This Boat noodle is on my "must visit" list.
As delicious as ever. 

Here we run into another familiar face who grew alot since the last meeting in December 2022.
He was cute and curious and now he is handsome and adorable. Love to be pet forever! 


Photos of December 2022 vs March 2024.

Another Kitty Oyen here who love to chill around and welcome petting from everyone who walked past him. 



Earthy Roaster
When the barrister is handsome...coffee is great when he recommended us better grade of coffee beans.
I got a cappuccino, she got a mocha, this cafe is just 2 minutes' walk from Lung Pratunam Boat Noodles.
THB270






Chatuchak Market 
Who need further introduction for this market? 
This place is as hot as ever, most of the prices here cost quite similar to those shops at the town.






Tuk Tuk
In case you do not know what is tuk tuk ..... 
A tuk tuk is also known as an "automobile rickshaw", it is a 3 wheels motorcycle taxi.
It is another public transportation option and is known for its colourful, bright decoration with loud engine pipes.
There is no meter onboard, price to be negotiated before the start of the journey,
They are also well known to mark up real high on the price especially towards tourists. 
I ever came acrossed that cabs are actually end up cheaper than tuk tuk.
Nevertheless, if you want to experience the carefree feel, it is definitely encouraged.





Khamoo Thewada Bangrak
This gem is hidden in a alley of Charoen Krung Road in Silom, which is just next to Jok Prince.
Braised pig trotter rice known as "Tee Ka Png" in Hokkien, it is a growing up dish for us.
We ate this dish regularly because our mum, maternal grandma and paternal grandma always cooked it.
This shop is special, there is something else added into the gravy which taste different as the one we always ate. 
When we asked, due to language barrier, it is understood that another kind of spice is added. Anyway, this shop s good! 









Bird Nest at 东方燕窝
Located in Food Legend food court, at the level 6 in MBK
THB300 per bowl for such a hot weather. 
There is also another grade one at THB200.
Usually, the food courts here in Bangkok use cashless system for purchase.
You need to buy a cash card and transact at your chosen stall. 
Balance amount left in the card are subjected to refund. 






After You Cafe 
Located at the level 3 of MBK, After You Cafe is on the "must eat" list too. 
We are here for the Shibuya Toast that we each order one. 
This is a very popular cafe here that it has outlets at several locations to cater to the locals and tourists.






Nikko Thai Massage 2
There are several locations for this Massage center. 
This round, we are here for 120 minutes traditional Thai Massage which has a history of over 2,500 years, with roots in ancient Indian Ayuvedic medicine and Chinese healing practices. Thai massage combines acupressure, assisted yoga postures and energy work to promote overall well-being.  It further offers physical benefits such as relieving muscle tension and joint pain, as well as mental and emotional benefits like reducing stress and improving mood.
Never leave Thailand without it! 







Go Ang Chicken Rice
When we are too tired and do not have any expectations.
This restaurant will not wrong and it located right opposite of iur hotel. 
Taste similar like what we usually have in Singapore but the chilli that goes with it is quite nice. 




Palladium Night Market
Located at the circumference of Palladium Mall, the nightly operated night market open at 5pm and closed at 12am.
The night market is not big but due to its location, which is just next to The Berkerley Hotel, it is a common destination to the people staying in Pratunam area. 

What an awesome sight to welcome our last day in Bangkok. Such a beautiful sun rise that we received from our room's window.
We woke up super early for this day as we need to head for a popular breakfast place before the crowd comes in. 

Jok Prince
 (0600-1300 / 1500 - 2300)
Located along the main road of Charoen Krung Road in Silom.
Do not belittle such a simple porridge, it is one of the best I ever had.
Legendary porridge with good wok hei and flavorful handmade meatballs.
Come early to avoid long queue.






This lady is a super star that always appear on food articles.


Our first order : she asked for mixed porridge which included egg, meatballs and innards while I opted for plain meatball porridge with egg



Our second order : 2 plain meatball porridge with egg but without ginger and spring onion. 

Total damage for 4 bowls of porridge at THB272
See this alley here, where the staff of Jok Prince handmade the youtiao (ponggo) here while the Khamoo Thewada Bangrak Braised pork trotter rice is just located inner a little.


Cafe Amazon
Like MacDonalds, it has many franchise outlets scattered across Thailand.
The one we visited is very near to Jok Prince and glad to find Amazon nearby.
I reckon, the coffee seeds here are from Brazil as the name said it all. 
The coffee is rather good enough to start our day. I will KIV this brand for my future visit to Thailand.





Pratunam Market
This place is real big and there scatter quite a bit of distance. 
It is famous for good bargains and it is super-duper crowded every day which usually open at 7am and close at around 3pm.
Well, this place need no further introduction. 




Lunch at Krungthong Plaza
Level 4 of the mall, remember to get your cash card ready before ordering. 
This food court sell quite a big variety of local food here. I ordered fried bee hoon and she irdered crisy noodle in gravy 
As this is a shopping mall, it is a good place to shop around for good bargains.


Time to go home...
We came with a luggage each and go home with extra bags... what an achievement!

"We" time in Bangkok has come to an end with many great memories. We are sure that it is going to lasts us a lifetime. 


In the month of February, my Mr and I successfully chased auroras in The Arctic of Tromso Norway:
 

We also visited Switzerland during the period of last Christmas, here are some links to our happy days there : 
And we made trips to France's Colmar& Strasbourg too.


3 days after I am back to Singapore, I need to fly over to Aaborg again, this round will stay until Easter's period which means near 3 weeks. Feel free, you are most welcome to browse through my page where we visited few cities of Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Malaysia and more. We even moved to stay in Denmark during the peak of Covid: Relocation from Singapore to Aalborg, Denmark
Please stay tune and keep a look out at on my Facebook page : followblueginger

Thank you and Cheers
Wish you good luck.