Foraging Seattle

Temple Grandma

2012-02-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

One of my friend's family lives in Thon Buri, also known as fang thon (ฝั่งธน) by Bangkokians, and this time I ventured to this side of the metropolis.

My friend's brother P. Joe* took me to Wat Arun which is one of the most famous temples of the Thon Buri skyline and has been depicted on stamps, magazines and post cards since it is a major landmark.

Grandma คุณยาย

While there at the temple, I came across an older lady sitting beneath the shade of a tent that had been erected for worshippers. She was quite old as you could tell by the lines in her face. I thought she would be a fascinating subject for a photo.

Here is how the conversation went:

Mike: Grandma, may I take your photo? (คุณยายครับ ขอถ่ายรูปคุณยายได้ไหมครับ)
Grandma: What was that? (อะไรนะ)
M: May I take your photo? (ขอถ่ายรูปคุณยายได้ไหมครับ)
G: Oh, okay. (อ๋อ ได้ค่ะ)

Then I proceeded to take her photo and asked if she wanted to see it. Little did I know that her family had come around when they saw me taking her photo.

M: Would you like to see your photo? (อยากดูรูปถ่ายไหมครับ)
G: May I see it? (ขอดูคะ)

Then she looked at her photo at which point she sat up straight in her chair and said to me...

G: Did you know, I am 93 years old. (รู้ไหมคะ ดิฉันอายุ ๙๓ ปีแล้วนะค่ะ)
M: Oh, really! And you still quite the beauty. (โอโหจริงเหรอ.... ยังสวยจังเลยอาาาา)

My comment made her and everyone around her including her family laugh. It was nice to see the smile on her face. This was a small but happy memory of my trip to Bangkok.

By the way, when you are in Thon Buri and see the statue of Phra Jao Tak (King Taksin) do not forget to wai his statue as a sign of respect. You'll see many people doing so even while driving. The statue is located in the Wongwian Yai intersection near the Wongwian Yai BTS station.

* P. or พี่ (pee) is the word that Thai people use to donate respect while maintaining closeness to each other. Literally the word means older brother or older sister.

Countryside Altar

2012-02-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

On New Years Day, we decided to start off the new year by stopping off at a temple to tam boon. Tam boon (ทำบูญ) is the Thai custom of merit making whether it is feeding monks in the morning to making donations to the poor. The intent is to do something good for someone else no matter how large or small the gesture.

Altar

Since we were in the countryside where life is harder and money is harder to come by, we decided this year to help out at a countryside temple. We stopped by a temple alongside the road and found the guti (กุฎิ) or monk's living quarters. On the lower level was an area where the lay people could sit and talk with monks or make offerings and donations.

My friends and I prepared our donations and lit incense, candles and offered flowers to the images above. We then spoke to the monk who then blessed us with a prayer and sprinkled us with holy water.

Our New Year was off to a good start.

Mr. Coffee: Chon Buri

2012-02-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

It was early evening and my friends and I decided that we would stop by the Mr. Coffee shop near the side of the road a bunch of snacks. I thought we were only getting coffee and a sandwich but were surprised with a very tasty dinner when we found out they offered a full menu.

ข้าวผัดปู

The first dish we ordered was khao phad puu (crab fried rice). The mildly flavored rice was fluffy and not oily at all. Chunks and bits of crab were evenly mixed in with the rice and to accompany the dish was a small plate of lime wedges to add a sour flavor to the rice and a small bowl of chili pepper mixed with fish sauce for additional saltiness if desired. Freshly cut stalks of green onion and cucumber were served as well. A small bowl of gaeng jeud or clear broth was served to clear your palette. This was a simple yet flavorful way to start off the meal.

คะน้าหมูกรอบ

Next on the list that night was khanaa muu grawp or stir fried kale and crispy pork. Looking closely at the photo you'll see little red specks which happen to be fresh Thai chili that was stir fried into the dish. There was a lot of it. Even my Thai friends said that it was a little too hot for their taste. Kale is also known as Chinese Broccoli because the stems when chopped are very similar in texture and taste to broccoli. I have had khanaa muu grawp that was much better than this as the pork in this dish was rather meaty and not as crispy as it should be. What I did like was the vegetables that were flash stir fried to retain their freshness and crispy texture.

ยำปลาดุกฟู

We ordered a "salad" known as yam plaa duuk foo. This salad is made with catfish that is steamed then prepared for frying. Once the fish is steam cooked, the flesh is removed and fluffed with a fork to create a fluffy mass that is then carefully deep fried in oil. The result is a crunchy flesh that is then tossed with pan roasted peanuts or cashews. The dressing for this salad consists of green mango, shallots, carrots, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. To top it off as a garnish is fresh mint. This dish may not appeal to some due to the fact that it appears that you are being served fried bread crumbs. On the contrary, one needs to understand the preparation involved in this dish along with the skill that is needed to carefully mix the wet ingredients for the dressing. Although lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar seems simple enough combining the three to form a prefect dressing requires lots of skill and experience. Likewise, being sure to fluff the catfish meat evenly will ensure even frying of the meat so that you won't have both crispy and chewy bits of flesh with the dressing. I enjoy this salad every time I order it.

ปลาทับทิมสมุนไพร

Last on the menu that evening was plaa thapthim samoonprai or Herbed Tilapia. This fish is prepared by carefully filleting the fish and coating the pieces with rice flour and white sesame seeds. The pieces of fillet are deep friend along with the bones and head of the fish. Please note that it is common in Thailand and many Asian countries to be served the fish's head along with the rest of the body. Parts of the head are edible and the fins and tail are quite crunchy and sought after by some diners including moi. What made this dish a hands-down winner was the addition of fried Thai herbs.

ปลาทับทิมสมุนไพร Up Close

Deep fried separate from the fish was basil, Thai lime leaf, shallots and lemongrass which were tossed and served with the fish. Fried basil is used as a garnish in Thai dishes and while it may not leave a strong flavor to whatever dish it is added to, the texture provided by the crispy leaves is interesting. The herbs that stood out for me the most was the Thai lime leaf and lemongrass which both left a very floral and citrusy taste to the fish. Having never had deep fried lime leaves I was quite surprised with the pronounced flavor that was produced this way. Served with the dish was the typical Thai seafood dipping sauce of lime, green chillies, palm sugar and fish sauce. This was my favorite dish of the evening and I couldn't help myself from finishing the pieces of fish and herbs even though I was more than full.

Mr. Coffee Entrance

Outdoor Open Air Dining Thai Style

Another fact worth mentioning for those of you fortunate enough to stop here is the open air dining area at the back of the restaurant. You can eat Thai style while sitting on the floor on cushions. This was very nice and quite a surprise off of a typically drab countryside main road. The service at the restaurant was attentive and friendly. I really enjoyed dinner here.

Mr. Coffee, สาขา แซบสเตชัน ถนนไร่กล้วย, ต. สุรศักดิ์,อ. ศรีราชา, จ. ชลบุรี
Mr. Coffee, Sap Station Branch, Thanon Rai Kluay, Surasak, Sriracha, Chon Buri, Thailand

Khong Faak - ของฝาก

2012-02-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

Loosely translated as "souvenir", khong faak is a Thai custom that one can easily fall in love with.

Typical Roadside Souvenir Shops

On our way back to Bangkok from Chon Buri, we stopped alongside a brightly lit row of roadside stalls selling edible souvenirs for travelers to take home with them. One thing that I had noticed was that each stall sold the same thing which then made me wonder how does one shop owner compete with another in such as small area. I guess when a large vehicle like a tour bus stops by, people don't have to wait in line at one shop and can easily move to another shop with the same items. In a way, everyone gets their turn with a customer.

Dried Fish and Squid

Since the shops were located off of a main highway that was just a bit inland from the coast, seafood products were one of the featured items for sale. This was especially evident as soon as you opened your car door and was assaulted with the strong odor of dried fish and squid. It was funky and it could not be ignored no matter how hard you tried. For the most part the products offered here are sanitary and I've never gotten sick from eating these types of foods. I did like how the shop owner offered me a sample by reaching into the large plastic bag and picking up a piece of dried fish with her bare hands. I figured by eating that piece of dried fish I was simultaneously boosting my immunity. Oh well, when in Rome...

Dried and Preserved Local Fruits

Prepared fruits are not to be missed. You can find things such as dried mango, fried taro chips, durian chips (these are the best thing that I purchased from these stalls... expensive by Thai standards but they were sooooo delicious) and a palm nuts to name a few.

Candies and Thai Style Cookies

In addition to preserved fruits, candies made with local ingredients are also found. At the lower left of the photo are durian toffee and above it are lookyee guan which is a type of preserved fruit when prepared in this fashion have a salty, tangy and sweet taste to them. Just thinking about them is making my mouth water. To the right are Thai style rolled coconut cookies with black sesame seeds. The little sticker on the cookies notes that they are from the Pong Din Dam Housewives cooperative and it is through household products like these that local communities can gain a little additional income.

Fresh Fruits

As we left the row of shops, I felt happy that we had some snacks to eat on the ride back home to Bangkok and were able to help a few local communities by sampling the edible souvenirs that they had for sale. I remember the first time that I went to Thailand a few years ago that my friend had purchased salted duck eggs for her coworkers as a souvenir as it one of the well known products of that province. You may want to ask your friends ahead of time before traveling to an area what their specialty souvenirs are so that when you go there you'll be sure not to miss out on something special.

When you are in Thailand and come across row of brightly light shops like this, make sure to stop by and help out the local community. They will be happy you did.

8:00 AM and 6:00 PM

2012-02-04T00:48:00.000-08:00

When in Thailand make sure that you are aware of the special event that occurs daily at 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

Stand at Attention for the Anthem

I took the photo above one Sunday morning as my friend and I were walking at Suan Lumpini which is a large public park located in central Bangkok. People from all walks of life were there exercising in every way possible from tai chi to ballroom dancing. I'll have to post about this park separately. Anyway, at 8:00 AM I heard 4 successive tones and then a notice that the Thai National Anthem was to be played. At that point, everyone stopped in their tracks... although one person couldn't help to stretch as he stood in place. Other than that, everyone stopped and stood at attention including the foreigners that I saw.

Thai people are serious when it comes to paying attention to the national anthem as you can see in the clip from YouTube. Credit to slimteller for the video.

Even if you are at home watching TV, the programming stops at the same time and the anthem is played for you on the screen. I remember seeing the break in programming announcing the national anthem as I sat on the floor of the living room eating breakfast. The Thai National Anthem should not be confused with the Thai Royal Anthem. The purpose of the songs are different and quite distinctive in sound, tempo and meaning. And for your information, yes, I did stand up when the anthem was being played.

When in Bangkok, be sure to do like the Thais do.

Bangkok Breakfast

2012-02-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

Breakfast on the go in Bangkok is a pretty good deal if you ask me.

Breakfast Time in Bangkok

Compared to a fast food breakfast you'd typically find in Seattle made of processed foods, breakfast in Thailand consists of food freshly made before your eyes. In the picture above clockwise are the following items: Pak Tong Go (Chinese donuts also known as yutiaw), Iced Nescafe Coffee and Giaw Naam Gung (shrimp dumplings).

Pak-tong-go: 2 Baht per piece x 5 pieces = 10 Baht (30 cents)
Iced Nescafe Coffee: 17 Baht (54 cents)
Giaw Naam Gung: 7 pieces for 30 Baht (90 cents).

The combined cost of these three items could never be found at that price in Seattle. Besides the price, the freshness can't be beat. For example, the donuts above were warm, crispy and chewy while the dumplings were meaty and filling. I really enjoyed going down from the condo into the alley to purchase everything. Unfortunately, I was not able to take a photo of the barbecue pork sate that was on sale for 4 Baht (12 cents) per stick. Although the sticks of grilled pork were only about 2 inches long, their flavor and taste were out of this world. I can still see the smoke wafting above his cart.

One thing I cannot forget about the vendors in the alley was their honesty. One day, I left a tip of 10 Baht for the man who made the barbecue pork sticks. The next day I returned to his stall and he told me: You left me too much money yesterday, so I will give you enough sticks to make up for it. All of them were hard working people making an honest living. The donut lady tried to chase me down for the 2 Baht I left her one morning.

True Coffee - Siam Square

2012-02-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

Being from Seattle, certainly the one thing I couldn't do without is coffee. Luckily, Bangkok has tons of traditional and modern coffee shops.

True Coffee (@ Christmas) - Siam Square

As we were making our way to the MBK Center, we had to cut through the very popular with the college crowd Siam Square complex. Prior to use reaching the nearest the fly-over walkway, we came upon True Coffee. Note for those of you traveling to Bangkok, the fly-over walkway is the safe alternative to crossing the street below. Trust me on this one... Bangkok traffic is nothing to take lightly let alone Bangkok drivers.

Coffee... 30 cm Waffle and Japanese Potato Chips

At True Coffee there was every kind of coffee drink that you could find in Seattle including lattes, mochas, cappuccinos and breves. Then there were a few different ones including chilled cocoa and green tea flavored drinks and smoothies as well.

30 cm long waffle... bacon included

What caught our eye was the 30 cm (centimeters and not inches... this is Thailand we are talking about after all) bacon waffle. To emphasize the length of the waffle was a billboard to the side of the main counter with a giraffe standing next to the waffle. The clerk making our waffle had to do ours twice because the first one fell apart in the waffle iron. When we finally got the waffle it was a bit disappointing. Although crispy it was a rather bland waffle that was randomly punctuated with bits of mildly salty bacon. Blah.

Iced Cocoa with Pure Life Nestle Water

I did like my iced cocoa drink and bottled water though. Just a month earlier, bottled water was a scarce commodity in Bangkok because of the floods. You wouldn't have known with the way people were kicking back sipping on their coffee drinks while playing with their iPads and chatting with friends.

True Coffee, Siam Square Soi 2, Bangkok, Thailand

Meng Kee เม้งกี่

2012-01-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

Chinese people can be found all over Thailand and where there are Chinese people there must be Chinese food!

Shop Front

During my visit to Chon Buri to visit my friend Kuk, she asked us where we wanted to have brunch and we thought of the many options available to us. So due to my love of anything... well, almost anything... pork, we decided upon a little row shop called Meng Kee. Meng Kee stood out for Pat because she mentioned that the owner of the restaurant is a well known chef from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel named Khun Vichit Mukura. Khun Vichit is originally from Pataya, Chon Buri province.

Kitchen Duo

The restaurant has a classic row shop set up for open air dining with tables and chairs lined up for guests. The furniture is usually "good enough" to sit on and the savings on furniture is then passed on to creating delicious food. One thing I noticed from my visits to these types of restaurants is that the "display kitchen" is located at the left hand forward facing entrance to the restaurant. Perhaps its a fung shui (or hoong jui as they call it in Thailand) practice. The cash is usually held in the back room to the shop where prepping is done prior to bringing ready to serve food to the front display kitchen.

Panaeng Muu - Pork Panaeng Curry

My friend Kuk ordered the pork panang curry. This curry was made very well with a thick sauce of chili paste and peanuts which was finished off with fine slivers of Thai lime leaves. Portions at this restaurant are what is called one-dish meals in Thai (aharn jaan diaw อาหารจานเดียว). If you find that one plate is not enough then you simply order another. There was a perfect amount of jasmine rice on this dish as you could see that it was portioned to have enough rice with each scoop of pork. This is not done by chance but a way to ensure that if the curry is too spicy for the diner, the rice will be able to temper the heat. Genius!

Mara Toon - Steamed Stuffed Bitter Melon

As a side dish to the meal, one of my friends ordered stuffed steamed biter melon. This dish is prepared by removing the seeds of the bitter melon then stuffing it with ground pork which is then steamed in a broth. Personally I am not a big fan of bitter melon or bitter melon leaves (talk about bitter!) and decided to skip this dish. Bitter melon is good for helping with digestion and diabetes so even if the taste may not appeal to you the health benefits might.

Khao Muu Daeng Muu Grawp

My order consisted of Chinese style barbecued (muu dang หมูแดง) and roasted pork (muu grawp หมูกรอบ). I absolutely love, love, love roasted pork. Not only is the pork itself naturally sweet but the crispy piece of skin located at the end of each piece gives you a flavor and texture experience all at once. One thing to notice is the knife skills of the cook. Note how each piece is perfectly cut and of the same size as the others. This provides maximum eating joy by being able to place a bit of rice with perfectly proportioned barbecued and roasted pork in each spoonful. The science of eating! Cucumbers were added to ensure that we had some sort of vegetable with our meal.

Khao Muu Daeng Muu Grawp Ped Yang

My other friend Tai opted for the Chinese meat threesome of muu daeng, muu grawp and roasted duck (ped yang เป็ดย่าง). Similar to my plate, the meats were chopped at exactly the same proportions for maximum eating joy. The plate also included a Chinese vegetable known as choi sam.

Besides the tasty meats that were offered on the plates one of the things that makes this shop outstanding among others is the sauce that is added to the plates. I have seen some restaurants that have an almost gooey type pink sauce that is ladled on to plates which then creates this awful and overly sweet mess of meat and rice. The sauce at Meng Kee has hints of drippings from the cooked meats, broth, sugar and salt. It was perfect in its consistency and flavor.

Thank you Kuk for introducing me to such a wonderful restaurant. Simple yet wonderfully flavorful.

269/6 หมู่ 5 อาคาร ตรงข้ามร้านพรศิริซักรีด ถนนพัทยา-นาเกลือ อำเภอนา เกลือ ชลบุรี 20000
0-3822-5262

Meng Kee, 269/6 Mu 5 Across Pornsiri Laundry, Pattaya-Naklua Road, Naklua, Chonburi 20000.
Phone: 03822-5262

L'Espace @ Siam Paragon

2012-01-18T23:17:00.000-08:00

Bangkok really takes its place as a world class city and this is particularly true when it comes to choosing what to eat when your tummy starts rumbling.

World Famous Hotel

My friend who I met in graduate school raved to me about L'Espace located at the Siam Paragon Mall. L'Espace is one of eight restaurants run by the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel and is the only one situated outside of the hotel's grounds. Unfortunately when we first arrived there a temporary sign mentioning the restaurant was closed greeted us at the entrance. My friend immediately reassured me that this only meant that it was full and would "open" once again as soon as space for new guests was available.

Open Air Atmosphere

Although the restaurant is located in a mall, the noise from passers by immediately lowers as you peruse the menu and enjoy the professional service of the servers. One should keep in mind that the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok's 135 year history makes it one of city's best known hotels. Part of the hotel's charm are its suites named after famous authors such as Somerset Maugham and James Michener. It was very clear with the level of service at the restaurant, the same employees were trained in hotel class hospitality. Goodness, I can recall a few instances of service at other restaurants in Bangkok from servers who displayed an interesting mixture of contempt, boredom, irritation and anger. Anyway, on to the food.

