Bull's Brothers in Bangkok

It is slowly getting darker over Bangkok, while I’m enjoying a cold beer with the view over Bangkok and the sunset at the River View Guest House Roof top Restaurant where I just have checked in after a good recommendation from my friend Steven.

As expected was the rice marks easy to see, when I was landing at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, with the skyscrapers in the background. When we are taxien to the gate, can I nearly only see Airbus 380’s from Thai Airlines and Quartar ready for boarding. Nearly 20 hours has passed since I left Ulm and said goodbye to Franziska in Germany. From the airport and the flights and the filing in the flight, it is easy to see that I have arrived to a touristic hotspot.

The River View Guest House is only located few minutes walks from China Town, so what is more obvious than going for a walk here? - The air is full of pollution, but not as bad as expected, when I am passing by different street-kitchens where chickens is getting deep-fried. The streets are small and full of people. It is not difficult to see, that I am in China Town, but as my first impression, I may admit, that it is a lot cleaner an the street than what I had expected.

Family meeting

Yesterday at the same time, did I enjoy a beer and the view over Bangkok, now I am in the train to Don Miguan Airport, where I am going to pick up my brother, Bjørn, who is coming from Kuala Lumpur.

Nearly 5 month has passed since I saw him the last time when we said goodbye in Cancun Airport en Yucatan, Mexico after spending two weeks traveling over New Your.

We are in the rain season, so usually can it be raining heavily for one two hours, but today doesn’t it rain, when we are sitting in the taxi on our way back to our hotel in China Town.

The music is Jazz, the beer is cold and the snacks are hot when we are enjoying a beer at the bar Samsara which is located just next to the river. With the silence around us only disturbed when a boat is passing by does it fill like yesterday Bjørn and I was enjoying a Lobster at the Caribbean Sea in Tulum, while the conversations was unstoppable. Nothing has change only the location and time, since we now are on the other side of the world in Bangkok.

(Morning view over Bangkok from River View Guest House)

Food Drink and Good Company

“It is the day of shopping”, does a man tell us, when we are on our way to the Danish Owned restaurant Sra Bua By Kiin Kiin by Henrik Ydes at the five star hotel Siam Kempinski, which is open from 12-15 and again from 18-24. Today aren’t we going shopping but instead will we enjoy lunch at this restaurant, which became nominated as being part of Asians 50 best in 2013 and 2014.

The pillars are tall and the atmosphere expensive as we are entering the Siam Kempinski Hotel. The seater is talking not so loudly and there is a good wipe around Sra Bua. The roof is tall and the seats comfortable, when we are getting seated at a big black table for two. There is a silence and relaxed atmosphere where the panels to the roof are in a dark wood nearly in a cognac color. The seater is giving us both an Ipad, from where we can see the Menu, while she is explaining a special drink, which we decide to try.

It doesn’t take us long to decide, that we are going for the four course lunch menu for 1,500 Bath (38,40 Euro).

We have both been looking forward to try this restaurant since its mother restaurant Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen has a Michelin star and when the first dish is arriving can I only say that we are not disappointed. With the rolled Cucumbers as the base with small pieces of Wagyu Beef and Baked Tomato the waiter is making the spicy salsa for us, which she is putting at the top and when the second main dish is arriving we are going to be part of a show, when the waiter is filling up the big black plate with a liquid, which makes a smoke coming out over our Maine Lobster Salad with Frozen red Curry.

Mellower is the main course, when it is served in a white plate, with rice at the side, but still with elegance when the waiter is serving the Coconut Milk over the Quail and Sautéed Mushrooms.

The food is tasteful and, elegance and with a touch of a twist, which makes it a great experience. We aren’t waiting long between the courses and when the desert with a base of Caramelized Milk with a Banana Cake and Salted Ice Cream is arriving on a big piece of Wood can I only say that the experience has been completed to a top mark.

(Food pictures buy Bjørn Bull)

The Hiding beer bar

Henrik Yde is not the only Dane who is having success in the service industry in Bangkok. Mikkeller is also to find in Bangkok where they have opened their second bar outside Denmark in Bangkok in January 2014. So after a short visit to the Weekendmarked to let the experience from Sra Bua get some space we are walking in another area of Bangkok. Mikkeller did start at Vesterbro, which is also known for being Hipster area nr. One in Denmark and according to Thrillist’s top 10 most hipster Neighbourhoods on Earth it is nr. 4, so we aren’t that surprised that it seams to be located in Bangkok’s answer of a Hipster Area with lots of bars and Clubs.

We are heading off the main road turning right, there is no walking path, and the bars and clubs are disappearing behind us. We are checking Google Maps an extra time to be sure that we are walking in the right direction since it seams that we are entering a more residential area. Some of the houses are empty but it is easy to see that this area has been a very expensive place to live some years ago. Then on a small green sign does it say: Mikkeller, just around the corner.

A guard is standing in front of the entrance. It is a whole house Mikkeller has bought and rebuild with a garden in the front, and a Bottle Shop just in a small annex in the corner. The bar is having 30 different beers on tap.

The wipe is good, the color and the style is nearly as their bar at Stefansgade in Copenhagen. We are sitting on chairs similar and with glasses alike saying “Mikkeller Bangkok”.

With a “Cheers” can we only agree that we have had a good food and drinking experience today, when the Rain heavily is starting.

The Masive Gold - the big Buddha

The win is in our hair the guide is starting to get me on my nerves while we are sailing at the River on our way to The Grand Palace and The Wet Pho.

The boat is full of tourist from around the world, all heading to see the same as this two attraction is one of the must see in Bangkok. Since the dress code to get into The Grand Palace is strict, so you aren’t aloud to enter with shorts, are Bjørn and I buying some comfortable cotton-pants with elephants patterns.

The tops of the buildings are sticking up. It is crowded, but after entering the gate can the exploring begin since there are so many details in the buildings, which makes them so fascinated. The Palace is huge and was build in the 15 century AD.

The ceremony

After The Grand Palace are we entering the Wet Pho where 4 Bhikkhu has entered the temple just in front of us. There is a line for tourist where a guide is controlling how many are getting in. At first is the golden Buddha at the top of a Plato with crossed legs taking my attention, but then when I am looking to the left can a see a dozen or two of Bhikkhu’s getting ready for a ceremony.

Everybody is sitting with crossed legs so we aren’t showing our foods. Everybody is silent even though we nearly can’t hear when the Bhikkhu’s are talking since they are doing it nearly in silence. It is very interesting to see especially when it wasn’t planed.

"Its big, its very very big. It fills as the eyes are bigger than me". This is my first thought when we are entering the huge room from where the Wet Pho is located, which a reclining Buddha with a length of 46 meters and a height of 15 meters and is registered by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Programme which has been set up to promote, preserve and propagate the wisdom of the world heritage.

"I understand why some see Bangkok as a great get away distention from Kuala Lumper” does Bjørn say, when we are on our way to the Airport where our next stop gonna be, only around to hours flight form Bangkok.