Easter in Bangkok with Cleo
(This post was edited on Tuesday 10 October 2017, 11.22pm.)
Hubby and I spent part of this year's Easter weekend in Bangkok. Just under 2 days to be precise. As we had engagements and stuff, we didn't go around much. Definitely didn't get to explore the street food which Bangkok is well known for. (੭ｉ△ｉ)੭ु But I look forward to returning there with like-minded friends. (It's also much more fun when taking photos of my Blythes with a fellow Blythe collecting friend.)
We flew Thai Airways, and were on the early morning flight to Bangkok. Had to get up at 5am and felt like dying. Totally resented getting up so early, and I didn't sleep the night before. Thank heavens for the free-flow coffee and sandwiches at the lounge. By the way, this time, the Thai Airways Royal Silk class tickets were cheaper than SIA economy!!!
On board our flight, when I was served my breakfast choice (frittata), I thought about airline food reviewer Nik Loukas of Inflight Feed. I came across Inflight Feed while I was looking up airline safety records. (Yeah, somewhat random.) Anyway, I find Inflight Feed entertaining and informative. Mr Loukas is quite thorough; he even reviews the snacks and drinks.
Took a photograph of our inflight breakfast, with Inflight Feed in my mind. Why did I do that, I honestly don't know. Maybe to remind myself that I've eaten better and worse on the ground? I'm not going to do what Mr Loukas does, i.e. review inflight meals. Just that I'll say that frittata and potatoes were more appetising than SIA's breakfast omelette, And it did not change my overall view of inflight meals.
We had a very comfortable room that was very conveniently located in Sukhumvit, walking distance from the BTS Phrom Phong, Emporium Bangkok, and the EmQuartier. In a way, also very well located as I very much desired to remain dry, as it was Songkran, the Thai New Year.
The highlight for the 1st day was our visit to D Watch Cafe by the Trocadero Group at Siam Paragon (สยามพารากอน), supposedly one of Bangkok's 10 best shopping malls. The watch shop is a place where I would not normally visit but for Hubby's great love for the Seiko spring drive.
Hubby got chatting with P., one of the salespersons, about the Grand Seiko SBGA071 and the SBGA143 (both limited editions of the SBGA029). So, P. mentioned that the SBGA071 is much sought-after in Thailand, but not many were up for sale even on the secondary market. Their talk turned to the SBGA143, the Wako limited edition, which is generally available only in Japan.
We had a look at various items, including the Eichi II (叡智II), one of our all-time favourites too. (I also very much like the Eichi I.) The movement, porcelain face, hand-painted dials, blued steel hands, clean lines, finishing...
What resonates most with me is what master watchmaker Yoshifusa Nakazawa said, in the Hodinkee article "In Depth: The Seiko Credor Eichi II, Maybe the Most Interesting Time-Only Watch on Planet Earth":
Other than the Eichi II, we would've liked to see the Lunar Rainbow in the flesh, but could not. The lady boss told Hubby that they were almost immediately sold out on release. But we did see the SBGA089 Snowflake! o(≧∇≦)o The Snowflake is another one with a gorgeous watch face, and lovely movement.
The star was, hands down, the deep-fried sea bass in the signature aromatic
After looking up the Seiko beauties, we had an early lunch at Laem Charoen Seafood (แหลมเจริญซีฟู้ด สาขา สยามพารากอน) where we had an absolutely delicious and crispy deep-fried sea bass (posted here). Yum!
After lunch, we debated having dessert and searched for After You. But a full stomach and several late nights had the combined effect of sapping whatever remained of my energy. So, we headed back. I only managed to nap for around 1.5 hours before I had to get up. (Barely enough for me to keep going!!!)
There was this and that going on, and before I knew it, it was dusk.
Twilight is my favourite part of the day to view cityscapes. As mentioned in a Tokyo post, I love the changes in colour of the sky as the sun sets. I neglected to add that I love how the lights in the city come on as the sky darkens - in particular during blue hour.
While I was looking out at the cityscape, I was reflecting on the fact that I have not visited Bangkok for a very long time - at least a decade ago, I think. I vaguely remember it was a trip with my parents and their Christian cell group members; it was sometimes unpleasant, and I was bored to death.
Anyway, moving on....
