Spending Hari Raya Adilfitri in Bangkok, Thailand, in July 2014 ~ Section 2

Welcome to the second segment of my brief Hari Raya Adilfitri weekend trip to Bangkok, Thailand, in July 2014. There will be a total of three segments that will be covered in this segment of the report. They will mainly be shopping around MBK Center, Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, including dinner with friends.

Part 1 ~ Shopping At MBK Center & Dinner With My Parents' Friends

The next morning, which was Friday (25 July), I woke up at around 9.30 a.m. after having a well-earned good night's rest. Since it was still too early to do anything at that time, I decided to stay on my laptop quietly until all my other family members were awake. Soon enough, all of us were awake at around 10.30 a.m. to start off our first day in Bangkok.

The first thing we did was to have a nice, hot shower and change into our attire for the day before doing anything else. According to my parents, we had plans to do some afternoon shopping for the Hari Raya season, though we may not be Muslims ourselves, but we are fine with any religious celebrations. After that, we spent the rest of the morning preparing our belongings for the day.

The view of my Room No. 3101 after I had woken up

Overlooking The Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld from my Room No. 3101, where we previously stayed at in September 2011 and August & September 2012

Overlooking CentralWorld from my Room No. 3101

After spending the rest of the morning preparing ourselves to commence the day, the clock was finally showing 11.45 a.m.. Feeling rather hungry already, my dad decided to bring both my younger brother and I to a Chinese restaurant in the hotel, known as Summer Palace, for lunch before going out to shop at MBK Center. My mum, who was busy in the room at the time, offered to join us later at the restaurant.

With that, I followed my dad and younger brother to the elevator lobby and took the elevator all the way down to the second floor, where we walked directly to Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant, arriving at the restaurant by 11.55 a.m.. At the entrance, we immediately requested for a large table for the four of us. As soon as we were directed to a table, we were left with the menus to make our reviews before placing our main meal orders.

My mum eventually arrived to join us for lunch later on, and made her reviews through the menus. Once we had made a good review through the menus, a waitress came by to our table to take down our main meal orders for lunch. We managed to order several a la carte dishes, along with several dim sum dishes. That afternoon, we had a very filling and sumptuous Chinese lunch at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant.

The interior of the second level of the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok in the early afternoon

Finally arriving at the entrance to Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

The interior of Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok during lunchtime hours

The cover page for the dim sum menu at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

Reviewing the dim sum menu at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

The cover page for the main food and beverage menu at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

Reviewing the main food and beverage menu at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

A platter of Hong Kong-style beef tenderloin to be shared among us

A platter of stir-fried scallops and honey beans with X.O. sauce to be shared among us

A platter of char siew chee cheong fun to be shared among us

A platter of rounded cabbage dim sum to be shared among my parents

A platter of Hong Kong-style fried rice for my younger brother

A platter of spare pork ribs dim sum for myself

A platter of Cantonese siumai dim sum to be shared among my parents

An assortment of our dim sum dishes on our table at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

After having a sumptuous and filling Chinese lunch at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant, the clock was finally showing 1.05 p.m.. While my younger brother decided to follow both my dad and I to MBK Center, my mum decided to do her own shopping for the upcoming Hari Raya season at CentralWorld. Paying up our lunch bill, the waitress informed us that our meals here would be included in our hotel bill.

With that, we all left the restaurant by 1.15 p.m., and I followed both my dad and younger brother to the main hotel entrance to get a cab to MBK Center. Soon enough, a green cab showed up at the entrance to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok at 1.20 p.m.. Boarding the cab, we informed the cab driver to take us to MBK Center. Soon enough, we finally departed the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok for a short 10-minute cab ride to MBK Center.

MBK Center (Thai: เอ็มบีเคเซ็นเตอร์) is a large eight-storey shopping mall located in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand. The area contains about 2,000 shops, restaurants and service outlets, including a four-storey Tokyu Department Store. Approximately 100,000 shoppers visit MBK Center daily, and is popular with a lot of foreign tourists, though most of the shoppers are locals. The mall is easily accessible via a pedestrian footbridge from National Stadium BTS Station.

