The problem with celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year, in Chicago is that it’s too cold for a water fight in mid-April. One of the popular features of Songkran in Bangkok originated as a ceremony offering blessings to your elders by anointing their hands with scented water, but the custom’s evolved into a friendly no-holds-barred mass water fight, a euphoric respite from the withering heat that essentially takes over the city this time of year.
It seems likely that the last won’t be ladling out steaming bowls of its signature rice porridge, and Suriyawan isn’t yet sure what others are putting on their menus. But he expects them to feature everything from Tiger Cry to egg rolls to grilled seafood . . . and some fusion. For Immm he’s planning on serving fried chicken skins and a pad thai taco (chicken, bean sprouts, peanuts, and chives on a flour tortilla). Here’s me hoping you can get Paula’s naem tod sa mun pai, or preserved pork herb salad, full of crispy fried shallots, peanuts, and Chinese sausage; and that Rainbow will be slinging its righteous Isan sausage. Other restaurants include Bangkok Tokyo, Bites, Fireside, Gorilla on Clark, Kinnaree Thai Kitchen, Krungthep Thai Cuisine, Manee Thai, New Pot, Opart, Pho Thai Cuisine, Seafood on the Tables, and Thai Inbox Glenview. There will be Singha and Leo on tap under the beer tents.
