Yes, pictures of food are… well … ubiquitous and I get it. Confucius once told me, “A pic paints a thousand tweets”. (He also said, “never drop names”. ) Though in this case, it does not. Food has more than just visuals. Flavor and spice and more importantly, it’s who you are dining with, where you are eating, and how it makes you feel at the time.
There is a reason why, when you run into your fellow ‘I’ve eaten food in Thailand’ peeps you give that look of camaraderie. That visual handshake. That ‘I hear ya, man’. Is it the best food in the world? Go ask an Italian who had the best food in the world. Go ask someone from the south of the US. Go ask about anyone, anywhere. The answer is always the same. “Our food is best.”. I’m here to tell you they are wrong. It is Thailand. Strong words, I know, but that is my humble opinion. I think cost does play a role. Sure, go to Canlis in Seattle (my fav) and drop $460 between two people. Is it good? Oh, hells yes. OMG yes!!! Drop dead amazing, no doubt about it. We have done it a few times.
Tonight, we spent the most, by far, on a meal. It was $18.16. It was kind of a swanky place. It was a Michelin recommended restaurant called Kao Soy Nimman. Each staff member, where there seemed to be nearly a dozen on the dining room floor, had ear sets on. They all seemed like secret service people protecting the president. We split a soft-shell crab Khao soi, egg rolls, pork skewers and 3 Singha beers. Yes, $18.16.
On other nights we’ve split two large Singha beers (that’s three and a half 12oz beers for those of you doing the math) and dinner for two for a total of $11. We have a favorite place right next to our Airbnb. Though in comparison to the Michelin recommended restaurant it’s more of a common man’s joint. I’m talking about every day, blue collar, salt of the earth people kind of food. Pull into a restaurant off the street, sit on a plastic chair, walk over to the cooler, and grab your own beer kind of place. Jeez I think my testosterone level just went up by typing that last sentence. I think I just got my man-card back. I lost it the other day at a mall when I held on to Diane’s purse while she used the restroom.
I’ve gotta take a break from food and talk a little about beer in Thailand. First, not to shock you, but many times they come with a glass of ice. Yes, it’s true. Most everyone drinks it on ice. And I’m all good with that. When it’s an hour past sunset and it’s still in the 80s it seems to fit like a glove. As my good friend Nick would put it “there seems to be an attitude where if you have 11 beers on ice it’s just fine, but two beers drank out of the bottle, and you’re deemed a drunkard.” In Seattle, when lamenting my times in Thailand, I’d pour a Thai beer over ice, and it just doesn’t work. It’s a conundrum. But one I’m happy to try to solve it, one beer at a time.
There is another side to eating in Thailand. I am no means an expert in Thai food I but know somebody. We have a friend who spends much of her time in Bangkok. She posts beautiful pics of food in Thailand. They are inspiring. It’s truly food porn. The Thais can do it up with all the fancy visuals as much as anyone. But from my experience, it has a lot to do with the accessibility to food. Food carts cluster in neighborhoods, simple restaurants seem everywhere. Food carts gather on busy streets so workers can pull over on the scooter and grab breakfast or lunch for the day. There always seems to be a line at the food stalls across the street from where we live. So, a few days ago we walked into a restaurant, I assumed meant for locals. I’m sure many people might even say… “Really! we’re gonna eat here?” There were 8 small tables, two of them had cats on them. A third was walking around on the floor. Cheap plates and a box full of unmatched forks on the table. There were not a lot of things that would pass the health inspector in Seattle… but that old guy put a couple of plates down in front of us on a 90° day that made me look at Diane, after a taste, and mouth the word ‘wow’…. It was soooo good. Just a small portion of pork in some sauce with a scoop of rice next to it. With a couple of jars on the table for vinegar stuff, soy, and some really hot stuff. We split a bottle of water for all of $3.05.
In general portions here are on the smaller size. ‘I got no problem with that’. A few less calories is good for me. Besides as I’m walking thru the neighborhood 20 minutes later, I’m full, I’m satisfied, my mouth is on fire and life is good. So, do I like having glass of champagne with a couple of oysters on the half shell as I contemplate which glass of cabernet sauvignon that I’ll have with my artisan inspired steak stuffed mushroom in a trendy Seattle Bistro? Yeah sure. Could I find that here? I suspect so. Most likely in Bangkok though.
Are you still reading this? Is there a god? Did Tony Bennett, Jeff Beck and Sinead O’Connor all really die this year? Is there life somewhere else? Did we make the right decision to retire early and begin our year long world tour by flying to Thailand and staying for 4 months? I don’t know all the answers. And though it may not be the answer to my questions of life, I’m glad I’m here. I’m lucky to be with Diane and I’m ready for more.