Posts tagged ·

Thai

·...

I LOVE CHINA TOWN

no comments

Have you ever been to Polish Town, Czech Town or Korean Village? 

Sounds strange, doesn’t it.  So why are there so many China Towns around the world?  How about a nice Danish Roll, a French pastry or some Baklava? 

Speaking of Baklava, I can almost taste the thin layers of phyllo dough, with chopped nuts in between those paper thin layers, with a little honey added.  I love Middle Eastern pastries and the Balkan cuisine.  Let’s have some Chocolate Bavarian from the Normandie Café, one of my favorite French pastry shops.   Is it any wonder my weight keeps going up?  If I add “rich buttery flaky dough that Chania Townturns pastries into a sinful delight,” my Danish for breakfast doesn’t help my weight a bit.

Sauerkraut, Danish meatballs, pizza, Thai noodles, Kung Pao chicken, sesame oil chicken wings, stir-fry, bok choy, Moo Goo Gai Pan to name a few more favorite foods that keep me thinking about food.    

Don’t’ you just love to eat?  When I go out for the evening or even for lunch, I seem to choose German, Italian, Chinese, French, Thai, Indian/Hindi, or a Japanese restaurant.  We have any and all kinds to choose from.  We can pick different countries, different foods and all within a few miles from where we live.  I don’t have to go far to feel like I am in a different country clear across the world.

Every restaurant has something special about it.  Different restaurants have interwoven within their walls different foods, colors, languages, customs and some great people. 

Developing their recipes has taken eons of time.  We now experience the best a country had to offer in taste and drink.  It is like having our very own “Sunday Dinner” with them.  They offer us the best they have. 

I have wandered through China Townes across the world from San Francisco to New York and from Singapore to Yokohama.  What an experience: the sites, the smells, the people, the food.   As we walk down a narrow street together in Shanghai we look through the window and start salivating as we see some of the best food we have ever laid our eyes on.  Look at those bright greens, heaps of snow white sticky rice, bowls of steaming soup and those pieces of chicken and beef, browned to perfection.  I can’t   contain myself.  How about you?  Of course we go in … are we stupid?

We would do the same thing, if it had been a Polish Town, Czech Town or a Korean Village.  It is just that most of the time it is a China Town, Italian Village or a Thai restaurants.  Each culture has its culinary delights; we just need to find them.  So let’s just keep looking.   

Lunch time … see you later!

EXPLORING THAILAND

no comments

            Noted as the land of smiles, Thailand is located in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma.  Bangkok is its largest city and at the same time it’s the capital city.  It is also the center of the country’s political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities.  This country is popular among tourists around the world because of its diversity.  Its traditions are fascinating and its culture is also distinct.  The country has a number of historical spots such as temples, palaces and museum.  The country boasts a natural beauty, friendly locals, exotic food, relaxing spas, and a lot more. 

            Thailand has its own spoken language.  Thai is used by almost 75 million people.  English is taught as the second language in this country and it is widely spoken by its people.  Like any other languages of the world, Thai is also known to be a complex mixture of several sources.  Some of which were derived from Pali, Sanskrit, Khmer, Malay, English and Chinese. 

            There are a lot of ways to get around the country and it is easy and inexpensive.  The country has also a modern transportation system.  You can either travel by plane, train, bus, elephants, motorbike taxis, water taxis, and tuk-tuks.  Tuk-Tuks are three wheeled, motorized vehicles that are used as a mode for short distance transportation all over the country. 

            Thai food is known all over the world.  Who hasn’t eaten Thai?  In every Thai dish, the guiding principle is always harmony, whether chili-hot or comparatively bland.  Thai cuisine is the combination of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something distinctly Thai. This cuisine is known for a diversity of ingredients used, complex spiciness, intricate flavors and aromas.  Its popular dishes are Gai Pad Met Mamuang (Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts), Por Pia Tord (Fried Spring Roll), Panaeng (Meat in Spicy Coconut Cream), Som Tam (Spicy Papaya Salad), Moo Sa-Te (Grilled Pork Sticks with Turmeric), Tom Yam Gai (Spicy Chicken Soup), Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup), Kang Keaw Wan Gai (Green Chicken Curry), Pad Thai (Fried Noodle), and Tom Yam Goong. (Spicy Shrimp Soup)     

            The most popular tourist destinations in Thailand are The Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, Nang Yai (Shadow Puppet Plays), Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Ayutthaya, Jim Thompson’s House, Ecotourism in Umphang, Sukhothai, Ao Phang-Nga National Marine Park, Pattaya, and a lot more.  For shopping destinations, both Bangkok and Chiang Mai have excellent night markets.  The weekend market at Chatuchuk in Bangkok is a haven for shoppers with hundreds of stalls selling items ranging from to genuine antiques, clothes, and pets.