Nan

The scenic reward for the long and winding drive to the top of Doi Phu Khua National Park. 

Like Parisians and New Yorkers, many Bangkokians break for the border during the tourism high season. Post-Christmas, we headed north to Nan Province for a three-day/two-night road trip.

Renowned for its stunning scenery, mountainous areas, cool December climes, and slow, low-fi pace of life, Nan is touted as a rising star vacation destination (though the long, winding and hilly drive to Nan remains a barrier for the masses). However, the perseverance and effort delivers a huge payoff - in fact, we screwed up by not allowing enough time to enjoy the region's abundant attractions. Hopefully there will be rafting, hiking, dining, and camping trips to be enjoyed in the future.

A "whispering themed" painting - one of many to be found in Nan, Phrae and Pua.

Beyond Lampang, Nan Province shares the same scenic look, and folky feel of Isaan not so far away. As well as vibrant green rice paddy fields and rocky outcrops, there are vast forests, water falls, national parks, and the ever present Nan River.

Though our visit was brief we fell in love with the region's natural beauty. And without getting deep and meaningful, the trip offered a glimpse and reminder (for us city dwellers) of Thailand's scale, diversity and cultural, social and economic differences. While it's best enjoyed over a week or longer, here are some of the things we enjoyed..

Doi Phu Khua National Park - the park's 2,000 metre peaks were the anticipated star attraction of our trip and they didn't disappoint. The panoramic views from the top, atmospheric morning mist, chilly 10 degree temps, massive forest areas, and clean air was a wonderful combination. Equally enjoyable was the slow, winding road trip up through the forest - a must drive/ride for motorbike enthusiasts and sports car drivers.

Pua's Walking Street - you'd think a town that celebrates beetles would have little going for it. But Pua is recommended as a layover destination for two great reasons - it's close proximity to Doi Phu Khua and the town's night market (the only market in the world to be bookended by breakdancing teens at one end, and senior citizens showcasing their best mor lam dance moves at the other). In between is some of the best street food that I've ever seen and eaten in Thailand.

BBQ Phrae style - go big or go home..

A highlight was the impressive BBQ stand about three quarters of the way down. While nose-to-tail dining is de rigueur in many poncy, fancy dan eateries around the world right now, I reckon it's always been in style here. The calf on the grill was tender, juicy, smoky and delicious - forget dining at the local restaurants - head straight to the market and its magnificent melange of flavours and eats including sai krok (Isan styled sausage), rice cakes, chicken legs and wings, thai deserts, fried quail eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice, and much more.

Phae Mueang Phi - billed as a mini Grand Canyon, the amazing mushroom shaped rock formations (formed by subsidence and erosion) in the Phae Mueang Phi national park are a must see.

About 18 kms from Phrae, the Phae Mueang Phi - the rock formations at the national park were my trip highlight.

They're especially spectacular during sunset when the orange sky offers a terrific backdrop to the bronze/yellow rock formations. For further exploring, there are walking tracks nearby, and for a cheap laugh, the signs explaining the park's "ghost story" offer a few chuckles.

Nan Riverside Art Gallery - You'd be hard pressed to find an art gallery/art space with a better setting. As the name suggests, the spacious, bright, and airy gallery sits beside the river and if the art pieces (a good mix of modern and traditional Thai works) are not your bag of thrills, take a seat outside, order a coffee, ice cream or soft drink, to enjoy the view and detox your polluted city lungs. Other attractive and interesting spots include:

• Phrae's iconic Bomb noodle and coffee shop as well as its Bavarian designed train station
• The many well-maintained old Thai homes in Nan City  
• The fabled and mystical dik deam tree in Pua's main temple
• The very cool Phrae Farmstay Hotel that offers tremendous value for money

Pitch Perfect

Aca-tastic, aca-brilliant, aca-fabulous and aca-awesome...

Most holiday season films are bland, boring, bloated, trite, shite, over-cooked, sentimental and long. This year, the trend was bucked with Pitch Perfect, a gem of comedy.

While it follows a standard Hollywood "underdogs come good" story line, Pitch Perfect rocks hard with energy, sass, spunk, lots of bad ass singing and dancing, and the right level of bad taste.

The riff-off scene is one of the best 4-5 minutes of cinema that I've seen in a long time. Indeed, a cappella has never sounded so good (to my ears) - as good as Andy Bernard's efforts in The Office.

