RIP Gil

RIP Gil - music legend, poet and a prophet.

Rest in peace Gil Scott-Heron.

I first heard GSH on Wellington's Radio Active student radio station and was blown away by his lyrical genius. He was on-point and to the point when he expressed his social, cultural and political observations/views.

He didn't need a 4,000 word feature article to deliver his key messages - a four minute track was more than enough to make a deep, meaningful and lasting connection. It helped that he had an amazing voice and that his music was groovy as hell.

I was lucky enough to see him perform at the Jazz Cafe in London in 1991. It's a bit of blur now - a lot of cheap red wine was consumed on the night - but I remember it being a celebration of sorts with plenty of people dancing and maybe, even a conga line.

Here's my favourite Gil track - B Movie - 12+ minutes of genius and still sounds fresh, relevant and vital today.

Guardian's GSH Obit

The Smoke House

The Smoke House (SH)..... sounds like Snoop Dogg's dream hacienda.

The wine shop and dining area.

But if you're looking for THC-flavoured thrills, you're in the wrong place. Sausages and assorted meats - not ganja or skunk - are the only things smoked here.

Mind you, whoever proposed a Bavarian Castle inspired restaurant/deli/wine shop/bar/concert venue in the middle of the Khao Yai countryside was probably under the influence of a herbalicious substance or two.

Despite being at odds with the lush green surroundings, SH is magnificent and impressive and sure to attract thousands of visitors in the months ahead.

Porker's delight.

For the food? For the wine? For the sausages and smoked meats? Possibly. The wine and beer list is decent as is the food, especially the spicy pork neck salad and the famous SH sausages.

In my opinion however, the major plus points are the SH buildings (including a tower that houses a wine and beer bar) and its surrounding landscape. Both offer many super, picturesque backdrop options for photo-snapping family groups, university students and love birds.

Khun Somchai and Khun Fon no longer need to fly to Europe for their gothic castle snaps - they can now make an easy 220 kilometre drive from Bangkok!

SH is another new attraction in the Khao Yai district, which has changed dramatically since we visited two years ago. Here's hoping that development doesn't go into overdrive - Thailand's version of Napa Valley deserves better.

More information:

The Smoke House web site
Check out this amazing hotel in the area
Granmonte Vineyard

Soundtrack For The Weekend

First up, from Canadians CFCF, a beautiful shimmering New Order-ish take of OMC's "How Bizzare."

CFCF - How Bizzare

Followed by The Yoots, who deliver a brilliant, last-train-to-Skaville version of "Me He Manu Rere," a Maori classic played at all good weddings and parties across New Zealand.

Sing along now.. don't be shy..
Me he manu rere ahau e,
Kua rere ki tō moenga,
Ki te awhi tō tinana,
Aue, aue!
E te tau, tahuri mai.
Kei te moe te tinana,
Kei te oho te wairua,
Kei te hotu te manawa,
Aue, aue!
E te tau, tahuri mai.

The Yoots - Me He Manu Rere

And "Banana Ripple from Junior Boys. The title alone makes it the summer anthem of the year. Turn it right up to enjoy its full flavour and deliciousness.

Junior Boys - Banana Ripple

Oh Happy Day!

Pedalicious - Dee-Lovely and Delicious

Our quest to find quirky and original restaurants in BK's quieter streets led us to Pedalicious - a cycling/bike shop themed cafe in Ekamai Soi 12.

There is so much to like about Pedalicious - super friendly staff who treat you like friends and a cool, creative interior that features industrial styled furniture and a long table with a bike parked on top (yeah you read right). It's all about effortless cool and Pedalicious wouldn't be out of place in Harajuku or Nakameguro.

On Yer Bike

And the grub? It was perfect for our family group ranging in age from 4 to 70+. My niece and I fought over the mashed potato which was the best I've ever eaten in Bangkok. This wasn't the usual bland, flavourless mush served at other establishments - their mash was creamy, buttery and well seasoned.

