WELCOME TO BANGLADESH PART 1

After putting off the trip for some time, I made my maiden trip to Bangladesh. I will visit both Dhaka and Chittagong albeit a very splash and dash trip. I should have done this a few months ago when the weather was still much cooler than now.

Up to afew hours before the flight, I was still not sure whether I can make the trip due to some delays in my visa. Luckily all was sorted.

The flight to Dhaka was uneventful except for the many mobile phones that kept ringing until taking off. I could see that the Air Asia had their hands full.

At the airport, I was plesantly surprised that it was a breeze and the service was actually quite good. However, I had to wait for almost 4 hours for my flight to Chittagong.

The international airport is new so it was nice but the domestic terminal was not so new....but bearable. Toilets were OK and air con works but there are a lot of mosquitos in Bangladesh. They seem to like my blood....something new and different, I suppose.

The best thing about the airports? Free internet...wow.

I got my first con at the aiport. I bought a local mobile sim card for Taka 900 when the value is Taka 200. The difference, service charge, I suppose. For those who don't know, US$ 1 is about Taka 68.50.

Some pictures of the domestic terminal...

As I was a litlle hungry, I had a snack at the "fast food" in the departure terminal. I had 2 samosa and a chicken bread and a bottle of mineral water for Taka 100. Something told me, I was overcharged again.

Inside the departure area, there was a shop selling Bangladeshi snacks and sweets...there was quite a variety.

The plane which I was supposed to take is a propeller type plane Bombadier Dash 8, a 35 seater plane. The plane must be more than 30 years old. Wow, I have not sat in a propeller type plane for a long time.

While the plane was a bit wobbly which is expected for a small propeller plane, the service was quite good and for the 50 minutes flight, they served sweets, drinks and snacks. The only set back was the air con does not work and it was really hot.

Well, that's my first day in Bangladesh.

Until the next time, cheers.

FANTASTIC "KAO TOM" BUFFETT IN BANGKOK

We started coming to this kao tom buffett more than 10 years ago and as our office moved nearby here, we should be coming to this place here more often now.

The restaurant is situated in Chao Phraya Park Hotel (but in a seperate building) along Ratchadaphisek Road (Huaykwang). We love this place as there is a huge variety of both porridge and dishes. This is basically porridge teo chew/thai style.

For all the food (including desserts), it cost slightly below Baht 400 per person (including taxes and service charges) and there is a buy 3 free 1 promotion. Really value for money.

There are around 6 types of porrdge, unpolished rice (red), yam, potato and I can't remember the others.

The condiments/appetizers for porridge itself runs to so many types...you know the pickles, sour and fried stuff.

Then, you have the roast pork, duck, chicken, char siew corner.

And then, you had all the different stews...pig trotters, stomach, stewed chicken, ducks....on and on.

You can't have teo chew porridge without the customary chap chai.....


Then, there is the vegetable section...you pick up and let the chef fry it up or cook to your choice.


And also seafood.....


For those who don't like porridge...there is noodles....


A view of the restaurant and our group doing justice to the food.....





Oh yes, there were la la and some fried stuff too.....


Then there were desserts....sweet roti with your choice of filling...

And there were Thai ice kacang (mixed shaved ice)...and Chinese soup desserts (thong sui) and ice creams and fruits....

And lastly old fashioned coffee..but this is additionally charged.

Just describing this place makes me full but I shall return again soon.....just for your info, we went to shopping mall to walk off the food after the dinner.

Until the next time, cheers.

FOOD, FOOD AND FOOD IN BANGKOK

I was in Bangkok recently and this time, a friend and his wife as also in town and my wife and I invited them for dinner. We brought them to Somboon Seafood (a very popular seafood restaurant famous for its fried chlli curry crabs). As my friend also heard about the roast pig, we had a fairly light dinner (but I did not take any pictures) and then moved on to the roast pig.

There are a 3 such restaurants near Narathiwat Road, off Sathorn Road and we normally frequent this restaurants. We have been coming here for years and they now have a variety of serving the roast pigs. We normally have them 2 styles i.e. first just the skin and then cooked again. The second time, our favorite is deep fried with garlic.

I did not take a lot of photos that day. We also ordered some other light food (being our second dinner), Thod man pla (fried fishcake) and Som Tam (papaya salad). The restaurant actually have an extensive menu and also seafood...shown here.

The next day, I had to go to Chonburi province very near to Pattaya and nearby there is a very popular crab meatmall shop. They used to have a restaurant but apparently the owner is getting old and decided to only sell the frozen ones (before frying). You can just defrost and fry them up...super delicious.

They are now sold along this stretch of snack shops and restaurants on the way back from Pattaya to Bangkok.

I saw this bottle in the shop and upon nearer look, it is actually very small clams (still with its shell) soaked in fish sauce. Apparently it is very good with kao tom (boiled rice). I will remember to try this the next time.

Until the next time, cheers.