In addition, funny as hell Aussie comedian/musician, Rebel Wilson steals every scene she's in. Equally good is Adam DeVine who plays a slimy, creepy, needy character to perfection (very similar in fact, to his Adam role in Workaholics.  

2012 Rewind

A year in which R&B, soul, dance/electronic music, jazz and hip hop topped my personal pop charts. If you'll indulge me, a few favourites...

Solange's "Losing You" is the the pop song of the year. Love its 80s Madonna influences, beautiful melody, and stunning video.

Chromatics - Kill For Love - a late in the year discovery and by christ, better late than never. Love their mix of melody, mood, mystery, and low-key menace (bit like the film Drive which they helped soundtrack).

Thank fuck for fearless Frank in 2012. I love this song, but could have picked any track from the sensational Channel Orange (CO). CO re-sparked my interest in long players - every track was a winner, even the preposterously long Pyramids (a nine minute + single that didn't suck). God, Allah, Jah, Buddah etc bless Frank Orange. 

An insanely catchy, clever, tune that puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it. The video is pretty wonderful as well.

Finally, a slow-burning charmer (a Miguel cover) that provided a perfect accompaniment for crowded sky train rides home during the rainy season - some songs fit certain moods/scenes/activities. Look forward to listening to more of their good stuff.

Best Cheap Eats in Bangkok

Chef Boonlert - the man, the legend behind Gold Bay Leaves.

While the best eats are not always the cheapest, Bangkok is home to loads of restaurants serving extraordinary food for just a few dollars.

If you don't have the budget to eat this pricy bowl of rad na, don't fret because fantastic and affordable food is around most corners of the capital.  And not just Thai food.  Here are a few of our favourite "cheap but good" places...

A recent trip to the old school, and much vaunted, Royal India (tucked away in probably the most famous alley in Pahurat), was disappointing.  Lucky for me, my good dining buddy Adam put me onto Namuskaar on Sukhumvit Soi 8 a little while back.  It's the 'dog's bollocks' for North Indian cuisine and their chickpea curry, daal makani and many other plates are sensational.  The owners are also super friendly, and as long as you're not seated too close to American tourists bragging about their trip adventures it's always a great spot for a bloody good eating night out.

Chennai Kitchen's finest.

A block away on Soi 14 is Istanbul, a new'ish Turkish restaurant serving big plates of Turkish staples.  Istanbul's eggplant and tomato casserole is terrific - balancing savoury and sweet flavours well.  Also recommended is the lamb stew, falafel and variety of salads.  Sure it feels, and looks like a mobster's joint, and the menu is unreadable (three languages crammed in) - but don't be intimidated you are in Planet Nana after all.  And Istanbul is miles better than many awful Middle Eastern places on Sukhumvit Soi 3.

I waxed lyrical about Gold Bay Leaves last year and it has been "well and truly discovered" judging by the packed house during our last visit.  Chef Boonlert deserves his success because the food is sublime and cheap - offering maximum culinary bang for the buck.  Where else are you going to get a beautifully cooked fish for around 250-280 baht?  Just a small quibble (and it's minor), service could do with a tune-up to better meet the increased popularity.

Ok, Pala is not a cheap charlie sort of place but its pizza is better than the rest.  If you're going to pay over the odds for a slice of pie in Bangkok (as you do in most places) you may as well eat the best.  Pala is the only pizzeria in the Kingdom to serve square slices of pizza - Rome style I believe.  Every slice is a crunchy, cheesy, herby winner, as are their magnificent and generous antipasto plates.

Finally in lower Silom - an under the radar sort of area - you'll find the tiny Chennai Kitchen (about 50 metres from the landmark Hindu Temple) famed for its South Indian vegetarian delights including dosas, utappam, poori, chappathi, and masala tea.  While the food is super tasty and low priced, service varies depending on the mood of the owners (this is part of its charm as well).

And two blocks down on Silom Soi 19 is Lo Strabacco, my latest budget blockbusting find.  Run by a couple of Italian gents, Lo Strobbaco is a trattoria serving Italian basics prepared superbly.  Their pizzas, pastas and sauces are heavy on flavour and quality, but light on the wallet.  Their robust and flavoursome tomato soup is the best I've had in Thailand and their lunch set menus are generous to say the least and siesta will beckon after dining.

Blue Genius

Christmas is coming early with this Blue Lines 21st anniversary box set arriving in a few days.

All great music takes you back to the first time you heard it, how it got absorbed into your bloodstream and stayed forever. I was living in London when Blue Lines came out and to my ears, it totally captured the temper of the times and was big favourite with bunch of friends living in Pimlico.