The entrance to Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok during lunchtime hours

The interior of the main hotel lobby at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok in the early afternoon

The drop-off and pick-up area outside the main entrance to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok in the early afternoon

The green cab that would soon take us to MBK Center from the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

Finally departing the vicinity of the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

Bypassing CentralWorld below the BTS Skytrain tracks near Siam BTS Station

Travelling through the busy roads of Pathum Wan District near Siam Paragon and CentralWorld in the afternoon

Approaching MBK Center in the early afternoon

Finally arriving at the cab stand located below MBK Center

After a very short cab ride of just 10 minutes from the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok, we finally arrived at the cab stand located below MBK Center at 1.30 p.m.. Checking to see that we had left nothing behind, we paid up our cab fare and went into MBK Center to commence our shopping day. Wanting to go to a notable hobby shop, known as Toy Studio, first, we took the escalator up to the second level of the mall first.

Upon reaching the second level of MBK Center, my dad informed me that both he and my younger brother would be going up the mall further to look for a cafeteria to have some afternoon tea. I then agreed to meet up with them at the cafeteria for tea once I was complete with my shopping at Toy Studio. With that, while my dad and younger brother went up to look for a café, I looked through the stores on the second floor carefully for Toy Studio.

Finally in the first level of MBK Center

The escalators linking between the first two levels of MBK Center

A lineup of shops selling jewellery and bags in the second floor of MBK Center

Bypassing a goldsmith shop on the second floor in MBK Center

Walking past a clothing shop located just adjacent to Toy Studio

Finally arriving at Toy Studio

After walking through the second floor at MBK Center for about 10 minutes, I finally arrived at the entrance to Toy Studio at 1.45 p.m.. Entering the hobby shop itself, the store owner was immediately familiar with me and informed me that some new aircraft release models had already arrived. Looking through the various models available, I noticed some new Herpa Wings Scale 1:500 aircraft models that caught my attention.

At Toy Studio itself, I managed to purchase a total of six brand new Herpa Wings Scale 1:500 aircraft models. Once I was done at Toy Studio, I called up my dad to ask him where he was. He then told me to meet him and my younger brother at a cafeteria located on the fifth floor, known as Star Coffee, where they were having some afternoon tea.

With that, I thanked the shop owner and promised to come again before leaving the shop. Heading to the nearest set of escalators, I went up all the way up to the fifth floor and managed to meet both my dad and younger brother at Star Coffee cafeteria. While my dad was having some dessert and coffee, I simply had a nice, refreshing glass of Iced Milo to cool off from the hot weather.

As of the six brand new Herpa Wings Scale 1:500 commercial aircraft models I had purchased, they were, as follows:

1) Biman Bangladesh Airlines Boeing 777-3E9/ER Herpa Scale 1:500 (523769)

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Boeing 777-3E9/ER Herpa Scale 1:500 (523769)

2) British Airways Boeing 777-336/ER Herpa Scale 1:500 (518246-001)

British Airways Boeing 777-336/ER Herpa Scale 1:500 (518246-001)

3) KLM − Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 777-206/ER "KLM Asia" Herpa Scale 1:500 (523868)

KLM − Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 777-206/ER "KLM Asia" Herpa Scale 1:500 (523868)

4) Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777-FBT Herpa Scale 1:500 (524292)

Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777-FBT Herpa Scale 1:500 (524292)

5) Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A330-343X Herpa Scale 1:500 (523929)

Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A330-343X Herpa Scale 1:500 (523929)

6) Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A340-313X Herpa Scale 1:500 (524971)

Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A340-313X Herpa Scale 1:500 (524971)

The exterior view of Toy Studio shortly before I headed up to Star Coffee cafeteria on the fifth floor

A lineup of clothing and necessity shops in the second floor at MBK Center

The escalators linking the upper floors of MBK Center in the mid-afternoon

About to take the escalator up to the fifth level of MBK Center

Overlooking the second floor from the escalator while heading up to the fifth floor

The interior of Star Coffee in the fifth level of MBK Center shortly after I had arrived

