To summarize the places that we've been, I believe that the best way to do it is through sharing what Teh had eaten in each place we visited in Thailand. Here are the dishes and street foods that Teh believes na hindi mo dapat ma-miss tikman when visiting Thailand. Uh, well, when visiting NAIA as well... Warning: Nakakagutom! :D..
~ Kaishu Restaurant + Dimsum 'N Dumplings To-Go ~
Location: NAIA 3 International Departure Area
Rating: ✰✰✰✰
Tutal, hindi sa Japan at China ang punta ni Teh, Japanese food at Chinese food ang kinain ko para hindi ko sil ma-miss sa Thailand... Pero pagdating ng Thailand, medyo hindi ko sila na-miss. Anyway, sa mga 'yan, ang order ni Teh ay ang Zaru Soba, which is a cold buckwheat noodle meal with shoyu dip. Sa lahat ng Jap Resto na nakainan ko, dito lang ako nakakain ng Zaru Soba na may raw quail egg. Masarap pala siya ihalo sa shoyu dip. ^_^ Rating ni Teh? 4 stars, because till now, I don't know if authentic ba ang mga nakakainan kong Jap food. (Gomen!... One day...)
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| Zaru Soba Cold Noodles (Teh's favorite), Siomai (from DnD) and Crab and Corn Ramen. Jap food is ♥!... |
~ The Not-so-famous Baan-Si-Ri-Tha-Na-Sub Original Thaifood Karindirya ~
Location: Pratunam, Bangkok, Near Ratchaparop Soi 5
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰
Dahil 8AM ang start ng Day 1 tour, we had to wake up early to eat breakfast, take a bath and prepare ourselves. Since 6AM kami gumising, wala pang open na mga kainan gaano so we ended up eating in a very expensive Thai karindirya, which is the only eatery na bukas ng 7AM. Mahal man ang Pad Thai (THB 150) at Spicy Chicken Rice (THB 100) nila, masarap naman. As in, parang skills na lang din talaga ang binayaran namin. (O baka 'pag alam nilang hindi Thai, binibigay nila 'yung pang-tourist nilang menu, if you know what I mean...)
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| First blood! First Thai food experience in Thailand. ^_^ Pad Thai ranking: 2nd! (May makakatalo sa kanya, later.) |
~ Wan Fah? Non-floating Buffet Restaurant ~
Location: Bangkok, beside Chao Phraya river, near Chinatown
Rating: ✰✰✰✰ (Pero 5 stars for the Vietnamese noodles...)
Nope, this is not the cruise ship buffet. And I'm not even sure if this restaurant is named Wan Fah too. Pero sabi ng blurred pic ni Teh, Wan Fah ito. Hahaha. Medyo international ang buffet dishes at masarap din, pero sa lahat ng nakain ni Teh, ang pinaka-favorite ko ay 'yung lasang Vietnamese Noodle Soup. Dahil diyan, naka-take two si Teh nito. Yum, yum!!! ^_^
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| Travel around the world through Wan Fah's Non-floating Resto dishes. Vietnamese-like Noodle Soup is ♥!... |
~ Indra Square Food Court ~
Location: Pratunam, Bangkok
Rating: ✰✰✰
By 4PM, natapos kami mag-tour. So after taking a quick nap sa hotel, we had planned to visit the Platinum Mall sana. Kaya lang noong nagising si Teh, sarado na ang mall pati ang mga tindahan along Ratchaparop Road, at umuulan pa. :( So instead of going back to the hotel, we decided na kumain na lang ng dinner sa Indra Square, which is near to our hotel...Well, medyo hindi na-satisfy si Teh sa Pad Thai rito. Palibhasa, nakatikim na si Teh ng Pad Thai kinaumagahan at nataong ibang level talaga ang sarap ng nakain ko that morning. So lesson learned, just like any other dish, 'pag iba-ibang tao ang nagluluto, statistically iba-iba rin ang nagiging lasa. Anyway, puwede na rin. :)
At dito lang din ako nakainom ng Thai Milk Tea na sobrang tamis, akala mo eh wala nang bukas si ate para magpalaklak ng asukal. X_X Mas gusto ko pa 'yung naiinom ko rito sa Pinas. Partida, pinabawasan ko na ng bongga ang asukal niyan before mixing. T_T
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| Dinner nina Teh: Green Papaya Pad Thai (healthy naman siya) and super tamis na Thai Milk Tea. X_X Pad Thai ranking: 4th... |
~ 7-11 Edibles ~
Location: Anywhere in Bangkok
Rating: ✰✰✰
Medyo nawirduhan lang si Teh sa mga Thai dahil mga 7AM na, bukod sa expensive karindirya, wala pa gaanong bukas na mga kainan sa Pratunam. So noong Day 2, wala kaming choice kundi mag-almusal ng pagkain sa 7-11. Puwede nang pantawid-gutom, hehehe. At infairness, masarap 'yung pancit canton nila. :D |
| Day 2 morning pantawid-gutom: Chicken nuggets wrapped in Nori, Microwaved Pancit Canton with free carcinogen and Chicken Burger |
~ Other Thai Street Foods ~
Location: Here, there, everywhere
Rating: ✰✰✰✰
Si Robbie, maya't maya 'pag may nadadaanan kaming street food at feeling niya gutom na sina Teh, binibilhan niya kami. Unang street food na natikman namin ay 'yung fried sweet potato fries and balls. Without adding brown sugar, matamis na sila by themselves. :) |
