Napa on 26, Bangkok

For Western style fine dining in Bangkok, Napa on 26 is a great choice.  I celebrated my big birthday here and was quite happy with the experience.  First, the decor of the restaurant is pure class and comfortable.  The tables are nicely spread out so you can enjoy a bit of privacy and peace during your meal.  The chairs are some of the most comfortable that I have experienced in a restaurant.  The table for two was nice and large.   Second, the service was polished and prompt - almost up to the standards of a fine restaurant in New York City.  Finally, the food was excellent for the most part - highlights were the duck confit (special of the night), braised short ribs and Caesar salad "Napa" style.  I didn't care for the carpaccio though.  Beautiful presentation and wonderful flavors.  My only compliant was that things were slow coming out of the kitchen.   In a very classy move, the chef came to our table to apologize as he was short staffed due to the recent holiday.

The wine list is very good for Thailand although the pricing is absolutely astronomical compared to the US or Europe.    I attribute this to the massive tax levied against wine imports into Thailand.  I was stunned to see how expensive wine was on the shelf at Foodland market.  However, if you are a baller you can choose such trophies as Mouton, Lafite, DRC and Screaming Eagle off the list at Napa on 26.  Corkage is a very reasonable 500 THB so you are much better off bringing your own bottle than buying off the list.    Wine service was excellent with beautiful stems and prompt service.  Highly recommended. 

Mont Nom Sod, Bangkok

On my most recent trip to Bangkok in January 2012, Mont Nom Sod was once again one of the absolute culinary highlights.  First, we visited the original location on Dinso Road after dinner.  This is a beautiful shop (clean and sleek) and a great place for people watching.  Both times I have been here I have been the only farang.  We devoured three pieces of thick white toast smothered with condensed milk and washed it down with a fresh milk on ice.  So simple yet so utterly delicious and it makes for great food porn in the photos.

I just had to get my fix again before leaving for Los Angeles so I dipped into MBK on its second floor for another trip to culinary heaven.  Two pieces of toast drizzled with condensed milk and a glass of fresh milk on ice.  While the MBK branch is much smaller and plain looking compared to the mother-ship, the food is just as delicious!  We need this here in the USA but it will never happen so I'll just have to keep coming back to Bangkok to get my Mont Nom Sod fix. 

Mon Nom Sod, MBK Bangkok

After being blown away by my first taste of Mon Nom Sod (also spelled Mont Nom Sod) at the flagship in Banglampu, I just had to taste the delicious toast again before I left Thailand.  MBK was a lot closer to my hotel on Sukhumvit so we tried that branch located on the second floor of the legendary shopping mall MBK.  It was again totally delicious, however, I give the edge to the mothership branch in Banglampu for the absolute best taste.  Here is a pic of the toast insanity!  Sweetened condensed milk is my favorite topping.  The farm fresh milk is also stellar.  This is a must when in Bangkok.

MOS Burger, Bangkok

I had my first taste of the well regarded Japanese burger chain MOS Burger at the Siam Paragon food court.  Let me tell you, I was very, very impressed with my burger.  I sampled the 'Premium Beef Burger', which was super tasty.  The portion size is just right.  Easy to handle and it doesn't fill you up too much.  It isn't greasy in the least bit and all of the ingredients are fresh.  I also had a taste of the fish sandwich, which was really good.  The french fries are served in a cute little portion size although they didn't stand out. 

I can't see this restaurant ever being popular in America since people here are so obsessed with huge portions.  Fine with me though.  I look forward to exploring more of the menu on my next trip to Tokyo.

Dinner in Huay Kwang, Bangkok

Here are a few pics from our dinner in Huay Kwang last night.  This area is an excellent place to walk around and enjoy delicious Thai food.  Highlights from last night were the pad kra prow and the mango with sticky rice.

Back in Bangkok

Made it out of rustic Laos back to civilization in Bangkok.  Flew on Nok Air into the old international airport at Don Muang.  Equipment was an old 737-400.  Not much to see with the thick haze hanging over the Kingdom of Thailand today.  

Feels great to be back here, I always feel so comfortable.  I have about 24 hours left in my trip now before my flight to LAX.  Back at the hotel sipping on a cold Leo and watching the news about the big quake in Japan.  Some horrible shots of the tsunami rolling over the coast line. 

My hotel in Bangkok is a brilliant place - Baan Sukhumvit Soi 18.  Excellent location near MRT and Skytrain.  Comfortable rooms with big baths.  Friendly service and a delicious breakfast.  Super quiet too.  I highly recommend it.

Dinner tonight at the Huay Kwang nightmarket.  Can't wait!

Back to Bangkok and on to Laos this afternoon

The trip back to Bangkok from Samet was a bit slow yesterday.  Lots of stops on the bus.  Upon return to the big city we headed straight for the famous Chatachuk Weekend Market.  This was my first visit and it was a blast.  So many good things to buy and of course eat.  I bought a little candle set.  For a little snack a had a grilled roti drizzled with sweetened condensed milk that was other worldly.  I really had to stop myself from having a second one.  Hot, crunchy, soft and gooey all at once.  Fabulous!

