I was 18 years old when I was in Chinatown, Bangkok. For all my fellow travelers who will ever travel to Bangkok, Chinatown should definitely be visited by you guys. Big streets filled with capitalism at its core, lots of noises, lots of people and lots of smells. I walked through the streets at night, taking it all in and immersed myself into the happening of Chinatown’s streets. I saw shops selling their fake branded premium clothes, street food stalls where there was shouting, arguing and laughter. It was capitalism of the simplest kind. People all had a real salesman mentality. But what was the highlight of Chinatown for me was definitely the food. The food was so cheap but tasted like heaven. Lots of street food stalls with a wide variety of dishes of all kinds. Chinese ravioli, fried meat, chicken soup and pig’s trotters (although I was happy to pass the latter). I walked past a street food restaurant and was greeted by a blond waiter with his big, fake smile and thick French accent, ‘Hello my lone wanderer! You look like you need a good meal to warm up your poor stomach!’. I replied to him in French. ‘What do you have to offer me then my friend?’. Without hesitation he put me in my seat on the alley, brought me water and a menu. All the dishes had very juicy pictures on the side. My mouth was watering, especially when I saw the prices. Prices were around $2 to $4 for a full meal with a big drink to wash down the flavors in the mouth. I ordered a chicken soup and a large 1 liter beer. The soup was full of spices and more flavors than I could taste. The soup was so good and combined with the beer, I paid $3. I went into the restaurant to pay, since my last bus to my area where I stayed was about to leave. So I was in a hurry. As I stood at the checkout, I watched the chefs cook. I noticed that they never washed the pans after preparing a meal. I realised that this is the secret to having all those spices and flavors in one meal. Just never wash the pans. Trust me bro.
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