I brought it as part of a three-album purchase - along with Nirvana's Nevermind and Prince's Diamonds and Pearls. Nevermind got played once (I hate Nirvana); Diamonds and Pearls quite often, and Blue Lines every day. I loved the albums diversity and brilliant fusion of sounds and influences - dub, reggae, hip-hop beats, rhymes, epic soundtrack influences and stunning vocals from Shara Nelson and Horace Andy. And it sounded uniquely British - their sound (don't get me started on trip-hop) couldn't have come from anywhere else.

And every track is a stone cold-classic - I remember walking down Tokyo's Ginza a few years back with Five Man Army booming through the headphones, grinning like a Cheshire cat when I heard these lines...

Tokyo city's one place that we toured

Four technic plus two mixer board

Sharper than a Wilkinson razor sword

Anyways, my new purchase got me thinking about all things blue (musically) and how many bands, songs, and album titles - with blue in it - are brilliant - here's my blue list of brilliance....

• Kind of Blue - one of Miles Davis' masterworks and regularly named as best jazz album ever
• Blue - Joni Mitchell's critically acclaimed opus
• Blue Monday - best selling 12 inch single ever
• Blue Suede Shoes & Blue Moon - big Elvis hits
• Blue Nile - lazy-ass, genius Scot-synth band
• Mr Blue Sky - ELO's pop genius moment - a song that pops up regularly in TV ads and movies
• Tangled Up in Blue & It's All Over Now Baby Blue - great Dylan track
• Blue Bayou - Big O's contribution to the blue cannon
• Blue Velvet - Bobby Vinton's classic immortalised/terrorised by David Lynch

Feel free to add more...

And here are some great Blue Lines write ups here, here and here.

Fearless Frank

God bless Frank Ocean.

Just as I was on the brink of giving up on albums forever, up pops Frank with the most coherent, relevant, socially-aware, honest, groovy, and soulful record (Channel Orange) in many a year.

Such is his poise, talent, and all-round game, it's hard to believe he's only 24.

Yes, the production is slick and smooth, but Frank's songs, to my ears anyways, share the same spirit, fire, and vision as Stevie Wonder, Prince, Marvin Gaye and Donny Hatthaway at their respective peaks.

Above all else, Frank is an incredible story teller and Super Rich Kids, Sweet Life and Pyramids are terrific examples of this. Nobody else in the R&B world is telling it like it is in 2012 like Frank and it's fantastic that he has found a sizable audience and long list of celebrity admirers.

You know a song/s are great when they keep popping up in your head, day and night, and this has been the case for me since I brought Channel Orange two weeks ago.

And judging by this video, he's smart, grounded and ready, willing, and capable of delivering much more - god bless you Frank and look forward to more audio greatness in the near future.

RIP Terry Callier

Travel light and well Mr Callier and thanks for some of the most heartfelt, beautiful, emotional, and melodic jazz/soul sounds ever including this gem .. still the most played track on my iPod.

and these..

Bangkok Snapshot

Things you can't do or bring into a cab in Bangkok, from left: Fresh durian, dogs, alcohol, pass wind, make babies, ?, vomit, and smoke.

Aree Bar

Hard liquor heaven - superb selection for spirits drinkers.

If a Pad Thai Western film is ever made in Thailand, the relatively new Aree Bar would be perfect for the obligatory saloon scenes and shots.

It's darkish brown, exposed brick interior, wooden floors, bar stools, round and long tables, swinging doors and a whiskey and bourbon laden open bar evokes a Siam 'honky tonk' vibe (in a good way).

Triple treats, from left: salmon larb, lemon grass steamed mussels and chicken knuckles.

Run, I believe, by the same family/group, who manage the very successful (and good) Salt restaurant across the road, Aree Bar is built for drinking and snacking Thai style.

So not too many beers or wines, but an excellent selection of spirits complemented by a compact menu of glab glaem (Thai bar snacks and salads) dishes. While the menu is quite small, the dishes are full of big flavours, packing as much punch as their impressive selection of bourbons and single malts. We really liked our lemon grass steamed mussels and salmon larb.

Calm before the storm - all quiet before the band kicks into action.

And why aren't deep fried lemongrass chicken knuckles on more bar menus around the world? Yes, the cholesterol damage is likely to be immense but now, and again, they are finger licking awesome.

