Missing Bangkok already

Pomegranate juice available at street stalls. Fabulous.

Nights out in Thong Lo

We revisited a few old Thong Lo favourites like Fat Gut'z, Krung Thong and Wine Republic, but also tried lots of new places like the Iron Fairies, Mellow, Apotek, Supanniga and Phuket Town.

Isan sausage

Fishcakes

Watermelon martini

Drink matches my nails and iPhone case...

Phuket dishes (which I didn't like at all - that strong shrimp sauce seems to be in everything)

Nice decor in the restaurant though

The fabulous (Bangkok) Beatles playing their usual Monday night gig in Fat Gut'z. That's a signature cocktail called Arisan Maru (kaffir infused aged rum with honey, lime and a chili on the side)

Food and drink, Myanmar

I don't feel that I have much of a sense of the food in Myanmar. We did try a few things that were interesting: samosa tok, mohinga (thin rice noodles and fish broth), dosai)

Dosai

Stuff that was a bit like bird seed...

Cocktails at the Strand Hotel with Chris Candlin

Terminal 21

Terminal 21 is a giant mall, but not just any old giant mall, it is broken down into cities. Each floor has a theme: Caribbean, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, London, Istanbul, San Francisco, Hollywood. It's very clever actually. I like that there are plenty of small independent shops and Thai designers. I have been going back to some of my favourites for the past few visits. It has an excellent food court and restaurants, too. We met Wilalialuck one night after she finished work.

We met Wilailuck in front of the Bus on the London floor

Dinner: som tam, stir fried morning glory, catfish and other spicy delicious Thai food at "Have a Zeed" 

Fun on the Tokyo floor

Lingering over mango sticky rice

On the Tokyo floor

International Bangkok

You can get anything in Bangkok. Seriously. There are so many international restaurants along and off Sukhumvit.

Yes, there really is a fish and chip shop (opposite the Queen Victoria pub..)

More Penang food

Anyone who knows David knows what a foodie he is. He has been planning what delicacies to try for over a year now. I think we managed to try most of the famous local dishes.

Planning over a Penang White Coffee

He's actually going through, finding choice morsels and marking street stalls on the map (he's serious)

Gurney Drive night market

Rojak

Assam laksa

Char koay teow

Tandor chicken

Penang: day one

It's lovely to be back in Malaysia. We haven't been here since 2005 and I haven't been to Penang since 1992 as a young, broke backpacker travelling alone in south east Asia before going back home to start a real job. I have recognised nothing so far, but we have only really just arrived.

On our first night, we found a kind of beer garden cum outdoor food court called "Red Garden" which had about 40 Asian food stands. Waiters circulate and encourage you to drink beer, lots of beer. Fast. And order more. Malaysia seems to be the place to go for drinks promotions galore.

The food was fabulous. Really, really fabulous. Could be the finest food on the planet.

Fish "sizzler" with veggies, garlic soup and rice. 

Bucket of beer 

Red Garden 

Red Garden 

Spicy chicken satay

Penang Street near our hotel - old shop houses converted into bars - all with drink promotions

After dinner we wandered the streets a little admiring the buildings.

Bangkok day

I have mostly stopped blogging when I come to Bangkok as I have been here so many times and things are very familiar. Still, it's a great city, so I will keep up the blog this time. We only had one day and two nights in Bangkok this time (back in a few days), but we crammed a lot into today.

1. Breakfast: A feast of muesli, yogurt, fruits and omelets made to order on the 19th floor of our hotel.
2. Work: put in a few hours in the hotel room while David went out to explore the neighbourhood
3. Nails: Finally a well-overdue mani and pedi (for me, not David)
4. Meet at Central World and go for tea. I was delighted that there is now a Twinings teashop in Bangkok. I had the 1706 blend. I think it was made for me and I'm craving more of it.

Fabulous 1706 blend tea 

5. Walk over the canal along to Platinum Fashion Mall. One of my favourite malls in Bangkok. It's where Thais go bargain hunting. Last time I went I came away with 3 handbags and 4 pairs of shoes. This time I was very restrained: just one pair of shoes.

6. Lunch at the food court in Platinum mall. First time we've eaten there, fantastic food for 130 baht.

Isaan nam prik, fish and rice and tom yum noodle soup with fish balls. Yum yum.

7. Walk back over the canal to Central World area, with a quick stop for some snacks and a coconut drink (out of the coconut, of course).

Fresh out of the pan!

Kanom Krok - a kind of coconut fried cake. Lush.

The kanom krok and fresh coconut stands side by side: a perfect combination 

8. Walk to Amarin Centre via the elevated walkway. Haircuts and foot massages. Oh how I have missed this kind of pampering!

Traffic on Rama I Road

9. Back to the room to shower and change and go out again. First stop, the rooftop bar in our hotel "Speakeasy"

David at Speakeasy

Bathtub booze at the speakeasy

10. Dinner in the street on plastic chairs

Dinner at a local street stand

Papaya salad, assorted leaves and sticky rice (later came grilled pork and "Jim casually"... which appeared to be a beef dish)

11. Home to blog and then to bed. Night night.

Above and Beyond

As an anniversary treat, we booked a table at Above and Beyond, the fancy Cantonese restaurant on the 28th floor of our hotel (review here). The decor was done by designer Terence Conran and there are 360 degree views of Hong Kong. David had let them know that it was our wedding anniversary, so they gave us one of the best tables and lots of attention all night. It was a really wonderful, memorable night:

Aperitifs...trying to work out the chopstick etiquette

View from our table (Hong Kong Harbour) 

Sichuan duck tongue in a wild mushroom marinade. The waiter asked if we were sure (David gets asked that a lot as he's an adventurous eater). 

Duck tongue paired with a glass of pouilly fume

Rain starting to blot the view. Champagne rose going down nicely though.

Beef and crabmeat soup

Crab with yellow croaker fish soup

Where's the view gone?

Panfried chicken in lemon

Wok fried pigeon and Yunnan cured ham with mushrooms. Asparagus in garlic.

Cake from the staff.... and the view is back!

Cake, card and some chopsticks each (bound together symbolically, how sweet).
I didn't have the heart to tell them that I'm not Mrs. McLoughlin. And David is "Dr."
Free cake is free cake.

Pot of Dragon Well for me and pot of 20 year old Yunnan Pu-er for David