Bangkok: Central Village, Central World, Big C

We ran around a good number of places today. 

But before that, having had Grabbed in a bunch of groceries the night before (thank God these guys work wee hours) we made a breakfast of eggs and fried toast and coffee in the room. 

There were two sticks of Blend and Brew Espresso Roast coffee on the table. 

I tried one. 

That one mug (which I later chilled in the fridge) lasted me two days. 

Breakfast over we went out for a stroll towards the highway side. At that time I didn't know but one side of Sukhumvit 42 leads to the Ekkamai BTS, whilst the other side leads to Rama IV Road. What exactly lies this direction of road, I don't know, but at that hour there were a fair number of office workers making their way along Sukhumvit 42 to their offices and destinations. 

Somewhere around here we passed by the local market, which, interestingly was not one of fresh produce nor of meat and vegetables as you would think of a wet market, but more like a place where you could stop to buy a quick meal or essentials before continuing forward. 

Divided into two sections where one side was brighter and more modern-looking, the other side was, on the contrary, slightly dimmer, had a lower roof (I didn't stop to see), and offered mostly food. 

Actually, come to think of it, both sides offered food. 

There was a stall that had breads and soft, bouncy, smooth buns all neatly laid out in rows and you could choose which ones you wanted. 

There was a stall that sold fried fritters, and this one I particularly remember because the fritters- all of which looked delicious with their thick batter and deep-fried texture -had been arranged in individual heaps side by side. There were, amongst others, I think, banana, sweet potato, tapioca and vegetables, and the fragrance was tantalizing.

Further on somewhere further in the market there was a noodle stall. 

It looked like beef noodles. 

And then there was a stall offering small sponge cakes of varying colors, flavors and sizes. There were cakes pre-packed into a bag which you could take and go along. There were cakes pre-cut into oblong shapes that you could either finish all by yourself or take along and share. There were cakes of petite sizes that looked like they had a bit of cream laid between them. 

I didn't stop to see what flavors they were.

Maybe I ought to have but I don't speak Thai and I wouldn't know how to answer had the lady approached me. 

It weren't just small bites and noodles that this place offered. 

There were also drinks- in the form of milk teas- that one of the stalls offered. 

On the way back to the hotel we dropped into the TOPS Daily- for no other reason besides the fact that I kind of missed TOPS and live live die die wanted to go into one. 

In the early afternoon we had a quick brunch at this cafe in Gateway Mall next to the Ekkamai BTS. There was much to be had on the menu but because we weren't very hungry, and we didn't feel like having sandwiches each, we decided to share a very light bite of a small pizza topped with corn and ham, and an avocado smoothie. 

Gateway Mall is an interesting place, by the way.

It's one of those places whose retail is not like Central World or EmSphere or EmQuartier but is a place where you can have a bite, have a quick bite, chill out with family and friends or by yourself, and get a bit of stuff done. 

There are no boutiques or beauty stores in this mall.

This is not a place (yet, so to speak) for Eve & Boy. 

But there is a well-stocked Japanese cosmetics store, there is a huge stationery store downstairs, HarborLand is upstairs, and in the basement there is AEON's MacValue that offers everything in grocery retail that you need. 

The one thing about Gateway Mall that's exceptionally charming is its youth-oriented presence.

At first glance it's not obvious- unlike Siam Square it doesn't scream 'youth' in your face- but there is a school close by, there is a bus station close by, and so it be a place where you can get a snack and a meal without having to go very far. 

There is a part too for the expatriate crowd, most of whom stay in the area (I assume).

And this cafe's targeted right for it. 

From here we headed to Central Village close to Suvarnabhumi Airport. 

A bit like the outlet stores over at Mung Thong, those here at Central Village included brands from the high street, including Kenzo, Bath & Body Works, Michael Kors, Aldo, Coach, Ducati, even Guy Laroche, and Ferragamo. Other brands that had stores there included Polo Ralph Lauren, Samsonite, Zegna, and Victoria's Secret. 

It was quieter here though.

Much quieter.

Maybe it was too far out.

Or maybe it was a weekday. 

It was spacious, though, and made for very comfortable shopping and walking. 

There was no need to dodge anybody, and the staff in all the outlets were just as attentive too. 

We popped into the Samsonite store a while, as we did the Ducati. 

I went to see what could be had at Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret. 