In addition to hard liquor and bar nibbles, Aree is popular as a live music venue - we visited too early to catch any acts but given its layout, and vibe, I think Aree Bar would be a good place to watch a band. Wonder if Willie Nelson or Tammy Wynette are keen to play Bangkok?

More information about Aree Bar

Steve Cafe & Cuisine

Location, location, location.

If charm, character, and warmth could be packaged and sold, the owners of Steve Cafe & Cuisine (SCC) would be billionaires.

Raw power -  prawns and red hot dipping sauce.

Besides stunning river views, SCC offers a 'dining with the family' vibe that's unmatched (only my opinion) and pretty special.

The restaurant is an old riverside family home that has  been renovated to accommodate around 40-50 dining guests. Besides a sheltered open-air front deck, there are small side dining rooms and a large'ish lobby.

On arrival (after a short walk from the National Library car park), guests are invited to take off their shoes before being welcomed by the SCC staff. The servers range in age from 8-40+ and everyone is friendly, affable and helpful - the "Tao of Steve" is a serene, and peaceful one.

Onto the food, the menu is crammed with Thai home-cooked favourites.

We tucked into raw river prawns - served with spicy dressing, Yam Som O, a refreshing pomelo salad, and wafer thin sliced deep fried chicken with lemon sauce (a very creative and delicious take on lemon chicken). In need of some carbs we also enjoyed thin pasta with bacon, preserved egg, bacon bits, onion complemented with deep fried onion and fish - another creative dish that proved yet again, everything tastes better with bacon and eggs.

Don't tell the Colonel - this lemon chicken dish is sensational.

Like the ambience, the food was spot-on and according to my mum-in-law, was prepared and flavoured with Thai people in mind.

Yam Som O - delicious and refreshing pomelo salad

Oh, and their coffee is excellent. All up, a great afternoon out and SSC is a super relaxing wining and dining spot by the river - we think we're going to be long-term friends with Steve.

Pasta Thai? Pasta with a Thai twist or three.

More information:
The Steve Cafe & Cuisine web site

16.18

Sixteen minutes and seventeen seconds of joy. How I wish I was walking in New Orleans with these guys.

Red Oven

Cold-cut heaven

What are the four English words most Thai, Southeast Asian, Asian people love the most....

All You Can Eat

And buffet is the six-letter word that cranks up the lust/greed/glutton levels in many normally mild mannered folks across the region. Whether it's pizza, ice cream, sushi, noodles, dim sum, or steamboat there'll always be a queue outside restaurants offering buffet menus.

I like the "food nirvana dream" sold by the buffet concept but the reality (for me), is a whole lot different. I always enter the buffet arena with "pace yourself" good intensions, but invariably end up eating plates of mis-matched food, and going home with a stomach ache.

Table overlooking Lumphini Park

That was until a recent Mother's Day visit to Red Oven (at the newish and very smart and elegant Hotel Sofitel So Bangkok in Bangrak) and its "world market" array of dishes. True to its marketing hype, Red Oven offers Spanish cold cuts and olives, French cheeses, Turkish dips, a sushi station, a teriyaki bar, a salad station, a seafood station, Thai salads, asian and thai favourites, mongolian pork, roast meats, tandoori kebabs, pastas, shepherd's pie, truffle mash potatoes, cannelloni, a patisserie and even teppanyaki ice cream.

Pretty comprehensive and pretty delicious. And good value too given the 1,000 baht++  charge per diner. But that's not all, the dining room offers a magnificent view over Lumphini Park.

Stuff of ice cream dreams.... toppings galore.

While Red Oven is special occasion dining destination just up a few blocks is another super - and much, much cheaper - buffet alternative at the Furama Silom Hotel. From Monday to Friday they offer the best value for money lunch deal in town.

Thanks again to my buddy Adam - one of the good food finders in Bangkok - for this recommendation. For just 200 baht (just a bit more than a Big Mac set) you can choose from an array of Thai, Western and Japanese dishes. They also have a noodle station and Khao Soy noodles available. To finish up, the coconut ice cream is delicious and you can also sip a post meal cup of tea or coffee.

Cool graphic take of Krungthep.

Marley Magnificent

I've been waiting a long time to watch this Kevin MacDonald directed Bob (Robbie to his school mates) Marley doco and for once, my patience and anticipation was richly rewarded.

Sure, it's mostly "positive vibrations" throughout the 150-minute film, with few, if any, "Bad Bob" stories but that's a minor quibble. 