Salmon Croissant Sandwich and Salad

As I recall, the menu at the restaurant had both Western and Thai inspired offerings. I chose to go with a Salmon Croissant Sandwich and side salad pairing. Prior to the meal we were served bread typically provided at dinner in the US. My friend raved about the bread and she was right. It was delicious and the saltiness of the butter was perfect enough to whet your appetite. The sandwich itself contained two pieces of lox layered together in a butter croissant that had been smeared with an egg and mayonnaise spread. Onions were placed on the side along with pieces of cubed tomato. The lox were flavorful but not over fishy and so soft to the point that it melted in your mouth. The egg spread added a surprising dash of moisture and flavor to the sandwich as well. The salad of different types of butter lettuce and greens was drizzled with balsamic vinegar. The meal was lovely and spoke of quality that one would expect from a world class hotel.

Dessert Gratis

At the end of the meal, we were provided a scoop of Thai lime sorbet to cleanse our pallets. Thai lime as compared to key limes or their larger cousins have not only a citrusy sour taste to them but an added floral element as well. This makes Thai limes distinct and surprisingly floral to the uninitiated.

I was so glad to sit down to a wonderful meal at a beautiful restaurant with my friend. It had been 2 years since we last saw each other but the time disappeared as we talked with each other as if we had only seen each other yesterday. Nothing can beat the combination of a wonderful meal with a lovely friend. I already miss her.... and the lime sorbet.

L'Espace Restaurant, Siam Paragon Mall, Bangkok, Thailand

New 50 Baht Banknote

2012-01-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

My favorite banknote in Thailand is the 50 Baht note.

New 50 Baht Note

When I got to the Suvarnabhumi Airport and exchanged my dollars for Baht, I noticed that they only gave me 20, 100, 500 and 1000 Baht notes. I asked the girl behind the counter for 50 Baht notes and she said they stopped printing them. I asked why and she said she wasn't sure.

A few days before leaving Thailand, I was reading the Thai news online and found a notice from the Bank of Thailand regarding the new 50 note. Apparently there will be a new series of notes that will have a newer photo of HM and the reverse side of each note will be featuring a king from previous periods and their historical significance.

At one point in time the 50 Baht note was printed on plastic similar to Australian notes but it was found that it was more expensive to print the note on plastic than what they were really worth.

Personally, I think American money is long overdue an upgrade and should depict various people instead of just presidents and national monuments. There is so much that could be shown like landing on the moon, the civil rights struggle and technological achievements. We should show something honoring our Native Americans as well.

Anyway, the new 50 Baht banknote should be hitting the streets of Bangkok on January 18, 2012. Other denominations will be released one by one every year till all denominations are replaced with the newer designs.

Som Tum Tag Team

2012-01-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

You'll be surprised at the various types of wheeled devices you'll see on the streets of Bangkok.

Papaya Salad on Wheels

While we were driving around at the Tha Phrachan area of Bangkok on our way to catch the ferry to Siriraj Hospital to pay homage to HM the King, I saw this couple pushing this cart through the traffic near the Amulet Market.

When they finally made their way to an open area, it was only in a matter of minutes that the husband was grilling chicken and the wife setting up the ingredients for papaya salad. Som tam (papaya salad) and gai yaang (grilled chicken) is such a staple of the Thai diet that it can be found in nearly every alley, street and food establishment.

I had really good som tam at the World Restaurant located in the Centara Hotel at the Central World Shopping Center in Rajdamree. It was perfect but I can be sure that the som tam made by the husband and wife team in the photo above was probably as good if not better and much cheaper too. Nevertheless, being with my friends from college that I met nearly 20 years ago made each bite even more enjoyable.

Wang Mook Restaurant

2012-01-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

On the first day that I got to Bangkok I headed directly to Pattaya and Chon Buri to celebrate the New Years holiday.

Outdoor Seating at Wang Mook

Pattaya is located on the eastern coast of Thailand and is a well known tourist destination. There are several large beaches there that draw both Thai and foreign tourists to the city. The city itself is known for its nightlife which can be sometimes overboard and in your face. The city's large population of older American and European men who have not been so lucky in romance back home sustain the scene which seems to have no end in sight. Pattaya gives new meaning to that old song Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.

Anyway, on our way down there, we decided to stop for seafood at a restaurant by the name of Wang Mook (วังมุข) located in Bang Saen.

Wipees of all Types!

Oddly enough, this place has their own tissues made for them! Along with a seat when you first arrive at the restaurant, you are provided a cold iced towel that you can pop open and wipe your hands and face. A fellow diner warned me that there is alcohol in the towel which may be too strong for some. One thing you will notice about Thai napkins versus American ones is the fact that Thai ones are smaller... much smaller. In fact, sometimes you can see rolls of toilet paper used as napkins at restaurants that cater to a Thai clientele. This is because when Thai people wipe their fingers or mouth with a napkin, it is considered used and is then tossed whereas Americans tend to have larger napkins that are reused throughout the meal. For most Americans, toilet paper at the dining table seems quite odd but ponder the rationale and you will understand.

Tom Yum Tale ต้มยำทะเล

Simple yet Flavorful and Uniquely Thai

Our first dish of the night was tom yum tale which is a seafood soup made with lemongrass, ginger, mushroom, lime juice, fish sauce and lime leaves. This restaurant also added a little basil for added flavor which in most cases would make the soup known instead as po-taek.

The one thing I noticed immediately was the difference of having fresh lemongrass and lime leaves. The lime leaves imparted a distinctly citrus essence to the broth which brought an added depth to the soup which was simple yet very flavorful. In fact, the soup almost had very floral and herbal notes to it and was a great palate cleanser for the following dishes.

Khao Pad Puu ข้าวผัดปู

After our soup, we moved on to khao pad puu (crab fried rice) which contained jasmine rice, sweet onion, green onions, bell pepper and crab. You could tell that the crab was real because it contained bits of soft shell which I took as added roughage for the dish. One thing I noticed was that the taste of the crab was distinctive and stood out over all of the other ingredients. The lack of burned or oily rice was also a sign of the chef's focus of presenting the crab as the primary flavoring ingredient of the dish.

Thai Style Seafood Dipping Sauce

In addition to any Thai meal containing seafood, a dipping sauce specifically for seafood will be provided to you. The sauce contains green chili, red chili, lime juice, palm sugar and a little fish sauce. The sauce itself is sweet and spicy. It may be a little on the hot side for those who are not used to chili pepper even when used in small amounts but the tangy and sweet flavor can be addicting once you get over the first few stings to your palate. I added this to my tom yum soup because it wasn't hot enough for my taste.

Deep Fried Prawns with Crispy Garlic

I could not get over our last dish of the evening which consisted of deep fried river prawns that were then covered in toasted garlic. Accompanying the prawns was a spicy tomato Sriracha chili sauce. Each prawn was perfectly fried while still meaty and crispy. In fact, it was so crispy that you could eat the heads, tails and legs. The dipping sauce when mixed with the toasted garlic brought everything together which aided us in cleaning up this plate with no problem.

http://www.hamanan.com/tour/chonburi/wm.html

Wang Mook, Bang Saen, Chon Buri, Thailand

Bangkok Biker

2012-01-08T05:06:00.000-08:00

Bangkok traffic has a notorious reputation for being one of the worst in the world.

Bangkok Dude on his Honda Ninja

As it may be, it is also an opportunity to observe your fellow drivers as they make their way from point A to point B. You see everyone around you from business people and delivery trucks to mom's with their children trying to get around this sprawling metropolis.

The Thai slang for motorcycle is maeng-ga-sai which is a combined corruption of motersai (motorcycle) and maeng (bug or insect). If you have sat in a Bangkok intersection you know very well that each motorcyclist makes his/her way towards the first row of cars and as soon as the light turns green, it's a mangasai versus car free for all. The great thing about Bangkok traffic though is that at each intersection there is a clock that counts down to how many seconds are left before the light turns green or red.

Most of the bikes you see on the road here in Bangkok are smaller cc bikes and bigger bikes such as the Ninja shown above are more of an exception. I actually saw a Harley Fat Boy the other day. For a minute there I thought I was back in Seattle as I heard the roar come from behind and pass our car. It sounded like music to my ears.

It is the law that the driver and passenger of any motorcycle must both wear a helmet. I believe the fine is 300 or 500 Baht if caught by the police and occasionally you will see a checkpoint with drivers being pulled aside and ticketed.

Another thing I noticed is that unlike the US, most people on bikes can be seen zipping around (I don't use that term lightly) the streets without any protective gear. Its rare to see anyone wearing boots other than cops and army people or a jacket and gloves. In the heat generated by the tropical weather, pavement and car engines its just not comfortable at all. Plus, it might be unaffordable to most Thai people who are riding motorcycles as they happen to be those with a smaller income hence their choice for mode of transportation.

The other day as I was visiting my friend's brother in Bang Phlu (Thon Buri), as our taxi made its way into the Wong Wian Yai turnabout, the mangasai next to us scraped up against my door at around 35 miles an hour. It freaked me out but it didn't phase the driver or my friend at all. I guess that's what its like driving around in a city of millions and millions of people. All they said was, "Whoa....."

If you think riding a bike in Bangkok is dangerous... just wait till you get to the countryside.

Life in a Soi

2012-01-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

You must be asking yourself, "What exactly is a soi?"

Life on the side streets of Bangkok...

Soi is the Thai word for alley. From many of the main roads there are turns into smaller roads and lanes. It is in these smaller lanes that you can see Bangkok city life at its best.

In the soi that my friend lives on off of Naradhiwat Srinakarin Road in Sathorn life starts early in the morning and ends late at night. In the morning you will find business people heading to work, school children being ferried by motorcycle taxis or their parents. Along side the cars and motorcycles are the ubiquitous tuk-tuk open air taxis that can be found running around the streets and alleys of Bangkok at all kinds of speeds... and different levels of engine noise. Some can be outright deafening. Later in the evening, you'll find families sitting together in an open air restaurant (folding tables and plastic chairs) eating papaya salad and grilled chicken.

Morning Alms Offering

Monks are still a common sight early in the mornings as you can find them standing around collecting alms donated by the residents for the temple. It is very easy to donate food to the monks as some of the food stalls serve preset meals along with a sealed cup of water, incense and a jasmine garland. Once you purchase the food from the vendor, you proceed to the monk and raise the food towards your forehead and pray for a second. Then you place the items carefully into his bowl while he then says a prayer for you. Its a nice way to start off the day by doing something nice to help someone else. All of the collected alms will go to the temple where it will be shared by the monks and lay people who attend services that day.

Among the many delicious food choices in the soi, my favorite is the iced coffee made by a woman who remembered me from my trip 4 years ago (I'll do a special post on her) and the man who makes bbq pork skewers for 5 Baht (15 cents) each.

Naradhiwat Srinakharin Road, Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand.

I finally made it to Bangkok

2012-01-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

After one 14 hour flight, 4 hours of transit time and another 3.5 hours in the air, I finally arrived in Bangkok, Thailand.

Monk on the Chao Phraya River Ferry

I've been here since last week Friday and cannot believe that a week has already gone by. I will be here for another week and back to Seattle I go. From the moment I set my feet on the ground at Suvarnabhumi Airport, I've been running around and have had my first kick back and relax day today.

I am glad that Bill got me a nice camera for my trip. The pictures it takes are great and the quality is phenomenal. I am so glad to have such a nice partner. Two weeks away from home is a long time but as the old adage goes: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. This time with a better camera, I'll be able to take a greater number of photos than I did the last time I visited Bangkok 4 years ago.

The shopping and eating here in Bangkok is beyond description. Of course, I have a few posts that will be coming your way in a few days of what I've eaten and seen as I Forage Bangkok!

Christmas is fast approaching...

2011-12-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

What will Santa bring me this year?

Well, it seems that the end of the year is in sight which means that Christmas is fast upon us.

I've been saving this picture since last year and have been waiting anxiously to post it here on my blog. I've been tied up in other projects but I have decided that I need to get back to my blog. I will be posting more in the days to come. See you then.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Thailand Flood Situation

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

If you have not yet heard, Thailand is facing its biggest flood crisis in over 50 years.

I came across this video from one of my friend's post on Facebook. I like the graphics and the translation is quite accurate. Towards the end, the message it talks about is to have awareness (สติ - sati) when dealing with this crisis. I myself have been guilty of checking both Thai and English websites regarding the flooding situation as shown in the video. After a while it is overwhelming and it only makes you worry even more.

I am worried because several of my very close friends are living in Bangkok. One lives in the Prawet area of Eastern Bangkok which is supposed to be heavily flooded. Another lives in Bang Phlad on the Thon Buri side of the Chao Praya River and has already experienced flooding. My other friend in Sathorn is still dry but has reported water and food running low. She mentioned that even the 7eleven stores in her area were almost empty. If you know Bangkok, 7eleven is like Starbucks in Seattle as it can be found on every corner. It is worrisome.

Talking to one of my local Thai friends at work today we looked at the video of Bangkok traffic and reminisced fondly of how we worried only about the traffic when we were there. Neither of us ever thought of the impending floods nor its scale. We talked and both admitted how heavy our hearts were. We both miss Bangkok very much.
(At 5:01 in the video the Thai subtitle says: See this? Bangkok City of Heaven... where people spend no less that 3 -4 hours on the road everyday.)

My hope and prayer is that Thai people see the flood crisis as a situation to come together to work for the common good of all people in the kingdom. Although the flood is a crisis of mega proportions it is also an opportunity for Thai people to show what they can do when they come together as one.

Fainting Goat

2011-10-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

What an odd name for a shop. Well, that oddness drew us in and helped us to locate some great gelato in Wallingford.

Sign

We had just finished a wonderful Thai dinner at May Restaurant and Lounge a few blocks down from the Fainting Goat and were making our way back to the car when we both agreed that something sweet would be nice to temper the chili from our dinner.

Menu... notice 5 liter pans!!!

We entered the simply decorated shop and was greeted by a large refrigerated display case featuring no less than 16 different flavors of gelatto. There was dark chocolate, nutella, coconut, strawberry, vanilla and tiramisu to name a few. I decided on a scoop of espresso and dark chocolate. Bill went with coconut.

Espresso

The texture of the gelato itself was thick and creamy like very dense cake batter. Each spoonful of my dark chocolate when paired with the strong coffee flavor of the espresso gelato made for a very rich dessert. It was a great way to end our dinner there in Wallingford.

Tiramisu

One thing that I distinctly recall about this little shop was the smell of fresh waffle cones being made. In fact, catching a whiff of it as we approached the shop made us excited as we tried to imagine what kinds of flavors they would have available. I thought all of their gelato was made with goat milk but it was limited to one flavor only.

Another Fainting Goat

The shop is cosy and will allow you to take a book or your laptop and sit and enjoy something nice and sweet by yourself or with a friend. You could even just stop by because the gelato is... wonderful. It will make you smile.

Fainting Goat, 1903 North 45th Street, Wallingford, 206.327.9459

The Lemon Grass: Banh Xeo, Banh Beo...

2011-10-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything about Vietnamese food in a while so I thought I'd add something to the mix.

Seattle has a pretty good sized Vietnamese community (nothing on the mega-scale of Westminster or So Cal/Orange County) and we even have a Little Saigon area north of Chinatown. There are a lot of Vietnamese people at my workplace and I was fortunate enough to befriend someone Vietnamese who would be kind enough to teach me about Vietnamese food and culture.

Fresh Herbs: Cilantro, Basil, Peppermint

Khanh and I have a lunch "date" once a week and it can range from a hamburger at Red Robin or more likely Japanese, Thai or Vietnamese food. It's usually Vietnamese because Khanh would be no happier if she ate nothing but Vietnamese food everyday. In fact, I told her she has nuoc mam running through her veins. She's that loyal to the cuisine of her country of origin.

We decided on The Lemon Grass restaurant located in the Renton Village Shopping Center. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and the service is pleasant and polite. The food is wonderful.

Our last lunch date menu consisted of Banh Xeo, Banh Beo and Banh Canh. And no, not all Vietnamese dishes start with the word "banh". Banh loosely translates to cake by the way.

Banh Xeo

I absolutely love eating Banh Xeo because of its interesting texture and taste. Banh Xeo is a crepe that is made of rice flour, turmeric, water, pork and shrimp. I've heard from friends that sometimes you can use beer or coconut milk for added flavor. This particular restaurant added green onions and white onions to the mix. Note that unlike French crepes, Banh Xeo is crispy due to the fact that it is semi-deep fried which makes the rice flour batter quite crunchy.

Banh Xeo Inside

The inside of the crepe is stuffed with sauteed beansprouts which are placed into the crepe before it is folded over. I'm not a big fan of bean sprouts so I usually end up giving them to Khanh who is happy to add them to whatever she is eating. What I like about Banh Xeo is the crispiness of the crepe along with the subtle taste of coconut milk that imparts an slight fragrance to the dish. It is eaten by breaking off a piece of the crepe, placing it onto a lettuce leaf and accompanying it with as much of the fresh herbs you like. You then roll it into a bundle and dip it into the fish sauce dressing and pop it into your mouth. Most people break the lettuce into smaller and more manageable sizes but for some reason I don't want to waste my time and tend to eat them full sized.

Banh Beo: Steamed Rice Cakes

Next on our list was a shared order of Banh Beo. Banh Beo is a type of steamed rice cake made with various types of toppings such as ground pork, ground shrimp, browned shallots, green onions or smashed yellow beans. Ours featured ground shrimp, shallots and green onions. The little rice cakes are steamed in small plates then dressed accordingly. Onto the rice cake goes a spoonful of fish sauce dressing right before eating.

Soft Steamed Rice Cakes

Khanh told me that Banh Beo is a type of dish that is typical to Hue which is the former royal capitol of Vietnam. Hue style cooking may appear to have very simple dishes but there is much preparation that goes into each dish that make them appetizing not only to the palate but the eyes as well.

Banh Canh Soup with Sliced Pork

Last on the list for the lunch was Khanh's bowl of Banh Canh. Banh Canh is a type of soup that features thick noodles made of rice and tapioca which give the noodles a chewy and somewhat al dente texture. Sometimes Banh Canh is colored orange which makes the dish visually appealing. This particular version contained a pork broth and pork knuckle which provided added flavor to the soup.

Vietnamese cooking is one of my favorites because of its skillful integration of lots of fresh leafy vegetables and herbs. You still have to watch out though because sometimes it can be fatty. If you are lucky enough to have pho in a restaurant frequented by Vietnamese people (which is also a good sign the food's pretty authentic), you may see Vietnamese people ask for an additional cup of fat that is skimmed off the top of the stock pot used to make soup. But then again, I felt the almost 50/50 ratio of leafy vegetables and herbs to my crispy fried crepe made it fried food that was okay to eat. Isn't that justifying bad eating habits? Who cares because it tasted really good.

