FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD
Where else but in Bangkok can you eat either on or off the street virtually 24/7 and be 99 per cent guaranteed of having a fabulous meal? There’s so much good food here that substandard restaurants only survive if they’ve got some catchy non-food related gimmick, such as free drink for fashion models or bars made of ice that turns them into trendy status symbols. But the hottest new restaurant-of-the-moment won’t last because dinners ultimately reject mediocre cuisine no matter how dazzling the décor. Many favorite hole-in-the-wall eateries have been here much longer than many residents and still look pretty much the way they always did. Unlike those residents, alas. Thais also have a microscopically calibrated appreciation of what makes food good without fetish sing it as is so often done in the West. It’s not the provenance of the papaya or name of the range on which the chicken roamed freely that gets people flocking to a Som Tam or a grilled chicken outlet. Bangkok foodies choose their eateries based on the quality of the food and the je ne sais quoi of the preparer, not on rave reviews, two-month reservation waits or star ratings, all nonexistent here anyhow. A better indicator is the size of the crowd waiting patiently for a table.
THE RIVER
As easy it is to get around Bangkok thanks to the efficient combination of the modern Sky-train and the even-newer subway, nothing beats the Bangkok traffic like taking a river boat. The Chao Phraya River remains one of the best alternatives for getting around town quickly and offers a fantastic glimpse into the life of the old city. Both the commuters you’ll meet and the sights you’ll see will be etched into your memory. Not only has that, traveling on the river offered a breath of fresh air, a break from the hot and crowded city.
A FETISH FOR ALL THINGS FOREIGN
There’s no question that Thais are very proud of their heritage but they aren’t above a little fun when it comes to foreign influences. Italian restaurant in Bangkok are nothing short of excellent, and daily speech is littered with American slang. And these days, one definite double take occurs outside places like the Mahboonkrong shopping centre if you happen across those teens and 20-somethings who dress to impress as Japanese. Straight out of Harajuku or Omotesando, these cross cultural dressers have the look and the eyeliner perfected to the point that they might be mistake for locals in Tokyo. Until that is, fluent Thai comes pouring out of their mouths.
CHILL OUT
Maintaining your jai yen—literally cool heart or calmness—is crucial to surviving in vibrant, pulsating Bangkok. There are innumerable opportunities daily to practice this crucial life lesson which, alas, many outsiders who call Bangkok home have yet to fully master. Take crossing the road. Pedestrians occupy the bottom rung in the hierarchy of Bangkok road users, below bicycles, motorbikes and cars. Before stepping out onto a crosswalk, Thai pedestrians hang back to ensure no cars are approaching. One “modus Crosse Randi” is to point an unfurled black umbrella towards the oncoming traffic, assume an imperious air of rectitude and march full tilt ahead. Eventually, drivers will stop. A pedestrian victory indeed.
Where else but in Bangkok can you eat either on or off the street virtually 24/7 and be 99 per cent guaranteed of having a fabulous meal? There’s so much good food here that substandard restaurants only survive if they’ve got some catchy non-food related gimmick, such as free drink for fashion models or bars made of ice that turns them into trendy status symbols. But the hottest new restaurant-of-the-moment won’t last because dinners ultimately reject mediocre cuisine no matter how dazzling the décor. Many favorite hole-in-the-wall eateries have been here much longer than many residents and still look pretty much the way they always did. Unlike those residents, alas. Thais also have a microscopically calibrated appreciation of what makes food good without fetish sing it as is so often done in the West. It’s not the provenance of the papaya or name of the range on which the chicken roamed freely that gets people flocking to a Som Tam or a grilled chicken outlet. Bangkok foodies choose their eateries based on the quality of the food and the je ne sais quoi of the preparer, not on rave reviews, two-month reservation waits or star ratings, all nonexistent here anyhow. A better indicator is the size of the crowd waiting patiently for a table.
THE RIVER
As easy it is to get around Bangkok thanks to the efficient combination of the modern Sky-train and the even-newer subway, nothing beats the Bangkok traffic like taking a river boat. The Chao Phraya River remains one of the best alternatives for getting around town quickly and offers a fantastic glimpse into the life of the old city. Both the commuters you’ll meet and the sights you’ll see will be etched into your memory. Not only has that, traveling on the river offered a breath of fresh air, a break from the hot and crowded city.
A FETISH FOR ALL THINGS FOREIGN
There’s no question that Thais are very proud of their heritage but they aren’t above a little fun when it comes to foreign influences. Italian restaurant in Bangkok are nothing short of excellent, and daily speech is littered with American slang. And these days, one definite double take occurs outside places like the Mahboonkrong shopping centre if you happen across those teens and 20-somethings who dress to impress as Japanese. Straight out of Harajuku or Omotesando, these cross cultural dressers have the look and the eyeliner perfected to the point that they might be mistake for locals in Tokyo. Until that is, fluent Thai comes pouring out of their mouths.
CHILL OUT
Maintaining your jai yen—literally cool heart or calmness—is crucial to surviving in vibrant, pulsating Bangkok. There are innumerable opportunities daily to practice this crucial life lesson which, alas, many outsiders who call Bangkok home have yet to fully master. Take crossing the road. Pedestrians occupy the bottom rung in the hierarchy of Bangkok road users, below bicycles, motorbikes and cars. Before stepping out onto a crosswalk, Thai pedestrians hang back to ensure no cars are approaching. One “modus Crosse Randi” is to point an unfurled black umbrella towards the oncoming traffic, assume an imperious air of rectitude and march full tilt ahead. Eventually, drivers will stop. A pedestrian victory indeed.
Resource: Sawasdee Magazine / April 2007
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