"A lot of Noodles" live performance in addition to the Pullman Bangkok King Power

"A lot of Noodles" live performance that extends the Pullman Hotel King Chef in June 2011 to Wang Jun, the guest chef Dazhao, will fly to China for their live show that spans the creation of special dishes and ramen in front of you and themed buffet restaurant kitchen Unplugged 7 Pullman Bangkok King Power. If you are a lover of spaghetti noodles, get to experience live performances from Saturday, June 4 through Sunday, June 12, 2011 18:30. to 10.30 hours. For moreinformation or reservations, please call 02 680 9999 Similar to Facebook! Become a fan of Pullman Bangkok King Power to receive our news www.facebook.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv_TtZxAZkc&hl=en

Arriving in Bangkok for the Second Time

Bombay airport isn't as I remembered it as a boy. Two decades ago it was a throng of pushing men, clinging women and wailing babies, all crowding around check-in desks like they were the last helicopters leaving Saigon. Today it is a different place with air conditioning and chaise-longues for those travellers that need to grab forty winks. Some things haven't changed though and there is still an air of desperation, of massed humans on the edge, amplified by the sleep deprivation caused by the ungodly hour most international flights depart. Our flight to Bangkok was scheduled for 4.45 am - but with a three hour check-in.





We left India, enshrined in the comfort of our economy class seats, just as the sun was washing out the red charcoal embers of Bombay's urban lights. The plane banked one last time before penetrating the clouds and we took our final look at India with somewhat mixed emotions. We had barely scratched its vast surface and still felt it had a lot to offer us - but on a different trip - we had had enough. As we breathed the canned atmosphere and settled into the orderliness of modern air travel we relaxed, the subconscious worries and frustrations that India breeds draining from us.





Last time we were in Bangkok we hated it and it was tough to see how moving from one of the world's most polluted cities to another of the world's most populated cites was going to be an improvement. However, from the second we disembarked we were struck by the wealth, cleanliness and orderliness of Bangkok airport. Clear signs directed us through spotless, carpeted hallways and soothing music eased our tensions as we waited in line for immigration. The smiling and laughing officials cheerfully went through their work and congratulated me on Barbara's beauty, leaving us both beaming as we walked away to reclaim our luggage.





We made our way directly to Khao San Road, marvelling at the affluence of a city that just three years ago we thought to be a squalid open sewer; the roads were smooth with frequent flyovers, the taxis were air conditioned and there were BMWs everywhere. Khao San Road, a tightly packed area of Bangkok that almost exclusively caters to the budget traveller, provides little in the way of a cultural experience and is either a tourist hell or a Mecca depending your perspective. From where we were standing it was a paradise.





The streets are lined with every convenience: tasty chicken skewers, fresh cut pineapple, charcoal roasted corn on the cod, pad thai, freshly squeezed orange juice, noodles, star shaped burgers and barbequed fish all available for 25 cents. In what little available space is left between the shops and the roads are semi-permanent stalls that sell all travellers' wants; from cheap strappy sun wear to endless displays of $4 CDs. Restaurants ply their trade as much by the latest Hollywood film that is showing on their 14 television screens as the food that they sell.





Later as night begins to settle it becomes the New Orleans of Asia. Strong beer combined with super-heated capitalism and a dash of corruption has nubile Thai women selling beer and liquor out of a flower power painted VW vans. Small stalls spring up selling margaritas and white russians for those that can't make the 20 meters till the next bar without further intoxication. Beer in hand, like an "Access all areas" badge, one can move from club to bar on the assumption that if you bought one you're likely to buy another.





While this was obviously not Thailand proper, we relished the moment, conversation bubbling out of us, glad not to have to cross the culture divide for just a few days. We were drunk on the elation of how easy everything was. We felt giddy just like when you return from a two-week camping trip to rediscover hot water and clean linen.





Very soon the reality dawns; we did not travel half way across the world to be cocooned by the familiar. So we left Bangkok with still a lot to test and taste; the cinema with reclining Lazy Boys that serves beer and food, Thai boxing and excellent international cuisine. We reconciled ourselves, knowing we would be back at least three times, as Bangkok forms the axis for travelling around the South East Asian mainland.

Eating Out in Bangkok

Bangkok is one of the world's greatest cities for food, it's everywhere! You can take your pick from street vendor food, small family run restaurants, mid range chain restaurants in the shopping centres, international food, fast food and Michelin star restaurants.

Whether you want Pad Thai, chicken and rice, pizza, Indian curry or a Zinger burger...Bangkok has it all!

A lot of people I know return from Bangkok saying that the food wasn't as cheap as they were expecting. When I ask where they ate the usual answer is, "oh in the hotel bar". You can pay over the odds for food in Bangkok if you want, if you're prepared to search and perhaps eat in the more plain looking family restaurants then you'll find the legendary tasty and very cheap Thai food.

Here, I will try to give a rundown of the sort of thing you can expect to find in Bangkok along with a few personal recommendations.