And we dropped into Kenzo. 

But we were here to get shoes- shoes that we wanted to buy, shoes that we wanted to have- so off to the street style brands we headed to, where after some internal huffling and heffling, I got a pair of Converse. 

My friend got two pairs, one of which was from Reebok, a silver, shiny, dressy pair. 

When we finished we took a Grab back to Siam Square where we had a foot massage for an hour (yes, I fell asleep) then we headed to NAMA Japanese restaurant at Centara Grand for dinner. 

It was something we both wanted to have. 

The last time we'd come here I had been too busy eating to take really nice pictures. 

This time I was determined to not be the same.

One of the very first dishes to arrive on the table were the oysters. 

This is something we always like to order whenever they're on the menu. 

Impossible it is to come here and not have these oysters, especially freshly shucked ones like these that are huge, plump, juicy, and most importantly, chilled. 

NAMA spares no stinge on the ice. 

So good were they that we decided on a second plate, and they arrived somewhere in the middle of the meal.

By that time, however, our table was getting rather full. 

There was a plate holding two pieces of gunkan sushi topped with (some sort) of sea urchin and what I think is tiny tuna cubes sashimi style in a jelly-like texture. This is not the kind of sushi that one finds just about anywhere and everywhere. Neither is it the kind of sushi that you can eat one side separately without eating the other.

No, you have to pop the whole piece in as a whole and munch it all up, rice, seaweed, urchin, tuna and all. 

After this, there were two other types of sushi that I took pictures of.

One was the tuna, which, if I'm not wrong, we had servings two, because rare is it that one gets to have tuna, and fatty tuna sushi on the same plate at the same time. 

Then there was this gunkan-lookalike sushi that really wasn't your typical gunkan at all. 

To be really honest I've never quite taken note of what its piled up ingredients are. 

So there are two pieces of wagyu beef (or is it just beef), there's more of what I think is urchin, then there's ikura, and then there's what I think is fried beef cubes or something of the sort but it's not very tough and not very oily and overall makes the sushi taste amazingly well. 

I guess I'm not the sort to dissect the sushi I'm eating. 

And maybe if I were to eat it separately I might pay more attention.

But this sushi is something that I (like the other one) pop into my mouth straight at one go. 

So what it has balancing so skillfully on top of the sushi rice, I can't tell you, but I can tell that it's got a burst of savory, vinegary flavors like no other, and a texture that is both soft yet chewy at the same time. I always tend to finish the rice first before finishing up the beef. 

That's how long, and thick they are. 

After this came another serving of beef, this one that came to your table neatly laid out onto a (real) brown leaf, and which you then had to grill over a portable charcoal stove. I'm not sure if the brown leaf is representative or symbolic, but it creates a feel of the organic, and doubles up as a very useful plate too. 

Others might find it unnerving, I suppose, but not South Asians, and certainly not South East Asians, whom most of us, in one way or another, have had food served on leaves in one form or another. 

Maybe it might not be this generation, but surely, we're not so far from a time when fragrant fried noodles were scooped up from street-stall woks onto opeh leaves and tied with string. Neither are we far from a time when coconut rice nasi lemak is served on banana leaves, wrapped up in a shape of a pyramid and tied with string. 

The salmons came up next. 

There were several versions that we had, I think, but these two I remember most. 

One was the salmon belly sashimi, which, like the oysters, were served chilly cold and I didn't have to think whether they'd stay fresh or not because they certainly did. 

Then there was the fried salmon belly, which, let me tell you, is one of the best foods to be had. 

Except that one has to savor it slowly, not rush through each piece, and pick it as carefully as you can so that you don't get overwhelmed by the oil they have to use to get it so perfectly fried. 

Up came the special box next.

Which, I tell you, is a dish you must have if ever you come to NAMA. 

I don't know if it is a permanent dish on the menu but certainly I hope it is. It is one of the best dishes you can have- one you must surely order- especially if you're the sort who is new to sashimi or not sure which of these raw seafood you like. 

Different people have different tastes, mind, and whilst some might be good with everything, others, however, might wonder how an abalone tastes like, how a tuna or a fatty tuna tastes like, and some may wonder whether squid (or is it flounder) appeals to them at all. 

I have a love for the salmon, the salmon belly, and the fatty tuna. 

I also have a love for the ikura and the urchin. 

