About christao408

An expat American who moved to Bangkok in 2005 with his partner (now husband). Life is a grand adventure and each experience is worth having if for no other reason than to remind us that we are alive.

Hong Kong Recommendations

Posted on 6 May 2010 by christao408

Surprisingly often, people ask me for recommendations. “Oh, a friend of mine is going to (insert name of city here). Do you have any recommendations?” Since I think the best way to explore a city is through the recommendations and experiences of people who know the city well, I spent some time this morning combining all of my entries from Hong Kong (along with a list of other favorite places that I didn’t have time to visit) into a Google Map. Many thanks to the many friends whose recommendations and suggestions ended up on this list.

Food in BKK – 4 Garçons

Posted on 3 May 2010 by christao408

Krungthep is awash in restaurants started by youngish members of high society who have a fair amount of cash, lots of ego, and little to no experience running restaurants. Heck, many of them wouldn’t even qualify as foodies. So a few weekends ago I was a bit apprehensive when trying out a new French restaurant in the Thong Lor neighborhood called 4 Garçons.

Located on Soi Thong Lor 13 in the warren of small alleys that lead to Samitivej Hospital, 4 Garçons occupies a generous space on the ground floor of the recently-opened Oakwood service apartments. The four young men referred to in the restaurant’s name are four yuppie friends (guppies, too?) who decided their interests in food and wine should be expressed through the opening of a restaurant.

It turns out that one of the partners, the one who seems to be managing the front of the house, is the friend of a friend of our dining companions for the night, Ben and Jason. And the partner who is overseeing the kitchen is a doctor that Ben knows from Brumrumgrad Hospital. As Jason observed, it is odd to see your doctor in a chef’s outfit working in the kitchen.

In talking with the manager, he explained that the doctor loves to cook as a hobby and throw dinner parties frequently, which was their point of inspiration to go into business together. Somewhere (maybe in Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential?) I recall reading that being good at hosting dinner parties is not the same as being a chef.

Nonetheless, 4 Garçons manages to effectively avoid the curse of most of these hi-so hobby restaurants: lackluster food. The food at 4 Garçons was well-prepared and tasty, if somewhat lacking in distinctiveness.

Let’s take a look:

The interior of the space isn’t its strong suit. Another of the friends – maybe he’s an architect? – did the interior design.

The space feels too open to be a nice brasserie and too cold to be a comfortable bistro. Some furniture (shelves? counters? plant stands?) could have broken up the space more effectively, avoiding the long row of tables seen in the first picture and the large open areas that feel conspicuous. Maybe this has to do with the “see and be seen” desire of Bangkok hi-so diners, for whom a more closed, intimate space would have minimized face time. Thinking of other local restaurants like Extra Virgin, though, I think the interior could be improved by breaking it up a bit. Tawn wasn’t keen on the murals, either.

It seems that an order of fries is brought out as an amuse bouche. Steak cut fries seem oddly un-French to me but they were really nice, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, not greasy at all. Maybe it is a break from the shoestrings frites one expects at a French restaurant, but it is a welcome break.

Jason, Tawn, and I ordered some appetizers to kill the hour or so before Ben was able to join us from work. We ordered this house-made pate, which was really tasty. I keep asking myself why I don’t make pate at home. The answer is probably because I don’t have a food processor. But it isn’t that difficult to make and it reminds me of my days as a young child eating Triscuit crackers and Oscar-Meyer liverwurst for lunch with my paternal grandparents.

A goat cheese tart with mixed greens was another nice appetizer. Lots of onions and very tasty.

I assume the bread was not baked at the restaurant although it was pretty good quality and it was generously provided.

And if you have bread, you need melted butter and garlic to sop up, so we had escargots. These were really tasty and are a good illustration of the principle that anything tastes wonderful if you put enough clarified butter and garlic on it!

Service is friendly and attentive, if a bit uninformed. Basic questions like “What’s the soup of the day?” required a pop into the kitchen by the order-taker to answer. It seems like the first lesson from Waitering 101 that you would know that type of information before approaching a table.