Street vendor food

It is a bit clichéd, but it's true that the best food in Bangkok is the street vendor food. Sure, the surroundings are less than salubrious, but I just love the atmosphere and the feel of eating food by the side of a busy road, sat on a plastic stool! You'll find these set-ups all over the city, usually a group of people together each with their own speciality on their own cart. The most common dishes are chicken and rice (Khao man gai), red pork on rice (khao muu daeng), Pad Thai, many kinds of noodle soup and various curries. Just be adventurous and if you're not confident with the language you can always point to what you want! Always have a glass of Thai-style icy milkshake on hand if something is unexpectedly spicy! I always find milk is much better than water at cooling your mouth down.

A good tip from a local if you're not sure which vendor to choose, is go to the busier ones. That generally means the food is tastier and safe. I've never had any problems eating street food.

Other items for sale include various grilled meats on a stick and fruit portions. My personal favourite are the various vendors that line the wall of Lumpini Park in the evenings, in the car park area along Ratchadamri Road. The stalls in the Patpong/Silom area are also very popular.

Thai family restaurants

The Thai family restaurant is something that many foreigners never experience. A lot of people are put off by the bland appearance of these places, they are also quite hard to spot and many people just don't know they're there. At a glance it may look like someone's house with the shutter doors left open. Look more closely and you may see the old aunt or grandmother of the family cooking noodles or chopping up chicken at the front of the shop! The décor is usually very basic, flimsy metal tables, plastic chairs and bare walls. The only decorations are spirit houses with the daily offering of Fanta and portraits of past and present royals will hang on the walls.

The food, however, is out of this world and always at a reasonable price. The menu choice is, of course, far more extensive than the street vendors. Always look out for the fish dishes, some are extra spicy! Yam Mun Sen (spicy sea food salad with noodles) is also a personal favourite.

A good choice in terms of location is Lek seafood, not far from Chong Nonsi skytrain station.

Chain restaurants

There are many good quality and fair priced chain restaurants around Bangkok, usually to be found in shopping centres and supermarkets. Listed here are the major ones:

Bar B Q Plaza - My personal favourite, I have to eat here every time I visit! Essentially you're set up with a mini gas heated grill in the middle of your table, which also has a small moat of soupy water around the outside. You order plates of meat and veg and cook/boil it yourself. You will be given some dipping sauce, lime, garlic and chilli which you can mix to suit yourself.

Daidomon - Along similar lines to Bar B Q Plaza, except you actually get a small barbeque in your table instead!

Fuji - A hugely popular chain of Japanese restaurants, serving all the usual offerings of sushi, gyoza, tempura, curries and much more.

Oishi - Another big favourite with Thai's. There are many variations on the theme, but it's basically a Japanese style buffet restaurant, pay one price and eat all you like. The bigger ones serve sushi, teppanyaki (made to order) food and various Chinese foods that are rotated.

See Fah - Serves a good selection of Thai food.

Sizzler - Get there early because these places fill up fast! Popular with Thais and tourists, this is an American fill-ya-face steakhouse with an extensive western menu and unlimited salad bar. You could get seriously overweight if you ate here every day!

MK - Similar concept to Bar B Q Plaza, but here you boil all of your own food. They serve hot items off the menu too, the duck is a favourite.

Pizza Company - Despite the name, this is a Thai pizza chain, but they sell all the favourite pizza toppings, garlic bread etc. Similar standard to Pizza Hut and slightly overpriced for pizza, but it's a good fill if you need a pizza fix!

I'm sure there are more that I've missed, but this covers the main choices!

International food

There are any number of Italian, French, British, American, Indian etc etc eateries around Bangkok and I won't even attempt to categorize them here! Wherever you stay, you'll more than likely have a few in your vicinity. The main concentration of European food is around the Silom and lower Sukhumvit areas. Great Japanese food is available on Soi Thaniya (Little Tokyo) just off Silom (near Pat Pong). This is also a great people watching spot, spend an hour in any of these Japanese eateries and you'll see a never ending procession of Japanese executives coming and going, some in groups, some alone. Some reading newspapers, some reading comics (!!). All with a mobile phone or IPhone glued to their ears!

Arab and Indian food is plentiful around Ploen Chit and Nana skytrain stations and surround Sois. I like Mrs Balbir's Indian restaurant, on Sukhumvit Soi 11/1 (Nana skytrain station). For a cracking pizza, try Bangkok Pizza on Sukhumvit Soi 26/1.

Fast Food

You can get your fix of KFC, McDonalds and Burger King all over Bangkok....enough said!

Upmarket eateries

If you fancy a splurge on upmarket eateries there is also plenty to choose from. For the location, try Vertigo on top of the Banyan Tree Hotel on Sathon Road (weather permitting of course!).

Baan Khanita (off Sukhumvit Soi 23) is an award winning Thai restaurant and La Normandie in the Oriental Hotel offers great food and great views of the Chao Phraya river.

There are many, many more but of course, I need to save up before I can afford to visit another!

Bad food experiences are rare in Bangkok, just be adventurous and don't just settle for the hotel room service option, get out and about and explore what's in your area. If you have any more tips to add to this list please feel free to let me know and I'll happily add your contributions to my list.