Dakasi

B40. Siam Square Soi 7. Open daily 11am–10pm. 080-080-0600
The cup is compact and easy to carry. Sadly, though, the tiny pearls taste flat and the texture is pretty chewy. The pale milk tea is too creamy, with lots of powdered milk flavor and only a faint hint and aroma of tea. Nor do we like the over-frothy consistency of the tea.

Koguma Kafe

B35. Soi Yada, Silom Rd. Open daily 11am-midnight. 02-632-8822
The small cup and a non-sealed lid may make the drink less appealing and carry-friendly than other brands but the line in front of Koguma Kafe is usually long at lunchtime. Apart from the cute little yellow bear on the cup, what we love about Koguma is its authentic jasmine tea flavor. The milk tastes nice and smooth, but sadly the not-so-chewy pearls fall prey to the ubiquitous crime of blandness.

Miss Mamon

B40. G/F, Silom Complex. Open daily 10:30am-8pm. 02-632-1200
Miss Mamon bubble tea makes you feel like the sunny smiley face on their cup. The color is neither too white nor too brown, and the tea smells fresh, is well-balanced, and tastes delicious: smooth and a bit milky, but not creamy. The pearls’ texture is soft, not at all chewy or sticky, and they taste slightly sweet—again, just right.

Mr. Cup Tea & Coffee

B40. Siam Square Parking lot 1. Open daily 10am-10pm. 085-405-5551
Recently opened, Mr. Cup has already become quite a hit. Quite a nice blend between the milk and the tea, with just the right amount of bitterness and smoothness, but the aroma of the tea is a bit too strong. The pearls are also rather dense and insipid.

Mr. Shake

B40. By Pass at Siam Square (opp. Digital Gateway). Open daily 10am-9pm. 089-008-8899
Owning the highest number of branches, Mr. Shake is a bubble tea kingpin. The brownest of all the bubble teas, it smells fresh and feels neither too creamy nor too watery. Too bad the tea tastes a bit too sweet. But what we really love about Mr. Shake is its chewy and brown-sugar sweet pearls. Still, their cup is rather small and often filled with lots of big ice cubes, and it’s slightly more pricey than its competitors.

Ochaya

B35. Soi Sala Deang, Silom Rd. Open daily 6am-6:30pm. 086-629-9655
Although it smells like freshly brewed tea and has a pleasant bitter taste, Ochaya’s milk tea is too watery, lacking the creaminess of the milk. Still, the pearls are quite a treat. They are soft and sweet. Plus, Ochaya is by far the cheapest because of its tall cup—though that makes it less convenient to tote around.

T.Bar

B35. Siam Square near 29 Plaza. Open daily 10:30am–8pm. 081-825-5082
T.Bar is another newcomer in the bubble tea market. But in today’s health-conscious atmosphere, it offers something unusual: a choice of five levels of sweetness with level four as ‘standard sweet’! As interesting as this sounds, the tea, though quite smooth, tastes too milky and has a strong smell we can’t quite place. The pearls are tough in texture and bland in taste.

BUBBLES 101
The craze for bubble tea, or cha nom khai mook, started in Taiwan about 30 years ago and has since spread around the world, reaching tea lovers as far away as North America and the UK, where the first shop specializing exclusively in bubble tea just opened this year. The signature twist, of course, is the bite-sized dark pearls at the bottom of the drink, for which extra fat straws are provided. These pearls are made of starch from tapioca, a plant also known as sago and cassava in other parts of the world. The pearls first have to be boiled, stewed, then soaked in a sugary syrup for up to four hours before being deemed ready for consumption. Actually, they’re not even exclusive to bubble tea, but are added to other desserts as well. You may find them gooey or otherwise icky, but slurping up these beauties through big, brightly colored straws, are one of the joys of bubble tea, making them insanely popular and prompting shop owners to come up with their own fun, flavorful and chew-worthy alternatives, ranging from jellies to pudding mixes. Here we round up some of the stranger options that the top bubble tea shops in Bangkok have to offer:

