More Bangkok Goodness

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20340516.post-6281010230843332782008-03-10T09:06:00.014+05:302008-04-13T14:05:07.147+05:302008-04-13T14:05:07.147+05:30More Bangkok Goodness<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_DPqKQp9pCA8/R9TJMqHJGEI/AAAAAAAABis/1N1TQCWpvgA/s1600-h/IMG_4011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175983091055401026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="Mango Pudding at Conrad Bangkok" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_DPqKQp9pCA8/R9TJMqHJGEI/AAAAAAAABis/1N1TQCWpvgA/s320/IMG_4011.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ever notice how the best American-owned hotels are located in Asia? I had written about the Grand Hyatt in <a href="http://www.shantanughosh.com/2006/10/more-beijing.html">Beijing</a> and the Sheraton in <a href="http://www.shantanughosh.com/2006/11/arriving-in-ho-chi-minh-city.html">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, both far more luxurious and larger than hotels in the USA. During this trip to Bangkok I stayed at the Conrad Bangkok Hotel located in the heart of the embassy area in Bangkok. A Mercedes Benz S-Class - gleaming with polished wood and leather - drove me from the airport to the hotel. The girl from the front-desk was waiting for me at the door and within seconds I was whisked away directly to my room where she completed the check-in formalities. Wonders! I had been upgraded to their Executive Suite. And what an opulent hotel room that was. A large living area, a large bedroom and a large bathroom with a free-standing tub and a shower stall. Three flat-screen TVs, a DVD player, a cradle for iPods, and a Bang & Oluffsen music system. Varieties of teas, a gourmet coffee-making machine and fresh fruits in the room. I could definitely get used to this place! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175984826222188754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Thai food at Conrad Bangkok" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_DPqKQp9pCA8/R9TKxqHJGNI/AAAAAAAABj0/iE1Skp7kbxA/s320/IMG_3998.jpg" border="0" />The Conrad Bangkok is a great place for food. Liu is a neo-classic Chinese restaurant that puts a contemporary spin on traditional Chinese cuisine. I can recommend the food here, even though I didn't actually try any exotic stuff on their menu (such as pigeon) since I was looking for a quick lunch. The picture here is of the chef's special Roasted Duck in Red Curry while the first one is of the delicious Mango Pudding which was served in a sweet coconut sauce. The lunch buffet at Cafe on the second floor was awesome too: local Thai fare combined with many Japanese, Indian and Western delicacies. Colorful Thai curries co-existed with sushi, parathas, tikka masala and pasta. A variety of eastern and western desserts brought the lunch to a close. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175987467627075810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Sweet Bento Box at Conrad Bangkok" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_DPqKQp9pCA8/R9TNLaHJGOI/AAAAAAAABj8/20l67CHtr24/s320/IMG_3997.jpg" border="0" /> The Sweet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento">Bento</a> Box above is an Asian dessert I ordered from room service. Innovatively packaged, this dessert contains green tea cheese cake, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azuki_bean">Azuki</a> bean bread, chocolate ice-cream <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profiterole">profiteroles</a> and fresh fruit sushi (!) with strawberry and chocolate sauce. The sushi was made of sweet sticky rice topped with friut slices and the profileroles contained the most delicious mint ice-cream. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175990194931308818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Liu at the Conrad Bangkok" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_DPqKQp9pCA8/R9TPqKHJGRI/AAAAAAAABkU/rAi_IUuOdVA/s320/IMG_4010.jpg" border="0" /> The Conrad is also home to Drinking Tea and Eating Rice - a Japanese restaurant that serves fresh sashimi and has a teppanyaki table and a sushi counter. And finally the spa. Any visit to Thailand is incomplete without a massage. The Seasons Spa has 11 luxuriously appointed rooms each with its own changing room, steam room and shower. On the first day, I selected the Seasons Spa Massage, their signature massage that uses a combination of Thai, Hawaiian, Swedish and Balinese techniques. In both Thai and Hawaiian <a href="http://www.massagetherapy101.com/massage-techniques/massage-techniques.aspx">techniques</a>, the masseuse uses elbows and forearms in broader strokes than in the Swedish variety. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175990972320389426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Seasons Spa at the Conrad Bangkok" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_DPqKQp9pCA8/R9TQXaHJGTI/AAAAAAAABkk/hZUfy2OG9Qg/s400/Spa.bmp" border="0" />On the day I was flying back, I came back for an Aromatherapy massage and took the extended 90 minute option. I also asked for the 15 minute complimentary steam room before the massage. The Aromatherapy massage was very good; this masseuse was more skilled than the earlier one and worth the money I spent at the spa! I also loved the welcome drink which was cold, refreshing with a fragrant, exotic flavor. The hot herb tea they served after the massage contained spiced ginger and was very good and relaxing too! My other posts from Bangkok:<ul><li><a href="http://www.shantanughosh.com/2008/02/siamese-wonders-in-bangkok.html">Siamese Wonders in Bangkok</a></li><li><a href="http://www.shantanughosh.com/2008/03/dinner-to-remember.html">A Dinner to Remember</a></li><li><a href="http://www.shantanughosh.com/2008/03/snapshots-from-bangkok.html">Snapshots from Bangkok</a></li></ul>Shantanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10775725512802702601noreply@blogger.com9