Gpanda

Just back from the long-awaited dinner with Bob and Karen in exotic Brookline, Massachusetts. To "honor" Bob's attire requirements, I wore a pair of shorts. My wife, Beth and I travelled in our Volvo from Cambridge, using only a minimum of fossil fuel and obeying all traffic rules to Dok Bua, a superb Thai restaurant. The students have returned and traffic was very BKK-like. Bob and Karen were picked up in Needham by their trusty driver, Ergo, and rode in isolated luxury without any annoyances. B and I arrived first to a restaurant with no customers, but several employees were stripping the leaves from sprigs of Thai Basil. After a glass of hot tea, B and K arrived.

After an exchange of pleasantries, i.e., no political talk whatsoever, Karen and I ordered. Bob claims to have forgotten his glasses and Beth likes to snipe after original choices are voiced. The menu is like many in Thailand with pictures for those that are verbally challenged. We agreed to 3 appetizers and 3 main dishes. To start we had Larb (chicken chopped with mint leaves, lime juice, onion, lemon grass and ground toasted rice) 320B, Som Tum (Green papaya salad with long bean, tomato and peanuts) 280B and Yum Nua (beef mixed with cucumber, tomato, onion, lime sauce and chili) 320B. The cold beef salad was particularly tasty.

For main dishes we had Poo Nim (fried soft shell crab with house special sauce) 520B, Pad Meu Ma Meung (Chicken with cashew nuts, baby corn, mushrooms, onion, pepper and chili paste. Faithful Fodorites may recall that Bob's trip report seemed to indicate that they ate chicken with cashews aplenty in T-land) 360B and Pla Rad Prik (deep fried Red Snapper with chili and basil) 520B. All of these main courses were very good, but the fish was exquisite.

For dessert, Bob and K had Mango with Sticky Rice 120B and Beth and I had Pumpkin Custard 120B.

We reverted to our American roots and left a tip of 20% with no apparent objection from Bob.

Dinner was very good.

Bob and Karen are tremendously knowledgeable about Thailand and Asia. They had some great shopping recommendations for our upcoming November trip. Karen had a lovely bracelet and was very helpful in describing the place and method of purchase. She also described several blouses she had made in BKK with (I'm not making this up) frogs on the front. She claims these are some type of fastening device, but I suspect they are amphibians stolen from a Marriott pond.

We spent some time daydreaming about our Fall 2005 Asia trip and Bob and Karen were very helpful with suggestions about Myanamar (Do they have a Marriott there?). They made it seem very attractive. I hope they have massages readily available.

Missed all who were unable or unwilling to attend. We may repeat in a month or two.

glorialf

Wish I still lived in Boston. Dinner sounds like a lot of fun. I lived in Brookline when I was in college and still think of it with a great deal of affection.

Kathie

Thanks for the report!

divediva

aloha bob and gpanda...
i have enjoyed all your postings and help
the last few months. we leave for a months trip beginning oct 14 and your insights and knowledge have been invaluable in our
planning. wish i had been able to attend your dinner...but maui is alittle to far from boston.

thanks again

CFW

Divediva, Which did you decide on -- Golden triangle or Mae Hong Son? What is the rest of your itinerary? If I remeber correctly you were going to some places that were a little different than the usual tourist route. Interested to hear about some of these places.

Craig

Sorry that Jeane and I missed out on all the fun. Just reading your post makes me hungry for Thai food (even at 9 in the morning). Let us know if you attempt to do it again.

BillT

Bob- here is a sure fire way to get some free Thai dinners. Just challenge your liberal friends- pick 5. If Kerry wins you buy them dinner- if Bush wins they each buy you dinner.

Gpanda

BillT-Bob is a banker. They do not gamble. My guess is that he would be happy to lend any bettors the money with an appropriate interest charge. As Spygirl suspects, there is also the possibility that he would report both bettors to the authorities after the money was repaid.

Craig and others-I'm sure we will do it again. If you let us know your
(schedules), I'm sure we can arrange. Trust me, the Thai food at Dok Bua is worth the wait.

emtravel

Gpanda and Bob,
enjoyed your Thai restaurant report. I love soft shell crab and sticky rice desert (called Mango heaven in our thai restaurant).
We are getting closer to our trip (will be on HKG Sep 27 and then in Thailand Oct 3), so we are getting excited.
Re: upcoming elections - I am voting for Kerry (rather anti-Bush) this election and my husband Bush so you can imagine lively conversations in our household (in also democratic CT).
sophia