Around dinner-time, we returned to Siam Paragon as Hubby had a few more inquiries to make. Following that, we went to grab dinner. We actually had no special plans and decided to just pop into this place called Nuer Koo (เนื้อคู่) (posted here). It was only after the trip, as I was drafting this post that I found a few posts.Note 1 The concept is classic kway teow neua with expensive beef cuts. The beef noodles are good, but I'm not sure it is one of the best beef noodles soup in Bangkok. (Mark Wiens of Eating Thai Food and Migrationology named four that I'm dying to taste (names in the food diary post).
Afterwards, Hubby and I explored the food hall of Siam Paragon. It's like the Thais' version of Harrods food hall, only better! I was so busy staring at everything in the food hall that I lost sight of Hubby. Oops. He backtracked to get me. It happens a lot.
What caught my attention was the grilled seafood counter. I did a double-take because I spotted grilled horseshoe crabs. I know about these prehistoric creatures - and have seen them in the flesh before - because they are also native to Singapore waters. But I wasn't aware that they were edible. Afterwards, I did a little research and learnt that in Thailand, horseshoe crabs are considered a delicacy by the locals, and are harder to find in Bangkok than seaside towns in the south of Thailand. It seems the only edible part is the roe which is usually used in yam kai meng da (ยำไข่แมงดา), a salad comprising of the roe (steamed or boiled), green mango, shallots, cilantro, lime juice, chili and fish sauce.
Will I eat it? Unlikely. But I may go with someone who will, and take photos and watch with fascination.
While wandering around, we found After You! We took a queue number, and drooled at racks of Four Seasons roast ducks while we waited. Hubby got himself the chocolate banana pancakes, and I opted for their bestselling Shibuya Honey Toast (posted here).
The plan had been to get up early, beat the tourist crowds and visit the Grand Palace. I did get up somewhat early but decided to sleep in, the accumulated effect from the Thursday all-nighter and knocking back coffee the whole of Good Friday was getting to me. So we missed the Grand Palace. Oops.
After check out, we went to the EmQuartier. I would've liked to seek out the famed street food spots. However, it was Songkran and we didn't want to risk getting wet, given that we were heading directly to the airport after lunch. Also didn't want my darling Cleo and my gear getting wet. Plus, I'm past the age where the idea of getting soaked with water while I am on holiday is fun.
Initially discussed going to Som Tam Nua at Siam Square (highly recommended for their som tam and gai tod), but were reluctant to return to the Siam area again. And then we thought about going to The Local at Soi Sukhumvit 23, a highly recommended and popular Thai restaurant.
We ended up eating lunch at Hubby's choice: Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, where we had half a crispy duck, sauteed chayote shoots (my first time eating these!), liu sha bao, and some other dimsum (posted here).
We left just enough space in our bellies to have dessert at Audrey Cafe des Fleurs, where I tried the Thai tea crêpe cake - a modern twist to the classic Thai cha yen (ชาเย็น) in the form of a mille crêpe cake (posted here).
After lunch and dessert, we hopped into the Quartier Water Garden for a quick stroll. (I was attracted by the greenery.)
On the 5th floor of the Helix Quartier, the garden is a 3,000 square metre oasis of lush greenery and water. At some spots, it did not even look like we were in Bangkok, let alone a shopping mall.
There's also a good view from the garden of the Emporium Bangkok, Emporium Tower, Benjasiri Park, and the surrounding Sukhumvit area.
We made our way to the airport early, to avoid getting caught in the infamous Bangkok traffic jams. However, there was no fear as there were no jams. Must be Songkran and the fact that we were leaving before most tourists. So we ended up arriving at the airport 2 hours ahead of schedule, and spent most of our time lounging around, having a coffee, Instagramming and reading a book.
During our flight home, short though it was, we also had an inflight meal (dinner). I again thought of Nik Loukas of Inflight Feed. He has reviewed Thai Airways inflight meals in Economy and Business before. And I didn't take his advice on avoiding bread because I love eating butter.
Hubby didn't really fancy the starter (marinated Sichuan salmon with needle beans), so I got to eat 2 portions. Hurrah! (Because it was very good.) We both selected the seared sea bass with white wine pommery mustard sauce and mashed potatoes - they were actually quite good. The buttered broccoli and carrots were mushy and looked a lot more unappetising in real life.