The Lemon Grass - Renton, 365 S. Grady Way, Renton 425.228.2000

Sunday Afternoons...

2011-10-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

... when the weekend comes around most of us pack our schedules in to do all the things we couldn't do during the work week.

Cat Nap

Actually, stopping for a minute to take a cue from our animal friends will help to remind us that we really need to take a break and enjoy life.

This afternoon, after playing all day in the garden, the cat came in the house and had something to eat. She saw me working on my computer and decided to lay on the window sill next to my desk. The next thing I noticed was her quietly napping next to me.

Umai-do

2011-10-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

Driving up and down Jackson Street in Seattle this past year, I had my eye on a shop with paper on its windows for what seemed an eternity. Last week I was pleasantly surprised with a shop brightly lit offering freshly made mochi and manjyu.

S. Jackson / 19th Ave S.

I had been anxiously awaiting getting my hands on freshly made mochi and manjyu. A lot of the Japanese sweets available in Seattle are either flown in from California or Japan... and if you can read Japanese, sometimes the sweets are made in China!

Clockwise: Kuri, Pink, Habutai, Yomogi, Kinako and Imogashi

Currently Umai-do is offering a beginning selection of the following sweets:

Habutai: Sweet rice flour, red bean paste, sugar and potato starch
Pink Mochi: Sweet rice flour, lima bean paste, sugar, potato starch, red food coloring
Yomogi: Sweet rice flour, red bean paste, yomogi, sugar, potato starch
Kinako: Sweet rice flour, red bean paste, yomogi, sugar, potato starch and soybean flour
Dorayaki: Cake flour, eggs, red bean paste, sugar
Matcha Dorayaki: Cake flour, eggs, red bean paste, sugar, green tea
Imogashi: Flour, eggs, lima bean paste, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda
Kuri: Flour, eggs, lima bean paste, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, evaporated milk.

Baked and Hand Pressed

The texture of each of the mochi pieces was consistently al dente. This may sound odd but what it does is provide a certain level of heartiness to each piece which is perfect when paired with a cup of hot green tea. Noticeable is the lack of on overly sweet taste that can be found in mass produced mochi. Each piece of mochi is hearty enough to provide 3 bites per piece which made it perfect when paired with a beverage.

Imogashi, Kuri and Pink Mochi

I was drawn to the baked items. The cinnamon on the imogashi was slight yet noticeable enough to provide a distinct taste to the cake. The cake surrounding the lima bean paste was soft yet dry. The kuri had a egg wash on it that provided a nice finish to the cake while the pink mochi was perfectly paired with the whiteness of the lima bean providing a visually appealing quality to the piece. Note again that there was a lack of an overly sweet taste to each of these cakes.

I am hoping that different types of mochi will be continually added to the menu along with seasonal specialties. I would really love to get my hands on chichidango which is a type of mochi that I had in Hawaii many years ago. It was soft and chewy like a very light taffy. Finding freshly made chichidango and kurozato kinako mochi here in Seattle would be a dream come true for me.

For those of you not familiar with mochi and manjyu please note that these desserts are not overly sweet and are best enjoyed with tea as I had mentioned throughout this post. It is a nice alternative to your dessert repertoire.

Umai-do, 19th/Jackson, Seattle 206.325.7888

Motorcycle People are Funny... Pinoys too!

2011-10-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Late one night I was perusing YouTube before hitting the sack and came across this video.

This has got to be one of the funniest things that I have seen in a while. At first when I watched it, I thought what an odd idea to get dressed up in your riding suit, put on your boots, gloves then helmet to dance around in your living room. So I sat there and watched and the more I watched the funnier it got. Mr biker guy has obviously studied his song and had his routine down to the lyrics and beat. The brother had some moves. It's was very funny. Every time I watch this video I start to giggle and laugh. The perfectly timed butt slaps are the icing on the cake. For those of you wanting to know the song, it is called My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas.

Speaking of the Black Eyed Peas I have another video to share with you. It's just as funny. Its called Bebot. Bebot is a slang term in Tagalog for chick or babe.

For those of you who are Filipino or have someone special in your life who happens to be Filipino, the video itself captures a lot of things you'd probably see among Pinoys*. Whoever casted the mom apparently knew my Tita Belen because she's just about as tall, round and loud. She always makes sure you have something to eat as soon as you walk into the house. Her way of showing that she cares about you is to make sure you're fed and looking your finest before stepping out of the house (notice the question about combing your hair and brushing your teeth). But what stands out in the video for me is watching people dance, eat and sing. Filipinos love all of them and at any gathering you'll find people eating, dancing and singing till its time to go home (or everyone's full after their third or fourth plate of food). I can recall learning how to dance from a young age. Its not uncommon to see little 5 and 6 year old Filipino kids breaking out in the latest dance craze they might have seen on TV.

Learning more about Filipinos in the United States, I found out that some of the earliest immigrants from the Philippines came on the Spanish galleons that sailed between the Philippines and Mexico back in the 1800s. The first Filipino settlement in the United States was actually recorded in October 1587 at Morrow Bay, California. That's a long time ago. Wow.

Thinking back about that little lady in the video, my mom came running out of the garage one day after I was ready to head home from visiting her. She came out and said to me, "You gib dis tu Bill. You make him et it. I make him ginisang kamatis." (Give this to Bill. You make him eat it. I made him ginisang kamatis (stir fried tomatoes with egg).) When I retold that story to Bill he said, "Your mom got a thick accent." I said, "What accent? My mom doesn't have an accent." After listening closer I realized Bill was right (don't tell him I said so). I guess you can take the Pinay out of the Philippines but you cannot take the Philippines out of the Pinay.

Hope you enjoyed the videos and learning more about Filipino-Americans. If you would like me to translate the lyrics of the song, send me an email. I'll be happy to do so.

* Pinoy is the slang term used by Filipinos to refer to each other. Pinoy being the masculine and pinay being the female form.

Burger Heaven.... In-N-Out

2011-09-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

No visit to Los Angeles is complete without our stop at In-N-Out Burger.

Go for the Double-Double

At about 5 p.m., the Sunset Boulevard location was just popping with all kinds of people from families to teens, young couples on a date and two middle-aged gay guys like us. Bill found a table which at first may appear to be a daunting task because of all the people but because of the quick service and high turnover, finding a table takes only a matter of minutes. I headed up to the counter and placed our order.

Mmmmm....

My standard order is a Double-Double with a side of fries. I get it every single time and figured that if it worked once, it should work again. Why mess with perfection? I added extra onions and told them light sauce. Bill got two hamburgers and a diet pop that we both shared.

The other two all beef patties....

As I had probably mentioned before, everything at In-N-Out is freshly made right before your eyes. The onions, tomatoes and lettuce are prepared on the premises right in front of you and if you peer behind the counter, you can see the workers busy chopping and cutting everything that goes into each burger. What keeps on bringing us back over and over to In-N-Out is the freshness and taste. I don't think there is anything special about the sauce but the combination of fresh ingredients and well cooked beef remind one of something homemade. Perhaps the attraction is the fact you can eat something that tastes homemade and not clean up after yourself. Nevertheless, we are always happy and contented when we go there. If I recall correctly, I must have said, "Oh GAWD this is so good," at least 5 times while eating.

Hand Cut

Bill isn't a fan of the fries at In-N-Out but I love them. They're not greasy or overly salty. They have a thin crunch to them which I enjoy. They are a great accompaniment to their burgers. Just plain simple fries that once again taste home made. They even have bits of potato skin on them which I like as well.

If you're not inclined to get out of your car and want to do the drive-thru instead, you can pull up and get in line. You'll then be visited by an associate with a remote control device that takes your order and transmits it to the kitchen so that by the time you get to the drive-thru window, your burgers, fries, shakes and sodas will be waiting for you. I like that. Talk about good service.

Be sure to stop on by for a treat and enjoy one of life's simple pleasures next time you're in Los Angeles. Their slogan/jingle is "Quality you can taste!" It's very true if you ask me.

In-N-Out, Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Utah.

Bhan Khanom Thai 2011

2011-09-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Last month on our visit to Los Angeles, we made our obligatory stop at Bhan Khanom Thai one afternoon.

Shelves of Thai Snacks

Since I introduced Bill to the delights of Thai sweets, he's always asking about when are we going to get the little taco desserts (khanom beuang: crispy crepe with coconut cream and egg threads). Well, while I was shopping at the nearby Silom Market he was quick enough to find a woman cooking them in the store. I am not sure if it was the coconut scent that led him to that corner of the store or his inquisitiveness but he found them before I did. Last year we actually purchased them from a woman selling them from her stall in the parking lot... in a handicapped parking stall of all places.

Durian Chips, Dried Banana, Roasted Dried Squid

For those of you unfamiliar with Thai snacks you'll soon realize that at Bhan Khanom Thai you'll be hard pressed to find something made with chocolate. Here, many of the desserts consist of tropical fruits that are preserved or candied in many ways. The durian chips at the upper right picture are very good and lack the putrid smell the fruit is well known for. Better than potato chips which tend to be oily, these chips have a very crunchy and somewhat buttery taste to them. The banana snacks might be off putting because of their dark color as would be the smell of dried squid. I grew up eating dried squid with chili powder on them as a snack and still think of it fondly as a childhood treat.

Toffee Thai Style

If you have durian on hand and you don't feel like frying it into chips, you can always have them made into chewy toffee. There are similarly wrapped and colored packages of peanut toffee that come in a smooth or crunchy texture like their American counterpart known as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The durian and peanut toffees use a coconut based caramel that makes the candy very tropical in taste and smell. The packaging of these candies is very typically Thai as you can find many similar type packages containing everything from chips to wrapped candies as shown. The tops of the packages are made to look dainty as if to convey a feminine charm to the cook who made them.

Preserved Fruits

Some of the dried fruits that you can find at Bhan Khanom Thai include mango, guava, gooseberry, tamarind and rose apple. If you are familiar with preserved Chinese plums, the sight of this picture alone will make your mouth start watering. Sometimes made sweet, the majority of these preserved fruits are made to be a tad sour and to add even more of a kick to it they are sometimes infused or sprinkled with chili pepper.

The one thing I like about Bhan Khanom Thai is that the packaged products are hygienic and well presented. The shop itself is clean and tidy with products easily displayed for the shopper to see. Don't forget that there is a counter that serves fresh Thai desserts and snacks that are hand made daily on site. Be forewarned that the staff usually speaks Thai and English is limited.

If you are in ThaiTown for lunch or dinner, be sure to stop by for some tropical snacks from Thailand or even better made right there in the shop. Just be warned that at night, the parking lot can be a madhouse with cars double parked by the lot attendants.

Bhan Khanom Thai, Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood

Two-Hundred and counting....

2011-09-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is my 200th posting on my blog Foraging Seattle...

Out of curiosity, I'd like to provide you some statistics of what kind of traffic I've been getting to my website and what postings have brought the most views.

As of today, 18 September 2011, there have been....

12,243 views of my blog
820 views in the month of August!

.. of which the 10 most read posts are...

Chow King (467)
Manapua (333)
Seattle Light Rail (225)
Bakery Laleh - North Vancouver (219)
Seattle Police Motorcycle (180)
Thai Sweets... the first of many posts (153)
Dick's Drive-In (149)
Moon Cake (148)
BKT - Bhan Khanom Thai (97)
Sora Japanese Restaurant (DTW) (88).

People from all around the world are visiting as well...

United States of America (8,039)
Thailand (649)
Canada (501)
Germany (237)
Netherlands (194).

It has been a lot of fun posting about the places I've been to, the foods I've tasted and showing you samples of my photos taken in and around Seattle. These months have been very busy for me and at times I've wondered if I should continue posting or not. Well, by looking at the statistics above, I think I've got at least another 200 more posts coming your way.

Dream Machine

Thank you for the views, comments and for your time where I've been able to share a little of my world with you. Keep on coming back.

San Phra Phoom Shrine - ศาลพระภูมิ

2011-09-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

We finally made our way to ThaiTown and a lot has changed in one year. What I looked forward to from last year was not there this time around. Our much loved massage place has lost its luster and the woman making Thai desserts was gone.

Phra Phrohm

One thing that didn't change was the large shrine located at the front of the Thailand Plaza building on Hollywood Boulevard. Thailand Plaza houses a restaurant, large grocery and a bookstore. The building marks the center of the ThaiTown neighborhood because of its bright pink color and tall sign that can be seen easily from a distance.

Four Faces Eight Arms

At the front of the plaza is a large shrine dedicated to Brahma. Brahma is the Hindu god of creation. He is easily recognized because of his 8 arms and 4 faces. Each face and item held in the hand of each arm represents a different aspect of his significance. Thai people call Brahma "พระพรหม" (Phra Prohm). There is a similar shrine located in the center of Bangkok near the main shopping centers and many worshippers can be seen there offering incense, young coconuts, little carved elephants and traditional Thai dance performances. Unlike the shrine in Bangkok, this shrine is not as busy but covered with offerings nonetheless.

A few years ago when I was last in Bangkok, I remember standing at the BTS - Skytrain platform overlooking the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok. It was busy with worshippers, hawkers and people performing traditional Thai dance.

The Erawan Shrine was created in 1956 when the now gone Erawan Hotel started experiencing problems such as construction problems, cost overruns and worker injuries. Apparently the foundation of the building was started on the wrong date and astrologers were consulted and told those in charge to build this shrine to placate whatever was causing the problems. The shrine is visited by people from all over the world and sometimes I've seen it referred to as the Four Faced Buddha shrine. Now you know, this isn't Buddhist at all but is in fact a Hindu shrine. The performance above is by Chaiya Mitrchai (ไชยา มิตรชัย) who is a famous likay actor. Likay is type of drama that contains improvised Thai classical dance with spoken drama. It's an odd mix of sequined nightgowns and Thai style costumes which can look quite odd to those unfamiliar with it. It's very Thai in its own way by consisting of a mixture of what appears to be two contrasting themes that are blended into one.

Thailand Plaza, 5321 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA

Kindred Spirit

2011-09-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

As we headed back to our rental car for our drive to Hollywood, we came across a large hall that was decorated with a mural of the Our Lady of Guadalupe.

My New Friend

The large building must have been a rental hall of some sort as we could see people dressed up for what seemed to be a special occasion. There were little girls in their frilly dresses made of fine material along with boys in men wearing guayabera shirts. There was also a good representation of guys dressed head to toe in Mexican cowboy gear as well.

Standing outside of the hall were a few photographers and that's where I met the lady in the photo above. She's a photographer and it appears that she offered to take photos of people who were coming in and out of the hall. What attracted to me was her camera of which type I had not seen in years. I asked her, "May I take a photo of you and your camera?" She looked at me and answered in Spanish (to which I didn't know what she was saying). So I tried my best to explain to her that I liked her camera. I said to her, "Yo mucho gusto tu camera." She smiled and said thank you to me. I gestured to her that I wanted to take her photo to which she smiled at me once again. She pointed to the sample photos in her hand and I made sure to capture them in the frame of my screen. She gave me a warm smile and I took her photo. I showed her the photo and she smiled once again.

At the end of the exchange I offered her a dollar and she said to me, "No, no, no." I smiled back at her and told her, "Muchas gracias." To which she replied, "De nada." I gave her a warm smile and waved goodbye as we walked away. She stood there smiling.

Her smile was warm and motherly. It was nice to see that even beyond words, kindred spirits really do understand one another.

Olvera Street Mexican Dance

2011-09-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

Seeing something about a different culture always interests me because I have been naturally curious about people and differences since I was a little kid. That interest alone is why I had many pen-pals from around the world and it was always a thrill to see a letter from the other side of the world plastered with stamps that gave me a glimpse into another culture.

Mexican Dancer

Upon ending our jaunt through the Olvera Street shops, we heard drumbeats coming from a distance. So we headed to a plaza where we found two very large drums and three people dressed in elaborate costumes dancing. The plaza was hot and uncovered but people gathered around mesmerized by the movements of the performers.

Moving to the Beat

I am not sure what kind of dancing this was but all I could think of was either Maya or Aztec. I'll have to ask my friend Jessica (we call her Yessica because that's how her mom pronounces her name) what kind of costumes these are. Jessica is the leader of a local Mexican folk dance troupe here in Seattle. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch her at one of their performances. The last one I saw them do at the Seattle Center for Cinco de Mayo was beautiful.

Agile Dancers

My impressions of the dance was that it was something very tribal and included a lot of jumping, skipping and hopping around with arm movements that seemed to focus on lifting something from the earth to the sky. Perhaps it was a dance that had religious significance. There was no singing or sounds made by the dancers as they went through their movements which made one focus solely on the gestures and movements of the dance. Their head dresses were elaborate and made of colorful feathers that moved gracefully with the agile movements and steps made by the performers.

The dance area was designated by a few small baskets where onlookers could drop a handful of change or a dollar or two in appreciation of the performance. It was a very hot afternoon and I admire their ability to perform such a physically demanding dance that I happily left them a token of my appreciation.

Mexican Candy and Taquitos - Los Angeles

2011-09-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

One of the things I look forward to where ever I go is trying the local food and snacks. Olvera Street had some great treats that helped with appreciating the Mexican atmosphere of the area.

Snack and Candy Shoppe

Among the various stalls selling all kinds of souvenirs and clothing were two stalls that specialized in Mexican candies and snacks. It was really interesting to see candied fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, sweet potato and pumpkin for sale along with different kinds of candies made with tamarind. I purchased a piece of sweet potato but found it to be too sweet for my taste. Perhaps it was this particular stall's supplier that made it this sweet and I was hoping that sometime in the future I could try another piece that would have more of a sweet potato taste to it than sugar.

Candies

I saw marshmallow pops covered in chocolate (how they withstood the heat is beyond me), Japanese peanuts (peanuts covered in a crispy shell) and various sweet and sour candies. They were cheap and reasonably priced which made spending a couple of bucks worth the chance to try something you've never had before. While the individually wrapped candies were displayed in baskets on the counter in front of you, the candied fruits and vegetables were kept in a plastic/glass case.

Mini-Taqeuria

At the far end of the mall towards East Cesar Chavez Avenue was a little restaurant that sold burritos, enchiladas and taquitos. I walked up to the counter and saw a plate full of ready to go taquitos. I opted for 3 taquitos and a cup of horchata for Bill.

