Devoured
Outside of India, I had never stepped foot anywhere else in Asia before this trip. So my view of Asia was more homogeneous than I’d like to admit, largely colored by my Indian experience, conversations with friends and family, and weekly takeout of pad thai and sushi.
A single day in Bangkok changed that reaaal quick. A chaotic but positive energy runs through the city, making it easy to get lost in the mix of helpful smiles, grand Buddhist temples, and endless street food. I would later learn these qualities were shared not only by the rest of Thailand but also by its surrounding neighbors of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia as well.
Buzzing streets of Bangkok
I have to start with the people first. I was genuinely taken aback by the universal friendless of the Thai, something I didn’t expect in a big city like Bangkok. Ready to put my Mumbai game face on and battle through overwhelming city streets, I was instead surprised by helpful strangers and orderly subway lines. Even visits to stores or streetfood stalls would begin with sing-songy welcomes of “sawadeeee” from the owners. And it’s not like the Thai don’t have their fair share of problems to be sour about. Their government is ruled by a military organization that’s growing increasingly autocratic and highly criticized. Look no further than the country’s most viral rap video that Hasan Minaj called out (it’s pretty good). You also feel a little of that big brother-ness when walking by the “Long Live His Majesty” billboards plastered everywhere or chatting with locals about politics long enough. Yet, they don’t project their problems on you. An expat we met over pad thai put it well - “people still smile at you here like nowhere else in the world.”
Even after working 12-hour days behind the wok, the famous Jay Fai is all smiles
Perhaps some of the welcoming personality stems from their Buddhist culture. Over 90% of Thailand practices Buddhism, and it was fascinating to see a 2,000 year old culture bleed into the modern streets of Bangkok. Old City in particular has some of the most stunning temples I’ve seen in my life. Even with the stifling June heat and hoards (and hoards and hoards) of Chinese tourists, our visit to the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha was an impressive experience. Decorated in bright gold, the palace buildings form a colorful complex and are surrounded by formidable statues of yaks everywhere, the giant guardians of the royal grounds. But the palace walls were easily my favorite part. Beautifully inscribed battles of the Ramayana - Hindu stories I grew up on that are no less epic than the Odyssey - were depicted on endless stretches of the inside walls. From the golden etching to the smallest character details, the walls were honestly a masterpiece of their own.
The beautiful Royal Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Behind the Grand Palace is the famous Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Again, we faced thick crowds but at over 150 feet long, the statue is a must-see. Our more enjoyable experiences came from visiting smaller temples during the day and saving the larger ones for off-hours. The calmness goes a long way in actually making the temple visit a more spiritual one. Wat Arun was stunning at night, as was Wat Saket (Temple of the Golden Mount) in the early morning.
Exploring more of Old City’s temples
The food. I had to save the best for last. And I’m not sure if I can put this one lightly - it is UNBELIEVABLE. After spending 3 months in Asia, the food we had in Thailand, especially Bangkok, still stands out as our favorite of the trip. To be fair, the food everywhere in Asia is so damn good. So it’s saying something that Thailand took the top spot for us (Japan and Singapore were a close second and third).
Part of that may be our Indian palette. I like chilies that punch you in the face at first bite and a spice level that has you sweating more than the condensation on your cold Thai Singha beer. The Thai flavors are complex, the noodles are fried, and the food skews towards vegetarian friendly - a winner for us.
The best Thai food is the street food. Our hostel (Niras Bankoc Hotel, highly recommend it) happened to be right next to a few famous spots including Thip Samai, a renown spot that serves amazing pad thai for less than $5. But the absolute standout was next door, the Netflix-famous, Michelin-rated Raan Jay Fai. My mouth is salivating just writing this sentence. Her famous omelette had a full pound of fresh crab meat mixed with the fluffiest eggs. And the dry tom yum, seafood drunken noodles, and yellow crab meat curry were some of my favorite dishes in all of Asia. I still dream about them. If you’re in Bangkok, don’t miss her.
The crab omelette queen, Jay Fai, working her magic
Our Netflix-inspired food tour continued at Gaggan, ranked as one of the Top 5 restaurants in the world and awarded best restaurant in all of Asia. We splurged a little for this one. But the restaurant was in its final year of operation, and we were excited to experience Indian fine dining for once, something that doesn’t often break into the culinary charts.
Calling Gaggan progressive would be an understatement. It’s not like you’re being served fancy-shaped naan with strangely flavored curries masked under the label of fusion cuisine. Rather, each plate delivered delicious home-cooked flavors in the most radical and unexpected forms. Like a chocolate bird’s nest that tasted like classic Mumbai pani puri. Or a simple spoon of yogurt bursting with flavors of Mom’s dahi vada. Or a fried black basan ball that felt like biting into the crispy masala dosa of your favorite dosawala. Accompanied by everything from blindfolds to baby bottles to rock music, the entire dining experience felt like being thrust into an experiment that demanded all of your senses but never took itself too seriously. Overall, Gaggan was very creative and delicious.
”Uh, how do you eat this?” was probably our most asked question at Gaggan
But I don’t think you need to go to a Gaggan to experience Bangkok’s best. Everyday street food is an institution in the city. From Chinatown to the floating markets to the night market, we rarely had a bad food experience in Bangkok. Combine that with daily Thai massages - also amazing and ridiculously cheap - and you can see why Bangkok was one of our favorite cities in Asia.
If they look like tacos or are sold by old ladies on a boat, my rule of thumb is to try it
And that wraps up our four days in Bangkok. With bellies full, we’re off to the Thai island of Koh Tao next!
