During my visit to Bangkok last month another hotel that I stayed at was the COMO Metropolitan hotel.
The COMO
Metropolitan Bangkok combines contemporary design and Oriental interiors in a
hip 5-star hotel. It is
located at the South Sathorn Road in Bangkok which is a quiet side of the city as it is nearby embassy offices.
The pool at the COMO Metropolitan Bangkok
source: comohotels.com
At the lobby area of the hotel, wooden furniture and selected Asian objects are featured.
The lobby area at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok
The hotel's lobby was undergoing renovation during my visit. New stone floors were installed on the half area which replaced the wooden flooring.
Asian wooden decors which signify strong culture are found at the lobby area
The lobby has apple computers which guests may use anytime
The hotel also has a nice 25-meter pool which also serves as a wonderful and relaxing
view for guests who are dining at the hotel’s Nahm restaurant. Nahm by Michelin-starred chef David Thompson serves authentic Thai cuisine and is included in the
World’s Best 50 Restaurants 2016 list and Asia’s Best Restaurants 2016 list released
by San Pellegrino.
The al fresco dining area at Nahm restaurant located right in front of the pool
Each guest truly feels welcome at the hotel. One of the hotel's attentive staff even made an effort to provide a welcome drink while I was checking-in at the lobby, guided me to my room and also asked if there are other things that I may need. Plus, guests are provided with a welcome fruit tray with a note from the General Manager and a Nespresso machine.
The spacious rooms are predominantly in black and white color tones. The bed is comfortable and the bathroom walls and flooring are made with Portuguese
limestone. .
I enjoyed my stay at the COMO Metropolitan Bangkok. Swimming in the beautiful 25-meter pool was really relaxing and joining a yoga class for a morning workout at the COMO Shambala Urban Escape Spa's wellness center was also a good experience too.
Overall, the COMO Metropolitan provides a wonderful experience for guests since the staff are well-trained, friendly and make an effort to provide guests with a pleasant experience at the hotel.
To know more about COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, you may visit their website: www.comohotels.com
I had a wonderful and relaxing stay at the beautifully designed The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel during my trip to Bangkok Thailand last month.
Located in the Sathorn area, where most embassies are found, it is not the usual hotel choice of travelers who associate Bangkok with just shopping and staying around the areas near the malls.
The Buddha pond at The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel
The Sukhothai Hotel is certainly one of the best places to stay if you enjoy going to destination places that are surrounded by beautiful gardens and if your preference is to spend time at a resort-like and serene hotel that feels exclusive.
The Courtyard Garden
The relaxing view from my room at The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel
The Sukhothai Bangkok was designed by Ed Tuttle, a well-known and prominent architect, whose portfolio includes the fantastic work he has done for the Aman resort properties. Unlike other high-rise five star hotels in Bangkok, the Sukhothai hotel remains quiet and not too crowded. It is a low-rise property with wide spaces surrounded by greenery and lily ponds. There are modern Thai style pavilions spread out within the property and wonderful Asian sculptures and elements in main areas. The mix of traditional and modern design adds to the visual elements that makes one feel the peaceful vibe at the hotel. Furthermore, it only has 210 rooms but each one has a nice view. Considering that it has been opened for more than two decades, the quality of service remains high and the property is well-maintained.
Room at The Sukhothai Bangkok
The pool area at the Sukhothai Bangkok
The Spa Botanica entrance area at The Sukhothai Bangkok
It is one hotel where you can just relax and spend time enjoying the amenities. Plus, they also have Celadon, one of the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok that serves authentic Thai dishes. The restaurant is quite relaxing since it is surrounded by a pond filled with lilies.
The Celadon restaurant
The Sukhothai Bangkok's restaurant that serves
authentic Thai cuisine
Pad Thai
Pomelo salad with prawns
Coconut ice cream
During dinner time, they also provide some entertainment for guests since Thai dancers in traditional costumes can be seen dancing gracefully at Celadon.
Thai dancers perform at The Celadon restaurant of The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel
The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel is certainly a lovely sanctuary in Bangkok where one can surely relax and have some quiet time.
