At the very agreeable time of 10am the group meets on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the very excited and friendly guide, Puu, requests a little introduction from each member of the tour. Typically only 5-8 people so you won't have many names to remember.
While the tour is chiefly about food it's also a great excuse for a wander through tight alleys and old streets that you might get lost in otherwise.
After a quick bit of history about the area the first stop is at a curry puff (Karipap) stand at the base of Saphan Taksin BTS station. You may have noticed the various bread stands all over the city and seen just how creative Thai vendors can be when it comes to baked goods. At this stand you're invited to choose two puffs for a light start to the tour, as you eat, Puu gives you a little background on when and where curry puffs came from and where in Thailand you'll find the best ones.
Curry puff (Karipap) StandCurry puff (Karipap) Stand
Next up is a short stroll to the 'Bang Rak' or 'Village of Love' sign where you're presented with a variety of coffees and teas, you can make your preference known on the way there. I'm sure you can imagine the roots of a place with 'Love' in the name and and Puu will regale you with a few tales as you sip your chosen beverage before the tour begins in earnest with a departure down a tight back alley. The European influence on the first two stops was noted but now, at curry paste grinding shop, the uniqueness of Thai cooking is highlighted. The owners of this shop have been making curry paste by hand for over fifty years. Puu gives you a little test on the variety of powders and pastes in front of you.
Back out into the old Soi, the group strolls slowly past the first Mosque ever built in Bangkok and up to the second oldest market in Bangkok, it's also the oldest wet market. Wet markets are at their most active from 4-6am so when you arrive it'll be quieter and you'll have more space to meander and browse. Fish cakes are served up before you enter the market. Back out the other side it's time for some dessert, the schedule seems to be set so that, just when you're working up a sweat from the beating midday sun, your whisked inside into the a/c's icy relief. You'll get to try three different desserts and have a short break before heading on to the most informative part of the tour.
If you've ever strolled through a fruit market you'll doubtless find yourself struggling to just name what's in front of you, Puu goes several steps better as she not only demonstrates how to eat each fruit, mangosteen being the trickiest and messiest, but also informs the group of the different ailments that each fruit cures. Mother nature saw fit to arm the pink rose apple with the power to cure hangovers and fortunately there was plenty to go around.
Back on the main road of Charoen Khrung to an eighty year old Chinese grocery store, the discussion here focuses on tea. Again, the magical properties of each leaf are explained and then you're invited to choose whichever potion you feel is most needed.
Staying in the old part of town for lunch, you're led upstairs to a restaurant opened in 1911 and famous for it's duck soup.
After lunch the tour winds through a tight old Soi and then it's on to an Isaan restaurant. After that the surroundings take a decidedly classier turn onto the clean streets outside the Bangkok Christian College. The parting gift from Taste of Thai is a little piece of royal history, turning off the road and under an inauspicious green canopy the tour ends at a restaurant owned by the nephew of King Rama VII. Having shown you how to buy food from local markets, how to select and consume the right fruit from street side stalls and how to order the tea that's right for you; the tour ends with a dining experience Thai High Society style.
Arrange the tour at www.tasteofthailandfoodtours.org, you'll be able to list any allergies or preferences you might have.
The tour meets at Saphan Taksin BTS and goes from 10am to 2pm, arrive with an empty stomach and be prepared to skip dinner that evening!