The endless skyline of a city that must be experienced, Pac-Man Tequila!
I stepped out onto the glass floor and looked down on Bangkok. 78 stories down. Very cool, and not for the faint of heart. I have never been so trusting of a piece of glass. There was nothing but concrete far, far below.
The Mahanakhan Tower rises a full 314 meters over the Bangkok skyline. The rooftop observation deck offers spectacular views over one of the most fascinating cities on the planet.
Bangkok is a city I must return to for an extended stay. I require more time to understand and appreciate all that Bangkok has to offer.
The ‘Hop on, hop off’ bus pulled over to the side of the busy street, directly in front of the Mahanakhan Tower. Stop number 14 of 15, so I had almost completed the circuit. Those buses are a great way to get the general ‘lay of the land’ in any new city. You learn some interesting facts from the recorded voice that speaks into your earphones.
The Mahanakhan Tower, Bangkok
I arrived at the Mahanakhan Tower early. I wanted to get some pictures in the day, at dusk, and in the dark. The tower is quite the attraction, bustling with visitors, and a queue was gathered at the security check. After the usual metal detector screening, we walked to the elevator. The ceiling was an upside-down relief of the city, little crystal blocks laid out as a map.
The full elevator whisked us up 76 floors, while the animated walls and ceiling played a video. A coyote-like creature, think ‘Crash Bandicoot’, takes you on a roller coaster ride to the heavens. Very cool.
My ears popped as we approached the top. 480 meters per minute, 8 meters per second, will do that. About 40 seconds to reach the observation floor. Spectacular views all around, through walls of glass. For those scared of heights, this would be as far as you go. After taking some photos, I ventured up to the very top.
The separate, round glass elevator was being attended to by a couple of repairmen. The final climb was to be done by stairs. After the first twenty steps or so, there was a landing with sliding glass doors. The stylish Ojo restaurant. Normally not a place that would fit my budget, but I had the thought of checking it out later.
I continued up the stairs, emerging to a warm, stiff breeze blowing over the building. It was 36 degrees earlier, my phone had said. I noticed that the temperature on my phone had risen to 37, I guess I was closer to the sun. At 4:30 the heat was still intense, there was no relief from the sun’s rays until after dusk.
The views were incredible. I was amazed at how the city seemed to sprawl out in every direction. Skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. It’s fun to look down on the 3 or 4 helipads visible on the roofs below.
The Chao Phraya River snakes through the city. It flows from the north. There are many bridges built over the river, most named after the king during whose reign they were built.
Bangkok is not an old city, in the grand scheme of things. The famous temples are all built in more recent history, the last 200 years. The Grand Palace construction only began in 1782 when the king decided to move the capital to this part of the Chao Phraya River, for commerce and defense reasons. The city does not have the ancient history of other major centers in Southeast Asia.
Bangkok feels very modern, because it is very modern.
A beer at 314 meters
I enjoyed a rooftop beer and took in the view. I found it peaceful. Less so as the rooftop began to get quite busy. The most popular time to visit is before the sun goes down, for the same reasons as I chose this time of day. The sun was beating down on my balding head, so I sought refuge in the restaurant I had seen on the way up.
All the tables were booked for the evening. Fortunately, Ojo has a bar I could relax at. The tower even has its own beer.
The gentleman at the sliding glass doors led me to the bar. It was obvious right away that this was a very high-end restaurant. Oh well, I was thirsty. I sat down and ordered a beer. The restaurant had only just opened, there were few tables seated.
As I usually do, I started a conversation with the bartenders. They clearly enjoyed their job, and as the patrons began to order drinks I watched the skill of the bartenders. Fancy drinks and special cocktails, with beautiful carved garnishes, were made with precision and subtle flair.
As the sun dipped behind the distant clouds, I took a picture from Ojo, facing west the diners had a beautiful view of the sunset.
I finished a second beer and headed back up to the roof. There was little doubt that I’d be back for a bite to eat. I never looked at the menu or the prices, but then, I’d been eating so inexpensively on this trip, that I was okay with spending a few bucks on elevated cuisine. Besides, I was curious.
Bangkok lights up!
Back on the rooftop, quite a crowd had gathered. Music was thumping as a DJ spun the wheels of steel, mixing Thai music I did not recognize with English music that I did. Made for cool sounds and a vibrant atmosphere.
I climbed the stairs to the very top and started snapping pictures.
Once I had my fill of the music beats and incredible views, I headed back to Ojo restaurant. Not a single empty table. I sat in the bar chair I had just vacated, and continued my conversation with the bartenders.
Scallops to die for
As often happens, they were all sharing a laugh at one bartender’s expense. He was putting on a show for a beautiful woman in a tightly fitting white dress. A little more flair, a little more show. The drink was clear but a bit cloudy, served in a wide glass and finished with a purple flower. Styling!
I ordered another Mahanakhan beer and asked for the menu. As expected, it was going to cost me the same for this meal as I spent the past 7 days on food. Well, okay. The scallop appetizer sounded interesting.
Understatement.
The scallops were divine. Thinly sliced, with a slight vanilla cream sauce and topped with caviar. Best eaten on a tortilla that is house-baked. I remembered to cleanse my pallet after a sip of beer to allow the flavours to come through.
I contemplated the beef with bone marrow for a main, but decided against it. This kind of dining is not really my deal, and I was thinking of the wonderful array of street food served just outside my hotel door. I was going to finish my meal with some street meat. Traveller, not a tourist.
After my scallop dish was finished and taken away, I ordered another beer and continued my conversation with the bartenders. Why I didn’t get them all to write their names in my notes I have no idea. When I return to Bangkok, I hope the woman with the red-dyed pigtails and great smile keeps her word to teach me the Thai language. She is an original!
Montay and Pac-man tequila
Montay is one of the finest bartenders I have ever had the pleasure of watching work. He takes careful pride in his drinks and has a subtle flair behind the bar, perfect for such a high-end establishment.
Montay offered to make me his newest specialty. Pac-man. A lime-infused tequila beverage with a touch of orange. Shaken and strained over a single large cube of ice. A small orange provided the peel for Pac-man.
This was the smoothest tequila beverage I have ever tasted! Easy to sip and very delicious. A person could easily end up in a bad way after too many of these, but it would be worth it.
In his own words, with a bit of help from Google Translate:
“This cocktail is inspired by Tommy margarita and make my style with tequila infuse with a lime peel and I like to play the game that’s why I garnish with pac-man orange peel !”
Montay AKA
You can follow him on instagram: iamyourmontay23 An interesting guy, he plans to use his bartending skills to travel the world.
My ears popped again as the elevator dropped like a rock. I walked out into the warm evening air and contemplated my next move. I had wanted to check out some of the other rooftop bars in the city, but decided against it. Something about my 3:30 alarm to catch my flight to Tokyo. Sigh. I’m not ready to go.
After a quick negotiation, I hopped in a pimped-up tuk-tuk and headed back to my hotel. I had the driver drop me off early, so I could grab some street food as I walked. Delicious pork on a skewer, followed by peppered beef on a skewer, washed down with an elephant beer. I don’t know the name. Everyone just refers to it that way, there is an elephant in the logo.
I will return to Bangkok. This city must be experienced to the fullest!!
For more of my travel stories, I post them here and on Medium.com/Globetrotters
Copyright 2024, Michael Williams All rights reserved.
Some extra pictures:
