Bangkok, Thailand - Foodie Picks

If you've been following my blog for a while,

you probably already know that my favorite vacation activities usually revolve around eating. 

With Thai cuisine being amongst one of our top favorites, 

Erik and I were both giddy with excitement about all the dining possibilities in Bangkok. 

It was no surprise that practically everything we tried was tasty, 

and the best part, was that it was also incredibly cheap!

Walking around the markets, you won't ever find yourself hungry for too long. 

I won't ramble on too much about the delicious morsels we dined on.. 

noodles for practically every meal.. breakfast, lunch and dinner! 

But I do want to share two experiences that were above and beyond average. 

On our first night in Bangkok,

Erik and I fought jetlag by heading out for a multi-course dinner at the Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin restaurant,

located at the Siam Kempinski Hotel. 

It was a great way to try out authentic Thai cuisine with a modern flair. 

The restaurant is conceptualised by renowned Henrik Yde Andersen, 

whose Kiin Kiin restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, 

is currently the only Thai restaurant in the world holding a Michelin star. 

The presentation of each course was beautiful, and tasted delicious. 

It's no wonder that this place was included in the list of Asia's 50 best restaurants of 2013. 

I'm so glad we had a chance to try it!

Salmon with Horseradish and Salmon Roe 

The Sticks - Grilled Pork / Prawn Bread with Sesame / Smoked Sausage / Chicken Meatball

Spicy Tom Yum Broth with Prawn Dim Sum 

Stir Fried Pork with Chili and Basil Foam 

Left: Fried Red Mullet with Curried Peanuts and Turmeric Cauliflower 
Right: Slow Cooked Flat Iron with Aubergine, Leek and Oyster Sauce

Five Kinds of Spices as Dessert 

The beautiful lobby of the Kempinski hotel. 

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Our second night in Bangkok happened to fall on my birthday,

so you know I had to go all out when picking a location to celebrate. 

Luckily, all my research paid off,

because the Sirocco restaurant atop of the world famous Lebua Hotel was absolutely stunning.

Located on the 63rd floor of the tower, 

Sirocco is the world's highest al fresco restaurant and one of Bangkok's most coveted dining choices. 

It did not fail to leave us mesmerized with a breathtaking view of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya river,

an amazing Sky Bar, and quality Mediterranean fare with ingredients from the world's best markets.

Live jazz music was just the cherry on top that made my 27th birthday one that I'll never forget!

Foie Gras Duo - brulee & nuts crumble, terrine & banyuls jelly, ginger bread 

La Garrigue Lamb Rack - roasted in thyme ashes, wilted spinach, garlic puree

French Moulard Duck - slow cooked breast, poached egg, asparagus, orange sauce

Bangkok, Thailand - Part II

Since we only had two days to spend in Bangkok,

we wanted to be efficient with our time. 

The sun was up and shining by the time we woke up,

so we didn't need much motivation to get out there. 

We quickly got dressed and set out to explore all the beautiful landmarks that Thailand's capital city has to offer. 

Uh oh... that didn't look good. I'm glad we took a smaller and safer river taxi. 

Beautiful Wat Arun.

Birthday kisses.

After spending some time on viewing some stellar sights from the top of Wat Arun,

we took another water taxi across the river to check out Wat Pho,

which was right next door to the Grand Palace, and home to Thailand's biggest reclining Buddha statue. 

I was pretty stoked about the selection of cover ups I was offered before entering each temple.
Being dressed "inappropriately" can sure lead to a fun game of dress-up throughout the day. 

See what I mean?

From Wat Pho, we decided to hire a tuk tuk driver for the rest of the day, 

in order to get around to some of the smaller temples in a jiffy. 

One of my favorites was Wat Saket, famous for its "Golden Mount," 

a man-made hill topped with a towering chedi that offers incredible views across Bangkok.

All that exploring in the high temperatures of June made us pretty tired,

but nothing that a couple-hour nap couldn't cure. 

Did you really think that I would spend my birthday night snoozing?

Not a chance. 

The husband and I got all gussied up on our last night in Bangkok and hit the town for dinner and drinks. 

I'll have a full summary of our night out, along with some other Bangkok dining recommendations in my next post. 

Stay tuned!