Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 08 1613 8496;
www.yodiaheritage.com
;
89/1 Th Phuttha Bucha; r 2950B, ste
4200-8900B, incl breakfast; )
This new boutique hotel takes the crown as
Phitsanulok's most upscale accommodation. Located along a quiet stretch of the
Mae Nam Nam, suites are huge and feature similarly large tubs and a semiprivate
swimming pool.
Eating
Phitsanulok takes its cuisine seriously. The city is particularly obsessive about night
markets, and there are no fewer than three dotted in various locations around town.
The most well known, Phitsanulok's
Night Bazaar
(mains 40-80B; 5pm-3am)
,
focuses mainly on clothing, but a few riverfront restaurants specialise in
pàk bûng
loy fáh
(literally 'floating-in-the-sky morning glory vine'), where the cook fires up a
batch of
pàk bûng
in the wok and then flings it through the air to a waiting server
who catches it on a plate. If you're lucky, you'll be here when a tour group is trying
to catch the flying vegetables, but is actually dropping
pàk bûng
all over the place.
Another
night market
(mains 20-40B; 5pm-midnight)
lines either side of Th
Phra Ong Dam north of Th Authong, and there's a very busy
night market
(mains
20-60B; 4-8pm)
just south of the train station that features mostly takeaway
items including
kôw nĕe·o hòr,
(tiny banana-leaf parcels of sticky rice with various
toppings); there are two vendors opposite each other near the Th Ekathotsarot en-
trance to the market.
Another dish associated with Phitsanulok is
gŏoay·đĕe·o hôy kăh
(literally, 'legs-
hanging' noodles). The name comes from the way customers sit on the floor facing
the river, with their legs dangling below.
Rim Nan
(no roman-script sign; 5/4 Th
Phaya Sua; mains 20-35B; 9am-4pm)
, north of Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat, is
one of a few similar restaurants along Th Phutta Bucha that offer noodles and 'al-
ternative' seating.
BAN MAI $$
(93/30 Th Authong; mains 60-150B; 11am-2pm & 5-10pm; )
Dinner at this local
favourite is like a meal at your grandparents': opinionated conversation resounds,
frumpy furniture abounds, and an overfed Siamese cat appears to rule the dining
room. Don't expect home cooking though; Ban Mai specialises in unusual but per-
fectly executed dishes that aren't easily found elsewhere, like the
gaang pèt Ъèt
yâhng
(a curry of smoked duck) or
yam đà·krái
(lemongrass 'salad').
Thai
