tex mex patriate

i've yet to meet a mexican in bangkok, unfortunately. te extraño. so the only mexican food this former-LA resident will get will have to be of the tex-mex kind.

i've got three bangkok mexican restaurants for you all in one stuffed-burrito-post.
disclaimer: i've yet to go to patty's fiesta in silom (though, the logo of the thai "patty" in a sombrero isn't exactly something that screams authentic mexican) or senor pico in the rembrandt hotel. i'll add it to the ratings once i do.

coyote
this one's my preferred mexican joint so far. chic, vivacious, southwestern flair with a satisfyingly familiar menu with enough hip, creative twists on tex-mex. solid guacamole, tortilla soup, nachos, fajitas and the like. with a dynamic weekly menu, i deliberated between the mesquite pepper-grilled prime rib with jalapeno cornbread and the pan-fried snapper. it's hard to pass up beef in thailand and i devoured the tender, fatty, sizzling indulgence. no chance of leftovers. if you're a hot-sauce connosieur, over 50 sauces are on hand, including a couple coyote-made sauces. here are their artfully presented tacos.
spiritually, coyote has 75+ inventive margaritas made any way you like it. two tipsy thumbs up for the amaretto and the georgia margaritas.
aftersweets-wise, skip the peach & pecan chimichanga with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream. its tantalizing description overshoots its follow-through.bonus: changing lunch specials at a fixed price. hey, same food for less - me gusta. normally, entrees average around 300-400B.
extra bonus: happy hour weekdays 3-7pm; sat 11-7. buy 1 get 1 free margaritas (any kind).
extra extra bonus: ladies' nights. ladies drink margaritas free on wed and sat @ silom and thurs free @ sukhumvit location. i thank god for making me a lady.

coyote
2 locations @ soi convent in silom and sukhumvit
webby: www.coyoteonconvent.com


charley brown's
this mexican place is for the good ol' boys. no-frills, no-pretense tex-mex food in a no-hassle ambience. you want tacos? you get tacos. you want fajitas? you get fajitas. you want old license plates tacked to the wall like americans like to tack up? you get license plates. it's exactly the same as in any tex-mex restaurant in the US with no surprises. fresh, hearty, confident tex-mex entrees and punchy drinks. and sometimes that's all i want. thoughtful, health-conscious options available, too. how considerate.
save room for dessert, though, their liquour-flavored ice creams beckon with their come-hither flavors.

bonus: ladies' night tuesday night with half-off margaritas and sangria.
beware, this place is often disappointingly closed on mondays. why do you discriminate against mondays, charley?

charley brown's
1/23 sukhumvit 11
webby: www.charleybrowns.asia/home.html


sunrise tacos
sometimes you think, "today, i want mexican fast food." sunrise tacos is the closest (read: only) fast-ish mexican food you'll find in bangkok. imagine a brighter lit, thai-ish, milder version of chipotle. decent mexican tacos and burritos that don't aspire to be anything other than somebody trying to make mexican food out of thai ingredients. you could make it yourself, but hey, isn't that the purpose of fast food - getting someone else to make cheap food for you more conveniently?
also the cheapest of the three establishments, an entree is around 200B.

sunrise tacos
3 locations at sukhumvit, btw soi 12 and 14; emporium; and siam paragon.
webby: www.sunrisetacos.com

great grand daddy

grand palace & temple of the emerald buddha

here comes the requisite grand palace post. since the grand palace is on almost everyone's tourist check-off list, here are my 2 cents (or 2 salung).

grand palace. we have nothing of this scale in the west. for some reason, it's more grand from a distance than up close, but it's beautiful and stunning nonetheless. if you want to know more of the history of the grand palace, here's a little history article.there are several buildings that make up the campus, the most notable being the temple of the emerald buddha (wat pra kaew) and the grand palace hall (chakri maha prasat). it demonstrates so much of thai culture and mentality in the layout and architecture. for one, this former political center has a temple as one of its main features, pointing to thais' nationalist buddhism. also interesting is the grand palace hall, built in european style, illustrating thailand's history of initiating diplomacy with the west and subsequently avoiding western imperialism. i suggest getting either a guidebook or hiring a guide there (perhaps a couple hundred baht, you can bargain) - it makes it so much more interesting. unlike historic sites in the west, the grand palace doesn't have too much in the way of informational and educational signs. the walls of some of the buildings are beautifully decorated murals of thailand's history and buddha's life(s). be prepared for intricate detail and lots of gooooold.

if you're a foreigner, the entrance fee costs you 300B, but also gets you into the vimanmek royal teakwood mansion (formerly dusit palace) the same day. free if you're thai.
appropriate dress: if you're skanky (or wearing something sleeveless or above the knee), you'll have to borrow (with cash deposit) some of their clothing to wear over your daisy dukes.
hours: 8:30-3:30
*watch out for scammers telling you it's closed and trying to take you to some other sites.

