Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Coffee Bean by Dao @ Central World

Apart from Siam Square, Platinum Fashin Mall is our favourite shopping destination in Bangkok. This massive wholesale mall is a source for retail shops all around Bangkok, from Khao San Road to Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Tips for Shopper at Platinum Fashion Mall:

1) Platinum Fashion Mall caters especially to wholesale clothing, so most shops would require you to purchase a minimum of two pieces in order to have the “wholesale” price. No problems for us because we can always mix the designs. Wholesale price is always 50-100 baht cheaper compared to retail price.

2) Cash payment ONLY.

3) The mall has six floors which are filled with small outlets – most of them specialising in women’s clothing and fashion accessories. So if you find something that you like, get it straightaway or jot down the shop’s lot number or else you will never be able to find it again.

4) Platinum Fashion Mall is divided into two buildings. Zone 1 & 2 is at the older building while Zone 3 which specialises in bags and shoes is located at the new wing.

5) The best time to hit Platinum is in the morning on a weekday, right after the mall opens at 9 a.m. Otherwise, get ready to fight with the weekend crowds. Most stalls close before 8 p.m.

It’s also not surprising to see shoppers pulling huge trolley bags around the mall. They are mostly fashion business owners stocking up latest fashion apparels here.

Fashion Paradise!

T shirts designed by aspiring young Thai designers.

Left: Cute hand made knick knacks/Right: key chains, phone straps, etc

There’s also a food court located at the sixth floor of Platinum Fashion Mall with 28 stalls serving hot, fresh and cheap Thai food.

Platinum Fashion Mall
Address: Petchaburi Road, Pratunam
Opens daily from 9am to 8pm
Website: http://www.platinumfashionmall.com/pfront8/
Getting Here: BTS Siam, BTS Chitlom, BTS Ratchatewi – 10-15 minute walk to the mall.

Just across Platinum Fashion Mall one can find the best Thai chicken rice in town.

Affectionately known as the pink shirt chicken rice, Kaiton Kao Mun is a 40 years old eating establishment which draws huge crowd every single day and night. There’s also a green shirt chicken rice situated less than 50 metres away from them.

chopped chicken clotted blood anyone?

We were totally clueless when it comes to order; as everyone looked so busy. Fortunately for us, a Thai uncle seated next to us helped us to order by just mumbling a short string of Thai words. The chicken was juicy and tender, the rice was fragrant and everything taste better when we put a little bit of the sweet soy sauce on the rice. It was a good plate of chicken rice but for most Malaysians and Singaporeans, it is no fight compared to our version of Hainanese chicken rice.

He also got us a bowl of soup with chicken bone. It may looked scary but the soup packed a powerful punch of flavours.

refreshing cup of Chinese tea

Guess how much our total bill was? 60 baht inclusive of 2 plates of chicken rice, chinese tea and soup! The chicken rice was not remarkable, but it was a good experience to blend in with the locals.

Kaiton Kao Mun Kai Pratunam
on the corner of Petchburi Soi 30, Petchburi Road
Tel. +66 (0)2 252 6325
Opens daily 5:30am-3:30pm, 5pm-3am.

We found this Chinese map and translated it for our dear readers perusal. Hope it helps!

Next Up: Sirocco Sky Bar @ Lebua State Tower – Best Sky Bar in Bangkok

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: MBK Food Court, Bangkok

With over 800,000 square meters in all and 550,000 square meters of retail space, Central World Plaza is the biggest shopping mall at Thailand and comprises two department stores, Zen and Isetan, and the main shopping mall.

There’s also Red Sky bar @ Centara Grande at Central World. Located at Level 55, the view is inferior to Vertigo or Sirocco (most famous sky bar at Bangkok) but it offers a convenient location.

Central World houses quite a number of foreign and local flagship stores and one of them is Naraya. With beautiful fabrics, unique designs and quality materials, the NaRaYa brand has gained international acceptance. A medium size bag costs only about 250 – 600 baht, so expect to see throngs of tourists inside the store.

Apart from shopping, food is also our main priority. So we tried out Coffee Beans by Dao, one of the more popular cafes in Bangkok. They are in no way related to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, if you are wondering.

Coffee Beans by Dao serves an extensive selection of Thai food, but it’s not the food they’re famous for – it’s the desserts.

Coffee Beans by Dao has 5 outlets across Bangkok but all 5 branches look completely different. The one at Central World has been designed to resemble a tea room with large cushy chairs and Victorian style fittings.

Desserts make Coffee Bean by Dao popular. We saw most patrons who walk in solely for the dessert and coffee.

Vanilla Crepe Cake (110 baht). The cake was delicious, and the many-layered texture is so divine! We can literally feel how it melts in our mouth.

