Bangkok's Bourgeois Burgers

I like arriving early at the airports. It is not that I expect my flights to leave before time; that would never happen. Airports – at least the biggest among them – are display showcases of the cities next to them and offer superb options for spending a couple of hours. Moreover, they often house the best branches of commercial chains. R Burger – reviewed in this journal – has only two branches in Thailand and one of them is in the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Black Canyon Coffee

Black Canyon Coffee is a Thai chain of coffee shops specializing in coffee and offering a Western-Thai fusion menu. It was founded in 1993 in Bangkok, and now operates around two-hundred branches in Thailand; as such, it is the biggest such chain in the country.

In Bangkok, they operate also kiosks called "Black Canyon X'press" within the main stations of Bangkok's Skytrain. It has also expanded to foreign countries, including Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and the UAE.

Eclectic Menu

Its fusion menu offers an awesome glimpse into modern Thai culture. The chain serves several hot coffees, ranging from the usual variations on Italian ones to unusually named cups. The most basic option is an Americano, an international code name for an espresso diluted with water until it fills a medium sized cup. Following is the Black Canyon Hot Coffee, which is the leading coffee here, but it is indistinctive. A better choice would be the Caffé Latte, made by filling a cup with one third espresso and two thirds steamed milk; the last being frown on in Thailand, it is much less popular than other types of coffee.

Black Canyon offers also an extensive Western-Thai fusion food menu, combining the hits of both cuisines. Spaghetti with green curry sauce, fusilli noodles in tom yum soup and spaghetti with red panang shrimp sauce are typical examples of dishes in their menu, though western-style grilled steaks are also available. But for a temporary goodbye from my favorite country, I chose to have an extra-traditional red curry at their Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

This branch is rather open to the airport’s walking corridors, thus it is quite noisy and thus recommended only for a quick snack or coffee. Yet, it probably offers the best curries in the airport.

Red Curry

Few dishes are more distinctively Thai than curries. Red, green or yellow, they are added to many dishes, from meat to noodles, creating one of the landmarks of this wonderful cuisine. Regional variations create a rare level of complexity for such a dish.

In the West, they are met mainly at classy, pricey Thai restaurants, but in Thailand they are served even at the most basic street stalls.

As popular as the green curry, the red one can be even hotter; it is prepared with shallots, lemongrass, red chilies, galangal, white pepper, cumin, coriander, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaf, kapi, chili powder and coconut cream.

Three ingredients are very important in this list. Kapi (or gapi, or gkapi depending on the transliteration system used) is a paste made of finely ground fermented shrimps in sea salt. Many varieties exist, some of them smelling as bad as nam phla. Seldom is it used in its pure form; usually it is added during the cooking process, adding a faint shrimp flavor to the dish. Many of those snubbing the paste would devour all types of Thai curries, ignoring that kapi is an integral ingredient in most of them. The other one is the coconut milk which gives Thai curries their thick texture.

The third ingredient may be a potential hazard. Several types of red chilies exist in the market. As a rule of thumb, the smallest the chili, the hotter it is; the hottest ones can attack the nose and eyes from amazing distances (I usually cannot get closer than five meters from where they are being fried). The best advice is to check which chili was used and to taste the mix very carefully. That can be easily done in a market – just look at the cooking area – but it is almost impossible in an airport restaurant.

Last Supper

I ordered the dish and sat in an inner corner, away from the noisy corridor. A young couple jumped out of nowhere and sat on the table next to mine as if their life depended on that. They pulled out a photographic camera and began taking pictures all around in demented furor. I attempted to stay away from the flash and mentally prepared myself to the big unknown. How spicy would the curry be? Shouldn’t I have ordered a jar of cold water as well? Overwhelmed by these important issues, I watched a waiter approaching my table.

Soon a big and square porcelain bowl was put down in front of me. Inside was a dark red soup; its thick texture looked perfect, and its color was a superb sign that I was about to taste a perfect curry. The chilies I could spot were smallish. Carefully, I picked up a spoon, picked up a bit of the soup – without chilies - and tasted. By the smell, I already knew and was thus extra careful while tasting the curry: it was one of the hottest I have ever had in Thailand.

The trick in such a situation is to proceed slowly and to avoid eating the chilies: enough of their essence had diffused into the soup. Presumably, the bowl was made of porcelain because this is one of the few substances on earth capable to withstand the fierce heat of a Thai curry.