hummus is yummus

beirut restaurant

a lover of mediterranean food of all incarnations, i particularly love the lebanese palette. beirut has become my favorite middle eastern restaurant in bangkok. it's fresh, it's crisp, it's subtle in its flavors, it's filling.

the great thing about beirut is that it has sets as well as their a la carte menu, allowing 3, 4, 6, or 8 dishes with pita for a reasonable price. a set of 4 runs for about 480B. pull together your set-of-choice with almost anything on the menu.
high recommendations on almost everything: hummus, tabouleh, beef kibbeh, shawarma all excellent. special props to their chicken zaatar, fried eggplant appetizer and falafel. even with a liberal use of olive oil, nothing felt heavy.

always a fan of complimentary munchies: pickles, fresh raw vegetables and a trinity of sauces are served as mezza to prep your salivary glands. the garlic sauce is powerful but delicious - exercise responsibility. along with the light, citrusy herb sauce and yogurt sauce, i slapped these three condiments on everything.

they've got a great beverage selection, offering punchy spicy turkish coffee (60B) , fresh fruit juices and shakes around 120B, teas and yogurt drinks.
as for service, they exercise pretty stringent gender roles, having female servers serve women and only men take orders from male customers.**a side anecdote: when i first walked by beirut, i saw what i thought was a mannequin in full burqa with only eyes showing placed by the entrance. i nearly soiled myself when the mannequin started talking on her cell phone. don't ask me why i assumed there was a mannequin in burqa in front of a restaurant.

beirut restaurant.
basement of the ploenchit center (sukhumvit 2). between nana and ploenchit bts stations.
location at silom: bottom level of j-city (silom 64)

sensory stimulation

true urbanpark

the true coffee shops are almost as ubiquitous here in bangkok as the starbucks branches. whereas starbucks makes a point to give you the same experience in every starbucks joint, regardless of the country or place, true coffee has a lot more variety and design in their shops. the true coffee in thonglor is nothing like the true coffee in siam square is nothing like the true coffee in the mall bangkapi...
the one in siam paragon is definitely a stand-out. you have to at least check it out and give it a good walk-through. true urban park's forward-thinking prototype for a coffee shop, music shop, and book store is a feast for the senses. plug your ipod into the table and listen from within a plastic head-pod-thingy, buy audio electronics and accessories, browse the web, sip a peppermint patty latte, and peruse through some shelves of books.in case that's not enough stimulus, buy some fresh flowers, gnosh on a sandwich, stare at the giant flippy wall as it switches, or watch thailand's big brother version of american idol projected on a giant wall screen.

true urban park, siam paragon, 3rd floor.
10am-10pm. true wi-fi available.

i now understand how kobe cattle feel

bangkok marriott resort & spa

since i'm officially a bangkok resident, there aren't many opportunities to stay in hotels. well, that, and i don't have enough money to hotel hop. a friend recently came to visit and invited me to come join her vacation-o-luxury. i just have to say:
I LOVE THE BANGKOK MARRIOTT RESORT & SPA

i've visited (but not stayed at) other top hotels in bangkok, of which the best are along the chao praya river, but this one, in my opinion is the one i recommend to anyone looking to be treated like royalty. turn down service, broadband internet, fresh fruit, featherbeds, robes and slippers add those nice touches to your stay in the room, but it's the hotel grounds that keep you from wanting to ever leave again.

i believe i've figured out the technique to transform my body into lazy, tender kobe meat:

step 1: consume large amounts of delicious, decadent food.
the three i tried were the following (in order of enjoyment):
trader vic's in the US is mediocre, unfortunately, skewing my expectations to be low. however, despite the second-rate name, is a fantastic pacific rim fusion restaurant. everything we ordered was matched beautifully, blending flavors well and using the most quality ingredients. if i didn't feel bad for my friend who was paying, i would have ordered the wagyu. highlights: tuna sesame encrusted diakon radish with wasabi mayo topped by caviar; avacado gazpacho with green apple and watercress; lamb yakitori with eggplant and mushrooms, sided by a rich pumpkin puree (900B); and crispy red duck and foie gras, with bok choy and apple taro cake (800B). you're drooling, aren't you? trust me, if your wallet's thick, you want to eat here.

riverside terrace which was an outdoor buffet on the patio overlooking the chao phraya river. lots of goodies including teppanyaki, crepes, mongolian bbq, italian pastas and pizza to order, grill, indian, oyster/shellfish bar, and an extensive dessert spread. thai boxing and traditional thai performance (dancing/acting) throughout the evening. priced at 1100B/person + 10% service, buffet dinner 6-10:30

numero uno cafe is a nice little chocolate shop and deli/bakery with an alluring display of pastries and sweets. a la carte menu with pastries, deli sandwiches and lunch fare, fondues, and chocolates. roughly 160-510B for breakfast, lunch or dinner. i got to try both their chocolate afternoon tea buffet as well as their after-dinner cheese/chocolate and cognac buffet (both 500B). have i ever told you i have problems with self-control? though they're meant to be post-meal treats, they became my meals. beware, my brothers and sisters with poor self-control, these are small, but very calorific buffets. cherry chocolate cake. nice presentation, eh?

