I was going begin this post with something like; For dinner last night ... But saying dinner may imply to some that it was my third meal or last meal of the day and either of those thoughts would be incorrect. So how's this for an opening line?
I love food!
There I was just killing some time before a fitting when I thought hey I could use a bite to eat. And lo and behold there was this restaurant right before me. Coincidence? I think not. OK I'll be honest here. I do have the, hey lets have a bite to eat, thought quite often and there is absolutely no shortage of restaurants here in Chiangmai. OK enough with the honesty lets get back to the important issue here. Food.
So anyhow I walk into this restaurant and I am prompltly shown to a seat at a bar like counter. Now please keep in mind I don't know very much and am simply along for the ride. So I sit down and the waiter says a bunch of words I don't understand and a few words I did. Basically it sounded like this, "Blah blah blah Tom Yum blah". I look at him and nod my head yes. He leaves and I begin to survey the place. I glance at the other diners trying to figure out what they are doing. But before I can figure out what is going on the waiter comes back with a steel pot which he places into the hole in the counter before me. Next he reaches under the counter, turns on a switch and leaves. I look inside the pot, lean forward and take a sniff. Tom Yum soup and its beginning to come to a boil right before me. OK I'm figuring it out now. This is a hot pot style dinner. Now I have failed to mention that behind the counter is a conveyor belt of sorts and on it are all these different plates. Different coloured plates each with a small portion of a variety of different foods. Now this is something I've seen before. You take a plate from the conveyor. Place the food into the hot pot. Cook your food and enjoy. Like I said I have seen this before. The plates are colour co-ordinated to a price list and at the end of your meal the server will add up all the different coloured plates and viola you have your bill. This I understand. Silly me. The first inclination my "understanding" is beginning to crumble (mmm blueberry crumble stop it FOCUS) is when the waiter takes away my first few plates. Normally the plates are left there in front of you to be tallied up later. OK, no worries they must be keeping a record of what I am eating somewhere. This thought had not yet vacated my cranium when this fellow places before me what looks like to be my bill. I take a closer look and yep sure enough it's my bill alright. Now back to the honesty bit. I honestly thought is was a bit steep for what little I had eaten and what the hell I didn't come in here for what two plates and some Tom Yum soup. But what do I know. I am merely a student on this trip. Then I notice on the bill a start time and a finish time. Thinking. Thinking. OH MY GOODNESS. This place charges by the hour. Actually be the hour and fifteen minutes. Ten dollars for an hour and fifteen minutes. Now how does that song go...I'm in Heaven. Oh wait. Oh shite.I have a fitting in thirty five minutes. Eat boy Eat. And eat I did. What an amazing place. What an amazing concept. What a belly I am going to have. I think perhaps I'll tell the tailor to make the suits a little on the loose side.
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