I want to live the life of a Thai meal. Spicy and bold in one moment, soothing and sometimes slimy in another; it's always an explosion of surprises.
After a 7-hour flight from New York to Stockholm followed by a 9-hour flight into the Southeast of Asia, I arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Why Thailand? I've always loved the Pad See Ew served at Rod Dee 2, a little place across from my college apartment in Boston... And talk about it being the land of sticky rice and mangoes galore. Needless to say, Thai food has always taken a special place in my heart.
A former student of mine in New York reminded me that Bangkok is her home city and quickly made arrangements for her sister, Fring, to kindly play tourist-guide for me. And as it turns out, her mom also owns a restaurant. In Bangkok. Thailand. I was beyond ecstatic to discover this fact and to be invited to dinner. Real Thai food made from real Thai people!
Pungpui means "fat belly" in Thai. It is also the name of her mother's restaurant. The humble, cozy joint was closed to the public for the evening. But for us, it was open for feasting. She brought out plates of food and like a conveyer belt, never stopped bringing out the plates of food.
To highlight a few, I'll start with the spicy minced pork. Oh, how pretty mincey spiced, it was. The unassuming pile of meat met my mouth and I was instantly hit with the crunch of raw onions, the fragrance and boldness of fresh herbs, and a good kick of chili. I was left with much to learn and more to discover with every bite.
Then there was the seafood vermicelli salad. Now we've all had vermicelli - or at least this is what I thought when I picked it up with indifference. But this delicate rice noodle... It slid and kissed my tongue so gently with its coat of spice that it became some kind of sensual experience... Definitely the sexiest noodle I've ever encountered. It made such an impression that it has inspired me to blog erotic words about a noodle.
I learned that papaya salad is to be eaten last because it is the spiciest (in this occasion). The stubborn crunch of this papaya left our tongues burning with a static sting. We all ran around trying to put out this flame in our mouths but I quickly realized that you just have to sit and embrace the pain. Breathe a little and observe as the spice numbs your tongue before it slowly lifts itself off.
Dessert was milk and beans. Fresh milk with sweet Japanese beans. One bean provided just the right amount of sweetness and mush to complement per spoon of milk. It brought about a soothing finish to this excursion of flavors that just occurred.
Something that I was very impressed by was that these Thais really clean off their plates. Using a nurtured technique between the spoon and the fork, they seem to let no measurement of sauce or rice or noodle go to waste. Always taking in as much as possible with an innate diligence that they have been raised with.
This meal turned out to be a series of unassuming surprises; a constant flux of colorful tastes and textures; eb and flows between spicy kicks and soothing highs of creamy milk. It was a total adventure. It kept me in a state of open curiosity that made space for exploration and reception. But, the best thing about a meal is that it's always communal and shared with other people. Whether you're picking off the same plates with friends or family, or eating "alone" but squished with other strangers who are also eating "alone"... There is always a real human connection to be shared. And that is the manner in which I want to conduct my life in.
Sharing dessert with my new friends, Fring and Amy, at Bangkok's floating market.