After Ben arrived we placed our orders. The menu covers all the usual suspects of French cooking without any specific regional focus or stylistic emphasis.

One interesting thing was the availability of duck confit two ways: one prepared in duck fat for 6 hours, the other for 12 (if I have my numbers right). The second one, which Tawn ordered, was saltier than normal and had a “gamey” flavor. It was quite good with a moist interior and crunchy exterior and was worth coming back for.

Ben had the beef stew, which was flavorful and very tender.

I had the lamb shoulder, which was also tender and flavorful although it had sort of a “one note” nature to it and could have used something – a few olives, maybe? – to distinguish it.

The lamb came with a side of potatoes au gratin, which were tasty but a tad undercooked.

Jason settled for the not-very-French choice of pasta with a meat sauce, which he seemed to enjoy.

Getting pretty full, we managed to find room for a little bit of dessert, just so there would be pictures to post on my blog. (The things we do for you… ha!)

Tarte au citron – lemon tart. The lemon curd was lumpy and uber-sweet without any hint of tartness that makes for a great tarte au citron. A little over-sauced, too. We couldn’t bring ourselves to finish this, one of the rare occasions when I leave a dessert unfinished.

A fresh fig tart was was a pleasant find on the menu, something you don’t see often. The figs were lovely but the base of the tart didn’t add anything to them. The amount of saucing was appropriate, though.

The best dessert was the tarte Tatin. The apple was really lovely and had this luscious caramel flavor. I’d go back just to order this dessert, despite it being lost in a sea of vanilla cream. I wonder if a few grains of coarse sea salt sprinkled on top would have added anything to it?

Upon reflection, I realize what marks a major difference between “fine dining” restaurants here versus in the US (and, I suspect, many western countries). The restaurants here seem to have little definable chef’s vision and the dishes come across pretty much as textbook examples of whatever cuisine they purport to represent. It is as if the owner lays out a bunch of recipes and hires some cooks to prepare them – which is what happens at any restaurant – but in this case it seems that the owner either doesn’t put a unique signature on the dishes or else doesn’t ensure that the cooks understand more than just the technical steps for preparing the dishes. In other words, there’s no passion behind the cooking.

For what it is worth, 4 Garçons serves up food that is well-prepared and tasty, even if the entrees do manage to arrive one at a time in Thai style instead of all at once as you would expect in a French restaurant. If any of these dishes had been served to me at a dinner party (or had I served them at my own home) they would be very impressive. Put into the context of a restaurant they are still good but fall a little shy of where they need to be in order to make a stand-out impression on diners.

For the price – about 500-700 baht (US$15-22) per entree – the food is a fair value for Bangkok fine dining. When I factor in the ambience, which isn’t the restaurant’s strength, and the quality of the food, I would say that 4 Garçons is a “worth visiting” but not a “must visit” restaurant. I’d like to make a return and see how things shake out as they get into their second month of operations, if for no other reason than to eat the tarte Tatin again!

Random Notes

Posted on 2 May 2010 by christao408

A rainy Monday morning, a holiday here in Thailand although I am going to log onto the VPN and get some work done after completing this post. Thought I would take a few minutes just to share a few notes with you. Pictures, food porn, travelogues, political intrigue, etc. will resume with the next entry.

