Wat Kaeo: Go for a Blessing, Stay for the Food
Wonder where the man with a fisheye lens is on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday afternoons? Why I’m at a temple of course! As luck would have it, my new home in Bangkok is just a ฿10 motorcy taxi (that’s motorcycle to the Western world) ride away. I confess that the primary attraction here, for me, is the wonderful Thai street food Heaven that is known as the “Wat Kaeo Afternoon Market.” (Link opens to google Maps in a new tab)
Gateway to Wat Kaeo
Where’s the Food??
Things get underway here at 4 PM, and by 5 PM it’s sometimes difficult to move around because of the crowd, but more vendors have had time to cook, so there is more food when you arrive later. There are also clothes, household products, electronics, and amulet vendors. Looking for shorts emblazoned with the American or British flag? How about a 10 inch “Don’t Mess with Texas” belt buckle? You can find that and more here in the fine apparel department just as you enter the temple compound.
Dude! Where’s the food???!
I should mention that when you first enter the temple compound, you won’t’ see any food for sale. This is out of respect for the monks who must follow a strict rule of not eating food after 12 noon. In the photo above I’m behind a display set up for Khao Phansa, or Buddhist lent that will be celebrated next Saturday. Keep walking and prepare to be dazzled!
Just a Few More Steps…
Curry Vendor
Oh My Ears, My Bleeding Ears!
Soon after you shield your ears from the shrill screaming girl selling God knows what, (since I can’t stand the pain long enough to see what she sells) you’ll find yourself in the promised land of Thai food. Don’t run too far or you’ll miss out on some of the best Khao Mok Gai anywhere, including that excellent vendor on Soi Convent.
Khao Mok Gai, AKA Thai Biryani Chicken
This quiet gentleman gives huge portions of the Thai version of Biryani rice. So much so that I save half to eat with my homemade Indian food the next day.
Market Heartbreakers
Khanom Vendor
From the Khao Mok vendor’s stand, look around for the Khanom Girl. She has excellent Thai desserts including a Thai version of the Indian Ladoo that I can’t stop thinking about. My heart has been broken on many occasions though, as she doesn’t come to the market every time and she sometimes changes locations, as do a few other chefs. Khanom is pronounced “Ka Noam” but I think it should be pronounced “Ka Nom Nom Nom” as most of these dishes are delicious, aren’t too sweet and some are savoury, if you’ll pardon my use of British English.
Vegetables? Yeah, that got that too
Lost Yet?
Fruit and vegetables sold at this market are about half the price of those sold in stores and in most cases of better quality. If I had one complaint about this market, it’s the fact that vendors are spread out all over the vast market, instead of being grouped in sections selling the same things. I guess that’s part of the fun though. It’s a good idea to use the different gates and temple buildings as landmarks, or you may get lost. It’s happened to me!
Isaan Food? Yep, They’ve Got That Covered!
Isaan food vendor
There are a few vendors selling Isaan food and the woman in the photo above makes some of the best Thai spicy salads you’ll find southwest of Korat. No visit to this market is complete for me without a bag of her Moo Namtok (pork) and/or Dtaap Wan (liver).
Agni Rules Supreme
BBQ fish vendor,
I really don’t think that chefs have ever improved on cooking over a fire and there are many stands selling meat on a stick and whole BBQ fish with spicy dipping sauces.
There are way too many kinds of food on offer at this market making it a treat to visit and try new dishes a couple of times per week. At this point, I’m getting hangry as I put the finishing touches on this blog, so I’ll leave you with a gift, I mean Gif of some of the food on offer. I bid you Bon Appetit and farewell until next week.
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Gif, not a gift of Wat Kaew food
Did I just see sushi????
Blog : Thai by Apisatha Hussadee Giunca
Blog : English by George Edward Giunca
About the Authors
Photographer George Edward Giunca, and his Thai wife, Apisatha, have traveled around Thailand armed with a circular fisheye lens to create a photo essay on the rich cultural diversity, and abundant natural beauty of the Kingdom of Thailand. Fleeing from angry water buffaloes, slapping huge mosquitoes, watching exotic festivals and religious rituals, gorging on delicious spicy food, applying aloe vera cream to sunburned skin, wading through rice paddies, getting drenched to the bone by heavy monsoon rains, and gawking at breath-taking scenery; made it a journey of epic proportions! The result is the book, THAILAND 180º. Later, they traveled extensively through Myanmar, Malaysia, and India, gathering a massive collections of 180º photos. They currently live in Chiang Mai where they continue to blog and are now working on a CHIANG MAI 180º book.
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Here’s How to Order Your Copy of THAILAND 180º Collectors EditionToday!
In Thailand —>>>http://www.thailand180.com/thaiorder.html
The Rest of the world: We are offering our book on Amazon.com, below list price and I’ll pay for the shipping within the United States! http://amzn.to/1knDPRR
Not Familiar with Our Book???
This show details the origin of 180 Books, a series of art/travel books illustrated with a circular fisheye lens. By using infographics, pictures from our THAILAND 180º book, and never seen before images from our vault, we’ll demonstrate this unique lens and present our unique books.
Also, because there’s nothing to watch on TV, here’s a trailer about our book, “THAILAND 180”
Above is an interactive map of Thailand. If you click on a marker it reveals a photo from our THAILAND 180º book and a link to our blog article about the photo. Go Ahead~ Start Exploring ~Have Some Fun!
