Zenon Misko is passionate about exploring, tasting and photographing the streets and communities of Bangkok, including as a food, drink and neighbourhood contributor at ROADBOOK. He was the head of industry content and events at Melbourne Food and Wine Festival for ten years, before moving to Bangkok with his family in 2021 to expand the mind. He is a former contributor at The Age Good Food Guide, Melbourne’s premier restaurant guide, and is accredited with a Level 3 Award in Wines at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the world’s leading provider of drinks education.
What does a journey mean to you?
Movement and discovery, be it physically and/or emotionally. Being prepared to look sideways, take new turns and mix up routines while establishing new connections and rituals along the way.
Which other country or location most inspires you?
Raw, humble communities where people live and breathe the streets. Where food and family are central. Places where less is more and people with a generosity of spirit welcome you with a smile.
Where would you go back to, and why?
The Old Quarter in Hanoi for the food, coffee culture, French colonial architecture, lively beer gardens and outright chaos. There’s a romance in watching locals slurp bowls of phở on the street and an unapologetic nature in the way people live.
Top insider tips for Bangkok?
Early mornings are magical. Don’t miss Chinatown at night. Eat street food. Visit a major fresh market. Have coffee at Mother Roaster, crab at Nhong Rim Klong, a sundowner at Jack’s Bar and a toastie at 7-Eleven. Jump on a motorbike taxi when traffic is heavy. Download the MuvMi (luxury tuk tuk) app for a novel way to travel. And wherever you are, a smile goes a long way.
What journey would you most like to go on?
Any that takes you outside your comfort zone and allows for discovery – whether it’s exploring a new community in Bangkok or abroad. It’s a thrill to be somewhere new and in other people’s world. I’ll never forget landing in Athens for the first time and bursting straight onto the streets. I discovered a meat market where butchers in white coats were eagerly sharpening knives under lights. I felt like I was on the set of a Stanley Kubrick film.