Here is a link to the video from The Sukhothai Hotel's website showing the amenities at the hotel: The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel video.
To know more about The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel, you can visit their website: www.sukhothai.com
I love to travel and try new restaurants in different countries. I believe that by trying the food from one country so much about its culture and history are revealed.
During my recent trip to Bangkok this month, I celebrated my birthday in a cool and memorable way by exploring new places and by dining at Nahm.
Nahm is a fine dining Thai restaurant located at the modern and hip Metropolitan by COMO hotel in Bangkok. It has the number 8 spot in Asia's Best Restaurants 2016 list and it is the only Thai fine dining restaurant included in the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants 2016 list.
Nahm restaurant's al fresco dining area
source : comohotels.com
Chef David Thompson, who heads the team at Nahm, is a rock star in the culinary world. He has received a Michelin star for Nahm in London before and has been awarded with the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award at Asia's 50 best Restaurants 2016 event. Below is a video showing Chef David Thompson appreciating the award, expressing his passion for his job and his gratitude to the people who have helped him.
To experience Nahm's amazing food experience, you need to book a reservation in advance. In my case, I booked via email to Metropolitan at COMO hotel in Bangkok a month before my trip since I know that Nahm is a must-try restaurant in Thailand that foodies, travelers and serious gourmands visit.
I tried the tasting menu offered at THB2,500 per person (around USD 45.00) since I wanted to have a taste of different dishes. You just have to take note that it is best to ask the staff about the best-sellers so that you can decide if you want to include it in your tastng menu. Nahm also offers ala carte dishes that are good for sharing. Also, since Nahm offers some spicy dishes it would be best to ask the staff to know how spicy the dishes are prior to ordering it.
Dining at Nahm is a food adventure in itself. Chef David Thompson is known for exacting perfection in making dishes so each one is truly made with high quality and the best ingredients. He is also known for his in-depth knowledge on learning historical origins of food and combining excellent cooking techniques with the best ingredients in order to create remarkable dishes.
My dinner at Nahm was not a short dinner but it was certainly an extraordinary culinary experience. In order to have a sense of balance, prior to my dinner I had to swim for 2 hours to make sure that I was also ready to burn the calories of the dishes that I was going to try. My anticipation in trying the fantastic dishes at Nahm was really an effective way to motivate myself to do my total immersion swim drills in a 25-meter lap pool...ha ha.
Below are the dfferent dishes that I have tried at Nahm.
Amuse bouche
Mahor with minced shrimp, chicken, pork, palm sugar, garlic and shallots that is shaped like a strawberry and served on a slice of fresh pineapple.
Tasting the food at Nahm was like being at The Taste television show with Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson. The various flavours and textures presented in a simple yet elegant manner is truly worth every bite. The four canapes served at the beginning gives a nice introduction to the amazing dishes that were about to be served.
Canapes
From the left to right:
(1) crab wafers with coconut galangal and coriander
(2) egg nets with prawns , wild almonds and kaffir lime
(3) pork and lobster with shredded ginger and Thai citron
(4) steamed red curry scallops with Thai basil and coconut
The scallop salad with coconut and lemongrass was truly refreshing.
Scallop salad with shredded coconut and lemongrass
The soup which was their take on a Tom Yum soup was also very flavourful.
Hot and sour prawn soup with river praws and termite mushrooms
The relish dish with tamarind and chilli which was served wth grilled catfish was also good.
Tamarind and chili reslish with grilled catfish and neem leaves
One of my favourites among all the dishes is the wagyu beef curry which had the right spicy kick and extremely tender beef.
Panaeng curry of wagyu beef with peanuts, shallots and Thai basil.
The other must-try is the fried fish with lemongrass and fish sauce.
Fried fish with lemongrass and fish sauce
Prior to serving the desserts, they also serve green mango with some sugar and salt as a palate cleanser.
The desserts were also nice. Petit fours composed of local Thai sweets in tasting portions were served. The other dessert I tried that was recommended by the staff was the refreshing pandanus noodle dessert with tapioca and coconut cream. It was a perfect choice in ending a truly phenomenal meal.
