Khaw Niaw, Som Tam, Guy Thot

Sticky rice, spicy-hot papaya salad, fried chicken, that's what those strange words up there mean. Kennedy is at the open-air market buying it right now for dinner. Delicious. He will also buy some marinated pork on a stick, and some delectable fruit, the varieties are endless. Hairy eyeballs or the stinky Durian are probably some of the oddest ones. The Som Tam, or papaya salad, is made of thinly sliced green papayas, hot peppers, fish sauce, dried shrimp, lime, sugar, tomatoes. The first time I had it I thought it was horrid, everything is all mashed up in a giant wood mortar and pestle, the smell sickened me. Now I eat it every week, it's pretty addictive once you get over the fishy smell & hot peppers. The variety of cheap and delicious food here is heavenly after paying so much in western countries. It is true that sometimes going to the open shophouse restaurants can be an upsetting experience for westerners. But if you just determine not to look to closely at anything, especially not the kitchen, you can enjoy a great meal at an incredibly low price. If you have problems later think of it as a weight-loss program. (After 2 or 3 days I shed pounds, maybe it's my secret to staying skinny.) Thai food is delicious, and the more you eat it the more you appreciate it. Unless you order fried rice every day for weeks, like we did when we first came here years ago. We didn't know any other name for food, and we felt scared to order anything else! No one likes it anymore but Kennedy. When we feel like teasing the kids we threaten to give them Khaw Pat Guy, chicken fried rice. They put on a great show every time.