Rolled Tacos

The taquitos were about the size and thickness of a fat cigar. Biting into the taquito I noted that it was not greasy or oily at all. The crunch was great when paired with the meaty filling on the inside. I opted for a side of salsa roja instead of the green sauce that was ladled over the taquitos that I saw done for other customers. This were great tasting because they were meaty, crunchy and filling all at once. The salsa made a great pairing with the meaty snack by introducing spice and zest to the experience.

Horchata

Bill loves horchata and with the sweltering heat that day, an iced cup of it was sure refreshing. I had a sip of it which had a hint of cinnamon and the naturally sweet and floral fragrance of rice. Personally I prefer jamaica much more and got a cup of it later at another stall.

Salty, spicy, sweet and floral... what other kind of taste experience could you ask for?

Olvera Street - Los Angeles

2011-09-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

We wanted to take a look at the influence of Mexican culture on California so we decided to stop at Olvera Street in Los Angeles.

The Alley

The weekend we were in Los Angeles, it was really hot. It was almost 90 degrees that day with dry heat. This made me realize that we're really spoiled here in Seattle with our temperate climate and with 80F you can hear people lamenting, "Oh gawd its so hot!" Thankfully, Olvera Street is shaded by a canopy of trees.

Olvera Street is located near the old Chinatown and is famous for being the site of one of Los Angeles' oldest surviving structures known as the Avila Adobe. I actually saw it when I was there and took a look at it from the outside. Like the name says, its an adobe structure with a very strong Spanish feel to it. I'm surprised with the number of earthquakes that have occurred in Southern California the structure is still standing.

Huaraches

Mexican Revolutionary

Olvera Street had all kinds of Mexican handicrafts. There was clothing of all types including huaraches (traditional woven leather sandals), guayabera shirts, leather belts and Mexican themed t-shirts. My favorite t-shirt there said, "If any one can, a MexiCAN!" I got myself a very nice guayabera shirt. There were many to choose from. Unfortunately it was made in China. The sales clerk told me the original guayabera shirts are very expensive because the embroidery is done by hand. I'll save my money for when I go to Mexico and get one tailor made.

Woven Bags

One thing I noticed was there were lots of native crafts such as these woven shoulder bags. The pattern on the bags were very interesting along with their colors which ranged from dark and black to rainbow hues. What I noticed with some of the patterns were the images of flowers and other nature based motifs that you can also find in Thai or Filipino traditional weaving.

Belts

As I mentioned earlier, there were lots of cowboy related items there as well including hats, buckles and leather belts that were all made in Mexico. I checked out the belts and the quality of the leather was good. It was strong yet supple at the same time. You could get a nice looking belt and match it up with a buckle all in one stop. One thing I did notice was there were no stalls selling cowboy boots made in Mexico. It would have been good to see some up close and even try a pair on to see how they fit. I've seen lots of Mexican guys wearing them but so far have not had a chance to try a pair on. Ostrich and alligator seem to be popular choices for Mexican made cowboy boots.

The end is near!

I had heard about the rumor that the world as we know it is going to end in 2012 according to the Maya calendar. I don't know if it is true or not. This reminds me of a program that I saw on TV a few months ago about an island in the Pacific that the Maya supposedly sailed to in order to construct a monument that would allow one to view an eclipse that would signal the end of the earth. It was riveting to watch but I didn't think it was all too credible.

Ceramic Skulls

Another noticeable theme were items produced for Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. There were all kinds of skull themed items and figurines of skeletons in various activities such as weddings, studying in a classroom and hanging out at home. Don't get this mixed up with Halloween as dia de los muertos is actually to welcome back the souls of familly members and friends who have passed away.

Mariachi

Throughout Olvera Street you could hear Mexican music both pre-recorded and live. At the various restaurants along the street you can hear mariachis singing romantic songs to diners with the hopes that they will be rewarded with a few dollars tip. I really liked the sound and hearty voices of the singers. It was very nice and romantic as it made you feel like you were in Mexico.

Although touristy and full of knickknacks that you assuredly don't need, Olvera Street has lots of subject matter for photographers. People, items for sale and the colorful stalls make the stroll through the marketplace a fun experience for the tourist in all of us.

Olvera Street, Downtown Los Angeles. (Intersection of N. Alameda and East Cesar E Chavez)

Virgin America to LAX

2011-09-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Being on the West Coast there are a good number of airlines flying up and down this end of the country which makes flying a breeze. I used to fly Alaska but now I choose to fly Virgin America when traveling to California.

The Big Bird

We worked a full day and got home early enough to do some last minute packing for our trip. When we secured the house, left lots of food and water for the cat and did one last check of our IDs, we headed down our alley and caught the bus to the Sound Transit Light Rail Station along MLK. Bus fare was $2.50 (pay on the way out) and it cost another $2.50 for the light rail direct to SeaTac Airport. It was a very good deal and with the number of people on the train, lots of us were taking advantage of the cost savings compared to a cab fare of $40+ from anywhere in Seattle to the airport.

Fuel

This was the first time that I went with just a carry on. I usually check in one piece of luggage and have a carry on. I wasn't sure if I packed enough (everyone tells me I always over pack) but it turned out that I had enough for the trip with a little extra. There is really something liberating when you have less. The less you have the less you have to worry about. Plus with the limited space available for my things, I was less inclined to buy stuff that I really didn't need.

Mood Lighting

One thing you will notice about Virgin America is the mood lighting of the aircraft when you enter the airplane. It was a small A320 that took us between Seattle and Los Angeles and it was a full flight. There are great entertainment options including music videos, streaming radio and television along with pay per view movies. One thing I remembered was never to press the TV program guide. Each time I did it, it froze my screen and I couldn't get anything to work until the flight crew reset my AVOD.

A little over 2 hours later we were in Los Angeles. At 11 p.m. the airport was a madhouse with people and traffic at a standstill in the arrival area. Motorcycle cops were there to enforce strict parking rules and they were everywhere. I was glad our hotel was less than 5 minutes away on Century Boulevard. The trip from the arrival area to the hotel was about 35 minutes. I heard one man come on board the bus complaining how he and his family had been waiting nearly an hour as bus after bus had passed them.

LAX is not one of my favorite airports... its hectic, hot, dirty and you have to do a lot of walking... at least the lines are not long like they are at the immigration counter in Bangkok.

Going on a trip...

2011-08-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

... to Los Angeles for the weekend.

Since Bill started his new job we can only take trips that are on the weekends. When I told Bill that there were special fares along the West Coast a couple of months ago, we snatched up two tickets. It was either LA or San Francisco and LA won out because, according to Bill, it's a little more edgy.

When we are down there we plan on hitting Olvera Street, the Hollywood Sign and Observatory, Chinatown if we can squeeze it in and of course ThaiTown. Bill enjoyed ThaiTown because of the food and the great massage we got there. We are both looking forward to the massage the most. The last time we were there in LA, we tried to drive to see the Hollywood Sign close up but ended up in Burbank near Universal Studios.

On the agenda without a doubt will be Bhankhanomthai where we can get traditional Thai desserts. I found the video above so for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to visit ThaiTown, you can get a look at one of my favorite shops to visit.

We'll be back in a few days and I'll have a camera full of photos to share. See you soon.

Taqueria El Sabor - Kent, WA

2011-08-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been having this craving for things like tacos rancheros, flautas and tacos dorados. Notice the fried theme going on there in list.

Mexican Drive-In

A few weeks ago, Bill and I found ourselves driving through Kent one night. I think we just wanted to get out of the house because it was so hot. We put the dog in the truck and headed south looking for some grocery to meander through to pass the time in air conditioned comfort. I remember seeing some cool looking motorcycles while we were riding through Kent then I saw this brightly lit hole in the wall drive-in. At some point in time, it must have been a hamburger joint or something but the signs on the windows clearly noted Mexican favorites such as menudo, pozole, tacos and all kinds of specials.

Order Up!

As we approached the entrance to the restaurant, I took a peek at the clientele and noted that almost everyone in there was Mexican/Hispanic. Everyone was chomping down like there was no tomorrow. I just knew in all of my dining experience that this was going to be pretty doggone good. The well lit menu above the cash registers showed what each of the dishes were along with their names. I was surprised to see that most of the food could be purchased for around $5 and I saw whole fried fish available for $9. What a bargain! They even have Mexican drinks such as horchata, tamarindo and agua de flor de jamaica (which I cannot get enough of, mind you). Drinks are not allowed to be shared and you will be pointed to a large sign above the wall that says so.

Tacos con pollo

Bill is very careful of his diet and usually orders chicken or fish when possible. He opted for 3 tacos on corn tortillas. He made a stop at the condiment counter that had various types of salsa, pickled carrots and onions, cut radishes and some type of salsa made with cabbage. He opted for the sour carrot pickles.

Chicken Tacos

Bill's chicken tacos arrived first and I told him, "Let me take pictures first!" It was a beautiful arrangement of minced chicken stewed in Mexican spices topped with minced cilantro, onions and salsa. He dug right in and was very quiet. I didn't know if he was quiet because it wasn't good or it was good and didn't want to be disturbed. He reached for his second one, poured more salsa and before you know it, he was done with his plate. He really enjoyed it. He loves soft chicken tacos including these.

Tacos Rancheros

A few minutes after Bill's plate arrived, so did mine. I was so happy to see my fried rolls covered with a few spoonfuls of guacamole. They looked so good. I ordered chicken and they were delicious. To each bite I added two types of salsa (one was a brown sauce and the other was the one made of chopped cabbage) for more heat. They were crunchy and tasty while the spiciness of the salsa added a additional kick to the dish. I was glad to see that they were not oily either. Although I do enjoy fried food, I don't like it when its oily.

Rolled Taco Close Up

As we were sitting there eating, I bit into one of the tacos I had ordered and said to Bill, "Wow, this is some dark chicken." They had made a mistake and given me a beef one by accident which made me realize that these were pre-made ahead of time then deep fried before serving. Either way, they were both good. I enjoyed all three of mine. Unfortunately, Bill ate one whole after saying, "Let me have a bite." They key word in that sentence is "a"... oh well, the things we do for love.

Please take the time to stop by this little eatery in Kent for a cheap late night snack or quick lunch. Service is fast, pleasant and friendly. This won't be my last time to visit. I'm sure I'll be back here again and again.

Taqueria El Sabor, 501 N Central Ave, Kent, 253.520.0161

Pandan Cupcakes

2011-08-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

I have a very nice Thai friend that is kind enough to share her surprises me with some of the wonderful things that come out of her kitchen and imagination. Her pandan cupcakes were definitely a hit with me and my family.

Coconut and Pandan Cupcake

Pandan is that nutty and somewhat vanilla tasting flavoring used in many Southeast Asian desserts. The pandan cupcakes made by my friend was a wonderful blending of Thai flavorings on an American classic - the cupcake.

Off with the wrapper...

The pandan cupcakes consisted of a coconut flavored cupcake that was topped with butter cream frosting sprinkled with freshly shaved coconut. Yes, there was no use of store bought grated coconut flavored with sugar from the grocery on this dessert. The coconut was hand shaved/grated with a special tool to ensure freshness. The frosting was then crowned with tiny dollops of pandan custard.

Even more pandan custard!

The pandan custard used to fill these cupcakes is also known as sangkaya which is a custard made with eggs, pandan and coconut milk. I am not sure how it is made but there are two versions of sangkaya. There is sangkaya fak thong which is Thai custard that is steamed with or in pumpkin. The second version is one that is more like a spread that is used with toast. The second version is used with these cupcakes due to its creamier and more pudding like consistency.

Ready for the party

The cupcakes were moist and somewhat dense due to the sangkaya custard. You could definitely taste the essence of coconut in the cake. The frosting was light and airy which helped with tempering the denseness of the cupcake. Nevertheless, the combination of a very tropical tasting dessert in a familiar classic really showcased a successful blending of Thai and American desserts. This is one dessert I have not yet seen at Thai bakeries and perhaps because of this post, we may see them there soon.

Zest Fast Food

2011-08-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

The enigma of Rainier Avenue... Zest Fast Food.

Drive Up and Drive Off

Driving up and down Rainier Avenue for the past 5 years or so, I've come across the little drive thru with a sign above that said Zest Fast Food. The building itself was somewhat of a mystery because they seemed to have odd hours as if they were opened whenever they felt like working. Driving by with the windows shuttered up with large plywood covers made me wonder if they were closed for the day or closed for good.

My curiosity got the best of me and I went online to see if it was still open for business and to my happiness, yes it was! I kept my eye open for that odd day when it would be open. I decided to chance it and call them by phone to place an order. Someone picked up and I thought to myself, this HAS to make it onto the blog as I know I am not the only person wondering about this place.

Like the sign says... drive thru only.

Zest sits on a small parking lot right on Rainier Avenue. There are no tables for outside eating and the only other place I can think of sitting there and eating is in your car or a few blocks away at Seward Park or Genessee Park in Columbia City. I decided on fried mushrooms, a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry pop.

Fried Mushrooms

I placed my order and by the time I got there in all of 10 minutes, it was sitting in a bag near the front drive up window. A little Asian lady came to the window and asked what I wanted and I told her I pre-ordered. Right away she said to me, "Bacon cheeseburger." I grinned and said, "That's me." I asked for a strawberry pop and watched as one of her coworkers (it appeared to be her son or brother) went to the soda pop fountain and from underneath reached for a jug of bright red strawberry syrup. It was then filled up with carbonated water. It was sa-weeet. The mushrooms appeared to be hand dipped and dropped into very hot oil. The outsides were crispy and the insides were a little too soft for my liking. I think I would go with the onion rings next time.

Pork + Beef + Cheese

The big thing to write about in this post would be the burger. When I ate this cheeseburger the first thing I thought of was a homemade burger. The patty was big enough but the size, slices of tomatoes and pieces of hand torn lettuce reminded me of something that my mom would be making for my nephews and I. Every burger joint has their own version of a secret sauce and Zest's is mild and not overwhelming at all. You could definitely taste the burger, bacon and tomato. It was a simple and well made burger. The price was reasonable as well at around $2.

Zest is located in a predominantly African-American neighborhood which was why I was hoping for for a fast food place that would serve Soul food options such as sweet potato pie, collard greens, corn bread, wings, brisket and barbecue. The closest thing that I found on their menu that resembled anything close to Soul food was the option of adding a hot link to your burger which is similar to the soul burger offered at Thompson's Point of View. From what I was told a Soul burger is one made with bacon, cheese and a hot link split down the middle... that reminds me, if you do go to TPV, be sure to get hoe cakes!

Zest Fast Food is located in a neighborhood that some people say is dangerous. Its part of my extended neighborhood and I'm proud of the businesses and people that live here. I'm especially thankful for the people who stay in the neighborhood and invest in small businesses that provide options for people to shop and dine near their homes. In regards to the burger at Zest's, it's working class at working class prices. You could always pay more for something similar if you choose. But why?

Zest Fast Food, 7111 Rainier Ave S (Rainier and S. Myrtle), 206.725.6850.. you call it in.

Entomology Mystery

2011-08-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

We were eating breakfast this morning when I looked out the window and saw a HUGE bug on the window.

Urban Entomology

From the inside of the house where we were sitting, I could only focus on the size of the bug. I told Bill, "Is that a cicada?" He thought it was about the right size of one but just a tad smaller. So we went outside to take a look at it and saw the most beautiful bug. By the way, yes, I do realize the screen needs to be washed. It's one of our tasks this summer.

Natural Beauty

The bug itself must be about an inch and a half long and about a half inch at its widest part. I liked the beautiful earth colors and stripes. I had never seen anything like this.

If any of you entomologists are out there and can identify what this bug/beetle is, please let us know.

As of 10.18 a.m. this morning, it's still sitting out there enjoying the Seattle sun.

The Cat

2011-08-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've been gone from my blog for about 2 months now. I apologize for my absence. I missed posting and writing about all the interesting things going on around me.

Unfortunately about 6 weeks ago we lost our cat. She ran away when we took her to the vet which I believe happened because she was so angry at getting shots. We went looking for her for 2 weeks every night. I took her bowl and put some of her cat treats in it and shook it around hoping that she would come out of any bushes or places she would be hiding. After two weeks of doing so, I gave up and decided that if she was going to come home, she'll find her way home somehow. Occasionally, as I would drive by the vets office where she ran away, I would drive around the blocks a couple of times just hoping I would spot her. Apparently, I took it hard when we lost the cat.

People called and left messages on our phone telling us of all kinds of ways to capture her and bring her home. One person called saying she spotted the cat but when she went to check on it, the owner claimed her and said, "Nope this one's mine."

A dear friend of mine who I talked to about the cat said to me, "It was just part of her journey to run away. She's an indoor-outdoor cat so she's pretty resourceful. She'll survive somehow." Well, I wanted her to survive in my house and yard catching birds and harassing squirrels. It took me a while to accept that she wasn't coming home. I made my peace with it and prayed that she would be safe in a good home making someone happy by bringing them joy like she did to Bill and I.

I was absolutely amazed by the kindness of strangers. People telling me how sad and sorry that they were that I lost my cat. Staff at the Seattle Animal Shelter broke down and cried with me when I was checking the roster for lost, found and deceased cats. I totally lost it when I started looking through the cages hoping to find her. It was hard to keep it inside me. I am sure it was something to see a middle-aged bear of a guy breaking down in the Animal Shelter looking for a tiny missing cat. If you have a pet, you'll understand. A pet is a member of your family. There is no other way to explain it.

Then... last week Wednesday I got a phone call.

Yes... someone found the cat. She called and told me, "I think your cat is eating out on my deck right now. She's been coming around for 3 days. She's friendly but awfully frightened. She's got a good set of claws. She really tore up my friend's arm when we tried to put her in a box." Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe it... I totally ignored the tore up arm comment and focused on the fact that the cat was alive. So I went over there that afternoon and sat and waited. In a few minutes, there she was just feet from me eating her food. She was so skinny and her fur looked like she was combed backwards. I sat there wondering if she would remember me and after 10 minutes or so, she came up to me and started rubbing her face and body against my leg and hands. She was purring.

Bill and I tried twice to put her into a box carrier to take her home. We were unsuccessful. We had to rent a cat trap from the vet's office and sure enough we caught her. She's safely home now and we're keeping her in the house for at least two weeks to get her acclimated and establish her ownership of the property once again.

Safe and Sound

All I can say is that I am happy she's home. Our family is complete once again.

Pinto Bistro - Broadway, Capitol Hill

2011-08-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

I remember when I moved here nearly 20 years ago, Thai restaurants could be counted on the tips of the fingers of both hands. Now, Thai restaurants have sprouted up naturally like mushrooms in the Seattle rain.

Broadway Street Scene

Broadway Ave on Capitol Hill has in the last two years changed with new shops, restaurants and various small businesses. Some people say the neighborhood has lost much of its charm while others say that it was about time something changed. Personally, I like the change and welcome it. Late last winter we felt like trying a few familiar Thai dishes in a new surrounding. We came across Pinto on Broadway and decided to stop in.