Petit fours
Pandanus noodles with black sticky rice, water chestnuts, tapioca and coconut cream served with fresh mangosteen
During my dinner at Nahm, I just kept hearing other guests saying that the food is really good and facial reactions of delight from every bite. Even the Thai business executives having dinner were so pleased with the dishes that they were sharing with their business partners.
The interiors at Nahm may be simple and understated but it is just apt since the focus is certainly the stellar Thai cuisine that they serve. It is one restaurant truly worth trying and revisiting in Bangkok.
My dining experience at Nahm was simply not an ordinary Thai food experience and the dishes were truly aromatic, flavourful, and served using honest to goodness and best ingredients that transcends the palate to experience a delightful interplay of sour, sweet, spicy, and salty flavours that create perfectly balanced dishes that top chefs and food critics would certainly appreciate and approve.
I love going to places that are both well-designed and historical.
During my recent trip to Bangkok, I decided to revisit the Jim Thompson House. I went to this place years ago during a trip with my brother and I remember being impressed with the rich history of the place and the owner.
The Jim Thompson House
This is the facade of the house where most visitors take a photo
Going to the Jim Thompson house is easy. All you need to do is to take the BTS train, go to the National Stadium train station and take Exit 1. Once you step down from the train station and see the Mercure hotel on your right just continue to walk to the first street located a few steps from the hotel. You will see a signboard that points to the Jim Thompson House on the corner of the street. At the end of the street you will see the Jim Thompson House. One has to pay Baht150(around USD3.00) to view the house which includes a 35- minute tour of the house with an English speaking guide.
The Legendary Jim Thompson
Jim Thompson
source: jimthompsonhouse.com
Jim Thompson is an American entrepreneur who studied in Princeton University in the United States and was an architect who practiced in New York City until the 1940s. He was also involved with the United States Army and was assigned in the OSS(Office of Strategic Service), which is also the forerunner of the CIA(Central Intelligence Agency). With his work in the US Army, he was able to travel to Italy, France and Asia.
He fell in love with Thailand when he stayed there and decided to settle there and build a business which is now known as the Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company. His contribution to the development of the Thai Silk industry was significant. He was the one who paved the way for the the Thai Silk industry's boom.
A colourful presentation of how Thai silk is made is displayed outside the shop
Jim Thompson was also known for providing the costumes for "The King and I", the musical in New York City, and his continuous efforts to help local people through livelihood programs focused on Thai Silk production has provided a source of income to the communities in Thailand.
The Wooden Printing Block
The printing block design was the same design used for the costumes for The King and I show in New York City. The design was based on the designs on the porcelain vase.
Jim Thompson was certainly artistic and had excellent taste in design. He was also involved in the reorganization of the Oriental Hotel in Thailand.
Since Jim Thompson has contributed so much to Thailand, he became known as the "Legendary American of Thailand".
In 1967, he traveled with his friends to the Cameron HIghlands in Malaysia. He set out to walk in the jungle on his own and never returned. According to the tour guide at the house, it is believed that he may have been either attacked by tigers or kidnapped in the jungle since he was also involved in the US Army. Thus, his disappearance remains a mystery until today.
A House Built Without Nails
Jim Thompson's House is considered a grand home based on Thai standards since the whole property has 6 traditional Thai houses in one compound and the entire property covers around half a hectare of land. The house construction started on an auspicious date and time since Jim Thompson had taken the advise of a Buddhist monk for good luck, peace and harmony. Construction started on September 15, 1958 at 9:00AM. It was completed in 1959.
The entire house is made from light, pre-fabricated sections of wood with each section forming a wall. Each wall is fitted together and hung on the superstructure - a frame of wooden pillars that provides support without nails.
One of the houses in the compound This used to be the rice storage area during the time Jim Thompson was alive. Currently, artworks are displayed inside the house.
One will notice that most of the doors are slanted since it provides support for the structure. It was designed in such a way that it is easy to take down the pieces of the wall and re-assemble the house since during those times it gives the family flexibility in case they decide to move their house.
