Stray Cats in Lumphini Park @ Bangkok [Thailand]

Getting used to jogging almost everyday means I can't get really get rid of the activity even when I am overseas. Therefore, I was glad to see a big park on Google Map, near Grande Centre Point Hotel Ratchadamri in Bangkok, back when I was planning for my Bangkok trip. 

Result; a daily jog at Lumphini Park, Thailand's first public park, from day 2 to day 6 of my week-long visit. Many photos were taken using my iPhone and I decided on this separate post as something caught my attention.

The park has a lot of stray cats! Perimeter was almost three kilometers yet in just the above photograph, you can spot no less than five cats! I think my feline-lover friends would love to check out the park, despite the famously hot weather in Bangkok. 

Throughout the five mornings, I took numerous photographs and what I am sharing here were those that can still 'make' it. Some were blurred and there were times I was more focused on jogging than on seeing where the cats were.

I also didn't want to alarm them; furthermore, I don't speak the meow language and I bet the felines in Thailand were Thai trained, and not likely to understand English / Mandarin. 

While I don't know where their sleeping spots are, I did notice cat kibbles that were laid out on the floor. In Singapore, such move, while pretty widespread, is frowned upon as uneaten food would likely be ingested by pests (like pigeons, cockroaches). 

They always appeared to be so relaxed and carefree and this begets a question; parks are usually filled with dog owners and their canines. Aren't the cats afraid? 

Well, they don't have to be scared as Lumphini Park doesn't allow dogs, unless they are guide dogs for the visually impaired! I have heard of nature parks banning dogs, but not parks like this! In fact, right here in Singapore, dog owners would have likely petitioned for a dog run. 

For your viewing pleasure.

p.s. might have repeated cats! 

Click here for my 7 Days 6 Nights Papazao Itinerary to Bangkok

O'rio Western Food - 1/2 Spring Chicken @ Woodlands Block 371A Fair View Food Court [Singapore]

If not for a friend who lives and works nearby, I doubt I would ever step foot into Fair View Food Court at Woodlands Block 371A; it's one of many coffee shops hidden within the numerous housing estates we have in Singapore! 

This particular friend knew how much I love fried chicken and recommended me to check out O'rio Western Food which he said had been around for quite a while and was previously helmed by an elderly couple, whom had since passed the baton over to the child. 

Frankly, pictures taken were from my second visit to the stall. 

Ordered, made payment, and now, waiting for the pager to ring. 

The 1/2 spring chicken was supposed to come with rice but there's an option for fries. As I don't like baked beans, I had also requested for them to be removed. All the above for S$7.00.

Coleslaw tasted alright; merely serving as a guilt-reducer for the meat and fries I would be having although in itself, coleslaw isn't really that healthy with all the dressing! 

Unlike spring chicken from most places, the chef would chop it up into smaller pieces for ease of eating! As they are usually served right after a 'bath' in the boiling oil, I appreciated the gesture as it can be extremely hot to handle the chicken right away. It doesn't help if one also happens to be famished.

Given that it was my second visit, I think it's obvious that I liked what I had. To put it simply, this had the old school flavor back when fried chicken wasn't as complicated with all the herbs and special marinades nowadays, and all we need is just a dollop of ketchup or chilli sauce to complement the plain juiciness of the chicken. 

The skin is important though; and this was thin and crunchy with a batter that wasn't overly thick! Just the way I love it! Thick batter always makes the experience less enjoyable as it felt more jelak after a while.

Cleaned up the fried chicken, right down to the bones! It's a pity O'rio Western Food isn't that near to home; if not, it would be a weekly affair! Guess I would have to make do with the one at S11 near Yishun MRT station, which also serves great fried chicken, just that it's pricier given the location. 

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Address

371A Woodlands Ave 1, 

#01-01, Fair View Food Court

Singapore 730371

Map

As above.

Menu 

As above.

Pricing

1/2 Spring Chicken with Fries - S$7.00

unFashion Café @ Ekkamai in Bangkok [Thailand]

I was still pondering about the bael fruit tea at Heath Land when the above poster caught my attention; the mouthwatering desserts aside, my eyes were drawn to the word "mayonchid". What the heck was that?!

