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Rod Fai, Bangkok Latest Night Market
There is a new boy in town and its Talad Rod Fai Market in the Chatuchak area. ”Talad” means market and “Rod Fai” means train in Thai, an apt name for a market set beside an old set of train tracks topped with abandoned, rusty coaches open for exploration, but bear in mind that the market runs only on Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight and sits on land owned by the State Railway of Thailand
I tell you I sadden beyond words when I heard Suan Lum was closing down in past. Suan Lum was one one of the night market in the city that opens till late, I am one who adore going to night market for a bargain cause of wanting to escape the Bangkok heat.
At Rod Fai Market, the vendors will spread their fares on the ground with all kinds of collectibles and memorabilia from the yesteryear, from antique furniture to hippy fashion to Guns (YES GUNS). Rod Fai Market definitely stands out from the hordes of outdoor markets across Bangkok but it could be hard to find, as it’s tucked behind what appears to be an abandoned warehouse near the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Check out my pictures when I was there.
On our way to the market.
Best part in Bangkok is when you are hungry and looking for a bite, there is never short of place to eat and chill out in Rod Fai. Check out the amount of stalls available in Rod Fai, if you are not those that likes stalls, there is a few chillout cafe that most tourist frequents. Oh bring a Thai friend cause most menu (if not All) here are not in English.
Look at the amount of people at this market.
Prepare to sweat it out and being squeezed with all the people around.
Taxi drivers usually don’t know it exists and will probably give you a blank face if you mention it, so the best way is to start at the MRT underground’s Kamphaeng Phet Station (opposite Or Tor Kor Food Market) and make a double back from the station, means you on the main road but against traffic. walk about five minutes in the opposite direction of Chatuchak Market.. or just follow the crowd.
Opening Hours: 17:00 – midnight (Sat-Sun)
Location: Khamphaengphet Road (behind Chatuchak Weekend Market)
MRT: Kamphaengphet
I truly enjoyed walking in this market , please do visit this market if you are in Bangkok. AWESOME !!
Awesome Beef Noodle in Bangkok
Ever had melt in your mouth beef soup noodle in Bangkok before ? If you have not, I sure can tell you where , I found this place when I was staying in Bangkok and they do know how to serve a bowl of delicious beef noodle.
This place looks deceiving enough , from the outside it looks like a cafe serving coffee as it is always packed with people at lunch time. Look how cool this place is from the outside.
Even the menu was in thai language, but then when you enter do ask for the English menu cause we were given the thai one and we were staring blankly into it.
What I like about this place is that they have a Mix and Match noodle which you can see on the right side of the menu, Imagine having able to personalize your beef noodle into any way you like. Heaven 
Check out the cool interior, and it’s local menu which I will never understand.
if you look at the store from the outside, You will only see 4 tables but up stairs is another story. Ample space but always full at lunch
My stewed beef noodle.
Personalized beef noodle.
Looking at this picture makes me drool cause I remember ever bite of that beef piece I hold in that picture.. Drool Worthy for sure. The broth that comes together with the soup packs a flavorful punch and with the extra condiments that we added into the noodle makes it even more delicious than ever.
So how do you get to this place? Your best bet is to take the Lumphini MRT and walk towards Sofitel hotel and keep on walking till you see North East Restaurant on your left. Its about 5 mins walk away from Lumphini Station. Make sure you see the park on your right and stores on your left when you walk towards down the road. You should see it.
Food Hunting in Bang Rak Bangkok
Hidden Gems in Bang Rak or Thanon Charoen Krung
People do get bored with food in Bangkok city and after the many occasional Tom Yum this and Tom Yum That, I am not one that will eat in the same place twice in this vibrant city of Thailand, actually if you are one that loves to eat in the restaurant or in a upper class area this post is not for you.
This time I am taking you guys on a journey to Bang Rak vicinity where you are able to savour centuries old stalls that is still around after many generations.
The flavor for the day will be duck (Pet Yang in Thai) as usually you will order food in the city which are MOO, KHAI,…. so yup, Duck it is. I told the receptionist girl that I am having duck for today, she said she NO LIKEY ! 
sad
I manage to find this lovely restaurant called Prachak in Bang Rak
The picture below shows the humble store’s on the inside, not much of space but it sure feels homely and if you are expecting to have a nice quiet lunch or dinner, I suggest you bring your ear plug
The menu below which states the history of the restaurant and its food offering was pretty neat with pictures and pricing, I have to say they dedicated about two pages of its history (I am guessing all this as its all written in Thai) it sure seems that way. When you enter this little restaurant you will find that it has this cramp space from a wall no wider than 10ft, its pretty cramp with only about 8 tables and everyone shares table.
