Kai Look Koie (Son-in-law’s Eggs)

Hi everyone,
How’s ur weekend? Mine wasn’t bad at all, went to work and got the new recipe for post today and like I told you last Wednesday, today we will try the new menu about the eggs. Eggs can make like a hundred of Thai’s menu either by itself or use for ingredient, but what I am going to present today is about the egg itself.

Kai Look Kai or Son-in-Law’s eggs (in English), and please don’t ask me why Thai people named this menu like this. Because I have no idea about where and how they got this name from. Must be something that inspire though. I can only imagine! that’s why they named Kai Look Koie!

This recipe’s really easy and not so many ingredients at all. Alright it’s time to prepare…

Kai Look Koie’s recipe (Serves 3)

- 6 boiled eggs
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot
- 1/3 cup Thai Palm Sugar
- 1/4 cup tamarind juice
- 3 tbsp Thai Fish Sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cups cooking oil, for deep-frying
- 5-10 dried hot chillies, crisp-fried
- coriander leaves for garnish

Preheat the oil over medium heat. Deep-fry the boiled eggs until whole egg turn golden brown. Remove and drain on an absorbent paper towel.
Fry shallot with vegetable oil over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Remove and drain on absorbent paper towel.
Prepare the sauce by using the same oil (from fry shallot) over medium heat. Add palm sugar, tamarind juice and fish sauce. Stir well until the sauce thickens and then turn off the heat. Cut the fried eggs into halves and put them on a serving dish, sprinkle with fried shallot and crisp-fried chillies.

Follow with the sauce thoroughly on top. Garnish with coriander and serve!

For the taste, it will be just like a great combination of sweet and sour of the sauce and little bit spicy from the fire of the chilies. And for the amount of the palm sugar and tamarind juice can add a little less or more than what I posted, like if you prefer sour more can also add like 1/3 cup tamarind juice.

Alright I hope you’re enjoy with Kai Look Koie and will see you next Wednesday with a famous chilli sauce from north of Thailand called “Nam Prik Ong”. Have a good day!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Thailand Weather and Climate

When thinking about coming to Thailand for the first time a popular question is what kind of weather should I expect. Will it rain? Will it be hot? Of course for all foreigners it will be hot in Thailand, but the degree of hotness is different at different times of the year and in different locations. For example, the north around Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son will always be cooler than Bangkok and the beach areas like Phuket, Krabi and Trat.

Basically there are three seasons in Thailand, hot, cold and rainy (also know as the monsoon season). What type of weather you encounter will be dependent on which season you choose to visit Thailand in and for westerners the cold season is definitely the most pleasant.

Thailand Hot Season

The hottest time of year in Thailand is from March until the middle of June. During this time temperatures in Bangkok can be as high as 98F (37C) during the day and 82F (28C) at night. This time is not particularly comfortable for westerners and some relief can be had be heading north to Chiang Rai or Mae Hong Son or by heading to the beaches of Phuket, Samui or others and simply chilling out.

It should be noted that the Thai New Year known as Songkran occurs during April and gives everyone a chance to cool off for a few days. One of the fun parts of Songkran is that everyone goes around spraying and splashing each other with water which goes a long way in keeping cool during this hottest part of the year. If you get the chance to visit Thailand during Songkran you won’t be disappointed as it is one big party and a good time is had by all!

Thailand Rainy (Monsoon) Season

If you look at a map you’ll see that Thailand is a peninsula that splits two of the worlds oceans. The Andaman Sea off the west coast of Thailand is part of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand on the east coast is part of the South China Sea and Pacific Oceans. This means that Thailand is subject to two different monsoons, the Indian monsoons from the south-west and the China monsoon from the north-east.

The Indian monsoon is the heavier of the two monsoons and is the one that causes the most flooding each year. It begins in July and affects most of Thailand from the west coast (Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta) to the central area (Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Phitsanulok and Pattaya) to the north (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son) and even the northeast (Udonthani, Loei, Roi Et).