Perfect bliss.

The Best Kept Secrets

Sometimes the most beautiful attractions in a city are little known, on the verge of being defined as secret. In this category, the best kept secrets seem to be those stored publicly along wide avenues or important water canals. The more central their location the smaller the chance to find them in popular travel guides.

In Bangkok, such is the case with Wat Ratchabophit Sathitmahasimaran Ratchaworawihar, the Marble Temple. Thinking about the issue again, maybe the long name is the reason for the secrecy, repeating it takes time, memorizing it demands a conscious effort, and printing it occupies too much space. Thais refer to this beautiful place as Wat Ratchabophit and have recognized it as one of the very few First Class temples in the country.

Where is What Was It’s Name?

The temple is superbly located on the outer side of the Inner Canal, near its southern end. If walking there, from the important intersection created by the canal and Charoen Krung Road, advance one block northwards on the outer – eastern – side of the canal and turn right on the first alley. The temple is unmistakable.

The visit is best combined with a tour of the Grand Palace, the inner canal or the Giant Swing area. Little India and Chinatown are also nearby.

Is this Thailand?

It doesn’t take years of study to realize this temple is quite different from most others in Bangkok. The temple is immense and the cheddis and structures are so close to each other that the visitor is practically submerged within the structure’s narrative. Moreover, there are many Western influences intermixed with Central Asian ones, and that’s what makes this temple so special.

This surprising design becomes clear once the visitor learns the temple was built by order of King Rama V one year after his accession to the throne in 1868. This king opened Siam (as it was called back then) to the world, thus architectonic allusions to the West and central Asia during the years of the Great Game were expected. As incredible as it looks now, at those times the then British and Russian empires fought diplomatic games and wars for gaining hegemony in Asia.

Layout

The basic design of the temple is typically Thai, the ubosoth (Ordination Hall) and wihan (Assembly Hall) can be easily recognized; stuppas surround them. However, several characteristics are unique.

The first is the colorful mosaic covering the cheddis and structures. Wat Arun is also covered by mosaic, but the stones there are in fact parts of broken porcelain left behind by trade ships and are placed at certain distance from each other, white plaster can be seen among the bits. However, in Wat Ratchabophit the mosaic stones are well cut and touch each other creating thus a beautiful smooth surface, typical of Central Asian temples. Thus the temple is known also as "Wat Benjarong," in allusion to the specific type of ceramic used.

Other unusual point is the interior design of the ubosoth and wihan which display ceilings in mixed Thai and Gothic styles with pointed arches and ribbed vaults. Other decorative items in the interior and on the gates are also western in nature, including many of the statues’ faces and uniforms.

The last unique quality is that all the buildings on the complex were constructed atop marble bases, which create a very different environment when compared with other temples; thus the temple is also known as the Marble Temple.

As mentioned, the complex is overcrowded with structures, creating narrow corridors on which visitors advance. Being the central structure the Phra Cheddi ("Holy Stuppa") means the central corridor is narrow and round. Since this cheddi is considerably wider than the average one, it allowed the construction of an attractive colonnade at its base. This touch gives an irresistible look to the structure. The colonnade’s circular path provides awesome view angles of the complex, especially since the main temple’s stuppa is at the center of the complex, an unusual position in later temples, thus this temple displays even another peculiarity.

The cheddi is over forty meters high and includes a Buddha relic on its golden spire. It houses sixteen Buddha images on its circumference. The ubosoth and wihan are each located on opposite sides of the cheddi.

The ubosoth serves house to Phra Nirantarai, a bronze Buddha statue covered with gold and sitting in a niche shaped as a banyan tree, under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. The main Buddha image of the complex is near it, Phra Buddha Angkhiros, which is remarkable for having been placed atop an Italian marble pedestal. The wihan is very similar to the last, housing Phra Prathip Warothai, a Buddha image in the Subduing Mara position. This structure holds the Tripitaka, the Buddhist library of the temple.

One of the most beautiful and important temples in the city is located next to many main attractions and empty of visitors. Are printed and online guides’ writers failing in their sacred task, or do the visitors purposely ignore all their advice?

After Ayutthaya’s fall in 1767, the then called Kingdom of Siam entered a turbulent period. The capital was moved to Thonburi and afterwards – in 1782 – across the river to modern Bangkok.

Due to the dramatic circumstances of the times, special importance was given then to security. I recently dedicated a journal to Bangkok’s canals. Their center is a system of three concentric rings designed to block the access of foreign armies to the inner city; much of this system has survived. A complementary part of this system was a city wall and several forts along it. As the threats of another Burmese invasion faded, this system was dismantled. Nowadays, only a few parts have survived.

Surviving Wall

Little of the original wall has survived. One of these parts is within the Thammasat University. This institution is located along the Chao Phraya riverside, and between Khaosan Road and the Grand Palace. The best way of reaching it is by foot from Khaosan Road, simply walking westwards toward the bridge, and then turning to the left. The university blocks the road after a minute or so. Suddenly, Khaosan Road international features seem far away; the place is very Thai in its look and ambience.

Thammasat University has the best promenade in the city along the Chao Phraya River. Beyond being tastefully designed and providing an awesome place for enjoying a coffee, it offers an almost unparalleled view of the river. Passenger and freight boats, Thonburi and bridges, all them compete for the traveler’s attention. As expected, small groups of students chat while ignoring the beauty surrounding them.

The buildings adjoining the small yard next to the promenade are worth a look as well, since they feature an eclectic mix untypical of Bangkok. A beautiful white arch frames the river. A spiky brown dome seems to have been imported from somewhere in Medieval Europe.

A humble but worthy attraction is the partial reconstruction of Bangkok’s original wall; the very low structure is next to the cafeterias and the promenade and protected under the cafeteria building ceiling. Several signs explain the wall’s history also in English. The yard between the main buildings features attractive mock wall basements.

A Narrow Gate

Another spot featuring a narrow gate and a short stretch of the wall is east of the Phra Sumen Fort, in front of Wat Bowo Niwet, two blocks north of Khaosan Road eastern end and just before the Banglamphu Canal. A point to pay attention to are the "sima" stones above the wall. These are lotus flower shaped stones used for measuring the length of a wall, usually of temples.

Wichaiprasit Fort

In 1767, a general and provincial governor named Taksin (the name means Sin of Tak) freed most of Siam after the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya. He established the new capital in Thonburi, on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River.

One year later, a new palace was built. The Wang Derm Palace served as the residence of King Taksin until his death in 1782. King Rama I used it until the new palace across the river – now known as Bangkok’s Grand Palace – was finished.

An important structure within the palace was the Wichaiprasit Fort. In the past there was a twin fort across the river. Both forts were connected with an underwater metal chain that allowed blocking the waterway to unauthorized ships.

The palace is located on Wang Doem Road, next to Wat Arun – which was back then part of the palace complex - and is open from Monday to Friday between 8:30 AM and 4 PM. Unluckily, it is open only for groups; since a special permit must be obtained, visiting it is possible only through a travel agent.

Phra Sumen Fort

The Santi Chai Prakan Park and Phra Sumen Fort are one of the most distinctively Thai sights in Bangkok. Seldom do such couples exist and it is even rarer when they are easily accessible.

The park and fort are superbly positioned for those travelers staying in the Khaosan Road area.

Fort Phra Sumen is one of the two remaining forts in Bangkok; it was constructed in 1783 to fortify the old city during the reign of King Rama I, who made Bangkok his capital.

Its location is deeply related to the defensive rings of canals protecting the old city to the east. The fort was placed at the confluence of the Chao Phraya River and the Banglamphu Canal; the last belongs to the second ring of canals and was built in 1782 after the Lord Canal just east of the Grand Palace. The Banglamphu Canal joins up with the Ong-Ang Canal and reaches the Chao Phraya River to the south.

The fort is worth a special visit at night, when it is delightfully illuminated and provides amazing views of the Saphan Phra Ram VIII Bridge and the river. The fort has two levels of battlements where antiquated cannons are still deployed and an observation tower.

In the past the fort was connected to the city walls. Those do not exist anymore; however, the fort external walls provide a good idea of how did they look. A bit to the east – across the first junction – a restored gate can still be watched.

The peculiar spiky roof of the fort’s watching tower can be seen also in other Thai towns featuring old forts, like Phitsanulok.

