The Sky Lobby Bar @ The Mercure Bangkok Siam, Thailand

After visiting the Jim Thompson House we were thirsty and made a stop at the Mercure Hotel Siam. The building is shared with the Ibis Hotel Siam. While the Ibis is on the lower floors the Mercure occupies the higher floors of the new tower.

The Sky Lobby Bar is located on the 9th floor. The interiors are cool, understated and contemporary. There are floor to ceiling windows and a fully furnished balcony. The views over the National Stadium, the surrounding area and Bangkok are stunning.

We had a look at the menu and when we were ready to order nobody was behind the bar counter.


I went to the reception to tell the staff there we would like to have some drinks. They were a bit surprised, but said somebody would be with us soon.

A couple of minutes later the bar tender was with us. At the time the Sky Lobby Bar offered a North Thailand special. There was for example a sausage dish, but since we weren't hungry, we went for the coconut smoothies, which were also on the North Thailand section, and a water. The menu had a coconut theme for the season.

We could watch how the smoothies were made from scratch. It included opening a fresh coconut.

The drinks were generous and good value.

Our bill came in at 290 THB (ca. 6.80 Euro or 9.10 USD).

Should we be in the area we definitely stop for a drink and maybe even a snack.

©2014

McCafe @ Amarin Plaza, Bangkok, Thailand

Normally we aren't big McDonald's fans, seeming to have it out grown. We heard from an acquaintance, that the Thai branches are really good, so we went to the McCafe at the Amarin Plaza, which has open 24 hours a day.

The interior of the McDonald's was colorful and contemporary. It was quite late into the evening when we arrived, but the business was brisk.

The staff was friendly and spoke very well English. We ordered two hot chocolates, one green apple juice and one fruit parfait.

The drinks were fresh and nice. The parfait was colorful and very tasty. The fruits and jelly was very refreshing too.

When we are next time in Bangkok we will go back to this outlet and would love to have experience the same flavors again.

©2014

The Riverside Cafe @ The Peninsula Bangkok, Thailand

During our visit to Bangkok we once went to the Riverside Cafe and Terrace at the Peninsula Hotel.

We were greeted warmly and our reservation confirmation taken from us. We could decide if we wanted to sit outside or inside. Since it was in the sweltering heat of the afternoon we asked for a table inside.

One waiter was designated to us. He brought our menus, took our orders and served the meal. The service was great and attentive as we expected it to be.

We had two mocktails (Yummy for me and Be Cool), one handmade penne with salmon and lemon sauce and Khao Soi (Chiang Mai coconut chicken curry).

Because I had heard Northern Thai cuisine can be hot (spicy) I asked how spicy the curry was. The waiter advised it was mild.

I was happy when different condiments arrived with my curry and I could regulate how hot I wanted it.

The penne were nicely creamy and lemony.

We paid 1742 THB (ca.41 Euro or ca. 54.70 USD).

We enjoyed the cool and understated interior, the floor to ceiling windows, the attentive staff and the great meal.

©2014

The Mandarin Oriental Cafe @ The Gaysorn, Bangkok, Thailand

On one July afternoon in Bangkok we went to the Mandarin Oriental Shop & Cafe at Gaysorn.

The interior was a mix of classic and contemporary.

The staff greeted us warmly and left us the choice where to sit.

Soon the smiley staff delivered the menu and took our order when we were ready. We had two mocktails (a yoga blend and a red rose), two hot chocolates, a turkey bagel sandwich and an Oriental chicken salad with yogurt curry dressing. All was very good. The mustard added a nice zing to the turkey sandwich.

We also had macaroons as dessert. The Elvis Presley (named after the singer and was filled with the King's favorite food: peanut butter and jelly) and the squid ink were the most unusal. We liked the intense flavor and how delicate the meringue of all of the macaroons were.

Our bill came in at 1702 THB (ca. 39.85 Euro or ca. 53.40 USD).

When in Bangkok we always try to go either to the Mandarin Oriental and The Terrace directly or visit one of the cafes, so next time around there won't be an exception.

©2014

Enemies

Everything was planned meticulous and then this!

Normally Aurelio Stansfield would have had the night shift. He was sick and didn't work.

Carmine de Anda - not his real name - had chosen the night specifically, because he knew Aurelio Stansfield pretty well and thought when all the electricity, CCTV and telephone lines were cut, Aurelio would call the police by cell phone, but stay put in the security office, giving him and a friend enough time to plunder the warehouse.

Carmine was about to join his accomplice, when he noticed a shadowy figure heading towards the storage units of the warehouse. It was Carmine's arch enemy Coldham Fintan Noose III, the new head of security.