The logo of Star Coffee cafeteria on the fifth floor at MBK Center

A nice, refreshing glass of Iced Milo for myself at Star Coffee cafeteria

The interior of Star Coffee cafeteria on the fifth floor at MBK Center shortly before we left for the sixth floor

After having a cooling drink at Star Coffee on the fifth floor, the clock was finally showing 2.20 p.m.. Since we knew that the Hari Raya season was around the corner, my dad decided to get some new shirts for me. With that, we left the cafeteria by 2.25 p.m. and took the escalator up to the sixth floor, where most of the clothing stalls were located. At the open clothing store on the sixth floor, I purchased a total of 10 dark-coloured T-shirts.

Upon finishing our purchases of my new clothes, the clock was finally showing 2.40 p.m.. Since we were feeling very tired already, we decided to head back to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok for an afternoon rest. With that, we took the escalator down to the ground floor, and went to the indoor cab stand to catch a nearby cab back to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok, where we waited for a nearby cab to take us back.

Soon enough, a pink cab finally showed up at the cab stand below MBK Center at 2.45 p.m.. Boarding the cab itself, we informed the cab driver to take us back to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok. Once all of us were on board the cab, we finally departed MBK Center within a few seconds before we were on our way for a short cab ride of just 20 minutes back to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok.

About to take the escalator up to the sixth floor at MBK Center

The many open clothes shops located on the sixth floor of MBK Center

The interior of the sixth floor at MBK Center

Overlooking the lower floors while walking down the escalators to the fifth floor at MBK Center

Approaching the second level at MBK Center before changing to another escalator to the ground floor

The interior of the ground floor at MBK Center on the way to the indoor cab stand

About to walk past some shops near the in-mall cab stand at MBK Center

The interior of the in-mall cab stand located in MBK Center

The pink cab that would soon take us back to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

Finally departing MBK Center

Travelling along the roads located just behind MBK Center

Bypassing Chamchuri Square on a sunny afternoon

Travelling along the expressway to Pathum Wan District near Chit Lom

About to turn towards the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok near Chit Lom BTS Station

Finally arriving back at the main entrance to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

After a short cab ride of 20 minutes from MBK Center, we finally arrived back at the entrance to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok at 3.05 p.m.. Paying up our cab fare, we took our belongings and thanked the cab driver for his services before entering the hotel lobby. Once we were in the hotel lobby, we took the elevator up to the 31st floor and went back to our Rooms No. 3101 and 3102 to have a rest for the afternoon. At five o' clock, both my dad and I decided to go to the Club InterContinental Lounge for some afternoon light bites and drinks.

At the Club InterContinental Lounge itself, my mum came up to meet us after returning from her shopping, and I had some Wagyu beef croissants, cheese & crackers and two glasses of white wine. My mum also informed us that we would be meeting a friend named Uncle Nelson with his wife, Aunt Grace, for dinner at 7.30 p.m. that night. Though both Uncle Nelson and Aunt Grace are non-Muslims, they are fine with any religious and national holiday. Finishing off our afternoon tea, we went back to our Rooms No. 3101 and 3102 to rest.

The interior of the main hotel lobby at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok during the mid-afternoon hours

The marble staircase in the main hotel lobby at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok during the mid-afternoon hours

The living room in Room No. 3102 during the mid-afternoon hours

The interior of my Room No. 3101 during the mid-afternoon hours

The interior of the Club InterContinental Lounge during the late afternoon hours

The self-service buffet corner in the Club InterContinental Lounge during the late afternoon hours

A platter of cheese & crackers with a long crispy bread stick and a Wagyu beef croissant for myself

A glass of white wine with a bowl of mixed nuts for myself

A platter containing three Wagyu beef croissants for myself

Another glass of white wine for myself in the Club InterContinental Lounge

The interior of the Club InterContinental Lounge during the early evening hours shortly before I went back to my Room No. 3101

The interior of my Room No. 3101 during the early evening hours

After spending the entire afternoon of resting in our Rooms No. 3101 and 3102, the clock was finally showing seven o' clock. Knowing that both Uncle Nelson and Aunt Grace would be meeting us in the hotel lobby in ½ an hour's time, we prepared our necessary belongings and left our rooms at 7.10 p.m. and took the elevator down to the hotel lobby to meet up with our friends, where we waited for them once we reached the hotel lobby at 7.15 p.m..