Other highlights included the smokey BBQ'ed corn on the cob and chicken wings with BBQ sauce and caramalised onions. We also liked the spaghetti and its robust meat sauce and a vegetarian fried rice served with apples and raw vegetables.

We'll be back and thanks again to the terrific staff for their kindness and hospitality .. and for putting up with the three wee monkeys at our table.

Pedalicious FB
Pedalicious review CNNGO

Translation - drinking is not a healthy hobby, but if you must, be a generous drinker
and ensure everyone is taken care of. 

Teacup and Chopsticks

You get the best of all worlds at Teacup and Chopsticks (T&C) - east and west, modern and traditional, town and country, and sweet, sour, savoury and spicy flavours. Set in a garden compound, T&C offers something fresh, new and unique to the Bangkok dining scene - a delicious noodle shop on one side and a stylish cafe next door.

Given its quiet street location in the outer suburbs, you can sit outside to slurp and savour a good selection of noodle dishes. You may hear the odd crowing rooster and be joined by a wandering dog or goose. After a night on the tiles, it's quite therapeutic for both mind and body.

As with all great noodle shops, everything centres on the broth and T&Cs' is the business - fragrant, herby, well seasoned and well balanced. In addition, their secret recipe nam som prik tam condiment is incredible and a bit of fire starter.

To counter the heat and spice, check out the T&C deserts and cakes next door. They look great, and taste even better. White chocolate cheesecake, mango cheese pie, cheese pie icecream cake, cupcakes,  banana yoghurt cake, tiramisu, Oreo cheesecake, waffles and strawberries and cream... postpone the annual medical for another month.

But don't delay a visit - I'll let the photos do the convincing.

Teacup & Chopsticks 

Soi Ladprao-Wanghin 48, Ladprao-Wanghin Road, Ladprao, Bangkok

Tel: 080-57-67008

Map

White chocolate cheesecake

Ice cream pie

Tiramisu

Beef brisket and beef ball noodles

Happiness is a warm bowl of flavoursome noodles.

Tender beef noodles sans the fire starting nam som prik tam 

Take a load off...

... and make yourself at home

Rio

Tiger Woods was well cast as Fernando, the favela bad boy who broke good. 

The youngest member of the house enjoyed her maiden voyage to the cinema though popcorn and the theatre's large comfy seats, held way more interest for her than the main attraction.

As for me, an animated film non-believer (besides Cloudy With The Chance Of Meatballs), I enjoyed Rio a lot. It was pretty funny and Tracy Morgan's Luiz bulldog character stole the show. The music was also great and the graphics were amazing.

Rio was also our first family 3D movie experience and it got a 'blah' rating from us - the glasses kept falling off the small one's face and the colours seemed dulled to me - so Mark Kermode we're with you - 3D is a crock.

Hammered!!

Thanks Scott for a great season - good luck with your new club.

So my beloved West Ham are exiting the penthouse heading for the outhouse. Strange fields and stadiums here we come! Given the club's recent history of mis-management, bad signings and financial and legal battles, relegation was always on the cards.

Here's hoping that the Irons will re-build and re-boot in the Championship and move on up in the future. I'll have a quiet beer tonight and share a virtual commiseration toast with my West Ham mad mates, the Bromley brothers in East London.

The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg on West Ham's catalogue of own goals and misdemeanors

Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story Of The New York Cosmos

Pele and Chinaglia enemies on and off the pitch.

Like moths to flames, footballers and hedonism are drawn to each other and the New York Cosmos soccer team of the late 70s and early 80s, played and partied hard - well hard.

I guess it's only natural when your home ground is the 80,000 capacity Giants Stadium and the team's post-match "recovery" sessions took place at the legendary Studio 54 nightclub.

The rapid rise and fall of the Cosmos is documented superbly in the "Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story Of The New York Cosmos" film. It's highly recommended for football fans as well as folks who love New York, especially New York in the 70s.