| Clockwise from Top Left Photo: Fried Kamote Balls and Fries, Corn Waffle, Lutuan ng Thai Takoyaki, 6pcs.Thai Takoyaki |
From Maeklong Train Market, while walkng to the place where our tour van was parked, binilhan ni Robbie sina Teh ng Thai Takoyaki at Corn Waffle. The Thai Takoyaki is worth THB 10 per 6 pieces while for the Waffle, 'di alam ni Teh kasi mag-isa si Robbie 'nung binili niya 'yan. Anyway, 'yung Thai Takoyaki, medyo similar ang taste niya sa maja blanca. Coconut milk kasi ang main ingredient niya. At ang corn waffle, masarap na siya even without syrup. ^_^
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| Counterclockwise from Top Left Photo: Sticky rice and fried chicken with sweet and spicy sauce, Cassava chips, Buko juice, Hotdogs in sweet and spicy sauce |
On our search for breakfast during our 3rd day, before leaving Bangkok, medyo napaaga kami ng konti sa paglabas ng hotel papuntang 7-11 to buy breakfast. Sakto, may naabutan kaming fried chicken on a cart and sticky rice. Yey! Kahit pa fried ang manok, puwede na rin kasi at least, sigurado kaming tunay na pagkain ang kakainin namin, if you know what I mean... And we realized na lang na masuwerte pala kami at nakakain kami ng sticky rice noong sinabi ni Robbie na pang-special occasion lang pala 'yon. ^_^
Also, during our 2-hour ride on the death railway in Kanchanaburi, napabili kami ng sweet and spicy cassava chips for THB 20. Walang pagsisi sa pagbili nito dahil napakasarap niya! As in... :) Nabanggit din ni Robbie na kaya mura ang cassava chips kasi sa Thailand, nasa THB 2 ang presyo ng cassava per kilo. Murang-mura nga, mga Php 14 lang! @_@
Napakarami pang street food sa Thailand na either dapat mong i-try or ipantawid-gutom. Maraming pagkakaparehas halos sa mga street food natin, pero ang nakita kong pagkakaiba talaga ay 'yung pagiging healthy ng majority ng mga common Thai street food, as compared with ours.
~ Vanda International Buffet Restaurant ~
Location: Rose Garden, Nakhon Pathom
Rating: ✰✰✰✰
Vanda's buffet has a great pad thai! Pasok sa top 3 ng Pad Thai Chronicles ni Teh! :D
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| Pad Thai and other international dishes... Pad Thai ranking: 3rd! |
Aside from Pad Thai, dahil maraming foreign tourists ang dumadayo rito for the cultural shows, para sa mga hindi gaanong adventurous, this is your food comfort zone. They have Chinese, English, Japanese, Indian and other dishes that this restaurant may offer. Also, para makatulong sa digestion, don't forget to try their teas on the side. Lemongrass tea is highly recommended. :)
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| Wide variety of international dishes... here at Vanda Restaurant! ^_^ (Japanese Doll not included...) Choose your dish. :) |
~ The Carded International Food Avenue ~
Location: MBK Mall, Bangkok
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰
To start this food trip game, you are given a THB 1000 pre-loaded card na puwede mong i-consume within the International Food Avenue. Here, you can choose among different Asian and Western dishes. Eh siyempre si Teh, dahil feel na feel ko ang Thailand, Thai dish ang kinain namin. At dahil na-love-at-first-bite si Teh sa noodles na ito, Pad Thai forever ang peg! :D Taste a 5-star hotel restaurant treated Pad Thai noodles for only THB 120 per order! ^_^
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| Ang walang kamatayang Pad Thai noodles... ^_^ Rank 2 rin! Tie with the karindirya Pad Thai. :D |
After playing the food trip game, pay what you had consumed at the cashier. Thank you! Come again... ;)
Location: Krasae, Kanchanaburi
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰
Sa lahat ng Pad Thai na nakain ko, ito ang pinakamasarap para kay Teh. Matapos ang kain namin sa expensive karindirya, heto at may bago na kaming top 1 Pad Thai dish restaurant! Pero sabi ni Robbie, hindi raw authentic ang luto nila. Designed kasi ang timpla nila for the foreign tongue. But then, till now, I don't know the answer to the question of how an authentic Pad Thai dish should taste. @_@
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| Pad Thai ranking: 1st! ^_^ (Kahit hindi raw authentic...) |
Anyway, hindi ko makakalimutan ang kainang ito. Bukod sa napakagandang view by the table and the delicious Pad Thai, habang si Teh ay kumukuha ng tsaa, napagkamalan akong Thai ng Burmese waitress ng Tham Krasae restaurant. Ang saya, kasi papasa pala si Teh na maging Thai hahaha! :D Pero nadama ko ang lungkot ni teh Burmese 'nung sinabi niyang "I don't know how to speak Thai, so I always worry how to speak to them... :(" Kaya mo 'yan, teh. Ipon-ipon din para makauwi ka ng Burma. (Kung 'yun man ang purpose niya sa pagtatrabaho doon...) :)
~ Local Ayutthaya Night Carinderia ~
Location: Ayutthaya (duh?)