Because it was Songkran, the dessert was changed to a special dessert - sago and mango in coconut jelly and look choop. Look choop (or luk chup, ลูกชุบ) is a traditional Thai dessert derived from marzipan, made using ground mung beans, sugar and coconut cream. Look choop originated in the royal palace of ancient Siam, when sweetmeats were presented to the royal family after meals. They were shaped into vegetables and fruits, dyed or painted with food colouring to resemble the originals they imitated. In the present day, look choop is available to everyone.
I was quite fascinated with the look choop; it was nicely shaped into a mango. I confess that when I bit into it, I was reminded of Japanese wagashi, but then it shouldn't be surprising since mung bean paste is also a common ingredient used in wagashi. Apparently, look choop is a popular gift choice for superiors and elders on special occasions such as the New Year. So, it was a nice touch to include it in the special Songkran dessert.
Am already looking forward to a time when we can return to Bangkok with some like-minded friends, all ready to roam the markets and streets of Bangkok in search of food and Blythe photo moments!
-------
Note 1:
When it comes to Thailand, I find invaluable the reviews/posts by Mark Wiens of Eating Thai Food and Migrationology. In the course of looking up food in Bangkok, I found super informative the posts by Maureen Ow of Miss Tham Chiak (Part 1 & Part 2), the team of Aroi Mak Mak (especially posts by Wilbur Suen and Eddie Yii), Daniel Ang of Daniel Food Diary, and Seth Lui of SethLui.com.
Hubby and I spent part of this year's Easter weekend in Bangkok. Just under 2 days to be precise. As we had engagements and stuff, we didn't go around much. Definitely didn't get to explore the street food which Bangkok is well known for. (੭ｉ△ｉ)੭ु But I look forward to returning there with like-minded friends. (It's also much more fun when taking photos of my Blythes with a fellow Blythe collecting friend.)
 |
| Cleo and the view of Bangkok's Sukhumvit area from the Emporium Tower (IG) |
Day 1: Siam Paragon
We flew Thai Airways, and were on the early morning flight to Bangkok. Had to get up at 5am and felt like dying. Totally resented getting up so early, and I didn't sleep the night before. Thank heavens for the free-flow coffee and sandwiches at the lounge. By the way, this time, the Thai Airways Royal Silk class tickets were cheaper than SIA economy!!!
On board our flight, when I was served my breakfast choice (frittata), I thought about airline food reviewer Nik Loukas of Inflight Feed. I came across Inflight Feed while I was looking up airline safety records. (Yeah, somewhat random.) Anyway, I find Inflight Feed entertaining and informative. Mr Loukas is quite thorough; he even reviews the snacks and drinks.
 |
| Thai Air inflight meal: frittata |
Took a photograph of our inflight breakfast, with Inflight Feed in my mind. Why did I do that, I honestly don't know. Maybe to remind myself that I've eaten better and worse on the ground? I'm not going to do what Mr Loukas does, i.e. review inflight meals. Just that I'll say that frittata and potatoes were more appetising than SIA's breakfast omelette, And it did not change my overall view of inflight meals.
 |
| Cleo thinks our room is comfortable. |
We had a very comfortable room that was very conveniently located in Sukhumvit, walking distance from the BTS Phrom Phong, Emporium Bangkok, and the EmQuartier. In a way, also very well located as I very much desired to remain dry, as it was Songkran, the Thai New Year.
The highlight for the 1st day was our visit to D Watch Cafe by the Trocadero Group at Siam Paragon (สยามพารากอน), supposedly one of Bangkok's 10 best shopping malls. The watch shop is a place where I would not normally visit but for Hubby's great love for the Seiko spring drive.
Hubby got chatting with P., one of the salespersons, about the Grand Seiko SBGA071 and the SBGA143 (both limited editions of the SBGA029). So, P. mentioned that the SBGA071 is much sought-after in Thailand, but not many were up for sale even on the secondary market. Their talk turned to the SBGA143, the Wako limited edition, which is generally available only in Japan.
We had a look at various items, including the Eichi II (叡智II), one of our all-time favourites too. (I also very much like the Eichi I.) The movement, porcelain face, hand-painted dials, blued steel hands, clean lines, finishing...
