Suda

We headed over to Suda tonight just down Sukhumvit Soi 14. It was a normal open air Bangkok restaurant the only difference was it was full of foreigners.

 This is usually a sign to stay away, but we had read many good reviews of the place and were told that it was authentic, tasty Thai food. Here's what we ate:

This was fried red curry with beef. The beef was tender but lacked much of its own flavor. The red curry was a standard medium spicy Thai red curry much like you get a Thai restaurants throughout the world.

Verdict: T: Mediocre. /J: Very average.

The spicy charcoal pork salad was predictably very spicy. However, it lacked the tang of lime juice that is normal for these types of salads. The pork was cooked well, tender and flavorful, however was not charcoaly. The dressing was a little dull.

Verdict: T: Not as good as other Thai salads. /J: Desperately needed a tang.

The fried white snapper in a sweet chili sauce was a very firm mild fish. The breading was light and crisply fried. The sauce was slightly sweet, but not overpoweringly so. The sliced chilies lent an alternative flavor dimension to the dish.

Verdict: T: The sauce made all the difference /J: Tasty and well prepared.

The asparagus fried in oyster sauce was poorly cooked. Asparagus should be slightly cooked to remain crisp or soft enough to take on the flavor of the sauce. This asparagus was somewhere in between and the oyster sauce was watery. 

Verdict: T: Not cooked properly. /J: Disappointing.

The creepy French guy sitting next to T, staring angrily at the camera, flipped out when J took this picture. It was likely because he was sitting with a prostitute.

Krua Rommai

Located off Sukhumvit Soi 36 past the many buildings under construction, you’ll find the quaint Isaan (northen Thai) restaurant, Krua Rommai. Set in a luscious green outdoor setting we were graciously welcomed by the owner, as semi-regulars she is very generous towards us; She gave us a plant for Christmans and always gives us complimentary extra servings of chicken.

 

We've already visited on two previous occasions. Here’s what we ate on our third visit:

 

We started with the grilled chicken. The chicken was not as juicy as previous ones we’d tasted. The accompanying Thai chili sauce and a slightly bitter charred chili sauce softened the over-grilled outside and complimented the moist meat.

 

Verdict: T = Good flavour but could have been more moist. / J= The skin was really tasty, but the meat was not smoky enough.

 

The generous plate of grilled pork was tender and cooked to perfection. This has become a favourite of ours and never fails to disappoint. The medium sliced pieces of tinged pink pork is slightly sweet and caramelized.

 

Verdict: T= Juicy, tenderized perfection!! / J= Not crispy, but the flavor and tenderness of the pork makes it one of my favorites.

 

The Tom Yam soup was overflowing with shrimp, mushroom, ginger, and galangal. The broth unfortunately lacked the spicy, chilied punch that the Tom Yam is known for. The shrimp were extremely fresh and tender, though.

 

Verdict: T= More flavour was needed. / J= A poor example of the dish

The Chinese broccoli with salted fish was a simple stir-fry dish. The broccoli was perfectly cooked and just slightly crisp. Not very much salted fish though.

Verdict: T= Good, crunchy greens. /J= Solid veggie stir-fry.

This was an angle bean salad. It had chopped angle beans and ground pork. The sauce was slightly spicy and dominated by the sweetness of coconut milk. It was a lot like the sauce from Chote Chitr's Banana flower salad.

Verdict: T= Solid. /J= Really tasty sauce and the angle beans soaked it up quite well.

The Vientiane Baguette

We've been away in Vientiane, Laos getting a visa for Thailand. The city, which is the country's capital, was more a sleepy provincial town than a bustling metropolis. While walking around the city center, we saw lots of streetside baguette sellers, a remnant of Laos' French colonial past. 

We decided to grab one. Here's a picture:

The bread was crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. Despite the humidity and heat the baguette was impeccably fresh and not at all stale. Inside the sandwich was a tasty, tofu-like pate, sour pickled shredded veggies (cucumber, radish, and carrot), a creamy liver paste, sweet pork floss, and a sweet, slightly spicy chili sauce. 

Verdict: T= Best baguette I've ever had. /J= That was a damn good sandwich. It blows Saigon's Bahn Mi out of the water!

Also, Beer Lao is the best Asian beer. That isn't saying much. It tastes somewhat like a watered down version of Sam Adams. Here's a cool photo of it and some street shots of Vientiane:

Th Charoen Krung restaurants

We took a long walk today from the Saphan Taksin skytrain stop to the Sala Daeng stop and stopped at two places along the way. The first one was an ancient little restaurant a few shops in on Charoen Krung Soi 44 near the Shangri-La Hotel. 