Come on, they can’t go wrong with duck since the have been dishing this out since 1909. I am sure the picture on the left is the owner and founder of Prachak. While the lady must be his loving mummy.
Anyway, I was hungry for some duck and not looking to learn a history of this restaurant. Listening to my tummy is better than learning someone’s history and history has never been by favourite subject.
“ A Hungry Man is a Angry Man”
So feed me with your best duck!
First up on the menu that we ordered that came was this dry shrimp noodle, when it came to the table it had this aura of Mak’s noodle from Hong Kong, I was getting excited wondering that I need not travel to Hong Kong for Mak’s noodle anymore, once biten into the noodle, the texture was not the same but it did give the same appearance of Mak’s setting my hopes too high on this one. \
Noodle was alright but I have to say it wont be able to compare to Mak’s , shrimps was plump and juicy.
Next up was the roasted pork with dumplings.. another awesome roast pork noodle, roasted pork skin was crispy as well as tasty. Roast pork was generously sliced, can you say “Crunch” “Munch” All Gone??
Why would you go into a duck stall and not order duck, Of course we did.. we ordered the whole nice yards. I have to say the Duck is aromatic and the infusion of the plum sauce goes so well, its like putting honey into tea, the Chinese preserve sausage was a surprise to me, thinking that it is gonna be a common flavor that we always from chinese preserve sausage geezz, how wrong was I.. it tasted sweet and its so juicy and delicious. See the aftermath.
Yes , Shameless me, I licked it cleaned.. it I could I would really literally licked it with my tongue.. but since there are many people around .. I used my fingers. (Finger licking good)
Prachak Pet Yang – Roasted Duck
1415, Thanon Charoen Krung,
Bang Rak, Bangkok
Next stop is a dessert stall named Boon Sap and in-fact its just opposite the road across Prachak
Boonsap Thai Desserts is a household name in Bangkok with their signature Thai desserts recipes, with a couple of wide variety to choose from, Boon Sap have been around since World War 2 and now this place is run by the 3rd generation, and transformed to a cafe with air-conditioning and two tables; as well as serving coffee and other beverages so you can hangout and savour their delicious creations.
I for one only zoomed into the Mango Sticky rice as I have been trying to find the best stall that sells MSR,
With a skin made out of bullet proof glass, some say titanium, I took second helpings for the coconut sauce that compliments the mango sticky rice.. but really this time I am in heaven, I have never seen the viscosity of the coconut cream in such form. its so rich and creamy. OMG taste like heaven, I need her recipe and I need it bad. This could be one of the best MSR I have ever eaten in Bangkok. No really .. for real !
Boonsap Thai Desserts
1478, Thanon Charoen Krung,
Bang Rak, Bangkok.
Opens from 7am until 5pm.
So If you want to know how to get to this two awesome places, take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and walk towards Robinson, this shop is situated about 100m away from Robinson. Enjoy your food hunting
Silom Street Food lined up just for you
Bangkok Thailand is known for its street food, every corner in every street you will definitely see vendors in their push cart selling food from salad (Som Tam), Hotdog, Fried food, drinks etc..etc..
I am bringing you on my journey on the road of Silom, First stop is to get off Sala Daeng Station and exit to the left, as on the left side of the streets there are a plenty of restaurants that sells local food, I am only covering less one from here cause I only have one stomach to fill. The right side are more of massage parlor and store selling clothes and fast food like Burger King and Starbucks
If you follow the red line drawn on the map, you will see the path that I have walked.
First stop was this famous shop that caters to both the noodle and rice lovers, they have been here for a long time and you will see customers streaming in and out of the restaurant from lunch time till they close, while the take away counter is also busy. The boss spots crew cut and looks like he works out.
Just by looking at all the roasted meat on display sure will make anyone hungry.
If you look at this display this one has a crab sign on it, I believe they sell crab meat with their noodle, which you can clearly see on the left side of this picture, each meat is carefully selected and peeled by hand.