Rating: ✰✰✰✰
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| Beer and veggies = perfect combination! ^_^ (Healthy rin naman ang beer in some way...) |
Pareho halos ang mga gulay na kinakain nila doon at logical naman dahil nga tropical country din ang Thailand. Magkaiba lang nga ng luto. At ibang level ang anghang ng food nila. But still, very delicious! ^_^
~ Chaba Lagoon and Botanical Garden Restaurant ~
Location: Chai Nat
Rating: ✰✰✰ + ✰ for ambiance
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| The Garden part of Chaba Lagoon and the fat dog. |
Somewhere in Chai Nat, while travelling up north to Phitsanulok, we had our lunch stopover here at Chaba Lagoon Restaurant. Personally, hindi gaanong nasarapan si Teh sa food (well, more of naumay than dislike siguro), except lang sa sabaw na mala-sinigang ang taste. So far, 'yun ang favorite ni Teh among all dishes served.
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| Chaba Lagoon dishes. Infairness, masarap 'yung pancit at curry :) |
At sobrang nagustuhan ko ang place na ito. Aside from the botanical garden, here you'll find a statue of Ganesha[2], Buddha, and a young monk. Great ambiance with great landscape! Isama mo pa diyan ang fat home dog nila na busog palagi sa mga tira ng customers... :)
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| Ang lugar kung saan ko na-feel na parang gusto kong kainin lahat... @_@ |
~ Phitsanulok Night Market ~
Location: Phitsanulok (Haller?)
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰
Food adventurers, this place is for you! Sa lahat ng night market na napuntahan ko, dito lang ako nakakita ng fried insects. Pero hindi na nag-attempt si Teh na tumikim para safe. Mahirap na, baka mapano ang tiyan ko habang bumibiyahe kami pa-North the following day... |
| Dito, struggle ang pagpili ni Teh ng kakainin... @_@ |
Tropical fruits (most especially Dragonfruit!), fish triangle, street Pad Thai, maki, hotdogs, takoyaki, grilled meat, buko juice, and many more... Name it, you'll most likely find it here! :D
~ Amarin Nakorn Hotel Breakfast ~
Location: Phitsanulok
Rating: ✰✰✰ + ✰ for Value for Money
Na-surprise ako during check-in na may free breakfast pa palang kasama ang accommodation namin. Mura kasi ang accommodation para magkaroon pa kami ng free breakfast. Wala pa atang Php 1000 per night. Wow... @_@ |
| Heavy breakfast at Amarin Nakorn's Restaurant. Busog much. >burppp!!!< |
Well, typical American breakfast ang hinain sa amin. May 2 slices of bread, marmalade, butter, and your choice of coffee or tea. Akala ni Teh, doon na nagtatapos ang lahat. Hindi pala. Maya-mayang konti kasi, nanganak ang pagkain namin ng ham, egg, veggie, fruits at orange juice. Goodluck naman sa pag-ubos nito. X_X
~ Restaurant in the middle of nowhere ~
Location: Si Satchanalai
Rating: ✰✰✰ + ✰ for the music and natural ambiance
Sorry, hindi ko naitanong ang name ng resto na ito pero kung kukunin ninyo ang Bangkok to Chiang Mai tour package ng Travel Hub Thailand, most likely dito rin nila kayo dadalhin. Para siyang typical province backyard na nilagyan mo ng restaurant kaya don't miss taking pictures or kahit tumambay lang sa isa sa mga wooden swings dito. Also, during the whole time of your stay here, makakarinig kayo ng traditional music accompaniment dahil nagbebenta rin sila rito ng audio CDs nito. 'Wag din kaligtaang paglaruan at patugtugin ang Traditional Xylophone na nasa tabi ng music stall. ^_^
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| Extra-curricular activities: Wooden swing, Traditional Music Stall, and the Xylophone. :) |
Aside from these extra-curricular activities, you can satisfy your tummy with these Thai food na very, very familiar sa taste buds nating mga Pinoy. Akalain mo, nakakain sina Teh dito ng Pancit Bihon, sinabawang gulay, at liempong manok. Uh well, wala nga lang Mang Tomas dito. Nakakain din kami rito ng beef teriyaki and kasama rin sa buffet meal ang coffee at tea... :)
