Part 7 (1/2)
On our initial visit, it's still too early in the evening for the girls and boys to play, allowing us to explore their haunts without risk of untoward propositions The poking around goes quickly because the same-old sensation takes over after a few in to look alike The search for a good place to eat takes er Lots of restaurants serve fresh seafood, often displayed on ice in front of their large pavilion dining rooms, but they focus mostly on standard international preparations rather than Thai specialties
Finally, our sleuthing brings us to a s Maybe the name should have alerted us-or at least the clueless waiter standing outside by the postedby the dish nao in, Bill asks the server, ”Is your food truly Thai?”
”Oh, yes, in all ways”
Staring at him eye-to-eye, Cheryl says, ”We want our food cooked Thai-style, like the chef would do for you Understand?”
”Oh, yes, madam”
So our crab appetizer shows up without any seasoning at all, leading us to reject it as unacceptable and to reiterate our desires When our two fish entrees arrive later, we sih bites to stave off starvation but leaving the rest; one is insipidly bland and the other subed in a sickly sweet chile sauce rather than the advertised red curry Noticing we left a fair amount of food, the waiter says, ”Oh, too spicy for you!”
Our dinners the next two eveningsby our hotel pool, we take a tuk-tuk south in the afternoon to the Karon and Kata Beaches Unlike the scary three-wheel carts of the sakok, the tuk-tuks in phuket are s in the bed for six or so people Taxis and buses don't exist for transportation between beaches, so the uncoe accordingly Dominated by a couple ofin a laid-back style If we had a chance to choose again, this is where ould have stayed after the Amanpuri, probably at the hotel attached to our dinner restaurant
Arriving early for our reservation at Mom Tri's Boathouse, we kill time across the street at the Cool Beach bar, which clile on four small concrete terraces covered with tin roofs, punctured at points to allow palht Portraits of the king and queen, found inon the walls of the upper level watching over a full-size pool table, where the wo befuddled male opponents how to handle a cue stick Bill orders a ”Mai Thai,” festooned with orchids, and Cheryl gets a frothy and cooling ”SingaPore Sling” The drinks co BBC TV or listening to Tracy Chaps
The ”Mom” in Tri's name is a title, like ”Sir,” rather than a shorthand for reputation as the best place to eat in phuket and it sure shows us why Executive chef Tu both classic French and Thai dishes, each prepared to complement the extensive, international selection of wine in the professional cellar Our first night co experience, with superb food and wine in an enchanted setting, on a beachfront terrace with a gentle sea breeze and stars winking at us from above
Cheryl starts with poo cha, poo cha, deep-fried crab served in the shell with a sweet pluoes for deep-fried crab served in the shell with a sweet plu cha na laced with thin slices of chile and loaded with garlic and basil The kitchen seasons both expertly, pu up the heat in the salad but not so much that it overpowers the wine, a peppery, rustic French Mourvedre For main courses, we try a rock lobster salad with a rich fish-sauce dressing laced with thin slices of chile and loaded with garlic and basil The kitchen seasons both expertly, pu up the heat in the salad but not so much that it overpowers the wine, a peppery, rustic French Mourvedre For arrupa caught just off the shore, and deep-fried garrupa caught just off the shore, and gang phed ped yang, gang phed ped yang, pan-roasted duck breasts with a spicy curry sauce and lychees, which rates in the top ten dishes of our long journey pan-roasted duck breasts with a spicy curry sauce and lychees, which rates in the top ten dishes of our long journey
Invoking her all-ti else was so good”-Cheryl suggests we share so Bill will leave most of it for her Because we both want to sample a dish from the French side of the menu, she orders a financier, financier, a warnificent version and then takes tropical liberties with the idea, adding pureed fresh pineapple on top, and on the side, a creauava, and mint An ideal finish for a drea back to our bed on a cloud Instead, we ht a warnificent version and then takes tropical liberties with the idea, adding pureed fresh pineapple on top, and on the side, a creauava, and mint An ideal finish for a drea back to our bed on a cloud Instead, we ht
A lashi+ng rain wakes us the next , the last day of the officialearlier in our stay, but this is a black-sky drencher The man who cleans the pool beside the breakfast restaurant appears bundled for a storht blue slicker and rubber boots Given the dreary prospects for any tier than usual at the breakfast buffet Our waitress sy out the obvious ”We're still in our rainy season, after all”
A half-dozen serving tables offer the sa foods Lacking anything better to do, we try to guess the guests' nationalities by theirmost of them will stick with favorites from home ”That's an Aot cereal first and then an omelet”
”I bet they're Scandinavian or Ger up with cold cuts and cheese Only the japanese opt for ee The fruit, sushi+, and the various breads, ranging from croissants to scones, don't provide solid clues because a cross section of people pick thea a lot of the locally raised pineapple and a little of everything else except the tasteless boxed cereals
The rain continues all day, driving us by thethe ide list of possibilities, we order aThais know a lot about lireat with the snacks on the table, peanuts studded with garlic and cilantro
Back at Molooht before, with the terrace closed and the s shut tight against the storain, particularly the pla tod ki mow, pla tod ki mow, a deep-fried sea bass topped with red curry, and the a deep-fried sea bass topped with red curry, and the goong sarong, goong sarong, a phuket specialty of shrimp rubbed with a paste of white pepper and cilantro, then wrapped in softened rice vermicelli and deep-fried The food lifts our spirits, but not to the peaks of our first dinner a phuket specialty of shrimp rubbed with a paste of white pepper and cilantro, then wrapped in softened rice vermicelli and deep-fried The food lifts our spirits, but not to the peaks of our first dinner
It's still raining in the h season as we pack up to leave for India By noe're ready for a change of scenery Our joys in Thailand certainly outnuuarantee to be far s tire us in a e don't experience elsewhere on the trip Going froain requires a lot of running to keep up with the tey finish line ahead looks welcoe] ROYAL P PRINCESS C CHIANG M MAI chiang Mai 66-5328-1033 fax 66-5328-1044 Large, pleasant deluxe rooht Bazaar for our tastes
[ie] HONG T TAUW I INN Ni Mai 66-5321-8333
lunch and dinner
[ie] THE N NATIONAL E ELEPHANT I INStitUTE thailandelephantorg Lae] SIAM C CITY H HOTEL B BANGKOK siakok 66-2247-0123 fax 66-2247-0178 Classy for a moderately priced hotel and near the Phayathai Skytrain station
[ikok/ 48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok 66-2659-9000 fax 66-2659-0000 Once often ranked the world's finest hotel and still as polished as ever
[ikok
[ikok 66-2223-9384
dinner only
[ie] POLO F FRIED C CHICKEN 137/1-2 Soi Polo off Wireless Road, Lukok lunch and early dinner (no reservations)
[idao near the intersection of Yaowarat Road, Chinatown, Bangkok dinner only (no reservations)
[ikok 66-2221-4082
lunch and dinner Don't e] AMANPURI amanresortscom Pansea Beach, phuket 66-7632-4333 fax 66-7632-4100 Absolutely lovely and restful
[ie] AMARI C CORAL B BEACH R RESORT phuketco Beach, phuket 66-7634-0106 fax 66-7634-0115 Conventional in e] MOM T TRI'S B BOATHOUSE boathousephuketcom Kata Beach, phuket 66-7633-0015 fax 66-7633-0561 Great ocean-front location for both the hotel and the restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner