Richard and I went to the most wonderful store yesterday and I just have to write about it! It’s called the Bangkok Market and it’s just across and down the street from 100 Oaks on Powell Ave (3207). This was my second visit so I already knew about some of the great deals on the incredible food and very fresh produce they stock. The owner, Pornchai Rajbundit, was so happy to answer my questions and show me around. When I described a Thai dish I love, Tom Kah Gai Soup, the manager hurried to make me a copy of the recipe she likes. She helped me locate the ingredients and I purchased kaffir lime leaves and galangal root to make my own. That’s a recipe I’ll look forward to sharing.
There were so many cool foods I had never seen before and both the owner and the manager where more than ready to explain what they were, how they tasted and ways to use them in a dish. There were plenty of dried fruits and vegetables, including some mushrooms that were so pretty I could never cook them. I loved the sauce section and the hundreds of kinds of teas. Richard’s sweet tooth lead us right to the coffee and ginger candies and sweet biscuits. In fresh produce I got a string of garlic for $1.50 that I had just seen in a very high end Green Hills store for $6.99. My box of Green Tea was a whopping $.59. Richard snatched up a package of 6 beautifully decorated pairs of chopsticks for $1.99, and a large jar of pickled ginger for $1.50.
We both nearly swooned over the frozen food section of the store. They had every variety of dumpling known to mankind, and fantastic flavors of ice cream and popsicles. I got excited about the exotic seafood, Richard, well not so much. Richard’s favorite part, and I swear I’m not making this up, is the entire room full of different kinds of noodles. Heaven! In the front part of the store is a refrigerated case of sausages and meats that I didn’t even have time to explore.
Lest I forget in my excitement about the food, they have other fun things too. There are all kinds of amazing wood carvings, beautiful candle stick holders, small rattan tables, lots of dishes, chopsticks, even these really fun bright colored straw brooms that I’ll have to go back to get.
The owner let me know that they supply many of the restaurants in town. That’s not a surprise, everything was so fresh. From what I’ve described you probably think this store is the size of a Kroger, but it’s tiny, clean, and very carefully stocked. I strongly recommend that you pay Bangkok Market a visit. If my writing doesn’t convince you, maybe my three full bags of groceries for $18. 50 will. We had other errands to run and didn’t want cold food in a warm car so we had to walk away from several items we were dying to purchase. In fact we already have a plan for a weekend visit and a Thai feast to watch the Titans. Can’t wait!