The walls of the shop is filled with newspaper clipping of their shop and other accomplishment
The usual suspects on a Thai eatery.. Sugar, Chili flakes, fresh cut chili, dark soya sauce.. imagine putting all this into your piping hot noodle.. just by adding one would already alter the dish taste but maybe that’s what makes Thai cuisine so unique cause you are your own chef.
This is the wanton noodle soup with crab meat and sweet sauce pork, I was looking into this dish and it kind reminisce the time when I had it when I was a little kid but minus the crab meat and with Wonton. The soup taste fresh with a hint of crab sweetness, it does not coat your tongue with oil or a heavy salt base like some noodle store does.
As for the noodles, I find it a bit soft (overcooked) I like it Al Dante style where there is a crunch to every bite.
This is the roasted pork rice dish with their famous sauce poured all over it, maybe it’s a norm for them to smother the rice with the sauce and I liked it, cause it has this tangy sweetness that compliments the rice, the roast pork would have been better if it was eaten hot and freshly prepared but with the volume of the store, I don’t think that is possible to prepare when ordered.
The roasted pork has a crunch to its skin and it was cut just right in thickness. If you like roasted port this will surely please.
I figured out I would also try the dry noodle as well since I am here, the dry version could do a bit with more flavor or even from its sauce, think of this as having the soup base with out the soup to compliment it, just the noodle drain out in hot water and top with the meat and veg, I would most definitely go for the soup base.
Knowing Thai for their portion size, they serve noodles and rice in very small portion maybe like a fist size, (girls fist size) so walking down the street you will see all the street vendors on your left and right lined up on the tiny walkway.
Aunty in red was not too happy with me touching her packed desserts. (First Thai vendor I met that has a unhappy face) but she was selling this glutinous rice ball in ginger soup which was my favourite, so in-fact I was just confirming which was it.
More yummy street food that will get your waist expending within days.
Fried Instant noodle with your own selected protein and vegetable (mind you this packs a punch) Think Jalapeno soup
Mr James Bond here is selling soup noodle where you can sit on the road side and pick your own veg to be added into it.
I did not want to include this place because I am sure many people have already reviewed it in their blogs and many have known about it, but since Its one of my have to visit I should just add it in as well.
That is Hai Som Tam, this places is famous for its Somtam (DuH), known for serving food from the northeast Isan region of Thailand meaning that the sticky rice is plentiful and (those blasted) chillies feature heavily. This laminate table eatery is buzzing at lunchtime with office workers grabbing a quick feed, the staff are friendly, the vibe is inviting and some people even linger under the fluorescent lights. It is normal to squeeze in a table with another as this place is usually packed.
What more to finish those spicy lip burning tongue ripping Somtam with a cool and refreshing coke served only in a metal cup filled with crush ice, sitting by the road side looking at the world go by.
I found this stall selling fried stuff at the corner of the Silom road just by the bend near Saladaeng BTS, this tasty snacks make one hell of a compliment to a night supper in the room. The batter that she fries with sure is lip smacking, it makes a great compliment to any beer that you are having Reasonably priced
Baan K Residence by Bliston Bangkok review
Most people would have trouble finding a nice hotel to stay in Bangkok not because of the price .. but more of rather the variety that Bangkok has to offer, I for one has this problem, cause really there are too many hotels recommended to me by friends or from reviews. Each time I come back to Bangkok I do not stay in the same hotel as to try the different locations around Bangkok, I have stayed in The Central area,Nana, Silom, Sukhumvit, Lumphini, and even as far out as Phra Kanong, those are the past and I did not blog about those memories, but what I can offer you now is my experience this time at the Baan K, Service Residence by Bliston. Check it out below
This hotel is situated in the North Sathron side which is actually Silom aread, cabs will not have trouble looking for it because its just behind the famous Sofitel Silom and is just opposite the Lumphini park, Do ask your cab to take a look out for this big sign that says Baan K
Once you arrived at the hotel, the is a stairways which you can either walk up to the lobby or take the lift from the carpark which is at the ground floor, yup, the lobby is on the 1st floor, upon my arrival I was greeted by Long (pictured above). They also serve all new arriving guest with a refreshing glass of orange just to cool you down in this hot Bangkok weather.