You would not know it was a Thai restaurant by the decor which had a woody Ikea like feel to it with little decoration. The only hint that this was a Thai restaurant was the lone Buddhist altar located near the top of one wall and the procession of Thai dishes leaving the kitchen. Then there was also restaurant staff speaking Thai in hushed tones.

BBQ Chicken Tenders Thai Style = Sate

We started with chicken sate that was served with a side of peanut sauce and cucumber relish. The chicken tenders were soft and juicy with little portions of crisped meat from the grill. There was a pronounced aroma of yellow curry to this dish which paired perfectly with the peanut sauce and tart cucumber relish.

Sushi at a Thai Restaurant? Why not!?!

One thing I noticed in Ohio was that many Thai restaurants there also served sushi on their menu. There was always this Thai-Japanese fusion thing going on. This is the first time I've encountered this in Seattle. Bill wanted a California Roll which was promptly served with a pinch of wasabi and pickled ginger. Bill liked it and enjoyed the real crab meat that comprised the inside of the roll. No crab with a "k" here. Krab meat, get it?

Minced Chicken Salad = Laap Gai

Bill wanted laap kai and was served a coarsely minced mixture of chicken, shallots, cilantro, green onions, basil and mint. The dressing was perfectly sour as Bill had requested more lime in his dressing. This is a healthy salad with lots of protein and little fat since the dressing is made of sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. It's a great option for people looking for less fat in their diet. By the way, the serving was large and quite satisfying for the both of us. It was served with a sliver of raw cabbage which gave texture to the dish.

Samurai Phad Thai

I decided to go with the fusion theme and ordered the Samurai Phad Thai. Essentially its phad thai with prawn tempura on it. What I did like about this dish was that no ketchup was used in making the noodles. There noodle sauce was comprised of tamarind juice, fish sauce and palm sugar. The mixture made for a savory sweet taste that accompanied the chewy noodles well. The tempura on the top of the dish seemed out of place and reminded me of a one dish meal comprised both of the appetizer (tempura) and main course (noodles).

Store Front

For those of you who do not speak Thai, a pinto is a Thai version of the lunch box. They are little metal bowls that can be stacked upon one another and held together with a brace that forms a handle to carry it. I think there is something similar to this in India called a dabawalla.

Our meal at pinto was satisfying and having the option of ordering sushi with your phad thai might be a good idea for those who want to have a pan-Asia dining experience. Just be sure to order your sushi in English and not Japanese if you are so inclined to do so. It will definitely avoid any miscommunication here. ありがとうございます... oops, I meant to say ขอบคุณมากครับ... thank you.

Pinto Bistro, 408 Broadway East, Capitol Hill, Seattle 206.724.0559

Miss-tery My Cat

2011-06-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

Keep your camera with you as much as possible if you're a photo-buff or photographer in training.

Feline Pose #1

I'm one of those lucky people who get to telecommute from home once a week. I am thankful that I have a job where I can work from the comfort of my own home. It allows me to not have to fight for a parking space at work nor wake up early to get dressed up for the day. Yes, its nice to work in shorts and a t-shirt. Most of all, I like the silence and lack of distracting noise. I notice that I've become more sensitive to noise as I've gotten older.

Feline Pose #2

One day at home during my lunch hour, I looked out my window and saw our cat sitting on the banister of the porch. She looked warm and content there sitting in the midday sun that winter day. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few photos of her.

I'm not sure which one I like best among the two. Its probably because I'm still trying to figure out why she doesn't have any eyebrow whiskers above her left eye.

The mysterious life of my cat.... How intriguing she is.

Bangkok City

2011-06-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

One of my friends here in Seattle just came back from Bangkok this past Saturday. At work today, we talked about her trip home and all the things she did.

Our conversation made me miss Bangkok terribly. It reminded me of all the fun memories I had when I was there 4 years ago.... คิดถึงกรุงเทพฯมากเลย....

Curry Puff

2011-06-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Remember I told you about curry puffs and how good they are? Fortunately, I found a picture of some that I had some time ago.

Curry Puff

Luckily as I was going through the photos on my hard drive, I came across this picture of some curry puffs that my friend's mom, Mae Mawn (แม่มอญ) made for Bill and I. Notice how flaky the crust is?

Mae Mawn's curry puffs were tasty and good for the belly. Starting from the outside, here is how I'd describe them. Each puff was about 3.5" long and about 1.75" at its widest point. The edge of the puff, which is rolled into a twisted crust, was firm and crunchy. The area surrounding the stuffing was crunchy and chewy. Mae Mawn's puffs had a pronounced flavor of curry powder and chili pepper. They were a tad spicy but for the tastiness and overall burn sensation factor, you only realized the heat after your third one. The stuffing contained diced potato chunks, ground chicken and onions.

I wish you could have had enjoyed them with me.

One time when I went to Ohio with Bill, we were at a Thai restaurant where I had ordered curry puffs. I was thinking to myself that the waitress would come out of the kitchen with a place of something like the picture above. Instead, she came out with a plate of six wontons of a weak flavored chicken and potato curry stuffing. Bill and I looked at each other and thought, "Ooooh, these are NOT like Mae Mawn's." To add insult to injury they were served with an overly sweet dipping sauce.

We ate them anyway since we didn't want to waste our money. Disappointed, yes. Satisfied, no... don't pass up the real thing if you ever have the chance. Take my word for it.

Hawaiian Plants in Seattle? Let's see...

2011-06-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

On our last trip to Hawaii, I was able to spot these plant cuttings (is that what you call them, help me botany people out there) that had pre-passed agricultural inspection and were packed ready to ship to the Mainland US. You can find these at the airport and shopping malls.

Bits of Hawaii and Aloha

I picked two different plants to take back to Seattle. First was the bamboo orchid and the second was a kahili ginger. Both plants would remind me of our last trip to the islands. I especially liked spending time taking in the natural wonders of Kauai.

Let me out...

The plant cuttings were packed in a type of dried moss with water sprayed into them to keep the plants moist. One of the plants, the kahili ginger, had a little green stub coming out of it. I thought this would start growing right away but in the month that I have had it in little pots filled with potting soil here in the house, I haven't had anything come out of the dirt yet. (sigh)

I'll keep watering and hoping that these break the surface of the soil soon. Getting them to bloom is a whole other story. The cold weather here in Seattle isn't helping either. I can't believe its the end of May and it's still a little cold and overcast. Summer could not come too soon.

Khanom Pia ขนมเปี๊ยะ

2011-05-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have a Thai friend who makes desserts as a hobby. She is a great cook and I am very lucky to have her as a friend because I get to taste all the great things that come out of her kitchen.

Khanom Pia

A few months ago, she gave me a Chinese inspired dessert called khanom pia in Thai. This is similar to a Filipino pastry known as hopia. Both hopia and khanom pia feature a flaky non-crunchy crust that contains a mashed bean mixture. There are different flavors of this pastry such as sweet, savory and salty. In fact, for the saltier versions you may find a salted duck yolk in there for taste and texture. You can see a different type of khanom pia at this link from a Thai website. I remember when one of my Thai friends came back to Seattle from visiting her family in Bangkok, she came back with a huge plastic container full of khanom pia that was slightly bigger than your thumb. There must have been hundreds of them in the container and it was hard to stop eating them like you do when opening a bag of potato chips.

Layered Crust

The particular khanom pia that was given to me by my friend was savory in flavor. Each was a little smaller than the size of a golf ball. In fact, three or four of these could be small lunch. The crust of each piece was a display of the intricate work that was done when creating this dessert. Evenly spaced concentric layers of a soft crust covered the savory filling of taro and smoked bacon. On a few of the pieces was a coriander leaf for added visual appeal.

Savory Taro Filling

When I opened my bag of 5 khanom pia, I was immediately met with a smoky savory flavor. My mouth started to water. I sliced one in half and saw the smoothly mashed taro which was infused with tiny chunks of bacon, black pepper and possibly bacon grease. Other Thai versions of this pastry I've had made by Khanom Baan Ayakarn ขนมบ้านอัยการ (I can't find a link to their website) are also savory but have replaced the bits of bacon with a mixture of dried shrimp, white pepper and cilantro.

My friend made her creation very Thai by actually steeping the finished product with the smoke of a scented candle. This process is known as op thian and has been explained by the author of one of my favorite websites, She Simmers. The process of infusing the dessert with a scented candle leaves a peculiar taste to those unaccustomed. But for those who have learned to appreciate it, the taste is uniquely Thai.

My friend's khanom pia was a hearty version of the smaller commercially made ones you can find at Thai groceries or bakeries. I loved it because it satiated my adoration of all things bacon for just that moment. After thinking about it, bacon khanom pia was fusion food at its best.

There are lots more to write about from my friend's kitchen which I will be happy to share with you, my friends and faithful readers of my blog. Its great to have connections with such a wonderful cook.

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-05-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Bill loves to bake. He's in his own little world when he's in the kitchen mixing flour, butter, eggs and sugar into all kinds of things to eat. In his little world of baking he is happy.

Rolled Up and Ready for the Oven

Yesterday, Bill decided to make homemade Cinnamon Rolls. Cinnamon is from the dried bark of a tree and has been used for centuries in cooking and medicine. Cinnamon's medicinal benefits are reportedly good for curing bad breath and curbing tobacco use. There are all kinds of links on the Internet where you can read about it. It is one of the ingredients in one of my favorite Thai curries, Massaman.

Pre-Baking Close Up

I just asked Bill about what was the trickiest thing about this particular recipe and he said that it was getting the dough to rise in a cold room! Yes, we've had a really funky year so far in Seattle. It was warm for a few days earlier this week and we thought for sure Spring and Summer were on its way but today its overcast and nippy. Bill actually remarked that the rolls were quite easy and fun to make. Did I tell you that one time Bill and I made a Pumpkin Roll Cake. Its easier than you think!

Finished Product + ตึกช้าง

When they were done, he gave me one without any cream cheese frosting on it. I think cream cheese frosting is disgusting. I don't think its the taste of cream cheese itself that disgusts me but the texture of it especially if its melted all over a bagel. Anyway, enough about my peculiarities. The finished product was very good. I liked how it rose up just enough and the sugar and cinnamon mixture was melted and slightly gooey. Compared to the rolls you can get at the shopping mall, I liked these because of their small size. We've super-sized everything in this country and I think the recession taught us that we can actually live and do well with less. It is a blessing in disguise.

For those of you looking at the picture of the finished roll that was taken on my desk, do you know where the picture behind the plate is from? Its a very famous building in Bangkok.

I'll keep posting about the great things that Bill makes in the kitchen. Trust me, there's lots more to talk and post about!

Pumpkin Butter - Ohio

2011-05-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

During our last trip to Ohio together, we stopped at a store that featured Amish handicrafts, furniture and foods. One souvenir we brought back to Seattle was Pumpkin Butter.

Keim Family Market Pumpkin Butter

I've seen Apple Butter before at stores and perhaps its a recipe that traces its American origins to the Midwest and East Coast that I do not see it readily available or spoken of here on the West Coast. Doing a little research online, I found that it actually traces its origins to Europe and has been a way of preserving fruit for many centuries.

You Snooze, You Lose

After coming back from our Ohio trip, I settled back into our Seattle life and one day when I was going through the refrigerator, I saw a little jar with a white lid. I looked at it and read the label. My mind immediately went back to our trip. Unfortunately when I unscrewed the lid and looked into the jar, I only found enough pumpkin butter to perhaps cover a small slice of toast. I let out a slight sigh and thought to myself there has to be something left there for me to try.

Spreadable Pumpkin Pie

Being the resourceful person that I am, I was able to grab a small spatula and scrape up what little was left in the jar. Don't be fooled by the second picture in this post. There wasn't much left. Well, after sampling that last spoon of pumpkin butter, I know very well why Bill had a heyday with it. Think of and visualize spreadable pumpkin pie without all the cholesterol. The pumpkin butter was a very creamy mixture of pumpkin, spices such as cloves and cinnamon all infused with the natural sweetness of fruit juice. It was so good. I thought this would be great on toast, ice cream or even a side condiment to a wonderful pork roast. This might even be an interesting option for those at Thanksgiving who find cranberry sauce a tad too tart for their taste.

One thing I did learn from bringing this souvenir home to Seattle was that jars of sauces or jams must be packed into your suitcase. I learned this at the TSA checkpoint in Dayton. It was no problem though. The TSA agents there simply pulled it out of my hand carry and packed it into my suitcase with all their Midwestern politeness.

Creating this post brought back a lasting impression that I got from the Keim Family Market which was one of simplicity. The furniture they had was simple yet sturdy. Their food was wholesome and natural. (They even had cured bacon that could be stored at room temperature without any refrigeration!) That same simplicity went into the pumpkin butter which made me realize I had the good fortune of tasting a recipe that had probably been handed down from generation to generation.

Ah yes, its the little things in life that leave lasting impressions in your mind, heart and tummy.

Tax Return "Booty" 2011

2011-05-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Remember last year when I extolled the tax benefits of owning a home? As I had mentioned, its great because the size of the return is often times larger since you can deduct your mortgage interest from your income. I heard that they were considering doing away with this tax write off!

I really didn't need a new pair but I thought I would splurge on myself again.

As I was very happy with my past two pairs of Lucchese boots that I had purchased I decided to go with one more. I looked around at all kinds of websites and found these beauties...

Lucchese Boots

Aren't they handsome? This year, I decided upon a pair boots made of a combination of Caiman on the toes and goat leather for the shafts. Caimans are a type of small alligator/crocodile that inhabit Central and South America. They're not endangered if you're worried about them.

Matching Toes

One of the difficult part of working with this type of leather/skin is the fact that no two pairs are exactly alike. The best you can do is to match them the best you can. Imagine the amount of time you need to find a match. I think this is the particular reason why these types of boots made with exotic skins are pricier and would fall more along the lines of small investment. When I told Bill that I purchased a pair of these the only thing he said was, "What!?!"

Side View

You will notice that the Caiman skin does not cover the whole foot of the boot but instead stops towards the instep. A full Caiman foot would probably run around a thousand bucks or more which is way out of my price range. Gosh, for that price, I better be buried in them as well for that matter. When I first purchased them I was a little worried that the stitching between the Caiman and goat skin in the instep area. I was afraid it would come apart over time but as I studied the stitching I found it to be very well done.

When I first slipped these boots on they felt great. I could feel the slight play in the cup of the heel but a firm hold at the instep. What I also noticed was that the Caiman leather was actually very firm and hard at the toe but as you moved toward the instep, the leather was quite pliable. In fact, on the sides of the boots, the leather was very soft. They felt great from the moment I took them out of the box and pulled them onto my feet.

Bob Chance

When writing up this post, I found an article from the Washington Post on Bob Chance who also enjoys his cowboy boots. Here is the link and a picture of his collection. I like his alligator skin boots. Aren't they cool?

You can find the full article from the Washington Post here.

We're almost at the end of May and on the cusp of June. Where did the first half of the year go? Another six more months and tax time will be here once more. Will I get another pair of boots next year? Probably not... no promises... I did say probably didn't I?

Lucchese Boots, El Paso, Texas

Bai Tong @ the Southcenter Parkway

2011-05-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's cold and rainy today. Let's warm it up by talking about some tasty Thai food...

I was perusing through my personal photo collection and found a few photos from Bai Tong that I took over the winter when I had dinner there with my mom and Bill. I try to get together with my mom at least once a week to catch up and see how she's doing. Mom said she enjoys our company and what better way to enjoy ourselves than having a meal together.

Image From: http://www.susanbkason.com/2010/03/31/vintage-thai/

Years ago Thai Airways International used to fly to Seattle and Dallas/Fort Worth. At that time, I don't think Thai restaurants were as numerous as they now are in Seattle. Since I moved here years and years ago, they've been popping up like mushrooms. I was told that Bai Tong was created for the Thai Airways' flight crews that would have layovers in Seattle who were hungry for an authentic taste of home. In fact, the first Bai Tong was up on Pacific Highway near the SeaTac Airport. Do any of you old timers remember the Erawan Restaurant that was located nearby? They had great food there as well. Unfortunately, it's now a part of Seattle history.

I've been going to Bai Tong (ใบตอง = bai tong = banana leaf) since I can remember. Their parking lot was usually full with a great lunch and dinner crowd. The menu has changed over the years but the quality has always been consistent and the food is reasonably priced. Since their original location, Bai Tong has moved to the Southcenter Parkway and has recently opened a new branch in Redmond near Bel-Red Road. I've been there and the interior is very modern Bangkok-style.

Appetizer: Tod Man, Poh Piah, Giaw Tawd

That night for dinner, we had three courses. We started off with an appetizer plate that had mini spring rolls (poh piah), fried fishcakes (tod man) and crispy won tons (giaw tawd). The trio is served with homemade plum sauce and a sweet and sour relish for the fishcakes. The spring rolls were stuffed with mung bean noodles, ground pork, carrots, mushroom and cabbage. The won tons were stuffed with cream cheese and crab. Some places sell these under another name you may be familiar with: Crab Rangoon. The last of the trio was tod man. Tod man is made with fresh fish that is ground down to form a paste. A little corn starch or potato starch is added as a binder and it is then seasoned to taste with sugar and salt. Added to the paste is egg, red curry paste, slivers of lime leaf and chopped string beans. They are my mom's favorite. I like tod man as well because of its spongy texture, spicy and aromatic taste.

Bai Tong Special

We then moved on to our two entrees. We ordered the Bai Tong special which contains a serving of rice to which a gravy like sauce is then ladled around it. It is finished off with a few slices of Chinese Sausage known as lap cheong (gun chiang in Thailand). The sauce contains a saute of mushrooms, chicken, bamboo shoots, onion, broccoli and won bok cabbage. The sauce itself is made with stock, fermented soybeans sauce and other flavors. I enjoy this dish because it pairs well with the rice and since there is so much served in one order, there is usually more than enough for lunch the next day. Oooh, I love Chinese sausage. Its sweet and oily. I usually ask for a side order of it with this dish.

Deep Fried and Garlicky Sweet!

Because we couldn't get enough of deep fried things that evening, we also ordered the crispy garlic chicken. Unlike the crispy garlic chicken served at other restaurants, this one seems to be more on the sweet side. Nevertheless, the pieces are perfectly moist on the inside and crispy on the outside making this a delight for the senses. In terms of taste, there is a pronounced sweetness to this dish along with a slight garlic flavor. Personally, when I order this dish, I usually ask for more garlic and chili pepper to counter the sweetness. I also enjoy the flash fried basil which is added more for decoration than taste. Like most Thai restaurants, you can ask them to tailor your dish to your taste without any problem.