White Chocolate Cheesecake (120 baht). This white chocolate cheesecake has a soft, smooth and creamy consistency. It was rich but not too sweet. We enjoyed it a lot!

Coffee Beans by Dao is a great spot to sit and have a coffee. Another good place to rest your weary feet after a long day of shopping.

Coffee Beans by Dao
Second Floor, Central World Tower
Rajadamri Road, Lumpini,
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Website: http://www.coffeebeans.co.th/menu.html

Next Up: Platinum Fashion Mall & Pink Shirt Chicken Rice @ Pratunam

For more updates, remember to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter!

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Victory Monument Market – Cheap Shopping, Cheap Food

Thailand’s cuisine is regarded by many people as one of the best in the world. Thais take pride in their national cuisine as Thai food is always made with a clever use of spices and fresh ingredients. So when in Rome, one shall do as the Romans do. We rolled our sleeves up and made some amazingly delicious dishes at a cooking class organized by Hansar Bangkok.

Meet our handsome coach, the sous chef at Eve, Hansar Bangkok’s starlet restauant. He was doing a demo while we looked and listened attentively.

We started off with Tom Yum Kung, the optimal representative of Thai gourmet.

Ingredients:

Fresh Giant Water Prawn – 5 pcs
Straw Mushrooms – 70 g
Hot Chilies (lightly crushed) – 3 pcs
Sliced of matured galangal – 6 slices
Lemon Grass – 6 stems
Lime Juice – 0.25 cup
Coriander – 2 stems
Kaffir Lime Leaf – 3 g
Fish Sauce – 3 tbsp
Chicken Stock – 3 cups
Chili Paste – 5 g
Carnation Cream – 10 g

Instructions:

Wash and devein the prans, remove the head but keep the tail intact. Bring a pot of chicken stock to the boil, add herbs for a few minutes until fragrant, add prawn, mushroom. Boiled until cooked.

Season with lime juice, chilies, fish sauce, sprinkle of kaffir lime leaves and coriander.

KampungBoy – serious at work

Guess which one is done by the chef and which one is our masterpiece?

It was an easy dish to prepare;  just chuck everything in and bring it to boil. We both breathe a sigh of relief. However, we were told that that was just the beginning! We will be playing level up!

Bring it on! Second dish was my favourite Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keaw Wan Kai).

Ingredients:

Chicken – 80 g
Green Curry Paste – 15 g
Palm Heart – 30 g
Sliced Red Chili – 10 g
Thai Sweet Basil – 5 g
Palm Sugar – 10 g
Coconut Milk – 150 g
Kaffir Lime Leave – 2 g
Fish Sauce – 10 g

Instructions:

Sautee green curry paste with cooking oil over a medium to high heat. Stir regularly to prevent the paste burning.

Add chicken and continue to cook until the paste is fragrant. Seaso with fish sauce, palm sugar, salt and add coconut milk and stock.

Bring boil with reduce heat, add palm heart and simmer until cooked. Add garnish.

It was a difficult dish to prepare. I almost burned the green curry paste while attempting to sautee it till fragrant. Our coach had to intervene and lend a helping hand to salvage our green curry chicken.

Not too shabby huh?

Here comes our last dish – pad thai goong, playing on difficulty level 10.

Ingredients:

Rice Noodle – 70 g
White Prawn – 4 pcs
Egg – 1 pcs
Tamarind Juice – 10 g
Palm Sugar – 10 g
Fish Sauce – 20 g
Lime Juice – 10 g
Shallot – 10 g
Yellow Bean Curd – 20 g
Dried Shrimps – 5 g
Flat Chive – 10 g
Bean Sprout – 50 g
Grounded Peanut – 10 g
Chili Flakes – 10 g
Cooking Oil – 50 g
Turnip Pickle – 5 g
Peanut – 5 g
Tomato Paste – 5 g
Chicken Stock
Banana Flower – for garnish

Instructions:

Heat the oil with medium heat, add prawn and stir until cooked, add fresh egg and stir until cooked. Add dried shrimp, bean curd, turnip pickle, shallot and rice noodle. Stir until the noodles are cooked and tender.

Add fish sauce, white sugar, tamarind juice, chives and bean sprout then stir to mix well.

I’ll never underestimate an average looking plate of pad thai anymore. First, we had to make sure that the rice noodles were cooked al dente. Then it is not easy to pan fry a thin layer of egg crepe. The most difficult part was to stir fry everything in a small pan, while mixing everything well. Glad to say that we overcome these obstacles and achieve success

KampungBoy fits very well onto the kitchen scene; with his chef uniform, glaring smile and hands holding a plate of pad thai.

It looks as good as it tastes.