Dakasi: pineapple jelly, aloe, chocolate pudding
Mr. Cup: chao kuay (grass jelly), vanilla ice cream
Mr. Shake: honey jelly, milk pudding, apple jelly
T.Bar: kanten (a Japanese gelatin)
Miss Mamon: azuki (red) beans, milk pudding

LG Cinema 3D LW6500

B22,990-B299,990 (32”/42”/47”/55”/65”). Call center 02-878-5757, www.lg.com/th
At a glance: The update to the world’s first Full LED 3D television LX9500 (winner of the Red Dot Design Award in 2010) boasts a similarly stylish design and sleek finish.
In action: The LW6500 does not use battery-controlled 3D glasses, meaning they don’t flicker, don’t cause headaches when watching in a room less than pitch dark and don’t suffer from ghost images. Also, the glasses look a lot cooler.
What else? The pre-equipped Smart TV feature means you can also enjoy surf ing the internet and plays all kinds of media.

Toshiba Regza WL700T

B69,990/89,990 (46”/55”). www.toshiba.co.th
At a glance: Toshiba’s first 3D television, the Regza WL700T, comes with a stunning design by Jacob Jensen Design: a single glass panel bordered with polished metal, only 2.89cm thick.
In action: The 14-bit video processing promises smooth and clear motion graphics, Audyssey EQ helps correct delayed and distorted sounds, and the AutoView automatically adjusts the backlight according to your room’s brightness, reducing power consumption.
What else? It’s cheap but it can’t connect to the internet.

Samsung Series 8 8000

B129,000 (55”). www.samsung.com/th
At a glance: The Samsung 8000 is less than 3cm thick, and the metallic materials and glossy glass panel look great.
In action: The HyperReal 3D Engine works with the RealD 3D system, which works with polarized glasses like some movie theaters: the image is slightly darker but the glasses don’t require batteries and there is no flickering.
What else: Internet@TV gives you access to social media channels and web to internet via LAN or Wi-Fi (sold separately).

Sony Bravia NX710/810

B43,990-141,990 (40”/46”/55”/60)
At a glance: A shiny, slim screen panel on an metallic stand that also works as a powerful speaker.
In action: Its Dynamic Edge with OptiContrast Panel produces deeper blacks with the Montionflow Pro 100Hz should make 60fps motion pictures smoother.
What else: Connects to the internet through LAN or Wi-Fi (sold separately).

Varekai by Cirque du Soleil

As the world’s most-celebrated circus and acrobat troupe, Cirque du Soleil’s productions are nothing if not extravagant. Touring Asia now is their show Varekai, which means “wherever” in Romany. First premiered in 2002, Varekai portrays the adventure of a fallen angel in a lush jungle. May is the last chance to catch the show in Seoul, South Korea, before it premieres in Manila in June.
Through May 29. Seoul, South Korea. Jun 22-Jul 10. Manila, Philippines.
www.cirquedusoleil.com

Melbourne International Jazz Festival

A baby at just five years old, the Melbourne Jazz Festival nevertheless pulls in music lovers with its list of visiting jazz talents. This year you’ll get to experience shows by the Ron Carter Trio, Chris Botti, Sonny Rollins and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, among others.
Jun 4-13. Melbourne, Australia. www.melbournejazz.com

Bali Arts Festival

This month-long arts festival is the largest cultural event in Denpasar. Now in its 33rd year, the Bali Arts Festival is bringing together local art forms and artists from several villages on the island to showcase their folk performances, dances and music, as well as handicraft products and textiles. Showcases change daily so check the schedule prior to your visit.
Jun 12-Jul 10. Bali, Indonesia. www.baliartsfestival.com

Shanghai International Film Festival

Started in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival is China’s premier movie event. Apart from the line up of international flicks competing for the Golden Goblet Award, the event will feature six classic films by Polish master director Krzystof Kieslowski (The Decalogue, Three Colours Trilogy) to commemorate his 100th anniversary, 15 years after his death.
Jun 11-19. Shanghai, China. www.siff.com

Gion Matsuri

According to legend, it all started around 869 CE when there was an epidemic in Tokyo and people had festive ceremonies in the streets to appease the gods. The celebration is now Kyoto’s largest festival. Though it lasts the whole month of July, the grandest highlight is on Jul 17 when there’s the Yamaboko Parade in which thousands of people parade through the streets playing traditional music and carrying offerings for the gods. One of the most popular tourist activities is dressing up in traditional kimonos and, well, just going with the flow.
Jul 1-31. Kyoto, Japan. www.yokosojapan.org