For those of you who live or work on the South End, Bai Tong is not to be missed. Get there early on the weekends as there is up to a 30 minute wait during peak periods. In the event that there is a wait, go next door to Half-Priced Books and feed your mind with some interesting reading before feeding your belly. Reading is a great habit that makes you smart.

Bai Tong Restaurant, 16876 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila 206.575.3366

Leftover Lunch Time

2011-04-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

These hard economic times have made many of us, myself included, look at leftovers in a whole new light.

Today I stayed home from work because I wasn't feeling well. I finally decided to get up and off of the couch at around 9.30am and start doing some chores around the house. Lunch time finally rolled around and my thoughts moved towards the refrigerator.

Lunch Time at Home

Last week Saturday, I made a visit to the Vientaine Market which is our neighborhood Laotian market located on MLK. There, I was able to pick up some Lao sausage. It wasn't like Northeastern Thai sausage sai krok isaan which has sticky rice and garlic in it. Nor was it anything like sai ua which is a very herbal tasting sausage from Northern Thailand. It was something in between but more to the sai ua spectrum of flavors. There was lemongrass, pork, pork fat and chili pepper... and lots of it. I hadn't enjoyed sausage like this since my last trip to Los Angeles' Thaitown.

Fresh Vegetables, Grilled Sausage, Sticky Rice

When I brought the sausages home on Saturday, I asked Bill to get our little BBQ grill ready for an early dinner. It was our first truly beautiful day here in Seattle after months of overcast skies and rain. I was excited to grill my purchases. Since it was indeed uncooked and stuffed into intestines I grilled it very well. The smell was heavenly. I purchased sticky glutinous rice from Viengthong because I didn't feel like soaking then steaming the rice on my own. I was even able to purchase from the same restaurant prepared lettuce, mint, pak chee lao (a type of herb), basil and green onions to serve with the sausage.

I do recall as Bill and I excitedly started our early dinner that we both realized how hot the sausage was. I hadn't had a good mouth burn like that in a long time. I sat there at first lamenting how spicy and chili pepper hot the sausage was but then sitting and enjoying the after-burn which my mouth had once grown accustomed to many moons ago. It was a great memory brought back to life. The bite of the fresh onions, earthiness of the herbs and spiciness of the sausage were a great foray into the simple yet flavor sophisticated realm of Southeast Asian cooking.

Ruam Mit

To finish the meal off, I enjoyed the coolness of ruam mit which included handmade lawd chong noodles, tap tim chestnuts and agar jelly swimming in a sweet and creamy coconut sauce. This was served ice cold which helped to temper the chilies consumed just a few minutes before. The sauce is flavored with a slight hint of jasmine flavoring which nicely distinguishes this dessert from the herbal flavors of the sausage.

I have heard that the 98118 zip code here in Columbia City/Mountbaker has over 60 languages spoken within it's borders. This is also reflected in the tasty and exotic eats that one can readily find in the area. Not only is experimenting and foraging for these dishes fun, they don't leave much of dent in your pocket book either.

Vientaine Market, 6059 Martin Luther King Way, Seattle (don't bother calling)
Viengthong, 2820 Martin Luther King Way, Seattle 206.725.3884

Japan Earthquake

2011-04-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

The massive earthquake in Sendai, Japan happened over a month ago. I am happy to say that one of my friends living in Iwate Prefecture is alive and his family is well. Unfortunately, there are many who have not been as fortunate.

On my way to work one day, I was listening to NPR and heard a segment where Suntory Brewery created a commercial to raise the spirits of people in Japan. It was simple commercial of many famous stars singing a very well known song Ue O Muite Arukou (I look up when I walk)...

上を向いて歩こう Ue o muite arukō I look up while I walk 涙が零れないように namida ga koborenai youni So the tears won't fall 思い出す春の日 omoidasu haruno hi Remembering those spring days 一人ぼっちの夜 hitoribocchi no yoru But tonight I'm all alone 上を向いて歩こう ue o muite arukō I look up while I walk 滲んだ星をか数えてnijinda hoshi o kazoete Counting the stars with teary eyes 思い出す夏の日 omoidasu natsuno hi Remembering those summer days 一人ぼっちの夜 hitoribocchi no yoru But tonight I'm all alone 幸せは雲の上に shiawase wa kumo no ueni Happiness lies beyond the clouds 幸せは空の上に shiawase wa sora no ueni Happiness lies above the sky 上を向いて歩こう ue o muite arukō I look up while I walk 涙が零れないように namida ga koborenai youni So the tears won't fall 泣きながら歩くnakinagara aruku I cry while I walk 一人ぼっちの夜 hitoribocchi no yoru For I am alone tonight 思い出す秋の日 omoidasu akino hi Remembering those autumn days 一人ぼっちの夜 hitoribocchi no yoru But tonight I'm all alone 悲しみは星の影に kanashimi wa hoshino kageni Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars 悲しみは月の影に kanashimi wa tsukino kageni Sadness hides in the shadow of the moon 上を向いて歩こう ue o muite arukō I look up while I walk 涙が零れないように namida ga koborenai youni So the tears won't fall 泣きながら歩く nakinagara aruku My heart is filled with sorrow 一人ぼっちの夜 hitoribocchi no yoru For tonight I am alone 一人ぼっちの夜 hitoribocchi no yoru For tonight I am alone
note: lyrics and translation by kitty curious: http://kittycurious.livejournal.com/866.html

It's a song about being strong when there is loneliness and sadness in your life and happiness seems out of reach. You have to keep trying and moving along to your future happiness. Watching the video reminded me of my childhood because I remember some of the entertainers from my childhood. Everyone is getting older, new people are coming in and everything is continually changing. I hope for peace and safety for everyone affected by the earthquake. May those who lost their homes and loved ones find solace and comfort in this song as well.

Hearing this melody reminded me of my father as it was one of his favorite songs. I can still hear him singing it and picture him smiling.

Along for the Ride

2011-04-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize it but sometimes our pet dogs can become shut-ins. That explains why when we take our dog Kinsey out for a ride, she is beside herself that she starts running circles and whimpers near the garage door. The mere mention of the words ride and walk turns her into an uncontrollable ball of furry happiness and excitement.

Fido's Big Day Out

A few days ago we were out riding around doing some errands. Luckily I had my camera with me and caught this dog happily riding along in his owner's truck.

I wonder what was going on in its mind as it watched the world go by...

Thai New Year วันสงกรานต์

2011-04-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

บลอกโพสตฉบับนี้ ขออวยพรปรารถนาดีต่อเพื่อนคนไทยในเมืองไทยและอเมรีกาด้วย ขอให้เพื่อนๆ มีความสุข สุขภาพแข็งแรงนะครับ

ในปีใหม่ ขอให้เมืองไทยมีสันตีสุขและคนไทยสมัคคีร่วมใจกันอย่างเดิม เพราะคนไทยทุกคนเป็นคนใจเดียวกันครับ

Happy Thai New Year - Happy Songkran to All....

Q Bakery aka... The Angry Deli

2011-04-13T00:22:00.000-07:00

Seattle is abuzz with the whole banh mi craze. In fact, our local newspaper had a write up on it asking readers where exactly can you get the best banh mi in town. It seems odd that this has suddenly been "discovered" as banh mi has been a staple in Seattle's Little Saigon since I can remember.

Banh Mi with Pickled Carrots and Daikon Only

For those of you uninitiated to banh mi, the sandwich itself represents a fusion of Vietnamese and French cuisines. At one point in time, Vietnam was a part of French Indochina which was an overseas territory of France from 1887 - 1954. French Indochina was comprised of the countries that are presently known as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. So if you count the number of years that France colonized Vietnam, 67 for you math buffs, it was plenty enough to leave a mark on the country's cuisine. Voilà, for the lack of a better term, we are presented with the wonderful banh mi.

So what is the secret to banh mi... well first of all its the bread. While the bread itself looks like a mini-loaf or French baguette you'll soon realize that looks can be deceiving. Bite into one of these baguettes and you will immediately notice that they are very light and airy unlike a French baguette that is somewhat heavier and chewier in texture. In fact, if I recall correctly, rice flour is used instead of wheat flour to make these baguettes. It is the light airiness to the bread that gives the banh mi its light yet filling feeling for the diner. Added to the baguette is a mixture of pate, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, soy sauce, mayonnaise and a pickle mixture comprised of julienned carrots and Japanese radish. It is true that you cannot judge a book by its cover as you cannot judge a sandwich on the bread alone. Each deli creates its own sandwich with the above ingredients or more in quantities that they feel makes a tasty sandwich.

Update 20/04/2011: I forgot to mention in my original post that the meat ingredients are another example of Asian fusion cuisine. For example meat choices for the sandwich include: xa xiu (BBQ roast pork Chinese Style), xiu mai (Chinese meatballs), nem nuong (Grilled Vietnamese meatballs), canned sardines with tomato sauce, head cheese, thit nuong (Lemongrass infused BBQ pork or chicken Vietnamese style) and every kind of cold cut you can imagine.

Chao Tom

Chao tom is a traditional dish from the central part of Vietnam. Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, was the home to many intricate and delicate dishes that were created to please the palates of those living in the royal palace. At least that's what my Vietnamese coworker told me. His girlfriend is from Hue and he swears that the dishes she makes are not commonly found in standard Vietnamese delis. In most Seattle restaurants, chao tom is served wrapped around a bit of sugar cane stalk.

I made chao tom once and realized that as with most things, buying it is cheaper and more convenient unless you insist upon tailoring specifically to your taste.

Chao Tom Insides

The last time I made chao tom I recall shelling about 40 medium sized shrimp. Then each shrimp had to have the vein removed so as to not discolor the dish. The shrimp was then ground down with a mixture of finely blended pork fat, finely minced water chestnuts and onions then finished off with a dash of sugar. The big problem with making chao tom is getting the mixture to stick to the sugar cane or forming it into patties as shown above. I believe the trick that this particular deli used was to form the patties then use tofu skins to aid in handling them as the shrimp mixture is quite sticky. You then steam them to help solidify the mixture followed by a quick deep fry to provide the toasted brown color. The resulting product is a very soft and juicy shrimp cake. Texture wise there is a tiny bit of a bite from the finely minced chestnuts and a hit of sweetness from the sugar and onions.

These are awfully delicious. I remember eating these hot straight from the deli in my car in the parking lot in front of the shop. It was piping hot and juicy to the point the sweet shrimp flavored juice was running down my chin. Shameless and uncouth as it may sound, try it once and you'll understand why. Mind you some places will serve these with shrimp wrapped around a sliced stalk of sugar cane and 9 times out of 10, there is unfortunately way more sugar cane than shrimp.

Banh Pate So (Pate Chaud)

Another interesting item found at the deli is banh pate so which is a Vietnamese version of pate chaud. Now I don't know if this exists in French cooking as I couldn't find any reference to it on any French cooking sites. The banh pate so at Q-Bakery is filled with a mixture of pork, onions and water chestnuts that are rolled lengthwise into a sausage like shape. The meat mixture is then wrapped around a very flaky crust that is crispy on the outside and soft and light as air on the inside. Two of these can easily make for a lunch when paired with some fruit as these measure somewhere along the size of 3 by 6 inches. They are tasty and light yet filling at the same time.

There are even imported pates and delicate cookies from France. They're a little pricey but cannot be found anywhere else in Seattle.

Now you may be wondering why I gave this particular deli the "Angry Deli" nickname. Well, I noticed that the people working there hardly smile and its quite noticeable. The first time I went there I thought perhaps everyone is having a bad day. The second time I went there I realized, they were having a good day but just not showing it. In particular is an older woman who works the front counter who will tally up your items, tell you the price, bag them and give you back your change with a barely audible thank you if you're lucky. I once went there with a Vietnamese coworker of mine who said, "Why are they so angry like that?" I didn't know either and was hoping she would lend me some cultural insights. But alas, we rode back confused albeit with tasty sandwiches in our hands. Perhaps its a Vietnamese version of the (in)famous Soup Nazi from Seinfeld.

While friendly service may be of importance to some of you reading this blog, the one thing that brings me back to this particular deli is the fact that its very clean. Yes, clean. If you have been to some of the other Vietnamese delis in Seattle, not only is the outside unkempt but upon entering the shop you are bombarded with tables filled with every kind of dessert, rice cakes and ready to go meals making moving around a challenge especially during busy periods. Q-Bakery is spacious, clean, well lit and there are even places for you to sit and enjoy your sandwich. There is very little to no cutting in line here either. Perhaps that's why the ba gia (old lady) is behind the counter is so stern looking... its to keep the customers in line, literally. Several times I've been cut in front of at other delis by people who squirm in front of me and yell their order out in Vietnamese leaving the rest of us who don't speak it in a no mans land (more like no sandwich mans land) staring at the people behind the front counter hoping to catch their eye to place our order.

Anyway, I would recommend this deli to anyone wanting to try a Vietnamese sandwich without all the hassle of crowded waiting spaces and line cutting. In fact, I would say that Q-Bakery is a welcomed change to the chaotic banh mi deli norm found elsewhere. Early and later hours are another reason to stop by.

Q-Bakery, 3618 S Graham Street, Seattle 206.725.9193 (no website)

Airplane Cookie

2011-04-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

Oh I know, it seems so weird. Why is Mr. Foraging Seattle writing about airplane cookies?

Yummy at 31,000 Feet

Well, the fact of the matter is, these are not just any old cookies! A few years ago when I started flying Delta to the East Coast/Midwest, I had the pleasure of sampling these for the first time. I know what you're thinking... airplane snacks are just pretzels or peanuts (notice I didn't use and) and that's if you're lucky. I didn't know I was in for a treat when the stewardess handed me my pack of cookies and some apple juice.

Don't Even Think of Wasting a Crumb

I opened the package and was introduced to the wonderful smell of toasted cinnamon and brown sugar. I took my first bite of this very crisp cookie and thought to myself gosh I need to fly Delta more! They were crispy, slightly buttery and absolutely wonderful with a subtle hint of cinnamon. A great accompaniment to a cup of hot coffee or cocoa, these cookies can stand on their own as a tasty snack. I'm a big fan of slightly chewy cookies but this absolutely hit the spot.

I did a little research on the web and found out that the baker of these cookies is the Lotus Bakeries located in Belgium. They will ship anything to you for a flat rate of $5. From their website you can order cookies, pastries and chocolates. I found out they even have a spread that tastes like these cookies! You can check out the website here. I am thinking if this company is headquartered in Belgium, the chocolates must be something to not miss either.

If you ever get a chance to order their chocolates or Biscoff spread, please be sure to comment about them and leave a message below.

Thursday Evening Stroll

2011-04-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

Last week Thursday was one of those rare days where Bill and I didn't have something planned so we decided to do a Costco run to get the car washed and pick up some essentials... coffee and the like. Coffee is one of the essential food groups since we live in Seattle, by the way.

Evening Stroll

As we were heading back to Columbia City we stopped at the intersection of Beacon Avenue and South Spokane Street. This was one of the rare occasions when I had my camera ready to catch a great photo. I saw an older Asian couple getting some early evening exercise. They reminded me very much of my parents. I like how the photo is framed by the line of trees and the canopy from the branches above the sidewalk.

The days are getting longer and the cherry blossoms are blooming. Fellow photographers, get your camera ready as our city comes out of hibernation...

Seattle Police Motorcycle #2

2011-03-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be great riding around on a motorcycle all day long and getting paid for it? What a dream job for most guys out there.

Harley-Davidson Police Motorcycle

When I was a kid, I remember my dad riding his motorcycle and thought to myself that I would have the coolest job if I could ride a motorcycle like him and make a profession of it. Well, things sometimes don't turn out the way we wished and instead of being a solo patrol officer, I was a dutiful Asian son and chose one of the four acceptable jobs that an Asian kid could choose from: doctor, lawyer, engineer or pharmacist. So is life. Things happen for a reason.

Whenever I hear the sound of a motorcycle and especially the distinct rumble of a Harley, I will always stop and look at the bike and rider zip by given a chance. There is a certain mystique about a motorcycle and its rider that inspires awe in the observer. It is even more so with the case of a motorcycle officer. My observation has been that solo bike officers take great pride in their machines and uniforms. It is this same level of pride that results in an unmistakable command in attention where ever they are. They do present a definite authority figure in any given situation.

Man and Machine

Last summer during a marathon in my neighborhood, I noticed the officer parked along side the marathon route watching traffic and runners. I asked the officer in the photo if I could take a picture of him and his bike. He kindly obliged and I asked him about his motorcycle. He said he enjoyed his job very much and allowed me to take more photos of his bike. It was a nice late summer morning with the sun starting come out. I thanked him for his time.

As I walked away I thought to myself some guys have all the luck... what a cool job.

Safe trails.

ฺBanyan Tree - Kent

2011-03-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

Thai restaurants were once a rarity in Seattle but now they are everywhere including Kent which is situated about 25 minutes south of Downtown Seattle.

Banyan Tree is located in the Kent Station which was created several years ago to create a more modern centerpiece of shops and theaters that the city had long been missing. It's an open mall where you can stroll and walk through many restaurants and shops before catching a movie. There is ample parking which is a great feature as well.

Thai Artistry

Modern Thai Style

Upon entering Banyan Tree you'll notice earth tones in the interior from yolk yellow to chocolate brown. For those in the know, yellow is the designated color for Monday which is the same day that Thailand's present monarch was born. It is also the color that is a symbol of Buddhism. Modern sculptures of lotus in gold metal provide a screen between the kitchen and dining area. There is a bar area off to the side for those wishing to enjoy a drink along with appetizers if you choose. It was clear to see that the feel of modern Bangkok was the goal in decorating this restaurant. Modern and sophisticated yet classically Thai.

Papaya Pok Pok ส้มตำ

One of our favorite dishes to order is somtam or papaya salad. Thai people will refer to this salad as pa-pa-ya pok-pok with the latter two syllables a play on the sound of the pestle used to mix the ingredients in the mortar. The salad was a fresh blend of tomato, chili pepper, carrots, papaya and string beans. The version at BT contained flash fried prawns which added an interesting texture to the salad held together by a lime juice, sugar and fish sauce dressing. I liked the crispy tails of the shrimp!

Sate Gai สะเต๊ะไก่

Papaya salad is not complete without grilled chicken. In Thailand you can get a whole or half roasted chicken with your papaya salad. Here, five skewers of chicken breast are served with a side of homemade peanut sauce and ajaad, a cucumber, shallot and chili relish. Surprisingly, although the peanut sauce dish appeared small at first, it was just enough to cover each skewer of curry and coconut flavored chicken. The ajaad provided a sour and tart contrast to the meaty and savory skewers.

