My Main Blog Got A Makeover!

Hi everyone!

It’s been a while since I last posted. That’s because I was working on my main blog which I launched two month ago. (http://www.thejapanesetraveler.com/) A few days back I finally succeeded to move my blog to wordpress.org, change the template, and create all the social media accounts! It was such a tough work since I don’t have any knowledge about domain and SEO and so many other technical terms in the world of blogging. (They still make me crazy!) I was frowning at my laptop all day long, Googled everything and finally figured it out to some extent, so that I can share it to you guys! It may still have some errors and deadlinks but I’m trying to make it work right now. So please check out the website and let me know what you think! I wanna make it better 🙂

 

Danish Christmas Dinner | Stable Lodge, Bangkok

My favorite time of the year has finally come! Although it doesn’t feel like Christmas being sweaty and all everyday, there are many places you can still feel the holiday spirits in Bangkok. Not only you can enjoy this holiday season visually with festive Christmas lights in town, but also sensuously having delicious Christmas feast with your folks, even if you are far away from home.

My friends and I went to the Stable Lodge, a Scandinavian restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 8 in Bangkok, in the beginning of December. Some of my friends from Denmark planed a Christmas Dinner Party together and about 20 of us gathered in this restaurant. When we went inside, the buffet plates were prepared on the table and they were ready to be served. I was so excited with all the food, because I had never had danish food or even Scandinavian food before.

Every one put a reindeer headband prepared on the table, now it’s time to start a feast. A glass of Chang beer on one hand (Yes, it was Thai beer.), we began to eat. I had some bread, meat, seafood, and many different kinds of fish cooked in a various ways. I put all of them on a slice of bread, and placed it in my mouth. Some of the food was salty, and the others taste differently. Savoring the combination of those in my mouth, I was satisfied at the end.

While enjoying our food, we exchanged Christmas presents and played some games. Listening to the Christmas music, we also enjoyed chatting and sharing our great memories of the year. Overall, I really enjoyed the time there. It was one of the most memorable holiday seasons of all. I already can’t wait for the next year! xD

 

Where we ate:Stable Lodge (Google Maps)

Breakfast on Island | Koh Phangan, Thailand

Koh Phangan is always crowded with people who love to party. On a full moon day in every month, the world-famous ‘Full Moon Party’ is held on the Haadrin Beach, the widest beach on the island down south, and hundreds of thousands of people get super wasted and wake up naked in the morning on the beach. That’s what happens at the beginning of every month, but when we went there, it was off season.

On this season, Koh Phangan looks totally different, with less people and a quiet vibe. During the day, you will only see local people chatting and street dogs sleeping on the street. The Haadrin beach doesn’t seem like the same beach as on the party night at all. You can sit down on the beautiful sandy beach, and listen to the sound of the waves.

Muesli and yogurt

During our stay, we had breakfast at local restaurant, which offers from various breakfast to lunch and dinner, from Thai food to western food. It was a typical local restaurant on island. We ate there everyday, because it was close to the beach, and still have reasonable price for this relatively expensive party island.

Stir-fried pumpkin with chicken

One day, we saw a Burmese woman eating at the restaurant. She was one of the staff. We noticed she was eating something not on the menu, so we asked. They were Burmese food of course; cooked with lemon glass, some meat and vegetables. Because we like lemon glass and knew how good it is, we asked her to cook one for us. She agreed, and we decided to come the next day.

Various burmese food

Next day, we had three plates of burmese food she cooked for us; salad with lemon glass and peanut and onions, salad with lemon glass and tomatoes, and some stir-fried pork. We also ordered some rice. All of them are so good, and I liked the salads especially. I couldn’t tell what it was, but the sour dressing was making it obsessive. At the moment I thought, “Burmese food may or may not be the best discovery during my stay in Thailand.” I’m going to Myanmar in February, so I’m looking forward to it!

