We just had to sneak in one more Thai dinner while waiting for the transfers to the airport. It was a Friday evening and all of us decided we would take the 11:00 p.m. flight back to Manila (even if it means arriving in Manila at the ungodly hour of 4:00 a.m.). I suppose Mom-C, Arch, Rus and I were all one in thinking that we have to be home early enough on Saturday to spend it with our respective families. =)
Already have fish. Already have chicken. Must have pork. Haha! Garlic-Chili Spareribs. *Drool...like some dog participating in a Pavlovian experiment. Haha! =)*
To augment the Ta Khos, we also ordered Tub Tim Grob. Water chestnuts in an iced light coco cream syrup / soup. Perfect. Perfect! =D
Coming from the trade visits, we only had enough time to freshen up and pack. For dinner, we decided to cross the street to an old-looking house that has been converted into a restaurant. Bhan Khun Mae. I wonder what it means.
We entered it and it quite charmingly made me think that this must have been how the Thai houses looked like in the
olden days. It was dark. Musty even (but not overly so). Dark wood floors. Dark wood walls. Even the framed photographs on the walls were sephia-toned, mostly of old people in soldier uniforms. The utensils were quaint as well. Made me think, if I were Thai, these utensils would be the equivalent of Noni's old glasses and plates. You know, the very thick kind with carvings on them? Come to think of it, it was only on this trip that my appreciation for Thai aesthetics he
ightened. Maybe it was because I was conscious about looking out for ideas to renovate House Royal when it is finally turned-over (House Royal being in a community that is Thai-themed). =) I had seen a lot of these really nice table settings (and lights and furniture, etc.) in Suan Lum the previous night though so don't know if everything I saw in Bahn Khun Mae were real antiques or if they were just really good knock-offs. Probably the latter. In any case, the beauty quotient was not diminished.
Then, of course, we had to have the Chicken Pandan--if only to figure out if they've been ripping us off in Manila. Hahaha! Loko lang. =)
olden days. It was dark. Musty even (but not overly so). Dark wood floors. Dark wood walls. Even the framed photographs on the walls were sephia-toned, mostly of old people in soldier uniforms. The utensils were quaint as well. Made me think, if I were Thai, these utensils would be the equivalent of Noni's old glasses and plates. You know, the very thick kind with carvings on them? Come to think of it, it was only on this trip that my appreciation for Thai aesthetics he
ightened. Maybe it was because I was conscious about looking out for ideas to renovate House Royal when it is finally turned-over (House Royal being in a community that is Thai-themed). =) I had seen a lot of these really nice table settings (and lights and furniture, etc.) in Suan Lum the previous night though so don't know if everything I saw in Bahn Khun Mae were real antiques or if they were just really good knock-offs. Probably the latter. In any case, the beauty quotient was not diminished.All four of us settled down to dinner, and judging from the amount of food that we have previously polished off in Somboon, we of course had to order more than what we ordered there! Haha! Again, the names escape me so just allow me to reminisce just by looking at the pics. =)
Yes, we had the fish again. Yes, they also served it with the side salad-cum-dip. YUM! ^_^ (But I still liked the Somboon version better. =))
Then, of course, we had to have the Chicken Pandan--if only to figure out if they've been ripping us off in Manila. Hahaha! Loko lang. =)
Already have fish. Already have chicken. Must have pork. Haha! Garlic-Chili Spareribs. *Drool...like some dog participating in a Pavlovian experiment. Haha! =)*
Oh, and yes, we must try the Bagoong Rice. We got an anemic one. Haha! =D It was flavorful, but it lacked the color I have come to expect from Bagoong Rice. Still, I like this version compared to the overly sweet-salty ones (like the ones in Som's). It's just not what I expected. =)
Tom Yum Soup was ordered, again teeming with shrimps and fish. Again, I passed. In addition to the Tom Yum, therefore, we ordered this Chicken-Version-of-the-Tom-Yum-Except-That-It-Had-Coco-Milk. Rus, in particular, likes it and asked that we order it. I myself, am not too much of a fan. It was good. Great actually. Except that my mind can't get past the weirdness of the concept. Imagine a mildly spicy sinigang with gata. Get? =)
We capped off the meal with two of my favorite Thai desserts. Unfortunately, there were only five pieces of Ta Kho left when we ordered so it was literally a one-for-you-one-for-me situation with the last one being the designated jahe piece--at least until I pounced on it. HAHAHA! 'D The coco cream mixed with corn and little sago pearls was an absolute delight. =) (What was most surprising though is that while the entire restaurant screamed "old world", these Ta Khos were served in mini plastic cups as opposed to the traditional banana leaf cups! But, I'm not complaining as I really don't have much use for the banana leaves. Haha! =))
To augment the Ta Khos, we also ordered Tub Tim Grob. Water chestnuts in an iced light coco cream syrup / soup. Perfect. Perfect! =D
We finished the meal just in time to cross the street and go for a last bathroom break before our service arrived. On our way out, we passed some of the musicians playing traditional Thai music using Thai instruments. They smiled and bowed shyly in our direction. I smiled and bowed back. It perfectly summarized the Thai experience for me, and I remember thinking, "Yes, it might be worth it to go back. " =)
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