in addition to these restaurants, they also have these spots that i didn't try:
benihana - japanese grill, teppanyaki okonomi (370-4900B). a little grill show as your meal's cooked.
the market - breakfast buffet. a la carte 95-510B. lunch/dinner 699 buffet. noodles, sushi, etc. 170-980
rice mill - chinese, dim sum 180-3000B

and for bars:
elephant bar - tapas, fusion bar food 175-295B
longtail bar - riverside, live music "kim" 170-980B bbq grill food - light fare
loy nam - pool bar, snacks and salads 180-300B

step 2: get a massage.
nothing says "pampered" like a great massage. the mandara spa (also available in room or poolside) offers steams 950, wraps 3-4k, scrubs 2-3k, massages 2250-5520, poultices 3200, facials 2700-5520, baths 950, steams 950, men's stuff 4k-9500. i got a deep tissue massage

step 3: be sedentary and expend as little physical energy as possible.
though the marriott resort has a fitness center with tennis and fitness classes, you should avoid them if you hope to keep your body marbled with fat. the thai cooking classes may be ok, though, if you maintain a very slow pace and try not to move too much while cooking. the pool is the perfect place to work on your golden tan while using little-to-no energy.

but if you decide to veer off the course of kobe cultivation, this place also has:
- manohra cruise - old rice barges converted into personal cruise ships. dinners or overnight cruise to ayutthaya.
- it's own malls and shopping.
- the hotel grounds are also beautiful decorated with lush tropical gardens.

bangkok marriott resort & spa. 257 charoen nakhon @ krungthep bridge. 02-476-0021
room rates between 5,400B-42,000B (if you're a guest, you receive coupons to all the restaurants)
webby: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bkkth-bangkok-marriott-resort-and-spa/

these legs aren't just for show.

northeast chiang mai

i recently had the chance to retreat up to chiang mai and i LOVED IT. next time, i'm leaving more time to explore. i think i finally found out what these legs are for; needless to say, i trekked a lot.

first things first: lodging. i should mention that the purpose of going up to chiang mai was to retreat and pray, so we found a great retreat center that i would recommend to anyone looking to pray and practice silence/solitude.
seven fountains spirituality center on hway kaew rd, near chiang mai university is a jesuit center specifically for contemplative retreats. it's simple, affordable, and has thought of everything. rooms are 500B or 600B (AC) per night (they only have single rooms), includes all meals (simple but good and satisfying), there's free laundry service available, library, labyrinth, coffee/tea/ovaltine available all over the grounds, and simple well-kept gardens and landscaping. the only thing they don't have that you should not forget is mosquito repellent.
strict silence observed. daily mass in english at 6 for retreatants, mass in thai twice daily. spiritual direction available.
the simplicity and serenity of the center is super conducive to a slower paced life and i felt very cared for. love jesuits.
seven fountains spirituality center @ 97 hway kaew rd, 50300
tel: 053 211076, 053 892545; web: htty://7fountains.wordpress.com; email: jesuits@cmnet.co.th
proximity to other places of interests is another plus...keep reading.

doi suthep-pui national park
just a little walk up hway kaew road, you reach the chiang mai zoo where you can catch a songtaew up the doi suthep mountain for 40B. if you want to use those things-they-call-legs, walk past the songtaews, and take a left at the fork in the road to reach the hway kaew waterfall, which is free! hway kaew waterfall is a series of waterfall starting at the entrance and other spots to stop about .5-2km up the mountain, including wang bua ban pond (named after a woman who committed suicide over her lover who moved to bangkok) and pha ngerb which is a rolling waterfall over large boulder and rock formations. and a beautiful view over chiang mai at an overlook on the path. up the road another 3km, you'll reach the entrance to mon tha than waterfall. it's another 3km into the actual waterfall, so if you walk, expect a lengthy hike.

babylon italian restaurant
this is where "thai godfather" should be filmed. very dimly lit, a little dingy, and homey yet with a tiny creep-factor. this place has to be mafia because of how good the food is. their homemade pasta is fantastic, their sauces so comforting and spot-on with flavor, and they don't skimp on the size or ingredients. standouts were the spinach malfatti (gnocchi) in marinara (140B), extra-wide fettucini which we had with their osso bucco (220), and their macaroni siliciliana (180) with eggplant, piquant meatballs, mushroom, and basil in marinara. wait, let me wipe me drool off my keyboard.
i highly recommend anything with their robust tomato sauce and pastas made on-site. simply fantastic.desserts were decent, but a little amiss. all their ice creams (50) taste a little goaty (i guess thai cows produce goaty milk) and on the icier side of the spectrum. blackprune ice cream was very icy and so pruny, that once it was topped with prune sauce, it was just as if we were eating a frozen prune. you'd be better off heading down to milk garden after the meal.
babylon restaurant, 100/63 hway kaew rd.