South of the fort are the Santi Chai Prakan Park and several attractive coffee shops; the last are more expensive than those on Khaosan Road and attract mainly local yuppies. After seeing the park, it is recommended to continue along Thanon Phra Athit since it displays an eclectic mix of Thai nobility houses and typical Thai shop houses.

The park lies between the old fort and the river making it a pleasant and breezy area to spend an afternoon. One can have a panoramic view of the riverfront and watch river life go by with the majestic Rama VIII suspension bridge in the distance; at night the last is beautifully illuminated.

A traditional teakwood Thai Pavilion occupies much of the riverfront. It is one of the best such structures in Bangkok, offering awesome photographing angles with the fort, the river and the park. Many benches and a large green area allow enjoying the park, especially the mangrove tree located next to the water.

On the southern side of the park is a sculptured wall featuring traditional scenes of the Thai culture and lifestyle; the wall almost connects to the river, implying the deep connection between this culture and rivers.

Mahakan Fort

Very similar to the former is the Mahakan Fort, which was built during the same period. However, this one is near a canals’ confluence point, just below the Golden Mount, near the Black Metal Pagoda and the King Prajahipok Museum. Each one of these imposing structures was built in a different style. The wide Ratchadamnoen Avenue allows walking around these buildings, allowing superb photographic compositions on one of the most beautiful spots of Bangkok.

Wat Rakhang ("Bell Temple") enjoys a superb but unlucky location in Bangkok Noi ("Little Bangkok"). Across the river from the Grand Palace, it can be easily reached; however, being near the main temple in town and not far from Wat Arun means it is overshadowed by them.

Tha Chang is the closest pier to the Grand Palace on the Bangkok side of the Chao Phraya River, ferries cross the river from there, allowing easy access to Bangkok Noi.

The importance of Wat Rakhang temple is due to three reasons: its foundation time, its murals and – of course – the big bell found in it.

Its foundation time is not known exactly, but it dates back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom, when it was known as Wat Bang Wa Yai. Since the temples in Ayutthaya were completely destroyed by the Burmese invasion of 1767, this temple is an important survivor of that period. Soon after the capital was moved to Thonburi, the temple was raised to be a Royal Temple by King Taksin the Great. During those days it was home to whom later became King Rama I, the first king of the modern Chakri Dynasty. Nowadays it is a temple of Second Class, of which only about forty exist.

After the capital was moved across the river to Bangkok (though Thonburi became a part of Bangkok in 1972, thus both riversides belong to the modern metropolis), King Rama I ordered the temple to be renovated and an ancient bell capable of producing an impressive chime was found. The bell was moved to the temple of the Emerald Buddha and five smaller bells were put in the now called "Bell Temple" as a replacement. These can still be seen within a stone pavilion. A replica of the original bell was placed in the temple, near the ubosoth.

The Phra Prang (prang is a Khmer styled cheddi, significantly wider than Thai stuppas) dates back to this renovation and it was considered one of the city’s architectonic wonders of the time.

The structure to look for in the complex is the Ho Trai Pavilion, where the library of the complex is located. Built on wooden stilts, this pavilion displays a typical Ayutthaya period design and is divided in three different rooms. The main room is just across the carved door of the pavilion; right of it is a reading room while on the left is a retiring room. The murals in this structure were painted during the reign of King Rama I by a monk named Phra Achan Nak, who is considered one of the Thai best artists ever; several of his surviving works can be seen here. The murals deal mainly with Hindu and Buddhist mythology, especially with the life of Indra, the war between Mara (devils) and Deva (angels), the Mount Phra Sumen where the Tavatimsa Heaven is situated, the Intarachit War episode from the Ramakian (a Thai version of the Ramayana Epic) and other topics.

The colors used were prepared with a mixture of tempera and latex – all of them natural, which provided less shades and less brightness than contemporaneous Indian and Chinese pigments. Since Siam was recovering from Ayutthaya’s fall, better colors were not available. Over time these murals lost some of their original qualities. Recently, the Silpakorn University conducted a conservation project in which the murals were copied and stored in a safe place.

Being this temple an important and beautiful one, it attracts many visitors. Beyond worshipping, they feed the fish at the nearby pier – an act of Buddhist merit – or buy amulets at the adjacent market. A point often ignored by passing-by travelers is that amulets – especially the expensive ones – can be rented for special events. If willing to take one home as a souvenir, check out if it is allowed to export it. Valuable images are usually denied an export license.