I, however, find the squid to be a bit of a chew, and a bit tad too slimy for my palate, and although I'm sure there'll be those who like it, there's a bit of effort on my part to chew through the piece, and so I pass it over to my friend anyway. 

This evening we decided to order an additional sukiyaki and a shabu shabu. 

Some of us will say that they're pretty ordinary dishes, that they're nothing really to shout about, but they're quite a heartwarming addition to the meal, and between the soup of the sukiyaki and the latter, I like the shabu shabu more. 

Perhaps the soup of the tonkotsu has always appealed to me. 

Or it might have been that this claypot had warm slices of tender beef, tofu and plenty of my favorite lettuce vegetables all soaked soft and mushy in the savory, milky-looking soup. 

We ended off our meal this evening with dessert. 

There was ice cream- I am sure of it- but there was this matcha cheesecake too.

I wish I could have taken my time with the cheesecake. 

But I was getting full, our dining hour was almost reaching the limit of 2 hours, and we had to go. 

Definitely we would be back another time, maybe even every time. 

This evening, however, it was time to go, so off it was to Big C on the opposite side of Central World where my friend went in, I waited at Moxy Ratchaprasong- complete with paper bags holding our shoes and all- and we Grabbed back to Sukhumvit 42 thereafter.

Bangkok: Midnight in BKK

Kind of surprising- it usually isn't the case- but there're no pictures of me, and my road to Thailand today. 

Tell the truth, I was a little frazzled.

Why, exactly, I don't know.

Perhaps I hadn't been expecting myself to go back to Thailand. 

Perhaps too I hadn't been expecting myself to be at the same lounge as I were the last time in late November in Terminal 3 waiting to board Thai Lion Air's last flight of the day to Bangkok. 

Nevertheless I'm glad for this flight, even if it be one where I board it like many other places do, taking a bus to the tarmac, and climbing up the ramp. 

A bit of a delay there was this time round- something to do with air traffic, the pilot said- but the plane departed around 2200 and we reached BKK close to midnight local time. 

At Don Mueang we managed to get a Grab to the hotel.

It was a new area we chose this time at 42 Sukhumvit Hotel & Serviced Residences close to the Ekkamai BTS Station.

And because I had forgotten just how quiet some streets of BKK could be, I was a little surprised when the car turned out of the well-lit highway into what seemed like a dark stretch of road. 

But the driver found the address pretty easily, and soon we were out of the car, luggage on the driveway, looking at the (dim) lights of the (empty) lobby, wondering how to get inside. 

Relieved I am to say that the hotel has their own protocol for wee-hour arrivals like us. 

No sooner had we gotten our bags off the boot of the car that the uniformed security officer (who had been at this table all along) popped up.

He got our names, looked at our passports, ticked us off inside a book (literally checking us in) handed us our key cards, brought us to the lift lobby and up to the fourth floor where on this very late evening we entered Room 404.

A Meal at Westin

You know, I won't be forgetting the dinner that I had here at Westin Singapore any time soon.

Not because the meal was a buffet (even though, yes, it was so) but because I had been wanting to drop in to this hotel for the longest time ever but never had the chance to do so. 

I can't say I am very familiar with The Westin- it has, after all, been many many years since I last stayed at this hotel brand when it was still back at the Raffles City site, but I have wondered how this new one at MBFC be like, and I have wondered how it be looking like. 

In that sense, then, I'm thankful for the view. 

Especially since not everyone who came for dinner this evening snagged a table by the window the way we did. 

And it isn't every day that one gets to look out to the sea, the solo island in the middle of the sea, the sky, the clouds, the highway, and the port terminal of which I don't know it's name. 

At first glance it might look like all these pictures are the same, but in fact they were taken at different times and a close look will reveal minute changes that we'd otherwise not bother to see. 

More importantly of course was the food. 

I didn't manage to get pictures of everything that I ate, but here's a sampler. 

One of the first plates I took had a slice of beef (with horseradish mustard), a handful of stir-fried noodles (I think it was Ee Mian) and a couple of mantous that I took a bowl of chili crab sauce for. 

I can't remember whether the beef had a strong flavor, but it certainly was tender, and I had no difficulty chewing through it. Together with the horseradish one got a bit of grilled gamey warmth with the tart, slightly spicy condiment. 

What I liked, if I'm not wrong, were the noodles. 

