It was another usual, yet unusual day today.
What made today different was that it was one of those days that I didn't think I slept well, yet didn't feel like sleeping long either.
It was one of those days that I didn't know if I were tired, fatigued, or really just tired altogether.
This morning we Grabbed in breakfast from one of my favorite sandwiches in Bartels- the Grilled Tuna Melt.
Yes, no doubt I've said I've wanted to try the Grilled Cheese, and the Salami & Brie, but this one, with her tuna mousse, her green pesto, her cheddar, mayo and parmesan, make for a perfect perk me up too.
There's something about the sandwiches from this place that really charms me.
It's the kind of sandwich that doesn't make you feel like you're in Bangkok, yet at the same time, reminds you that you are.
Maybe it's the generosity of the ingredients.
Maybe it's the art and detail that they've placed to make this sandwich a satisfying meal.
Most of the morning was spent working in the room, but came lunch time and my friend said he had found a place he wanted to go.
I wish I could tell you offhand just where in Bangkok our lunch place was, but I'm not familiar with the districts of the city just yet, and all I can say is that it's on Soi Charoen Krung 49 in Bang Rak close to the Shangri La Hotel area.
Was it difficult to find?
Not quite, even though it would be much easier if a person knew the area well enough to find it on their own.
Kha Mu Charoen Saeng Silom is a Michelin-starred place.
It is a place that's got heritage, standards, and food which you want to experience and enjoy.
A favorite amongst Bangkokians, this place is famous for their Braised Pork Leg, and even if you be someone like me who isn't the largest fan of ter ka, or pig trotters, you'll find yourself digging your spoon through the soft, tender, fall-off-the-bone meat to get to even the tiniest parts of the leg.
I wasn't brave enough to enjoy the pork with the braised skin in full sight (yes, I'm timid like that) so my friend slid it off for me whilst I filled each spoonful with rice, meat, some of that fresh looking cilantro, and a wee bit of gravy.
The meat was perfectly marinated, so tasty, and so tender.
Seldom is it that I have a braised meat which has been stewed to the degree where its flesh is full of color, flavor and texture.
You didn't even need the gravy, which, ironically, to me, was the best part.
I loved the gravy.
Made from a secret recipe created by the owner's grandfather back in 1959, later adapted by her father, it felt a little like a soup- very moreish to drink- yet also with enough collagen inside that thickened it, and made it feel like it were a gravy as you drizzled it over your rice.
They were generous with it too.
My friend asked for more, and the server came back with one huge bowl.
It's a pity we couldn't bring it back.
It would have been so lovely otherwise.
Lunch over we headed to MAKRO Food Service Sukhumvit 22 to get a bunch of brown paper bags.
MAKRO is what I call a sort of wholesale supermarket.
It is the kind of place where locals go and where expats recommend. If you're the kind who wants to have bulk sized bags of coffee or tea or oatmeal or Kellogg's cornflakes, MAKRO is the place to go.
The decor makes one think of a warehouse or a mini Costco, actually, and in a funny way it does feel like one, especially when you consider that they do have a variety of frozen food, chilled food, fresh vegetables, dairy and all the daily essentials we're looking for.
It's not just the bulk that's charming.
It's also the presence of takeaway containers and takeaway cutlery and paper bags.
We had been especially charmed by the various sizes of paper bags the first time we dropped in on a particular evening, so here we were again, this afternoon, to get some.
Our errand finished, we went for a quick massage at LeLe located in the building just next door. What it we did, I don't remember now, but there was definitely a foot massage, and a bit of shoulder massage at the end.
I don't know what the lady thought of us farang entering their place with a huge bag of smaller paper bags in tow, but they're professional to that level- they just place it at the side near the counter, remind you take it later, and leave it there.
If I'd thought that we were already carrying lots of stuff, guess what, we armed ourselves with more afterwards when from Sukhumvit 22 we went over to the Organic Village store to get chocolate brownie snacks that we like, and so far (after the store at Siam Square closed) can only be found there.
Here's the funny thing about distance when it comes to BKK.
Sometimes you think the place is near but it can be a good 20 minute walk counting from your base point which is usually the nearest BTS station.
We were close to Phrom Phong BTS, the store was also (considerably) close to the same BTS, so we decided to walk there.
I don't know if we took 15 minutes, 20, or longer.
I just know that it felt like somewhat a longer walk than I anticipated- and, well, the bags seemed slightly heavier as I went along, even though I had been carrying the lighter one.
We went back to the room via Grab after getting the snacks.
What with three bags and more, taking the BTS would have been difficult.
For me, at least.
So, yes, I'm thankful for the car.
Interestingly enough it was back to the Phrom Phong area after we'd gotten back to Lang Suan and put all our purchases down.
My friend had booked us a dinner at a Japanese restaurant in the same area.
But here's the unfortunate thing.
I don't remember the name of the restaurant, nor do I remember the name of the place in which the restaurant was in.
What I do know is that we ordered one of their signature dishes- Cod with Rice cooked over a hot stove.
At another place I might have been wondering just what the deal was, but I have to admit I felt a sense of warmth slowly come over me as I watched the staff stand by the table slowly stirring the cod into the rice in the little wok over the stove.
The way she mixed the rice with the cod, the way she stirred and stirred until the grains were wrapped with the sauce of the cod, even the parts of the wok where some grains got slightly burnt, it was all so good.
The thing about this dish that charmed me was that whilst it looked like fried rice (or minced meat), it actually wasn't.
There was hardly any oil.
Instead I thought it felt like the rice had been grilled.
Imagine a rich dish that's warm, full of flavor, slightly crunchy, yet dry.
Yep, that's what this dish was.
We ordered a platter of toast with tuna pate that was, if I may say, more of an appetizer than a main but the tuna was, of course, real tuna (not the canned type!) and it didn't have that fishy fishy taste which I thought (at first) it might have had.
I can't remember whether I had the tuna separately or whether I placed it on the toast and ate it like an open-top sandwich, but definitely I'm quite sure we didn't get to finish the bread and in fact brought it all the way back to the island couple of days after.
Perhaps we were happy to try different kinds of food.
Like this plate of beef tartare.
With a raw egg.
On top.
I've never really known how best to eat it.
Is it raw?
Is it not raw?
Does one have to prepare it in any special way before you eat it?
What I normally do is to mix it up with the egg as best as I can and eat it straight up, adding nothing else, not even pepper.
And that's how I had the beef tartare this evening, picking out the cute little bits of beef (bathed with raw egg) with my chopsticks.
We took a time having this dish, and then decided to end the meal with dessert where out of all the choices there were available, including ice cream, we took a slice of thick Hokkaido Toast with Burnt Caramel.
You know what's cute?
It looked like a big piece of fried tofu, tasted like bread pudding inside and out, and yes, I absolutely loved it.