"Hamburger Café" was an eye-catching subtitle. Yet, I didn’t notice it when I walked near the Japanese owned R Burger branch at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The futuristic layout of the branch – which featured also large pictures of what looked as hi-tech hamburgers – was more attractive than any written message. Sharp-edged, brightly-designed tables and a narrow bar filled the space surrounding a minimalist counter. The menu above the counter was large and bright, allowing a very clear display of the unusual items sold by this "Hamburger Café." The title obviously didn’t mean I was supposed to dip a greasy hamburger in a cup of stale, soluble coffee before taking a bite. Hungry or not, stopping there for a hamburger that would probably be enjoyed by the first astronauts in an interstellar trip, was unavoidable.

An Almost Impossible Task

How to even begin describing a well known dish that has been redesigned from scratch? The only thing that looked familiar was the fact the shop was offering "combo meals;" beyond this most items were alien and on the verge of being described as out-worldly.

There were pictures of something that – in general lines – resembled a hamburger. However, the round bun was sparkling white with an "R" stamped on its top. The wonder was made of steamed buns, a common item in Asian cuisine. According to the signs in the shop, the buns were enriched with marine collagen in order to encourage skin renewal. Were the owners implying that I suffered of skin problems? I didn’t take this one too personally and continued researching the menu. After tasting it, I wondered if the collagen was the secret behind the bun’s kind of crispy skin. Apparently, that’s a trade secret; the staff bravely faced my interrogation attempts.

What was offered inside the bun? Instead of typical sauces, R Burger used wasabi-mayonnaise, ume, ankake and other Japanese or Japanese-designed sauces; the lettuce and pickles were replaced here by Japanese shiso leaves and pickled radishes. As per the main ingredient, there were several choices: chicken, salmon, tofu and the R Burger, the last being prepared with pork. Variations included the "Avocado Cheese Burger" and the "Teriyaki Chicken Burger."

Combo

By now the picture was quite clear and I decided to try one of their combos. These included a burger, a salad stick or potato wedges and a beverage. Other sides available – though not in the combo meals – included tofu and chicken nuggets.

Picking up their flag dish – the R Burger – was obvious. After that I needed to choose the sides. The salad stick – chopped vegetables wrapped into an elongated shape - didn’t caught my attention; after having spent a while in almost potato-less Thailand, I preferred the potato wedges. The last was also the only ingredient in the meal that was completely recognizable; spoiling it would be utterly difficult.

The drinks offered were probably the most shocking part. The options were hot or cold green tea. It was obvious that they took seriously their claim to be offering a revolutionary and extra-healthy hamburger suited for the space age. I chose the cold green tea option.

Mission

While waiting to my meal, I learned that the shop’s mission was to make me happy with the food and make (force?) me exclaim: "what a so tasty!!" (sic) by the end of the meal. Later, while leaving the shop nobody checked out if I complied with the stated mission.

Sound Elegance

Soon I got a standard plastic tray covered with a paper sheet advertising their main products. Atop it were a plastic cup with a very dark green tea, the potato wedges within a paper bag claiming "Sounds Good" but making no statements regarding their taste, and an elegantly packed hamburger.

Trying to go toward the unknown slowly, I first tried one of the wedges. They were superb, the crispy exterior enclosed a very tender interior; they included the potato skin. Then I opened the hamburger package and explored its content. The hamburger was rather small. The shiso leaves and pickled radishes had only a very symbolic presence; there weren’t enough of them for me to decide on their quality. The sauce was there, I’m sure of that. But I was fascinated by the alien-looking buns. I had eaten steamed buns in China – especially in its northwest – but had never seen them shaped as hamburger buns or possessing a quasi-crispy skin. I took a bite and discovered a new world, as the future astronauts in their way to the unknown would probably do; but R Burger was definitely not a hamburger.

Halfway to the meal’s end, I began drinking the tea. Again, it was nothing like green teas I tried all over China and in the US. In the cup were green particles that seemed to be finely ground tea leaves; it was a bit strange and bitter, but tasty and refreshing.

Baffled, minutes later I boarded my spaceship toward another alien destination.