There were some tasty looking grilled chickens out front and we decided to grab one:

This Gai Yang (grilled chicken) had been halved along the backbone and marinated in white pepper, salt and garlic. It seemed that the bird might have been sundried for a while, before being smoked for a long time over coals. The meat was moist but not juicy, because of the smoking process. It was infused with a smoky flavor and was even tinged with a slight pink like slow smoked Southern BBQ ribs. The skin was full of a salty, robust flavor from the marinade. The dipping sauce was a salty concoction of pickled red peppers.

Verdict: T= Well smoked, certain parts were dry. /J= Excellent. It tasted greasy and salty (good things) without being greasy and salty.

Later we strolled down to Charoen Krung Soi 45 and walked up the street about 100 yards until we found Naaz, a muslim restaurant. The restaurant had a lot of character and seemed to be a good 50 years old. The kitchen and front of the house was manned only by an old woman, who listened to 1950s Thai music while she cooked.

Here's what we ate:

The Mutton Biryani was topped with a ton of fried shallots and sweet raisins. There was a big T-bone of mutton underneath the pile of rice that while tender and mildly flavored in an Indian style curry lacked a great amount of meat. The buttery tasting saffron rice itself was perfectly cooked, not soggy, but not dry.

Verdict: T= Pedestrian. /J= Buttery delicious and the raisins and shallots were perfect additions.

We also got an order of Mutton Masala. It was in a simple, slightly salty Indian-style brown curry. The mutton was extremely tender and had probably been cooked for hours. The potatoes were also very soft.

Verdict: T= Amazing. Tastes just like my dad's curry. /J= The mutton was wonderfully tender, but the curry was a little too mildly flavored.

We were also servedcomplimentary cucumbers and onions with a strongly sweet tamarind and mint sauce. The copious amounts of chili seeds made it quite spicy and contrasted with the sweet flavor.

Verdict: T= A bit spicy. /J= I liked the sauce, but spiciness overwhelmed it.

Hot pot stall on Thong Lo

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but we spent a few days in Koh Samet, an island near Bangkok. The food, mostly tourist resort Thai, was not worth writing about. Tonight, though, we found this street side stall on Thong Lo. To find it, stay on the west side of the street and walk past the second 7-11 until you see the Wedding Castle across the street. Here's what we ate:

Neau Yang (grilled beef) was marinated with a sweet dressing that gave it a bit of caramelization around the edges. It was relatively fatty and mostly quite tender. There were a few pieces of gristle, but not too many.

Verdict: T= Moist, fatty, all good /J= Quite a solid rendition of the dish.

The Larb Moo (minced pork salad) was served warm with a mild dressing of lime juice, a few chilies and the juice from the pork itself. It also had strips of pork skin that gave it an occasional chewy bite.

Verdict: T= Best I've had yet. /J= A feel good dish.

Yam Baa Muud (squid salad) was very simple. It had a few shallots and various leaves. The dressing was the standard lime juice with a bit of fish sauce. The squid itself was fine, but not particularly fresh or tender.

Verdict: T= Chewy squid. Not so great. /J= Pretty lame preparation and crappy squid.

Jim Joop (Thai style hot pot thingy). This was a fun dish. First we mixed a raw egg with the pork. Then we tossed morning glory, Thai basil, and cabbage into the broth heated by coal. This was followed by the pork egg mixture and finally thin rice vermicelli. As we let it cook down, the taste became more concentrated and we were left with a slightly sweet, rich broth dominated by the Thai basil, the most powerful ingredient. 

Verdict: T= J did a great job of mixing it. Very flavorful./J= Both fun and delicious.

Rama III Soi 14

We had a visitor arrive last night, M, and to celebrate we headed for an old fashioned seafood feast. J had been to Baan Klang Nam about a year ago when he was only visiting Bangkok, on recommendation from his brother. He really enjoyed it and has been waiting for a special occassion to get back out there. It's a little pricy (about THB1,200 per person), but compared to seafood prices back home, it is extraordinarily cheap.

Here's what we ate:

M got talked into ordering this Dancing Shrimp roll right when we sat down. It was stuffed with egg and cream cheese, and topped with shrimp and shrimp roe. The cream cheese and rice combination gave the roll a unique and luscious texture. However, the shrimp was not particularly tender.

Verdict: T= A little boring, but liked the cream cheese. /M= Take it or leave it... probably leave it./J= A standard cheap sushi roll.

The preparation of this dish, Stir Fried Prawns with Cashews, was reminiscent of some American Chinese food dishes. However, the similarities stopped there. The prawns were extremely fresh and packed full of flavor. The cashews were an interesting texture, straddling the line between crunchy and soft. Thailand harvests its own cashews and it's no surprise they taste a little different (better) here.

Verdict: T= Loved it. /M= Sweet, spicy, fresh. /J= Tasty prawns, but loved the cashews.