Yesterday I did some exploring as I took the “railway to nowhere” down to Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram provinces. These are two local lines that are remnants of the World War II era and still provide an important transportation service for locals living in the outskirts of Bangkok. The purpose of the trip was as a proving run for some visitors I’m having in June. I shot loads of video and took a number of pictures so I’ll organize and share those in the next future.
This weekend I read an interesting essay titled Harmony and Hate: The Strange Thai Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on a blog written by a Thai named Kaewmala. She writes the essay, in English, to a Thai audience, exploring how it is that a society so doused in the ideals of peace, harmony, and joining our hearts in one is able to splinter into such hateful political discourse in the current “red versus yellow” mess. I found it to be very insightful because at the heart of the problem, she argues, is an education system that discourages independent, critical thought. A note before you click through: Kaewmala’s blog is called “Thai Sex Talk” (or is it Thais Ex Talk?) – don’t worry, it isn’t about erotic services or anything, just relationships – but if you’re clicking through at work it may get caught up by your company’s monitoring software.
Sometime in the next week I need to book our tickets to the US for July. My grandparents both turn 90 this year and to celebrate we’re having a family reunion on my mother’s side of the family in July. I wasn’t originally planning on coming back to the US quite so soon – our last trip was in March – but this isn’t an event that can be missed if I can at all avoid it. Sadly, due to some extenuating circumstances I’ve chosen not to write about yet, I don’t think we’ll be able to afford to add on additional stops as we had hoped to do. I was really hoping to swing by Toronto on the return from Kansas City. Maybe next year…
Finally, I’ve received lots of good news in the past few weeks. Our friends Lalima and Aaron gave birth to their second child. Dr. Zakiah and her husband Mohamed, who welcomed me into their home during a visit to Quincy last summer, have a third grandson now as their son and daughter-in-law started a family. Our friend Andy, who served as our witness when we applied for our marriage license last summer, called from Omaha to announce his engagement to Sugi. Our friend Paul, a frequent visitor to Thailand over the years, wrote from San Francisco to announce his engagement to Hey Jung. And in perhaps most surprising news our friends Dr. Chris and Antony, a Singaporean-Australian couple who live in Hong Kong, shared with us that they will be having two children through surrogate mothers in the US of all places. I’m so glad they will have the opportunity to fulfill their dream of starting their own family.

With what seems to be nearly ceaseless bad news in the media, it is nice to pause and reflect sometimes on all the little joys – no, great joys – that surround us and those we care about.

Ginger Macadamia Cranberry White Chocolate ANZAC Biscuits

Posted on 1 May 2010 by christao408

April 25th was ANZAC Day, the annual commemoration of the important role played by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp in World War II, especially in the bloody campaign in Gallipoli, Turkey. To be perfectly honest, none of this would have been at the forefront of my consciousness, had Jacquie not sent Michael a box of ANZAC biscuits, an eggless cookie popularized by the wives and girlfriends of ANZAC soldiers. These oat cookies had a long shelf life and could withstand the rigors of being shipped halway around the world to their loved ones on the front lines.

Jacquie’s version differed from the ubiquitous one on the internet by the addition of ginger powder and toasted macadamia nuts. They looked scrumptious and since Tawn and I were going to have guests over for dinner last weekend, I decided to bake a batch. Along the way, I spontaneously decided to add some left-over white chocolate that was in the fridge as well as a handful of dried cranberries.

This is the recipe Jacquie provided with only minor modifications by me. An original recipe without nuts and ginger is located here.

Ginger Macadamia ANZAC Biscuits
1/2 c unstalted raw macadamia nuts
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t powdered ginger
1 1/2 c rolled oats
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c dried shredded coconut
2 T boiling water
1 1/4 T golden syrup (or corn syrup)
1 t baking soda
4 oz butter

First step is to preheat the oven to 180 C / 375 F and, once warm, toast the nuts for a few minutes, stirring them to ensure even toasting. Remove when golden brown and aromatic and let cool in the pan. Then chop the nuts with a knife making the pieces not too large (they’ll fall too easily out of the cookie dough) but not so small that you lose the nice crunch of the nut.

Next step is to mix all the dry ingredients – except for the baking soda! – together. You may get the impression that there isn’t enough flour, but have faith that it will come together in the end.

Melt the butter on the stovetop. In a separate bowl, add the boiling water, golden syrup (which is a sugar cane based syrup – you can substitute corn syrup), and baking soda. Whisk briefly to set the soda bubbling then stir in the butter. Set aside for five minutes to allow it to cool slightly.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture, stirring throughly to combine. At this point, I decided to add a few more items: a handful of dried cranberries and about a 1/3 cup of coarsely chopped white chocolate. These were wonderful additions although by no means necessary.

