Or Tor Kor Market @ Bangkok

Since Chatuchak Market no longer wowed like before, the only other reason for heading all the way there is for Or Tor Kor Market - for the king of fruit! Plus, with the title of "World's Fourth Best Fresh Market", a visit will not hurt!



It amazes me how spacious their train stations are, and how under utilised it is. Anyhow, head in the direction of Marketing Organization for Farmers.



The huge Chatuchak Market Map that would probably be useful for those checking it out after paying the market a visit.

The market itself is impossible to miss, granted the rows that greet you at the entrance.



Airy pathways and neatly stacked produce makes this market not quite the market I had in mind - too clean infact.

 

Durian chips for souvenirs?



There's a rice merchant furthest down the row too. It seemed to me that the rich and chefs from renown restaurants would come here to shop. A number of locals were spotted doing their grocery shopping too...just not in hordes that I would sight at our own local markets. Maybe there is really one for the masses which I did not discover yet.



And these are what we came for.



Durians with prices listed.



The golden pillow.





The prices did vary a fair bit across the stalls and we headed for one that was patronized by locals. Samples are freeflow and honestly, I felt obligated to buy the durians.



Quite unlike the Malaysian durians, these Thai durians are more fibrous, less fragrant but creamier. We had a go at both the Kanyao and Montong but the elusive Nonthaburi was no where in sight for sampling - dang!

These cost us nearly THB 800 since they charge by weight. Granted each piece easily had 2-3 seeds worth, but it was still a price to pay for them. Did we leave fans of Thai Durian? Not quite.

Also not to be missed is their food court which would rival most shopping mall's.



Presumably a Thai version of our cai png store.



Dishes are chargeable by weight and hordes of people were doing their takeaways.



For the peckish are these skewers of pork balls.



Even stuffed crabs made it to the array.



How about a freshly fried oyster omelette?



Those impossibly bright orange egg yolk eggs caught my eye.



Lunch crowds - but the main point about this was - how immaculately clean it is! For Thai standards and even our local standards too.



Duck King



Roast duck noodles because most of the tables around us had an order of this. Slurpworthy noodles and a robust broth (surprise, surprise!) with such tender duck slices and wanton dumplings too. The Hongkonger was visibly impressed and so was I, who'd have thought a food court would have such a spot on noodle dish! This would trump some of the wanton noodle shops in Hongkong too.






No visit to Bangkok is ever complete without a plate of Som Tum (THB 50). And watching the lady pound, toss and season is quite a sight. Wickedly put together, this turned out to be my favouritest som tum on the trip.






Wagyu Beef Noodle (THB 80) from this French Thai stall is one of the pricier dishes in the food court. Wagyu or not, it definitely did not taste like the marbled beef - more like any regular cut. Yet that said the wholesome broth more than made up for it





Well just for the greens (THB 40).



And this legit plate of basil chicken which summed up our not so cheap afterall lunch.



Right smack in the middle of this hustle is this very out of place yet gorgeous looking confectionery offers not only air conditioning comfort but also a visual display of intricately crafted sweets.



Luk Chuup made so pretty and so delicious too, I had them all to myself!

I would recommend a visit to Or Tor Kor Market for the dining experience more than the durians. The companion was not convinced the rich and chefs would head there just to pick out perfectly shaped fruits or durians for that matter - but that shall remain another topic for debate.