One of the houses where Jim Thompson's painting collection can be viewed
Asian inspired decors are displayed under the house
There are also wooden steps that are placed in between doorways of the rooms in the house since the Thais believe that this helps prevent spirits from going into the house since spirits.
The house has a lot of windows which helps in the uninterrrupted flow of air and circulation of air in the entire house. In the dining area of the house, the windows has wood carvings on the bottom. Apart from this, Jim Thompson made use of two mahjong tables as dining table that can accommodate a party of six for get together dinners.
Carved window source: jimthompsonhouse.com
The dining room at Jim Thompson's house has carved windows with the carvings located inside the room for guests to see and appreciate. This is uncommon as carvings are usually shown on the outside area of the house to show that the owner of the house is affluent.
The pantry area of the house is where Jim Thompson's porcelain collection is displayed. Some of his porcelain collection features Thai design in five colours consisting of red, blue, green, yellow and black, which are also known as "Benjarong" , a Thai word that means five colours.
JIm Thompson's Benjarong porecelain collection
source: jimthompsonhouse.com
A Collection of Buddha Statues
Although Jim Thompson is not a Buddhist, he respected the religion and has collected various Asian Buddha statues that are displayed in his home.
Meditating Buddha
This is part of Jim Thompson's collection which is displayed in one of the rooms of his house.
source: jimpthompsonhouse.com
Some are made from wood sourced from Ayutthaya and some are Asian finds made from sandstone.
Standing buddha
This is part of Jim Thompson's Buddha statue collection and is 1,800 years old
Jim Thompson Thai restaurant and shop
One must also try the Jim Thompson restaurant that serves authentic Thai dishes. The restaurant has both indoor and an outdoor seating area that shows a view of the house.
Interiors of the Jim Thompson restaurant are predominantly lime green
The koi pond located at the outer area of the restaurant provides a lovely view of the house
During my visit, I was a bit peckish after the tour and I ended up having lunch at the restaurant.
Prawn in green curry, fresh coconut juice and a Jim Thompson branded bottled water
If you like to get some souvenirs, postcards, bags, other silk items or a cook book, you can get it from the shop.
The facade of the Jim Thompson shop
Prints with Thai paintings, postcards and books can be seen in the shop
At the Table of Jim Thompson book
This book contains recipes of Thai dishes featured in the restaurant
A visit to Jim Thompson's House is truly one of the must do things when one is visiting Bangkok. It is a reflection of how expats live in Thailand in the 1950s and also shows how one foreigner can contribute to a country's development by founding a business that has provided a good livelihood to many Thai families until today.
In Thailand, little houses which
are miniature replica of a Thai-style house or temple are seen in various
places.
The most ubiquitous place where one can see a Thai spirit house
includes the garden area of homes and hotels. Thais also place spirit houses in the open spaces of restaurants and busy market places.
The Thai Spirit House at The Sukhothai Bangkok Hotel
The Thais believe that the spirit
house provides a home for the resident spirits in the compound. The resident
spirits are believed to play a major role in the fortune and destiny of the
inhabitants of the place. With this, Thais ensure that the spirits are not
offended by inappropriate neglect or disrespect since such circumstances could
lead to bad luck and misfortune for the owner and the residents of the place.
Daily offerings composed of
flowers, incense sticks, and food are made by Thais at the spirit house in
order to appease the spirits. Furthermore, the location of the spirit house is
also important. Thais ensure that the spirit house is placed in a location
where the main building’s shadow does not cast upon it. Usually, the spirit
houses are placed in the northern, eastern or northeastern part of the
compound.
I was informed by Chef Narain of the
Mandarin Oriental Cooking School that some people also wish in front of Thai
spirit house and once their wish is fulfilled they go back to the Thai spirit
house and tie a colourful cloth around the spirit house to express gratitude.
Chef Narain offered flowers at the Thai spirit house located in the same compound as the Oriental Cooking School when we got back from our market visit.
It is amazing how the Thais have been continuously placing Thai spirit houses in the compounds where they live and work. It is a tradition passed on to the next generation by the Thai people and until today daily offerings are made to appease the spirits which in return is believed to bring good fortune and luck to the people staying in the place.
