Bangkok is ALIVE!!!

Cooking cooking cooking. That's how my schedule will be for the next 2 weeks and I feel great. That should keep me going since I'm nearby close to being bored. Bangkok is getting back on its shape but still there are remnants of the recent political unrest, present at some areas. But all in all, things are running as smooth as it was. But anyway, school has been really fun last week... And it should be funner for the next practicals to come.

One of the practicals last week, involved killing a lobster. It was really painful to watch, since I have become so much attached to my lobster. :P I don't remember how many times I said "SORRY" to my lobster before poking its head with a knife. Countless times. But then when I started to thrust fully my knife to its brain, its tail curled like a worm and I freaked out like shit. Wonder how much that hurts... I twisted its head apart from its body and still it was curling on its own, back and forth on my chopping board. Apart from that, it was my first time as well to De-Bone a chicken LITERALLY off from its skin. It was my first time to do a ballotine. I would describe it as the bitch life. And to present it, you must do the aspic platter made with milk and the clarified bouillon, which made it all... *sigh* Also, earlier we did the stuffed trout. To take the bone off from its fish meat, how the hell do you do that? Then we had to skin it. ... ugh. Things are so complicated. Duh, why am I even complaining. :p

But anyway demo dishes were...

Chocolate Orange Souffle with Vanilla Ice Cream

Verrine (Avocado, Cheese and Tomato) with Hazelnut Crisp and Sea Bream Fillet marinated in Vanilla Oil

Brioche Cake with Dried Fruits

White Boudin with Caramelized Apples and Potato Puree

Puff Pastry with Tomato Confit??? sorry.
Flammenkuche

These were for practicals...

stuffed trout with riesling creamy sauce

this was chef's ballotine and aspic platter design in milk and clear bouillon

and this was mine... i don't even know what i did. duh. but pleasantly okay, i guess.

cross section of the ballotine. those are pistachios and at the middle is the foie gras roll

and this is Sebastian. haha. Lobster w/ carcass sauce and rice with raisins.

Oh btw, for the past two days during my weekend, I've been going back and forth to MBK and Pantip Plaza, looking for the perfect camera. I've been on a dilemma. It's a battle between Olympus Ep2, Canon G11 and Lumix GF1. With all fairness to the shops I've been to, both MBK and Pantip, they're really giving me rock bottom prices. Cameras are definitely cheaper here in Thailand than in the Philippines. But still I'm on my canvassing moment. AND my point and shoot camera has to retire soon.

Pantip Plaza... 5 Floors of technology

Pantip is just beside Platinum Mall, Pratunam

Today I went to Siam Center just to kill time, since I finished really early today. And boy was I devastated when I saw the burned part of the Siam Square community. This is like the haven of the cheapos and the fashionable. It was just really sad.

got this at Yeah!
new addiction. Curry Chicken Noodles at Oishi Ramen MBK.
Buddhist Holiday. you don't want to wish for a stampede. :P
and this is why I feel safe. lol... Our school's broken glass stairs.

and yes, my ponytail has got to go. So, welcome back old hair

That's all from Bangkok...

xoxo

Babinella

First Day of Culinary School

Hey guys!!! I just came back from school an hour and a half ago. Im tired. And ive got two cuts on my left and right fingers! FANTASTIC.

So yesterday was my birthday. We were at Gaysorn Mall it's like their Greenbelt 4 + 5 + Rustan's. You can find anything here, but personally I think I like Siam Paragon better than Gaysorn. So we headed to Longchamp and while entering the store, this beautiful thing surprised me... So you know what i did.

Bangkok traffic. But believe me, Manila is much worse.
our merienda place
and yes they've got SAN MIGUEL BEER!

So after that, me and my mom went to Central Plaza, just in front of Gaysorn. With an overpass connecting to the other side. Everything was on sale @ ZEN... My mom saw this beautiful white Mexx dress. It was priced from 13,500 down to 1,900 baht. Then Topshop/Topman were also on sale, they had a buy 1 take 1 deal (cheaper item is free). We don't have that in the Philippines!!!

OKAY! So i just realized now... "What does this have to do with my first day in culinary school?"

Whatever.... So anyway. Culinary school was great!!! But im too damn tired right now! I met people from Singapore, Vietnam, US, HK and of course the 2 girls from the Philippines. I'm just so happy that i get to talk to someone in my own language. People really think I'm thai. The demo class was fun! Instructions were a little fast, but all is good! and my Practical class was just the same. We made Rustic Vegetable Soup. My vegetable cuts were horrible!!! But it's okay, it's my first day!! I didn't know that my soup would take me 2 hours and 30 mins to cook!!! I was so slow... from cleaning my station to packing my things. But I was happy with how it turned out. My plating was good and the taste was...well...like a soup. hahahaha....no, it's actually great! Here's how Chef Arnaud made it.

mine was a little paler than that! haha

But for the past few days we were at Suan Lum Bazaar to check out Sneaka Villa. They have every expensive sneakers you could imagine. If you want cheap thrills, then Suan Lum is definitely a place to visit here in BKK. BUT TAKE NOTE: because of our "katangahan" we forgot that it's a night bazaar. We went there at around 4pm. FANTASTIC, They start @ 7pm!!!

thai furniture shop
puppet theater at Suan Lum
my first ever Thai Designer clothing from WWA (harem pants)

Anyway, that's it from Bangkok!!! I'll sleep now. Hope my cuts will heal! :)))))))))))

XOXO BABINELLA!!