Home Kitchen- Kalim Beach

I was in Patong for a hair appointment, (gotta cover up those greys) and my gut was pulling me to visit a restaurant afterwards that had been mentioned to me several times before. I had missed out on this restaurant’s artistic helmet fashion show held about a month ago due to rain. I knew it was close to Patong, so I decided to check it out now that I was beautified.

Home Kitchen was FABULOUS. I can’t believe there’s not a bigger sign out front. I would have easily missed it and would never have found this place had the name not been given to me to google map beforehand. Adding it to the bucket list to show to the girls when they come next week!

A few of the helmet designs that were on display on the upper level of the restaurant. Very clever.

Punk shells look. This must have taken a lot of time with a hot glue gun!

Love the creativity of this with the mold of the face in the the dripping blood effect.

A very artistic eclectic space with lots of color!

I wish my home looked like this! This is instant joy to me.

I sat here at a mosaic table with a view of the street action, surfers and sunset.

This mojito was too good! On the top was molded ice with brown sugar and a lime. As you sipped it down, it eventually melted and fell into the drink which cleverly kept it chilled a bit longer.

D Condo Mine Coffee Shop

I have to say, it is an amazing convenience having a new cafe open in my condo!

I saw a poster in the elevator saying this was opening up December 1. I managed to check it out this afternoon.

Right by the pool. Offering ice cream, coffee, snacks and sandwiches! Going to give Food Panda a run for their money. Prices lower than the gas station coffee. Sweeet!

Central Food Hall

The banks at the malls are always open late so I headed there after lunch to get my rent paid on time. I google mapped my way there from the We Cafe and was taken down some new roads. I was happy as can be, a pig in mud. I wasn’t sure how to get to the parking lot from where I was now entering so in true expat style I simply followed another scooter hoping she knew what she was doing. I ended up in a massive scooter underground parking garage. I followed other scooter riders to the elevators and wha-la—–I ended up in a totally different section of Central Mall.

Christmas was showing up in small ways. This was a Louis Vuitton tree display.

I saw an escalator going down to what looked like a grocery store so I followed to discover an awesome food hall. They had a booth called “mango mania” and I thought about Traci.

They had a fake floating market which was clever.

Good crotch shot eh? This statue is huge!

This gorgeous woman was playing an instrument which I had never seen before but the sound was so authentic and sweet. It was amplified throughout the hall.

Above the musician at the entrance were these elaborate bells and gold leaves.

Sometimes just the little discoveries in a place you have been so many times, is all it takes to jump start your senses. I think because I travel “blindly- meaning I really don’t research areas fully and prefer to just wander sometimes and discover as I go, this happens a lot to me. I am not thorough. But I enjoy the treasures uncovered along the way and will continue to share for those that continue to read.

Blue Tree Resort Phuket

Today Virlane and I had a lunch date. Instead of going to one of our regular spots, I told her we needed to start checking things off her bucket list. She only has a few more months on this beautiful island, and there are so many places she has yet to see.

“Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns.” ~ Tara Brach

Without any expectations or knowledge, she picked me up and we drove to the Blue Tree Resort. I had been here before while it was under construction, but never been back. She has always wanted to pull in to see what it was about, but never had. So another fun adventure for V & T!!!!

Photo from my past blog- remember this brightly colored establishment?

We predicted (wrongly) that these building were more than likely filled with restaurants and shops by now.

Upon parking, I proudly said in Thai that we were looking for the restaurant. (Rahn ahan) This gentleman in his crazy patchwork printed shirt waved us into his tuktuk and took us in an unexpected direction. Away from the colored buildings.

We were escorted up to this natural entryway.

And led up the staircase to the second floor which revealed the most amazing view of a gigantic pool.

We were seated under a mesh umbrella with a view.

I guess we were eating in the “Tree House.” Food was reasonably priced and filled with interesting choices.
Outside of this place there were also many international food trucks offering Indian, Greek, Italian and Mexican food choices.

Of course I had to try the Tree House Passion cocktail. Let’s just say they need some better mixologists over here in Phuket. Presentation is A+ but taste is challenging and alcohol content weak.
(or maybe my tolerance is rising with my age :))

The view was calming and entertaining. We watched people zip line, go down water slides, paddle board, play pool volleyball, and rock climb/jump. Many belly smackers which made us cringe with eyes wide open continuing to watch to see who was going to be the next victim of a painful entry.

I wandered to the top of the treehouse to find a secluded roundabout with cushion seating and mountain views.

What a retreat! A great place for an afternoon nap.
You can see the water slide in the distant background of this photo. The four white vertical lines.
Check out how high up it is!

I wondered why they didn’t have more business. But then again, we didn’t really know what this was all about before we randomly decided to stop by. Marketing seems to be a missing skill set here. Even when I googled it later the Orlando resort pulled up instead.