They were savory, not very salty, and every bite gave me a taste of the soy sauce (or whatever sauce) that seemed like it had coated over every strand of noodle. 

Of course one can't go wrong with fried mantous and chili crab sauce, both of which complemented each other very well. Would've been lovely if the sauce were thicker, then again, it might not have picked up so well. 

After this there were oysters. 

One cannot come to a buffet without taking freshly shucked oysters (if there be any), and especially if they be fat, juicy ones like the ones they serve here. 

It's recommended that one have oysters with lemon or tabasco sauce. 

We like ours with vinegar. 

Apparently it helps with the digestion, and aids easing the taste of the brine. 

For this meal I think we took more than two plates, but it's been a while, and I can't remember. 

I know I took a fair bit of seafood though. 

Like these crayfish which, I have to admit, at other buffets I usually don't. 

It's not because there wasn't anything else to eat. 

But it was because I wanted to have foods that I knew I would not be able to have outside of such a buffet offering, and so even though the roast duck and roast meat looked really good, even though the platter of salmon in cream seemed enticing, I had to calibrate and curate what I was having this evening. 

I'm going to say that I pretty much enjoyed this crayfish. 

Yes, there have been times when I've gotten a bit squeamish at the legs and the shell and the green green thing that people say is roe and is actually nice to eat, but this time, with the aid of mayonnaise and Thousand Island salad cream, I simply ignored the legs, ignored the feelers and tried to give myself a lovely time pulling out the meat from the shell (rather barbarically), slathering it generously before happily eating it. 

Perhaps what I liked about these crayfish here were that they were extremely chilled and cold. It didn't matter that I took my time pulling the meat off the shell. Even when I came to the last piece, it was still cold. 

Same too it were for the salmon sashimi, which, for this evening I'm not sure whether there was salmon belly or just the salmon alone. 

Whichever it was, the slices were thin enough, the flesh was firm, the sashimi itself was chilled, and there was no odd odd fishy taste like some other less-popular places might have served. 

So firm was the sashimi that I helped myself to a few pieces of the Aburi salmon sushi too. 

Somewhere after this plate of sashimi back I went to the buffet counter, trying to make up my mind with the cooked food offerings this time. 

To be honest there was a lot to choose from. 

Here at Seasonal Tastes there was a pasta station, a soup station, a bread station, a cheese station, plus a salad bar and all the other cooked foods ranging from the Italian to the Western to the Eastern. 

I wasn't sure what I ought to eat, so where I might have had stir-fried vegetables Chinese style, or fried rice, or even wok-fried pieces of fish swimming about in some sort of gravy, I went for a bowl of lobster bisque (it came recommended), another tong-ful of stir fried noodles (yes, they were hard to resist), and another dish which I too suddenly cannot remember. 

At the end of the meal there was of course dessert where at their round dessert counter I helped myself to a variety of cakes- there was cheesecake and red velvet cake, if I'm not wrong, plus a couple of gummy sweets, some candy, and a cup of gelato, which, instead of one, I ought to have taken two. 

But I had gotten a little full by then, what with the pre-prepared kueh pie tee (the chefs actually filled the little cups for you) and popiah that I know is easy to find all around the country but for some reason this evening I found a little hard to resist. 

(NDP) Burger at Capitol

Couple of months ago- it was National Day itself- a friend and I headed downtown for dinner, and fireworks. 

I hadn't known what it was were going to have. 

But my friend said we'd be eating at a place somewhere near where the fireworks would be, so, of course I went along. 

There aren't many dinner spots downtown where one can have a reasonably priced dinner and still get a clear view of fireworks, so I had at first assumed we'd be at a place close to Clarke Quay or Boat Quay right near the Padang. 

As it was, I soon found myself at Capitol Building, and at an American-style diner, to boot. 

I don't know what it is that made my friend decide that a burger dinner on Singapore's National Day would be good, but patriotism is done my way, so on this day itself I didn't quite care. 

Broadway American Diner describes itself as an all-American-themed diner, and no doubt, upon stepping in, you feel it- decor and menu wise. 

What makes this place interesting is that the surroundings aren't walled in, and so, even as you're having your meal in a place with red cushioned chairs (aka 50s American diner style) and with pictures of Hollywood movie icons from the 50s-60s all on the walls, you're actually looking out to the entrance of the Capitol Theater, and it is as glamorous as it can be. 