The Cosmos story has everything - heroes, villains (Giorgio Chinaglia), winners, losers, dreamers, realists, the greedy, the good and disco beats. It also involved anyone, who was anyone, in the US in the 70s - Ahmet and Ertegun Nesuhi, Henry Kissinger, Steve Ross and a host of Warner Brother Communications head honchos and lawyers.

For me, I loved how a bunch of journeymen footballers became team mates (almost overnight) with the greatest player on earth, Pele. And I laughed when Pele complained that his new team mates passed the ball to him too much!

Whoever you choose to believe, Pele signed a 5-year deal (including endorsement and PR rights) for close to US $5 million. By comparison, baseball legend, Hank Aaron was earning US $200,000 per year  during the same period.

Another highlight was a shoot out goal scored by Carlos Alberto. It is one of the coolest (in all senses of the word) goals you will ever see.

In recent months, the Cosmos franchise has been resurrected with Eric "Seagull" Cantona named as the team's director of sport. It seems football fans in New York and around the world are in for another rocking good time and I can't wait to see the team back on the pitch.

IMDb movie information

A good story from the New York Times about the new gold Cosmos dream

Tablets For Kids!

Here's a link to an article I wrote and submitted to Social Media New Zealand on a frankly, outrageous pre-election "tablet computer for Thai kids"proposal suggested by a local politician to woo voters.

Sweet Tablets Or Poisonous Political Pills?

Best Sports Bars in Bangkok

Soi 8 Pub - a top spot, but would be even better without the cigarette smokers.

My name is Stephen and I am a rugby tragic.. I blame my father and uncles. Given this addiction or affliction I try to catch the big All Black tests on TV, which means visits to a few of Bangkok's sports bars, and here are some of my regulars.

Phom Phrong Station area

Robin Hood - English themed pub

Goals For: Located next to the skytrain station, roomy, clean, lots of TVs, good selection of food and drinks, good service and attracts a mix of expats, locals and visitors -  last year, I sat a table away from former All Black, Byron Kelleher, who wolfed down three meals (very healthy ones) for lunch.

Goals Against: Get's very crowded for big, big games.

Tenderloins - Upmarket sports bar

Goals For: Modern, clean, spacious, lots of TVs, good sight-lines, good nosh and a good atmosphere. Last year we enjoyed a great night out with German friends watching Germany destroy England in the football world cup. Some times it's good to be a neutral in the crowd.

Goals Against: As the kitchen is always busy and close to the bar area, I've often left the bar smelling like a well-done ribeye steak or double-fried french fry.

Ex-All Black Byron Kelleher enjoyed his food at the Robin Hood Pub

Wall Street Bar and Grill - Offers the "authentic rugby club room" experience

Goals For: Shows every rugby match being played anywhere around the world, friendly bar staff and pretty reasonable drink prices. I also once saw All Black legend, Wayne 'Buck' Shelford in the bar.

Goals Against: Attracts a pretty crusty crowd and the bar overall is a bit "frayed around the edges."

The Office - A Hard Rock Cafe sort of inspired sports bar

Goals For: Big, lots of screens, serves the best chicken pie that I've ever eaten in Bangkok, and clean and tidy.

Goals Against: Smoking (the cigarette kind) is tolerated here - a major turn off for me. Also a bit pricy.

George Best - the Pickled Liver's patron saint

Londoner - Massive English themed Pub

Goals For: A favourite with my brother-in-law, spacious, lots of screens, great food (Tuesday is two meals for the price of one night), a good atmosphere and excellent pilsner and dark ale brewed in-house.

Goals Against: Can get mighty crowded.


Asoke Station Area

Bradmans - As the name suggests, an Aussie-themed bar

Goals For: All-round top bar for sport watching and beer drinking. Big range of well cooked food, including an interesting and tasty falafel spaghetti and host/owner Thomas is a bloody good bloke.

Goals Against: Nothing really.


Nana Station Area

Spotted at Wall Street - Wayne 'Buck' Shelford.

