Overlooking the Siam Beer Garden from Outback
Posted by Stuart at 09:45 PM on December 01, 2004I take my seat by the window overlooking the small courtyard between Siam Center and Siam Discovery. A craving for steak has brought me here. The fact that yesterday was payday made the 600 baht I was about to spend a little easier to swallow.
From my second floor seat, I look down into the courtyard and what do I see? An outdoor Beer Garden! When I was thinking of places to fill my stomach, I completely forgot that winter in Bangkok means open-air Beer Gardens at all the malls.
The band is setting up below as I order my dinner. Plugging his guitar into the amp, the guitarist looks up at me and the other farang in the second floor window. "I hope you are enjoying paying five times more than everyone down here," he seems to be saying.
My dinner -- chicken fried steak -- arrives as the Thai band launches into their first song: Rolling on the River. "Rollllin (whoooo...) rolllllin (wooooo...) rollin on the reeevaaaah!" I look down at my plate of fried American food covered in thick gravy with the American music playing outside the window, and I feel like I am back in North Carolina. I start to wonder how much weight I will gain on my trip to the US in November.
The band works through their set of mostly English songs, shaking and gyrating, and smiling all along. The crowd drinks beer, watches the band, talks and laughs with their friends. I finish my dinner and make a mental note: Next time, Beer Garden!
Well, to be honest, the real steak is still so expensive I couldn't bring myself to order it. So I got Chicken Fried STEAK instead. (Although I think the cut of beef was something closer to Roast Beef, but I am not sure).
What happened to ordering steak?? HAHA!