Of course it is not for every performance that everyone dresses in cocktail or evening- there're some performances that don't have a dress code, I'm sure- but the vibes, whether formal or casual, then or now, remain the same. 

Perhaps it is the environment of Capitol Building, Capital Theater and the restaurants themselves. 

Every place is similarly immersive.

And no less than here at Broadway American Diner where the menu straightaway tosses you back a couple of decades with burger offerings like Pull Pork Burger, Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger, Double Cheese Black Angus Beef & Bacon Burger,  and Buttermilk Chicken & Cheese Burger. 

I was quite tempted to go for the Buttermilk Chicken (I fancy the flavor of buttermilk chicken) but then we were sharing, I can do either chicken or beef, and so we opted for the Double Cheese Black Angus Beef & Bacon Burger instead. 

It was so good. 

I mean, I've had burgers, and some of them from reputed places with reputed flavors, but not every place has a burger served on a home-baked sesame wheat bun that's soft and fluffy all at the same time. 

The patty was thick, yet surprisingly moist, and tender in texture. 

It wasn't wet to the degree where the meat fell apart at first bite, but neither was it dry or tasteless that made you feel like you were really chomping through processed meat. The lettuce too was cold and fresh and I delighted in the juicy sliced tomatoes that gave this fresh burst of juice to the warmth, grilled flavors of the meat.

Of course the sauce- it might have been mayonnaise, it might have been honey mustard, or a combination of both- was thick and creamy (Americans don't stinge on their cream) and we liked it so much we dipped our fries in it and requested for another. 

I had thought, that with such and such a meal, we wouldn't be having anything else. 

But my friend decided dessert was good to have.

So we chose the waffle. 

The Mixed Fruit Waffles with a scoop of chocolate ice cream. 

They were really good! 

Especially since they came stacked up like this instead of one whole round by itself (which is how most ice cream waffles are)

What made this arrangement lovely was how we could deconstruct the tower, leave the ice cream on just one quarter part of the waffle, layer the fresh cream on another quarter of the waffle, and then munch our way through the other two quarters without having to worry that the melting ice cream would make the whole waffle soggy- like most ice cream waffles tended to do. 

The ice cream was good.

The fruits were also good.

So much did I like how this dessert was done that I tried not to waste the chocolate sauce and slid the waffle around as much as I could to get as much of the sauce. 

There're more offerings here at Broadway American Diner than just burgers and dessert, by the way. 

If you're a fan of American-style hot dogs, they've got things like Frankfurter Roll and Smoked Beef Hot Dog, and both will have toppings like Gruyere cheese, Sauerkraut, Capers, Mustard and Russian Dressing. For something different, the Spicy Beef Sausage will have Arugula, Mozzarella Cheese and Chili Con Carne. 

Their appetizers are not to be left out too. 

So are their drinks.

One might go for an experience of Chili Cheese Nachos, Fried Buffalo Wings or Mac & Cheese. 

Or go straight for their milkshakes, which have classic flavors like Double Chocolate Fudge, Peanut Butter and Strawberry Mascarpone, but here- what with them being in the Capitol Building- they've got Ondeh Ondeh, Banana, Coconut, Taro and Mango too. 

I'd like to try the Mac & Cheese at another time. 

Same for the Ondeh Ondeh milkshake too. 

dal.komm's Food

I've always thought of this place as a good one for cafe culture, and for coffee. 

Koreans do, after all, know their cafes well enough, they're creative enough to come up with some of the best mixes in the region, and they've no qualms making sure that their cafes live up to their name. 

The menu here at dal.komm is fantastic, I tell you, and were it not for the fact that we had to be mindful of our diet, there'd be so much here I'd want to have. 

Much of their menu is balanced between the savory and sweet, like in their selection of small bites, where, besides the French Fries and Sweet Potato Fries, they have Honey Hotteok, Honey Butter Tater Tots, and something called Creamy Rose Tteokbokki. 

I'd like to try their Honey Hotteok sometime. 

Likewise their Carbornara Tteokbokki.

Simply because I am quite a fan of those little steamed rice cake (tubes) but haven't had much of an opportunity to munch through them all. 

The other thing that stands out in this place is the Ramyun and Pasta. 

I'd like to try Shiitake Samyang Ramyun one day. 