During the monsoon it is usual to have rain most every day and sometimes it will even rain for 3-5 days straight. Flooding is common in the north and northeast and even Bangkok doesn’t escape. Expect some streets to have 6 inches or more of water on them and all of the areas near the Chao Phraya River will have sandbags and flooding. The Indian monsoon finally ends in mid-September generally.

The Chinese monsoon comes from the northeast and affects Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao among others. It is not nearly as heavy as the Indian monsoon.

Keep in mind that Thailand is located in a tropical area. Quick thunderstorms for short times can always be possible all year round. Even if it is not during the monsoon time.

Thailand Cold Season

The coldest season (and most comfortable for westerners) is from November to February with the coldest months being December and January. During this time temperatures throughout Thailand range from 68-80F (20-27C) during the day and can go as low as 50F (10C) at night in the north of Thailand.

It is obviously during these months that Thailand sees the largest number of tourists and visitors and prices for most places will escalate sometimes by as much as 100% or more. It’s not unusual for a bungalow on the beach that costs $50 a night during the off season to rise to over $100 a night from November to March so plan accordingly.

For real time Thailand weather information visit the Thai Meteorological Department website.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Khinlom Chomsaphan Restaurant Bangkok | By the Chao Phraya River

Just 25 days now until we leave for our trip to Thailand and we’re making plans to meet up with some of Golf’s friends when we arrive. Well, 13 of her friends to be exact. We’ll be meeting them the same night we arrive in Bangkok for dinner and after suitable research and discussions we’ve decided on Khinlom Chomsaphan Restaurant as the venue.

We wanted someplace close to the Pinklao area since we will be staying there and most of her friends live there and Khinlom Chomsaphan is just a short distance away in Watsampraya Phanakorn. We also wanted someplace on the river Chao Phraya with open air seating. We weren’t sure we would be able to seat such a large party outside by the water, but after phone calls earlier today we found it will be fine.

Khinlom Chomsaphan serves mainly seafood and if the pictures are any indication we will be in for a feast! It is famous for its charcoal grilled seafood such as crabs, lobsters and prawns. Ahhh…I love the huge king prawns in Thailand.

For those of you who don’t want to sit by the river and brave the mosquito’s the restaurant also has three closed pavilions with air-con. A live band and a 2am closing time promises to make this quite a night out. Be sure to check back next month for complete details about the dinner including pictures.

Khinlom Chomsapan Restaurant

::open 11:00 am to 2:00am::
11/6 Samsan Soi3, Samsan Rd., Watsampraya Phanakorn,
Bangkok 10200
Tel. 0-2628-8382-3

http://www.khinlomchomsaphan.com/Kinlom.html

Popularity: 2% [?]

Swiss Lodge Bangkok Boutique Hotel

With hundreds of hotels in Bangkok choosing the right one can be a daunting task. If you are planning on staying in the Silom Road area I can personally recommend at least one – Swiss Lodge on Convent Road.

Silom Road is one of the tourist and business centers of Bangkok so it is a great place to base yourself while in Bangkok. And the Swiss Lodge is a wonderful hotel. It is a small boutique hotel located on Convent Road so you get very personalized service and you avoid the noise and crowds of Silom Road. I have stayed there numerous times when visiting the Big Mango and I have never been disappointed.

In addition to putting yourself right in the heart of Bangkok’s business district you are also just a short 5 minute walk from the Sala Daeng BTS station, Central Silom shopping mall and the famous Patpong night market. Add to that the close proximity to several very good restaurants and street vendors and a short walk to BNH Hospital and there isn’t much you’ll be missing with this location.

Speaking of BNH hospital, if you are in Bangkok for medical treatment BNH can get you a discounted rate for the Swiss Lodge. Golf worked there as a nurse and she was able to get me rates that were about 40% off the standard rack rate. Even without the discount though, the Swiss Lodge is a great value for your money with rooms starting at just 3800 baht. You’re not likely to find a better deal around Silom when you consider the personal touch you get from a boutique hotel.