Though the work is hard, we got to take time to enjoy the fruits of our labour. It was probably one of the best Thai meals I’ve had. Everything had the perfect amount of spices, tickling our taste buds.

Towards the end of the cooking class. we were presented with a certificate of excellence as well as a folder filled with Thai recipes. Hansar Bangkok does host cooking class for their hotel guests from time to time, just email them to check for availability.

There’s something about active participation in a cooking class at foreign land. It was fun, interactive and exciting! I’ve decided to sign up for another cooking class at Bangkok this coming June!

Next Up: MBK Mall Food Court

Remember to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter!

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Cooking Class @ Hansar Bangkok

MBK Mall is probably one of the worst place to shop in Bangkok. And that was mainly because we are not a gadget person (mostly grey sets) or someone who would pay for a “I LOVE BANGKOK” t shirt and fridge magnet.

However, everyone in ‘the know’ in Bangkok knows MBK food court is the best in Thailand (so we heard). MBK houses two food courts – MBK fifth avenue and MBK Food Centre. MBK fifth avenue is a higher end version with more varieties while MBK food centre on the sixth floor is much cheaper.

We opted to dine at MBK Food Centre which is more localised and cheaper.

One will have to buy coupons to get his/her food here. Unused coupons can be refunded within the day.

Google results reveal that stew pork rice, beef noodles and sticky mango rice are amongst some of the “must try” items here.

Our khao kha moo (stew pork rice, 50 baht) came in a generous portion. The stew pork was tender and I loved how the ribbons of fat around the pork slices had a soft, gelatinous texture. However, the gravy was lacking in taste. It was an OK dish overall.

We hopped over to the food stall after having our main meals.

The mango sticky rice (80-100 baht) at MBK Food Centre was really good! The mango was extremely sweet and juicy while the glurinous rice was warm and sauce. The coconut cream drizzle added a lot of flavors it. So if you happened to be around MBK mall, give it a try!

Next Up: Coffee Bean by Dao @ Central World

Remember to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter!

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Marukathaiyawan Palace/Palace of Love & Hope @ Hua Hin

From Hua Hin, we took the same mini van back to Victory Monument. The mini van alighted at a local market near Victory Monument instead of Century Shopping Mall where we boarded the van.

Since it was nearing lunch time, we explored the market a bit looking for something to cure our hunger pangs.

We found a lot of nice stalls selling women’s clothing, accessories and knick knacks at an incredibly low price here! Sunglasses for 39 bahts, hair bands for 20 bahts and make up pouches for 20 bahts?! KampungBoy pulled me away before I go insane!

We chose to dine in at this small, hole in the wall noodles house.

2 bowls of fish ball noodles + Pepsi

All these for only 70 baht! Life is great in Bangkok!

If you have some time to spare, why not make a visit to this local market? This market is less touristy, but with the same varieties as other markets.

Next Up: Cooking Class @ Hansar Bangkok

For more updates, remember to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter!

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Plearn Wan Eco Vintage Village

Palace of Love & Hope was built in 1923 as a summer palace of His Majesty King Vajiravudh, Rama VI. King Rama VI made the first designs of the palace himself. He assured good ventilation with high ceilings and fretwork on all walls. Building the entire structure on stilts ensured the ground could be kept clean. Ants were controlled by niches for water around each concrete pillar and along the plaster walls that connect to the ground. Bringing all his ideas together, His Majesty chose an Italian architect, Ercole Manfredi, who worked in the Civil Works Department to make the final architectural drawings.

The palace consists of three groups of building. All buildings are one story high, built of golden teak, and stand on a total of 1,080 concrete pillars. Covered wooden corridors connect all the buildings.

King Vajiravudh was able to spend only 2 summers, in 1924 and 1925 in this Palace. Then he passed away on November 25, 1925.

Information source here: Hua Hin Travel

There are no public cab services available in Hua Hin. Our hotel concierge gave us this private charter (Toyota Vios) contact instead. Our driver is a very kind lady and she charged us 600 baht (RM 60) for a round trip to Marukathaiyawan Palace from Hua Hin. We were given about 1.5 hours to roam the compound while she waited for us.

Admission is baht 30 for ground level visit and another baht 30 for level one visit. It is recommended to purchase both tickets as there are so much to see at both levels! It’s also a quiet place to spend a few hours and to take some pictures (except for level one, strictly no photograph is allowed).

One can also rent a bike to tour the park and the mangrove swamps area.

Decent clothing is required to visit the site and we came totally unprepared. Hence, the workers at the entrance area wrapped us up. :p

The palace compound is very well maintained. We enjoyed the surrounding scenery and the building architecture so much! Elevated teak walkways and airy rooms provide a beautiful view of the beach and Gulf of Thailand. Let’s enjoy the pictures shall we?