Wandered to the second floor to find another lounge venue complete with a bar.

This place is totally worth the 35$ entry fee. What a great way to spend a day. We didn’t have to pay since we were just eating, but I will be back to take full advantage of that pool and fun in December once my kiddos arrive!!

Greek GREZE Cafe

I’m doing my best to try new places to eat out at, as I can see myself falling into the groove of the same routine. We Cafe for salad, Bike Cafe for fried rice and Wine Connection for pasta. Routine and complacency are death to me. My joy is in exploration. And yes I know I am not adventurous with food. I don’t love Asian cuisine, but I don’t think that means anything in regards to my appreciation for trying new places with menus I do like.

Virlane mentioned this Greek restaurant that she tried so I got the address from her and headed over. It’s only a 6 minute scooter ride from my condo which is great and on the way to the mall which is bonus.

The restaurant was colored in Mediterranean blue and white. The menu was a mix of healthy vegan choices ,Greek options, plus pancakes and smoothies. I mean, why not?

I’m definitely taking Zoe and Sedona here for breakfast one day.

Place was perfectly clean which was nice. Looked brand new.

This is Pitchey. She is the owner who introduced herself to me while apologizing because the electricity had gone out. She is married to a Greek man and they started the business with Greek yogurt, then expanded from there. They also have another Greeze location in Rawaii. She gave me two free cookies and wanted me to also try the homemade coconut milk but I explained that I would not honestly use it and it would go to waste.

Shelves are stocked with healthy granola and nut options.

The refrigerator section was filled with take home meals and snacks. I may go back for the homemade almond butter. She was proud to explain how all are made with no sugar added and many vegan.

I tried the iced coffee protein drink and it was fantastic!

I also had the Greek chicken wrap sandwich which was amazing. I wanted to take half home, but couldn’t stop. It came with a side of these amazingly spiced tortilla chips and sundried tomato dip. I’m so glad Virlane told me about this place. It was great and reasonably priced. I wish there was some way to get word out to let others know of her new location.

Pitchy explained that she got bad reviews on TripAdvisor because her staff doesn’t speak English and they couldn’t help many customers who needed more information on the products. Could be a problem when I can see the menu and health food aspect is targeting Westerners. Not sure what her solution is. Regardless I’ll be back.

Artspace Phuket

I spent an entire month in the Kata Beach area back in May and never discovered this cool eclectic place which was literally one block from my hostel. I thought it was only a tattoo parlor and I recall taking a photo at one time. Leave it to June and Kathy to discover the restaurant and get to know the owners.

The place was like walking into a museum of art but yet kindly felt like you were also eating in someone’s home. It had such a unique vibe. The food was amazing! Came out one dish at a time, being hand prepared by the owner’s wife. She is also the artist who does all the big eyed art you may see in the photos AND is a tattoo artist herself. Quite a creative talent!

You can see behind June the eclectic nature of the place. The owner literally chases people out that are only coming in for look or to snap photos.

Art collected and created by the couple.

This is a cool photo of the couple, I believe possibly getting married?

Everywhere you looked you were bombarded with color and sculptures. This was June and Kathy’s last night in Phuket. They were heading to Chiang mai next on their Thailand adventure.

My chicken sandwich was HUGE. NO way to fit it into my mouth. And yes, I ate the entire thing. Was delicious. Came with a special sauce of some kind and the bread was fresh.

I swear half of the items I didn’t even notice until I dropped in these photos. There was so much to take in.

This spirit temple was hand carved and beautiful.

Almost had a junkyard feel but yet was comfortable.

The owner and I outside the place. Truly is worth the trip to Kata for! I don’t eat hamburgers but June assured me they were amazing! Hand pattied and fresh high quality beef. Tough to find in Thailand.

Witnessed this sunset on my drive home. The skies were literally a purple tint with just a hint of the sun showing. I love the drive along the coast, especially during dusk.

3 Monkeys

Tonight I went out to dinner with Jason at a restaurant called 3 Monkeys. I google mapped it. It’s a hidden gem up a mountain in a jungle like setting only 14 minutes from where I live.

Honestly I worry a bit about Tia and driving down unknown roads at night. She has a headlight that doesn’t illuminate anything on the road, but it does show others cars I exist. Can’t have it all I suppose. There were some areas while driving that I literally could not see a thing until a car came up behind me.

It was such an amazing natural environment. Wood pieced together to make up gorgeous tables and doors, total open air upstairs with thatched roofs and wooden floors.

The view through the trees revealed the city in the distance. Chair was big enough for two with a trampoline like mat in front you could lay on the mesh as if lying above the jungle trees below.

There’s an entire lower level enclosed with air conditioning for hot summer months. Check out the door!

Much of the restaurant was built around trees that must have been there for decades prior.

You can see how the kitchen even is cut out around an old tree still alive and growing. Jason was telling me I must go to Bali if I love this sort of nature thing.