You can then wrap the dough tightly and place in the refrigterator for fifteen minutes to firm it up slightly, making it easier to handle. If your kitchen is nice and cool and you aren’t having that problem, no need to refrigerate!

Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper then portion the dough onto the sheets. A heaping teaspoon full of dough should be enough, although you may want to experiment with sizes should you prefer a larger cookie. Bear in mind that these cookies will spread so don’t crowd them together. If you put the trays back into the refrigerator until baking, it will slow the spread.

Bake one sheet at a time in the oven for about 12 minutes or until golden brown, turning halfway through the baking to ensure even cooking. Cooking for a little longer will make for a crispier cookie. After taking the tray out of the oven, let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Let cool and enjoy!

As for the rest of our dinner, I prepared some nice crostini as an appetizer:

Balsamic-vinegar roasted sweet peppers on basil pesto.

Black olive and caper tapenade.

A fresh salad with feta, candied pecans, and cherry tomatoes.

A ham, black olive, and fresh mozzarella pizza.

And the real winner of the day, a white pizza with a simple white cream sauce, thinly sliced rosemary potatoes, a scattering of mozzarella cheese, and red onions. Divine!

Bangkok Gov, Tourism Authority Tout Ratchaprasong Pedestrian Mall

Posted on 30 April 2010 by christao408

(BANGKOK) Every cloud has its silver lining and, so it would seem, every crippling protest has its tourism promotion scheme. In the four weeks since thousands of anti-government protesters, known as “Red Shirts” although they have increasingly donned other colors so as to confound the fashion police, shut down the high-end Ratchaprasong shopping district, tourism arrivals to Amazing Thailand have plummeted more than 40%. The result has been hundreds of millions of baht in lost business every day as hotels and shopping centers have been forced to close. But a creative solution, it seems, may soon be at hand.

A view along the new pedestrian mall, showing both the food and crafts tents and the screen for outdoors showings of classic Thai films.

Working feverishly to restore the confidence of global tourists and to prop up the thousands of affected jobs in the service and tourism sectors, Bangkok Governor Rodtitmakmak Naimahanakorn and Tourism Authority (TAT) Governor Naktawngtiaw Maimatungprathet held a joint press conference yesterday to announce the creation of the Ratchaprasong Pedestrian Mall and Issan Folk Festival.

“Bangkok has long been in need of inviting and friendly pedestrian spaces,” said Governor Rodtitmakmak. “Looking at the thousands of people who have spontaneously turned the previously traffic-jammed Ratchaprasong intersection in front of Central World Plaza into an outdoor party, I asked myself, why not build on their good example?”

Soon the Ratchaprasong Pedestrian Mall will be filled with tourists from around the globe.

Following recent efforts by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, both of whom have changed the faces of their respective metropoleis by turning previously busy streets into pedestrian-friendly plazas, the governor explained the Bangkok would finally join the ranks of world-class cities that are friendlier to their citizens than they are to their citizens’ cars.

“This concept has been around for ages in Europe,” said Governor Rodtitmakmak. “Think of Bruges, Copenhagen, and Venice, all of which are very pedestrian friendly. We’re extending that concept and giving it a uniquely Thai flavor.”

Vendors along the Pedestrian Mall will offer handcrafted local merchandise in a wide range of colors.

As to the question of how opening a pedestrian mall along what was formerly Bangkok’s ritziest shopping district will help the tourism slump, TAT Governor Naktawngtiaw expressed confidence that adding a cultural twist would attract global attention.

“Times Square… the one in New York, I mean… has its neon signs,” said the TAT governor. “We will have a permanent stage featuring Issan folk music and dance performances, outdoor screenings of classic Thai films, and booths serving sticky rice and grilled chicken. What tourist could resist?”

