I’m not a very outgoing person. It’s hard for me to walk up to anyone and start up a conversation unless, say, you are wearing a necklace of seared beef.
But after walking past these mushroom carts for the past few weeks, I have become increasingly obsessed with the idea of picking up a thing or two from these mushroom ladies.
What am I talking about? Carts equipped with one burner, two at most, and a display window stuffed full of different bobble-headed delicacies: gelatinous mouse-ear, tiny enoki, meaty straw mushrooms, woody oyster.
The closest one to me is at the entrance to soi 24 on the Sukhumvit side (there is also one behind the Carrefour on Rama IV), and it serves up various bowlfuls of gaengs, or soups: mushroom, gaeng om (a northeastern Thai soup flavored with dill) with or without chicken egg, or tom yum (spicy lemongrass) with mushroom or egg, all for 30 baht. For 50 baht, you can get gaeng om with ant eggs!
As for me, I just joined the long line of Thai women on their work break, waiting for their tom yum fixes (cuz ladeez be luvin da tom yum!)
Armed with my steaming hot bag of deliciousness (something I never thought I’d write), I went to emporium supermarket to pick up some odds and ends. I had to check my soup, trying to ignore the envious glances from the coat check boys (I know they be wantin a piece of my gaeng!) When I got back, it was gone!
Just kidding. But it did take a long time to find. The bag check guy was embarrassed. And I know why!
awesome post!
i’ll be on a quest to find the stall when im in bkk next!