Day 1-Lunch at Methavalai Sorndeong

It was around 1:30PM by the time we walked out of the Grand Palace!  We were tired and hungry so we asked our driver to take us to a nice Thai restaurant!  Since his English is not that great he could not really tell us much about the restaurant so we just have to trust him.  Both of tried to tell him that we want good Thai food!

This is where he took us:  Methavalai Sorndeong restaurant (entrance)

As we walked in I was a bit surprised to see that waiters were wearing white uniform to serve.. Pretty fancy!

I found out later that Methavalai Sorndaeng is an institution in Bangkok and remains evocative of a time when going out to eat was a special occasion. 

The main dinning room was filled with local people which is a good sign that the food here is good.

Despite the stuffy waiter uniforms the atmosphere is relaxed.  

Since we were so thirsty Hoa and I we ordered coconut juice and it was served in their shell.

They iced the coconut so it was cold and so refreshing!

Panang curry with beef.

Their portion is very generous and the curry is very flavorful!

Of course we had to order Tom Yum Kung which is probably the most famous of all Thai soup, featuring salty, sour, sweet and spicy!

Yummy!

Our driver ordered this dish and Hoa and I we did not like it!  It had dry shrimps, a bunch miscellaneous dry sea food, and the taste was so overwhelming that I only took a bite.

Maybe it is a local dish that is an acquired taste.

Overall we had excellent food and when the bill came it was 1,200 bath = around $40 not bad for a fancy place!

Pratuman Market

After lunch we decided to check out Pratunam Market which is a major market selling clothes, shoes, and fashion accessories at wholesale prices.  The main street is  filled with street vendors and lots of food stands. Behind the stands are small and narrow alleys jam-packed with people and you will find yourself in the middle of a clothes-maze.  We were not interested in buying clothes or cheap souvenirs so we just walked around but what interest us was all the food stands. 

Too bad we already had lunch but the aroma of the food is amazing!

Pots filled with fish soup.

These two pots of soup are so colorful, appetizing and the aroma definitely is really appealing.   It looks pretty clean but we did not dare to eat just because we did not want to take a chance and get sick.  Usually things that are cooked should be okay but you never know... and I did not want to ruin our trip by getting sick.

Jack fruits 20 baths per package = 70 cents.

I bought a package and it was very good.

In order to get to the mall you had to take the over pass over looking the main street.

Bangkok traffic!

Yellow cabs in New York!  Bright Pink cabs in Thailand!

Definitely cannot miss it even from a distance- they glow even in the day time!

The street are jam packed with people buying food and then going shopping afterwards.

Shops and vendor stalls displayed all kinds of clothes, from shorts, T-shirts, formal evening dresses, suits, winter jackets to bizarre outfits and costumes.

More than a shopping experience, the market is filled with local shoppers.  Very lively place with vendors working their sewing machines, packing and unpacking orders, carting trolleys up and down the narrow aisles, and shouting to invite shoppers to visit their stall.

Buffet style food!

Fried fish!

Fresh pineapple, cut to order - 20baths per bag = 70cents!

Looks so good! 

Peeled and sliced mango.

I bought a bag and the mango was so flavorful and sweet!

Fried bananas.  When I was a little kid, I used to buy these everyday after school and I would snack on them while walking home...

Next.. Dinner