Having "Me" Time

I love it when friends take me to off the beaten track eateries. Little treasures that just make you wonder what other secrets lay hidden waiting to be discovered. This latest discovery came quite unexpected for it was a chance meeting and we took the opportunity to go grab a bite to eat. In search of somewhere not too far from Silom, Narathiwat and the Rama IV area my friend navigated me to this little japanese eatery called “Sendai Ramen Mokkori Silom.” Don’t ask me what the name means. I only know “Ramen” and “Silom”(road name.) It’s one of those eateries you find in the least expected places. It’s at the base of an old-fashioned condominium at Narathiwat Soi 1. It seems to have been around for quite some time and probably well-known to those who go to that area, but for me it was an area I hardly go to and a street I’ve never driven into. What’s surprising is that walking out of the condominium parking (you can get your parking ticket validated at the eatery) you do not...

The vegetarian festival is coming up soon in Bangkok and so if you are looking for somewhere that serves delicious vegetarian food, I recommend this little restaurant called "Thamna".  This literally translates to "farming" in Thai.   It's a lovely little eatery that opened up roughly two years ago and is very close to my office, so close that I had not written about it.  It is, however, one of my all time favorites and somewhere where you can go have a healthy meal. It's a tiny little shop with a cosy ambiance and soft music playing in the background.  Paintings line the walls and it has a somewhat artistic feel to it.  It has roughly 6 tables so I recommend making a reservation if you plan to go there during the peak hours of noon.  Office workers from nearby go to this shop during the lunch break. What kind of food do they serve?  It's a vegetarian restaurant so no meat is served here, only vegetables and lots and lots of mush...

Finally the weekend is here and what else is there to think about other than good food and good company?  (I, however, will be home resting since the flu has caught up on me and going around with my sore throat and stuffy nose is just not good).    Although my tastebuds are currently tasteless from the flu, I do have some craving for some sphaghetti and hamburgers which reminded me of this place I went to a few weekends ago.  It's called "Wine I Love You" and is located at the CDC also known as Crystal Design Centre.   I have to admit, the last time I went to CDC was when it was just newly opened with few shops and hardly any people.  Now on weekends, it's bustling and full of activity. Absolutely amazing.  With shops, comes restaurants and wanting to try something new, Alex and I decided to try out "Wine I Love You." The decor has a bistro kind of feel to it, and it reminds me of a wonderful hamburger place I went to in D.C.  I fe...

It's Friday evening and the weekend lies ahead.  When I get tired, when I need a holiday sometimes all it takes is a little day trip to revitalize the soul.  Just an hour outside of Bangkok and already it can make one feel relaxed. I see the big open sky high above me and somehow it dissolves away the hassles and tiredness of everyday life.  If you are wondering what to do this weekend, perhaps you can take a little trip to Bang pu (Bangpoo).  It's actually only around 45 minutes away and a good place to just go have a good lunch and come back refreshed. Bang pu is adjacent to Bangkok in Samut Prakarn province and lies southeast of Bangkok.  It borders on the Gulf of Thailand and that's where its charm lies.  You can go have a nice meal by the gulf and it's only an hour's drive away.  A good place to escape the hassle and bustle of modern Bangkok.  A restaurant Alex and I tried and have since gone back is called "Rabiengta- Le" which li...

It's the weekend and though I am still feeling under the weather, something about sleeping at the early hours of 9pm and waking up in the wee hours of the morning is refreshing.  The sky is blue, the birds are chirping and the wind is in the air.  It is refreshing and a great way to re-energize.  Of course, another great way to re-energize is to go out and have some good food with good company.  If you fancy some dimsum I recently discovered a new place upon recommendation of a dear friend.  It's called "Yuan" (which makes me think of the Chinese Yuan which is the local chinese currency). What I love about this dimsum place is that you get freshly made dimsum. None of that frozen and re-steamed kind of dimsum.  Each portion is large and you can taste the quality of the ingredients inside.  I had some dimsum made out of snow fish, the usual shumai, fried taro with red pork, fried cream buns and a few other dishes. My favorite was the fried cre...

This past weekend, my friends and I went to try out a new restaurant.  Thanks to one of my dearest friends, who always seeks out wonderful new places, we get to try out new restaurants and eateries which aren't located in hotels and department stores.  Those are left for the days when you need a safe option.   This weekend we went to a Restaurant and Winebar on Sukhumvit  Soi 33 called "The Horse Says Mooo0." It's a strange name that really catches your attention and has everyone asking "What is the name again?" the first time they hear it.  That was certainly my reaction.  It is also a name that once you've heard it and been, it's hard to forget.  I definitely won't be forgetting it anytime soon (which I suppose is what the owners must want.) We went there for brunch, but they are also serve wine and beer and have live music along so the atmosphere must be quite different.  It seems to be ...