Bangkok Day 1

After checking into our hotel, we took a cab to Erawan Shrine to pray to Four-Face Buddha. It has been restored after being destroyed a few months ago.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan - 5-star hotel.

Urban Kitchen is just next to Erawan Shrine. It has many great restaurants. There's Crystal Jade & Bakerzin of Singapore, Nara (super delicious Thai cuisine), Lee Cafe (Thai fusion dishes), a Vietnamese restaurant, a French restaurant...etc.

The Amarin Plaza - McDonald's, Starbucks, nice food court on the upper floor.

Opposite Erawan Shrine, there is Gaysorn Plaza & several good hotels like Arnoma, Presisent, Holiday Inn, InterContinental Bangkok.....etc. Expect to pay good price for their rooms.

Gaysorn Plaza houses top Internatioal brands, their prices are more expensive than Singapore's. There is a great Italian eatery - Bar Italia. Brunches are available daily from 11 am to 5 pm at 790 baht (S$34). Lunch costs 490 baht (S$21)

We went to World Trade Center for some shopping. It has undergone a facelift. The shopping mall was huge. There were many floors of retail shops. Lots of great food. We were tired from all the walking.



We went to the 7th floor for dinner. The girls chose Shabushi - a steamboat & Japanese sushi buffet restaurant. At 219 baht each ((S$11 for one person after taxes), it was cheap!

Shabushi branch near Erawan Shrine. Prices from 199 baht (S$8.60).

One main grouse, we had to queue for one & a half hours before we got a table.

There was clear or cream(milk) soup. We had both. Customers select their food from the many plates displayed on a conveyor belt. It was fun. The vegetables were so fresh & sweet, we ate loads of them. There were fresh salmon fish heads too, we cooked & ate many. Free flow of beverages & ice-cream.
Something funny happened. Two hours later, we were told to leave. The restaurant has a 2-hour time limit on each table.

Time out. The waiter switched off our burner & told us to pay our bill. There were still prawns, fish head & pork slices in the steamboat, but we were not allowed to finish them. My friends & Chris didn't care, they scooped up the food & finished it while I went to settle the bill.

It was 9 pm, there were still many people queuing outside the restaurant.

We had a good laugh after that because it was the first time any of us was 'chased out' of a restaurant.

Shrines outside the World Trade Center.