 

Place: ทอมมี่ (Google Maps)

Jazz and Blues Night | Saxophone Pub, Bangkok

Just a minute walk from BTS station Victory Monument, this jazz bar, Saxophone Pub, is on the little street. With a heavy wooden door and brick wall, it seems as if you were somewhere in Europe. When you go inside, you will instantly notice that the place is vigorous and filled with the sound of the music. The live music is performed on the stage, and everyone is engrossed in the music.

We went upstairs, and sat at the counter on the edge. You can look over the place, and see people enjoying their own time, listening to the music. Sipping our cocktails, we also enjoyed the music. Played pool between the songs, and had some food they offer. (Of course my favorite Chicken Cashew Nut!)

This place is perfect for laid-back night out in Bangkok. It is close to the Siam area, the center of Bangkok, so you can easily access by BTS train or taxi. Why don’t you sometimes experience something ‘not so Bangkok’ in this city?

Place: Saxophone Pub (Google Maps)

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Thinking about traveling in Thailand? Check out my Thailand travel blog, Wonderland Thailand!

This week’s new post:

Bangkok’s Abandoned Building: Ghost Tower, Bangkok

Canteen Food at University | Thammasat University, Thailand

You don’t go to local university to get some food? Then it’s the time! Because they have varieties of dishes with relatively low price compared to local restaurants in the area. You can stop by whenever you get tired walking around. It’s a place where you can rest, make a plan for next, and then continue your adventure.

View from university

Thammasat University at Tha Phra Chan campus, where I studied for a year, is located in the center of the major tourist attraction area in Bangkok. You can walk to Grand Palace, Wat Pho, National Museum, and many other places. Being located beside the Chaophrayah River, you can also access via boat.

Gaphao Moo (Stir-fried basil minced pork)

The main canteen is in the middle of the campus, along the river side. There are more then 10 restaurant right next to each other, serving different kinds of basic Thai food varies from noodles to Thai desserts. The price is around 30B (less than $1).

Spicy beef liver salad

Since the price is lower than normal restaurant, the portion is a little bit small. However, you can enjoy a couple of plates at a time. You can order 2 or 3, and share with your friends. The variety they offer is pretty rich, and you will always find new taste. Being close to the major tourist attractions, this is one of the places you want to check out.

Place: Thammasat University Tha Phra Chan Campus (Google Maps)

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My first post on Wonderland Thailand is now available! Please check it out! 🙂

5 Reasons Why I Love Thailand

My Thailand Travel Blog Has Been Launched!

Click image to go to the website

You probably know that I love Thailand, and I am more than happy to suggest recommended places or tips to travel around the country, for the future travelers. My blogging started 2 months ago with this Foodie Thailand, and I thought I want to take the next step, since I reached 1,000 followers. (Thank you so much for all your support! 😀 )

This blog is currently dedicated about food in Thailand, but my next blog, Wonderland Thailand, will be about places to visit inside the country, tips, and other information I got while living 11 months in Thailand.

Please take your time to visit the site and follow my adventures! I hope you will find it helpful until one day you visit Thailand! 🙂

My First Craft Beer Experience | Mikkeller Bangkok, Thailand

Going into the house

Sometimes you get bored with getting drunk by drinking bottles of cheap Chang beer, and just want to chill out. It was one of those nights when some of my friends and I went to this craft beer bar, Mikkeller Bangkok. After having delicious street burger at Sukhumvit Soi 39, we decided to take a good walk to the place. Eventually we came around quiet neighborhood, and voila! A cool Scandinavian-looking house was standing there.

Bar counter and a menu board

Inside the house, there were a lot of people enjoying their time respectively, chatting and laughing with glasses on their hands. There was a counter in the middle, and a big black board filled with different kinds of craft beer. I was overwhelmed by the variety they got: there were 30 of them!

Different kinds of beer

I didn’t have no idea where to start, so one of the staff helped me with picking one. He asked me if I like bitter, sweet, or fruity, and I picked fruity. Then he handed me a glass and suggested to try. After taking sips of different beer, I decided to go for the one that’s no-so-strong mild-fruity. (Not sure how to describe the taste…)

What we chose

We all picked one and settled by the table. Each one had quite different taste, and that was really interesting, as for the first-time craft beer drinker. With high percentage of the alcohol,  I got utterly drunk at the end. This time I could only taste a couple of different ones, but it would be fun to discover the one which perfectly suits the mood of the day.