Fact is, Bob packed plenty of living in his 36 years. Yes, Bob departed this world for a greener (probably) and more pleasant place at a very young age - I forgot he died so young. Well, young in today's pop environment, where bands and artists never age (or retire) - they just take long breaks before reforming again and again (usually to pay off 'surprise' tax bills).

I've been a BMW (Bob Marley & the Wailers) fan for three decades. As a young un, the BMW sound was pretty hard to escape - it was the soundtrack to school sports trips, road trips, at the school yard, countless parties and more. 

    A beautiful piano & vocals only version of No Women, No Cry is one of the movie highlights 

Indeed, Bob's music and messages were embraced by many New Zealanders. Just as Morrissey and The Smiths sang to millions of lonely, shy, mostly white teens around the world, Marley's music connected deeply with Maori people in the early 70s, and still today. Heck, Marley's February 6 birthday is celebrated by thousands of New Zealanders every year - here's a great piece on this unique connection.

In addition, for New Zealanders of a certain vintage, Marley's concert in Auckland in 1979 has taken on mythical, and stuff of legend, status. 

Back to the film, it's beautifully shot and edited, and flows seamlessly. It's also thorough with revealing information about Marley's English father, and his gallivanting ways. Just a shame there were no interviews with Marley's English side of the family.

              The late Dylan Taite's wonderful interview with Marley during his 79 visit to NZ.  

While there's plenty of music, the highlights are stories from a whole host of reggae luminaries including Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Bunny Wailer, Lee Scratch Perry, the Carlton brothers and others.

It's a shame the late Peter Tosh wasn't featured more and I don't know if the film makers had a beef with Chris Blackwell, the Island Records supremo, but he comes across as a bit of a creep.

Even if you're not a fan, or are unfamiliar with Marley's music, there's plenty of good stuff including funny anecdotes and back stories. My favorite was a revelation that the "reggae sound" was created by accident - specifically, a "delay effect" delivered by an ancient tape recorder.

Amy Winehouse: Angel of Dingle

Brilliantly simple and simply brilliant.

That's my take on "Amy Winehouse: The Day She Came To Dingle," the recently-aired documentary about Amy Winehouse's performance at the tiny St. James Church in remote Dingle (the western most point in Ireland) in 2006.

While there's amazing footage of her intimate, unplugged gig for 80 lucky punters, the interviews with Amy and local organisers were for me, the best thing about this doco gem.

This was Amy before Back to Black mega-stardom. Throughout the interview segments, she's relaxed, charming and basically, a right laugh. Someone you'd love to call a friend or best mate, especially if you love music. God, her record collection must have been amazing.

Her musical education began with Kylie and Madonna, moved onto R&B and hip and hop, included a bit grunge, and always, always, a huge amount of jazz.

She waxes lyrical about gospel and jazz "hall of famers" such as Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughn, Diana Washington, Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. There's also footage of modern jazz legend, Carleen Anderson singing a beautiful "Don't Look Back in Anger" (yes, the Oasis song) cover.

Amy was equally enamored by the drama queen power pop tunes sung by 60s girl groups, The Shangri-Las, The Ronettes and The Crystals. She of course, had drama queen tendencies of her own. As revealed in the film, marathon binge drinking sessions, listening to the Shangri-Las on repeat and eating KFC for days was one of her post "romance gone bad" coping mechanism" strategies.

For me, this was close to a perfect music doco. The length was just right (just under an hour), the live music bits were moving, poignant, and bloody beautiful and Amy was candid, open, honest and being herself. In addition, it highlighted terrific, and often very funny stories from the gig organisers, and best of all there were no weighty, lofty, ernest "state of the rock nation-like" commentaries from "rock legend" talking heads.

More info here on the BBC site

Tete Quarters

Hold the calls.. I could be here for sometime.

No cash to fly to Paris? No worries, a dash of Left Bank panache can be enjoyed and embraced at the recently opened Tete Quarters (TQ) wine room and restaurant.

When owner, KK Chin invites you to "make yourself at home," he really means it and given TQ's prime riverside location coupled with its chic interior and decor, classic jazz soundtrack, comfy sofas and armchairs, you may never leave. 

TQ is the latest wine-themed bar / eatery to open in Bangkok but don't let that put you off. While many other Bangkok vino-inspired places are really pubs / clubs serving wine, the "swellegant" TQ is custom built for wine quaffing and clever conversation.

To complement the wine, there's lots to like on the diverse TQ menu and we especially enjoyed the spicy salmon som tam (with sweet strawberries to ease the heat).