What resonates most with me is what master watchmaker Yoshifusa Nakazawa said, in the Hodinkee article "In Depth: The Seiko Credor Eichi II, Maybe the Most Interesting Time-Only Watch on Planet Earth":
"Although this kind of simple watch is still a luxury product, it's not ostentatious. It's not a watch that is bought as a fashion object, but because the buyer knows its quality. The purpose of some other exclusive watches, ones that contain jewels or lavish amounts of gold, is to be seen. The quality of a simple watch is known only to a few people. It is worn to satisfy yourself and your own preferences. That is a simple watch." [Emphasis added.]Well, to me, the Eichi II embodies 2 great Japanese traditions - the history of watchmaking in Japan, and Japanese aesthetics as created, honed and perfected by her great shokunin. To me, it is a classic time piece that does not rise and fall along with trends. It would likely offend watch aficionados for me to compare it to cooking, but I will anyway. I think it is a little like cooking - it's sometimes harder to make something simple because any mistake would be so glaringly obvious.
Other than the Eichi II, we would've liked to see the Lunar Rainbow in the flesh, but could not. The lady boss told Hubby that they were almost immediately sold out on release. But we did see the SBGA089 Snowflake! o(≧∇≦)o The Snowflake is another one with a gorgeous watch face, and lovely movement.
 |
| The signature deep-fried sea bass in fish sauce, Laem Charoen Seafood, Siam Paragon (IG) |
The star was, hands down, the deep-fried sea bass in the signature aromatic
After looking up the Seiko beauties, we had an early lunch at Laem Charoen Seafood (แหลมเจริญซีฟู้ด สาขา สยามพารากอน) where we had an absolutely delicious and crispy deep-fried sea bass (posted here). Yum!
After lunch, we debated having dessert and searched for After You. But a full stomach and several late nights had the combined effect of sapping whatever remained of my energy. So, we headed back. I only managed to nap for around 1.5 hours before I had to get up. (Barely enough for me to keep going!!!)
There was this and that going on, and before I knew it, it was dusk.
 |
| Twilight over the Sukhumvit area, view from Emporium Tower |
Twilight is my favourite part of the day to view cityscapes. As mentioned in a Tokyo post, I love the changes in colour of the sky as the sun sets. I neglected to add that I love how the lights in the city come on as the sky darkens - in particular during blue hour.
While I was looking out at the cityscape, I was reflecting on the fact that I have not visited Bangkok for a very long time - at least a decade ago, I think. I vaguely remember it was a trip with my parents and their Christian cell group members; it was sometimes unpleasant, and I was bored to death.
Anyway, moving on....
 |
| Nuer Koo, Siam Paragon (IG) |
Around dinner-time, we returned to Siam Paragon as Hubby had a few more inquiries to make. Following that, we went to grab dinner. We actually had no special plans and decided to just pop into this place called Nuer Koo (เนื้อคู่) (posted here). It was only after the trip, as I was drafting this post that I found a few posts.Note 1 The concept is classic kway teow neua with expensive beef cuts. The beef noodles are good, but I'm not sure it is one of the best beef noodles soup in Bangkok. (Mark Wiens of Eating Thai Food and Migrationology named four that I'm dying to taste (names in the food diary post).
Afterwards, Hubby and I explored the food hall of Siam Paragon. It's like the Thais' version of Harrods food hall, only better! I was so busy staring at everything in the food hall that I lost sight of Hubby. Oops. He backtracked to get me. It happens a lot.
 |
| Grilled seafood at the Siam Paragon Food Hall |
What caught my attention was the grilled seafood counter. I did a double-take because I spotted grilled horseshoe crabs. I know about these prehistoric creatures - and have seen them in the flesh before - because they are also native to Singapore waters. But I wasn't aware that they were edible. Afterwards, I did a little research and learnt that in Thailand, horseshoe crabs are considered a delicacy by the locals, and are harder to find in Bangkok than seaside towns in the south of Thailand. It seems the only edible part is the roe which is usually used in yam kai meng da (ยำไข่แมงดา), a salad comprising of the roe (steamed or boiled), green mango, shallots, cilantro, lime juice, chili and fish sauce.
Will I eat it? Unlikely. But I may go with someone who will, and take photos and watch with fascination.
 |
| Shibuya Honey Toast, After You, Siam Paragon (IG) |
While wandering around, we found After You! We took a queue number, and drooled at racks of Four Seasons roast ducks while we waited. Hubby got himself the chocolate banana pancakes, and I opted for their bestselling Shibuya Honey Toast (posted here).