Palace of Love & Hope
In Rama VI Camp,
Petchakasem Road,
Huei Sai Nua,
Cha-Am District,
Phetchaburi Province, Thailand.

OPENING HOURS:
Monday- Friday from 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
Weekend and Public Holidays from 8.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.

Next Up: Back to Bangkok! Victory Monument Market

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Hua Hin Hills Vineyard – Wine Tasting & Vineyard Tour

Plearnwan Hua Hin is Thailand’s first eco vintage village. It was built in late 2009 to recapture to recapture the classic charm of old Hua Hin. Plearn means enjoy and wan refers to yesteryear in Thai language. It is described as a “Center of joy and happiness … stop the past in order to tell the various tales of Hua Hin in the past … toward present” on its website.

We had some time to kill after a visit to Hua Hin Hills Vineyard. So why not dropping by Plearnwan, since entrance is FOC.

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard’s shuttle bus dropped us at Hua Hin Market Village. From there, we hailed a tuk tuk to Plearnwan for a fee of baht 100. Plearnwan is highly popular with the local tourists due to the numerous photo opportunities here. We got to witness their intense passion for cam-whoring and posing too. Totally no fight!

wooden robot made out of recycled materials

We walked through this little corner here, which gives us the feeling of Hua Hin’s old time. There is a mural of the historic Hua Hin railway station.

Plearnwan is an open lawn area with a two storey wooden building around. It offers visitors about everything you can imagine the kind of store you might wish to see, including boutiques selling clothes, a beauty salon, food stalls, a massage centre, a jewellery outlet, as well as record stores and restaurants.

There is an outdoor cinema showing vintage movies at night, and a ferris wheel lit with neon lights.

It is an environmental premise so most vendors use recycled paper wrap and containers.

cute toilet signs

We had so much fun hanging out at this outlet outlet that sell snacks and plastic toys of old days.

vintage postcards

Another shop selling various framed photographs of the highly respected and well loved Thai King.

I’m loving these cute little trinkets!

We took the opportunity to try as much food as we could here!

This little dessert served in aeramic saucer plate is sweet and rich, just like most Thai dessert.

Crispy Pancakes or Khanom bueng. These bite sized crispy pancake is served with thick coconut milk cream and grated coconut with small shrimps as topping.

sweets from yesteryear?

In Plearnwan, visitors can find great food offerings in a clean and well-maintained dining place.

The menus were all in Thai language, but we were very fortunate to have a very nice Thai school girl  who took the liberty to order for us.

Pork Satay (15 baht for 10), Pad Thai (40 baht) and soft drinks (15 baht). The satays were so tender and juicy while the pad thai was nothing to shout about.

Grilled Pork Ribs (60 baht)

Too bad that it turned out a bit tough and ornery.

Grilled banana slices with drenched with a mixture of condensed milk and palm sugar. SO delicious!

Thai style croquettes with various fillings – green curry, black pepper chicken, tomyam, etc.

Plearnwan Eco Vintage Village
Located between Hua Hin soi 38 and 40, opposite Klai Klangwon Palace
Monday – Thursday from 10 am – 10 pm
Friday from 10 am – midnight
Saturdays from 9 am – noon
Sundays from 9 am – 10 pm

Next Up: Marukhathaiyawan Palace (Palace of Love and Hope)

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Hua Hin Hills Vineyard: Getting There

We alighted at The Sala, Hua Hin Hills Vineyard’s very own bistro cum restaurant.

It was lovely to be sit by the open balcony above the vineyard. Just look at the picturesque view! We were there during October, the weather was perfect as the cool season runs from November until the end of February.

s

s

s

complimentary grape juice

Ala-carte activities includes elephant rides, vineyard tour, bottle painting or petangue. One can also select from the available packages, which introduces you to all the great offerings from Hua Hin Hills Vineyard.

We decided not to splurge on those packages (starting from THB 1200 per person) hence the best way to kill time is just to chill and cam-whore!

Unlike Australia’s vineyard, we have to pay for our wine tasting here. Our wine tasting set came with 3 glasses of wines with 3 choices of accompanying food – a crab timbale, goats cheese and a smoked duck concoction (THB 480).

It was one of our best lunch experience as the view overlooking the vinyard was superb!

Right next to the restaurant is the retail store offering wines and grapes by products such as grape seed oil, raisins, grape leaf tea, etc.

I really like this piece here but unfortunately it’s not for sale!

wall of fame

The weather was so perfect that day, so we took a walk around the vineyard.

elephant station

Meet Freddie and Honey, the elephants. Or buy a fruit basket (THB 100) from the mahout to feed them.

