Hi -

I was in Thailand recently, and was served Miang as a complimentary
appetizer at Baan Kanitha, the upscale, great restaurant in Bangkok. I
had it there before, but noted a little more clearly the ingredients
this time. Don't miss eating there if you visit Bangkok!

I never saw it in any US Thai restaurant, but some websites say it is
common - is that so?

For descriptions of the snack, which is utterly simple in conception and
just so delicious in taste, here's 2 sites, one describing Miang Kham,
the other just Miang in general:

http://www.realthairecipes.com/recip...wrapped-snack/

http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eating...hai_bites.html

I also sought out Chotchitr, a place recommended by the late R.W.Apple
in his great article in the NY Times about Bangkok restaurants ('Two
Guys Keeping it Real in Bangkok'), where they have a banana blossom
salad that is worth the effort of find the place. Its at 146 Phraeng
Phuton, off Tanao Road about a mile south of Khao San Road, for those
who are interested, and the cost is minimal. Can banana blossoms be
found in the US - or is there any substitute?

Apple's Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/di...rssnyt&emc=rss

I also ate some great fried chicken in several nondescript places, with
a spicy reddish dipping sauce. I don't think it was 'Crying Tiger', but
does anyone have a sense of what the sauce might have been? It was quite
similar in several places. Each time they took a fried piece of chicken,
chopped it up, and put it on top of some rice, with garnish of cucumber,
and sometimes with a small bowl of clear chicken broth (sometimes
extremely tasty broth, at that). The sauce was in a big bowl on the side
of the counter, and you used a dippper to help yourself to whatever you
needed.

Cheers,

Ian