Other delicious plates included succulent crab cakes, juicy burger sliders, a bacon-hock flavoured pumpkin soup (popular with us all) and big flavoured spare ribs. Their fragrant beef curry with roti deserves a special mention, as does the magnum ice cream with Baileys combo.

Ribs (top) and crab cakes (below).

You know this place is good when I've gone four paragraphs without mentioning its "money-shot" view of the Chao Phraya River. With Amorosa Bar now overrun with tourists, TQ is a terrific, and easier to reach, option for a sunset drink.

And if you need a break from wining, dining and talking, a window side seat offers a grandstand (sometimes hilarious) view of group tour tourists boarding the massive river dining cruise boats.

Finally, KK is a top bloke and magnificent host who is open to new ideas regarding the menu, wines, beers, and entertainment. He's taking his time to get TQ established and based on our night out, he's made a flying start and we can't wait to return.

Address: Room 226-228, 2nd floor
River City Shopping Center 
23 Yota Road Chareonkrung 
30 Talad Noi
Samphantawong
Bangkok 10100
Tel: 081-692-3647
Tete Quarters Facebook

Ayutthaya

The mighty impressive reclining buddha at Wat Logayasutharam - if you're cycling there watch out for the street dogs running around the neighbourhood.

Yes, Ayutthaya is geographically close to Bangkok (90 kilometres away), but in terms of pace of life, people, and personality, it's miles apart. Whereas Bangkok is a 'turned up to 11' kind of place, Ayutthaya is an oasis of tranquility and historical wonders.

Every year in fact, millions of day-tripping tourists explore its world-famous ancient ruins and temples. But there is much more to see and do, and we believe, Ayutthaya is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace.

Wat Phra Mahathat - visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid both sunstroke and dehydration.

During a recent long weekend we drove up with friends (visiting from the Netherlands) for a two day/one night stay. In addition to visiting the renowned Wat Yai Chaimongkhon and Wat Phra Mahathat temples, we stopped at Wat Logayasutaram for an up-close look at the massive and beautiful reclining buddha (the buddha's head rests on a lotus flower). 

Walking around this site, and others, is humbling and moving - no matter how many times we visit, we are always astonished at the effort, craft, smarts and skill that went into creating the many temples and statues.

A great sight to wake up to - the riverside view from the Ban Tye Wang Hotel.

We managed to visit Wat Logayasatarum twice because our hotel, the Ban Tye Wang Hotel, was just up the road. With its riverside garden setting and handy location, Ban Tye Wang is highly recommended for weekend or overnight visitors.

Run by a very friendly and charming elderly couple, the Ban Tye Wang accommodation block sits next to their beautifully restored traditional Thai home. Being relatively new, the rooms blend modern design features with traditional thai home decor fittings - the rooms downstairs even include a front deck sala area for maximum relaxation. And if cycling is your thing, the hotel has a number of bikes available for guests to use.

Mutant prawn alert.

On the important topic of food, as with just about all visiting Bangkokians, we ate chargrilled river prawns at the renowned Ban Wachirachai restaurant. If you've never seen, or eaten, these river-dwelling crustaceans before, you may be shocked because they are as long as a child's shoe. While I'm not a much of a prawn fan I did like the smokey flavour of the Ban Wachirachai prawn and its fiery dipping sauce. I also liked the restaurant's peaceful and quiet riverside ambience.

At night we dined at the Ton Nam restaurant which seemed to be another riverside tourist trap eatery serving average fare. How bloody wrong we were - two exceptional dishes stood out - the barbecued cat fish - a smokey, moist, flaky and super fresh piscatorial delight. The other, was the hard-to-find, Ma Hor dish - who knew a flavoursome meatball topped with chilli and coriander served on top of a pineapple square could taste so good.

Another fantastic place to eat is the the big outdoor noodle shop just down the road from Wat Phra Mahathat. I don't know the name of the place but just follow the crowd - the place was rammed with customers slurping and scoffing their delicious and unbelievably cheap priced bowls of noodles. Two bowls for around 50 baht - can't do better than that!

The Red Sea of Fire.

And you can't come to Ayutthaya without stopping at a street side rot sai mai stall and and ordering one. What is it? Basically, a roti filled with sugar floss (similar to candy floss) that will spike your blood sugar levels to new highs. If that's more than you can handle just admire the the incredible cooking skills of the rot sai mai makers.

The amazing Ma Hor dish - superb with a cold beer.  

Other attractions? Unless you like big crowds, overpriced water and food and grumpy mahouts, avoid the Elephant Farm. The elephant farm and ride tour in Chiang Mai is vastly superior.