The elephant ride is one of the highlighted activities here. The tour around the vineyard took about 15 minutes and the high riding position offers one a good view of the vineyard.

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is a beautiful place to visit. We could just sit here whole afternoon overlooking the valley while sipping a nice glass of wine and enjoying a great meal. The Sala restaurant is fabulous with great food, great atmosphere and excellent wines though pricing is on the higher side.

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard
204 Moo 9, Baan Khork Chang Patana Nong Plup, Hua Hin, Thailand
Tel: + 66 (0)81 701 0222
Email: info@huahinhillsvineyard.com
Website: http://www.huahinhillsvineyard.com/ (tour booking can be done here)

Next Up: Plearnwan, an Eco Vintage Village in Hua Hin

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Awesome Seafood Dinner @ Jek Be-Ak Seafood Restaurant, Hua Hin

We used to hear a lot about Old World wines and New World wines. Now we have New Latitude Wines that come from countries like Brazil, China, India and Thailand. Thailand wines have not been featured high on the look for wine list, but with a new approach by local winemaking industries, Thai wines have found a new prominence in the market. Advances in temperature control systems combined with irrigation techniques,and better cloning and rootstock selection have opened up parts of the world previously thought unsuitable to wine production.

I first heard about Thai wines from a friend who travel frequently to PB Valley @ Khao Yai just for its beautiful scenary and good wine. From there, I told myself that I must at visit at least one of these vineyards.

Market Village @ Hua Hin

In Thailand, there are now six established wineries. Siam Winery is one of them, with presence in Chao Phraya Delta, Hua Hin Hills Vineyard and Tab Kwang Vineyard. Since we were in Hua Hin, it is almost obligatory to make a trip to the Hua Hin Hills Vineyard. It’s about 40 km away from Hua Hin into the mountains area on the way to the as Pala U water fall.

Shuttle service is available at THB 300 per person. It departs from Market Village at 1030 am or 300pm and return at 200pm or 600pm. It is almost a must to make a reservation 032-526351/081-9043888 as each shuttle bus can only fit 10 passengers each time.

HHH has a wine cellar in Market Village. While waiting for our shutter bus to arrive, we walked around the cellar, checking out bottles available for sale.

cork USB? so cute!

Our transportation pass comes with complimentary grape juice upon arrival.

Off we go to Hua Hin Hills Vineyard!

The journey was very pleasant. The LCD TV in the van is playing clips about Thailand’s wine industry and introduction to Siam Winery. The latter part of the ride was very scenic too.

Finally after a 50 minutes ride, we arrived! The vineyard is located in a valley and the we alighted at The Sala, a restaurant cum wine bar.

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard – we couldn’t wait to see it closer.

To be continued…

Next Up: Hua Hin Hills Vineyard – Wine Tasting & Vineyard Tour

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Hua Hin Railway Station & Hua Hin Night Market

During our stay in Hua Hin late last year, we became regular patrons of Jeck Be-Ak Restaurant located on the intersection of Dechanuchit Road and Naeb-Khehars Road. Just look out for the old wooden house across Hua Hin night market.

Our experience leads us to look for local eateries where the locals eat to ensure the authenticity of food. It helps us in avoiding falling into tourist traps too.

These are two separate business operating in the same premises: Som Moo Joom opens from 6am to 2pm while Jeck Be-Ak starts operating from 530pm tlll late.

Som Moo Joom serves mainly toasts and simple Thai fare during the day. Thai Ice Tea and Thai Ice Coffee is especially popular here.

Thai Ice Tea (baht 10/RM 1). With plenty of palm sugar and a liberal shot of fresh milk, the tea was rich and strong with a delightful aroma.

When the sun sets, it is time to indulge in some succulent seafood dishes! The kitchens of Jek Be-Ak specialises in seafood stir fry and sukiyaki hot pot. Much to our delight, there is also an English menu for our perusal.

The crowd started to pour in from 6pm, so it is better to get here early. No reservation is allowed, but the table turn around is quite fast.

Thai Iced Coffee and Blended Coconut.

All the stir fry is made to order to here, ensuring the food freshness and tastiness.

clay charcoal stove for hotpot

kick ass chili sauce with some squeezes of lime juice

Hot Pot – pork and seafood set (baht 130 for 2 person)

It was quite an experience having these Thai style sukiyaki/hot pot along the street of Hua Hin. The broth was light, clear and clean tasting. As we cooked along, it turned out to be so flavourful.

Steam Glass Noodles with Crab (baht 150).

The glass noodles totally absorbed all the great flavours of the sweet and briny crabs. Absolutely delicious!

This little no frills seafood restaurant was a great find! We loved the authentic taste that comes with very reasonable price.