Then again the Creamy Rose Pasta seems pretty good too. 

This afternoon we were trying to make up our minds between coffee or dinner. 

But what with it being the hour, it seemed wiser to have a bite or two rather than slurp down cups of coffee, which, at another time, would have been just as good. 

To be honest I had found myself wishing to have their Rose Latte or their Sweet Potato Ice Blended, but we were here for food, and so up came our order of Honey Butter Tater Tots, and Garlic Cheese Pizza. 

If there's one thing to be said about the food here at dal.komm, it is that the Koreans really do know how to eat. 

I mean, it doesn't matter what you're having. 

Whether it be a cake or a dessert or anything else, one thing you can be sure of is that the food will be good. 

I found myself being enormously satisfied with the Garlic Cheese pizza.

They didn't skimp on the cheese, I tell you. 

The layers upon each slice were so d*** thick my teeth literally sank into the cheese and I found myself slowly peeling the layers off as I ate through the piece. 

And even though I couldn't quite tell where the garlic in the garlic cheese was, I could taste it, and it was wonderful. 

Perhaps next time I might give the Kimchi Cheese pizza a shot.

Then again the Ssamyang Chicken pizza sounds rather nice too. 

One thing I'm sure we'll go for- and no brainer on this one- is the Honey Butter Tater Tots. 

We loved it.

Not just for the Honey Butter Sauce, which, let me tell you, was a perfect blend of sweet and savory, but also for the fact that they were tater tots on their own. 

These little hash-brown like potatoes are probably one of the most fun to eat, and when well fried like the ones they have here, make for a delicious snack on their own, and for us today, a great accompaniment to the meal at the same time. 

Perhaps it might not be that appealing to a person who likes their potatoes spicy, but I'm someone whom at McDonalds breakfasts dips her hash browns into hotcake syrup or jam more than ketchup or chili.

So there. 

Bangkok: Chicken Rice and Pad Thai

Last day in Thailand, last day in Urbana Langsuan, and I have to admit, we were feeling sad.

I say 'we' because, unlike previous occasions, it wasn't me only who was feeling it this time. 

My friend, too. 

Funny thing is neither of us knew why. 

Maybe it was the realization that this was December and we had reached the end of a year in which we didn't think we would be coming to BKK so often. 

Maybe it was the view out the balcony of Urbana Langsuan.

Maybe it was the breakfast we were having on the table. 

Or maybe it was me, whom in the head there was the thought that I didn't know when it was I'd be coming back here again. 

Would I come back here in the latter part of the month?

Would I be coming back here again next year?

Would I get to go elsewhere? 

All these thoughts shimmered in my head this morning as we finished our 19-Grain toast and organic eggs (which we knew we would miss so much)

After breakfast we lingered on the balcony a bit more, breathing our own thanks, saying our own goodbyes, then did a checkout before heading on to Siam Paragon for lunch. 

I had been missing the food from Michelin-starred restaurants Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice, Thipsamai.

This afternoon at the food court in the basement we ordered a plate of mixed chicken, steamed style, battered fried style, sliced cucumber, and what I think was a lump of coagulated chicken blood (which I don't eat).

There were, of course, two plates of rice. 

I refuse to share. 

And I don't care if someone says I'm eating too much carbs or that the rice of the chicken rice is unhealthy. 

Yes, it is a whole plate of white rice, and yes, there's that faint sheen of (chicken/chicken stock) oil glistening over all the rice grains, but their rice is tasty, and if I'm going to come all the way here to have (reasonably-priced) Go Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice, you can be sure I am going to have the whole plate of rice all for myself. 

We also ordered a plate of Pad Thai from Thipsamai. 

And a plate of fried spring rolls.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a pang looking over this plate of Pad Thai.

Not just the fact that I have had a special love for Pad Thai for the longest time but also the memory of Thipsamai being introduced to me all those months ago the first time I traveled to Thailand here.

I guess I won't forget how the restaurant looks like from the outside. 

Neither will I forget how it looks like from the inside. 

When we finished, we got ourselves out of the food court and towards the booth areas where we got a BOOST juice each for dessert. 

My friend got a Berry Boost, I got a Cookies and Cream, and slowly we sipped on our smoothies as we made our way back to Urbana Langsuan on foot before making our way to the airport. 

Bangkok: Burger King Near Ploenchit

This morning, as usual, we had breakfast in the room. 

