The Duke's Chiang Mai

Happiness is a long table full of Duke's dishes.

With so much sublime and affordable food in Thailand some ask why I'd ever crave middle of the road western eats such as burgers, pizza, meatballs in tomato sauce and sticky ribs.

Those asking have never dined at The Duke's - a Chiang Mai (CM) institution - that gives US-influenced food a bloody good name. A meal at the Ping River located Dukes restaurant has become a tradition when we visit CM.

What's the attraction? Hugh quality  cuisine at mid-level prices and probably the best hamburger in the Kingdom. I'm a no-frills burger guy, get the basics right - like they do at The Duke's - and the rest takes care of itself and no need for messy extras such as cheese, eggs, mushrooms, onions etc. 

The Duke's beef patty is succulent, just right in terms of seasoning, and flavoursome with a slightly smoky taste. The patties are complimented by homemade buns that are light and yeasty. Other faves include the breaded fish and string fries, chargrilled steaks, meat filled sandwiches, homemade foccacia bread, crisp thin crust pizzas and tangy, tender pork spare ribs.

If getting high on the hog is not your thing, I recommend the warm spinach salad with crispy bacon bits and a zingy balsamic dressing. 

To fully embrace The Duke's experience bring friends, quite a few, because the portions are Texas-sized and there's plenty to choose from. And though you'll be in calorie overload for the next week it would be a crime to ignore the Duke's desert counter. 

I've never come across a better apple pie in Thailand and their cheesecakes and chocolate cakes are equally attractive and delicious. 

If you can't get to CM, but live in Bangkok, good news, you can grab a Duke's burger at The Duke's Express restaurant in the Emporium mall.

Duke's Bangkok web site

Perfect harmony - Steak and mash perfection.

Nice and cheesy does it ....

Apple crumble & ice cream - big enough to bring down the Titanic.

Songs Of The Year

Thank you Jhene Aiko for making R&B crazy, sexy and very, very cool again.

I'm a sucker for any Ronettes-inspired song and Lykkie backs up the wall-of-sound with a big, gutsy, and passionate vocal (in a good way, not like annoying American Idol screamers).

Vodka and tonic - a wonderful crooning performance from Mr National, Matt Beringer, beautifully complimented by Sharon Jones.

Beautiful dreamy, Duran Duran'ish sounding track (to my ears) that took me away to another place.

"What'ya gonna do when I Maa Nonu you!" Should have been NZ's official Rugby World song - finest sports song since "World In Motion."

Medici Kitchen and Bar

The united colours of Italy on a plate. 

Whatever your pre-conceived thoughts and views about Bangkok throw them out the window.

While it's not changing at the same rapido pace as major Indian and Chinese cities, Bangkok is hardly snoozing with interesting new malls, buildings and hotels opening on a regular basis.

A terrific example is the new Hotel Muse Bangkok (HMB) on Soi Langsuan. This former apartment has been nipped, tucked and facelifted into a chic, elegant central city boutique hotel. Design-wise, it tastefully blends 19th-century French architecture and style with King Rama V era furnishings and art.

I'm terrible re: interior descriptions - but this line from an article nails it pretty well.

"Think dark woods, black and silver trimmings, immense white enamel bathtubs with silver feet."

A great place for a Goodfellas-styled sit down.

As with many hotels, HMB boasts a host of eateries and bars and last week, we dined at the Medici Kitchen and Bar. A walk down the sweeping staircase takes you to a spacious and luxurious Tuscan-inspired eatery featuring brick walls, faux wine barrels, leather banquettes, two large private dining rooms and a roasting spit.

Opulent yes, but not over-the-top opulent. And just when I thought I had seen it all in Bangkok, the Medici experience was intensified with a pre-dinner opera performance from a group of young singers!

Operatic theatrics over, it was time to order and eat. The Medici menu includes a good selection of pasta, seafood, meat and tapas type dishes - not huge - but more than enough alternatives for everyone. The wine list is also generous.

Beef tenderloin with a red wine sauce.

My main was excellent - seared tuna served with a tomato salsa, rocket lettuce and a zesty dressing. My buddy's seafood kebab was impressive as was the beef tenderloin with red wine sauce wolfed down by my wife and daughter. We also enjoyed a steamed mussel and seafood platter starter.

The show-stopper however, was Medici's signature truffle ravioli that tasted as good as it looked.

All up, a memorable, if a slightly pricy (for BKK but v reasonable anywhere else in the world) dining experience and perfect for a special treat.

A word of warning - if you are allergic to Bangkok's 'hi-so' crowd, you may want to find another place.

The Medici signature dish - the truffle ravioli. It tasted as good as it looked.

Headshot (Fon Tok Kuen Fa)

The lone wolf assassin (The American), vigilante/samurai (Drive) cinematic theme that's in vogue right now continues with Fon Tok Kuen Fa (Headshot) - the latest offering from acclaimed Thai director, Pen-ek Ratanaruang.

Although the film's "good cop who is blackmailed, gets shot and damaged, and has to break bad and also battles moral demons" plot, is not new - and has a couple of creaks - Headshot is compelling, stylish and engrossing.

It's beautifully filmed and viewers are kept on their toes thanks to a non-linear storyline and abrupt changes in pace - often languid, then jolted with rapid fire action scenes.

In addition, the main lead actors Nopachai Jayanama, Chanokporn Sayoungkol and Cris Horwang are incredibly attractive and have presence, lots and lots of the stuff actualy. As well, local rapper, Joey Boy burns up the screen in his brief, but intense appearance as a well-dressed, psychotic, unhinged torturer.

Headshot is also topical and relevant with the director taking subtle pot shots, throughout the film, at the evils of corruption, nepotism and capitalism gone wild.

Finally, after watching so many films set in New York or Los Angeles, it's refreshing and pretty bloody wonderful to see an atmospheric and beguiling Bangkok showcased so brilliantly on celluloid.

Go see - but be patient - let the film's charms wash over and slow boil into your mind and body.

Headshot web site