We head to the back, up a short flight of stairs, past workers bagging portions to-go and in to a small room that comfortably seats 20 folx. Our food is brought to us on lunchroom-style aluminum server trays less than a minute after we order. We sit at what appears to be well-worn, industrial kitchen tabletops not unlike the ones Piak and I grew up using as prep-cook stations at the various restaurants we worked in. The spot made me feel like we were on break and had 15 minutes to eat alongside our non-English speaking colleagues before the lunch rush!
The complex spice pairing stunned both Max and I. Piak says that he and Benny’s parents (who are foodies) used to come here all the time. The dishes were so good I even tried the sour chicken soup that Max was raving about. Delectable. Life-altering. We had a five-minute conversation about it and even looked up the ingredients and called Benny’s mom for some instructions.
While my heart is glad that I am being adventurous, my stomach most definitely is not! I can not process meat oils anymore. Oops! 😭
Once again I am STUNNED that more people do not offer veggie alternatives. The peanut salad sauce was truly fantastic! Subtle, rich… creamy. The salad itself was as bare as I can imagine with almost no flavor. I am puzzled. I also ordered the biryani chicken without the meat (ie: just the rice) and Max devoured most of it before I had to beg him to allow me a few last tasty bites.
This was the best food we have eaten on this trip and I was debating if it was my favorite dinner of my entire life! (Not sure it tops the meal Utz and I had with some camel herders in a tent on the Sahara 50 miles outside of Khartoum.) Could be the company, the entire experience and being present in the moment. 🤔😃😜 We are having a fantastic time. This meal was worth coming to Thailand for. We will return!
Kari Rita Mataba is another spot that Piak’s family raves about. While we did not try it this time, their bathroom saved me an emergency run back to our hotel!
We leave Old Town and take a taxi 3 miles. 40 minutes later we land in an entirely different world. This is “Modern Thailand”.
Some of Max’s friends love this brand, Molly Tea. We run across a shop here so, naturally, he has to order a cup. Even he agrees that it is over-priced and does not taste good. Oh well.
This particular mall experience is EXACTLY what I wanted to avoid in Thailand. I begged Max and Piak to get me out of there as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, I had to endure an hour of walking through the actual worst of what the world has to offer in terms of fashion/beauty/luxury/consumerism. That being said, we did see some interesting characters. (I think it was a pink wig. Max is not so sure as she COULD have just had a fantastic dye-job 🤷🏾♂️)
I will not voluntarily return to this spot on earth. Truly a terrible experience (for me!)
We take the sky train and underground back to Chatuchak Weekend Market – which is truly bustling this time around. So much to see here. Was hoping to find some content and angles for photographs but ended up mostly chatting about how cool it is that the merchants are able to create entire worlds within their tiny shops. Max said; “Why go to Paris to study design when everything is right here!” (He is not wrong.)
Back to Old Town. Piak takes off and Max and I spend the night chatting about our trip so far and things he wants to do after I leave.
He confided in me that he has not learned how to start up conversations with strangers. And he was wondering if he should be worried about the safety of doing things as he solo travels. We had a wonderful talk. I felt like I was fulfilling my role as his father by just being there to listen to him.
He straight up asked me to impart some words of wisdom. Ok. Fine. But me being me, that “wisdom” involves demonstrations.
I talked to him how earlier in the day I had offered to help a Black woman cross a busy street. I pointed out that after we got her across, that I quickly stepped away so that she did not feel threatened or that I was hoping to extend the conversation (I wasn’t).
There are not many people from the African diaspora here, so I also explained that I am on the lookout to engage where it’s appropriate. (I am confident that Max will better understand why I am wired this way by the end of this trip!)
I pointed out an incident where a guy was shooting a blue LED spiny-thing up in the air and how I seemed super interested in it. (I wasn’t.) But a girl who kept checking out Max sure was. Being Max’s Wing Man, I struck up a conversation with the guy. She added some thoughts. I walked away hoping Max would continue… but, alas, he did not even notice the woman and walked away with me. We had a good chuckle over THAT!
So… this was our waitress. She had been eyeing Max all night. I told him that I was going to ask her about that fruit she was eating earlier. (He said; “She was eating a fruit?!?” 🤦🏾♂️)
She explained that it was Durian and brought some over for us to try. I declined but Max took some and spoke a few words to her.
Max and I then had a long talk about not being a “creeper” and how just being observant of what others are doing is – in itself! – interesting. I said that I was going to return to our room and asked him to say a few more words to our waitress after I am gone.
I am happy to report that he not only spoke with her but an hour later when he came to the room, he let me know that he also struck up a conversation with another random person on the street!
Yeah!! A brick has been taken out of the wall!
Speaking of rooms, the one we have is, by far, the worst one yet. But, for $35/night, I am fine with it. Max is not. We tried, unsuccessfully, to find another room. Harumph.