Kanaa Muu Grawp / คะน้าหมูกรอบ

My mom and I loved the last dish pictured here. Kanaa is the Thai word for gailan which is better known as Chinese Broccoli. For those unfamiliar with kanaa, the stems appear as skinnier versions of broccoli with the leaves replacing the crowns. The vegetables are flash friend with garlic, sweet dark soy sauce, sugar, soup stock and oyster sauce. The star of this dish is muu grawp which are thick cuts of Thai bacon that is deep fried till crispy. Its not the healthiest thing to eat but I treat myself to this at least once (or twice if Bill is not looking) a year. The dish has a slightly salty and garlicky taste to the al dente vegetables that contrast to the crunchy pork. Its a great one-dish meal when served with rice. My mom and I focused on this dish alone. After eating everything else, I told my mom that we should get another one. She said to order one since she was buying but I didn't. She was serious. Perhaps she disappointed that I didn't because she would have enjoyed partaking of this just a little more.

Kruay Tawd Modern

Kruay Tawd กล้วยทอด

Dinner is never complete without a dessert to send you on your way. We decided to order fried banana and coconut ice cream. Usually fried banana is made with banana dipped in a rice flour based batter containing shreds of coconut. Banyan Tree took a simple dessert and presented a modern version of a Thai classic. Instead of using a batter, the banana was wrapped in lumpia wrappers then deep fried resulting in a less oily dessert. The tropical atmosphere of Thailand was evoked by placing the rolls into a banana leaf. A chocolate sauce drizzle was added for additional taste and appearance. The white as snow ice cream was excellent with a strong coconut taste. This was a wonderfully presented dessert.

My Creation

We also ordered black rice pudding and not wanting to waste time, I created my own dessert with a banana roll, coconut ice cream and black rice pudding. I felt like I was 5 again. It was really good.

Kra Thip Khao กระทิพข้าว

Banyan Tree was a wonderful surprise to find in Kent because of the modern touches that were added to the presentation and preparation of the dishes. It was these small changes in otherwise standard Thai dishes that made this restaurant stand out. For example, simply wrapping the bananas of the dessert resulted in a new modern classic. I guess that would sum up my visit to Banyan Tree, classic Thai with a modern twist.... sort of like Bangkok and Thailand itself.

Banyan Tree @ the Kent Station, 504 Ramsay Way, Kent 253.981.6333

Adobo Recipe

2011-03-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks, actually its been over 2 months now, one of my foodie coworkers asked me for a recipe for adobo.

Patiently he waited, and waited, and waited... and reminded me once then twice. Finally, I remembered to talk to my mom. I'm surprised he'll still talks to me after waiting so long but kind friends like him are forgiving. Since I shared the recipe with him, I thought I would share it with everyone out there interested in trying out some Filipino cooking:

Adobo

Ingredients
2 pounds pork butt and/or chicken cut in bite size pieces
1/3 cup of Japanese vinegar
1 Tsp of ground black pepper, preferably fresh
2 heads of crushed garlic
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 ~ 2 tsp of salt to taste

Procedure
Place the meat into a pot. Then, mix together all other ingredients and pour onto the meat. Work the mixture into the meat and let it sit for approximately 30 minutes.

Place the pot onto a stove set at high heat. Boil the meat covered for a few minutes. This will help to sear the pieces of meat. Lower the heat to medium till the meat is tender to the touch. Do not forget to stir it occasionally. At that point remove the cover and add additional salt and vinegar to taste. Continue cooking and occasionally stir the mixture till most of the liquid is evaporated and the fat or oil starts to separate from the meat. Obviously, its best to use a non-stick pot for this.

Adobo and Rice

Here is the stuff the cookbooks won't tell you... if you can, cook this outside on an electric or portable gas burner if possible otherwise your house will end up smelling like adobo. Also, you're putting in 2 heads and NOT 2 cloves of garlic. Your breath and hands will smell after eating this. Yes, your hands too, if you eat kamayan or with your hands Filipino style.

By the way, you can also add finely chopped lemongrass (tanglad) into the mixture to give the dish a nice aroma. Serve the adobo with jasmine rice cooked with a pandan leaf.

The longer adobo sits in your refrigerator, the better it gets. You can even make adobo fried rice by shredding the meat into shreds then adding it to stir fried rice with sweet or green onions. It makes for a tasty breakfast.

Speaking of eating kamayan style, I remember the first time my partner Bill saw me eating with my hands Filipino style. He came to the table for breakfast and acted like nothing was out of the normal. After a minute or so he asked me, "Um, what are you doing?" After putting some food into my mouth with my right hand (don't ever use your left... just think about why) I said to him, "Eating.. what does it look like?" Oh the joys of an intercultural relationship. Eating kamayan may look easy to the uninitiated but if you don't know the proper technique, you'll have rice all over your hands including your fingers, the back of your hand and perhaps even your wrist and forearm. You'll probably have food on your chin and shirt as well. Can you imagine eating Salisbury Steak with your bare hands and not spilling a drop of gravy? I can. I look at it this way, people might look at me funny if I eat with my bare hands but if there was ever a disaster and there was no forks or spoons to eat with, I'd be the only one chomping down... and that would be fine with me.

Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

Plane Spotting in Los Angeles

2011-03-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

I just wasn't quick enough with my camera! Don't you hate it when that happens?!!!

Qantas A380

Yes, I was packing up the last of our belongings before our trip to Seattle that afternoon when I glanced out the window of our hotel and saw an A380 for the first time in my life. It was BIG.... actually it was HUGE. I was like a flying humpback whale with a sizable dorsal fin... I guess that would make it a shark. Unfortunately, I couldn't focus in time to get the nose of the aircraft but at least you can see most of the airplane along with the signature stylized kangaroo on its tail. Our hotel was so well insulated that you couldn't hear a thing.

Korean Air Lines 747-400

The signature aqua blue of Korean Airlines followed the A380 a few minutes later. At least this time I had my camera out to catch the 747-400 as it made its approach into LAX. I believe that the 747-400 configured for Korea Airlines can carry up to 500 passengers. That's quite a feat of engineering when you think of all the other things that go on a plane to make it fly. There are the people, their baggage, their hand carry items, food, beverage and food carts, seats, bathrooms, wiring, engines, wings... the list goes on and on. It really is amazing and people make fun of engineers for being nerds!

Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij

I thought Thai names were a mouthful but I guess its a tie when it comes to Dutch! KLM is the flag carrier for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. You can clearly see the crown stating this fact at the top of the company's acronym located on the tail. Did you know that Queen Beatrix has been on the throne since 1980?

Virgin America - Fog Cutter

There's our airplane that we flew back to Seattle. Its an Airbus 319. I really like Virgin American as their prices are competitive and are a great alternative to other airlines that fly up and down the West Coast. They have an attitude where flying should be a fun and enjoyable experience. The interior of the cabin has purple mood lighting and lots of great options on their in-flight entertainment system. See the guy walking around in black down there by the forward landing gear? That was our pilot. He even came into the terminal to introduce himself to the people sitting at our gate to tell us that he was personally going to be taking us to Seattle. Here is a video of our airplane taken in Florida. The things you can find on YouTube are amazing!

Cathay Pacific 777-300ER

This is my favorite airplane to fly... the Boeing 777. The first time I ever rode one of these planes was between Chicago - O'Hare and SeaTac. I remember I even paid the extra $50 back then to upgrade to a larger seat. The only thing was that the video monitor for the in-flight entertainment system wasn't so good as it was an older version of the 777. It was probably one of the first 777s delivered to United. This is the plane to fly international. It's very comfortable in many ways. I can't believe my coworker recently rode an old 767 to Beijing from Seattle. That must have been horrible. He even said that there was no personal in-flight entertainment systems on the seats.

Cathay Pacific Tail

Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong with hubs in Taipei, Taiwan and Bangkok, Thailand. I haven't flown them yet but I heard the service is pretty good. Anyway, hope you plane buffs out there enjoyed seeing some of the sights I saw in the skies around LAX.

LAX Airport...

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

2011-03-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

One of the iconic symbols of Hollywood other than the Hollywood Sign itself is Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

"Imperial" China in Hollywood

From early in the morning, there are people milling all around the front of this theatre any day of the week. In our case, it was an early Sunday morning at around 8.30 am that we decided to take a stroll and beat the crowds.

Hollywood + Chinese = Grauman's

The architecture of the building facade is a mixture of fantasy and actual Chinese styles. For example, the stylized masks on the top of the columns are genuinely Hollywood imagination whereas the red color (hmm.. its not actually red) of the columns is something you could find in Chinese architecture. I would say that the dragon on the wall looked pretty good for a reproduction of Chinese art.

Door Knobs

I did like the panels for the door knobs which resembled the lock on a piece of furniture that my grandmother handed down to me. The GCT was built on the success of an earlier Egyptian Theatre erected in 1922. Hey, that reminds me, we even have an Egyptian Theatre here in Seattle! Perhaps it was all the vogue to have an Egyptian and Chinese Theatre in your town back in the day. There is always a red carpet laid out in the front of the theatre entrance which has been the stage for many premieres and receptions where various Hollywood stars have captured their foot and hand prints forever in concrete.

Early Morning Scene

As I mentioned earlier, the earlier you get up and about, the more you get to avoid the crowds. You can actually see the different stars that line the sidewalk and the Hard Rock Cafe. I found a webcam that actually posts live shots of the GCT. Take a look. Its fun to watch all the people milling about. Sometimes it can be a challenge to see and appreciate the stars on the sidewalk as people are walking about in every direction obscuring your view.

Roy Rogers and Trigger

One of the interesting things about the GCT is viewing the many different foot and hand prints left by stars over the years. Check out Roy Rogers who was a famous cowboy actor and singer of the 50s. He even had a print of this pistol, cowboy boots and the horseshoes of his horse. I didn't know that he was from Cincinnati like Bill! What a small world.

John Travolta

I guess one of the fun things you could do is to put your foot into the footprints of the various stars. I didn't know that John Travolta wore a size 10.5 too. There are over approximately 200 different prints from various stars of different eras. I was even able to locate Debra Kerr, one of my favorite actresses from the 50s. It really is a lot of fun and cheap entertainment as it doesn't cost anything to stroll through the concrete prints.

aka Lisa Loopner

Besides concrete prints memorializing Hollywood's famous are stars that line the sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard. Each star contains a person's name and a little symbol of which medium the person was famous such as music, film or scriptwriting. I remember watching Saturday Night Live as a kid and seeing Gilda Radner's various characters such as Roseanne Roseannadanna and Lisa Loopner. She was so funny. Sadly though, she passed away of cancer in 1989. Looking at her star reminded me of my dad who at that time had just passed away 2 months earlier. That's the thing about grief. You never know when there is going to be something that will trigger a memory or feeling about someone who has passed on. Everything is fine and then all of a sudden, BOOM!, its staring at you right in the face. So is life.

Many of these stars forever immortalized there in front of GCT and on Hollywood Boulevard have passed on but their memory is kept alive for all to see. I think its always a good thing to honor people for their good work. Just imagine that these stars are actually in our homes whenever we turn on our TV or watch a DVD as we escape from our everyday lives.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA

Day and Night in Los Angeles

2011-03-27T02:12:00.000-07:00

Day View

Night View

That was the view from our hotel room. In the daytime you can see a blanket of smog that colors out the far distance into a light grey. At least in the nighttime you can see lights that make up for the polluted air.

Famous 9 Letters ("Kick Ass" only has 7!)

There it is the famous Hollywood Sign. We actually tried driving up there from Hollywood Boulevard, got pretty close then took a wrong turn and ended up in Studio City where all of the CBS TV shows were filmed. When we visited LA this time around, the movie Kick-Ass had just come out. I had never seen a child swear so much in a movie. At first it was shocking but I really liked her character. It was a great movie.

Sponge Bob and Friends

I didn't realize that my only brush with fame this time around in Los Angeles would be with Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Orchid Thai Massage - Thai Town, Hollywood

2011-03-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

If you haven't had a Thai massage, in my honest opinion you haven't had a massage.

Yoga + Deep Tissue = Thai Massage

When Bill and I were over at the Thailand Plaza purchasing some Thai desserts, the young lady behind the counter cooking the desserts asked me if we were interested in a Thai massage. She told me that her friend owned a massage shop down the road and handed me a flyer. So I talked to Bill and convinced him to go check it out with me as the going rate for an hour massage in Seattle runs from $75 - 90/hr. We got into our rental car and found the shop within a few minutes. There were a few stalls of parking located right out front.

Orchid Massage Entrance

As we approached the shop there were a few people sitting around outside that worked at the shops next to Orchid Thai Massage. We walked into the shop and was greeted by the owner. I talked to her in Thai and told her that the young lady making desserts down the road had referred us and confirmed the price of $35/hr. We were offered use of the restroom before hand and were then led to a large room partitioned with curtains that each contained a thin mattress on which we would be massaged.

You'll notice as you walk into the massage area that it is lightly scented with various aromatherapy essences and soft New Age music is playing to relax you. You may also hear classical Thai music.

Bill chose a female masseuse and I opted for a male one. My masseuse started with my feet, then worked on my calves, thighs and legs. Then my arms, forearms, hands and shoulders. I was then told to turn over and he worked on the backs of my legs, my lower back, upper back and shoulders once again. Then he twisted me in several positions to loosen my muscles in my back and shoulders. I told him that I liked a very hard massage and he especially focused on my forearms, back of my legs, back and shoulders. I thought that he massaged my back so hard that I would have sworn that my back would be full of bruises. Well, when we got back to our hotel room the only thing Bill told me was that my back was a little red but no bruises. It was amazing.

Here is a video clip from Thai tv that will show you some of the ways a Thai massage is done. For you language buffs, can you hear the 5 tones used in Thai?

What I like about a Thai massage is the fact that the masseuse uses more than just his or her hands. They use their knees, elbows, hands, feet and most especially carefully controlled amounts of pressure to stretch and work out knots in your muscles. In fact, by using the palm, finger or thumb pressed by the other thumb or palm, various amounts of pressure and levels of deep tissue massage can be achieved. While a Thai massage may not be for everyone, you'll realize that there are indeed benefits to loosening up all of the various muscles that you never knew you had.

Be sure to let your masseuse know if you like a hard or soft massage. They should be able to accommodate your request. Don't be fooled by the size of your masseuse either. If you like a hard massage, don't necessarily think a small person cannot give you one. In fact, one of the deepest and hardest massages I had was from an old lady who worked on the muscles near my lower thigh so hard that she actually made me cry while lying on the mattress! Yes, I paid for an old lady to make me cry. Actually, it felt really good because she loosened up muscles that had been stiff from years of sitting at a desk in corporate America.

Thai Orchid Massage, 5126 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood 323.668.1200

Motorcycle Spotting - Hollywood/Los Angeles

2011-03-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Remember that song California Dreaming by the Mamas & Papas? It made you think of California as this place that was day after day of sunny skies unknown to the cold of winter.

Masked Riders

Well, the Mamas & Papas were right about LA. It is sunny but they forgot to mention the smog which is probably why these guys on their choppers have face masks to keep out not only the bugs from their teeth but the high level of exhaust from the cars all around them. You know, as your plane descends into the Los Angeles basin from the Pacific Ocean, you can easily see this ominous cloud of pollution that hangs over the city. It's pretty bad and makes me really appreciate the clean air of Seattle many times over.

Sportbike Dude

As many different neighborhoods and characters there are in LA, there are as many different kinds of bikes and their owners. This guy is well suited for the warm climate of LA. You know, with the large number of vehicles on the road, riding around LA is pretty tricky. Its not surprising to find people running red lights (more than they do here in Seattle) and if I remember correctly, when there is even the slightest bit of rain, the Santa Ana freeway becomes a mess. With that said, although there is a lot of traffic on the freeways and streets of LA, at least it moves for the most part. Don't be surprised either if you're zipping by at 60+ miles/hour on the freeway and someone on a motorcycle comes flying right between you and the car to your left or right. Talk about living on the edge!

Tricked Out Harley... Check out the seat...

On our last day in LA, we checked out of our hotel and had a couple of hours to spare before our flight back to Seattle. We ended up at some mall near LAX and found this beautiful Harley with monkey bars parked in the lower level garage. Check out the seat on this bike. It looks like caiman or something similar. I am wondering if the owner had matching caiman boots. Wouldn't that be cool? This was a beautiful bike and you could tell how much pride the owner had in his/her ride.

You know, all of these photos were taken by chance. I guess that's the beauty of photography as a hobby. You never know when you'll be rewarded by carrying around your camera and surprised at all the interesting views that life has to offer.

In-N-Out Burger

2011-03-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

Among the many pleasures of eating, nothing hits the spot like a great burger.

A Sight for Sore Eyes

After we checked into our hotel in Hollywood, I told Bill we have to go to In-N-Out Burger. I think the last time we had one of their burgers was when we visited San Francisco in 2009. We were overdue. I have been to LA many times on business trips and remembered the great burgers I had enjoyed. I would think about them all the way in Seattle. I remember one trip in particular when I was sent to UCLA for advanced management training. I didn't have a chance to hit an In-N-Out and was so sad to find one as I was riding the car rental shuttle back to LAX. I couldn't tell the driver to stop and instead sadly watched the LAX branch of In-N-Out disappear into the distance. A missed dining experience. I was sad.

Burger Assembly Line

One thing about In-N-Out is that the restaurant is always buzzing with action. You stand in line and place your order from a limited menu. Then you patiently wait for your order. If you're with someone, make sure your dining partner is scouring the dining room for a place to sit. When you think of it, the limited menu is smart as it offers the same goods that bring people back over and over again. Orders come out pretty quick and are placed in little plastic trays that hold your food.

Freshly Cut Fries

One of the nice things about In-N-Out is that they make freshly cut fries that are crispy and not too salty. You can order them with cheese on them or without. Either way, they are a great accompaniment to your burger. Our seat gave us a great vantage point to view the kitchen staff. They were quick and fast like a well oiled machine popping out burgers and fries like there was no tomorrow.

Burger Happiness, Heaven, Bliss...

There it is... the Double-Double Burger. Its so big, there isn't a wrapper big enough to cover the whole thing! Just kidding... the burger is an average size burger which can easily deceive the uninitiated diner as it can actually be quite filling.

Cheesy and Fresh

The one thing you will notice about an In-N-Out burger is the fact that the veggies included are freshly cut and perfectly placed on the bun and patties to ensure that with every bite you will get a little bit of everything- onion, tomato, pickle, sauce, meat and cheese in this case. The onions are not over powering and the meat was grilled just right beyond medium rare. I have to admit... I probably ate two of these burgers in one sitting as I had missed them since our last trip to SFO. One of my coworkers from LA told me, "The best thing about an In-N-Out burger is that everything is just right." Let me put it to you this way, you'd probably even want to eat the cheese of the wrapper if you could. Go ahead, you won't be the only one doing so, trust me.

