My first encounter with Coronavirus was back in January. I was mindlessly browsing Twitter when I saw an image of men in PPEs who, as it appeared to be, were fumigating a plane somewhere in China. Probably like most of us was, it was appalling but didn’t call for an immediate panic. Who would’ve thought that in just barely two months, it will blow into a pandemic?
My high school friends and I planned a Bangkok trip in March during my one-month vacation in the Philippines. Since things quickly took a turn when the first news of the virus surfaced, flights were canceled back-to-back. Our Bangkok flight, however, was spared although we were already thinking of backing out. My friends, who booked their tickets months in advance, didn’t even care for a refund anymore.
Personally, with little information yet about the virus, I was still a little skeptic of how widespread it already was. This was, of course, back when the Philippines still had a very low tally- practically nonexistent, which was too good to be true in hindsight. We didn’t know much about the situation in Thailand then either. As we inched closer towards the trip, we just decided to continue on with it anyway, not knowing it’ll be our last one until the foreseeable future.
It’ll be my second time in Bangkok after visiting with my cousin six years earlier. I have grown very fond of Thai cuisine within those years and much more adept with their pop culture after briefly obsessing with local movies after my first trip. I also love how the Thais are able to preserve their culture yet the city is already a bustling metropolis that I must say, is far more progressive than Manila. Even the traffic is not as bad as I remember. I mostly let my friends plan our itinerary this time since I wanted to see the city with fresh eyes.
1. Thai tea, mango sticky rice, and everything nice
There are a lot of good Thai restaurants in the US, which probably offer westernised versions of the authentic cuisine, but they became instrumental to my liking for Thai food. Thai tea, for one, is my ultimate favorite kind of milk tea. Upon seeing a ChaTraMue location at the airport, I didn’t waste any chance (this was consequently followed by at least seven more purchases throughout the entire trip.) ChaTraMue is one of the oldest Thai tea brands in the country and honestly, the best one we’ve ever tried. I even hoarded their instant mix and the tea bags to bring back home because I was so obsessed with it. I first tried Thai tea from a street vendor during my prior visit and thought it has to be the pinnacle of it but ChaTraMue easily tops any there is. They have other interesting flavors as well like the Rose Milk Tea and Thai Coffee which hopefully, I can try next time.
It’s not a Southeast Asian trip if we didn’t try their street food. Chancing upon a vendor near our hotel, I introduced banana roti to my friends which is a snack similar to a crepe. It is doused with condensed milk and some versions even have chocolate syrup as well but I like mine plain and simple. Later that night, we visited Asiatique– an outdoor mall facing the Chao Phraya River, where we had our first (of many) mango sticky rice, a dessert I particularly love. We got to try more items a couple of nights after in Chak Tu Chak Weekend Market such as beef skewers, pandan kanom khrok (Thai coconut pancakes,) and beef noodle soup.
Perhaps, the best street foods we were able to try were during our Ayutthaya day tour, some two hours away from Bangkok. Their floating market is abound of options that we didn’t have enough time to explore the whole stretch of it. The highlight for me was their fresh coconut ice cream which is a surprising delight even for those who are not fond of coconuts.
2. Trying the famous Thipsamai and Michelin-star rated Jay Fai
My friends have thoroughly researched on our trip that it was a no-brainer for us to include Thipsamai on our itinerary. Claiming to be “the best padthai in Thailand,” it was originally a modest hole-in-the-wall that has already expanded into more sophisticated locations such as the one we went to inside Iconsiam. We made a mistake, however, of ordering a different version instead of the basic padthai. Padthai Song-Kreung is garnished a little more complex with squid, crabmeat, and sliced raw mango, served with prawns on the side. It was amazing, nonetheless, and said to be one of their most renowned dishes. It’s a little on the pricier side but we don’t recommend splitting it among three people. It was that good and I wish we ordered another serving. Hopefully, next time, I can try the basic one although this dish was not a bad alternative either.