Soon enough, both Uncle Nelson and Aunt Grace finally met up with us at 7.30 p.m.. Both of us then informed us that they had made a dinner reservation for eight o' clock at a Chinese restaurant, known as Xinn Tien Di (Chinese: 新天地), located at Gaysorn Shopping Centre located across the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok. Since we were starting to feel rather hungry already, we walked to the hotel footbridge to Gaysorn Shopping Centre, where we took the elevator up to the third floor, where Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant was located.

The interior of the main hotel lobby at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok at night

The enclosed pedestrian footbridge linking between the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok and Gaysorn Shopping Centre

Overlooking the other levels at Gaysorn Shopping Centre on the way to Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant

Finally arriving at Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant

After a short walk of approximately five minutes from the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok, we finally arrived at the entrance to Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant at 7.45 p.m.. Entering the restaurant, Aunt Grace went to the reception counter to check whether the table reservation for the six of us was positively identified. The waitress checked the reservation system and positively identified us before escorting us to our reserved table.

Once we were seated, we were left with the dinner menus to make our reviews while we chatted about daily life. Soon enough, a waitress came by to our table to take down our main meal orders for dinner. We all ordered a Peking duck and some other Chinese delicacies, such as clay pot tofu with seafood and sweet and sour pork ribs. That night, we had a filling and relatively good dinner at Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant.

The interior of Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant during dinnertime shortly after we were all seated

The cover page for the dinner menu at Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant

Reviewing the dinner menu at Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant

The roasted Peking duck ready to be served to us after being carefully sliced

The platter of Peking duck crispy skin to be shared among us

A platter of sweet and sour pork ribs to be shared among us

A platter of pork ribs in sauce to be shared among us

A platter of clay pot tofu with vegetables and seafood to be shared among us

A platter of minced Peking duck to be shared among us

The interior of Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant during dinnertime shortly after we had finished dinner

After having a filling and alright dinner at Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant, the clock was finally showing 9.05 p.m.. Feeling stuffed to the brim already, we all decided head back to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok to have some liquor at the Club InterContinental Lounge. With that, Uncle Nelson paid up our dinner bill and we left the restaurant at 9.10 p.m. before taking the elevator down to the street level.

Upon entering the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok at 9.15 p.m., my younger brother decided to head back to Room No. 3101 to rest for the night, while the rest of us headed up to the 37th floor, where the Club InterContinental Lounge was located. While we were in the Club InterContinental Lounge, we ordered our liquors, such as Baileys Irish Cream, and some mixed nuts as a light late night snack and chatted about daily life throughout the night.

The exterior of Xinn Tien Di Chinese Restaurant on the third floor at Gaysorn Shopping Centre in the late evening

Overlooking the other levels at Gaysorn Shopping Centre with several closed shops in the background

Finally arriving back at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

The interior of the main hotel lobby at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok at night

The interior of the Club InterContinental Lounge on the 37th floor during the late night hours

Overlooking downtown Bangkok from the Club InterContinental Lounge late at night

Our alcoholic beverages and liquors in the Club InterContinental Lounge at night

A glass of Baileys Irish Cream for myself

The interior of the Club InterContinental Lounge shortly before I headed back to my Room No. 3101

After having some light alcoholic beverages, liquors and mixed nuts in the Club InterContinental Lounge, the clock was finally showing 9.45 p.m.. Since I was already beginning to feel rather exhausted already, I decided to head back down to my Room No. 3101 for a well-earned rest for the rest of the night. With that, I thanked both Aunt Grace and Uncle Nelson for meeting up for dinner, and they promised to meet up again the next day.

My mum also agreed to meet me back in our room once she was done speaking with Aunt Grace and Uncle Nelson. With that, I took the elevator back down to the 31st floor, and arrived back at my Room No. 3101 by ten o' clock. Having a nice, hot shower, I changed into my pyjamas and was left to my laptop for the rest of the night. Soon enough, by around one o' clock late that night, we finally turned in for a well-earned good night's rest.