Rainforest World Music Festival

Now in its 14th year, the Rainforest World Music Festival is ranked one of the top 25 international festivals by UKbased world music magazine Songlines. Set at the base of Gunung Santubong in the Sarawak Cultural Village, this year’s festival features performers from nearly two dozen countries, from Algeria to Vanuatu.
Jul 8-10. Sarawak, Malaysia. www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com

Melbourne International Film Festival

Founded in 1951, MIFF is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The largest film festival in Australia, the MIFF showcases more than 400 films from international directors—everything from large-scale productions to short films and documentaries.
Jul 21-Aug 7. Melbourne, Australia. www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au

Thanongchai Talavanich, owner of O-Corner (6/F, MBK, 02-611-4880. BTS National Stadium) tells us about his passion for retro gaming and how he started his store.

How did you start your shop?
I was a gamer since I was young. I experienced these video games from their very first generation. At that time, I was studying veterinary medicine at Chulalongkorn University and during my fifth year, I had a lot of free time. I decided to take a Japanese language course and I began to frequently visit Japan. My friends would always ask me to bring back games. I had this Japanese friend in university and, one day, he saw me holding a bag from his parent’s shop in Japan! Selling video games was his family’s business. So, two years after graduating, we came up with this idea of opening a shop at MBK and importing new and used games from Japan.

What is your first video game and console?
The first game that I seriously played was “Mario” on the Family Computer by Nintendo, although “Pong” on the Atari is even older.

Is your entire collection for sale?
If you’re thinking of being a seller, you cannot be possessive. Maybe I’ll have a console of which only three exist in Thailand. But if someone out there wants it more than I do, I’ll sell it to them. I’d rather the game or console be with someone who really wants it. After selling it, I miss it, though. I’m also a collector that way. But I never regret it. I’ll have a chance to find more in Japan, whereas my clients only have my shop. There is this one console I’m really attached to. It’s a Gameboy booth that comes with a big screen. My friend said I could have it after we had been running this shop together for three years. There are less than five in the whole world that are still in working order.

What is your favorite console and game?
My first experiences were on the Family Computer by Nintendo which is also my inspiration for starting this business. But today, my favorite one is the NEO-GEO by SNK because you really get that feeling of playing in an arcade. The NEO-GEO is the most expensive console in this shop, though—it’s 50,000 baht. Also I’ve grown up, I have less free time, and I like games you can finish quickly. My all-time favorite game is Mario 3 though, because of the exquisite graphics. I never feel bored playing it, even though I’ve finished the games 50 times or more.

What do you think about TCDC’s Digiplay exhibition?
There’s about 40 items from my shop that have been put in the exhibition. At first, I couldn’t believe that they were really interested, because TCDC is about design. After I’ve saw the exhibition, I realized that they’re right; video game consoles have been carefully designed to impress people. I think it’s a good exhibition. It feels like a museum of retro games.

Do some people buy these consoles for decoration?
Yes. Here, we’re talking about rich people whose homes have entertainment rooms full of different consoles and they can play them on a huge screen. Sometimes they decorate their walls with these games. These people are actually pickier than game collectors because every game has to be playable. It’s like showing off and upgrading your social status. Interview by Rattikarn Suwithayaphan

DigiPlay is on display until May 22 at TCDC.

The craze for bubble tea, or cha nom khai mook, started in Taiwan about 30 years ago and has since spread around the world, reaching tea lovers as far away as North America and the UK, where the first shop specializing exclusively in bubble tea just opened this year. The signature twist, of course, is the bite-sized dark pearls at the bottom of the drink, for which extra fat straws are provided. These pearls are made of starch from tapioca, a plant also known as sago and cassava in other parts of the world. The pearls first have to be boiled, stewed, then soaked in a sugary syrup for up to four hours before being deemed ready for consumption. Actually, they’re not even exclusive to bubble tea, but are added to other desserts as well. You may find them gooey or otherwise icky, but slurping up these beauties through big, brightly colored straws, are one of the joys of bubble tea, making them insanely popular and prompting shop owners to come up with their own fun, flavorful and chew-worthy alternatives, ranging from jellies to pudding mixes. Here we round up some of the stranger options that the top bubble tea shops in Bangkok have to offer:

