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.
Related posts:
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Bethel North Carolina,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Bethel
North Carolina also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Bethel North Carolina, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Bethel NC.
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Bethel North Carolina
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
Bethel North Carolina * 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 Bethel
North Carolina * 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
Bethel North Carolina 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 Bethel,
North Carolina Baby chicks are extremely
charming and also
hard to stand up to,
yet it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
correct materials, however
likewise the proper
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you just need
to supply them with the following: A tidy and warm
environment Lots of food and water Focus and also
love Environment Your habitat could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You additionally need
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
give them with a heat resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally work extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and each week this could
be lowered by
around 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource should get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your warmth
light, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you need to include some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
typically and also
constantly offer tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quick
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Offer
enough whatsoever times as well
as inspect
often to
stop parched and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Attention and love There are a
few advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
watch their behavior, you can
capture ailment or other issues earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Make certain to
likewise consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted feathers and clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and relocate outside right into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken cages to get more information
about cages as well as
proper coop environments.