Spent a pleasant couple hours yesterday with Pim, of chez pim fame. She took me to the Tha Phra Chan area, a wonderfully congested part of Old Bangkok that is positively reeking of good eats. Among the things we feasted on were khao chae, a bizarre combination of jasmine-scented rice in ice water and savory tidbits:
Here's another vendor just up the road selling the same thing:
Khao chae is something I didn't care for too much the first time I tried it, but the mixture of sweet and savory is actually quite good, and you can expect to hear more from me about this unique dish in the near future.
Also espied were a right handsome basket of Chinese rose apples:
Some technicolor Thai treats:
And some equally colorful juices:
And this veg, called phak waan:
The fact that I knew the Thai name for this semi-obscure vegetable really freaked the vendor out, and I think she thought I was Thai and Pim was a foreigner!
Came across these:
A kind of crispy roti, a snack I'd never seen before.
And finally, keeping with my Thai Baked Goods theme, an appallingly disgusting-looking baked treat labelled simply as "Thai Pizza":
Don't you always ask for lengthwise-sliced hotdogs, mayonaise, and peas on your Thai pizza?
And for those of you who are wondering what the real Pim looks like (she chooses to hide behind the false safety of a gigantic tea cup at her blog) I'm offering images of Pim in in her home environment for $20 a pop. Contact me for delivery details.