Thailand

Two weeks in Thailand: restaurants in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai and Krabi Beach

I had a fantastic two-week vacation in Thailand in February, 2009, and although I am allergic or just detest fresh cilantro, I left without a cilantro scar. My first hotel wrote out a little card for me about my affliction and it was fun to watch the reaction of both restaurant servers and street vendors. In restaurants, this was taken very seriously and my card was invariably brought into the kitchen so as to inform the chef.

I want to mention street food. Delicious!! You get scared about the hygiene and so it is important to choose, but if you find a place that looks good, don't hesitate. I had a wonderful spicy soup, papaya salad and grilled octopus on three different visits. I recommend it.

Although Bangkok is not a pretty city for wandering the streets, it is full of great shopping, luxury hotels, nice boat rides and fantastic restaurants. I loved the Siam Center's several shopping centers and spent a long time roaming the aisles of the fantastic food store at Siam Paragon. You can find EVERYTHING there from every country in the world. I was particularly impressed with the huge variety of Italian olive oils and dried pasta, not to speak of the rice selection. This is a must-see destination for a foodie.

My friend, Sylvain recommended one of the best restaurants in Bangkok: Baan Khanitha. There are several branches and I had a wonderful moderately priced meal at the one at 69 South Sathorn Road. My hotel made the reservation and I asked for the person who had taken the details. He was my waiter, and he was charming and knowledgeable. The food was wonderful: Yam Woon Sen to start (a spicy glass noodle salad with shrimp, squid and minced pork) and for my main course, Chu Chi Khung Nang--deep fried river prawns in red curry and coconut milk. I love spicy food and so I was very happy there. The restaurant was filled with Thai people and it doesn't feel like a tourist trap.

My favorite thing about Thailand is that you can stay in luxury hotels for the price of a basic hotel in London. I was at one of the best: The Shangri-La in Bangkok. I had fantastic service, a large beautiful room with a king size bed, and access to the Chi Spa which is one of the best in the city. I took one of their "voyages", and enjoyed a 2 1/2-hour experience of massage, bath, rub, and cream application to die for. I can't wait to go back. While you are there, you can use their faux-cashmere robes which are so soft and soothing after your shower.

My next stop was Sukhothai, which is the ancient capital of Thailand and full of beautiful ruins. I was at another luxury hotel called the Sukhothai Heritage Resort. As there is absolutely nothing in Sukhothai, this is where I dined. The food was very good and during the two days I stayed there, I sampled both lunch and dinner. The Larb Gai is a spicy chicken salad. Gaeng Ka Ree Gai is a yellow curry again with chicken and red and white rice. That was a winner. I tasted the sweet sausages which I loved, and also tried the Kao Hor Bar Bua which is old fashioned Thai fried rice with lotus flower, shrimp and chili sauce. On the second day, I had the spicy soup: Tom Kha Gai--curry chicken with galangal in coconut milk; and Pad Ka Praow Gai Goong, a dish of stir-fried shrimp with chili and basil leaf. In general, I ate very well in Sukhothai.

Next stop: Chiang Mai, known for shopping and the night market. I stayed in a little basic hotel which was located on the same street as the night market. A friend of mine told me that the Japanese restaurants in Thailand are very good, so for my first dinner, I went to Fuji. I had a spectacular assortment of sashimi and was very happy. Another winner in Chiang Mai is the famous Huen Phen. This place serves traditional northern Thai food. You can choose at the counter and they will serve you your choices at the table. I showed my cilantro card to the waitress and she and I proceeded to choose four delicious dishes for me. Don't miss Khao Soy--a spicy dish of noodles with the meat of your choice--usually chicken leg. You can't go wrong at this restaurant, as it is dirt cheap. I could not wait to go back.

The next day for lunch, I went to a place that was recommended in the Rough Guide: Just Khao Soy. You order your personally tailored dish of khao soy. You can choose the level of spiciness along with your meat: chicken, pork, tofu. I daringly chose spicy
(to the surprise of the waiter) and as it was definitely spicy I thought I was going to lose my lips in the fire. If you like spicy food, I recommend "medium". Once again, the bill was very inexpensive.

That evening, I dined at the Thai restaurant of my hotel: The Royal Princess. The restaurant's offerings were excellent. It is just a shame that there were not more people there to liven up the atmosphere. I had the traditional spicy shrimp soup Tom Yang Goong. Don't leave Thailand without trying their most famous soup. I also had the Pad Thai which is another traditional dish and wonderful. It is served with cilantro, but they wisely left it off mine.

For my last night, I wandered the night market and discovered the Kilari Night Bazaar. As I had reservations at a fancy restaurant, I told myself that I would come back there on another trip as the food looked extremely appetizing. There are many lovely restaurant stands and communal tables in the center of the market. This is an upscale section of the generally lower-class night market.

As recommended by the Rough Guide, I went to Ratchmakan Restaurant at the hotel of the same name--the fanciest restaurant in the city. It was nice to be in an upscale environment, but I was not impressed and would have preferred a meal in the Night Market. I would not recommend this place.

My next stop was the Krabi Beach--West Railay Bay Resort. I dined there most of the time and had wonderful seafood salads and fresh grilled fish. Some nights, I ventured next door for similar fare. One evening, I was part of a group on a snorkelling trip and we shared a wonderful seafood-chicken curry while watching the sunset on the beach. That was truly a high point of the trip.

My last evenings were in Bangkok and I went to one of the most famous restaurants in the city: the Blue Elephant. There is a branch in Paris. I was sorely disappointed by my meal and would have preferred to go back to Baan Khanitha or to try another place. I have been disappointed with Blue Elephant in Paris as well.

The next morning, I went to the food market right near my hotel. It was very interesting but teeming with people and parts of it seemed quite dirty. I took fantastic photos but they don't reflect the level of cleanliness. Personally, I would not feel comfortable buying food there.

For my last luncheon, I went to what is supposed to be the fanciest best hotel in Bangkok: The Oriental. The energy of that hotel turned me off (in comparison to the soft elegant atmosphere of the Shangri-La). But lunch was superb. I had the spectacular buffet: an array of continental dishes, sushi bar, seafood salads, pasta, meat preparations, fruit, beautiful French desserts, etc. Such a beautiful spread with a fancy cocktail came to about $50! And the room is beautiful with a river view. As this is a popular destination, it is important to reserve a few days in advance. What a wonderful close to a terrific trip. On the whole, I enjoyed Thailand for all the beautiful sites I visited and wonderful restaurants. And the people are friendly and honest. It is a very easy country for tourists.I can't wait to go back.