These Steamed Crab Curries were only THB30 each. They had a mild yellow curry flavor and contained a generous amount of crab meat. They had a fluffy, eggy texture, similar to souffle, but a tad bit firmer. The dash of coconut cream on the top added a bit of creaminess.

Verdict: T= Nice and spicy. Solid./M= Perfect size and presentation for a starter. One's enough. /J= Liked the flavor, not a huge fan of the texture... but I don't like souffle.

These scallops were some of the largest we've ever seen. It appears that they were broiled on the half shell with a bit of oil and a salty garlic topping. The scallops were very fresh and the flesh had a distinct sweetness. The preparation worked very well, although it seemed far more French than Thai.

Verdict: T= Perfect amount of garlic. Good but not great. /M= Yummy, but a bit rubbery and overcooked. /J= Big scallops are better, than small ones. Yum!

The Spicy Squid Salad had the same sauce as most Thai salads, lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar. However, the squid was definitely more tender than most. 

Verdict: T= Next time, I'll order two!/M= Superb... a rare culinary triumph. A true team effort among the ingredients./J= A shining role model for the Thai salad genre.

The piece de resistance, however, was the Extra Large Crab with Yellow Curry Powder. This is one of those dishes that elicits an audible "wow" when served. This was definitely the largest crab any of us have ever eaten. The sauce of yellow curry powder, egg, and peppers and onions

was thick enough to impart a flavor, mild and a tinge of spicy, yet viscous enough to sneak into all the crabs nooks and crannies. The crab itself was truly special. Because of its size, the steaming process did not dry out the meat like most smaller crabs and the flesh could only be described as juicy. We also thought the claws were a real treat, and it was fun to eat them like a chicken drumstick!

Verdict: T= Wow! (speechless)!/M= Wow! Meat so tender and succulent! /J= Wow! A perfect dish!

The Mango with Sticky Rice was standard. However, with this dish standard means a juicy and divinely sweet Mango, topping sticky rice with a hint of saltiness. Add sweetened coconut cream for a smooth consistency and crispy rice for added texture and you get the famous Thai dessert.

Verdict: T= Sweet, salty, good. /M= A fun and fitting finale to our feast! /J= I always love Khao Ne-o Ma Muang!

The Jelly Coconut was simply a hard, yet watery aspic that lacked flavor other than a hint of coconut cream.

Verdict: T= I'm sorry for ordering this everyone! /M= Better used as food fight fodder./J= Yuck!!!

Nana Soi Arab (Suk 3/1) Egyptian Restaurant

Last night we headed over to the Arab area of Nana, an enclave full of Middle Eastern restaurants and sketchy looking Sheikhs. Our stop was an Egyptian restaurant called Shahrazad, about 100 meters down Suk Soi 3/1.

The kitchen, located at the entrance of the restaurant, was manned by a friendly Chef charring meat on a very hot grill. 

The waitresses were all dressed in traditional clothing and head scarfs and the eclectic clientele was a mix of Middle Eastern men and African muslims in full regalia. We definitely stood out. The menu had a variety of Middle Eastern, Indian, Egyptian and local Thai food. Here’s what we ate:

 

The babaghenouj was served with a plate of well pickled sour cucumbers, crisp carrots, spring onion and a bitter pickled pepper for dipping. The mashed eggplant was slightly over powered by a strong Tahini. However, the consistency of the dip was just slightly chunky and supremely creamy, especially with the extra drizzle of olive oil.

Verdict: T= Could have had a greater eggplant flavour. /J= Well prepared, but too heavy on the sesame flavor.

 

The Butter Naan, dripping in butter, was good enough to be eaten on its own. The crisp naan was less fluffy than the normal Indian variety and came out piping hot. J said the butter tasted slightly sweet like the whipped butter used on waffles in the US. 

Verdict= Perfect!!!/J= Excellent! A real treat!

 

The Butter Chicken was more soup than curry. The sauce was not at all creamy, lacking any and all texture. The few pieces of thickly cubed chicken were very dry and chewy, a real shame with such a great grill outside. The sauce lacked depth leaving only a mild tomato flavour and a spicy chili aftertaste.

Verdict: T= Nothing to write home about. /J= Disappointing.

 

We opted for the combination mixed rice set, which had tomato rice, saffron rice and white Egyptian rice. The thin grained rice was scattered with raisins, nuts and small pieces of cooked potato. While on its own the rice was standard, it did provide a good accompaniment to the bland Butter Chicken, and was a nice change from the routinely mushy Thai steamed rice.

Verdict: T= Not your average white rice. Good. /J= Solid filler.

 

Our grilled choice, the lamb chops, were charred to perfection on the outside, with a strong charcoal flavour, yet left tender and medium rare on the inside. Being sauce lovers we were surprised that this dish did not need any sauce and was juicy and flavourful on its own.

Verdict: T= Charred and tender. Perfect!/ J= That Egyptian dude knows how to grill!