bittersweet bangkok

Bangkok has always been one of my favorite cities, and I feel so fortunate that I have friends living there-- gives me an excuse to visit.

Hello, baby!

On 15 June 2013, my last night in Thailand, we had dinner at Zense Gourmet Deck & Lounge Panorama which is on the 17th floor of the Zen Lifestyle Trend Megastore. The view, advertised as "downtown's most encompassing panoramic view", was truly dramatic and the jazz singer was surprisingly good. As for the food, we agreed that it was satisfactory but not spectacular.

Isalata Caprese with fresh burrata. 4/5

Squid ink pasta with seafood. 4.25/5

And then they told me the good/bad news: They were moving back to Manila!

It meant that they had to give up the most wonderful condo in the world which was a short walk from my favorite Thai eatery, Im Chan.

Som tam (papaya salad) with salted egg. 5/5

Khao pad (fried rice) with pork. 4.25/5

Stir-fried oysters with lots of ginger. 4/5

Tom yam gong. 3.75/5

Green curry chicken. 3.75/5

Across the street from Im Chan is the shopping mall Emporium which I like because it's not as huge, crowded or touristy as Siam Paragon, MBK, CentralWorld or even Terminal21. The Food Hall on the fifth level is less comprehensive compared to the food courts in other malls, but the dessert options here are better.

Spicy soup with assorted fish balls and fish cakes. 4.5/5

Stir-fried beef with basil and kangkong. 4.5/5

Banana millefeuille drizzled with chocolate syrup. 5/5

Mango sticky rice. 4/5

Of course I could go back to these places anytime, but it's different when you know that "home" is just around the corner. I'm really going to miss that sense of belonging, of having a neighborhood that I could call mine, even though I was in a foreign city. I'll aways be grateful to my friends for giving me the opportunity to experience that.

See you next month in Manila, guys. I owe you dinner.