Back in Bangkok

We went to Bangkok at a weird time. The anti-Government protests were just kicking off, and large parts of the city's roads were closed. Taxis drivers shook their heads and drove off when you asked tentatively if they'd take you somewhere, and any taxi you could get into would then get gridlocked in traffic. Our hotel, The Metropolitan by COMO, was an oasis of calm amidst the chaos, though we were told hotels had suffered, with only 40% full as opposed to the 90% norm at that time of year. It did mean we had the pool largely to ourselves, though. 

The jacuzzi, usually a place of awkward glances, was also deserted, and I was able to bubble away, uninterrupted. Our room had the biggest and most comfortable bed I've stayed in, and the temptation to sit around in those fluffy dressing gowns was intense. But we had things to eat. 

Our first day in Bangkok saw us eating in two swanky restaurants; firstly, Nahm in our hotel. David Thompson cooks there, and it was placed at number 32 at The 50 World's Best Restaurants in 2013. I had dinner there on my last visit to Bangkok in 2011, and standards haven't slipped since. From the lunch menu, a clear and innocent-looking tom yum goong was as fiesty as hell, the heat of the chilli building until I couldn't bear it any more. I sought refuge in the (pictured) fresh water crayfish with Asian pennywort salad. The plump shellfish with young coconut was sweet and mild, herbal and soothing. 

Only available at lunchtime, the khanom jeen noodles (a type of cold noodle made with fermented rice) was served with a bundle of herbs and banana blossom, with our chosen curry of chicken and young ginger. It was a right faff to balance those noodles on a spoon, spoon some curry on top and garnish it with the herbs for the perfect mouthful, but once achieved, it was indeed delicious. The heat of the young ginger prevailed, while the rich red curry coated the noodles smoothly. Service was formal but friendly, and our lunch revived us from the staleness of the 13 hour plane journey.

We headed out to look at some temples and ride around in tuk tuks until we were peckish again and under a bridge, with not much else going on, we found a lone cart selling noodles; a sweet, anise-scented broth with slivers of pork dominated this particular bowl. It was a case of point-and-nod; rice noodles? No. Egg instead? Yes. A few splashes of chilli from the condiments tray made it one of the best bowl of noodles we had on our trip. 

Jet lag kicking in, we dozed off on the ferry, bobbing our way down the Chao Prao river back to our hotel. A short cab ride later, we arrived at Bo.Lan, recommended to me by many when I asked for restaurant recommendations. Decked in wood throughout, we were seated at a disappointingly dark table (though, given what happened later, probably a good thing). To avoid having to do any decision-making, we opted for the Bo.Lan Balance - a tasting menu devised of dishes that encompass the salty, spicy, sweet and mild flavour spectrums. 

We started off with a martini glass of Thai whiskey, washed down with a pandanus water-like drink and some nibbles. A tray then followed, and the waitress pointed at each bite in turn. "This? Not spicy. This? Spicy. This? Not spicy." We munched away happily until we encountered Mr. Spicy. A little cup of tangled vegetables, seemingly harmless enough. My boyfriend spluttered and went bright red. Water that looked suspiciously like tears leaked from his eyes. I raised an eyebrow and ate my portion. A rising flame spread throughout my mouth. It hurt to breathe out, as my breath was warm and it inflamed my tongue. We started sob-giggling hysterically, euphoric from the chilli. The lady on the next table offered us her tissues sympathetically. 

The rest of my meal at Bo.Lan was nice; the flavours were bright and punchy, the dishes plated beautifully. A mackerel-like fish in red curry sauce stood out particularly. I liked that they offered both brown and white rice. But the residing memory was of my mouth suffering, my insides protesting, my forehead lightly sweating. The rest of the meal passed by in a bit of a blur. A £100-odd blur. I wished that chilli-bomb had come last to obliterate.

The next day, we got up early and took to the streets for breakfast. A wander down Soi Convent in Silom revealed a wealth of noodle stalls, and we got to the end of the road before we turned back to make our breakfast decision. There really isn't much better than a 9am bowl of noodles to fortify you for the day. This time, it was fish balls in a clear broth, with slices of char siu (Chinese-style barbecue pork) and fish paste-stuffed tofu puffs. Topped with deep fried shallots, sliced spring onion and a halved boiled egg, this was a wonderful breakfast, and all for 40 baht (£1). Later we discovered that Soi Convent really comes to life at around 5 - 7pm, with stalls selling not only noodles but grilled meats, bowls of fried quails eggs and other such delights, for the large number of hospital workers going home from work nearby.

We headed off to Chatuchak Weekend Market, the largest open air market in Asia at a whopping 27 acres, for a day of haggling. 

We ploughed through the stalls, buying gifts for our families, clothes for ourselves and all-important bowls to fulfil my crockery obsession. Little pots of cendol kept us going and cooled us in the heat, and eventually we sat down at one of the cafes for this grilled pork neck salad, topped with roasted ground rice, while a man next to us shredded papaya deftly for som tam. We touched upon maybe 15% of the stalls in the 4 hours we were there.