Finally, if you have time and energy call into the Million Toy Museum. Tim Burton would absolutely love this place and you will too if you have a soft spot for robots, superheroes, dolls, replica miniature cars, and a wide variety of retro treats.

Even robots are friendly in Ayutthaya.  

There are also many museums and other historical sites to visit, as well as a night cycling tour (run in the cool season I believe), so a return visit in December is very likely.

The Wikitravel page for Ayutthaya

Anthapan

Move over Johnny Boy.....

Timing is everything and the big screen debut of Anthapan (The Hooligan) coincides with the very recent death of Henry Hill (the film Goodfellas was based on his young hoodlum days), as well as an awful, and tragic, clash this week between technical institute student gangs in Bangkok.

Like Goodfellas, Anthapan tracks the friendships, bonds, rituals, betrayals, success and failures of a gang of punks and gangsters through the 1950s, 60s and 70s. But rather than New Jersey and Manhattan, the Anthapan protagonists stomp (mostly) around Bangkok's old Yaowarat district (Chinatown).

The film is set during a turbulent historical period (1950 - 70) that included major political events (Field Marshall Sarit's coup d'etat, the Vietnam war and a brutal police-led purge of gangs) and the emergence of global cultural icons such as Elvis and James Dean.  

Here's Jod! 

These heady years and events are brilliantly captured by the director, Kongkiat Khomsiri who blends Scorcese, John Woo, Tarantino and Pekinpah influences to create a unique, energetic, fresh, and fine film. To be lazy, I'd describe as "City of God" or "Once Upon a Time in America" set in Bangkok.

His attention to detail, and the recreation of 50s street life, is one of the big highlights of the film. I loved all scenes set in Yaowarat's lanes and alleys and its restaurants, gold shops, bars, barber shops and coffee houses. I particularly enjoyed the cinema scene where a narrator translates a trashy Elvis flick.

Kongkiat's stylish vision is backed by many great actors including the lead, Krissada Sukosol Clapp whose character, Jod, is a skilled, noble killer with a conscience. Krissada is coolness personified - he's like a SEA Gary Cooper. Other characters to catch my eye include the garrulous Uncle Ham and the mad-as-an alley-cat gangster, Daeng (played by Somchai Khemglad).

In addition, I liked the mock-interviews (inserted throughout the film) with old timers who lived through the era - their stories and opinions helped embellish the legend/mythical status of the characters. And the final part of the masterpiece is a belter of a soundtrack chock full of rock'n'roll, a bit of ska, and more rock'n'roll.

In my opinion this is one of the best Asian movies in a long time and if you don't live in Thailand, lobby, hassle, hustle your film festival organisers or arthouse cinema operators to give this a whirl.

Just a word of warning, Anthapan boasts a high and bloody body count, so if this is not your bag, stay away, well away.

Movie trailer
The Bangkok Post review

Double B Chinese Restaurant

Low expectation occasions/events/places often provide the best times and this was the case when we recently dined at the intriguingly named Double B (Big Ben? Brigitte Bardot? Bobby Brown? Big Bopper?) Thai Chinese Restaurant.

First impressions were not great. Its outer Patumwan location is off the beaten track and the restaurant interior was as inviting as an over-lit 3-star hotel lobby.

Aw suan - arguably, the best cooked oyster dish in the world.

While the surroundings were underwhelming, the cuisine was top drawer and it was a near full house when we visited. The Double B chefs cook a great aw suan (oyster omelette) - the light, not too gluey, oily, or rich batter was just right to showcase the very fresh, flavoursome oysters.

Goong chae nam pla (raw prawns) - great with a few cold beers I've been told.

Next up were a couple of raw dish platters beginning with goong chae nam pla (raw prawns) served on a bed of raw cabbage and a spicy, sweet and sour'ish dipping sauce. I'm not big on prawns so couldn't comment.

Pla dib - Thai Chinese style sashimi - best enjoyed with raw vegetables and the dipping sauce.

However, I do love fish and the pla dib dish (thinly sliced sashimi style raw fish sprinkled with sesame seeds) and its sweet, nutty and sesame flavoured dipping sauce was the star plate for me. So simple, but superb especially when dipped in the sauce and eaten with shredded raw cucumber, cabbage, carrots and lettuce.

E mee - so simple, but so delicious.

Next up was e mee (fried or baked egg noodles served strips of ham and black vinegar - zisho) that was highly recommended by our friend. It lived up to the hype. The noodles were crispy and crunchy on top and soft and moist underneath.

