L I KE A ROL L I NG S TONE
exploration, we proceeded to dinner at Gaggan, by renowned chef Gaggan Anand, who you may have seen on Netflix’s “Chef ’s Table,” or in the #1 slot on the Pellegrino “50 Best Restaurants in Asia” list. Not to miss a beat, our last stop was at Iron Fairies , a cozy lounge designed by one of Bangkok’s most famous/successful restaurateurs, where we sang Karaoke accompanied by a live band… and won free drinks of course! Gaggan 68/1 Soi Langsuan, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok eatatgaggan.com Iron Fairies 55 Khlong Tan Nuea, Bangkok theironfairies.com THE DINNER CRUISE: The dinner cruise exceeds expectations. It’s elegant and the food is hot and fresh. No buffets onboard. The boat is an antique junk, small andmade of wood. It is handsome and airy. Soft Thai music plays, and waitresses welcome us with a
ANANTARA RIVERSIDE BANGKOK RESORT
photographs our adventure, and is a valuable guide. After shopping for our ingredients, we make it over to the prepared food stalls. We try three kinds of sticky rice with coconut cream; some are topped with sweet mango, or sweet shredded carrots, (I think) and mine has a mix of sweet shredded dried shrimp and coconut cream. These were each wrapped up in a banana leaf. Delicious!
cocktail and a delicious traditional Thai appetizer that is new to me. The waiter shows us how to roll up crushed peanuts, dried shrimp, garlic, ginger, and Thai herbs into a Betel leaf with a bit of sweet sauce. It is fantastic! Seems healthy, and fun to make. The textures of the fresh little bits are sublime, and the vibrant flavors meld well in our little hand leaf rolls. We try to clarify with the waitress. “What is the capital of Thailand? Bangkok?” “No, Tam Yum... soup.” Our next course is none other than Tam Yum Soup. Unlike many Thai dishes we get in America, which are rather same same to their Thailand counterparts, Tam Yum is another breed here. Chef explains that using the root from the cilantro in the soup stock builds a strong aroma, along with heaps of fresh lemon grass, which barely resembles the dried variety we find at home.
Chef calls the Thai tea and Thai coffee in themarket “Thai Starbucks.” I like to think these quotes capture the spirit of the people I have had the pleasure to spend time with in Bangkok. We see a bucket of swimming baby turtles, and Chef explains they are not for eating; the Thai people believe it is good luck to return turtles to the river. “ They buy baby turtles in the market to return to the river so they will go to heaven.” We return to the hotel, where our final destination is a tree house kitchen built above the main dining room. Everything is mis en placed and we are ready to cook! We cook. We eat. And we laugh. We try each dish as it comes out fresh and hot, instead of waiting to be seated on the tempting plush floor cushions on another raised balcony. Next, another assistant comes
SPICE SPOONS BANGKOK
out to teach us the art of fruit and vegetable carving. It is an art form taught to her by her grandmother, often practiced by girls in preparation for large family banquets in traditional homes. By the end of our lesson, I have carved my very own rose out of a carrot. I have a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment one doesn’t always find on a vacation. Bangkok-riverside.anantara.com
SPICE SPOONS An epic day begins with an 8 am call to visit a local wet market: fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat housed in a massive open-air warehouse. It is a fascinating experience, and Chef navigates as he explains the vegetable and condiment varieties, and butchering styles that are so foreign to us. Chef speaks perfect English, while his assistant
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