Happy Teacher's Day !

Put together little packages of home made cookies for my daughters to give to their teachers. The bright yellow tags kind of matches the sunflowers at the residents' garden at my place. Some of my neighbours do have green fingers, unlike me. 

Happy Teacher's Day to all teachers out there :)

Dempsey - PS Cafe and House

House and PS Cafe are two of my favourite shabby chic places at Dempsey, though I have not been back there for a while till recently, on two occassions. PS Cafe looks like a posh cafe in New York overlooking the woods while House is like a spa cum high tea place. 

Presentation of food at both places were great though the chef at House seems to be a little short on the salt for my main dish - fish in a broth of mussels and soba. Couldn't complain about the raspberry chocolate cake with vanilla custard as it had a wonderful nutty texture which goes well with the tart strawberry and the smooth custard. There was also a little promotional message on their place mat - vintage tea party from Thursday to Friday, 3 -5.30pm. Despite it being a weekday, there were lots of ladies , some obviously ladies of leisure indulging in food , tea and gossip. Wish I could live that sort of lifestyle. Nah....I would probably get bored after a while.

While at PS Cafe, I couldn't help admiring the 2 huge bouquets of hydrangeas near the door. Was disappointed when I got to the table as there was only a small vase with a single stalk of decaying chysanthemums. Dying flowers make me a little sad somehow so I kept looking at the hydrangeas instead. Had a miso cod fish with a salad at the side and it was delicious without making me feel guilty. But I did take quite a bit of french fries with triffle oil from my friend , not to mention the desserts that came after. My friend had lemon pudding while I had the ginger one and both came served with lots of cream and ice cream. Oh dear ! But I  convinced myself that it was alright and I would go back to my down to earth porridge lunch the next day.

Bangkok Shopping

Colourful ribbons at Platinum Fashion Mall (accessories floor)

    

A colourful stripey rubber ducky at the entrance of Siam Centre

  

A different expression for every toyboy (Siam Centre)

  

The courtyard of Siam Centre

   

A colourful montage of tiles at a shop in Siam Paragon

Bangkok is such an enjoyable place to be if you want a shopping and culinary experience. If you only have a few days to spare and shopping is a priority, there are many options depending on your budget. There's Chatuchak market (market is only fully open on weekends) , one of the largest indoor market where each lane is a treasure trove of bargains and unusual finds. Skip all the fake goods and you will see authentic Thai handmade treasures and quality clothes which costs so much less compared to department stalls and boutiques.

The best way to get here is to take the Skytrain to Mo Chit station which is only about five minutes walk away from the market. Finding your way from the station is easy - just follow the large crowd of people. But if there are at least four persons in your group, take a cab and use the meter. With everyone having different shopping interests, it is not easy to shop in a group at Chatuchak . Locating one another is difficult too as the lanes are like confusing little mazes. Best thing is to get a map at the information centre or even print it out from the web and arrange a meeting point. The map is also useful as you can zoom in on the category of goods you want to buy rather than meadering aimlessly. Alternatively, get to meet your friends at a stipulated time at the clocktower, one of the higher structures within the market which can be seen from most parts of Chatuchak. 

For a more structured form of shopping, there is the Platinum Fashion Mall, where people take shopping seriously, judging at the way some actually lug luggage bags as shopping bags.
This massive wholesale mall is a source for retail shops all around Bangkok. Bargain hunters can still pay wholesale prices by purchasing a minimum of three and if you are lucky even two pieces from the same store. With more than 1,300 shops, you'll need at least four hours to get through the place and even blogshops and businesses from countries as far away as Russia actually come here to stock up. With floors dedicated to every category of goods - accessories, clothes, leather goods such as bags and shoes, it is the shopping mecca of Bangkok.