Though we were way too full, the final order of kah bpet ob wonsen (duck feet vermicelli claypot) was on a par with the others - the vermicelli soaked up the peppery, coriander flavours and the duck meat and juices. It's not the prettiest dish in the world, and people unaccustomed to the joys of eating duck or chicken feet (bones, cartilage, gristle etc) may freak, but presentation be damned - get stuck in.

Double B was a great find, and although it's a bit off the beaten track it's worth visiting for the e mee and pla dib alone. And as most plates are priced between 200-350 baht its excellent value given the quality of ingredients and the amazing food served. As it's only up the road from our place we'll be back to try more of the Double B menu - any joiners?

Double B address 

Moneyball

Larry Blackmon look-alike, Ricardo Vaz Te's late, great strike on Saturday.

A minutes from full-time goal scored by Ricardo Vaz Te clinched promotion for my beloved West Ham United to the English Premier League (EPL) on Saturday.

Like Sergio Arguero's last minute EPL-title winning goal for Manchester City, Vaz Te's decider in the 2-1 playoff win over Blackpool may be the most important net-buster in West Ham's history.

After all, the right to sit at the top table of English club football brings its own rewards (to the value of around 90 million pounds) courtesy of generous broadcasting rights. 

That's a lot of wedge for a mid-sized club like the Hammers and will ease some of the club's major, mostly self-inflicted, financial pressures. Recruiting new talent is another priority and young Thomas Ince, who played out of his skin for Blackpool, would be a great addition if funding was available.

While I'm "over the moon, sick as a parrot" and slightly hungover, the rose-tinted sunglasses have been removed because it'll be a dog fight next season. Money, money, money, and even more money, is the name of the game in EPL land - there is no level playing field - who spends the most, ultimately wins.

For example, Arguero's strike to land Man City's first title since 1966, is tiny payback for the estimated one billion pounds invested in Manchester City by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nayhan over the past three years.

Truth be told, the competition has always been dominated by big, rich clubs but the uber-commercially driven EPL has significantly widened income gaps and reduced competitiveness at the top of the table.

Today, the EPL is like a Tarantino movie - teams involved in a number of sub-plot scenarios - i.e. two elite teams contesting the title; six more chasing a spot in Europe; the majority seeking mid-table comfort and the rest trying to avoid relegation.

This provides drama and all that, but being an old bastard I'd love to see the glory spotlight shared around the teams a little more (like the old days) - but that dream is antiquated and over. Congrats to the Hammer players, especially Carlton Cole and to Big Sam - enjoy the summer and look forward to reading some outrageous transfer market gossip and rumours in the weeks to come.

Sour Times

Mavis Gray - a KFC eating, delusional, bonkers mad badass 

Young Adult (YA) is the "feel bad movie of the year" and its lead character, Mavis Gray (Charlize Theron) is as scary, nasty, terrifying and black-hearted as Hannibal Lector.

While it's not a film for everyone, I loved YA for its originality and dour, sour tone. It's compelling and funny (though the humour comes from very dark places), and will stay in your head.

On the surface, the story retreads a familiar 'big city gal returns to small town roots to reconnect and learn life lessons' theme. This does happen, but along the way, Mavis' true love quest, or journey, travels down a bumpy, rough, gravel road.

Mavis, a mildly successful ghost writer of young adult books lives a self-absorbed, semi-detached life in "Mini Apple" (Minneapolis) where her days are spent writing, looking after her dog and going on dire dates.

When her old true love, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) invites her to a party to celebrate the birth of his new child - she accepts, though she has a hidden agenda. Her return home is motivated by a deluded desire to win Buddy back.

Full of big city swagger and attitude she wants to to relive her prom queen glory days. But everyone from her golden past has moved on, or moved out, and her only companion is Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt).

As the high school loser, he was invisible to Mavis during her teen heyday. He was also tortured by school bullies and left partially crippled after a vicious beating from them. Though it's not revealed how, it seems Mavis was partially responsible for this.

But that was then. 20 years later, Matt is now the only person Mavis can connect and confide with and together, the "damaged goods" pair uncover many uncomfortable and inconvenient truths about their respective lives.

The outcomes are raw, unflinching and brutally honest in parts and that's the film's biggest strength. It also features a brilliant opening titles sequence that will appeal to fans of the Scottish band, Teenage Fanclub and mix tape aficionados. I loved YA and hope you will to.

IDMB link