Cabbages & Condoms

So last night I went along to the infamous (in a good way) restaurant Cabbages & Condoms, located in the heart of Expatland, Soi 12 (off Sukhumvit). I decided to go there as I had a hungry hoard of five Beijingers to feed and I wanted to take them somewhere memorable for their one and only night in Bangkok. And before you say it, yes, I could have taken them to Soi Coyboy or Patpong, but I did not mean THAT kind of memorable!

At Cabbages and Condoms (C&C) all diners get a condom with coffee, instead of an after-dinner mint because this is the only restaurant in the world dedicated to birth control. That’s right, you did read correctly: birth control. It’s a strange mix, I know! Luckily, so as not to put more prudish people off, they also serve delicious and innovative Thai food in an amazing setting. I for one was very excited to try this culinary and educational experience as I’ve heard nothing but good things...

As the place is run on a charitable basis I wasn't expecting it to be particularly five-star. Although the tables and chairs are of the outdoor, patio-variety, this does not register, for immediately upon entering one is blown away by the ambiance. Set back from the road in a beautiful little garden compound with overhanging trees and oodles of charm, it's easy to forget that you're in the centre of a bustling city as it's such an oasis of calm. You can choose either to sit downstairs (as we did) or on the terrace (also a good option because at night the trees are strewn with fairy lights and the whole effect is enchanting). The premises also have private rooms that can cater for groups of 10-80 people. And for those not wanting a meal, you can simple relax with a pint and the paper in the Captain Condom bar.

Prices are fairly good, mains generally cost around Bht 90-120 and a very generous. We tried a swag of “classics” like crab cakes, spring rolls, green curry, spicy papaya salad, phad thai and mango with sticky rice; all of which were divine and didn’t disappoint (well except perhaps for me as I like a bit of spice, but sadly that was a no-go with my northern friends). We also one of the more “exotic” dishes on the menu, the spicy condom salad, an exotic and tasty mix of Shanghai noodles, chilli and herbs. The service is also impeccable and highly friendly. Staff are ready, willing and able to advice as the menu is very comprehensive and like us you might find yourself simply flummoxed by all the choice!

In the adjoining gift shop, silver bracelets, vests, bags and various other and other handicrafts made by Thai villagers are sold. Alongside which are piles of T-shirts, mugs, keychains, towels, coasters and anything you can image, all emblazoned with the message, "Cabbages & Condoms: our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy". Not to mention flowers, clothing, picture frames and other oddities made completely of condoms. Proceeds from the sale of these items and the restaurant’s meals are given to the Population and Community Development Association, a non-profit organization founded in 1974 by Thailand’s leading philanthropist, Mechai Viravaidya, the former Thai Minister of Health.

Mr Viravaidya’s non-profit association backs birth control, environmental conservation, rural development and AIDS awareness. To wit, he wants to make condoms as common –and as accepted – as cabbages. This is their down-to-earth way of promoting a better understanding and acceptance of family planning, which in a city with such a thriving sex trade can only be a good thing. And it must be working, for Thailand’s birth rate has dropped below 1 per cent a year! But the fun doesn’t stop with food, PDA has also dipped its toe into the world of hotels, they now also own/run the beach-side Birds & Bees Resort in Pattaya and the C&C Resort in the mountains of Sap Tai. So now there really is not escaping: safe sex is for the city, the countryside, the sea and the sky!

Getting there: The easiest way [taking into consideration abysmal traffic] from the Siam City Hotel is to take the BTS from Phayathai station six stops (towards Mo Chit) to station Asok and from there you went to leave the station on your right-hand side (exit 2) and head back up Sukhumvit in the direction you came from. After about 800m small Soi 12 will appear on your left. Walk down another 500m and the restaurant in on your right. There are also four other outlets scattered around Thailand.

 

Ploenchit Fair

So, this past Saturday I took myself along to the annual Ploenchit Fair at the Shrewsbury International School on the Chao Praya River. This is the international community’s annual fund-raising blockbuster event for Thai charities. The Fair is arguably the biggest such event in Asia and is a traditional day for all the family and has been one of the biggest events of the social calendar in Bangkok for many a year. The whole thing remaindered me of my old school fairs back home in ye’ ole Tasmania, only on a much grander scale and with around 20,000 people in attendance, as opposed to the few hundred at Taroona Primary School.

Although it started at 10 am (ending at 8 pm-ish), I didn’t make it there until a fashionably-late 3 pm. Which actually worked out rather well as that was about the time that stalls started discounting their wares, ha ha ha! Everything you would expect to find at a British fair was on offer: ferris wheel, bouncy castle, shoot ‘em gallery, clown, Santa, arts ‘n’ crafts in Petticoat Lane, games, rides, raffle and so on...

On the F&B front, things were none too shabby either. Attendees were able to feast on home-made cakes, fish ‘n’ chips, pies, Thai food, Indian samosa, pizza, burgers, and, of course, plenty of beer! A pint of cider set me back 140 baht and was very delicious, and I found three of them went down quite nicely! I managed to score a lot of my other favourite thing too – books! And boy were there a lot of good ones, particularly of the second-hand variety. I scored a plethora of titles for a few hundred baht. I also managed to weasel my way into free ice cream, popcorn, tea, cheese and muesli....