Dakasi: pineapple jelly, aloe, chocolate pudding
Mr. Cup: chao kuay (grass jelly), vanilla ice cream
Mr. Shake:  honey jelly, milk pudding, apple jelly
T.Bar: kanten (a Japanese gelatin)
Miss Mamon: azuki (red) beans, milk pudding

Why did you feel compelled to return to this painful period of Cambodian history?
I have come to understand why my family and many thousands of Cambodian were killed. I want to help Cambodians and the world understand in greater detail why this disaster happened in the hope we will not repeat history.

What has been the feedback like in Cambodia?
The film was only shown in one small cinema in Phnom Penh because the government don’t allow it to be shown widely. But those Cambodians who have seen it have been excited and I believe we are entering a new phase of understanding our history. It has encouraged them to learn more about the Khmer Rouge. The younger generation have read books and seen films and heard their parents telling them about atrocity and starvation but they don’t believe, because they’ve grown up in a more peaceful society.

Any comments on the current Thai-Cambodian relationship?
I do not want to see any fighting or killing from the dispute over the border and temple. I am a Cambodian and I have lived through many wars and I see how war always destroys people’s lives and fragments society. If we [Thailand and Cambodia] do not agree at any point, we should solve it in a peaceful way through discussion. But if that is not possible, we should go to court. There we shall have to smile at each other and accept the court’s decision. It is a good lesson for the new generation to learn.

What’s next?
The killing fields are actually a result of the political conflict that went on inside the Khmer Rouge party. We plan to show this in much greater detail in our second film, Suspicious Minds. It will feature the same people as in Enemies of the People. But it will also include others who were on both sides of the political struggle.

Enemies of the People is screened exclusively at SF World Cinema (7/F CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., 02-268-8888. www.sfcinemacity.com).

How did you two start doing the show?
Pairoj: We first began around two years ago. At first Kartoon started off with her solo shows when she was five. After she was on Dan Dara, part of At Ten’s famous talent show on Channel 3, she was invited as a guest to many TV shows, game shows and events.

Why did you decide to do the show here at the hospital?
Pairoj: Well, we didn’t think it would be this way, but when an organizer contacts us, we go and perform; so it’s really our job now. Sometimes we also go to shows outside of Bangkok and even weddings and birthday parties. It’s something we are happy doing and I think we wouldn’t do anything else.

Kartoon, when did you start playing violin?
Kartoon: My dad taught me when I was three years old. I can also play piano, guitar and drums. In the future, I would like to learn the flute and ukulele.
Pairoj: I’m a violin teacher. I teach in school, at student’s houses and also at home. After teaching Kartoon, I noticed that she picked it up really fast and obviously had a gift. She could remember all the notes from books and even began transcribing chords from famous songs.

How much do you charge for performances?
Pairoj: It depends on the particular show. This one pays B3,000, but at other events outside Bangkok, it can be up to B30,000. Sometimes, we also do it for free.

Has Kartoon been in any contest before?
Pairoj: Yes, she has been in many contests and won many. Recently, she competed in a contest on Phuying Tueng Phuying [a TV program], where she had to hula hoop while playing the violin.

Do you ever feel tired?
Kartoon: Never, because I have so much fun and I don’t get lonely. I feel like there’s always someone beside me and it’s like playing with a friend. Also when there’s a lot of audience, it pushes me to perform to the utmost.

What are your dreams?
Kartoon: My dream is to be like Vanessa Mae [Thai-Singaporian violinist].
Pairoj: My dream is to see Kartoon take her musical skills to the national stage. She needs to practice hard.

How does your wife help with the shows?
Pairoj: She is our personal manager. She takes care of the schedule and Kartoon’s clothing and makeup. Sometimes when the schedule is tight, she has to feed Kartoon in the car while reading a map to figure out where we’re going next. Interview by Rattikarn Suwithayaphan