Above, vendors at the Ratchaprasong Pedestrian Mall will offer Issan specialties including fresh-squeezed lime juice with soda, a refreshing Northeastern Thailand treat.

When pressed for details of when the Ratchaprasong Pedestrian Mall concept would be implemented, both men were circumspect. “Seeing as how the Red Shirt protests have gone on for so long and the area already has a circus-like atmosphere,” said Governor Rodtitmakmak, “we are hoping for a smooth transition from the protests to the pedestrian mall. More music and dancing and fewer political speeches, you know? Before long, Bangkok residents and tourists alike will return to the intersection to enjoy the lively nightlife and festive ambience.”

“How does that saying go?” asked TAT Governor Naktawngtiaw. “Oh, yes, when life gives you lemons, make manao soda.”

Of course, this entry is strictly a farce, a bit of humor to help the residents of the City of Angels deal with the frustrations and inconveniences brought on by the continuing protests. No direct quotes were taken and no offence intended!

Increased Security at Asoke

Posted on 29 April 2010 by christao408

In the wake of a temporary disruption of the BTS Skytrain on Wednesday – the Red Shirt guards had entered the Chidlom station overnight and piled tires on the platforms, threatening to dump them on the tracks in order to prevent troop movement by train – the government has stepped up security at key intersections and transit stations. The Skytrain disruption lasted until 10 am, ruining the commutes of tens of thousands of Bangkok residents and putting the streets into chaos.

The police and army have set up checkpoints in a wider circle around the main protest area, stretching back as far along Sukhumvit Road as the Asoke intersection. This is three stations before the Chidlom station that was threatened by the Red Shirts. There appear to be maybe 100 officers and soldiers at the Asoke intersection, but no active stopping and searching of vehicles.

A half-dozen soldiers were posted on the overhead walkways that span the intersection and connect the Skytrain to the subway. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this level of security.

Down on the street there were a pair of water trucks along with a mobile fire fighting unit / water cannon. These checkpoints and stationing of troops are probably in response to another incident this week in which about 2,000 of the Red Shirts decided to conduct a “tour” and head to a wet market in the north side of the city to reach out to residents and explain their side of the situation. The army, tipped off, set up a blockade and engaged the protesters, who eventually retreated. Unfortunately, one soldier was killed, apparently by friendly fire.

One of the more interesting sights was this portable audio truck (beneath the pedestrian bridge) from which soldiers are broadcasting “information” (pro-government publicity) and patriotic songs. I’m sure the guests at the Westin (to the right of this picture) and the Grand Sheraton (to the left) are really pleased about that.

The Skytrain is running shortened hours until only 8:00 pm each night. Whether or not this will be resolved soon is anyone’s guess. I get the impression that the government is taking a “wait and wear them down” approach, figuring that the tighter they close the access to the protest area, the harder it will be for the protesters to sustain their momentum. Will it work? Who knows?

Denuded and Exposed

Posted on 28 April 2010 by christao408

Last December I wrote about some of the changes happening to the landscape in the Thong Lor neighborhood of Krungthep (Bangkok), where Tawn and I live. Most notably, for selfish reasons, is the demolishing of two houses adjacent to our condo.

One Sunday morning last December laborers started demolishing the internal structure on this first house. You can see our condo building – one of two U-shaped buildings that face each other around a swimming pool – in the background.

Thankfully we live on the back side of the building from this picture so the noise and dust didn’t affect us all that directly. But like any property owners, we were curious what was going on. Was this adjacent property going to become a thirty-plus story monstrosity like the one to our southeast?

A few days later, heavy equipment came in and the building, an old single-family home dating from the 1960s, was razed. Once most of the rubble was carted away, everything was quiet for several weeks. Then about a month ago they started the same process with another house in the property to the left of the one pictured above.

