Clodagh's Kitchen @ Arnotts Department Store, Dublin, Ireland

On the day before our trip to Dubai we were organizing a few things for our travels in the city center and were hungry, so we decided to test Clodagh's Kitchen at Arnotts department store in Dublin, Ireland.

Clodagh McKenna is responsible for running the restaurant. She is also working together with Aer Lingus and created some in-flight meals, which we already tried. The quality was good, so we hoped the restaurant would be the same.

Clodagh's Kitchen is located on the top floor of Arnotts. There was no menu outside, which we think should be changed.

We were welcomed warmly and could choose any table we liked.

Unfortunately the cleanliness wasn't up to the standard we expected, so we couldn't take the first table, because the floor was dirty. Someone had dropped food, but it hadn't been brushed up.

There wasn't much of an atmosphere.

We were nearly alone, beside some much older couples and ladies.

The interior was contemporary and the chairs comfortable.

In our opinion the tables were too close together and too small.


When our order arrived we had barely space for it.

The emphasis is on Irish produce and staples like egg dishes.

The coffee/tea set was a good deal. You can order any coffee or tea and have a slice of cake. It costs together 5 Euro (ca. 6.50 USD).

We had brought appetite with us, so we wanted something more substantial. We had two orange juice, two hot chocolates, one omelette with chorizo and cheese and one smoked haddock chowder.

The orange juice came with ice cubes - both of us don't like that - without being asked. The Aine (an Irish company) hot chocolate was slightly too sweet, but the omelette and the chowder were very good. They were flavorful and moreish.

We paid 32.90 Euro, ca. 42.60 USD. We thought it was a bit too high, comparing it to Cafe Novo at the Westbury, where omelettes start at around 8 Euro (ca. 10.35 USD). Clodagh's Kitchen’s were 12.95 Euro or ca. 16.90 USD.

Unfortunately it is unlikely that we return to this establishment.

 ©2014

The Jim Thompson House Museum Bangkok, Thailand

We heard the first time about Jim Thompson during our second visit to Thailand.

We were intrigued from the beginning about his mysterious vanishing and have read a few books about it.

Finally we found the time to visit the Jim Thompson House Museum.

We took a taxi from our hotel, the Four Seasons (Please see also review.) to the museum.

Entrance was 100 THB per person or ca. 2.35 Euro (ca. 3.15 USD).

The house and garden were an oasis of peace and quiet in the heart of Bangkok.

Near the entrance were the cashier, the restaurant and the shop.

There were also ponds with two turtles and kois. The gardens were surprisingly large and can be explored alone, but there is a compulsory guided tour, if you want to see the inside of the house.

Meeting point for the tours was the central square. There are different languages on offer including English and French.

Before our tour started we went through the garden. It was peaceful and romantic, until one of the groups disturbed us and we were in the way.

Jim Thompson was more Thai than the Thai themselves, so he was fascinated with everything the country had to offer. Besides single handed saving the Thai silk industry, he also amassed a large collection of Thai Buddhist art, but after a run in with the government, he gave it up and started instead to collect Buddha statues from Cambodia and Burma - according to the author William Warren. There are some of the oldest and rarest in the collection.

The house is made up of six traditional Thai buildings - they are from the 19th century -, which interconnect. There are some differences though, for example the external walls and decorations are inside as is the stair case. In a classic Thai house it would be the opposite.

Upstairs are the infamous dining room, the living room and two bed rooms. One was Jim Thompson's. Even the mattress, where he slept on, is still there. Touching is not allowed, though.

There was security as well, so there is no chance to wander off and search the house for clues what really happened.

We enjoyed our visit and indulged in some retail therapy after the tour.

©2014

Madame Tussauds Bangkok, Thailand

After having considered going to a Madame Tussauds for a longer time we decided to visit our first one at Siam Discovery in Bangkok.

We booked online. There are different options. We had the one with an open ticket, but still getting a discount for booking online. We paid 1280 THB (ca. 30 Euro or 40.20 USD) for two.

In front of Siam Discovery are already hand prints of Jackie Chan and others, indicating you're heading in the right direction. 

There is an express elevator. 

Exchanging our booking with tickets was easy. 

The first room was dedicated to the Thai Royal family. 

The next was about local, regional and international politicians.

Some rooms exhibited wax figures of famous scientists, philosophers and writers.

The next section was about sport and entertainment. 

We liked it because it was interactive and hands on, so we could play basketball with a real ball and hoop for example or tennis with a WII.

Coffee with George Clooney anyone? Or a quick chat with Oprah Winfrey? It's all possible at Madame Tussauds Bangkok.

We had fun and of course there was the obligatory photo session with my favorites, like Dr. Mahathir, Shahrukh Khan and others.

Some of the exhibits were not there, for example Madonna, because they needed restoration.

The last part was about the history of the company and how wax figures are made. There are going many hours into it and it's quite expensive. 

At the very end was the gift shop.

We enjoyed the visit much more than we thought we would and are going to expand our Madame Tussauds experiences around the world in the future.

©2014

Baiyoke Sky Tower, Bangkok, Thailand

Since we like skyscrapers and viewing platforms we went to the Baiyoke Sky Hotel during our stay in Bangkok.

There are three floors open to the public.

Tickets can be bought on the ground floor and cost 600 THB (ca. 15 Euro or ca. 19 USD) for two.

Downstairs photographs are taken of the visitors before an express lift whisks up guests to the 77th floor.

Beside stunning panorama views over Bangkok and sometimes even to the Gulf of Siam there is also an exhibition of the "old" Thailand.

Another set of lifts goes up to the 83rd floor, where a bar is located and steps lead up to the 84th floor.

The observation deck is rotating. It's interesting to see the skyline from an even higher vantage point, but wouldn't recommend it to people with walking difficulties or who have balance problems.

We will be definitely back next time round when in Bangkok. A very memorable experience and views.

©2014

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