milk garden (suan nom)
milk garden, also on hway kaew rd., in between seven fountains and babylon restaurant, is a hip, eclectic little cafe packed with students.
come for toast, smoothie, or yogurt. because it's right down the street from a dairy, it has wonderful milk offerings. the yogurt (35B) was a delicious, refreshing bowl of yogurt mixed with crushed ice with whatever fresh fruit you want.
in addition to their menu, milk garden also sells handmade mugs, dolls, bracelets, and other crafty items. think: cool DIY crafts, not your grandma's embroidery crafts. this whole place feels creative and trendy, but not without its requisite thai cuteness. instead of having table numbers, you pick out a stuffed doll so your server can identify your table.

happy hut
honorable mention of the trip: coconut based ice cream from happy hut. homemade by a friend of the owner, the ice cream (20B) comes in a smattering of intriguing flavors: black sesame, black sticky rice pudding, pomegranate, thai ice tea,etc.). very tasty, and since it's coconut based, lacks the heavy coated aftermath. bunch of coffee drinks, too.
happy hut, corner of nimmanahaeminda soi 3

it's all about how you present yourself

vanilla cafe

stepping into the vanilla compound, i mean, courtyard, is walking into a fantastical hidden alcove. forget feeling like you're in bangkok. it's no surprise that there's japanese behind this place; they've mastered aesthetics.
hedging the meticulously manicured lawn and courtyard, we've got the trifecta: sauce bookstore on the left, vanilla cafe in the back, and royal vanilla restaurant on the right.

sauce's two levels of books specially feature cookbooks to provoke your salivary glands to pavlovian activity. i'm sure it's not accidental. especially for someone like me, who is the easiest sell when it comes to advertisements appealing to carnal appetite. fear not, you're close to vanilla's two restaurants, conveniently planted adjacent to the book store. aside from the cookbooks and japanese titles, sauce also has a nice stock of trendy-yet-simple tote bags, t-shirts, and gifts.vanilla cafe in the center has the feel of your father's office, if your father was into retro design and aesthetically anal in his collection of vintage action figures and clocks. in the area of refreshments, vanilla's selection is pretty wide - hitting a large japanese selection and dim sum in addition to their pastries and coffees and sandwiches. beautiful, but lacking in taste: macadamia latte had no macadamia flavor at all (i honestly thought they had just given me a regular latte) and their peanut butter brownie (40) was too sugary and not chocolatey or peanutty enough. i did really enjoy their strawberry daifuku (35B), though (fresh strawberry wrapped in red bean paste and delicately held in a soft mochi cover) and their lime frost.
also, one point off my experience of vanilla cafe: i had my notebook out and was taking notes on their menu and a waiter came to scold me and yanked the menu away. i asked for a reason and was refused the courtesy. boo.vanilla cafe, sauce bookstore, royal vanilla. 53 ekkamai (sukhumvit 63) soi 12
coffees 60-110B, smoothies 130-150B,

in the quest of a good sandwich...

landmark plaza: garden court/greenhouse/the terrace

i miss my nebbishy delis of the east coast. pangs of longing for thick, punchy pastrami and murturing matzo ball soup hit every so often. get me to a restaurant that serves a decent sandwich!
which leaves me asking: what about bangkok is not attractive to our judaic brothers and sisters? come and bring us food! (perhaps its the oh-so-not-kosher nature of thai food)

landmark plaza's selection of mention-worthy sandwiches fills a deli-shaped hole in my heart.

i'd heard that their reuben would make a new york deli blush. well, it won't. it won't even make an LA deli blush. but, it will make an american sigh with satisfaction. the reuben came on dark rye, under a generous layer of melted swiss and sauerkraut. it was delicious. well done, landmark.
the grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and pesto spread on focaccia roll was also delightful.
extra points for giving us unexpectedly free coleslaw when we asked for it as an extra side. all three landmark incarnations (garden court/greenhouse/the terrace) serve the same menu, so have your ambience your way: out on the patio, in a more traditional restaurant, or in the courtyard under palm trees. if you're not feeling into sandwiches, they also serve congee, dimsum, noodles, and salads.

landmark plaza: garden court/greenhouse/the terrace
138 sukhumvit (between 4 & 8). closest BTS @ Nana
165B for half sandwich and 240B for a full. comes with fries, curly fries, or wedges. say yes to curly!
free wifi in landmark plaza.

cheesecake factory: bangkok style

coffee beans by daoone thing i'm realizing about bangkok is that the names of restaurants don't always give a proper expectation of what the restaurant will be like. you name a place coffee beans by dao and you think "coffee shop." well, get used to being wrong. coffee beans by dao is just a restaurant with good desserts. coffee here is more of an idea and don't expect to lounge in plush seating all day.

entrees are decent, though nothing special; a mix of thai, chinese and a little western accent at times. save yourself some baht and eat dinner from a street stand before you come. especially since they tack on an extra 17% service fee to your bill.

