So I went to Bangkok last month for a short holiday and before it becomes another one of my undocumented travels (like my Taiwan trip in Dec 2014), I thought I'll better write it down before I forget everything.

Basically I put away the weighing machine and turned on the feasting machine.  Of course I didn't eat all day. When I'm not eating, I'll be shopping for snacks to bring home. A list of my favourite snacks:

1. Cuttlefish snacks - blue, red, orange, in order of increasing spiciness (Big C)

My favourite is actually the blue one. Don't judge. Its level of spiciness is more acceptable by my taste buds. 

2. Mama Tom Yam Goong instant noodles (Big C)

This is supposedly one of the top ten instant noodles in the world. I find the taste a bit underwhelming despite using all the sauce and mix. Nevertheless, still not too bad compared to other brands I had.

3. Thai Milk Tea (Big C) 

Requires no introduction. It's way cheaper in Thailand.

4. Koh Kae Peanuts shrimp flavour (Big C)

Was trying to find the Tom yam flavour in Big C but can't find. So I got the shrimp flavour to try. The peanuts are crunchy and coated with thin layer of shrimp flavored mix. Quite palatable and addictive.

5. Pretz Tom Yam flavour (Big C)

Addictive mid day snack but some might find it overly seasoned. Might be bad for health but who cares..

6. 林真香 crispy thin pork biscuits

I call them paper pork because they are as thin as paper. The pork meat is pressed and baked into a crackly and light texture. 

7. 林真香 XO egg roll with pork floss - a must buy

Fragrant XO sauce fluffy pork floss is wrapped in a thin crackly egg roll. A simple snack that offers enjoyment in texture and taste.

8. Koh Kae Peanuts Tom Yum Flavour (Chatuchak Weekend Market) 

I was hunting this in Big C and every single convenience store. Lo and behold I found the Tom yum flavour at a Koh Kae speciality store in Chatuchak! Addictive and irresistible, I am amazed at the quality of the crunchy peanuts and how Tom Yum matches it so well.

9. Rice crackers crab curry and Tom Yam flavours (from airport)

These lightweight rice crackers surely made me feel less guilty even if they are crab curry and Tom Yum. 

When my mother heard of the legend of how this year's record breaker queued for 7 hours for Lim Chee Guan's bak kwa (barbecued pork), she was like, "Aiyoh these people jia ba ka eng, normal days don't want to eat bak kwa.. now wait till prices so high, long queues during Chinese New Year then say want to eat. You all don't waste time to queue ah."

That was before she found out that her filial children had just bought bak kwa from Lim Chee Guan and Bee Cheng Hiang. Anyway since buy already, can only eat.

So I had the chance to eat these two major bak kwa brands side-by-side (literally, one hand holding LCG and the other holding BCH) and below are my personal comparison notes.

Lim Chee Guan (LCG) Sliced pork vs Bee Cheng Hiang (BCH) Minced pork

Sweetness:
LCG - Not overly sweet. It is more savoury and smoky than sweet. (Win)
BCH - Much sweeter than LCG's.

Smokiness:
LCG - Not too many charcoal bits. However, each piece had the smoky flavor. (win)
BCH - Not too many charcoal bits. Each piece has potential to be more smoky.

Tenderness:
LCG - Not really an apple vs apple comparison since sliced pork is usually harder than minced pork. Anyway if we still want to compare, then this is harder than BCH's minced pork.
BCH - I always buy minced version from BCH because their sliced version is too hard. (Win)

Savouriness:
LCG -Got the bak meaty feel and taste. (Win)
BCH - Got more caramelized sugar taste. But more moist than LCG.

Overall winner: LCG ! But if you ask me to queue for 7 hours, I rather buy BCH.

Actually, I still don't know why we eat bak kwa during CNY. One thing I know is the bak kwas and its other CNY accomplices had consumed my calories intake limit for the month. 

Worth mentioning : Not forgetting BCH's prawn rolls. They are my favorite CNY snack. Crispy rolls of spicy dried shrimps. Extremely addictive and I can't stop once I opened it. If anybody wants to plot for me to have clogged arteries and heart attack, they just need to feed me an endless supply of this.