If you have notice there is a Trip Advisor plaque on the counter and it says Winner for 2012 “travelers Choice” I didn’t book the hotel because of that and I sure did not know about it as well till I arrived, so now the plagued has intrigued me because its a travelers choice in trip Advisor. So lets find out why so many travelers prefers this place.
Checking in was a standard procedure, Passport, details yada yada… but more importantly the receptionist serves you with a smile, As you can see Long here is a person that leaves no stone unturned, he speaks good English and totally knows what he is doing, I have to say he smiles pretty much (which is a good thing)He is like kinda the togo to guy here in Baan K, he pretty much knows his stuff around the area and he is willingly to impart and advice you on whats good.
Missus here wanted to head to the massage parlor that we always patronize and asked for the one closest to the hotel, not only Long showed us the way to the massage center but also recommended another one which he thinks its better (now that is good service)
If you need to use the internet you can always use the readily available desktop just by the lobby, but there will be a charge, anyway this hotel provides free WiFi (or as the Thai pronounces it Wee Fee)
We took the studio room that comes with a lounge for us to chill and a kitchen to cook ( staying here for a long time that’s why I opted for this room, I have to say this room is pretty equipped with everything, Ironing board, full closest, safe box, dryer.. etc..etc.. check out the rest of the room below
Kitchen with full amenities, like my electric stove, sink and even microwave, but actually who needs the kitchen when you see what is offered just outside the street in front of this hotel. In-fact this hotel should just take away the kitchen and make do with a bigger toilet that has a jacuzzi.
Toilet comes pretty standard, seen better toilets in my previous stays
Pretty sizable bath area and the water heater works kinda like in a delay motion. You dont get the right temperature until like 10 seconds later, it’s pretty tricky but you will get the hang of it.
If you can see my workstation with my laptop plugged in for these late night blogging, and the ready TV set with DVD player for all the late night entertainment.
This is a good feature in the room, its an iPod Dock where you can plug in your iPhone, Ipod or Ipad into it if you are in the mood for some music, but hey it also charges your phone. ( I realized that Bangkok people prefer iPhone instead of Sammy, cause when I was hunting for my Sammy covers the iPhone covers far outweigh Sammy in comparison)
Yes, this hotel also includes laundry service because for long stay like me, I can just wash my clothes for only 60bath , if you are lazy I have already scoured the area for a laundromat and there is one where they charge 30bath for 1kg, go figure..
So yup this is the lane that is just outside of the hotel and where you will be crossing everyday to the BTS / MRT station. its littered with food stalls and there is a 7-11 just outside the corner. Best part is that there is this restaurant or cafe that opens till 4 am just round the corner, they sure did whipped up a mean Pad Thai for me yesterday and It was one of the best Pad Thai I ever eaten. *Scouts honor*
So much for food, It takes about 5 min walk to the Lumphini MRT Station and 10min to Saladaeng BTS but fret not because Baan K provides this Tuk Tuk service to bring you to Saladaeng BTS and best of all its FREE ! TIPS: Saladaeng BTS Stop has tons of eatery.
So where you say this Baan K is ?? here is the address listed below
12/1 Soi Sathorn 2, North Sathorn Road, Silom Bangrak Bangkok 10500
Well not all hotels are perfect, so here is my 2 cents on what I didn’t like about it
- Aircon is just too darn cold (its a good thing but … too cold)
- They have this card system which you have to tap when you enter the hotel after 10pm, its kinda like a security feature and only guest that has access card will be able to enter the hotel premises, but thats not a bad thing right? yes its not but I am hating the keys they gave us to the room, its OLD School room keys, you know KEY AND LOCK ?? so if they have such awesome high tech security keycards why can’t they implement it on their room doors and do away with the physical keys ?
- The shower heat delay (ok I shower in warm water even its 38Degrees hot outside)
Bangkok best Fried Chicken, Nuff Said
Seldom I dwell into a food review cause I am not super foodie or one that will go out hunting for food after someone mentions about the place or its food, but for this time I will twist my own arm and make this and exceptional case, cause
1. I have not been updating my blog ever since I was hospitalized
2. I am on a mission in the land of smiles “Bangkok” I will have a few staple place to go to and one of them is this place.
This will be my first travelogue and I hope I wont disappoint you guys
Coming in on a Monday weekday sure has it perks, the crowd was minimal and the Airport does not has its usual visitors, so clearing immigration was a breeze. First stop was to get the DTAC simcard and mind you please do not get from another company cause DTAC is giving the best promotion with only Baht $299, its call the travelers Sim, if you decide to buy this later at MBK or some other dodgy phone shop its gonna cost you like baht $400 or which ever price the shop would wanna charge you.