the real standout is their desserts. an at-capacity glass case full of western-style cakes, cheesecakes, and pastries, you have to spend a drooly few minutes ogling the sweets. we chose 5 items: mango cheesecake, caramel cheesecake, new york cheesecake, and carrot cake. carrot cake wins out by far - fresh, aromatic, made with thick carrot shreds and iced with a tangy, non-sugary cream cheese frosting. all their cheese cakes were good; made with thick, crunchy, buttery crusts and on the lighter/creamier side of cheesecakes (don't expect your standard cardiac-arrest-via dairy new york cheesecake). all good, with my favorite cheesecake being the caramel (with glazed walnuts). i do have a penchant for nuts, though. take it as you will.

my best advice: come ogle the desserts and buy some slices to go.
coffee beans by dao. 47 ekkamai soi 12 (ekkamai is sukhumvit 63).
other locations at: central world, 20/12-15 ruamrudee (ploenchit)
appetizers/salads 90-335B, mains 140-650B (though generally around 200), desserts around 100-200B, ogling free.
don't forget to add 17% service charge.

Suvarnabhumi Sky Loft

Checking into our domestic flight with AirAsia, an orange sign with cool scratchity white font loomed overhead: "Sky Loft" With the promise of food and dessert, and with two hours until our flight, we took the escalator up one floor to check it out. Inside was a classy foodcourt of sorts, a sleek modern design, offering Western fusion food. We circled the court in awe of the massive sandwiches, fresh salads, beautiful-looking desserts displayed around us, and we decided to buy a food card, even though, in my case, I'd eaten lunch about 40 minutes before.



I got a Caesar salad, which was very fresh. The dressings were displayed so 1) I got to choose my own amount, saving me from the constantly overdressed state of caesar and 2) I got to mix it up a little: I added a garlic vinegarette which was delicious.

Then, I wanted to get a glass of wine. I walked over to the drinks bar, where they were advertising 6 types of wine by the glass- 3 reds, 3 whites, one of each from France, Australia, and Chile. The only bottle they had open was the Australian white, which was way too sweet. They wouldn't open the other bottles for me to taste. In this decision they lost: One point for customer service, and 200 baht I would have paid for a glass of dry wine.

Michelle got an apricot tart, which was okay. Meh. Nothing to write home about. The crust was kinda dry, it was so sweet I thought they used dried apricots until Michelle corrected me that that's what happens to apricots when you bake them. The desserts lady was slightly rude to Michelle as well, which cost another customer service point.
>
But this is why I will never return to the Sky Loft:

After whetting my palette with garlic vinegarette, being denied my glass of vino, and scarfing down a dry-crusted tart, I was thirsty, so I went back to the drinks bar and asked for a bottle of water, handing them my food card. It wasn't until I was walking back, unscrewing the cap, and folding up the receipt until I looked down and saw this:

SEVENTY BAHT.

Yes, friends, seventy baht for a plain old bottle of 7 baht water. I choked. I sat down. I hyperventilated. I fanned myself. The moment passed, but still whenever I think of these words "Sky Loft" I cringe, thinking of 63 baht I could have saved. Thinking of the wine I could have had. And wondering if the garlicky Caesar was really worth the heartache?

spaghetti godfarther

farm fresh vegetable

generally, italian in bangkok means big baht. fortunately, the thai are particularly entrepreneurial and have a knack for reproduction; just walk through any night/street market and you'll find every kind of fendi, vuitton, or prada.

farm fresh vegetable is no different in appearance or thai cuisine than any other run-of-the-mill storefront restaurant in bangkok, except for its decent italian menu. nothing to call home about, but not bad if you're in the pridi area and looking for some italian food that you'd rather not cook yourself.their menu's pretty good, including a dish called "spaghetti godfarther" which essentially is chicken parm. pesto was the best sauce in my opinion, packing punch; marinara is on the sweeter end, and the alfredo is good by alfredo standards (though, you should ask someone else, since i'm not the biggest fan of alfredo), squid ink fettucine is nice.
a couple 'honorable mention' menu items are boar meat, curry spaghetti, fettucine panang, and thai esan style tagliatele. unfortunately, didn't get to try to the boar meat. boo.

round out your bill with some thai favorites (their tom kha is particularly creamy and aroy) and one of their many fish dishes and you'll leave satisfied with a wallet with some baht left in it.

farm fresh vegetable. 45 pridi 2 (sukhumvit 71)
4:30p-1am, closed sundays.
dishes ranging 50-220B

relax. you're in koh chang

koh chang
this is just to try to lure you to go to koh chang. oh, what great fun!

getting to koh chang from bangkok: you have to get out of bangkok sometimes. fortunately, it's not hard to find beautiful places in thailand. koh chang is easy to get to: via air (fly into "trat"), van (pickup at khao san rd.), private car (you're on your own with that), or AC bus (oh so many options).

