Market Treats: Banana Leaf Surprise and Sugar Can Juice

J'aime Saturdays. Samedis, I love you.

Saturdays are for sleeping in, lounging in bed and chatting with a half asleep Partner In Crime as the sun gives our room a soft light, and then leisurely coffees on the balcony as we watch the traffic madness on street 310 amp up to its midday fevered pace.

Saturdays are also the best exploring days. On this particular Saturday, PIC and I had a little wander around Boeng Keng Kang Market. A mix of shoes (in impossibly small sizes, sadly), dresses (why so short?), men's clothing, the usual Cambo market twist on a food court (which is to say, lots of grills in a central area, with used dishes being rinsed in a tub of semi-opaque water) and other loveliness, BKK Market thanfully lacks the touristy elements of Russian Market, but doesn't have nearly the same range of goodies as Central Market.

Tis definitely a smaller market, though there's a lot packed in (read: narrow lanes), and one that I have only ever seen a few foreigners within. I definitely owe you faithful readers a few pictures, but I just wasn't feeling like playing the tourist part today.

Until I was.

And then I decided that it was high time to figure out what, oh WHAT, is in those banana leaves that are grilled up streetside around town, as well as investigating just HOW that sugarcane juice tastes afterall. Because I seem to be a blogger with a lack of foresight, I neglected to snap the happy banana leaf man and his grill or the really neat-o looking sugar cane press machine that squeezes out the juice. Som dtoh, dear readers. Maybe later?

ANYway, what I do have for you today is a review of these streetside delicacies.
The banana leaf surprise was filled with yummy coconut sticky rice wrapped around a warm tiny banana. Amazingness in my mouth. And for only 1000 Riel - aka 25 cents! Sincerely delicious and filling... felt like a dessert. Anybody know where it lies on the healthy food / junk food spectrum?

The sugar cane juice was... meh. It definitely didn't taste quite like I expected. Actually, I didn't think it tasted like much at all, and it was eerie how little aftertaste there was. It was really neither sweet enough to rival other sugary drinks, like soda, nor was it refreshing. Boo. At least the machine is pretty cool.

Too bad you don't get to see that part.
(Okay, I won't be cruel. It looks like this.)

And that's what Saturdays are for!
Hope your Saturday was banana leaf surprise levels of awesome!

xx Lady Expatriate 

P.S. Do tell! Have you tried either of these concoctions? ...aaaand?!