October 2, 2012

• Bangkok Happy.

  It was dark and wet when we stepped out of the restaurant. There was dampness in the air. Here and there were small dark pockets on the asphalt roads. In the company of Chris (@christao408) and Andrew (@stepaside_loser), tiny puddles of street water didn’t seem too bad. They were busy chatting and I was busy listening, right from the first flower vendor we passed as we exited Soul Food restaurant, to crossing the street, about a block away, to have our dessert. I was trying hard to capture the intense, seemingly interesting conversation between Chris and Andrew in front of me, and also between Tawn and another friend, S, behind me, but the traffic noise around us was not helping. Still, I tried my best to pay a close attention to their conversation.

  Soul Food was as good as I expected. A cosy little Southern Thailand cuisine restaurant, that happens to be very popular among the expatriates. Having briefly studied the menu online prior to my flight to Bangkok, I knew it would be a pleasurable dinner occasion. Chris knows how to impress his guests and he did it well. He is a frequent customer at the restaurant and so we decided to have him pick out the dishes worth trying. We started out by having samosas and a cocktail. My second cocktail for the evening. The evening was one with approving mmms over the yummy selections of courses that ranged from banana flower to chicken to duck to lamb to pork to vegetables and curry. We even got a complimentary dish from the restaurant (Chris knows the owner).

  If you want pictures, then you are in for a disappointment. I didn’t take any. I was too starving to think of clicking away my iPhone and to make everyone wait for me. We all were hungry. We didn’t get there until after 8PM. Prior to dinner though, Chris took me to a rooftop bar at Zense. A splendid looking place that combines an alfresco bar and dining with a warm contemporary indoor dining space, that serves five different ethnic cuisines from their five different main kitchens. Naturally, we had to have our first cocktail for the day there. It was a nice way to break the ice. And it was on Chris’ tap too. Thanks, Chris

  By the time we finished the shared dishes at Soul Food, I was wet in all of the inappropriate places. Some of the dishes were spicy enough to have my head, face and neck drenched in non-stop trickles of sweat. I don’t know how my dining companions did it. They seemed just as poise and dry as the minute they stepped into the restaurant. I, on the other hand, was all hot and bothered and ready to jump into a shower. Chris’ suggestion to have a local icy dessert nearby was a very welcoming one. And so we headed out there after we settled the bill.

  As we approached the area, stalls upon stalls of street food vendors filled both sides of the side walks along the road, leaving the middle section of the road wide enough for two lane of cars to pass through. We reached one vendor that displayed bowls of colorful ingredients that were mostly made with rice flour and legumes, soaked in liquid. Tawn confirmed that was our stop. He ordered five different types of desserts. The experience of sitting and chatting and eating at an open street side location was far opposite from the dining environment of Soul Food or Zense, but one that was equally pleasant and adventurous. I have to credit the hosts for that.

  

  

  

  The desserts were what the doctor ordered. I cooled down quickly. I even finished the coconut ice cream that was to be shared between us all. Sorry, guys But this time around, I managed to bite my lip once in a while, so I wouldn’t talk as much as I did during my first xangan meeet-up back in June. I wasn’t even planning to blog about this meet-up, but having read Chris' post I felt a sudden urge to do the same.

  Chris and Tawn were the most gracious hosts and the tallest people in Thailand I have personally come to know. I had expected to see Tawn as a petite guy, judging from how he seems compared to Chris in photos. But Chris is very very VERY tall, and so Tawn is actually taller than me. Don't let Chris’ photos fool you. As for Andrew, he is a pleasantly mild mannered guy, and shorter than I expected. He is actually thinner than me. His accent made me miss my younger years living in Australia. And to his credit, he was the first to notice my taste in clothing is similar to his. I said this to him in Bangkok, and I will say it again… “Smart people think alike”

  • 4:55 am
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