we took a 5-hr bus ride to koh chang from bangkok's ekkamai station (473B roundtrip), which i recommend. buses also pick up at suvarnabhumi airport, mochit (northern bus terminal). try to take a bus to go to laem ngob or the center point pier and you won't have to pay for a taxi/songtaew like if you got off at trat.
you have to hop on a ferry out one of 3 piers, which runs every hour and costs 30B for 40-min ride to the island of koh chang. here's a helpful webby for the all transpo options possible to get to koh chang. i love the internet.

my recs for fun things:
khlong plu waterfall: about a 1 km hike in from the entrance, you reach a crispy, chilly waterfall with 2 swimmable pools. you definitely want to jump in the water after you hike up to the falls. great 2-3 hour excursion. if you're into hiking, you can take a 10km (ish) trail from khlong plu waterfall to tharn mayom waterfall.

baan chang offers elephant rides, trekking through the forest or along the river (you can bathe the elephants). 1 hr is 500B, 2 hrs is 900B. you don't trek that far, but they give you a good chunk of time either riding on the bench on the back of the elephant or riding on its neck. how often do you get to ride on an elephant? baan chang seems to try to take good care of the elephants, too, which is always a bonus. (on Klong Prao Rd. T: 084-863-8185, 081-761-1554)

unless you have a tried and true iron stomach, do not go on a day-long boat trip. every time i have been on one of these, someone has always thrown up and multiple people get seasick. if you can get a boat just to take you to one to three stops and hang out for a long time at an island, i think it's the best way to go. renting a speedboat for a full day runs around 7000-9000B. My recs are for koh nok, koh mak, and koh thong lang. koh nok is a tiny little island that has great reefs for snorkeling.
koh mak has the most beautiful white sand and crystal-clear water. and i swear it smells like fresh laundry and can feel incredibly serene (if there aren't other groups of people coming, too). stay as long as you possibly can.
koh thong lang has amazing coral and is packed with sea life. an island slightly larger than koh nok, it offers more fish and sea stuffs to snorkel through than koh nok, though it's also further from the main island of koh chang.

accommodations:
it's easy to find lodging in koh chang smack on the beach for all budgets. your best bet is to internet search for hotel deals. string of hotels along klong prao beach and white sand beach. backpacker hotspot at lonely beach.
we found a half-price deal for koh chang paradise resort and spa on the klong prao beach which has cute little bungalows at different ranges (their highest level has individual pools and are constructed in a blend of traditional thai and american southwest styles. oh, if i had money...

sometimes i like being a lady

witch's tavern

hands down, the best thing about the witch's tavern is their wednesday lady's night. it makes me proud to have two glorious X chromosomes to partake in opportunities like this (i.e. free booze). every wednesday 5pm-9pm, all ladies drink free from a selected menu (chang beer & well drinks). it is oh-so-satisfying to receive your bill at the end of the night with a long list of zeros. i like the look of this place: a distinctly southern, 2-story pale yellow mansion with bar seats, tables, booths, and couches - sit wherever your butt desires. a great bangkok bar/pub with an drool-inspiring expansive menu (tapas to burgers to chinese to thai) but will take a formidable chunk out of your wallet and sadly not that good. judging from the menu, it really seems like their food would be good, but don't expect much.
their spanish tapas (240B) were mundane and bland comprising chorizo, a few olives, garlic mussels, and toast. eddie's burger (290B) was decent: hearty portion, on a good homemade bun, but too salty and over-seasoned and dry. margherita pizza (220B) was just a normal thin-crust cheese pizza with dried basil sprinkled on top. and do not be tempted by the apple&blackberry crumble (170B) which was just warmed-up apple chunks and a couple blackberries mixed with a bland vanilla pudding and handful of semi-sweet crumbs. food = disappointing.

one thing that makes witch's tavern stand out among bangkok bars is its extensive cocktail menu with old faves and new twists. as tasty and as interesting as they sound, i have yet to try such an expensive drinky.

the bar island floats in the middle of the large 2 story room with seating surrounding. not great ambience for having conversations (it's pretty loud), but nice to chill and listen to the jazz band. outdoor seating available (i.e. get your own drink at the bar and drink it outside).

oh and all you bingo-lovers: free bingo on wednesday nights. one round at 11pm, jackpot anywhere between 3000B-15,000B.
happy hour 5-8pm: buy one local beer, get one free.

witch's tavern. thonglor btw soi 8 & 10. hours 11am-1am.
tapas 140-280B, farang mains 240-390B, thai mains 140B, sushi/sashimi 100-350B, desserts 120-180B
beers & cocktails 90-300B.
webby: www.witch-tavern.com

you'd better stretch beforehand

oishi buffet

can you handle the intensity of a 1 hr 45 min buffet? this type of gastronomic challenge requires an iron will, a sharp mind, and lightning agility to sprint your way through mountains of food. i was seriously running.

