Weekend in Bangkok

Ok Talee

Double Dee

Had to go to Bangkok for an appointment on the weekend near Ladprao and booked into an older style large 4 star hotel called Town in Town (about $55 a night) at Tong Wang Liamg an upmarket area about halfway between Suvarnabhumi airport and Sukomvit. What was really great was the local area restaurants and bars. Went to a great pub/wine bar called Double Dee (dee dee ดีดี means really good in Thai). It was a large biilding in what I would describe as Neo Art Deco style but very tasteful. Separate wine bar, bar, restaurant , outdoor drinking areas and a large longe with outdoor deck.
upstairs. Good live music on both floors. The patrons were mainly upmarket Thais with almost no farangs. Fabulous.

But what was even better was the huge outdoor seafood restaurant next door called Ok Talee ( ออกทะเล) meaning literally "Out of the Sea". Similar clientele to Double Dee but more families. It seated about 300 plus people in air conditioned and outdoor areas and was packed. The staff were attentive and efficient (very unThai) and the seafood was cooked on order and on view out the front on rows charcoal barbecues. Other non BBQ dishes were cooked in kitchens at the back and at the side was a large coffee shop which served beverages, cakes etc. Finally, on the other side was another large outdoor but under-cover food preparation area with all sorts of freshly cut Thai tropical fruit but mainly the classic Thai desert mango with coconut sticky rice ( ma-mûang gap kâao-nǐao มะม่วง ข้าวเหนียว).

We ordered BBQ king prawns - 4 giant prawns beautifully cooked with nam jim sauce, 10 large sucullant scallops barbecued on the half shell with Thai herb sauce, fresh greens with oyster sauce and garlic and a medium size mud crab stirfried in black pepper sauce with onions and shallots. As good seafood as I have had anywhere washed down with a few Asahi beers and followed by the mangos and sticky rice. The cost for 2 including drinks - 1050 baht or A$33 all up. Then back to Double Dee for a few more drinks.

There are some really good spots in Bangkok and Thailand generally just outside the tourist areas if you look around.