Pretty Tasty Street Flower

Just a 5-minute walk from my street, there is a big road with a supermarket, a gas station, a hawker center (open-air food court with cheap food stalls), several restaurants and eating shops (mini restaurants with a limited menu).

Since my roommates are two models (a Brazilian woman and a South African guy) and a law student and her boyfriend (both Canadians), the communcal living room and kitchen can get quite crowded. They are fantastic, easygoing roommates and they cook often. But I prefer to eat out since it's quicker, cheaper and I get to maintain my lazy city lifestyle.

I like walking down to the shops despite the heat because I always marvel at the variety of trees, plants and flowers on my street. Everything grows and changes so fast in this climate; it's hot and sunny for 3-4 days and then torrential rain pours down for half a day or night. Just today, I was shocked to see this crimson banana flower and baby bunch, which was not there a couple of days earlier.


I'm very tempted to steal the flower after a few more days and slice it into a refreshing summer salad with peanuts, chilis and red onions. For those of you who have not had the pleasure to taste such a salad in Thailand, perhaps at a tiny beach hut run by a big woman with the shyest smile and a few words of English... You'll just have to come to this side of the world and experience it. It is absolutely marvelous - a fusion of unexpected yet delectable flavors at the end of your fork. I would be happy to be your gastronomic guide.