oishi buffet is the inspiration for all japanese buffet restaurants in bangkok and it's easy to see why. they've got sushi, shashimi, salads (bar and premade), shabu shabu/hot pot, grill & mongolian bbq to order, fish and stir-fries made to order, soups, gyoza, tempura, duck, hand rolls, fruit, shaved ice, frozen yogurt (including green tea!), cakes and pastries. served with a range of beverages including teas, coffees, sodas or for a little extra: beer, other bottled soft drinks. unfortunately for me, i'm chinese, and have the "getting your money's worth" gene, which forces me to try everything and eat as much as possible. i was hurting afterward; though, a good kind of hurt.

the big standout in my opinion is their mongolian bbq grill (made to order) with their korean-seasoned meat and a pretty large spread of sushi rolls. everything else is good, but pretty average. it's just awesome because you get SO MUCH OF IT.

don't get overzealous, though, it's "all you can eat but pay for what you don't" meaning that if you have too much leftover, you're paying for it. mind what time you go, too, since 5-9p is the most expensive rounding out to 499B (and they add on a 17% service and tax charge). the cheapest time is from 2:30-4:30p at 399B.

oishi buffet. thonglor soi 10. (other outlets at phaholyothin soi 19 and siam discovery 2nd floor)
hours 11a-10p. 499B (+17% service/tax) per person. 02-714-8760

webby: http://www.oishigroup.com/brand_oishi_brand_eng.html

sweet oasis

ann's sweet

parched. so parched. must. find. air. conditioning...preferably with lattes.
finding an aircon cafe in the banglumpu/kao san area was a little harder than i expected. poo on those hippies and their preference for balmy bungalow cafes.

ann's sweet was such a nice, climate-controlled little bakery and coffee shop to duck into before the rained poured. situated at the bend between phra athit and phra sumen, across the street from santichaiprakan park (prasumen fort), this bakery has really great pastries. because of its tiny size (about 4 square tables), i asked where the pastries came from and was surprised to find that the owner and namesake of the shop bakes them all herself in the back. she's actually still a culinary student and is making desserts as she learns them.
i was very impressed with her cute, mini strawberry cheesecakes (120B) with a strawberry cheesecake layer (as opposed to a strawberry topping), which were deliciously velvety and rich, and pleased to find a little pineapple blended into it. i like that she twists an original just a tad. paired with a full-bodied lavazza latte (60B), i was set to wait out the downpour.
the only downside is that the seating isn't exactly what i would call "comfortable." blocky, wood furniture with tables that have a shelf underneath the glass top, holding a lot of fun and entertaining magazines, but also making about 3 inches of space between the chair and table for your legs. don't expect them to fit. they won't.

her other pastries include a triple chocolate mousse (120B), brownies (25B), and trifles (80B) among other things. full lavazza coffee menu and an extensive selection of teas.
don't feel like pastries? have some of their iberry ice creams.

ann's sweet. thanon phra athit, across from santichaiprakan park (fort phrasumen), banglumpu.
hours 5am-8pm (8:30p on weekends). 06-889 1383

books a la cosmopolitan

skoob bookstore

tucked on the second floor of 'penny's balcony' stripmall on thonglor, skoob packs its small space with an impressive amount of new and used english & japanese books. unfortunately, i can't comment on the japanese literature available, but the english selection has a fair number of fiction and non-fiction, popular and slightly more obscure titles. though, if you're looking for something specific, it may be more difficult to find. and as a plus, all the used books i looked at were in good-as-new condition.
there's a jazz-flavored cd corner. it literally is a corner, but i was actually surprised with what albums they had - a mix of world, folk, indie, experimental. and they've got some funky, thai-cut tote bags for sale that are a livelihood project for rural areas.

and for all you caffeine-addicts, stay all day if you like: lavazza coffee & cookies available. seating sparse, though.
skoob. thonglor soi 16 (2nd fl. of "penny's balcony")

webby: www.skoob-bkk.com (it's a great ordering site for such a small shop)

book smart books mart bookmark

bookmark

a trendy 2-story independent bookstore in thonglor (in "the 3rd place"). one of the most interesting features is the "tribute" to the owner painted on the 2nd floor. i think i'm much more used to bookstores with anonymous, nerdy, wallflower-type owners.
the 1st floor is mainly thai books the owner has chosen, covering a wide range of interests. the 2nd floor stocks books and mags that are more geared to the creative/design reader (art, architecture, design, fashion, etc.); very pretty and engrossing.

it's got good ambience: it's quiet, it's well-lit, there's several choices for seating, and nice views out onto the patio garden. plus, the location in "the 3rd place" is super convenient with coffee shops, internet, cozy seating. i can be there all day in this literary oasis. bookmark. thonglor soi 10 (on the 1st floor of "the third place" complex). hours 10am-9pm.

big beefy american

the garage bar and grill

ah, the elusive american beef burger in bangkok. can't all restaurants just make a decent, all-beef, easy-on-the-mayo, grilled burger?
from its burger aptitude, we definitely knew the garage was a restaurant owned by someone american, or at least someone very proficient in american culture. i mean, we were asked how well we wanted it cooked. the garage has a wide smattering of good-sized beef, veggie, and other meat burgers that come with steak fries and coleslaw (~180+B). my "down under aussie burger" came with a fried egg and beets - i'm such a sucker for eggs and beets. in addition, they've got other american fare (pastas, pizzas, corndogs, etc.) and lunch specials for 99B.

