I have noticed that most reviews of restaurants in English language publications have been about places that are in Bangkok. I have decided to be a little different and use materials from my work on television which takes me all over the country and write about places that are up country or a little the beaten paths for most readers. I hope that by writing about these places outside Bangkok will offer you the reader more choices for places to eat.

             It is ultimately up to you the reader to decide to try these places I recommend. My rating of the restaurant will be able to help you because some people have stronger constitution than others do.

             I am sure many of you occasionally take trips to the beach. These are many beaches to go to but one of the nicest beach towns near enough to Bangkok is definitely Hua Hin. Hua Hin became a popular beach town during the reign of King Rama VI. In those days, Thai railway system has just been established and the southern route has to pass this sleepy village of Hua Hin.

             It took many hours to get to Hua Hin in those days and it is reassuring to know that today it still takes hours to travel the 300 some kilometers to reach Hua Hin. The preferred mode of travel to Hua Him is now by car. It still takes about 2and a half to three hours to get there. On long weekends, three to four hours travel time is the norm. I always have to stop along the way to have lunch or a quick snack to tie me over until I reach my destination.

             After about one and a half-hour travel time you will reach the old city of Petchburi. This city has a palace on top of a hill called by the local as Kao Wang which means hill palace but the proper name of this palace is called Pranakorn Kiri. Built during the reign of King Rama IV (King Mongkut), Kao Wang is a beautiful historical sight for tourists. Near the building that houses the cable car that takes you up the hill, on the main road into town is a little noodle shop called Guay Tiew VIP. Because Petchburi is near the Gulf of Thailand fish here is very fresh and abundant. Instead of the usual kind of Guay Tiew, which is either pork or beef, this shop chose to serve something different. Freshly poached slices of fish and squid with their noodles. The broth is delicious, still made of pork and chicken bones.

             The fish is very fresh and for those of you, who do not like their Guay Tiew spicy, the plain broth with the noodle is perfect. I usually stop at this place either on my way back to Bangkok for a quick delicious lunch or on my way to Hua Hin. I always plan to arrive there just before lunchtime. First I would order Bah Mee Hang Pla (dry noodles with poached fish).

>             The noodle is blanched and smothered with lots of garlic oil and topped with poached fish, squid and fish balls. Piping hot, I would season it with a little sugar, fish sauce, chili vinegar and a little dry chili flakes; then toss it well before inhaling the whole bowl of noodle in one minute. Of course don’t forget to order your next bowl before eating! As soon as I finish the first bowl the next arrived. Sure enough it has to be noodle in a broth which is delicious and aromatic, to wash down the remnants of the dry noodle which has not quite gone down all the way to your stomach yet. See how greedy I am!

             For those of you who want to have a more substantial meal there are many wonderful dishes to choose from. There is the deep fried fish skin (Nung Pla tod Grob) served with a sweet and sour spicy dipping sauce, which has ground peanut in it. This dipping sauce is similar to the dipping sauce for fried tofu.

             Most Thai like to eat this dish as cocktail snacks while watching the world cup! Another perfect snack for watching the world cup would be squid roe batter fried (Kai Muek Chupe Pang Tod). This dish is definitely not for those who are afraid of cholesterol! It is rich and delicious. You have to get there early to get it because it is so popular. They are out of it by late morning.

             There is Moo Op Nam Pueng Yaang, grilled honey marinated pork, sliced thin and eaten with rice. It is a little sweet for me but for most Thai palate they love it! And who could forget the Hua Pla Gao Pad Char, spicy stir-fry carp, this dish they only use the head of the fish. It is wonderfully aromatic and very spicy because the use fresh yellow peppers and lots of garlic. You have to eat this dish with your hands so you can suck all the tid bits from the fish heads.

             For those of you who are disgusted of eating fish heads they do the same dish with regular fish flesh and it is just as good but not as emotionally satisfying for a gourmand like me.I have said too much about my bad eating habits already but I would certainly recommend you to stop by this little shop and give it a try on your way to Hua Hin or places further south. The food is good, clean and fresh.