kimberlyb

Many thanks to everyone's thoughts, advice and experiences. It has been very helpful. I feel a lot better now.

We hope to visit many BKK restaurants mentioned by Fodorites (LanaThai, Harmonique, etc.) but other than those, how do we know if they are upscale? For instance, the NY Times article a while back talked about a mom & pop place I've heard good things about on this board (Chote Chitr).
Any suggestions from any seasoned Thailand travelers?

ekscrunchy

My Thailand seasoning was many years ago so it is a bit diluted by now. But I did spend a few days in Bangkok last month..Chote Chitr is not upscale, but you already know that. The food is, in my opinion, superb. Another place you might like is Pen..excellent seafood at a reasonable price and also mentioned in that now famous NY Times article..

Kathie

As eks said, Chote Chitr is by no means upscale, nor is Pen. I haven't been to Pen yet, but we've loved our meals at Chote Chitr. Print out the various sets of instructions on how to get there - otherwise you'll never find it.

Harmonique is also not upscale.

Guenmai

I basically just make sure there's a BOOTS nearby. Smiles. Happy Travels!

kimberlyb

Thanks for the additional tips. We like the mom & pop/casual places, but want to experience both in Thailand.

I think we will use our best judgement at all places and when we do visit a smaller, non-upscale place like Harmonique we will stay away from any fruit-including the mango with sticky rice to be safe.

Any restaurant suggestions for Chiang Mai??

rhkkmk

i do not think there is anything at harmonique that you need to stay away from....some have said to avoid the bathrooms however!!

KrisMom

Kimberly B... I recently spent 8 days in Chiang Mai on my own---before that 8 days in Cambodia and then Bangkok with my daughter...we ate everywhere in search of the perfect noodle soup---and the best we had was at a wet market sitting on old plastic chairs pointing at pots and not knowing what was really in them...In Chinag Mai, I ate in the old market and at the walking market, I ate Kao Soi with working men at a restaurant that has no real name but everyone knows...did I have tummy gurgles? I guess, but what I remember is the intense pleasure of that noodle soup... or the fried bananas at the floating market with Tong or the fried chicken one very early morning in Bagkok or the fresh corn at the CM walking market...

ekscrunchy

Another non-upscale place in Bangkok to try is Raan JayFai, also mentioned in that Times article and well-thought of by food-centric locals. Note that they do not open until 3-4pm. I did not eat there, as they had not yet opened, but did converse a bit, via a translator, with the owner and was quite impressed. Paad Khee Mao is the dish to order. It is an open air place with even less frills than Chote Chitr. Definitely on my list for next time!

dogster

I'm obviously about to reveal my ignorance here. But I'm Australian - you have to forgive me...

easytraveller:
' ...I always wash the mangoes very carefully - this last trip, I washed the mangoes first with hotel soap and water... Then I dried the mangoes. Then I soaked them in drinking water. Sometimes I'd place some salt in the drinking water. Dry them again before cutting them open.'

I assume that you then cut the mango open and eat the fruit INSIDE... so why this extravagant washing of the OUTSIDE? Do you wash bananas like this before you peel them? Oranges? If not, why not?

This is not a leading question - I'm not being rude... but obviously I've missed a vital lesson of hygiene. Help me here...

Kathie

dogster, that routine seemed over the top to me too. It is true that food and water precautions state that you should wash even peel-able fruit first. The idea is that the bacteria on the peel can be transferred via your hands to the fruit you eat. But the wash with soap and water should have taken care of that.

By the way, the organisms that cause most cases of TD are e.coli. These bacteria get on fruits and vegetables from, shall we say, organic fertilizers.

dogster

Thanks Kathie - I'm relieved that I'm not the only one who thought that the Mango Washing Ritual was just a little O.T.T.

[But, easytraveler, if you want, you can have your mangoes dry-cleaned, washed and ironed - and it's O.K. by me]

easytraveler

Thanks, dogster! I think I'll do that next time!

I washed with the soap because there was nothing else that I could use as a disinfectant.

I wiped the mango dry because the hotel water is not potable. If we don't even open our mouths in the shower or brush our teeth with hotel water, why are we letting that water get on fruit and then eat the fruit with the water on it?

Wiping it dry, then putting it in bottled water makes the water that touches the fruit skin drinkable water.

I don't know how you cut open a mango, but I can't do it without touching most of the outside skin as well as the inside meat. Cross contamination if you will.

Maybe next time I'll just stick a straw into the mango and drink it!

Oh, and for those of you who can eat anything anywhere, bully for you! It's just that I got very, very sick from food poisoning once in India, then had to fly from India to KL and spent a delirious night in the KL hotel bathtub because it was the coolest place I could think of. Next morning flew to Singapore and, lucky for me, met up with some friends. I was delirious in Singapore for a week and, had it not been for those friends, probably would never have made it.

So, I'm always of the mind that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of trouble. But to each his/her own. If you have cast iron stomachs and can survive any food, then I say again, good for you!

alevi7475

we are just back and we ate EVERYTHING!! Tons of mango with sticky rice which was delicious! Lots of street food. (more than restaurants!). We didn't have any problem at all. We were careful with what we chose and did stick to peeled fruits and veggies. No seafood and limited meat on the street. But lots of noodles etc and no problem at all.

BillT

ttt

Kathie

Easy, no wonder you took all those precautions with the mangoes! Our precautions are often shaped by our own experiences or observing other's experiences.

easytraveler

You're absolutely correct, Kathie!

Our perception of what is "safe" really depends on our past experiences.

99.9 percent of the time, nothing will happen, but just one really bad experience and it's washing mangoes with soap for the rest of my life!

President's Day weekend, I'm off for a bit of domestic travel. Have a good one, y'all!