Carmine had to stop Coldham at all costs. Coldham had proofed to be a worthy enemy and crossed some of Carmine's schemes. Besides Coldham would be able to identify his accomplice and Carmine couldn't afford that. It would be only a question of time before his friend was talking and Carmine's own identity would be known.

Carmine held an iron bar already in his hands. He was originally planning to use it to help lift a few items they wanted to steal. It was the perfect weapon. Carmine edged silently closer to Coldham. He went unnoticed and managed to crash the bar over Coldham's head, who crumpled immediately to the floor like a felled tree. Carmine thought that wasn't enough. He wanted to do as much damage as possible, fuelled by his thirst for revenge and to keep Coldham as long as possible away from his job. Carmine smashed the iron bar down on Coldham's left leg. It made a crunching sound. A kick to the Chief Security Officer was even more satisfying. Carmine heard police car sirens, so he stopped, otherwise he would have had a bit more fun. He stepped over Coldham's prone body and helped Leander Miller, the Sourcing Manager of the company, grab a few designer pieces. The two retreated in the nick of time through the back, while the police force entered the building through the main entrance.

Carmine de Anda visited Coldham in hospital. It would have been odd, if he hadn't done so in his capacity at the company. Of course he pretended to be concerned about a valuable employee of Foreman Scandinavia Import and outraged what had happened to Mr. Noose. Inwardly he was gloating, but not for long. Coldham might had a concussion, a broken leg and ribs, but his spirit was undiminished. The attack seemed to have no negative psychological impact. Even though the CSO was kept in hospital for a week and the broken bones kept him at home for a month, he wasn't deterred to work and manage his security team, who rallied around him, from his sick bed. Carmine had hoped with Coldham incaptivated he could break in and steal the more valuable furniture they couldn't take during the failed attempt. Unfortunately security had been beefed up and Carmine didn't dare to repeat the feat.
He was glad Coldham didn't suspect him and trailed another innocent guy, whom Carmine's lover and he had set up.
Carmine decided to wait another few months before he was leaving the company and start his new life with his lover in the Caribbean.

©2014

Mao at home, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland

Knowing Mao for years now as a sit down restaurant in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, we found Mao at home, a take away, at The Square Shopping Mall in Tallaght, Dublin 24.

It had also a seating area in front of the counter, so you could also eat there, which we did.

The interior is Asian understated and contemporary.

We arrived just in the nick of time to get the Lunch Bowl Special. It's available every day from noon to 17.00 hours.

At the counter I ordered two green tea, a honey sesame chicken with Jasmin Rice and a Nasi Goreng. We were asked to take a seat and the meal would be delivered to our table.

The tea arrived first. It was steaming hot and the tea bag left in the cup. We could decide ourselves how strong we wanted it.

Our dishes were freshly prepared by Asian chefs in the open kitchen.

Business was brisk with customers taking away or to eat in.

Our dishes arrived after a little bit of more waiting. They were also hot, delicious and huge. We definitely weren't hungry when we left.

The cost for all four items was 18.90 Euro (ca. 25.35 USD). We enjoyed our meal and it reminded us very much about holidays we spent in Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.

The staff was friendly and the service quick.

When we are back in Tallaght, South Dublin and we crave Thai or some other Asian cuisine we are going to be back at Mao.

©2014 

On the Table, Tokyo Cafe @ The Siam Center, Bangkok, Thailand

After visiting Madame Tussauds at Siam Discovery we went to the food court at the Siam Center, because we were hungry and considering our options.

We were drawn to On the Table, Tokyo Cafe, because of its industrial design and interesting Japanese meets Western cuisine.

It was also full and patronized by mostly locals with a few Australians there too.

The staff greeted us warmly and brought us to our table.
The menu was large and offered a wide choice from appetizers to desserts.

We choose apple lychee iced tea, Hamburger Japanese Rice Gratin and a strawberry avocado salad.  The dishes invited to share, so we had half of each other’s meal and all was very delicious.

Waiting times for our dinner was minimal and when asked for the bill it always arrived fast too.

Because it was so nice we went another evening as well and the experience was similar.

The staff recognized us, which was a pleasant surprise, considering the high footfall.

This time around we had a rose and lemon iced tea, an apple lychee tea, the Hamburger Japanese Rice Gratin appeared again as well as a seared tuna salad.

For the first dinner we paid 682 THB (ca. 16 Euro or ca. 21.40 USD), the second came in slightly under 800 THB (ca. 18.75 Euro / ca. 25.10 USD).

If we are at the Siam Center again, we will go back without question.


©2014