And, like how it had been these last couple of days, I didn't get to have a picture. 

(Very silly, routine or not, I should be more excited) 

After breakfast I headed to the downstairs area a bit, then went back to the room to get some work. 

In the late morning we headed out to Ploenchit Center for a meeting. 

What made it feel so interesting was the familiarity that came with it.

Was it only a few months ago that I was staying at Doubletree Hilton just down the road?

Was it only a few months ago that I came to this McDonalds for a weekend breakfast before heading off to Muang Thong, or that I had had to do an evening phone call here at this very same Starbucks that I was in? 

It didn't seem so long ago that I was here at the Villa Market downstairs hunting about for water, or having lunch at the Bangkok Cafe before running off to Silom for a meeting. 

Yet here I was, back again, at the Starbucks, meeting a gentleman who had been based in Thailand for a few decades or two. 

It was pleasant to finally be able to meet a person whom we had first touched base with for a project done about seven years ago. 

Not gonna lie, there were some memories. 

When the meeting finished we decided we'd hang about the area, so instead of heading back down to Chidlom we went the opposite direction, going down towards the Nana area of Sukhumvit instead. 

For some reason, out of the many restaurants there, it was Burger King that caught our eye, so we went in for a Mushroom Swiss burger lunch that came with a very large cup of drink, and a packet of tater tots (which, honestly, was what we were really after). 

I don't have pictures of the food.

We were hungry.

But here's how it looks like outside Nana Square. 

From here we headed over to Ekkamai where my friend had an appointment. 

It's unlikely I went anywhere around the area this time. 

Very likely all I did was to hide myself in the cool of Major Cineplex, in the quiet of the Starbucks outlet there. 

In the early evening we went back to Chidlom. 

Dinner at NAMA the other day had been so good we decided we'd come back for another round. 

This time we were seated right close to the window looking out towards Siam Paragon on the other side. 

The sight of the shopping mall on the other side of Wat Pathum Wanaram School made me feel somewhat pensive, yet quietly peaceful.

Was it the sight of the school with its roof so beautifully lit up? 

Or perhaps it was the thought that at the beginning of the year I didn't know this place save in passing, and now I know it a little bit better? 

Perhaps it was the thought that it was, after all, December, and it had been close to a year since I first came here, got introduced to all of this, and come to know this place, this space, a wee bit more. 

It was something to be thankful for.

Like the meal too was something to be thankful for. 

I had not thought, coming here to BKK, that I would be able to have, and appreciate such and such a meal. 

NAMA here at Centara Grand is a place worth coming to, worth coming for. 

Not only does it have a gorgeous view on all sides, the price is reasonable, and best of all, the food is amazing. 

They aren't kidding when they tell you the seafood is premium and fresh. 

I mean, just look at the sashimi. 

One of the dishes we ordered was tuna. 

Which is, by the way, a dish I am still learning to eat, although, admittedly I do fancy fatty tuna over the regular tuna. There's a softness to fatty tuna that I appreciate, and there's more oil, less chew, which I like. 

Their salmon belly is not something to be underestimated either. 

Best part about their salmon belly is that it's served cold. 

That- I really love. 

Because salmon (and salmon belly) if served lukewarm just doesn't hit well. Lukewarm sashimi makes you wonder just what you're paying your money for if they can't bother to put the fish on top of ice. 

No, it has to be iced cold. 

The highlight of their sashimi offering, however, is what I call the special box. 

We had it the last time.

We were most certainly going to have it this time.

It is the kind of box that has everything of (popular) sashimi you want to try. 

The best thing I love about this box is the aesthetics. 

They arrange everything so prettily.

More often than not I don't know where to begin, so I start with the ones that I don't usually order ala carte, like the white (chewy) sotong cuttlefish, the abalone (which here at NAMA this evening seemed to be a little dry) and the sea urchin. 

Let's just say I still gotta learn how to appreciate the sea urchin. 

It's not that it isn't nice. 

But is the texture usually dry or wet? 

I never quite know. 

What makes this box so lovely to me is, of course, all the seafood sashimi that I like, and it's a good time to have the salmon, the salmon belly, the tuna, the fatty tuna, and the scallops. 

Their wasabi's quite power, by the way. 

Just a pinch of this horseradish is more than enough to send me into a brain-fire gasp and tears coming uncontrollably out of my eyes. 