Reaching the hotel around 10am it would be too early to check in, so went to lunch first at one of my favorite place where they serve the best FRIED CHICKEN, oh please don’t even compare KFC to this, the wont even come close. This awesome place serving this piping hot fried chicken is called Polo Fried Chicken at Soi Polo
The restaurant has this no nonsense setting, no high tech equipment, no fancy tables or chairs, This place just wanna serve you some awesome chicken, we ordered the fried Chicken and Lad Moo which is mince pork.
Just posting this picture reminds me of the smell and tenderness this chicken has, it was well marinated, the skin when you sink your teeth into it breaks and crunch with a crackle sound, those small little pieces on top are not garnish but more of some fried bits of garlic and er…. other bits, if you could do ask for more of those bits, DO IT, cause you will never have enough of these little crunchy suckers, sprinkle them to your glutinous rice and you might as well eat it alone. Yes it is that good for me.
You see this two sauce, the one on the left is spicy and the other on the right looks badass with bright glowing red and cut chili but infact that is the sweeter of the lot. What I do with this is that you tear the chicken and you dip it into them sauce, oh I can’t tell you enough how well the spice of those sauce blends with the hot and juicy chicken. I love the spicier one as I love it spicy.
If you have eaten Lad Moo before in Bangkok or some where else, I am not sure if you notice the distinct taste and smell of the pork, Polo cooks this pretty well and the use of herbs and spices is just right. I can’t stop eating this by itself, with every bite it does not over power you with salt like some other restaurant do. Don’t worry about the spiciness as it is not that spicy but only its looks.
A half chicken will set you back at Baht 100 and a full chicken is only at Baht 200 and Lad Moo is priced at Baht 60. What more can you ask, they priced it right and nothing pretentious about this restaurant, but do go before lunch as the lunch crowd in this place is pretty crazy. See the girl as one of the satisfied customer
Here is the address to this awesome place:
Two years to cycle to the Olympic Games
Take a deep breath, can you smell it? … No? … one more time…Take a deep breath, close your eyes… hear the crowd roaring.
Yes its the Olympic Spirit that is in the air, I feel a sense of competition amongst athletes when you watch the games, their eyes glare with energy and their mind set on one thing and only one thing, that is to win. This is the spirits of the athletes that has gathered in London to compete, and compete they SHALL !!
The athletes that has been training everyday for this day to come, to win a medal is such an honor to them but those who did not shall not despair, as they themselves have earned the title OLYMPIAN, not many can call themselves an Olympian representing their country in the highest competing games. I never dreamed of representing my country, but I bet it would be nice., the furthest I dipped my toes into is by representing my state as a cyclist and managed to compete in the 1995 games.
Not only is the Olympic games set for the athletes, it is for everyone, This man Chen Guanming cycled (more…)
Take a Break, Let Air France and KLM fly you to France and Bali !!
If you are planning for a trip this coming months, why not take on this opportunity to let Air France and KLM put you up in their selected boutique hotels,, if you love Paris for sight seeing or maybe to eyeball at the ever hunky French men, you can try your luck at this contest by Air France.. more details below.
“Win a stay in Paris!” with Air France
Testing out WordPress App for Android
Just downloaded the android app for my trusty tab. Wonder if it us easier to use.. Dont think I will be writing a full post. As this is just a test.
Henry’s China Trip !
lost BUT FOUND
Lost and Found
Johor Outing with Wilson the Noob
ARGH !!
Bangkok
Time Lapse of 2 weeks ?
It’s Getting HottER MAN !
THAILAND Girls ROCK the house !!
I just cant help it, i got to post this up too ! Infact i am buying my ticket to Thailand now ! hahaha
resuming
Beach in Klang ! YAHoOOOOo..
pictures from Ipoh at last !
.. i am not sure if i can remember my trip ride but i will just post the pics up for you to see, ipoh as i can say is BEAUTIFUL , lots of mountain and the place is very cooling, no pretty girls thought.. i dont think ipoh has many pretty girls as said by many, i think its a hoax.. show me a pretty girl in ipoh i show you a flying saucer ! 