Restaurants Som Moo Joom and Jeck Be-Ak
51/6 Dechanuchit Road,
Hua Hin, Prachuabkirikhan,
Thailand 77110
Hours: Som Moo Joom 06.00-14.00. Jeck Be-Ak 17.30-20.30

Next Up: Hua Hin Hills Vineyard: Getting There

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: High Tea at Sofitel Centara Grand Hua Hin

After having a splendid high tea at Sofitel Centara Grand Hua Hin which retains an age old colonial style architecture and design, we took a stroll to Hua Hin Railway Station. Hua Hin town is easily accessible by foot. It took us less than 10 minutes to reach our destination and be ready to be transported to a bygone era of opulent grace.

Hua Hin Railway Station is indeed Thailand’s most beautiful train station. The rise of Hua Hin also began with the construction of this railway station in year 1968. Its main feature is The Royal Waiting Room that used to welcome King and his court when they were visiting the town. The architecture style and wood is similiar to Maruekkhathayawan Palace (Palace of Love & Hope), which is another attraction not to be missed when you are at Hua Hin.

Hua Hin railway station and Royal waiting room

old steam train at Hua Hin railway station

Hua Hin Railway Station from the outside

Royal Waiting Room

From Hua Hin Railway Station, it was another 5 minutes walk to Hua Hin Night Market which is located in the centre of town and runs up from Petchkasem Road to the railway line and opens from around 18.00. Hua Hin is a coastal town, hence seafood is aplenty over here. We found a lot of huge size crustaceans here; one just need to pick and the hawker owner will grill it on the spot. Other than the food, there are a wide variety of local handicrafts, souvenirs and clothing on sale.

Next Up: Cheap & Delicious Seafood Dinner at Hua Hin town

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous:  Rest Detail Hua Hin – The Room

Inspired by the “Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.” adage, Rest Detail Hotel is rated as one of the best hotels in Hua Hin. The hotel’s location is just lovely and quiet but near the action.

It offers free shuttle bus services several times a day, providing easy access to tourist spots in the city, including shopping malls, markets, and night markets. We always got a tuk-tuk or taxi back for about 200 baht whenever we missed the schedule.

Rest Detail Hotel appears modern – with a touch of minimalism. The lobby is dominated by swaths of crisp white and unexpected pops of bright color.

These marvelously crafted water features are changing the look of every corner and cranny of the hotel.

reading corner for hotel guests

Rest Collections is offering a range of locally made products found throughout the resort make perfect souvenirs and gifts. Remember those beautiful iPod pouch, key pouch and even beach dress found in our room?

Hotel guests can also take a dip at the stunning pool while enjoying panoramic views of the Gulf of Siam.

Breakfasts is served at Rest Gastro, offering buffet overflowing with fresh fruit and vegetables from the hotel’s hydroponic garden. The breakfast selection was awesome; we especially love those Thai coffee, char kuey with pandan kaya, freshly squeezed fruit juice and pad thai!

Each morning after breakfast, we would take a walk around the resort in our most comfy pair of flip flops.

We also took a peep at the Pool Village. Featuring 65 square meters of spacious interiors, the Pool Village offers the ultimate privacy.  Each of the 12 units literally has the swimming pool at their doorstep together with double sun lounges built out over the pool. Sounds like another good choice, apart from our stunning Rest Horizon room.

Opening on to the main pool and out to the Gulf, Rest Scene restaurant serves up flavorful Thai and Mediterranean favorites. Did I mention that we had the best FRESH coconut and rack of lamb here? Coconut water was so naturally sweet and refreshing and the taste was just unforgettable! With just the right ratio of fat to lean, the beautifully presented rack of lamb was so delicious! The lamb has a delightful crunchy crust encircling a juicy interior. So good!

Rest Detail Hua Hin, we’ll be back!

Next Up: Afternoon Tea @ Sofitel Hua Hin

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Getting to Hua Hin (Transportation Guide)

Having spent two nights at Rest Detail Hua Hin,  we both left feeling uplifted and totally rejuvenated. Overlooking the Gulf of Siam, the Rest Detail Hotel is a very small hotel with only 52 rooms. However, size does not really matter as we don’t think we can praise this hotel enough. It offers guests a perfect respite from the outside world. In keeping with its name and playful logo of the “three wise monkeys”, every detail is anticipated to ensure you truly surrender to the charms of this tropical seaside resort. A true testament to RDH’s logo “you rest, we take care of the details”

Rest Detail Hua Hin is excellent in every respect. We loved the relaxed atmosphere and all the little attention to details. We were served with complimentary drinks and wrist band upon checking in.

room 141

cute rotating sign board

beautiful key and card holder

Even our smiling hotel staff was cladded in a beautiful custome. We were being told that the hotel has an in house graphic + interior designer. Some of these pretty knick knacks such as ipod pouch, key holder, etc can be purchased at the souvenir shop downstairs.

