I’m usually a sweet breakfast person. (A wise friend once said: “For breakfast and dessert, you’re totally allowed to stick with your own culture.” This was after she’d had to endure too many nasty Japanese “desserts,” I think.)
But Thailand changed all that. When the food is this amazingly good, why pussy-foot around just because it’s before noon? Bring on the noodles! (It helps that you can get crazy-sweet iced coffee and tea first thing in the a.m., though.)
Which brings us to the next tasty item…
4) Goose. In a culture where there’s not much roasting going on, I was a little leery of going to a Chinese restaurant that served nothing but goose. I could only think of fat and flabby skin. But how can you argue with the man at the Atlanta Hotel who describes it in swooning tones? And who makes the front-desk girl call the restaurant, ask if they still have goose (at 11am–apparently they usually run out before noon), and write down the directions for a cab driver?
So we go. The cabbie gets frustrated by traffic and lets us out early. We show our piece of paper to various people on the sidewalk. They squint, then their eyes light up with delight. Yes! That goose place! They point enthusiastically down the street. One man even shadows us for a couple of blocks, pointing straight ahead every time we pause and look doubtful.
There are still two geese hanging from hooks when we get there. (Yes, we even have to show the piece of paper to the woman at the restaurant–Are you this? we gesture.) One is chopped up for us, served with its poaching liquid, all star anise-y, and a killer garlic relish. Rice on the side. Cold tea to wash it down. We are content. It is the best breakfast ever.
As a bonus, on the way back down the street, we pass everyone we’d asked for directions. Did you find it? they gesture. Yes! we gesture back. Two thumbs up! Thank you kindly! They smile.
**For more pics, see my Flickr set.***