Songkran 2010 – Huahin

Time sure passes fast as just 1 year ago, we were celebrating Songkran in Wimbledon, London, feasting on delicacies cooked to the ‘Thai taste’ on the temple grounds.

This year, amidst the protests and riots that besieged Bangkok’s commercial nerve-centre, I began what could well be my last holiday in a long time.  Well, not so long, as Songkran 2011 will see me back here.

Its not a coincidence that Songkran and Easter follow each other closely, as both events are/were determined through astrological observations. Songkran is now celebrated within fixed dates, where the whole country simultaneously contributes to the coffers of Scottish distillers.

Imagine my shock when Polish colleagues in the UK told me of the water-splashing tradition during Easter in their country.  What are the chances that 2 different races, continents apart, practicing different religions would have the same practices?

Perhaps we are connected even more deeply then we think, and this short break was a great time to undo the hardships of the past 2 years on the road, relax, chill, drink copious amounts of alcohol, stuff my face with food and just do absolutely NOTHING.

This year, we drove up to Huahin, currently at the top of my ‘Places to retire to before 40′ list, a timely reminder of why one should take a chill pill now and again.

An excruciatingly hot 2 hour drive brought us to the Herbs by The Sea in Huahin, where we stayed in the Lavender room, a suite with a balcony that opened up to the sea.  Pure luxury.

In this exclusive hotel, off the road and devoid of hordes of tourists, we spent our time lounging by the jacuzzi.  Blue seas, golden sand at the doorstep, drinking whiskey and beer whilst soaking in the jacuzzi……what more could you want?

The hotel staff looked at us in shock when we started pouring drinks at 3 in the afternoon.  Now, this is the hottest time of the year, with the mercury hitting 40 degrees celsius, so venturing out would be risking heat stroke!  Better to stay indoors and do what comes naturally…..drink!

With a view like this from where we were, why would you need any other reason to venture into the hot, crowded streets full of tourists?  This was our little private stretch of Huahin’s crowded beaches, a little piece of paradise, chicken soup for the soul perhaps?

When we did venture out (To eat and buy alcohol and snacks), a cacophony of colours greeted us at every corner.  Everyone was out in their holiday garb, splashing water, having a whole load of fun and not having a care in the world.

Now, this was supposed to be a country bogged down by a political crisis, a battle between the rural poor and ruling elites.   All class differences disappeared on this day, and fun was to be had by one and all.

No one is safe from water and flour, so if you intend to venture out , be prepared for a soaking and leave your valuables at home.

For those of you who like staying nice and dry, just lock yourself in the car and drive around.  I would not recommend taking a new car for this purpose.

To be honest, our interest did not really lie so much in spraying water at unsuspecting strangers.  We were more interested in the food, so our only ventures outside of The Herbs by the Sea, was to Cha-Am, about 15 minutes drive away, to this fantastically hidden treasure of a roadside restaurant named J’Daeng.  This was the best Thai food I’ve had in Thailand outside of Sorn Thorng restaurant in Bangkok.  Tough luck to any foreigners trying to find this place.

Clockwise from top right are a stingray tom yum, stir fried wild boar and spicy local clams.   The stingray was a bit forgettable as the taste of ammonia was detectable.  The wild boar was a lesson in textures, as it had soft meat, melting fat and a slightly crunchy and chewy top-skin.  This was like eating pig’s ears, but fattier!  The clams were little morsels of heaven, eaten with fluffy Jasmine rice.

Clockwise from top right, we had shark and prik Thai (fresh green peppercorns) stir fry, river sweet-fish in a sweet sour soup and 1/2 raw prawns in a Thai herb salad.

The shark here was absolutely amazing in its melting tenderness that burst with strong flavours of spice.  The fish soup was refreshingly spicy (This is Thailand after all!), and once again, the fish was cooked perfectly, tender and falling off the bone.

Just like how one remembers where they were when JFK was assassinated or when those planes crashed into the Twin-towers, gluttons like myself remember mind-blowing moments when what we just put in our mouths totally blows our minds.

This prawn dish has changed my life, no bullshit.  I will return to Huahin just to eat this dish.  Prawns just swirled in boiling water to tighten them up a bit, they are dressed with a Thai style vinaigrette of lime, fish sauce and sugar.  Added into this mix is a herbal salad of shallots, holy basil, lemongrass, kaffir lime and tiny green chillies packing an explosive punch.  I mistook these chillies for little green bean segments and wondered why my mouth was on fire.

The flavour of the herbs, the sweet/sour/salty dressing and smackingly fresh prawns made this a ‘where have you been all my life’ moment.  I can only think of 2 other occasions where something in my mouth has affected me this deeply.  This was THAT ridiculously good.

We ate almost all our meals at J’Daeng’s restaurant, and we had another rendition of shark.  Still tender, still absolutely delicious!  The prawns…..OMFG the prawns again!  I crave it as this is being typed.

Well, that was one of the best short holidays ever, and after putting on a few kilos, we made our way back to Bangkok, where more eating awaited us.  There, I visited my favourite restaurant, IMO the best place to eat in Bangkok.  Stay tuned!

~ by Nick on April 25, 2010.