Soi 8 - A Kiwi-themed pub 

Goals For: Soi 8, in its own unpretentious, hassle-free way, is a good all-rounder and a personal favourite of mine. Also stays open for the 3am rugby test matches played in France.

Goals Against: Smoking is also tolerated here.

The Australian

Goals For: Swanky (compared to the others anyway), big, brash and well-designed pub. Attracts a pretty diverse group of punters and has a good party atmosphere.

Goals Against: Food and drink a little on the pricy side - but then again, this is Soi 11.

Manchester United Pub

Absolutely no redeeming features or qualities. With thousands of bars in the capital, it puzzles me why anyone would want to drink here?

The Pickled Liver

Goals For: A cosy and colourful little boozer that is a good spot to watch football. Their George Best t-shirts are also worth buying.

Goals Against: Not easy to find - it's located in the sub-soi on Soi 11.

Audio Sunshine

Wainui Beach 

Been drawn to a lot of African and Latin-flavoured music of late and recently discovered the Whiskey Barons - a pair of DJs/producers based in Boston - who make amazing mixes that sure hit the spot with me.

Click here for 51.52 minutes of audio sunshine.
Whiskey Barons website

I'm In A Sad Mood Tonight

Our thoughts and prayers are with our dear and close friends, Mark and Caroline and Hannah. Big love and aroha from Bangkok.

Rest in peace Emily

John Coltrane - In Sentimental Mood

Cover Stars pt3 - Elvisly Yours

I'm a passionate Elvis fan (both kinds - Presley and Costello) and own many of their classic albums as well as their respective "odds and sods" recordings.

Besides sharing a first name, both are/were skilled and respectful interpreters of other people's songs.

A few years back, Elvis C released a great covers album called Kojak Variety that included a superb version of "Days" by the Kinks and Dan Baker's "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man" and more.

Equally good - to my ears - was Costello's country covers album, Almost Blue, which was universally slagged off when it was released. And his blistering take (with The Attractions) of Nick Lowe's "What's So Funny Bout' Peace, Love and Understanding" always gets my pulse racing.

Seems Elvis C's songs are popular with a bunch of other artists and some excellent covers are highlighted on the terrific Cover Lay Down website.

Visit Covered in Folk: Elvis Costello to enjoy Costello covered by the very cool and classy Laura Cantrell and a host of others. I especially like Mae Robertson's smokey, jazzy Almost Blue. 

Tonkatsu Katsushin

Pork perfection.

Tonkatsu and jazz… two of my favourite things….and both feature prominently at Tonkatsu Katsushin (TK). Tucked away in small soi off Surawong and flanked by massage parlours and small seedy bars, TK is a bit of a “diamond in the rough” restaurant (the area is not that rough to be honest).

But don’t fret about the neighbourhood, the cosy inn-styled TK is all about awesome food and jazz music (no Kenny G).

The TK chefs prepare, cook and serve (possibly) the best tonkatsu in Bangkok - light and crispy on the outside, juicy and delicious on the inside. In my opinion, the best food is always the simplest.

Other must-order eats include a pepper crusted raw tuna dish, lotus root chips, refreshing japanese salads and a big selection of snacks including bbq'ed chicken gizzards and other goodies.

Raw tuna never tasted so good

In a city jammed with japanese eateries how good is TK? Based on our dining experiences – pretty damned good - a top choice for super Japanese food at wallet friendly prices.

Looking for another good indicator? It's always busy and seems a popular joint in particular, for japanese salarymen and their gigs (also known as giks or kiks).

For readers who don't live in Thailand, gig is the local slang term for "bit on the side."

And according to my colleague, who is an expert on these matters, there are varying degrees of gig-ness from part-time lovers to full-on relationships. And having a gig or two is not just a male thing, women are equal players in the gig game.

TK is located in Soi Tantawan (Soi 6) off Surawong Road. It's open for lunch and dinner but is closed on Sunday. Tel. 0-2237-3073.

Read the BK Post review