Almost Unseen Thonburi I : Talad Plu… Open My Mouth to Eat, Open My Ear to Learn 2

Let's move closer to the market. You must be wondering "what on earth is this?". This castle-like building looks like a Mandapa but it is not that close to Mandapa. It is a Chinese style four-sided castle built on a hill. This is an old temple that brings a hill to the temple. The name is Wat Rajkrueh.

The Chinese style hill that is full of trees is locally known as "Khao Mor". It is composed of a rock from the sea. It demonstrates a scenery of China. Khao Mor was a popular trend in the beginning of Rattanakosin era. You can see Khao Mor in thre Grand Palace, temple in the early period such as Wat Prayurawong and Wat Arun. You may wonder why it is called Khao Mor. It came from a Khmer word "Ta Mor", which mean rock. So, Khao Mor means 'Rocky Hill'.

At the bottom, it is full of the ashes from the deceased but you will be relieved when you see a replica of Lord Buddha's footprint.

There was one man behind the erection of the hill in the temple. He was a great noble man, who excelled in battle, governing and literature. If you are over thirty years old, you must have read one of his literature works. He is famous for multi-character fictions such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Chronicle of Razadarit and Panji Tales. The Thai people know him as Chao Phraya Phra Khlang (Hon).

The temple also keeps an unseen historical evidence of a legendary figure in Thai history. It has been kept here for 230 years. The white stupa that is located by the main pagoda in the middle of the parking lot is where the ashes of Phraya Pichai Daap Hak is kept. He was a war hero, who went to the battle with King Taksin. Phraya Pichai was executed after he refused to serve the new king. The ashes of Phraya Pichai were brought to this temple. In July 2019, his ashes were moved to be stored at Phraya Pichai's hometown, Pichai District in Uttaradit Province.

Talad Plu, a street food haven, welcomes a large flock of foodies from day to night. Old and new restaurants are here to serve the visitor. A wide variety of dishes is served here. There are many popular dishes indeed. One of them is Kra Pro Pla (Fish Maw Soup).

A Truly Hybrid Fish Maw Soup

Fish Maw Soup that is not Fish Maw Soup. This is not a new single from Getsunova. But it is a fusion style Fish Maw Soup that comes with its own signature recipe. The fish maw is replaced by pork skin. But this not a case (as trhere are many shops that also use pork skin). The highlight is the other ingredients that will make you mouth-watering.

There are many ingredients that you might think not match with Fish Maw Soup such as chicken neck. The chicken neck is boiled until it is super tender that you can suck the meat out of the bone. The soup is also added with chicken egg not quail egg. The soup itself is dense and has a pleasant smell. Imagine all these ingredients are put together in one bowl, how tasty it will be.

The Fish Maw Soup shop is situated alone. It is decorated in vintage style. The shop is near Talad Plu Train Station. It opens from the late morning and until the afternoon. It closes on Sunday.

Nowadays, Talad Plu charm the foodies from all over the world. It is widely admired for the taste and the wide variety of food. Also, Talad Plu welcomes a lot of people who live nearby as a food haven and a hang out spot. You can enjoy the historical story and the food in the same time here in Talad Plu.