Part 2 ~ Shopping At MBK Center & Siam Paragon

The next morning, which was Saturday (26 July), all of us woke up at around ten o' clock after having a well-earned good night's rest. The first thing we did was to have a very nice, hot shower before changing into our day's attire and preparing our belongings for the day before deciding on where to go for today's shopping around downtown Bangkok.

My parents then decided to head to Siam Paragon for some lunch first before commencing our shopping for the day. Since it was still too early before lunch, we simply stayed in our bedrooms and were left to prepare our necessary items for the day and to our own electronic devices for our own entertainment uses before heading out to commence our day.

The view of my Room No. 3101 shortly after I had woken up

Overlooking CentralWorld from my Room No. 3101 shortly after I had woken up

The living room area in Room No. 3102 shortly after we all woke up

After spending the rest of the morning preparing our necessary belongings for the day, the clock was finally showing noon. Since we were all ready to go, we left our Rooms No. 3101 and 3102 at 12.10 p.m., and took the elevator down to the main hotel lobby, eventually arriving there at 12.15 p.m.. To access Siam Paragon, we decided to take the BTS Skytrain directly to Siam BTS Station from the nearby Chit Lom BTS Station.

With that, we walked down the spiral staircase close to a buffet restaurant and took the escalator up to the Sky Walk before walking to Chit Lom BTS Station. Arriving at Chit Lom BTS Station by 12.20 p.m., we headed to the nearest ticket machine and purchased our tickets for the short ride to Siam BTS Station. Upon doing so, we went through the ticketing gates and proceeded up to Track No. 2 for the short BTS Skytrain ride to Siam Station.

The Bangkok Skytrain (Thai: รถไฟฟ้าบีทีเอส), most commonly known as the BTS Skytrain, is an elevated rapid transit system operating in Bangkok, Thailand. Operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Private Company Limited (BTSC), it serves most of the busiest districts of the Bangkok metropolitan area, and some outskirt areas in the Bangkok area. The system consists of just two lines, which are the Silom Line and Sukhumvit Line.

The system commenced operations on 5 December 1999, using three-car trains for both the Silom Line and Sukhumvit Line, though they were later increased to four cars from 2012 to 2013. Both lines interchange with each other via a cross-platform interchange at Siam BTS Station. From December 2010, new four-car trains were introduced to cope with the increasing demand for commuter travel on the BTS Skytrain rapid transit system.

Chit Lom BTS Station (E1) (Thai: สถานีชิดลม) is a BTS Skytrain station located in the Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand. Located along the Sukhumvit Line, the station is directly connected to Central Chidlom via the Skybridge pedestrian footbridge, and Sky Walk to the Ratchaprasong shopping district, where Gaysorn Plaza, CentralWorld and Erawan Shrine are located. The station is also directly connected to Siam BTS Station via the Sky Walk pedestrian footbridge.

The escalators leading to the Sky Walk pedestrian bridge near the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

The exterior view of the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok on a fine early afternoon

Overlooking the busy afternoon road traffic at the Pathum Wan District near the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

The interior of the main station concourse at Chit Lom BTS Station on an early afternoon

The main ticketing gates in the station concourse at Chit Lom BTS Station

The view of the station platforms of Chit Lom BTS Station on a fine afternoon

The station name plate of Chit Lom BTS Station on Track No. 2

A 4-car BTS Skytrain Siemens set bound for Mo Chit on Track No. 2 at Chit Lom BTS Station

Track No. 2 serving the BTS Skytrains Sukhumvit Line trains bound for Mo Chit at Chit Lom BTS Station

After spending just a few minutes of anticipated waiting on the platform, a 4-car BTS Siemens train finally arrived at Chit Lom BTS Station at 12.28 p.m. on Track No. 2. Once the doors and automatic platform gates were opened, we quickly hopped onto the train for the short ride of just a couple of minutes to Siam BTS Station located just a few metres away.