On behalf of the panicked residents, uncertain about what was going to be built just outside their balconies, the homeowner’s association pressured the juristic office to contact the Wattana District office. The news came back that the properties are owned by an elderly woman who is building houses for her two sons. There would be no large condos, just new single-family homes. Of course there are plenty of examples on our street of “single family homes” that become extended family six-story apartments.

Then two weeks ago, once again on a Sunday morning, the construction crews arrived and started cutting down all the trees and vegetation on the two, now one since the wall between them had been demolished, properties. A few days later they also cut down two beautiful old trees that were at the back of their property, situated so that they provided a nice green backdrop for our pool area.

Last Sunday morning was the annual homeowner’s association meeting. At the meeting, the head of the association, a Thai man about my age who lives in the mirror image condo from ours on the same floor, explained that he had personally contacted the homeowner and offered to compensate her for the trees so that they could remain standing.

She explained that her sons were going to build a pool and didn’t want to deal with the leaves falling into it. Bleh. How’s that for a lame excuse? If you can afford to tear down old houses to build new ones, I think you can afford a pool boy. They are inexpensive here. (I keep suggesting we hire one but Tawn says no. Ha ha… just kidding. I mean just kidding about hiring one, not about Tawn saying no.)

The view from our balcony now includes a clear view of the denuded property and the soi (alley) beyond. There used to be two really beautiful trees that would put forth these large pink blooms twice a year. I’m hoping they will plant some new landscaping but it could take a decade to get our verdant view back.

At this homeowner’s association meeting there were four vacancies for the committee. Three people, including Tawn and a British expat who has lived here more than seven years, volunteered for the positions. One of Tawn’s big issues is greenery – both aesthetically and also since it affects our property value – so I’m sure this will be an issue that gets addressed at the next committee meeting.

Also, the British guy (John) and several other people have offered to help pitch in money to plant trees on our side of the property to replace the ones cut down. We’ll see how that goes as the planter area is less than a meter wide, so I don’t think the large root ball of a tall tree could be accommodated.

Anyhow, we’re feeling more exposed these days, now that our neighboring land has been denuded.

Food in HK – Tea at the Intercontinental Hotel

Posted on 26 April 2010 by christao408

As our trip to Hong Kong came to its conclusion, Tawn and I went to the Intercontinental Hotel on the Kowloon waterfront for afternoon tea. With its panoramic view of the harbor, the Intercon offers a relaxing and refined way to spend your afternoon. You end up feeling mighty sophisticated just because of the setting.

Located right along the Avenue of the Stars, a pedestrian walkway along the East Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront dedicated to the stars of Hong Kong cinema, the Intercon is a short walk from the MTR and Kowloon Railway stations.

In the background to the left is the venerable Peninsula Hotel and, next to it, the Sheraton. The Peninsula is famed for its afternoon tea but, I’ve been told, is both pricey and filled with tourists. The Intercon offers both the option of either a simple tea service or an extravagant one while offering a view the Peninsula doesn’t. And maybe slightly fewer tourists, although I can’t tell for certain.

The view from just outside the Intercon, showing the Avenue of the Stars walkway. This being a reasonably clear day, you can see Victoria Peak back behind the IFC Tower.

The lobby of the Intercon is spacious and bright although the carpet could use a refresh. Service is very attentive and friendly, though, and I felt very at home.

There was a full tea service that offered sandwiches, pastries, and other snacks. Since we had eaten only a few hours before and had a large dinner planned, we went for the simple scone and tea option. The teas are from Mariage Frères, a venerable Parisian company that has been producing fine teas for over 150 years. It is also the “house tea” at our Bangkok condo. (Yeah, I know that sounds horribly pretentious!) In fact, it is the brand of tea Tawn served when he had the opportunity to meet Martha Stewart a few months ago at a friend’s shop.

The silver tea service is heavy and functional, not at all dainty and elegant. The scones are tasty and the clotted cream and jelly are generously served. An extra pot of hot water sits on the table and the server stops by every so often to top off your cup.