Meanwhile, having seen Netflix’s Street Food: Asia episode on Jay Fai, I wanted to try lining up for the famous Michelin-star street-side restaurant despite hearing how ridiculous it can get. My friend learned from a vlog that we have to get listed as soon as they open at 10 am. A man came out with an old-school clipboard and along with other early birds, we were able to jot our names for a spot. This is a very critical factor to secure seats, otherwise, people wait for hours outside the heat with no assurance that they can be accommodated. Jay Fai personally does all the cooking and only serves limited dishes a day.
The restaurant formally opens at 1 pm and we have to be back before they call our names. At that point, more people were already in queue and I remember there was even a lady who said her flight is at 3 pm but still decided to try her luck if she could get in. Jay Fai herself has also started working on her wok, donning her famous goggles. People have pulled out their phones to capture the iconic image and I wasn’t one to miss the chance. Two of her most famous dishes are the crab omelet and drunken noodles. It is a Michelin-star restaurant for a reason and the price range is a bit steep-around 1000 baht (30 USD) apiece, but the freshness of the ingredients and the rich flavors attribute a lot to why it is sought-after. I’m not a huge seafood fan, if we’re being completely honest, but I do get random bouts of craving for seafood. But I think for everyone across the board, Jay Fai’s cooking can easily win a heart. The drunken noodles has fresh prawns and vegetables and the crab omelet didn’t scrimp on the meat. It is best paired with their hot sauce and definitely worthy of all praise. Overall, I would say it is an absolutely worth-it experience and the price point is not that bad considering the restaurant’s accolades.
3. Cafe hopping on this side of the world
On this trip, we stayed in Silom and there is a cute, little coffee shop across from our hotel. It’s probably not the best area to stay at but Kudos Coffee was definitely a redeeming factor for us. Primarily a takeout nook, the cafe is charming with its minimalist, white and wooden facade. I was so thrilled to find out they have almond milk on the menu which is another plus point. We loved the place so much that we went there at least thrice.
For a proper breakfast, some few minutes of walk away, we found (Not Just) Another Cup. They serve both continental and Asian breakfast fare in a cozy, well-lit ambience. Even the patio dining was a tempting option but the heat that day was unrelenting so we opted to dine indoors instead. I went for their signature eggs Benedict with back bacon while my friends ordered the mushrooms fettuccine cream sauce pasta with truffle and the kai-krata, which is a traditional Thai breakfast consisting of sunny side up egg, Chinese pork sausage, and toast.
On another day, we also paid a visit to The Commons in Thonglor which is perhaps one of my most favorite spots in Bangkok. It’s a living proof of how modish and thriving the lifestyle scene in Thailand is. It is an open-air mall that purveys underground brands and a handful of concept restaurants. On the top floor was Roots where I had one of the best cold brew coffees I’ve ever tried.
4. Touring Ayutthaya Kingdom
Our last full day was dedicated to a tour of Ayutthaya’s major tourist spots. It was once the capital of Thailand and now a historical seat of temples and old ruins. We left Bangkok at 8 am and it took us around two hours to get to the first stop, Bang Pa In Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The heat this day was even more intense than our previous days, leaving us exhausted early. Visiting the floating market for lunch was a good recess and probably the highlight of the day. It’s supposed to be a smaller replica of Damnoen Saduak floating market, the most well-known of its kind in Thailand.
We spent the latter half of the day touring other sites such as the Wat Phra Si Sanphet, one of the most important temples in Old Ayutthaya where the ruins were awe-striking up close. And of course, it isn’t a Thailand trip without paying homage to Buddha, hence our following stops to Wat Lokkayasutharam (the reclining Buddha,) and Wat Mahathat, a relic of Buddha’s head peeking out from the base of a tree. We then concluded the tour with a cruise through the Chao Phraya river.
It is amazing how almost everything we did on this trip was a first time for me and I think, even after two visits, I still haven’t fully exhausted Bangkok and Thailand in general enough. I still plan on going back since I’m such a city crawler but I also do want to visit the islands of Phuket and Phi Phi. It was a short yet memorable trip and I’m glad we were unscathed through it.
Leaving this short video from the trip my friend Yeye edited for us: