This morning saw me have a bit smaller portion for breakfast.
At least, from the looks of it, I think so.
There was no Pad Thai on my plate this morning- the noodles might have been glass noodles or vermicelli- both of which are just as good, but I like to distribute my carbs everywhere, and so this morning instead of rice or noodles, I went for a waffle, a sugared doughnut (or was it a cronut) and a savory croissant stuffed with salted egg and pork floss.
I think I fell in love with sugared doughnuts at the breakfast buffet here.
And I discovered that stuffed croissants are just as good eaten with butter, jam, or plain with their fillings on their own.
Of course I wasn't going to forget about my eggs, and so this morning I took two fried eggs alongside a portion of fresh cherry tomatoes from the salad bar, two slices of smoked salmon and chopped stir-fried mushrooms.
Later in the morning we headed out to an aesthetic clinic called Rassapom Clinic right near Thong Lo.
First time at an aesthetic clinic in Bangkok, I didn't know what to expect.
So you can imagine just how surprised, and impressed I was when the Grab from Thong Lo BTS station braked at the second floor of the building, and got immediately brought to a comfortable sofa where they registered my name.
This was not a single-story clinic.
This was a two-storeyed one.
Whether or not it was a duplex on a single storey, I don't know, but a mezzanine floor rose above me, and a circular staircase separated the two floors.
It were the interiors that made me feel comfortable.
Far from some of the clinical-looking interiors that aesthetics and dermatological clinics once used to be, this one was done in a way that resembled the living room of someone's home, and which you were visiting to resolve (or prevent) whatever skin issues you got.
The furniture alone felt luxurious and there were plenty of cushions upon which you could support your lower back- if you were sitting upright- or if you were anything like me, slump, and hug.
Today's treatment was called Gouri.
What it consisted exactly of, I don't remember, but there was a bit of injection- I think they consider this invasive- and so good thing it was that the doctor was quick and smooth in skill so not much fright on my part there.
What I liked was the post-treatment facial that got included in the price.
I know how comfortable facials can be.
But there aren't many facials that come with a sort of facial massage that makes me fall asleep.
This one did.
Made me feel a little bit more refreshed after it was over, and thank God, there wasn't any pain nor swelling nor any inflammation, which, to be honest, was something I had been slightly worried for.
From here we headed towards lunch.
Which today was at this Michelin-starred place close to the Shangri-La hotel area.
At first I had wondered just why we had to come all the way to Chok Prince for what was, really, (just) a bowl of porridge.
But I soon realized.
There're many award-winning places renowned for their skill in the distinctive staple of the Chinese diet- porridge- but Chok Prince is one of those places that doesn't look like they try too hard.
In fact they look like they're not trying at all.
Coming in to have their porridge feels like you're stepping into the ground-floor dining room of the chef's home, except that you're one of probably thirty people- all of whom are strangers- you do not get to customize your porridge, and absolutely, you're not eating it for free.
Yes, there are awards printed and framed, hung up on the walls.
There are colorful stickers from the food delivery platforms stuck in neat rows on the wall right near the entrance.
And there is decor- here and there at various places around the shop.
What stood out very much, however, was the presence of a spiritual altar fixed onto a structural beam right
There're many award-winning places skilled in the distinctive staple of the Chinese staple of porridge in this world, but Chok Prince is one of those that doesn't look pay attention to interiors or decor or even shiny bright lighting.
It's one of those places that throw you straight into the dining aesthetics of how they were when they first started.
Yes, there are awards framed and mounted up on the wall.
There are also colorful stickers from various food delivery platforms stuck up on the wall close to the entrance.
They were right above my head at the table in the corner where we had been placed.
So far I've made mention of the place and the decor.
I've not made mention about the food.
So, was it good?
Yes, of course.
This wasn't just a bowl of century egg and pork porridge routinely prepared and served to customers when they ordered.
This was a bowl of porridge where the century egg seemed to have been slightly poached before being served (it was softer than I expected it to be), where the slices of pork inside the bowl were thick yet soft and tender, and where the meatballs were handmade out of minced meat carefully rolled into a ball.
What made this dish unique was the flavor of the porridge.
I mean, yes, there was egg yolk in it- we'd placed a special order- but it wasn't just the yolk that I tasted.
There was that faint yet distinctive taste of pork simmering within the porridge of boiled rice grains as well.
It is a bit of a pity that I didn't manage to take pictures of the stove and prep area, which, although I had thought was at the back of the shop, turned out to be in the front, somewhat like a stall space, with pots of porridge bubbling on the fire and an area for ingredients and preparation.
Lunch being over, we headed to the Ekkamai area where my friend had a dental appointment.
Not being very familiar where the place exactly was, we took a Grab, and whilst he zipped off to the dentist, I 'hid' in the Starbucks outlet at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit.
I didn't know it then, but I would become very familiar with this place in the upcoming months.
Not so much the surroundings- not yet anyway- but the shopping center itself where it's divided into two sections, and the anchor tenants include a cinema, an ice-sports sort of facility, and a gym. There's very little in the form of shopping retail here, but there're a fair bit of F&B.
You get a Chester's on the second floor, then there's a Sizzler, a Starbucks, a McDonalds, a Japanese restaurant, and a Cafe Amazon on the first floor.
There're also a whole bunch of claw machines.
We didn't eat this Major Cineplex this time,
Instead we headed back to Siam Paragon, where after buying a quick snack of thickly buttered bo luo bun and a brulee croissant, we found a table in the very, very crowded food court, and aimed straight for a platter of Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice.
Which, by the way, we both have fallen in love.
With the steamed chicken, the fried breaded chicken, the rice, and- most importantly- the price.
