Into the land of Chatuchak and Platinum

When in Bangkok, I recommend you stay at Ds67 Suites, a small boutique hotel with an awesome coffee shop in the lobby. The rooms are well-furnished and affordable, the service is great, and it's about a minute away from the nearest BTS (Phra Khanong) station which makes it easy to go around the city.

For a cheap Php 70, when converted, you'll go gaga over their own special brew of iced coffee. In fact, I'm willing to head to Bangkok again just for another cup of that perfect strong blend!

Of course, Bangkok is a shopping mecca for girls like me who love clothes. Since we were there during the worst part of the red shirts rebellion, most of the malls were closed. We DID get to shop at the famous Jatujak--where they sell everything from puppies to clothes, and spent the whole day just exploring two sois (or streets). They sell really cheap dresses and tops and I went gaga over them. You have to be prepared for the heat, though. It can get hot and humid in there, since it's a dry market with no air-conditioning.

We also went to Siam Paragon and had a blast shopping for books at Kinokuniya. Bookworms will love this place. 

And right across the road from Paragon was an ongoing sale of high-end brands. We only checked it out. The prices were still too steep even at 80% off!

But hands down, my most favorite shopping spot at BKK will always be Platinum. Imagine a huge mall only housing tops, dresses, skirts, you name it, they've got it at affordable prices! I remember only paying Php 200 for tops and dresses. I must have replenished my entire wardrobe when we were there. We went back twice and would have gone every day if it weren't for our scheduled tours.

Which explains why I exceeded my baggage limit on the way home. Totally worth it.

Floating markets, elephant rides, and river Kwai of Thailand

This is actually a long-delayed blog post about our May 2010 trip to Thailand. However, I've been getting a lot of questions from friends who want to visit Thailand apart from the shopping mecca called Bangkok so I promised to share some tips with them. I previously blogged about the temples when there was an Amazing Thailand photo contest on Facebook but forgot to share the rest of our trip.

We were actually lucky to have a very friendly tour guide recommended by our place at DS67 Suites. His name is Poo, and is a taxi driver/tour guide/photographer all-in-one! He took us to all the tourists spots around BKK and even took the time to tour us around the provinces near Bangkok so we'll experience Thailand away from the beaten track. I took the liberty to email DS67 Suites for his latest number and they replied right away! So, next time you find yourself in Bangkok, call Khun Poo at 089-0102120 and I guarantee you'll make the most out of your trip. It's actually cheap to call mobile phones there, just look for a payphone and drop a coin (worth 5 or 10 pesos I think) and you're good to access the number above!

These are just some of the highlights of our trip, since he took us to a lot of places. We went to the Damnoen Saduak floating market 'cause we were inspired by the Canon commercials. Here, the Thai people show their warmth and hospitality and will gamely pose for photos while selling their wares from their small boats. The ride took about an hour or so and we saw the village by the river and the market where everything is sold from tea to dried up snakes. Don't plan on swimming there, though. The river's as filthy as ilog Pasig!

And of course, no trip to Thailand would be complete without meeting some elephants! Poo decided not to take us to the tourist-laden elephant centers near Bangkok. He took us to one where there are more elephants and plenty of jungle room where they can roam around. My sister and I got to ride Sikoo, a young female elephant, around the woods.

I love elephants! Such gentle creatures. The Elephant Village in Muang Sing allows the elephants to roam around unlike the ones near Bangkok where they don't have much space for walking. There was also a pregnant mom when we were there and she was a bit testy, they wouldn't let us near her.

She loved those bananas! :-)

Poo also decided not to take us straight away to the famous river Kwai bridge. He took us to this train station in Kanchanaburi instead which overlooks the river and is a semi-usable train rail going to Nam Tok. Trains pass here twice a day and we were lucky to chance upon it because the view was just unforgettable and no other tourists were around.

This place is actually called the Death Railway because it was built by the Japanese during World War 2 to secretly transfer war supplies from Thailand to Burma and many people died during its construction. 

If you have a fear of heights or doubt your balancing powers, I do not recommend walking along the train tracks. They are not in the best condition and you have to watch out for some cracks. The view was worth it, though. 