Dine-in or Drive Thru

Well, that visit satisfied our craving for our long anticipated return to an In-N-Out for some delicious grubbing. Umm... it satisfied it for a little under 24 hours, as we were back there the next day for lunch. I know, shameless. Hey, I wasn't going to pass this opportunity up because I wasn't sure when I was going to be in LA again. If you are in LA, be sure to stop on by and check it out. You'll leave happy and full with a smile across your face. By the way, to remind you of your visit to In-N-Out you can visit their website for all kinds of burger memorabilia.

In-N-Out, 7009 West Sunset Blvd, Hollywood 1.800.786.1000

'Nom Beuang - ขนมเบื้อง / ThaiTown

2011-03-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

Khanom beuang (aka 'nom beuang)... the two most beautiful words in the Thai language.

Note: Please click on every link in this post as many include links to videos.

Picture by S. Hernandez, Wikipedia Commons

On our trip to LA's ThaiTown, I made sure to stop by Dokya Bookstore (ร้านดอกหญ้า) which houses a great selection of Thai books, magazines, DVDs, VCDs and every kind of Thai music CD. You can get almost any Thai music CD here which is why I always make it a point to stop by this store. Dokya is located in the lower level of the Thailand Plaza which also houses the Silom Supermarket. Silom Supermarket has all kinds of Thai and Southeast Asian groceries and would probably get a "B" rating from the same entity that rates restaurants. Nothing to be afraid of its just your typical Asian grocery- dimly lit, stuff all over the place, narrow aisles but great bargains. Don't freak out by Asian groceries. They aren't as pretty as your neighborhood Ralphs or Safeway because instead of money spent on fancy displays, the money saved gets passed on to you in lower prices. Keep in mind that Thailand Plaza has a very good restaurant on the second floor and at night there is Thai entertainment from Thai pop and country songs sang to a live band to traditional Thai dances and performances of classical Thai musical instruments. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to visit it this time around.

Dessert Cook... Fast and Furious

Anyway, in the lower parking garage of the Thailand Plaza you will find people making fresh Thai desserts. There is usually an older couple who makes khanom krok which is a type of rice flour and coconut milk cake that is almost like a hot pudding that has set into a little cake. It's really good especially when its just cooked as it is, sweet, coconutty, warm and soft. They were cheap as well at something like $3.00 / 8 pieces. There is usually a line of people queueing up to purchase their desserts. Across from the older couple was a young lady who was making several types of Thai desserts, one of them being khanom beuang.

Khanom Beuang

Khanom beuang, literally translated as tile dessert probably due to its shape, is a very well known Thai dessert that you can easily find in Bangkok markets as a grab and go snack. I remember on my last trip to Bangkok, after arriving at the airport, my friend took me to Central - Chidlom to purchase some toiletries. We stopped in the food court area and there was one stall that specialized in Thai desserts and khanom beuang was the first thing I purchased. I knew I was finally in Thailand after biting into my first one. It made everything about being in Thailand so real.

Khanom beuang consists of a very thin crispy pancake-like shell which is then smeared with a coconut flavored cream then topped with either a sweet or savory topping. The sweet topping contains sweet yellow strands that look like grated cheddar cheese which are in fact a separate dessert known as foy thawng. Foy thawng is made of egg yolks cooked in a flower scented syrup. Bill was so funny when he ate this that he immediately said, "I was expecting cheddar cheese because this looked like a taco." My dear Bill, so funny and amusing.

The second type of khanom beuang is on the savory side and is made with shrimp, onion, black pepper and cilantro. The savory ones are orange colored. Either of these toppings sits atop a creamy meringue like topping made of egg white, cream of tartar and coconut cream. This dessert is one of my favorites because of the texture and taste. I prefer the sweeter one over the savory one. When you bite into these (gosh, I don't know what to call them cookies, cakes?) desserts, you are first met with a crunch from the crispy shell, then a chewy like texture from the meringue hits you. Its a mixture of crunchy and chewy at the same time if you can imagine. The taste is pure coconut and oh so delicious. If you ever have a chance to try these fresh, do not pass up the opportunity.

Fried Banana and Potato Balls

The young lady at the stall also had other desserts for sale. Deep fried thin slices of banana coated with coconut shreds and flour were available along side potato balls made from sweet potato. The banana is also tasty as the fried batter is not only crunchy but slightly chewy as the flour used for the batter is made of sweet rice flour. Sometimes you can find deep fried banana without the batter with just a sweet glaze on it. Either way, both types of banana are delicious. Fried banana is known as kluay kaek (กล้วยแขก).

Fried Banana, Curry Puffs and Potato Balls (and Pang Jii)

Wait, there's more! She also had curry puffs. Curry puff (Thai people pronounce it: karee-PAP) is an awesome dessert. It consists of tiny pieces of diced potato and chicken cooked in an Indian flavored curry powder. Depending upon the cook, the filling may be sweet or spicy hot. This is actually a Thai version of a fried empanada. The difference is that the shell of the Thai version is actually comprised of two different layers of dough. The inner dough is slightly chewy and firm while the outer layer is flaky and thin. If you look closely at the curry puffs (they're the things that look like crescents in the photo above) you will notice that the outer layer of the puff seems to have a circular pattern to it. This is achieved by rolling the dough a certain way then cutting it at a particular angle which will cause the dough to separate in attractive layers when it is deep fried. This is a time consuming dessert to make. My friend's mom, Mae Mawn, used to make this every time she would come to visit Seattle. Sadly, she passed away a little over a year ago and both my friend and I look back and reminisce fondly of Mae Mawn's curry puffs. They were dee-licous! She was such a kind lady with an easy smile and warm heart. I miss her very much.

One more link about ThaiTown. Did you know Anthony Bourdain also featured ThaiTown once on his show?

You know, finding little gems of desserts and foods in the most unexpected places really brings a sense of adventure to eating. Most of all, tasting these desserts and purchasing them at a stall fondly reminded me of my trip to Thailand several years back. ThaiTown is a must visit for people looking for authentic Thai food. Keep your eye open for these little treasures like khanom beuang and karee-PAP as YOU forage through LA.

ThaiTown, 5200ish Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, LA... just go there!

BKT - Bhan Khanom Thai บ้านขนมไทย

2011-03-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

Bhan Khanom Thai is heaven on earth for people who love Thai desserts and sweets.

Heaven on Earth

Located next to Thai Patio Restaurant in a little plaza off Hollywood Boulevard is Bhan Khanom Thai. Bhan Khanom Thai literally means House of Thai Desserts. The shop contains both freshly made Thai confections and desserts along with packaged sweets imported from Thailand. If you have been to Thailand, you know that snacking and eating is THE national past time. People are always eating things here and there snacking constantly. In fact you may sometimes hear Thai people greet each other with กินข้าวหรือยัง which literally means "Have you eaten yet?" The question can then be an invitation to join others for a meal or head out to eat something together. After all, a meal shared together is more fun, right?

I picked up several freshly made desserts and brought them back to our hotel room at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel.

Khanom Tokiyo

The first dessert I would like to show you is known as khanom tokiyo (Tokyo Dessert). Hmmm... this reminds me vaguely of dorayaki which is a Japanese dessert that consists of a spongy cake stuffed with sweetened beans. The Thai version contains a similar type cake that is wrapped around a thick pandan custard. The inside of this dessert is dense and rich which makes this a perfect pair to a cup of strong coffee in the morning. You could also have this with hot tea which will help to cut the dense texture of the custard. This was good but because it was a little on the rich side, I could only eat a few at a time.

Khanom Nam Dawk Mai

Our next dessert is khanom nam dawk mai (Flower Water Dessert). As you may have guessed this dessert is infused with the scent and taste of jasmine flowers. Thai desserts range from savory to sweet and floral. This particular dessert is made with two types of flour, sugar and jasmine infused water. First you cook the jasmine water with the sugar to form a syrup. You then let it cool. Then you add in the two types of flour and knead it into a paste. The paste is added to little cups which are then steamed. I don't know how but the dimple is formed in the cooking process. This is one dessert where coconut milk is not used. The dessert has a chewy texture and a strong scent of jasmine flower. I like this because of its simplicity and interesting floral scent. I don't think flowers or flower scent is used much in Western cooking.

Hot Dog Thai Style

Thai style hot dog rolls were next on the list. I decided to pick up a small bag of these rolls just in case I got hungry later that night while watching TV. They were okay... and definitely had an Asian flair to it as the bun was quite soft and the hot dogs were blah. I think this is something my 6 year old nephew would like. I'll pass on this next time I'm at BKT.

Tako tops...

Tako insides...

Saving the best for last on the list is tako. There really is no translation for tako in English. In Thailand this dessert is served in little cups made of banana leaves and decorated with a rose petal. The dessert contains small tapioca, corn, sugar, coconut cream, rice flour, a pinch of salt and pandan essence. The pandan essence adds a slight vanilla like flavor to the tapioca pearls along with a distinctly green hue. When eating this particular dessert you will notice several things. Texture wise the coconut cream at the top of the dessert is dense and contrasts with the soft tapioca pearls and crunchy corn. In terms of taste, the coconut cream is sweet yet slightly salty and the tapioca base is sweet with an interesting infusion of vanilla and corn flavors. The dessert is an interesting blend of taste and texture. I like this dessert and look for it every time I am there.

The shop itself contains many types of sweets, preserved fruits, candy and snacks from all over Thailand. They are imported regularly and quite fresh. Sometimes the very popular ones will sell out quickly. You can even order them online. A frozen and refrigerated section at the back of the store offers various sausages and frozen products. Their Chinese Sausage is one of the best sausages I've tasted as the flavor is exceptional and lacks a lot of fat that is commonly found in other brands. You can also pick up Nittaya Curry Paste here. In my opinion, Nittaya Curry Paste is the best that you can purchase and are lucky if you can find it here in the US. I usually stock up when I have a chance to visit the store.

The shop is open from 10am to 2am. That's a lot of time to make sweets in one day. You should know that at certain times of the day a lot of desserts are available but as it gets later in the evening, the selection of fresh desserts becomes less and less. It is absolute heaven to walk into the shop when they are making fresh desserts as you are hit with the wonderful smell of coconut and pandan. Its absolutely... wonderful.

Bhan Khanom Thai, 5271 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, LA 323.871.8030

Chow Down in ThaiTown, LA - ร้านอาหารรเบียงไทย

2011-03-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Last year one of my best friends told me she was coming back to the US from Thailand for a business meeting on the East Coast. She told me she was going to stop in Los Angeles overnight so I made the best of the short time she was going to be on the West Coast and decided to meet her in LA.

Rabieng Thai = Thai Patio

I've been to LA many times on business trips and when I am there, I make sure to get to ThaiTown which is located in East Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard. ThaiTown has one of the largest concentrations of Thai businesses in the United States and includes bookstores, restaurants, bakeries, clothing and jewelry shops. You can even find Thai speaking salons and Thai massage as well. We decided to have Thai food that night after our Thai massage.

Chow Down

We entered Thai Patio and found the restaurant full with lots of people who seemed excited to be eating Thai food. The crowd was happy, cheerful and engaging. There was a young lady singing that night. It was odd that she sang mostly English songs. Since we were within earshot of the stage, I finally told her, "พี่ขอร้องเพลงไทยหน่อยซิ" (Sister, please sing a Thai song!) She sang a song by Sirasak Itthipholpanich... กว่าจะรู้ (Before you knew...). I remembered that song very well from several years ago. What a small world.

Poh-Pia Sod = Mango Salad Roll

Gotta Have Your Veggies

I was so happy to be in ThaiTown and eating Thai food. I looked through the menu and we made sure to order something healthy and another dish. I must admit I was sneaky and ordered in Thai so that Bill didn't know I ordered three dishes (one fried mind you). I know, I am so bad. We started off with Mango Salad Roll. It was a combination of fresh mango, jicama, lettuce, carrots, cellophane noodle and basil wrapped in a thin sheet of rice paper. The dipping sauce was okay but paired with the fresh roll, it was pretty good. We both enjoyed this appetizer.

Khai Jiaw = Thai Omelet

The next dish that came was the Thai Omelet. As you can see, there is a major difference between a Thai omelet and a western one. Thai omelets are slightly crispy to the point that most Americans would think it was overcooked. The omelet starts with eggs that are beaten with a little fish sauce and put to the side. A few bits of ground pork and/or shrimp is added to a wok with hot oil at the bottom that will cook the meat very quickly. It is then given a few stirs to ensure the meat is cooked evenly and then the egg mixture is poured into the hot oil. The high heat is what cooks the egg very quickly and causes it to bubble up resulting in the crispy texture that Thai people adore. Its not cooked on medium high heat like you would a western style omelet on a non-stick pan. The goal with a Thai omelet is crispy golden brown... I ate this with hot rice and Sriracha sauce. It was the perfect combination. I think Bill tried the omelet and rice but didn't like it claiming it was too oily and overcooked. This is actually a quick meal in itself for a single person.

Sai Ua = Northern Style Thai Sausage

The last dish that we had ordered that night was the best one of all. We decided on sai ua which is the Thai Sausage - Northern Style. The other famous sausage is sai krok isarn which is sausage from the Northeastern part of Thailand known as Isarn. Sai krok isarn contains ground pork (including the fat), sticky rice and lots.. well TONS of garlic in it. Its strong smelling but really good. I wanted Bill to try the other version is why we decided on sai ua.

ไส้อั่ว

Sai ua contains a lot of herbs such as lemongrass and lime leaf which gives the pork based sausage a very herbal flavor. Gaeng khua curry paste is also used to provide flavor to the pork. The dish is served with cabbage, ginger (galangal), raw garlic, chili peppers, shallots and nuts. You would think that with the lemongrass and lime leaf in the sausage itself the aromatic flavor would be enough but this is Thai food after all. What I like about this dish is the very pronounced and strong flavors of the fresh herbs and vegetables combined with the chunky sausage meat. It wasn't greasy at all which gave the dish in its entirety a very clean and pleasant aromatic taste. I could eat this a couple of times a week with sticky rice. I really like this dish as I think it is representative of Thai country cooking with its use of herbs and aromatics. I wish you could taste the combination of ingredients... its simply wonderful.

So our first experience at Thai food in ThaiTown was a hit. We then proceeded to the bakery next to Thai Patio for some traditional Thai desserts... life is good at ThaiTown.

Thai Patio, 5273 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 323.466.3894

Back to Seattle...

2011-03-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

All good things must come to an end and the end of our 2011 trip to Hawaii had arrived.

Pacific Ocean - Waikiki

I got up early that morning to take a few last shots of the ocean and blue sky from our hotel balcony. I liked looking out into the blue ocean and how the horizon seemed endless.

Waikiki Beach

One interesting thing we learned during this trip is that during the week of the full moon, the southern shores of the island are filled with box jellyfish. Signs were posted on the beach that warned swimmers and surfers of the dangers of these little life forms. If you don't know, jellyfish can leave you with an awful sting and can sometimes be toxic enough to kill you. Well, it killed any chance of us hitting the beach one last time before leaving that day. Oh well, at least we were in Hawaii.

Only in Hawaii

We got to our car rental with lots of time to spare and made it to the airport for our trip back to Seattle. I saw this sign for the restroom and thought that those little quirky things like the Aloha Shirt on the man and the slower pace of life will be something that I will miss. I especially enjoyed the slow pace of the Kauai countryside.

Hawaiian Airlines Snacks

On our flight back to Seattle we got little reminders of Hawaii like the can of Hawaiian Sun juice made in Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines does a really good job of making you feel Hawaiian hospitality till you disembark from the plane. You even get to watch a final Hula dance on the monitors before you land at your destination. Hawaiian Airlines really needs to start using their A330s on the Seattle to Honolulu route.

I picked up two bags of macadamia nut cookies from the TipTop Bakery in Kauai. I knew my brother would enjoy them. Unfortunately, only one bag made it back to Seattle as Bill and I tore into one of the bags and enjoyed each one. The cookie itself appeared to be a very buttery shortbread infused with little bits of macadamia nuts. They were very tasty and crispy which probably explains why they were gone in no time. When we arrived in Seattle that evening, it was cold and rainy. What else would you expect in Seattle?

Aloha Hawaii, we shall return to your sunny shores soon...

Foraging Seattle

Temple Grandma

Countryside Altar

Mr. Coffee: Chon Buri

Khong Faak - ของฝาก

8:00 AM and 6:00 PM

Bangkok Breakfast

True Coffee - Siam Square

More Bangkok posts to come...

Meng Kee เม้งกี่

L'Espace @ Siam Paragon

New 50 Baht Banknote

Som Tum Tag Team

Wang Mook Restaurant

Bangkok Biker

Life in a Soi

I finally made it to Bangkok

Christmas is fast approaching...

More Thailand Flood Videos

Thailand Flood Situation

Fainting Goat

The Lemon Grass: Banh Xeo, Banh Beo...

Sunday Afternoons...

Umai-do

Motorcycle People are Funny... Pinoys too!

Burger Heaven.... In-N-Out

Bhan Khanom Thai 2011

Two-Hundred and counting....

San Phra Phoom Shrine - ศาลพระภูมิ

Kindred Spirit

Olvera Street Mexican Dance

Mexican Candy and Taquitos - Los Angeles

Olvera Street - Los Angeles

Virgin America to LAX

Going on a trip...

Taqueria El Sabor - Kent, WA

Pandan Cupcakes

Zest Fast Food

Entomology Mystery

The Cat

Pinto Bistro - Broadway, Capitol Hill

Miss-tery My Cat

Bangkok City

Curry Puff

Hawaiian Plants in Seattle? Let's see...

Khanom Pia ขนมเปี๊ยะ

Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Butter - Ohio

Tax Return "Booty" 2011

Bai Tong @ the Southcenter Parkway

Leftover Lunch Time

Japan Earthquake

Along for the Ride

Thai New Year วันสงกรานต์

Q Bakery aka... The Angry Deli

Airplane Cookie

Thursday Evening Stroll

Seattle Police Motorcycle #2

ฺBanyan Tree - Kent

Adobo Recipe

Plane Spotting in Los Angeles

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Day and Night in Los Angeles

Orchid Thai Massage - Thai Town, Hollywood

Motorcycle Spotting - Hollywood/Los Angeles

In-N-Out Burger

'Nom Beuang - ขนมเบื้อง / ThaiTown

BKT - Bhan Khanom Thai บ้านขนมไทย

Chow Down in ThaiTown, LA - ร้านอาหารรเบียงไทย

Back to Seattle...