Of course we aren't here just for the sashimi. 

Not when they have an amazing selection of sushi and cooked food as well.

This evening we ordered a plate of beef sushi. 

I'm trying to remember just what sort of sushi they call this- is it gunkan, is it something else- but for the life of me I can't tell what it is, and so I'll just say that it's a round of sushi rice with a strip of lightly grilled beef wrapped around it, and other ingredients (more beef?) in it plus a sprinkling of ikura. 

Yes, I'm the kind who just eats and doesn't always know, or care, what she's eating just so long as it's good. 

This evening, from the salad bar, I took a big dish of ikura (for my friend) and a slice of fresh pineapple. 

For what reason I took the pineapple, I don't know, except maybe that I thought I hadn't been eating enough of tropical fruits even though I were here in BKK and felt I should be integrating some fruits together with the mains. 

Maybe I thought it might help with digestion. 

You know, I'm glad for the plate of lightly-fried salmon belly, and the filet of beef fried rice that came perfectly grilled Western style to our table. 

The charm of the salmon belly wasn't just the soft soft fish, nor the oil that burst out from each piece when you took a bite, but the fish skin that was warm and crisp when you ate it on its own. 

There wasn't even much of a fishy fishy aftertaste. 

Speaks volumes about the spirit and attitude they take towards preparing their dishes, whether small or big. 

Looking at the little filet of beef now now makes me think how perfectly sliced it was that I didn't even need to eat it with my fork. I could use back the same pair of chopsticks that I had already been using a while before. 

What's more, the rice, marinated with what I think included the beef jus and beef fat, tasted so good with the raw egg yolk balancing delicately on top. It was a myriad of flavors, earthy and meaty all at the same time. The texture too, was interesting- smooth, slightly sticky, so the rice didn't fall apart.  

From the meat I tasted black pepper mixed inside the slight hint of burnt. 

Somewhere along the way we ordered a tray of tiger prawns that came to us raw and which we had to grill by ourselves on top of the portable charcoal stove.

Then there was a serving of chawanmushi topped with the rich, creamy, thick crab broth. 

It's easy to dismiss the steamed egg chawanmushi like any ordinary one that you can have at sushi chains or other Japanese buffets, but the crab broth, plus the bits of crab sticks immersed within the egg make a whole lot of difference, one which I hadn't realized, until now. 

Perhaps I haven't had much of a chance to have chanwanmushi with soup on top of it.

There're a lot of foods, I've come to gradually realize, that I thought I knew, but in fact, don't. 

Like grilled tiger prawns.

It doesn't come natural to me that there can be prawns this size. 

Neither does it come natural to me that prawns grilled this way can actually taste this good. 

I've been so used to the chilled ones and the steamed ones and boiled ones. 

But grilled ones, with that little bit of burnt burnt taste, are better. 

I don't need any sort of dip with grilled prawns. 

They're naturally sweet. 

We ended dinner this evening with dessert. 

And can I say I've never been any less impressed by their selections of dessert ever?

I think I took ice cream (but I can't remember)

I also think I took cake (but I also cannot remember)

Instead what I do have are pictures of these- and (coincidence or no) they happen to be all green.

The cantaloupes (or honeydew melons) were especially loved by my friend whom, already being a fan of the fruit, fell in love with the perfectly chilled fruit even more, whilst I, on the other hand, took special delight with the matcha mochi and the matcha pudding because, after all, there had been a season where I really loved matcha but didn't have a chance to experiment and try. 

Wasn't going to miss up on the opportunity this time. 

You know, I'm so thankful for this buffet. 

Really. 

There's so much about this buffet here at NAMA that I appreciate, not just the food, or the quality and quantity of the food itself, but the hospitality, the service, and the crowd. 

I never tire of being amongst the crowd. 

I never tire too of hoping I have enough stomach space to help myself to the fried oysters and ebi tempuras that I see there. 

But as always, we're limited by tummy space, and I hope- always- that there'll be another time. 

This evening we finished off dinner in a most lovely and charming way. 

And later that evening just before heading back, down it was 20 plus floors to TOPS at Central World where we got protein shakes to chuck in the fridge before packing them back into the luggage and bring home. 

Ekkamai then back to Centara Grand for dinner at the Japanese buffet restaurant. Bought protein shakes.