I was pleased to discover that the “entertainment” side of things was well taken care of too. Although I arrived too late in the day to catch the pipers, choir, yoga performance, belly dancing and magic show on the main stage, I did take in the surprisingly good blues, soul and rock band Celtic Colours and the rock/pop outfit Retrovision.

I do however have to make one small quibble; despite a comprehensive search I was unable to find a toffee apple. This was not acceptable, that was the one thing I felt I had to have to really reminisce about my childhood. Still, I know who the organisers are now, so I’ll be having words with them ahead of next year’s shindig. Or, I suppose I could stop being such a damn winger and open my own store in 2010, selling said item (‘tis for charity after all).

Speaking of, how about a little “background” info for those not in the know. Previously, the Fair was held in the gardens of the British Embassy, which are located on Ploenchit Road in Bangkok. The name has become so well known that is has been retained wherever the Fair takes place. As over 20,000 people attend every year, the size has often forced a change of location. The Fair is planned, organised and managed by BCTFN (British Community of Thailand Foundation for the Needy) along with an army of around 2,000 volunteers! It can trace it roots back to garden fete at the British Club in WWII, with the first full-blown Fair being held in the grounds of the British Embassy in 1956. BCTFN has raised over 45 million baht at the Ploenchit Fair since 2000. This has enabled the Committee to support a vast range of diverse charity projects in all regions of Thailand. The fundamental aim of our support is to promote self-sufficiency and to improve the lives of the needy.

And so... as the sun set behind the stage and out over the river, I settled into my lawn cheer with my pint of ale and enjoyed a rather good Thai cover band do their thing. All why watching a plethora of poor parents try to calm their manic sugar-high tots. Ahhhh, good times. And when the beer ran out and we were all told to 'bugger off' I joined the crowds to catch my pleasant 5-min ride on the ferry back to reality...

EU Film Festival

So, it was a dull Sunday night and I thought what better way to spend it then by seeing a Luxembourg film, entitled Irina Palm, at the EU Film Festival 2009 in Bangkok (SF World Cinema). My “research” led me to believe the film would be about Maggie: “a working-class fifty-something who in a desperate bid to cover the cost of her ailing grandson's operation plunges headfirst into the underground skin trade of Soho London and becomes a prostitute. With a new name ‘Irina Palm’ Maggie begins working customers with a stimulatory technique so popular that patrons are soon lining up around the block to be ‘serviced’ by her”. I mean H-E-L-L-O with a synopsis like that who wouldn’t want to see it!!!

I was pleased to find that the cinema was semi-packed, I say this not because I’m a weirdo but because the previous two Bangkok (World and International) film festivals I’ve attend screenings of have had rather lacklustre attendance. So it was really good to see the populous of Bangkok finally shunning the likes of Ninja Assassin and going for something of real merit. I hope the trend continues with whichever film festival will grace our local screens next...

In a nutshell, the film did indeed live up to its billing as a naughty-granny comedy, in which an older woman is liberated and rejuvenated by an excursion into vice. Still, “Irina Palm,” directed by Sam Garbarski from a screenplay by Philippe Blasband and Martin Herron, does rise slightly above the silly clichés embedded in its story. This is mostly because of Marianne Faithull, who plays Maggie, a middle-class suburban widow preparing to settle into a meek and marginal old age. To minimize implausibility and avoid making the audience uncomfortable, the filmmakers contrive to give Maggie a specialty that does not involve penetration or face-to-face contact with clients. Instead she sits alone in a room with a hole in the wall and provides a form of satisfaction suggested by her professional pseudonym, which is also the movie’s title. And she’s so skilled that men are soon lining up and insisting on her special services. Things slowly build to a predictable conclusion, and all’s well that ends well. All up, I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

For those of you reading my post now, it’s obviously too late to attend as the film festival ran from November 19 to 29 and Irina Palm was the second-last offering. I’ll now give you a little background so you’re in-the-know for next year. The festival was organised by the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand and the Embassies and cultural organisations of the EU Member States. This year was the 18^th time the European Union Film Festival brings the best of European film to Thailand, offering audiences a world class selection of drama, comedy, romance, suspense and documentary 23 films from 17 European countries feature in the programme of the 2009 festival.

Highlights of the 2009 film festival included award-winning feature films like California Dreaming (Romania), One Beloved Month of August (Portugal), Adventures (Hungary) and Ben X (Belgium). For the first time there was also a grand selection of documentary films such as Citizen Havel (Czech Republic), Sounds Like Teen Spirit (UK), La Paloma-Longing Worldwide (Germany) and Good Morning Heartache (Italy).

Getting there: From the Siam City Hotel take the BTS from Phayathai station two stops (towards Ou Nut) to station Siam, from there follow the signs along the skywalk to CentralWorld then head up to the top floor and you’ll easily find the SF Word Cinema beside a very yummy supermarket and food court. For those more active, you can easily walk there in a flat 15 minutes [ask our doormen for directions].