My brother swore by a 'coffee shop rule' in Bangkok that backfired hard

He told me to always pick a spot with at least three other people on laptops, said it meant good wifi and power outlets. So I walked into this place in Silom with a perfect laptop-to-person ratio and set up for a 2pm client call. Five minutes in, the whole place went dark and silent. Turns out it was a weekly 'digital detox' hour they ran, where they literally unplugged the router and turned off the power strips. I had to finish the call huddled on the floor in the building hallway, using my phone's hotspot with 12% battery. The barista just smiled and pointed to a small sign by the door I'd missed. Has anyone else had a 'sure thing' local tip blow up in their face?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivan8221d ago

Ever have a friend get burned by the "always order the house special" advice? My buddy was in Hanoi and went to a place famous for its bun cha. The local he asked said the real deal was the "chef's choice" bowl, a mystery meat version. He said it was the best thing he ever ate, until about 3am when he learned the hard way that "chef's choice" that day was mostly offal and parts he was... not used to. Spent his whole next day in the hotel room. Sometimes the local wisdom needs a few more follow up questions.

beth_baker6920d ago

Reminds me of a trip to Mexico where a street vendor talked me into trying the "special" tamales. They were amazing, spicy and rich, until I found out the special ingredient was beef tongue. My stomach just wasn't ready for that surprise. It's a fine line between an authentic experience and a digestive revolt. You really do have to ask what you're getting into, especially when "chef's choice" could mean anything.