If you walk farther along the tracks, there's a cave-like makeshift temple which houses another golden miniature buddha. You have to be there to experience the serenity of the place. It's amazing how this place has been kept under the tourist radar.

Or you can also choose to walk on the tracks all the way to Burma! Kidding.

The famous river kwai bridge actually pales in comparison to the train tracks version. I'd rather go here again and maybe go for the river raft tour, these guys looked like they were having fun!

Lugang Cafe for xiao long bao cravings

I'm happy to report I finally got to eat at Lugang Cafe after months of staring helplessly at the always jampacked Connecticut branch and resolving my xiao long bao cravings at Crystal Jade.

We treated mom to a Mother's day lunch so we can also try the best-sellers. On a side note, I am in love with the classy lamps and sophisticated interiors.

And of course, the xiao long bao did not disappoint!

Being the noob that I was, I ordered the chicken topped with scallion ginger oil straight from the best-seller list. I thought it would be a more awesome version of hainanese but it was best served cold and clammy--as the waiter pointed out when I asked why they served it straight from the ref. I wasn't too crazy about this dish. I like my chicken served hot, thank you very much.

Of course, no Chinese meal for me is complete without hot sour soup. I liked their version but Discovery Suites' take on this soup is still the best for me. I prefer it very sour and spicy. Lugang's was kind of bland. Crystal Jade's hot sour soup is way better, for me.

And look at this! Mom loved how they served the pineapple fried rice literally inside a pineapple. She loved it, we loved it. I don't think you can go wrong with fried rice.

We also ordered the Taiwanese Minced Pork, which was another house special. We were torn between this and the three-cup chicken but ended up liking the dish. It reminds me of asado, but with minced pork. Duh. I really need to attend a food blogging seminar one of these days. My trips to restaurants are wasted on my limited culinary vocabulary.

Anyhoots, would I eat here again? Yes, primarily for the xiao long bao and maybe try their other specialities. I would steer clear away from the scallion ginger oil chicken, though. The memory of eating that thing still haunts me.

48 days til Hong Kong!

When swamped with work and school stuff, the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I'm a free bird for the term break and have approximately 3 paydays or 48 days to save up for a Hong Kong shopping spree with the Jakester, Mitch, and Dana. Jake and I are both going back for the second time, but this is our first time to see the place together. Yes, the girls and I have a countdown all set and ready.

I can't wait to ride a double-decker bus and stick my neck out once again.

And ride them cute cabs.

Plus finally head up to The Peak with Jake!

And maybe take a walk around old Macau (so not interested in seeing the casinos again).

Time to rise and grind! We need moolah!!! H&M moolah!

Monday blues

The last week just came and went like a blur. I barely had any time to kick back and relax, watch my series, and read my books. In between work and graduate school, life has just been too hectic and I am now thankful for small breaks and weekends. I really am. 

But then it's suddenly Monday, I'm sick but can't stay home. What I really need are the following things to cheer me up:

A lunch date at Marcia Adam's. I miss Neil's garden, the seclusion, the Tuscan vibe.

Bugsy's wings, or any place where I can get rhum cokes and drinks with Joaquin.

Hannah's awesome wrought iron "headboard". And Girls.

A funny night out with Jake and the boys. 

Oh, and a trip to the beach would be nice.

Maginhawa strip series: Crazy Katsu

I will always consider Yabu as the best katsu place in the metro. However, for days when Megamall traffic is unbearable and all we want is to unwind and eat, we head to Maginhawa. And when in Maginhawa, Jake and I like to try out new restaurants that have great food at el cheapo prices. Our latest find: Crazy Katsu!

We were craving katsus and miso soup on a rainy day so it was the obvious choice. I think we only spent less than P200 for each meal plus the miso soup! Plus, it was nice eating out on the porch while it was raining. Talk about presko!

They had a different take on chicken katsudon. It was crispy and chili hot served on some sort of sour sauce. It was still yummy, though. I only wish they served bigger portions because I was only temporarily full after I finished my order. I guess I can't complain with the cheap price and all. Would I eat here again? Yes, but only if I'm in the area and in need of a cheap katsu thrill.

And of course, no Maginhawa street date is complete without a side trip to Gayuma ni Maria for desserts. On the table: Pa-cute mango cheesecake and Beats Sex Any Day chocolate cake. Yum!