Life in the Village....Eating Out

 We decided to give mum a break from cooking we would go out to the local cafe. It had been recommended to us so we thought we would give it a try. It was raining very heavily as we made our way across the village. It is at the top of a hill on the main road the other side of the village, and normally has lots of passing trade but was quiet when we got there. The eating area is open on three sides so there was a nice breeze coming through. The main building is made of a mixture of wood, breeze block and tin, the roof is made of tin and big teak leaves woven together. The tables and benches are big pieces of wood which have been smoothed out sitting on the concrete floor. The rain was dripping off the leaf roof onto the dirt ground outside, where the chickens scrtatch for any crumbs or bugs they can find. There were a couple of dogs who wandered in and out  around the tables looking for food. We sat on a table at the side which had two long benches which accomodated us all.

We ordered Cowpat (fried rice), Padthai (fried noodles) and omlette and rice for the children. I was sitting next to the kitchen, so I had a great view of the food while it was being cooked. The kitchen was at the back and was open on three sides. The washing up was done in a bowl on the floor at the back of the kitchen.

 So,  it probably would not meet regulations in the UK but here it is considered quite good as the meat is all refrigerated and the vegetables fresh. OK, there are a few flies but that is the norm in hot countries and something you get used to. The food was hot and very tasty.
The Padthai, which I chose, is eaten with a twist of lime, peanuts, flaked chili, spiced vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar ooooh! yum!

After lunch I decided to have a Thai coffee (similar to Cambodian coffee) it is brewed for hours over a charcaol stove until it is thick and black. It is then poured into a cup and two spoons of sweetened condensed milk, sugar and cofee creamer are added. The result is an extremely black sweet thick liquid!

So all round it was a nice treat and everyone enjoyed their meal. My mum especially enjoyed it and it gave her a rest.