Thailand!

Is it Friday already?

Time really feels warped when one is jet-lagged. I feel like I've been moving through this week in a cloud, waking up way too early and yet still feeling tired all the time.

We just returned from a whirlwind one-week long trip to Thailand. Bryan had a work trip there so I decided to tag along on this one. Bryan had to work for most of the week, so I decided to entertain myself by signing up for several cooking classes.

We spent most of our evenings together, so we were able to explore Thai cuisine together, which was super fun.

Here's just a snapshot of some of the stuff we saw. It's also a peek at the nature of the upcoming posts in this Thailand! series.

A fascinating outdoor market that's set up along an active train track!

The breathtaking view of Bangkok from the top of the Skybar, where only a short glass wall separates you from the scary edge of this 63-floor high building.

Northern style Isaan sausages and the staple accompaniment, sticky rice.

Making red curry from scratch at my first cooking class.

We learned how to make golden bags.

And Pad Thai.
Bryan and I visited the only restaurant in Thailand to make the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list. The London location of this restaurant received a Michelin star at one point.

I tried durian for the first time, in the form of dessert (durian + sticky rice).

One of my favorite parts was the abundance of fresh fruit. Every day for breakfast, I sampled various tropical fruits that I can't get easily in the US.

We visited one of the most famous pad Thai places in the city, where you can get excellent pad Thai for just a bit over $1 USD.

Just down the street is the most famous Pad Kee Mow (drunken noodle) place in the entire city.
A plate of their ethereal noodles will run you a whopping $10 USD (considered crazy expensive compared to most noodle places, which cost close to $1 - $2), but it's soooooo worth it.

We took a street food tour and tried some fantastic local dishes, such as this tom yum noodle soup which we enjoyed in an alleyway between two buildings!

or these deep fried bananas (yum!).

Ever had a deep fried egg omelet?

We visited the floating markets and I bought mango sticky rice from a boat vendor.

One of the best treats? Seeing Northern Lights from the airplane on my ride home.

I have so much to share with you from this trip. I didn't realize how little I knew about Thai culture, history, or its food before this trip. I feel like I learned so much and I can't wait to share them with you. I've got recipes and techniques I learned for some classic Thai dishes; photos from our street food adventure, and lots and lots of interesting (and tasty!) dishes from the various restaurants we visited. Yes it was only a week, yet I tried my best to pack in as much as possible.

Stay tuned for this next series on Thailand!

Update! The Entire Thailand Series

Eats!
Thip Samai, Best Pad Thai in Bangkok?
Raan Jay Fai, Best Drunken Noodle in Bangkok
Street Foods of Bangkok, Part I
Street Foods of Bangkok, Part II
Fun Fruits in Thailand

Cool Experiences
Maeklong Railway Market
Floating Markets (Damnoen Saduak)

Cooking Classes + Recipes
Somphong Thai Cooking School
Som Tam (Papaya Salad)
Thai Panaeng Curry Chicken
Bananas In Golden Syrup
BaiPai Thai Cooking School
Golden Bags
Larb Gai (Laap Gai)
Pad Thai