As the weather was pretty warm, we decided to step into the cafe selling the mayonchid desserts. It was a standalone building and from the look of it; kind of reminded me of a vintage structure from the wild wild west. Oh I remember, an oversized wagon! 

Known as unFashion Café (I know, unusual name), I had wanted to proceed to the second floor but it was closed; hence, we had to make do with the ground level. p.s. Free plain water! 

Some people would argue these are natural looking etc. To me, they were old, stained with some tears here and there. My work involves facilities management and in my opinion, cloth furniture is extremely dirty and requires constant cleaning.

Decision time; what to order? The menu was in English and pretty easy to navigate. Confusion was that not everything is on the menu! You have to look out for posters like the one I shared at the start of the post. Another personal frustration was that those I wanted were unavailable; like vanilla waffle, mayonchid tart or mayonchid scone. 

So, I had to make do with the above.

At least, I managed to secure the mayonchid smoothie! 

Banana Strawberry Smoothie - let's talk about the beverage that Alex had. 

Decent drink that didn't deviate from its name although for a smoothie that is from a cafe based in Thailand, I am surprised that it didn't taste sweet. Well, it's good news for Singaporeans as we always complain when things are too sweet.

Mayonchid Smoothie - the consistency of this smoothie was thick with pieces of the fruit, and the taste was sourish sweet, like kumquat. I run a check on mayonchid and it's a summer fruit "native to the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand region". Have anyone tried the actual fruit before?

Apple Tart - the cream was just whipped cream by the way. The apple tart was warmed up in the microwave I believe and it was nice tasting with a sprinkling of cinnamon powder, which resulted in an aroma I like very much. 

Again, not overly sweet and that's even for the slices of apples on top of the tart. It's not bad overall but I wouldn't say it's something I would crave for, and it's not as interesting as the mayonchid smoothie.

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Well, worth a visit if you are in the area, and have never tried mayonchid desserts. Let's just hope they are better stocked when you visit. 

Address

Ekkamai 10 Alley, Lane 4, Khlong Tan Nuea, 

Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Map 

As above. 

Operating Hours

9.00 am to 6.00 pm (Daily)

Menu 

As above.

Pricing

Banana Strawberry Smoothie - 120 baht

Mayonchid Smoothie - 120 baht

Apple Tart - 100 baht

(Inclusive of tax)

Click here for my 7 Days 6 Nights Papazao Itinerary to Bangkok

Health Land Ekkamai - 120 Minutes Traditional Thai Massage @ Bangkok [Singapore]

When it comes to Thai massage, the name "Health Land' came out a lot from fellow Singaporeans but before the pandemic, it was extremely hard to secure a masseur unless you make an appointment way beforehand. 

But the borders just opened not long ago and since many Singaporeans were still awaiting the delivery of their renewed passports; we decided to try our luck at Health Land's branch at Ekkamai! 

Hardly any customers and we managed to secure slots for traditional Thai massage! Interestingly, the traditional thai massage was a minimum two hours but at 600 baht (about S$24), absolutely worth it for such a popular brand. 

Time to go in for a cracking session! Frankly, I have been looking forward for a massage as it has been a tense period at work, affecting me both physically and mentally.

Clean, tidy bed and soothing music. In terms of interior design though, I must admit the Thai Odyssey in Malaysia appeared way more authentic. Of course, it corresponds to a higher price which might get me something better in Bangkok. 

The 2-hour massage therapy began! I tried my best to relax my body throughout the massage but maybe due to the pending stress from work, my muscles remained tight and strained; resulting in some pain and soreness. Needless to say, no crack at all despite the best effort, I think, from the masseur. 

Given how short I am, the provided pair of pants for massage would always be too long! Plastering a picture on my face because I looked even more tired after the massage! 

Aftermath of the private room that I shared with Alex. 

This would have given me a chill down my spine if I were to visit Bangkok now as it is the 7th lunar month, also known as hungry ghosts month in Singapore. 

Ending the session with a cup of bael fruit tea which was different from the usual pandan and / or lemongrass tea concoction yet still nice on its own. Put it this way, it's memorable enough for me to ask the counter staff what tea it was.   

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Address

96, 1 Ekkamai Rd, Phra Khanong Nuea, 

Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Website

https://www.healthlandspa.com/

Price List

As above. Sorry, a bit blurred.

Additional Information

When not to have massage?

Check out the above!