Across the road from Chatuchak is Or Tor Kor, an enormous fresh food market. Hundreds of stalls are in the undercover area, selling fresh fish, meat and an incredible array of fruit and vegetables. There are stalls selling curry pastes, and stalls selling things cooked in sauces and curry pastes ready to be scooped into a polythene bag, tied up and taken to be eaten at home. It's incredible what the Thais can do with a plastic bag. Near the centre is a food court, where you can plonk yourselves down and graze from a selection of stalls. We started off with the rice dumplings, above; we were drawn in by a lady pouring a thin rice batter on a hot plate, scooping it round and adding pork to the centre, before topping it with fried shallots. Alongside you get lettuce leaves and herbs to wrap them in to form a big parcel. Check the lettuce for caterpillars... 

We also had some excellent chicken satay, served with a spicy peanut sauce and chopped cucumbers and chillis. Duck over rice had a disappointingly sweet gravy, and much of the rice was abandoned. Despite the dazzling array of food to choose from, nothing else took our fancy and we headed off for Chinatown. 

After a mooch around the markets of Chinatown, we headed back to the hotel, eating everything we came across. Around Sala Daeng BTS station was a hive of protest activity, and where there's lots of people, there is good food. Little crispy pancakes cooked on a hot griddle and smeared with coconut cream were addictive and one of the best things we ate. The one on the left is garnished with sweet candied pumpkin, the right with spring onion, giving it that savoury edge. Later on in the trip we came across these topped with quails eggs, and even wrapped around a tiny cocktail sausage. There's a stall now selling them at Borough Market, Londoners! Though substantially more expensive at 5 for £6. 

Grilled meat on sticks is a huge thing in Bangkok; the meat is cooked on the skewer over a charcoal grill, and when you come to order they are reheated on the grill back to piping hotness. Chunks of chicken were nice, pork even nicer, and soured fermented sausage with garlic was honky goodness. The skewers on the back left there? The squiggly ones? Chicken intestines. Like hollow chickeny tubes. I ate them with trepidation, but I needn't have been as they were well prepared. 

On our last night in Bangkok we opted for a bit of swank at the Moon Bar at the top of the Banyan Tree. Located on the 61st floor, it is open air and is the stuff of vertiginous nightmares for those who suffer. It has an amazing view, and the drinks are priced as one might expect from a rooftop bar. 

We headed off for some sustenance, and somewhere in the recesses of my mind (or my iPhone notes) I recalled that Silom Soi 9 was good for some street eats. We happened upon this place, where large groups were sitting enjoying steaming plates of seafood. A nearby car was blasting out some tunes. We pointed towards our dinner from a tray of seafood on ice and nodded along to the cook's questions - garlic? Spicy? Rice?

A whole bream-like fish came steamed, covered in coriander and lime. Poached perfectly so that the flesh came away easily, I didn't mind so much that it hadn't been scaled - the skin was easy enough to pull away.

These crayfish were covered in a mound of deep fried garlic. They were outrageously delicious, and we got stuck right in with our hands extracting all the meat from them. With some rice, a salad I don't remember, and enough beers to make me forget the salad, the three of us paid a meagre £10 between us. 

Something of a creature of habit, I directed us through a huge site of protest (it was a bit bum-clenching, that), harping on about "hey last time I was here I had the BEST mango sticky rice everrrr" at Sukhumvit Soi 38. Thank god it was still the best mango sticky rice ever. Even the creepy man behind me can't resist having a gawp at my mangoes.

I don't think I could ever get bored of Bangkok. 

We dined as guests of Nahm, but paid for our stay at The Metropolitan. All opinions are (obviously) mine. 

Koh Chang, Thailand

January is miserable. The excitement and indulgence of Christmas is over, the weather is shit, there is a tendency to feel grotesquely obese, and everyone around you is harping on about how hard they're finding their detox / juice cleanse / teetotalism. It's even worse if they ask for sponsorship - sponsorship! To stop drinking booze! - I think you have a problem, buddy. 

It was decided last year that we would run for the sun instead. I spent a lot of time flip-flopping around which island in Thailand we should go and visit. Long gone are the likes of Koh Samui being an exotic, deserted island. Islands are seemingly geared towards full moon parties, teenagers on gap yahs, honeymooning couples or families with small children, none of which we were, and all of which we'd prefer to avoid. Koh Chang, a 5 hour bus ride away near the border of Cambodia, seemed a good fit; relatively untouched by the big resorts, and after finding this website and particularly the guesthouse to stay at, I was sold. 

Situated riverside, with wooden walkways in amongst mangroves, Baan Rim Nam is the perfect place to stay if you want to avoid large, soulless and expensive resorts. The 'budget' room, at £18 a night, was all they had left of their five rooms when I booked and it suited us just fine; clean, air conditioned, a comfortable bed. They had an open air and a covered deck, with kayaks available for the 10 minute paddle down-river and round the corner to Klong Prao beach. An honesty fridge full of beers and water was available to all, and the owners, Ian (from Yorkshire, no less) and Mam were on hand to book us jungle treks and snorkel trips. 