Day 2: EmQuartier
The plan had been to get up early, beat the tourist crowds and visit the Grand Palace. I did get up somewhat early but decided to sleep in, the accumulated effect from the Thursday all-nighter and knocking back coffee the whole of Good Friday was getting to me. So we missed the Grand Palace. Oops.
 |
| Cleo at the Quartier Water Garden, EmQuartier (IG) |
After check out, we went to the EmQuartier. I would've liked to seek out the famed street food spots. However, it was Songkran and we didn't want to risk getting wet, given that we were heading directly to the airport after lunch. Also didn't want my darling Cleo and my gear getting wet. Plus, I'm past the age where the idea of getting soaked with water while I am on holiday is fun.
Initially discussed going to Som Tam Nua at Siam Square (highly recommended for their som tam and gai tod), but were reluctant to return to the Siam area again. And then we thought about going to The Local at Soi Sukhumvit 23, a highly recommended and popular Thai restaurant.
 |
| Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, EmQuartier |
We ended up eating lunch at Hubby's choice: Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, where we had half a crispy duck, sauteed chayote shoots (my first time eating these!), liu sha bao, and some other dimsum (posted here).
 |
| Thai tea crêpe cake, Audrey Cafe des Fleurs, EmQuartier (IG) |
We left just enough space in our bellies to have dessert at Audrey Cafe des Fleurs, where I tried the Thai tea crêpe cake - a modern twist to the classic Thai cha yen (ชาเย็น) in the form of a mille crêpe cake (posted here).
After lunch and dessert, we hopped into the Quartier Water Garden for a quick stroll. (I was attracted by the greenery.)
 |
| The Quartier Water Garden, EmQuartier (IG) |
On the 5th floor of the Helix Quartier, the garden is a 3,000 square metre oasis of lush greenery and water. At some spots, it did not even look like we were in Bangkok, let alone a shopping mall.
 |
| View of the Sukhumvit area from the Quartier Water Garden, EmQuartier |
There's also a good view from the garden of the Emporium Bangkok, Emporium Tower, Benjasiri Park, and the surrounding Sukhumvit area.
 |
| Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok |
We made our way to the airport early, to avoid getting caught in the infamous Bangkok traffic jams. However, there was no fear as there were no jams. Must be Songkran and the fact that we were leaving before most tourists. So we ended up arriving at the airport 2 hours ahead of schedule, and spent most of our time lounging around, having a coffee, Instagramming and reading a book.
During our flight home, short though it was, we also had an inflight meal (dinner). I again thought of Nik Loukas of Inflight Feed. He has reviewed Thai Airways inflight meals in Economy and Business before. And I didn't take his advice on avoiding bread because I love eating butter.
 |
| Thai Air inflight meal: seared sea bass |
Hubby didn't really fancy the starter (marinated Sichuan salmon with needle beans), so I got to eat 2 portions. Hurrah! (Because it was very good.) We both selected the seared sea bass with white wine pommery mustard sauce and mashed potatoes - they were actually quite good. The buttered broccoli and carrots were mushy and looked a lot more unappetising in real life.
Because it was Songkran, the dessert was changed to a special dessert - sago and mango in coconut jelly and look choop. Look choop (or luk chup, ลูกชุบ) is a traditional Thai dessert derived from marzipan, made using ground mung beans, sugar and coconut cream. Look choop originated in the royal palace of ancient Siam, when sweetmeats were presented to the royal family after meals. They were shaped into vegetables and fruits, dyed or painted with food colouring to resemble the originals they imitated. In the present day, look choop is available to everyone.
I was quite fascinated with the look choop; it was nicely shaped into a mango. I confess that when I bit into it, I was reminded of Japanese wagashi, but then it shouldn't be surprising since mung bean paste is also a common ingredient used in wagashi. Apparently, look choop is a popular gift choice for superiors and elders on special occasions such as the New Year. So, it was a nice touch to include it in the special Songkran dessert.
Am already looking forward to a time when we can return to Bangkok with some like-minded friends, all ready to roam the markets and streets of Bangkok in search of food and Blythe photo moments!
-------
Note 1:
When it comes to Thailand, I find invaluable the reviews/posts by Mark Wiens of Eating Thai Food and Migrationology. In the course of looking up food in Bangkok, I found super informative the posts by Maureen Ow of Miss Tham Chiak (Part 1 & Part 2), the team of Aroi Mak Mak (especially posts by Wilbur Suen and Eddie Yii), Daniel Ang of Daniel Food Diary, and Seth Lui of SethLui.com.
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