Soon enough, within just a few seconds, all the train doors were closed, and the BTS Skytrain finally pulled out of Chit Lom BTS Station for its remaining journey to Mo Chit located to the north of the Bangkok metropolitan area. We were then on our way for a short and quick BTS Skytrain ride of just two minutes to Siam BTS Station located a few metres away.

Siam BTS Station (CEN) (Thai: สถานีสยาม) is a major BTS Skytrain station in the Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand. With approximately 40,000 to 50,000 passengers commuting through the station daily, it is the largest and busiest BTS station in the whole BTS Skytrain system and provides direct cross-platform interchange for both the Silom Line and Sukhumvit Line. The station is directly connected to Siam Paragon via a passageway linking the mall and the station.

A 4-car BTS Siemens train finally arriving at Track No. 2 at Chit Lom BTS Station

The interior of the 4-car BTS Siemens train shortly before departing Chit Lom BTS Station

Finally departing Chit Lom BTS Station

Bypassing Erawan Bangkok on the way to Siam BTS Station

Bypassing some housing apartments in the Pathum Wan District near Siam BTS Station

Finally arriving at Siam BTS Station

After a very short and quick two-minute BTS Skytrain ride from Chit Lom BTS Station, we finally arrived at Siam BTS Station at 12.30 p.m. on Track No. 3. Alighting from the train, we took the escalators down to the busy main station concourse and exited through the ticketing gates before walking to the station entrance to the Siam Paragon.

Feeling very hungry already, we decided to have lunch first before commencing our shopping day. With that, we walked through the mall and took the escalator way down to the ground floor, where most of the restaurants were located, and looked at all the restaurants available before eventually finding a good one to eat at for lunch first before shopping.

Siam Paragon (Thai: สยามพารากอน) is a major luxury shopping mall located in the Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand. Opened on 9 December 2005, it is one of the largest shopping malls in Asia, and houses a large variety of specialty stores, restaurants and a multiplex movie theatre. The mall is also notable for housing Siam Ocean World, the largest public aquarium in Southeast Asia, and is easily accessible from Siam BTS Station via a direct passageway.

Tracks No. 2 and 4 serving the BTS Skytrains bound for Mo Chit and National Stadium at Siam BTS Station during the early afternoon rush hour

Tracks No. 1 and 3 serving the BTS Skytrains bound for Bearing and Bang Wa at Siam BTS Station during the early afternoon rush hour

The main station concourse of Siam BTS Station during the early afternoon rush hour

The main entrance to Siam Paragon from Siam BTS Station during the early afternoon rush hour

Bypassing an open store selling local souvenirs in the ground level at Siam Paragon

Bypassing the Mandarin Oriental Shop cafeteria and bakery in the ground level at Siam Paragon

A miniature man-made canal in the ground level at Siam Paragon

Bypassing an open handbag shop in the ground level at Siam Paragon

Finally arriving at The Grill Tokyo in the ground level at Siam Paragon

After looking through the various restaurants available on the ground level at Siam Paragon, we finally stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant, known as The Grill Tokyo, at 12.40 p.m.. Since we were feeling very hungry already, we went into the restaurant and promptly requested for a table for the four of us. Soon enough, a waitress directed us to an empty table located near the kitchen bar tables and left us with the menus to make our reviews.

Soon enough, once we were ready to eat, a waitress came by to our table to take down our main meal orders for lunch. We ordered several food items, such as Kobe beef sukiyaki, Kobe beef teriyaki rice bowl and several sashimi seafood dishes. Given that there were not much patrons dining in the restaurant, the service was somewhat slow but our meals arrived in time. Nevertheless, we had a sumptuous and filling Japanese lunch at The Grill Tokyo.