Our Rest Horizon Room is located on the fourth floor with 65 square meters of spacious interiors, enjoy uninterrupted sea views and total privacy. While tasteful interiors and a deep soak tub are featured indoors, an oversize daybed and a relaxing Jacuzzi await on the terrace.

Our bed was massive and comes with three types of pillow – orthopaedic, feather or memory foam.

Our room is equipped with Wifi, iPod dock (iPod available from reception and loaded with many gorgeous holiday tunes) and LCD tv with DVD player (DVD for rent at reception).

tropical fruits platter (complimentary)

The balcony with a day bed was my favourite place to sit and read, while KampungBoy enjoys his jacuzzi bath.

The private jacuzzi on the spacious balcony enjoys a breathtaking view of the Gulf of Thailand.

It was very sweet of the hotel staff to send in some freshly cut fruits every afternoon.

As we got back to our room in the evening, there’s a beautiful jar filled with sweets on a tray

The large bathroom had a separate bath, shower and toilet.

huge bathtub = love

shower gel and shampoo with nice aroma scent

two types of bath salt

The hotel is also very thoughtful in providing flip flops, beach wear and beach bag.

RDH bracelet + complimentary sweets

beautiful beach bag

beach dress for her and fisherman pants for him

mini-bar and refrigerator

Our room in the evening was equally stunning, especially with illuminated ceiling with LED backlit.

With work and our hectic lifestyle, we have not being doing this for a very long time – relax and watch a DVD on the LCD TV in the evening.

All in all, Rest Detail Hua Hin is a lovely hotel where nothing was too much trouble. The room was awesome, the hotel staffs were so accommodating and I especially love all the small little touches that is lacking in a lot of chain hotels.

Rest Detail Hua Hin
19/119 Soi Hua Hin 19
Tambol Hua Hin, Amphur Hua Hin
Prachuabkhirikhan 77110 THAILAND
Phone: +66 (0) 32 547 733
http://www.restdetailhotel.com/

Next Up: Rest Detail Hua Hin – Facilities Breakfast & Dinner

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Rest Detail Hua Hin – Facilities, Breakfast & Dinner

Upon checking into our beautiful resort, we hired a cab to Sofitel Centara. It is a classic colonial-era Railway hotel that has occupied an idyllic spot on Hua Hin beach front for almost a century. Sofitel Centara is well known for its colonial style architecture and topiary gardens full of bushes shaped like animals.

Our main purpose was to do afternoon tea at “The Museum”, a beautiful tea room which features the many histories of the old Railway Hotel. ‘The Museum’ is overlooking the gardens within the main hotel and another at the other side of the lounge area overlooking the topiary garden. As we studied the vintage black and white photos and various old ornaments in The Museum, we felt as if we were being transported back to the 19th century.

The afternoon tea menu is typical. We indulged in a beautifully arranged three-tier English afternoon tea (480 baht per pax) set with freshly baked scones, bite size sandwiches, tiny cakes and pastries. The tea or coffee was presented in delicate china sets. We were also served by a couple of charming Thai ladies dressed in silk Thai trouser-pants and fine lace blouses.

Sofitel’s afternoon tea starts at 15.00 and lasts until 17.00. We took a leisurely stroll around the hotel grounds after that. I have been fascinated by topiary gardens for years and in here, we got a sense of Sofitel’s passion for British colonial-era gentile country life.

What a beautiful evening (in a thick British accent)! Sofitel Centara is the place to go if you are planning a trip to Hua Hin. The fabulous ambience and great friendly services more than make up for the decent/average food, making it an excellent overall experience.

The Museum
Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas,
1 Damnernkasem Road,
Hua Hin 77110, Thailand
Tel: (+66) 32512021
Email: reservation@sofitel.co.th

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

s

Next Up: Hua Hin Railway Station & Hua Hin Night Market

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Best Dinner @ Som Tam Nua @ Siam Square Soi 5

Happy 2012 to our dear readers! Have your got your holiday plans ready for the year? Well, we already have two places in mind for the first half of year 2012! If Bangkok is one of your holiday destination this year, why not consider making a 3D2N trip to Hua Hin?

Hua Hin is unlike any other beach resort in Thailand. There’s no all-night action of cabarets and discos, neither there’s any tourist crowds, traffic or anything for that matter. It is a quaint seaside resort city which is very popular among Bangkok residents as well as a small group of Japanese, Korean, Hong Konger and Taiwanese tourists. It is well known as a rainy season retreat and is closely associated with the Thai royalty. In 1926, King Rama VII built the Klai Kangwon (Far From Worries) Palace on the beach a few km north of the Railway Hotel and this palace is still frequently used by the Royal Family. The Hua Hin railway station is also frequently visited by the Thai royalties. There’s even a Royal Waiting Room in it!

