Our glasses were somehow full again. I emptied mine too fast, laughing. He smiled back, a handsome guy, practically a stranger. Younger than me, but so what? Bangkok doesn’t judge your appetites. It feeds them.
“What do you think?” He leaned in close, closer.
“I love it.”
Love’s the wrong word, of course. This was lust, love’s more marketable counterpart, the city’s stock-in-trade. No doubt I’d wake up the next morning filled with greasy, wash-out regret. But right then morning seemed far away.
“Still like it?” he asked as we paused for breath.
“You know I do.”
“Good.” He didn’t bother to whisper. “Because this is the best fried chicken in Bangkok.”
***
I hadn’t come to Bangkok to get involved with a chicken. (Who does? Wait, don’t answer that.) The last thing I expected in this city of pleasure was a good time. I’d signed up for a CELTA course, the ESL teacher’s equivalent of boot camp. CELTA certifications are respected all across the world. That’s because they’re hard to get. Candidates spend four weeks being ground to slush under papers and lesson plans. They don’t sleep much.
So I was not Bangkok’s target demographic (single, thirsty, primed to stay out all night). The city wasn’t doing much for me either. Sure, it had some character, with its gap-toothed skyline and office girls riding sidesaddle on motorbikes. But essentially it was just a big city, like big cities anywhere. It could’ve been Chicago in a heat wave, or Seoul without the street cleaners. My feelings toward Bangkok could be summed up with one word: meh.
That was before I’d fully explored what was on offer.
***
“Let’s order another bird.”
“Oh baby, talk dirty to me.”
***
You can buy anything in Bangkok. Anything. It was a promise I heard over and over again, and I didn’t doubt it was true. The city flogged itself daily, nightly, to whoever was passing through. You could buy a Maserati in a mall in Bangkok. You could get a crocodile on the street. You could spend money on massages or ping pong shows or other things that couldn’t come home with you (not long-term, anyway), but scratched that itch.
But this system assumed that you wanted something. What did I want? I’m not a shopper. I don’t even like ping pong the sport. My mid-CELTA needs involved a full night’s sleep and whiteout tape that didn’t break.
Which was when one of my fellow teachers stepped in. “Have you tried Isaan chicken?”
***
“What’s this crunchy stuff on top?”
“Fried garlic.”
“That’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
***
Bangkok can’t be faulted on the food. You could eat yourself to death for ten bucks in that city. I just ate to happiness, which cost a dollar or two. Chicken rice. Mango rice. Dumpling soup. Fried noodles. My school was just steps away from Soi Convent, a road that disappeared under street food stands and tiny plastic tables every afternoon. We ate there every day except Mondays, the venders’ day of rest. On Mondays we turned to the restaurants on the school’s ground floor, which sold exotic foods I hadn’t tasted in years. There was Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, all of them inexplicably swank with luxury-style adverts. It was hog heaven.
One of my fellow inmates at the CELTA program had lived in Bangkok on and off for years. We quickly learned to follow him at mealtimes, and he lead us to the most amazing holes-in-the-wall I ever expect to eat in. When he sketched a map showing the way to his favorite Chinese restaurant, we photocopied it and passed it around. I keep mine with the passports and other important documents, in case I go back to Bangkok. That’s how good the food was.
So when he suggested a place he knew, about a thirty minute walk but the best fried chicken in Bangkok, did I want to go? There was only one answer. I would’ve followed that guy anywhere.
***
No one’s going to kiss you after a meal of Isaan fried chicken. We pressed fried garlic into handfuls of sticky rice. We scooped it up with spoons. We ripped the chicken apart with our fingers, dipped it in chili sauce, in lime juice, in the dregs of the other dishes. We licked the plates.
That chicken messed me up.
Sorry I didn’t bother to get a better photo, but this was a veni ,vidi, vici situation.
Sam knew about the whole affair, of course. He was there, and another friend too, a ménage à quatre all scraping garlic blossoms from the platter. It was pretty hot.
Bangkok: a city of distractions and temptations. Surrender to at least one. Mine was Polo Fried Chicken on Soi Polo, just off Lumphini Park. No regrets.
-Erin
PS – I had to restructure my fried chicken hierarchy after this meal. It now goes Isaan fried chicken, , all other Korean chicken.
America, I’m sorry, but you don’t place.
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We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Northeast Harbor Maine,
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Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
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chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Northeast Harbor ME.
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Northeast Harbor Maine
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Northeast Harbor Maine * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Northeast Harbor
Maine * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Northeast Harbor Maine is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Northeast Harbor,
Maine Baby chicks are extremely
adorable and also
challenging to stand up to,
but it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
right materials, yet
likewise the proper
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you just have to give them with the following: A
clean and also cozy
habitat Lots of food as well
as water Focus as well as
love Environment Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You likewise need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
give them with a warmth source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 and 100 levels,
and also every week this can
be lowered by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source should be on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you should put some warmth.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is key as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
usually as well as
always supply tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow very fast
which requires plenty of clean
food as well as water. Offer
sufficient whatsoever times and also inspect
often to avoid dehydrated as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
see their actions, you can
capture illness or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Make certain to
likewise check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to watch out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and move outside right into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken cages to find out
more
regarding cages and also
proper coop habitats.