I’ve found when staying at the Swiss Lodge that the staff is very polite and helpful, the rooms are clean and neat and the buffet breakfast (included) in their dining room has always been wonderful. I also like the pool on the fourth floor of the Swiss Lodge which is smallish, but very private and inviting. Actually everything about the Swiss Lodge strikes me that way, private and inviting.

If you are planning on bringing guests back to the room I don’t think that is a problem either. I was never questioned about Golf sharing a room with me and there was no extra surcharge added like some other Bangkok hotels. Please keep in mind however that this is a quiet hotel and many of the guests are business people and families so please act accordingly. Like everything else Swiss they seem to be neutral, but using some discretion is likely the best course.

Also like everything Swiss you’ll find and attention to detail, personalized service and efficiency are the norm at the Swiss Lodge. It is truly one of the best experiences I have had at a hotel in this price range anywhere in the world.

If you’re planning on coming to Bangkok and looking for a hotel in the Silom area then check out the Swiss Lodge. I’d also love to hear you comments once you’ve stayed there or if you’ve been fortunate enough to have already found this gem of a boutique hotel in Bangkok.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Patpong Road and Patpong Bars

Whenever I talk about Thailand the subject of prostitution or bargirls comes up. Many people have heard some stories, usually involving Patpong and the bars of Patpong. If you didn’t know, Patpong Road (it’s actually two roads – Patpong 1 and Patpong 2 – and includes the various side soi’s) is the most well known of the several areas where prostitutes tend to congregate in Bangkok. It doesn’t matter if I’m talking with men or women, both want to know if the stories are really true.

I guess the best way to find out is for you to get on a plane and go there J

Ok, I’ll tell you what I know about Patpong.

Patpong Road is the most famous of the Bangkok “nightlife” areas. It actually consists of two parallel roads, Patpong 1 and Patpong 2 with connecting soi’s and offshoots. Both roads are off of the well known Silom Road and near by the Sala Daeng BTS station. Patpong also has a large night market with hundreds of sellers setting up stalls to sell their wares to unsuspecting tourists. I say unsuspecting, because the prices at the Patpong night market are generally 50% higher than what you would pay elsewhere in Bangkok. In the past the selling was limited to the Patpong soi’s themselves, but in recent years it has spilled out onto Silom Road and many nights the congestion of people make it almost impossible to walk.

In addition to the normal night market activities Patpong is home to various bars, go go bars and other illicit shows. Patpong is the place to go to see the sex shows such as Pussy Writing, Flower Shows, Yards of String Show, Razor Blades, Pussy Smoking, Pussy Whistle, Pussy Horn and Pussy Ping-Pong among others. Touts along the street will approach you and direct you to the shows and in the past I have had taxi drivers take me to shows as well, though I am not certain how safe that would be these days.

In fact, I am unsure how safe many of the places are these days as Patpong has become the home for a variety of scams and thieves. Patpong these days is a far cry from what it once was. Many of the bars and go go bars have closed and of the ones that remain open only the Kings Club 1 and Kings Club 2 can be considered safe. Other clubs will frequently try every way possible to part you from your money so be very careful and make sure you keep your wallet safe and count your change. Also be aware that many of the clubs will try to pad your bill and you could end up being charged 500-1000 baht per drink if you’re not careful. Many times a mention of the tourist police is enough to get the bill down to a reasonable level, but it is something to be aware of.

If you’re going drinking in the Patpong area I recommend you stick with the open air bars. The prices are more reasonable, the girls are less pushy and there is much less chance of being ripped off. Also, stay away from any club that is upstairs of far down an alley. Better yet just avoid Patpong entirely. You can find the same entertainments at other places in Bangkok much cheaper, more safe and with much less hassle.

Popularity: 10% [?]

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