by Callie Meyer, Creative Director
This February I had the opportunity to go to Thailand. I had always felt so so about Thai food and was more curious about the culture and landscape, not to mention the summer weather conditions. Ultimately, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Bangkok, the largest city and capital of Thailand.
It was amazing to discover that Thai people are completely obsessed with food and that real Thai food is nothing like what we experience at restaurants here in the states. I take that back… maybe with the exception of Pok Pok in Portland http://www.pokpokpdx.com/. Anyway, the streets are covered with food vendors and produce stalls. Literally 3 per block in the middle of the city. At all times you could smell something cooking or see smoke wafting up from a street-side grill. The produce in Thailand was amazingly fresh and flavorful with varieties of mangoes and herbs like nothing you have tasted. After a few days, I left Bangkok and traveled to Phuket which is an island off the SW coast of Thailand. There, I had the opportunity to visit beautiful open air markets which are set up along the road. I tried everything I could – fermented rice sausage, mango sticky rice in banana leaves, crispy spiced chicken skin and crazy curry dishes – all acquired using the point, pay, and eat methodology. Below are a few images from the markets I visited. For a more complete gallery, you can visit my photo blog: http://settingdesign.tumblr.com/
Love Thailand go regularly usually now to the north close to Laos.
In Bangkok they do not build kitchens into their apartments. That is why you see so many street vendors selling food. Good idea as it keeps people employed.