Big Yellow Taxi goes to Paradise Park

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

With a pink hotel, a boutique

And a swinging hot spot

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot.

~Joni Mitchell

Bangkok loves shopping malls. Fortunately, I think, the city is running out of space for these monstrosities that can sprawl out over a city block or two. So instead of building a new mall, the old Seri Center got a make-over and a new name, the ritzy Paradise Park. The name doesn't call to mind a shopping center-- a housing development maybe--but it does reflect a belief here among property developers that English names bestow a cachet of internationalism and sophistication. To me, it's more sixties, rather hippie-like. "Big Yellow Taxi" in the Bangkok version.

The restaurants on three

It even has flowers on the ceiling. Each floor is themed: restaurants, IT, boutiques, food and more food, as in a food bazaar and a huge version of Villa Supermarket that caters to all foods farang. I like that; a foodie paradise. Here on the third floor are international restaurants. This is the view from Viet Cuisine.

The Viet Cuisine blended Japanese with Vietnamese and Thai. The bento set meal, that quintessential Japanese meal in a box,  came with a drink, iced Lemongrass tea, and a light consommé with shrimp.

T-Det means "Superb"

We ate dessert here. The restaurant specializes in kway teo (rice noodle soup) made with US beef. The husband and wife owners, Peng and Ouay, have another branch on Sukhumvit Road. Ouay is an excellent baker and all desserts are home-made. On Andy's recommendation we shared this Young Coconut Cake. A slice of sponge cake layered with slivers of fresh coconut meat and a light cream frosting. Andy and I give T-Det a thumbs-up for this delicious cake!

T-Det's Young Coconut Cake