the decor of the garage must be mentioned. old car seats line the wall, hand-painted denim jackets with celebrity profiles, english mags and books piled on coffee tables, and a shady balcony patio.
poo boonthanakit, the brains behind the restaurant, moved to ny as a kid, struggled as an artist there (he paints the denim jackets himself - he'll gladly show you his portfolio, too), moved back to bangkok after 21 years, and started the garage.

other fyi:
happy hour 3-7p. buy any 2 drinks and get 1 free. free popcorn and chips&salsa (no refills)
live music playing american covers. the garage bar and grill. 7th floor of central world plaza (original location at All Seasons Place Retail Center, 2nd fl. - near US embassy)
open daily 11a-10p; sat 12p-10p

webby: www.thegaragebkk.com

laborer's rejoice!

บะหมี่ จับกัง (bami jap gang)

i love dives. love love love dives. the more difficult to find, the cheaper the cost, the dingier the place, the more i love it. i attribute this to my chinese dna. so the quest began when my teacher told me about the ultimate noodle dive in chinatown, bami jap gang. it literally translates to "laborer's egg noodles."located down a skinny, covered little soi in chinatown, this place is all about portion size and speed. the uber-mechanical employees churn out bowls and to-go packs (translate: wrapped in newspaper) of pork and egg noodles with apt speed. we didn't even have to order, we just got a bowl flung in front of us.the noodles are all about simplicity and sheer nutrition on-the-go: you get a heaping portion of egg noodles, roast pork, and green onions; extra greasy. season with the normal thai noodle seasonings they have on the table (chili peppers, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar) and you're done. get your day's worth of calories before you head off to your laborious job...or shopping.there is only one sign, and it's obviously one that was created in about a minute and a half on a word processor. basically all it says is the name of the place "bami jap gang" and the price. normal ("tamada") is 25B; special ("pi-set"), which just means bigger is 35B.

bami jap gang (laborer's noodles) in chinatown/yaowarat on Trok Charoen Chai Soi 2 about 50-100m. near Wat Mangkorn (a.k.a wat leng heng yee - the chinese name).

no way is there a webby.

coffee over the chao phraya

vivi the coffee place

i love lounging on the chao phraya river in bangkok. give me a spot on the bank and come back for me in 9 hours.
vivi "the coffee place" is a cute little coffee shop situated directly on the chao phraya across from wat arun. indoor ac and outdoor patio make for the best of both personal-comfort worlds. sip a bubbly italian soda, rich chocolately drink, or your favorite incarnation of coffee and enjoy the river.
kiwi soda on the patio
vivi - the coffee place (next to aurum river house). 394/29 thanon maharat, between soi setthakan and chetuphon, historical rattanakosin (just south of Wat Po/Grand Palace).
hours 8a-8p. drinks and assorted pastries 50-120B.

NYT loved it. NPR loved it.

chote chitr

even before i moved to bangkok, a friend told me about chote chitr which she had heard about on npr. and me, being the npr nerd that i am, hold npr standards above gold. is it weird that i consider jonathan gold as one of my favorite writers?

i got a tip from another friend who had visited this place that the woman who owns it speaks english fluently and has little patience. she was scolded for trying to ask and order in thai. tip: use your english. honestly, the woman is a little like the thai version of the soup nazi. she had little patience for me when i asked questions about the dishes and only repeated her scripted responses (obviously for farangs) with a sigh of annoyance. that's ok for me, though - i'm chinese and was raised on curt service.

so, with that, we put aside the extensive menu and ordered what she suggested: tom yum goong, banana flower salad, and mee krob with shrimp.tom yum goong with 3 massive, palm-sized prawns was on the sour and creamier end of the spectrum of this dish with a sweet tinge (which is a bit more unusual). i loved the tender bamboo shoots in this. i was hesitant about submitting to thai-soup-nazi about ordering this since it's so 'ordinary' here, but i was pleasantly surprised. on account of the mutant prawns, this dish was the priciest at 150B.

banana flower salad, also with shrimp and chicken. tangy and sweet without much chile spice. this was my fave. the mee krob (fried, crunchy noodles) with shrimp, fruits and nuts was pretty sweet, though not without a little sour tang, and had a fair amount of carmelized sugar drizzled over it.

all in all, it was a good eat and i can see why foreigners like it so much: 1. the woman speaks english, 2. the dishes aren't raging spicy hot, 3. everything's a little sweet (they use a lot of fresh fruits in their dishes, too), and 4. though it's without AC, it's a comfortable little place to sit and feel like you're discovering something off the beaten path (though now, the path is pretty beaten).chote chitr. 146 phraeng phuton (just of thanon tanao) in rattanakosin (south of democracy mon.)
dishes 30-150B