Headed to Siam Paragon for dinner and had Coco Curry.  It was delicious but not as good as what I had in Tokyo.  No surprise there.  After dinner a 2 hour massage. 

A couple pics from yesterday.

Golden Mount, Bangkok

This is a can't miss spot when touring Bangkok.  After a nice climb up the stairs you can enjoy a great view of the Big Mango.

Mon Nom Sod, Bangkok

This famous kanom (dessert) place absolutely blew my mind.  Located in the Banglampu area and famous for decades, Mon Nom Sod is (nom sod means fresh milk in Thai) a gem in a city that perhaps has more opportunities to eat well than any place on the planet.  The specialty here is grilled toast with different toppings.  The setting is simple elegance with great air conditioning.  We had toast topped with butter and condensed milk.  Simple but utterly profound.  I'm going back to try the chocolate topping.  This is a can't miss spot in Bangkok.

Bangkok Day 3

Another busy day out in the Big Mango.  We visited a few new things near the Banglampu area including a nice temple and the Royal Mount.  Lunch was at Chote Chitr at long last.  I certainly enjoyed it although it wasn't worth all the hassle I went through to find it.  The food was very good although I was somewhat turned off by how focused the restaurant is on tourists.  I'm fairly certain that no Bangkok residents would ever eat at Chote Chitr due to the relatively high prices.  I guess I've become a total snob for local, local places although the cooking was certainly good at Chote Chitr.    

After lunch we visited a famous Thai dessert place that was other worldly, Nom Mod Sod.  I will definitely visit this place again before I depart for LA.

After our dessert we visited the Golden Mount.  This is very nice temple with great views of Bangkok.  I really enjoyed visiting the Golden Mount and would definitely return again.

In the late afternoon the sky opened up and it absolutely poured for awhile.  

Dinner was at an old favorite of mine near Soi Nana - Took Lae Dae inside the Foodland Market on Soi 5.  I ordered the pad kee mao noodles.  They were decent but I've had much better.  I asked for it spicy and my dish came 'farang spicy'. 

Some pics from Chote Chitr:

Siam Paragon, Bangkok

We spent some of the afternoon at Siam Paragon, which is the premier shopping mall in Bangkok.  What an incredible place!  I'm actually not surprised at all since it seems that no mall in the western world can match the malls I've seen in Asia.  The food court at this mall is absolutely massive and has just about everything you can think of.  A lot of it looking so very good.  All of the western favorites are there.  Krispy Kreme had by far the biggest line.  Lilly says the people here are nuts about the donuts.  All of the high end shops are of course.  Canali, Zegna, etc.  RT - eat your heart out.

Here is me inside a Tuk-Tuk outside.

Boat Noodles at Victory Monument

Lunch today was something that I have been waiting to do since I discovered boat noodles at Sapp in Hollywood, California.  There is an area near Victory Monument that has several boat noodle restaurants next to each other right on the side of a canal.  This is supposed to be the best place in Bangkok to sample this famous Thai noodle dish.  I can't tell you how very happy I was to be there.

We walked around looking at the different shops and ultimately settled on the one that was the most crowded.  My original thought was to sample the noodles at a few different places but that idea was quickly scratched after my first slurp.  The flavors were just incredible!  The broth is so thick and rich.  Sorry Sapp Hollywood, I love you but you have been trumped.  I dig how the noodles are served in little bowls that you stack up.  Prices are a lofty 9 baht per bowl. 

Bangkok Day 1

The first day of my trip was quite busy (and seemed to last forever).  I got the welcome Thai massage for an hour.  It felt great and only cost $5 for an hour.  Lilly and I drove around the city for part of the day.  Traffic everywhere.   We ditched the car and rode the public transportation later (the better bet).  Food is everywhere and we ate throughout the day.  We had dinner in Silom on the street.  The highlight was fresh red snapper in chili lime sauce.  Amazing flavors.  I was utterly exhausted by last night.  I slept great and woke up early this morning.  Just had a very good western breakfast at my hotel.  Plans for today are getting my visa for Laos and getting lunch at Chote Chitr.  Boat noodles later in the day at Victory Monument.

Arrival in Bangkok

The flight to Bangkok was mostly smooth and as enjoyable as a 18 flight could be.  The seat next to me was open so I had an extra level of comfort.  Service on Thai Airways was excellent, smooth as silk.  We had 3 meals and I slept a lot thanks to the Ambian.  There was nothing to see on the way.  Just 17 hours of darkness until we crossed over the coast of Vietnam between the cities of Hue and Danang.  The sun was barely coming up as we landed at BKK. 

We arrived 30 minutes early and Lilly was at the airport to pick me up.  We fought the early morning Bangkok traffic and got to my hotel.  They let me check-in early so I have dropped my bags and took a shower.  I feel like I am reborn.  We are heading out for breakfast now and perhaps a welcome massage.  More updates to follow.  We had a busy afternoon of driving around and eating a lot of different things.  Back at the room now and relaxing before dinner.

Bangkok is as bustling as ever.  Culinary opportunities are as omnipresent as the heat and humidity.