Certainly a very relaxing and refined way to spend an hour in the afternoon and a nice way to complete our trip to Hong Kong. I think I should take tea in hotels more often. And isn’t Tawn adorable in this picture? As we say in Thai, na-rak jang leuy!

That evening, we had dinner at Aqua, the Japanese Italian fusion restaurant that overlooks the Hong Kong harbor from the top floor of One Peking Road. I didn’t provide a write-up on the restaurant for two reasons: first, it was a little too dark for food pictures even with my camera; second, our hosts were the brother and brother-in-law of the owner. We received some special considerations so I’m not sure I could objectively evaluate the restaurant. I will say that the view is spectacular and the food is very good so if you’re looking for a high end destination restaurant, it is worth considering.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the series on the Hong Kong eats. In the next few days I’ll put them all on a Google map and share that with you, in case you want to reference them on a future visit to Hong Kong. Thanks for all your comments and feedback on the entries.

Food in HK – Sift Patisserie

Posted on 25 April 2010 by christao408

On our to-do list was a visit to the Hong Kong designer outlets. Located in Ap Lei Chau, a little island on the south side of Hong Kong Island, most of the outlets are in a tall, nondescript building that for all purposes looks like an office building from the outside. On each floor, though, are a handful of outlets for various name brands.

While Tawn did his shopping, I discovered the Sift Patisserie on the 22nd floor. Quite coincidentally, after I started writing entries about this Hong Kong trip, Jack in Taiwan (now Toronto) suggested that I should go to Sift – a place I had already stumbled upon!

Location in the Horizon Plaza outlet building in Ap Lei Chau.

Location in Wan Chai on Queen’s Road East. There is also a dessert bar in Soho on Graham Street with a more extensive menu and wine, too.

We were there just about opening time and I walked in to find a very cute but very empty space. In fact, I waited for several minutes for someone to come out from the kitchen in back. While waiting, I sat on a sofa and read a magazine, eliciting a surprised gasp when an employee finally came out of the kitchen and found me there.

Cupcakes are all in trend right now, aren’t they? It seems like they are, at least. Generally, I am not a huge fan of cupcakes or cake in general because they are usually kind of dry even if they look pretty on the outside.

I was pleasantly surprised to try their red velvet cupcake which was very moist and tasty and had a really nice dollop of cream cheese frosting. While I’m always a little suspicious of red velvet – there is a LOT of red food coloring in there, after all, and I sense that artificial coloring probably isn’t that good for you – this was still a very enjoyable snack to accompany my latte.

To that end, Joanne over at “Week of Menus” created a “Not Red Velvet Cupcake” recipe that I’ve been meaning to try. Entry here.

Speaking of things artificial, I noticed that Sift’s tag line on their website is “everything sifted, everything refined”. While I get what meaning of “refined” they probably intended, my whole foods perspective made me cringe a bit at the word. Refined foods are the ones we’re meant to avoid, right? Anyhow, I’m sure they meant “fancy and luxurious” instead.

I can tell that some thought went into their packaging design as the bags and boxes are very cute. The rest of the sitting space wasn’t so interesting – white sofa and ottoman covered in fabric (bad choice when people will eat cupcakes on them!) and the walls were pretty scuffed up. I get the impression that this location may be more of a production facility for them than an area focused on the retail side of operations.

Thailand Politics Explained – Somewhat

Posted on 25 April 2010 by christao408

An article that appeared in the New Straits Times provides a pretty accurate and impartial summary of the current political situation in Thailand and what has led to it. It is consistent with several points I made the other that were raised at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club’s panel discussion.

Thailand’s poor have decided that docility is a thing of the past. They are angry and frustrated by the status quo and are clamouring for change.
In other prosperous democracies, the middle class provides the glue that holds society together. In Thailand, by contrast, the bourgeoisie, centred in Bangkok, is barely emerging as a social and political force.

Instead, for a half-century, an unspoken social contract among four broad groups has held Thailand together…

Full story here

christao408

The adventures of an expat American who moved to Bangkok for his husband.

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