Place: Mikkeller Bangkok(Google Maps)

Khao Soi and Northern Cuisine | Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Khao Soi, fried noodle with curry soup, is one of the most popular food in Northern Thailand. You will probably hear a lot about it during your adventure in North. Of course each bowl is different and divert. Some are spicy, and others are not. They often have different types of noodles. Among all those Khao Sois, this one is my personal favorite.

This cozy little restaurant, with bamboo bench and tables outside, is a Northern Thai food restaurant. We found it on Lonely Planet Thailand. It was rainy and dark when we went there, so was very hard to spot. After driving through the road carefully and scanning many signs in Thai which we had no idea how to read, we found the sign. (It was in English!)

Vegetable curry

We ordered Khao Soi, garlic salad, and vegetable curry, as recommended on the menu. The soup of Khao Soi was creamier compared to other ones, and not spicy for me at all. Normally I cannot eat spicy food very much, but for this one I could enjoy it. Also salad and curry were really good, especially with a lot of garlic taste. (My favorite!)

Although I’ve tried many Khao Sois, I haven’t yet met “the one”. If you find some good Khao Sois, please let me know! I would love to try 🙂

Where we ate: Banpleng Restaurant (Google Maps)

Home-Made Sausages and Northern-Style Curry | Chiang Rai, Thailand

Just a few minutes walk from the golden clocktower in Chiang Rai in main street, there’s this restaurant called “Barrab”. Covered with dark brown wooden wall and tables, the place has a modern atmosphere, not like other local restaurant with simple chair and tables. Sitting in front of the table, I noticed so many different kinds of bills and coins from around the world under the table glass, seemed this restaurant is popular among travelers.

Listened to staff’s description of food, we ordered Northern-style beef curry with ginger and some home-made sausages, as recommended on the menu, and chicken cashew nut for me, as always. (I know I need to try something different but always ended up ordering my favorite haha)

With a bottle of Chang beer in a hand, we enjoyed our meal. Every time I chew sausages I taste different vegetables and meat, and I liked the little bit of spiciness from black peppers. They went so well with beers, couldn’t stop tasting them together. Also the curry was good. I was craving beef since I didn’t have it for a long time, so I savored it with curry soup. It was a little spicy for me, but was really good at the same time.

Home-made sausages are one of my favorite food in north. I often saw street vendors selling them, and they were variety of kinds. If you have any chance to come up north, I recommend you to try one of them. You may or may not find your favorite!

Where we ate: Barrab (Google Maps)

Go to: tripadvisor

Thai BBQ | Bangkok, Thailand

Looking over the place from the bridge

On one of the very first nights in Bangkok, my friends and I went to Thai BBQ place by the Chaophraya river. There were roughly 15 of us from the same apartment as mine, and the owner of the apartment took us there. The place was massive, and crowded with a lot of locals. No wonder it’s popular among people, because you can eat as much as you want for only 199B.

Entrance/Exit

You can choose whatever you want to eat from various kinds of meat, vegetables, curry, so many other things, and even ice creams for desserts. I was holding so many plates on both of my hands, taking as much food as possible, eager to try everything they have. They even have cokes and smoothies included!

Crowded with a lot of people

After we finally settled on the table, we turned on the heat of the pod, and started eating. We put meats in the middle, and noodles and vegetables in the water. While waiting for food to be cooked, we enjoyed our conversation, and had a great time.

What I chose for the first round

We were all so full at the end, and couldn’t eat any more. Some people played pool placed near the exit. I really liked the atmosphere of the place, and enjoyed being among locals, chatting and eating like locals. This is one of the reasons why I can’t stop traveling. I want to visit this place again when I come to Thailand next time.

Grilling meat on the plate

Where we ate: ริมน้ำหมูกะทะ (Rim Nam Kra Ta: By The River BBQ) (Google Maps)