For food, we stuck to Klong Prao as it was nearest where we were staying. We ventured to Kati Culinary on our first night with high expectations as it was recommended by our hosts as the best food on the island. It was, indeed, very good - especially this incendiary tom yum seafood soup, made with shavings of young coconut - but we were within earshot of pair of dour women, intoning dully about their divorced parents and their L.A lives. Perhaps it was from having come from Bangkok that day, where we sat on rickety plastic stools and happily slurped bowls of noodles costing less than £1, but the whole experience felt a little characterless. The food is very good though, and they also run cooking classes.

Kati Culinary, 48/7 Moo 4, Klong Prao Beach

After a rather fraught kayaking 'adventure' the next evening (apparently if you kayak round to the beach to see the sunset the sun, well, sets and then it's dark and then you get lost at sea in a kayak for TWO HOURS) we set off to dinner rather late. We happened upon a little street side set-up with plenty of Thais eating there. I'm afraid it had no name that I can remember (but is apparently called Always Delicious in Thai), but was on the right hand side as you're heading south. Largely Issarn food, which originates from the North-East of Thailand, they talked us into their special soup for the evening. A terracotta pot on top of a ferocious flame bubbled away, and we were instructed to get everything in there - Thai basil, coriander, Chinese cabbage leaves, glass noodles, an egg and some beef. In it went and it turned into an incredibly fragrant, herbal and soothing broth. 

Grilled pork neck (right of the top picture) was served with a deceptively sweet and freaking spicy-as-hell sauce, so addictive you couldn't stop dipping until your nose streamed. Fried chicken were crisp nuggets of wing and leg, chopped straight through the bone to nibble on. Minced duck laarb (bottom picture) was pleasingly crunchy with toasted ground rice, though could have been spicier - I don't think they believed us when we said we could have spicy. With so much beer ordered that we had to give some away, our dinner set us back a laughable £11 or so.

We found another Issarn restaurant on our last night - just past the edge of Klong Prao on the lefthand side (the sign reads E-Sarn). The cutest child you'll ever see bounced around the restaurant, clambering on our laps. A catfish soup, clear and broth-like was unlike anything I've had in Thailand; spicy, sour and scented heavily with dill. Beef and apple aubergine salad used mint leaves liberally, with a tangy, salty dressing. 

And then there was another salad, from the 'minced spicy salad' section of the menu. We chose pork and it turned up, raw, mixed well with ground toasted rice and chilli flakes. I was scared. I ate it. It was tasty but all I could think about was my impending death. I feared the morning, but lo! I survived. 

Being that we were on an island, we were keen to try some seafood and Jae Eiw Restaurant was recommended to us by our trekking guide as the place where Thais go, for seafood at local prices. After 8 hours of scrambling up and down the second highest mountain on Koh Chang, we arrived ravenous and aching. Blank prices per kilo should have set off alarm bells especially as we weren't asked how many we wanted, but they were the biggest and sweetest prawns, dunked in a fiery chilli and fish sauce dip. There were so many of them that by the end of the meal I was convinced I would pop. 

Mantis prawns or rock lobster as per the menu were cooked with salt and chilli, delicious spooned over rice, but were such a faff to extract the (admittedly delicious) flesh I wondered if they were worth bothering with. Our most expensive meal yet at 2000 baht (with beers and tom yum soup and rice and fishcakes and a stir fry and now you see my greed) but the seafood was of obvious high quality. 

Jae Eiw Restaurant, 22/9 Moo 4 Baan Khlong Phrao

Breakfast, often a mine-field of disappointing cereal and soggy muesli is anything but in Thailand. On the right hand side as you enter Klong Prao from the north, a cluster of stalls are gathered by the roadside. One sells deep fried things - banana, coconut rice balls, that sort of thing - while the other sells noodles. 

Tom yum or clear, we opted for one of each of breakfast. These may well have been the best bowl of noodles I had on the trip (and I really had quite a few); the noodles were elastic and chewy, the deep fried wonton skin becoming soft in the broth, which was creamy, spicy and sour. The fish balls came in different shapes, with a welcome vegetable addition of sweet stewed carrot and radish slices. It cost 40 baht (it's 50 to the £). 

Ahh banana rotis. Sold street-side, with pineapple, mango and coconut as options but none better than banana, made me go running for them. The dough is stretched and slapped against an oiled counter, and then placed on a concave hot plate to cook in clarified butter. Banana is chopped into it, before the whole thing folded into a parcel, sliced into pieces, and - crucially - drizzled with condensed milk. It's crispy, a little salty, intensely sweet, and uh.. banana-y. It's amazing. 

Koh Chang Travel Tips: 

- The Government bus from Bangkok is infinitely preferable to the minibuses that also go to and from. Either way it takes 5 hours, but the Government bus is cheaper and more comfortable - the minibuses are bumpy and a little sick-inducing. The downside is that they are seldom. Bus times available here.

- We did our trek with Tan Trekking - Tan was brilliant; hugely knowledgeable and friendly. Would highly recommend it. 

- Get a scooter and explore the island, there's a road that runs all the way around it - though doesn't quite connect. The undeveloped east side is very interesting to see, and Bang Bao fishing village is good to have a nose at, as well as all the other beaches and waterfalls.