On the menu fried duck beaks and worm beetles. hmmmmmm—— as predicted I got chicken with white rice. So midwestern of me.

This is the view from inside the toilet. I love the old fashion locking system and monkey’s participation in what not to do.

Jason with our cocktails. Mine came in a natural hammock with a mango on top.

Beautiful pathway to a larger private area.

Plant life surrounding this place was amazing. I must come back during daylight hours to truly see what all it offers.

Barbeque Buffet

Happy Monday to Me! I did not have any morning classes so I slept in and later was able to spend such a great day chit chatting with friends. It started off with Sara, my new hairdresser at Vayo, who made me beautiful again by reworking my hair color for 3 hours. It’s an art form how people can spread joy through simple conversations and an exchange of energy.

I was also thrilled to start my day off delivering a scooter to Reeki who is visiting Phuket with his beautiful wife and daughter! I’ve worked with Reeki over 10 years and remember seeing the baby photos of this now 8 year old young lady! I used to meet up with him every year in Germany.

They met me at my beauty salon appointment which I scheduled last month. I loved meeting his family and am looking forward to seeing them this week in between my student’s schedule.

Dinner plans with Min and Mimi were on the calendar. They are never able to get out together since they are the only two employees at the Art C Hotel. But Min got permission to close down the hostel for a couple hours tonight since it’s low season. I was so excited to have dinner out with them! They were the first friends I met in Phuket and have helped me with so much over here!

This is Min. She rents her scooter to me at a great price whenever I have a need. She and I split a beer and she ate more bacon that I thought humanly possible.

These two took me to an outdoor BBQ buffet. I have driven past these restaurants several times, but never had the guts to go in. You fill up your bowls, plates, etc with food and sauces and then take it back to your table to cook it over a BBQ pit stove.

I wanted to treat Min and Mimi, it was my idea to go out to dinner together and I told them I would treat them. But they insisted on paying and to the point of grabbing me and telling me lies about payment methods. They told me that nobody spoke English so there was no way I could pay. I got up and walked over to some of them and asked 🙂 Then Min told me they were watching her and every time she went for more bacon they were charging her 20 bht. I told her I knew there was a set price per person. In the end they won the argument and I had to get back home to teach. They pinky promised me that they would escape again and pick the most expensive restaurant to go to and let me buy.
I had a blast trying new things and visiting with them.

Mimi loved the shrimp and had quite a plate full.

These were the sauces. Those pieces of paper over the saran wrap are fly paper. The flies stick to it and die instead of making it into the bowls. I kid you not.

These are the cute charcoal guys who go into that fire pit behind them to gather coals.

They set this hot coal pit on your table. You cook on top of it like a grill and they also put water around the outside of it to boil.

The buffet was quite large and the place got crowded. A true Thai hot spot.

I tried the green noodles. But as you can see my stash was quite boring—rice, chicken, veggies and pineapple.

I always see these beautiful leaf packaged items at street markets but never knew what they were or what was inside.

It’s a traditional Thai dessert/sweet. I tried it. Was coconut milk – putty. I couldn’t get past the texture. I also tried tea ice cream and many sauces that stung my lips for minutes after.

The crew! Mimi made her half and half dress. I asked her to make me one! I think she buys old tee shirts and takes them apart and then pieces them back together. I think we could sell these and make a business out of them. Such an enjoyable night with even better company!

Hangover Beach

Guess what!? Traci and I found a new beach! And being that we were both a tad hungover, we named it Hangover Beach. Discovered it walking around a rocky area where the locals were fishing. This new beach was exclusive with even a Playboy private home on it, made out of gold. There were couples eating in make shift tee pees on the beach. Was truly beautiful.

Traci took this photo of me driving as we were stopped at a light. She hates being on the back but is dealing with it 🙂

We had lunch on the beach! Traci had a mango cocktail.

Gorgeous Traci , she’s so damn photogenic!

We walked around these rocks. Traci was fascinated by the markings on them. Fun to watch her curiosity.

View of the place where we ate from the rocks we were climbing around.

Check out the mountain we maneuvered around.

The Playboy Estate. I imagine if walls could talk.

It was a nice night out so I convinced Traci to check out the Chilva Market. Being the adventurous eater, I knew she would get a kick out of some of the street food here.

This is what it ended up looking like . It’s so pretty!

Traci Time!!

You know you’ve missed a friend when you are up til 3:30 am the first day and 4:30 am the next talking, laughing and drinking!! Is so great having her here!!

She is so adventurous with food. One of my downfalls. She’s determined to try durian, the king’s fruit, which smells like feet. I am NOT thinking I will partake. She convinced me to go into this restaurant that was packed with locals. I was a bit nervous. I had no idea how to order and nobody spoke English. I think she was trying to pay me back for making her hike 30 minutes up a steep incline to Monkey Hill earlier that day.