Situated about 200 kms from Bangkok, there are a few ways to get to Hua Hin:

Bus:

From Bangkok Southern terminal every 40 minutes from early until late, about THB 160 each way, journey time about 3 hrs 15 minutes

Pros and Cons: Cheap, comfortable and relatively faster; but the location of Bangkok Southern Terminal is not convenient.

Train:

Fares vary depending on type of train and class. Journey time from around 4 hrs to 5 hrs. Most have 2nd class air conditioned some also 1st Class.

kampungboycitygal’s comment: Cheap (around 100 baht); but the trains go very slowly getting away from Bangkok so 2 1/2 hour road time to Hua Hin stretches to 5 or 6 on the train.

Air:

As of 2010, there is no scheduled air service between Bangkok and Hua Hin. Charter jets and helicopters are available if you are in a hurry and have lots of money. Hua Hin Airport is also convenient for Cha-am.

kampungboycitygal’s comment: Fast, comfortable and convenient; but we don’t have the money to charter a jet.

Taxis:

Easily available, journey time about 3 hours, fares range from THB 1,600 onwards.

kampungboycitygal’s comment: Fast, comfortable and convenient; but 1600-2000 baht is still a steep price to pay for 2 pax.

Limousines:

Easily available from airport and city, fares range from about THB 2,850 upwards, and more comfortable than normal taxis. Large sedans and min-vans available.

kampungboycitygal’s comment: Fast, comfortable and convenient; but 3000 baht is still a steep price to pay for 2 pax.

Hotel Transfers:

Some hotels / hotel groups such as Hyatt and Dusit have regular transfers between their Bangkok and Hua Hin properties, either large sedans or luxury mini-vans.

Shared Mini Vans:

This option is available from most any travel agency in Bangkok, but must be booked ahead. It’s one of the most cost effective ways to get to Hua Hin. One way fares usually cost no more than THB 500. The trip takes a little over 3 hours, depending on your place in the pick up or drop off queue.

kampungboycitygal’s comment: Cheap, convenient to board (Victory Monument BTS) and relatively faster (2.5 hours); but seating can be very tight and there’s no luggage storage space available.

Information from Trip Advisor

To board a minibus, proceed to Century Shopping Mall (Victory Monument BTS). Cost is 180 baht, limited baggage. You might be asked to buy extra seat if you have a lot of luggage. If you’re traveling light, it’s a great way to go.

The Hua Hin vans board in the alleyway next to Century Movie Plaza close to the stairs at the southern end of Victory Monument BTS station. From the skytrain station, take the walkway towards south, descend the staircase on the east side to street level. The minibus area is next to the stairs. Look for a small table with “Cha Am, Hua Hin” written in English to buy your ticket. There’s service to Pattaya as well.

The mini van departs every 30 minutes, or when the van is full (~15 pax).

Our mini van stops near the Clock Tower. From there, we took a 2-3 minutes walk to Hua Hin Tourist Information Centre.

The friendly staff provided us with a range of information. They even helped us to call up our resort to arrange for pick up!

Can’t wait to explore Hua Hin!

Next Up: Rest Detail Hua Hin – The Room

ADVERTORIAL

Are you proud of your music taste? Let your callers listen to the songs that you like! Download the coolest hits from the biggest stars and entertain your callers. Now you can join the Call Me Tone-A-thon and get as many Call Me Tones as you like! Give them variety and let your callers hear a different song every time they buzz you. You can even ask your friends to join in the Call Me Tone-A-Thon and see who has the biggest Call Me Tones collection (or whose collection is more awesome)!

You are also in a chance to win up to RM7000 daily cash prize! Every day one lucky Call Me Tones subscriber will win cash worth anywhere from RM2000 to RM7000! New clothes, flashy sneakers, the latest smartphone and even a grand prize of Volkswagen Polo!

How to join? From 14th December 2011 until 12th January 2012, you can either:

Type CAR and send it to 22222

When you perform either one of the above, you’ll get 2 Call Me Tones and will be charged RM5.00. That’s ONLY RM5 for 2 Call Me Tones for 1 month! (normal price would be RM12!). You can then redeem your Call Me Tones at www.thecube.my. To qualify for the cash Daily Prize, you need to send at least 3 SMS-es to 22222 and purchase 6 Call Me Tones at RM15.00 from 12am until 11.59pm of each day.

So hurry and join the Call Me Tone-A-Thon and be on your way to getting awesome songs on your mobile as well as winning fantastic prizes!

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG