Promising
to my wife I would make this trip more like an actual “holiday” and less like a
school trip I only planned what I would call a ‘loose itinerary’.
We
had a simple plan that morning, visit Ban Baat for a little culture, go for Thai curry at Krua Apsorn and then head to Khao San Road for a little less
culture.
I
like lists and itineraries – food wise, my starting point when compiling a list
of places to eat in a new city usually starts with the Michelin guide and the
S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants as well as recommendations from
connected ‘locals’ (@theskinnybib in Bangkok’s case). All these were helpful
but during my pre-trip research I also came across Krua Apsorn or ‘The Kitchen of the Angels.’
Listed
at Number 32 in The Observer article by Killian Fox citing the 50
best things to eat in the world, and where to eat them, ‘A Thai curry
from Krua Apsorn’ had to make the itinerary.
Throughout our stay, the concierge
staff at The Metropolitan Hotel were super helpful – on this occasion though,
the young girl had not heard of Ban Baat, neither had her reception desk
colleagues or any on the bellhops. One phoned the number listed in the
guidebook, another consulted Google – eventually they had an address written in
Thai and called a taxi.
The first taxi driver to arrive at
the hotel took a look at the address and said he didn’t know where it was and
drove off – luckily the second one nodded and we were off!
The taxis in Bangkok are a double
edged sword… on the plus side, there are loads of them; they are cheap and
although some journeys can take a while in the seemingly ever-gridlocked city,
they are usually air-conditioned and allow you to relax, watch the city go by…
on the downside, many of the drivers don’t seem to have much of a clue where
they are going… even when armed with an address written in Thai!
As we set off I started to follow
our route on the map. I like to do this so that I can learn my way around the
city to get an idea of what is where, especially good if passing places that
may be on the itinerary for later in the week. We were certainly heading in the
direction of Ban Baat… all good.
Then the driver appeared to get lost
and pulled over… I showed him my map and offered a few directions and we were
soon on our way again and even found a sign. After a little more driving around
we could still not locate the actual place. So, stopping in the middle of a
crossroads, the driver phoned the number that the hotel and written down for
him… with that, a waving man walked across the road… it seemed we were already
there!
As a seasoned traveller, I had a
good idea what to expect - Ban Baat or ‘Monk’s Bowl Village’ was originally set
up some 200 plus years ago by Rama I to make ‘baat’ (bowls for monks to collect
alms). There were once three such villages of which Ban Baat is the last
remaining – just a few families keeping the tradition and skills alive.
Therefore, I expected a small
village compound with a large sign written in Thai and English saying ‘Welcome
to Ban Baat’; a series of workshops; along with a little history of the bowls
and Monks plus, of course, a little gift shop cum café where you could buy the
bowls along with postcards and the usual assorted tourist tat.
I was wrong. There was no sign, no
café, not even a gift shop - what did greet us was the sound of hammering and a
narrow alleyway. Down which, a few people, young and old, sat on wooden crates,
stools or the floor with bowls in various stages of manufacture… some beating,
some polishing, some firing and one applying coats of black lacquer.
The bowls are made by beating eight,
separate sheets of steel into shape and joining them with melted copper wire.
The pieces represent the Buddhist Eightfold Path and spokes of the Dharma
wheel. A skilled and labour intensive craft, a typical ‘baatsmith’ produces
just one large bowl per day!
Other people in the ‘village’ (most
westerner’s would probably call it a slum but
many Thai's would simply call it 'life') slept, prepared meals, swept or hang
out washing – some looked up from their daily tasks as my wife and I passed
through. Others did not. One image that stays with me is of a boy stood wearing
just a pair of grubby shorts with a lost and sad look on his face…
I did not take any pictures as I
felt intrusive enough walking through their lives… and since
watching the Life of Brian, I am unable to take haggling seriously and as such,
regrettably, did not buy one of the bowls – I so wish I did; if only to have
played my part in keeping the village and ‘industry’ alive (if I could go back
I’d pay for one at the first price quoted.)
So
after witnessing poverty, in true Western style my gluttonous thoughts once
again soon reverted to food.
Krua Apsorn turned
out to be a bustling café style restaurant serving great quality, simple food
to groups Thai workers, families and individuals needing a quick, satisfying
meal to help them along in their day (they even sold little bags of takeaway curies and an interesting egg dish from next to the shine on the counter) – as well as ‘the masses’ it is also said
to be a favourite haunt for members of the Thai royal family.
We
had come for the Yellow curry with
prawns and lotus shoots (as recommended in The Observer article). Thai
cuisine is better known in the West for its green and red curries. Historically
the main difference between these curries was simply the colour of the chillies
used in their preparation and their corresponding flavour nuances.
Over
time however, many of the curry recipes have become more distinct - red
chillies predominantly still give the heat and colour to the red variety; the
yellowness of yellow curries if often enhanced by turmeric whereas other green ingredients
such as coriander, basil and kaffir lime leaves and alike used to ramp up the hue
of a green curry.
Excellent rice, lovingly served in a heart shape. |
Made
without the addition of coconut milk, Krua Apsorn’s famous yellow curry had a
vibrant ‘spice and sour’ taste, which lingered lengthily on the palate. The
fresh crunch of young lotus roots were a real treat to eat but it was the sweet
undertone from the plump river prawns which really permeated the stock and
elevated this dish to another level – there were only two headless prawns in
the curry but I could imagine that outback somewhere a huge vat of the
delicious curry had been bubbling away all day allowing the flavours to really
intensify!
Having
seen a few people tucking into a fantastic looking fried fish dish, I was
pleased to find it on the helpful picture card menu listed simply as Fish. Served whole with an aromatic
concassé of red and green chillies with garlic and a tangy ‘phrik
nam pla’ sauce, its firm snow-white flesh was absolutely stunning.
We
also shared a Papaya Salad –
compared to the quality of the excellent curry and fish dishes, I found this a
little too sweet and overall disappointing. A little more sour, plenty of spice
and some salt or bitter leaves to balance would have worked a treat for me. I
did enjoy the accompanying long beans (snake beans).
After the meal we took a tuk-tuk to Khao
San Road because my 26-year-old backpacking step-daughter loved it there and
recommended it as a ‘must do’ (I believe it is where she purchased her 7-Eleven
t-shirt). For us it goes onto the ‘don’t do’ list – but do ‘do’ Ban Baat and do
‘do’ a Thai curry from Krua Apsorn!
Follow @HungryHoss
Khao San road....Backpackers mecca and in 12 trips to Bkk i have never been anywhere near the god forsaken place....Its a bloody nightmare and the very last thing i wanna see on a holiday.backpackers , groups of blonge Aussie girls and westerners with attitude....Ill still to my seedy haunts of Nana plaza , proper Thailand , street stalls , food smells 24/7 and the best people watching in the world.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get round to visiting Nana but take your point completely re Khao San.
Delete