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| Eat muna nito before mag-extra curricular activities. :D |
~ Street Pad Thai ~
Location: Sukhothai / Anywhere in Thailand
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰
Sa dinami-dami ng nilakad ni Teh dito sa Thailand, sa Sukhothai na ako nakakain ng street Pad Thai. (Finally!) Masarap na, mura pa! THB 30 only! :D At sa palagay ni Teh, ito ang authentic na luto ng Pad Thai ~ 'yung nasa kalye. ^_^
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| Pad Thai ranking: tie on 2nd... Sarap eh! Feels authentic pa. :) |
~ Breakfast at TR Guesthouse ~
Location: Sukhothai
Rating: ✰✰✰✰
Dito ko na-realize na bongga pala talaga magpa-breakfast ang mga countryside hotels and guesthouses. Sobrang dami rin ng serving tulad ng sa Amarin Nakorn Restaurant kaya medyo may pagsisisi sa pag-order ni Teh ng Tomato Soup. Pero ang sarap ng American breakfast nila. Served with love... ♥ Iba talaga ang service 'pag guesthouse, feel na feel mo ang hospitality. ^_^
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| Kain-kain din ng heavy breakfast before a long journey... Yummiest American breakfast ever! ^_^ |
~ Noodles Stopover ~
Location: Approximately in Chai Nat
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰
Our 1st stopover during the 6-hour travel back to Bangkok. So dito ko nalamang ang mala-Vietnamese style na noodle soup ay staple dish pala sa Thailand. Robbie's treat kaya nahiya akong mag-take two. Pero given a chance, baka nakatatlong order si Teh. :)))
Bukod sa masarap na noodles, hindi malilimutan ni Teh ang Myna bird na nakausap ko rito. Sabihan daw kami ng "Old lady" in Thai?! @$^#$)!$!)!!! Rawr! Kaya pala tawa ng tawa 'yung mga waitress doon. Hindi man lang Sawadee Ka 'yung sinabi eh... :)))
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| Chuvalou Eclavou Restaurant. ('Di ko mabasa eh.) The lucky statues. And the talking Myna bird who called Teh an old lady. :)) |
~ Platinum Mall Food Court ~
Location: Pratunam, Bangkok
Rating: ✰✰✰
After our tiring tiyangge shopping at Pratunam area, nag-dinner kami rito. Ewan ko ba kung nagsinungaling lang 'yung binilhan namin o ibang level lang talaga ang definition niya ng maanghang at hindi, pero napakain niya kami ng Thai noodles na sobrang anghang. Sabi niya kasi mild lang eh... Talagang hindi pa ako natuto sa Ayutthaya immersion tungkol sa definition ng Thai ng "mild". 'Yan tuloy, 'di kineri ni Teh! T_T Pero masarap siya, similar sa lasa ng Laksa noodles ng Singapore. Kaya okay na rin! ^_^
Well, may isa pa kaming kinain na meat noodle soup pero medyo hindi kami natuwa sa lasa. Sa bawat higop mo kasi, maaalala mo ang amoy ng bukirin sa probinsya. Gano'n! X_X
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| Ang mga noodles na nagpaluha kina Teh: Noodles na magpapaalala sa'yo ng amoy ng bukid at Laksa-taste noodles. Anghang much... T_T |
It's sad but it's time to go... Again. :( Sana ay nabusog o nagutom kayo ni Teh sa Thailand food trip, kasi ako, nagutom at nag-crave habang nagta-type ng mga chika ko rito! @_@ Till our next food adventures, mga teh! ^_^
Bago tuluyang lisanin ang Thailand, let's explore the shops na nabisita ni Teh and know Teh's advices in buying pasalubong from this kingdom. Up next in the Adventures of Teh! Thanks for visiting! ^_^
Special thanks to the following people who made the Adventures of Teh in Thailand successful:
- Tour Coordinators Matt and Supattra of Travel Hub Thailand
- Tour Guide Robbie and Tour Driver Sakol of Travel Hub Thailand
~ Vocabulary ni Teh ~
[1] Singha - means lion in Buddhist language. Which reminds Teh of Singapura... ;)
[2] Ganesha - Elephant-headed Hindu God of Success.
[2] Ganesha - Elephant-headed Hindu God of Success.
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