Two weeks ago, during one of the two days when I could have fish and seafood during the Easter lent, a very dear friend of mine took me out for dinner to Smiling BKK. It was a period when I used to tell everyone that I love Thai food, without even trying it properly somewhere. I guess I knew from back then that I would fall madly helplessly in love with the Thai cuisine.
For those of you who lack a sense of orientation (like myself!), finding Smiling BKK will be challenging and you will most probably find yourself hunting the restaurant somewhere between Al Wasl road post office and the back streets of Jumeirah Road. I tell you, even spending one day looking for this place, it will be totally worth it!
The logo of Smiling BKK is Mona-Lisa. What's going on between a Thai resto and the world's most famous French painting? Not much, to be honest...and, on top of it all, this lady has a moustache, how weird, right? Wait until you get in.
So, we go in and guess what? Things start to get more weird...For a second, I thought I stepped into a time machine and went back to Amsterdam in a coffeeshop and I was having a weird trip (Sorry, mum!). In a small dark room, with black walls and a colorful array of ceiling lamps and walls where the paint was replaced with random photos from who knows where, were 8. From the Dubai grandious restaurants in fancy hotels to this is a long long way!
Before I forget, what I liked about the decor were the two mirrors placed strategically opposite each other to create the idea of a larger space...Brilliant!
My friend and I sit down at a table of two towards the back and a very friendly waiter shows up with the menus. Did you know that Smiling BKK has the largest menu from all restaurants in Dubai? I didnt and I was in for a surprise.
People who know me well never ask me to make any kind of decision. Whether it's about what to wear, what to drink, where to go, if I like red better than yellow, you will never get a clear answer. Hello everyone, my name is Ioana and I am indecisive! So seeing the menu almost brought tears to my eyes and something close to a panic attack (never really had one, but I guess that's what it feels like), with all its symptoms of accelerated heartbeat, heavy breathing and the works.  While browsing through the menu, I realized things are not that bad:  the first page of this gigantic intimating thing represents the selection of their most popular dishes form all the categories. So yeah baby, I was back! Alive and kicking.
Deciding on the starters was a piece of cake: green papaya salad (a Thai classic!) and Tom Yum soup (another oldie but goldie). As a second course, we opted for steamed mussels with a "imposible to describe in words" spicy sauce and green curry with steamed rice.
For drinks, instead of going "local still water, room temperature please", we went all Thai: lemongrass iced tea and a black Thai iced tea....from unidentified ingredients.Good that we went against the current and rebelled against the typical Dubai drinks order because the teas were great (the lemongrass one better, in my opinion).
So anyway, we place the order, the waiter leaves and I take out my camera and start clicking left and right. I have an unhealthy obssesion regarding the other diners and their plates and see what they're having (it's weird and people might think i'm deranged).  Also, ifyou are one of these people that get esily distract or have the attention span of a mouse (I don't like mosquitos, I don't like mice either but i imagine them all like Jerry and that makes them cute), the menu features a series of jokes (very funny ones actually) and magazine pages instead of table mats. For example, during my dinner, I found out what to do if you're stuck in unhappy marriage! useful, right?
Right. The green papaya salad arrives: tadaaaa! A mix of crunchy papaya, nuts, red pepper, green beans, carrot, and fresh garlic, drizzled with a lemony spicy dressing. A perfect blend of sweet and sour and spicy, very refreshing in the begnning, spicy in the middle, the nutty earthy flavors shining through at the end and tempering the spicy.. I never had green papaya before but for sure this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Second thing: soup! the tom yum soup arrives pipping hot in two bowls as asked. The usual ingredients - Lemongrass, mushrooms, coriander, prAwns, lime leaves. For some reason, I was always used to having red tom yum soup, the one with red chilli paste, but this was was different, ws a a clear broth.. It could have been purple for all I know, it was out of this world! Prawns perfectly cooked, just the right heat...
You know how we all have our comfort food, the one that hugs us and tell us everything will be fine when we're feeling under the rain? Well this tom yum is the onel screaming at you "get out of bed you looser, life's too good to be wasted watching rom-com, go out and do something about it!". In a very loving manner, of course, like a tough coach will tell to his students...
To continue the so far awesome culinary trip, a bowl of steamed mussels arrives on the table: lemongrass, Thai basil, red chili and very possible other tradiotional Thai herbs. Used to the Belgium steamed mussels, swimming in white wine, parsley, lemon and butter, this Thai recipe was a sought-after change.  How to describe the best? It tastes like the sea marries Thailand and gave birth to a spicy sea. The Baa Baa (the menu name of the "spicy sea") came accompanied by a dipping sauce, in which I, as a true courageous eater, I indulged greedly. God, talk about spice! My eyes became watery, my mouth was on fire! that sauce can wake up someone from the deepest coma and I am not kidding. Needless to say, the mussels were cooked to perfection.
The last thing that we ordered was the day trippin Buddha - green curry- with steamed rice. A tad too watery for my taste, with a lot of coconut milk than usual, it was more like a soup than a creamy curry. The red chili and basil flavours ran beautifully through it though and the perfectly cooked prawns made this curry a perfect, comforting hug (as opossed to the tom yum soup).  Tasting the curry alone, the mouth is covered ina layer of soothing coconut milk, through which the spices come gently through. It didn't score a high score with me, but my dining partner was extatic and was close to licking the plate (true story).
There are few restaurants where I ate in Dubai that have the power to take me away from the city (or better said, take Dubai out of me), from the busyness, the crowd, the constant phone ringing and BBM light flashing, the living in the future, the planning and the agendas and just, help me be. Smiling BKK is one of them because it is so fuss-free, so laid back and so "right" that you just want to ask them if they have a couch where you can sleep over night and probably never leave.
I encourage everyone to visit this place, but beware: Smiling BKK is having a like a shot of heroin, you know you will come back for more.