The interior of The Grill Tokyo at Siam Paragon during lunchtime hours shortly after we entered

The cover page for the sushi menu at The Grill Tokyo in Siam Paragon

Reviewing the sushi menu at The Grill Tokyo in Siam Paragon

The cover page for the meal set menu at The Grill Tokyo in Siam Paragon

Reviewing the meal set menu at The Grill Tokyo in Siam Paragon

The cover page for the side dishes menu at The Grill Tokyo in Siam Paragon

Reviewing the side dishes menu at The Grill Tokyo in Siam Paragon

A piece of grilled scallop for myself

A Kobe beef teriyaki rice bowl for myself

Our first platter of beef tongue shioyaki to be shared among us

A small basket of deep-fried prawns to be shared among my parents

A Kobe wagyu beef sukiyaki set for my younger brother at The Grill Tokyo in Siam Paragon. I can remember one of the best and most traditional sukiyaki meals I have eaten in Nagano, Japan, in June 2014

A sashimi platter to be shared among us

An extra platter of thinly-sliced Kobe beef for my younger brother's sukiyaki meal

Our second platter of beef tongue shioyaki to be shared among us

The interior of The Grill Tokyo at Siam Paragon shortly before we left the restaurant

After having a sumptuous and filling Japanese lunch at The Grill Tokyo, the clock was finally showing 1.45 p.m.. Feeling stuffed to the brim already, I decided to head to MBK Center, while my family decided to stay on at Siam Paragon to do their Hari Raya shopping. With that moment, we paid our lunch bill and left the restaurant by 1.50 p.m., and went our shopping ways, promising my parents to meet back at Siam Paragon once I was done at MBK Center.

With that, I walked through the mall in the direction to Siam BTS Station, taking approximately five minutes to reach there. Arriving at the entrance to Siam BTS Station at 1.55 p.m., I went to the nearest ticket vending machine to purchase a BTS train ticket to National Stadium, which was the closest BTS station to MBK Center. After purchasing my ticket, I went through the ticket gates and took the escalators up to Tracks No. 2 and 4 for my short trip to National Stadium.

The interior of The Grill Tokyo at Siam Paragon shortly after we finished lunch

The entrance to The Grill Tokyo at Siam Paragon as I begin to make my way to Siam BTS Station

The small man-made canal in the ground floor at Siam Paragon as I make my way to Siam BTS Station

Approaching the exit on the other side of Siam Paragon

The exterior entrance to Siam Paragon near Siam BTS Station on a clear afternoon

Approaching the main entrance to Siam BTS Station outside Siam Paragon

The ticketing gates in the station concourse at Siam BTS Station in the mid-afternoon hours

Taking the escalators up to the station platforms at Siam BTS Station

Tracks No. 1 and 3 serving the BTS Skytrains bound for Bang Wa and Bearing at Siam BTS Station during the mid-afternoon hours

Tracks No. 1 and 3 serving the BTS Skytrains bound for Mo Chit and National Stadium at Siam BTS Station during the mid-afternoon hours

After spending a few moments of anticipated waiting on the platforms, a 4-car BTS Changchun train finally arrived at Siam BTS Station at 3.04 p.m. on Track No. 4. Once the train doors were opened, I immediately boarded the train for the short hop of just one minute to National Stadium BTS Station, where MBK Center was located nearby.

Soon enough, within a few seconds, all the train doors were closed, and the BTS Changchun train finally pulled out of Siam BTS Station for its very final hop of its routine journey from Bang Wa to National Stadium on the Silom BTS Line. I was then on my way for a short hop of just one minute to National Stadium, where MBK Center was located nearby.

Finally pulling out of Siam BTS Station

Finally arriving at the National Stadium BTS terminal station

1) American Airlines Boeing 777-323/ER Herpa Scale 1:500 (523950)

American Airlines Boeing 777-323/ER Herpa Scale 1:500 (523950)

2) Austrian Airlines Boeing 777-2Z9/ER Herpa Scale 1:500 (506786-001)

3) Czech Airlines Airbus A330-323X Herpa Scale 1:500 (524520)

4) Etihad Airways Airbus A330-243 "Manchester City Football Club" Herpa Scale 1:500 (524094)

5) Iberia Airbus A330-302 Herpa Scale 1:500 (524551)

6) Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus A330-343X Herpa Scale 1:500 (523721)

This officially brings the second segment of my brief Hari Raya weekend trip to Bangkok, Thailand, in July 2014 to a formal close.