Platinum Fashion Mall
542/21-22 Petchaburi Road
Bangkok


But for a more upmarket shopping experience, there's Siam Centre where many established Thai fashion designers set up shop as well as Siam Discovery,  a place that houses major international brands. Siam Centre and Siam Discovery are actually twin shopping malls, conveniently located at the BTS Skytrain Siam Station. They are just opposite Siam  Paragon, adjacent to MBK Centre. I especially love the eateries and the beautiful big supermarket at Siam Paragon. Well, this is as much as I have discovered during my 3 days there.

Artistic touches in Bangkok

Little artistic touches around Bangkok abound in many places. From a chandelier made of glass cups, blue orchids arranged in a tear drop to a simple but beautiful arrangement of flowers. It is difficult to shop, eat and take pictures at the same time but I do try.

Cafe shots in Bangkok

Breakfast at the cafe at Novotel Silom, Bangkok

A leisurely breakfast and a chill / relax tea time are such real treats for me. I love nothing more than a nice pot of tea, scones, cake or cookie. More reasons to do so on a weekend and while I am on a holiday.

Tea time at Vanilla Brasserie at Siam Paragon

Cafe Doitung, Thailand



Coffee with macadamia nuts and a chocolate muffin



Cafe Doitung at Chatuchak

 

Toys made from handwoven materials ( Phufa Occupation Incentive Project)

In Bangkok, couldn't help but notice some businesses set up to promote social causes, the most prominent of which was Cafe Doitung which has branches located in many places of interest in Thailand. Sold at these cafes-coffee from aromatic Arabica coffee beans as well as macadamia nuts, replacement crops for opium from the Golden Triangle.

The Golden Triangle is located where Thailand, Myammar and Laos joins and historically this place was known for the cultivation of opium. Since every modern city has its own coffee chain, the creation of Café DoiTung allows the farmers to capitalise on the value of coffee growing, giving them a sustainable alternative form of living. Playing a big part in this is the Thai royal family, especially the late mother of the King, Princess Srinagarindra who first set up the Mae Fah Laung Foundation to raise the quality of life for Thailand's ethnic minorities. This has since passed on to the King's daughter, her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Well loved by the Thai people, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also heads many other similar projects such as the Phufa Occupation Incentive Project which also helps to promote a sustainable way of life for villagers in other remote areas of Thailand.

Thai drinks

A little cafe just behind an aromatherapy store

Thai style grass jelly with milk

Thai style grass jelly with brown sugar

Thai style ice Lemon tea with lemon grass (right) and lime with brown sugar (left)

Grass jelly is a popular drink in Asia. It is made from boiling the leaves and stalks of the Mesona chinensis plant (part of the mint family) with potassium carbonate and starch, then cooled to form a jelly like substance. Grass jelly has cooling (yin) properties and this makes it an ideal drink in hot Asian countries.

It is interesting to find how different countries in Asia serve grass jelly. In Singapore, black strands of grass jelly (known as chin chow locally) is commonly served with soya bean milk and locals call it the "Micheal Jackson drink". This is in reference to both his popular black or white song and his changing skin colour.

In Thailand, grass jelly is known as chao kuay and is commonly served with just ice and natural brown sugar or alternatively, with just milk and brown sugar.  Had both the Thai versions at a very popular Chatuchak stall and it was refreshing after a long day of shopping.  
Chatuchak Chao-Kuay Boran
(Section 3, Room 202 and 214, Soi 3, 02-542-0732, 08-6568-7025. Open Sat-Sun 10am-7pm)

Lemon grass is another popular herb in Thai cooking and even the ice lemon tea at McDonalds in Bangkok was flavoured with it. The herb is also useful for presentation. I loved the way my ice lemon tea was presented at a  local Thai restaurant. It came with an orange straw and a lemon grass artistically cut at an angle. The beautiful colour combination makes it look like a carrot and celery stick from afar.

Another memorable "drinking hole" in Chatuchak is a cafe just behind an aromatherapy shop. After a whiff of the wonderful, calming scent of essential oils, relax with a refreshing blend of flowery tea on quaint garden benches with chill out music playing in the background.
Lann Cha
(Section 3, Room 122-123, Soi 3, 02-513-0145/6. Open Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 9:30am-7pm).