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!

Soi Thong Lo seafood omelette

T had a job interview today, so J went by himself for some lunch. I headed to Thong Lo (Suk Soi 55) and spotted a place with an old laminated Thai newspaper clipping on the wall, right before the first 7-11 walking north on the west side of the road. I figured at some point some reviewer must have dug the place so I gave it a try. There was a guy standing in front of a round grill with little cups of fresh seafood, eggs and bean sprouts. Seems that they only served one thing, so I just said neung (one). 

Here's what I ate:

The eggs were really crispy and, even slightly crunchy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. The seafood was also retained its freshness, without being overcooked. The oysters were creamy, the shrimp was plump and tender, and I could cut the squid with the side of my spoon. While by itself the taste was little bland, with a few drops of fish sauce, a drizzle of sweet chili sauce, and ground peanuts, the dish was well balanced.

Verdict: J= Loved all the fresh seafood for the price point (THB60/Rmb12/USD2). Next time I would get it without the bean sprouts. I don't like bean sprouts.

On the way, back I decided I wanted a little after-lunch Thai sweet so I picked this up:

These balls tasted exactly like the Indian dessert Gulab Jamun. 

Verdict: J= I am not a big fan of the texture of the balls, which seemed to be made of a milk dough like the Indian version and the flavoring, simple syrup with a hint of rosewater, was way too sweet. 

Sukhumvit Soi 22 khao soi spot

We are big fans of Khao Soi (a Northern Thai noodle dish with a mild curry) after eating a great version at a restaurant on Soi Ari. We heard there was a place serving the dish on Suk 22, so we decided to give it a try. We ended up walking into the wrong restaurant and ordered Khao Soi, but they thought we said Khao Sui (steamed rice)... needless to say, very disappointing. We, also got some noodle dish with squid in a white curry. This is what came out: 

The sauce tasted like water, corn starch, and MSG. The squid was not chewy, but not particularly fresh tasting either. The veggies were crunchy and only slightly cooked. The noodles, underneath the glop, were standard wide rice noodles.

Verdict: T= Ewwww!/ J= Ughhhhh!

We left most of the dish and headed out to look for a second, better lunch. After some searching we found the Khao Soi spot a couple of doors down from the Usman Thai-Muslim Restaurant sign. 

Here's what we ate:

The noodles were wide yellow noodles and tasted factory-produced, meaning they lacked the chewiness of a fresh noodle. The width of the crispy noodles on top allowed them to retain some crispness throughout the entire dish. The chicken was overly marinated, likely in MSG, and the texture was almost mushy. The curry was very mild and bland, even with three lime wedges squeezed in and was very watery compared to the Soi Ari version.

Verdict: T= The yellow noodles tasted soggy and the dish lacked flavor./ J= Tasted like a Thai prison dish.

This was a prawn omelette. It was similar to a Spanish tortilla but slightly less firm. It was clearly cooked in a very hot pan, because the outside was almost crisp, but the inside remained fluffy. It was chock-full of tender prawns and the egg was heavily salted. We added a sweet chili sauce to it, which did not overpower the natural flavor.

Verdict: T= Generous serving of prawns, but the omelette had a burnt aftertaste./ J= Really simple, but very tasty and well prepared.

On Nut women's clothing market stalls

Tonight we headed out to the On Nut night market, a small group of stalls selling mostly women's clothes. On the edge of the market was a line of food vendors. We simply paid for what we wanted from each one then carried the dishes over to a table, where a beer guy served us some ice cold Leo. Strangely, most of the tables were occupied by sweaty old men and their Thai girlfriends, or TGF (the acronym local city forums seem to use). There was also an acoustic band strumming some Eric Clapton, John Denver, and Thai songs.

Here's what we ate:

We got two sticks of each type (beef, pork, and chicken hearts). They were a bit cold and we probably should have told them to put them back on the grill for a while. However, the flavor was good with a tinge of caramelization and a hint of sweetness. The pork and beef were fatty enough to keep the meat moist. The dipping sauce was sweet, and T said it tasted like South African fruit chutney. She also said the beef tasted like biltong... a little taste from home after J's NYC brunch!

Verdict: T= Too cold, but liked the big, chewy chicken hearts/J: I've had better sticks.

This was a summer roll filled with ground pork, carrots, cabbage and other crunchy veggies. The rice noodle wrapping was a little too thin to hold the ingredients so it easily fell apart. There were no herbs or strong tasting leaves among the veggies and the pork was not heavily seasoned, so the overall taste was rather neutral. However, the addition of some sweet dark soy imparted some flavor.

Verdict: T= Bland/ J= Like something you would find at cheap Vietnamese restaurants anywhere around the world.

This salt baked fish (maybe a snapper??) was really meaty and super simple to debone -- when we removed the spine it looked like Garfield was dining with us. The flesh was mild in taste but firm and juicy, likely because of the salt baking technique, however, it also made the skin inedible. It came with two sauces: lime juice mixed with a habanero-tasting pepper and a simple concoction of palm sugar dissolved in fish sauce with toasted peanuts.

Verdict: T= Very meaty, but lacking in flavor. I like snakefish better!/ J= I like me some fish and lime juice sauce! Mmmmmm...

Sukhumvit Soi 23

While a man could live on Thai food alone, there is something sacred about a Western Sunday brunch. This weekend we skipped T's typical South African roast, and opted for a taste of J's hometown. Minibar Royale, located in the Citadines Serviced Apartments on Suk 23, was started by three Thai guys who had lived for a long time in NYC. The place looks like a direct copy of a Keith McNally restaurant (Balthazar, Pastis, Schiller's), but with a decidedly more tranquil setting and comparatively minute price tag (THB700 (Rmb140, $22) for everything with tax and service charge. 

Here's what we ate:

T ordered Rosti with Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche. The thickly cut salmon infused with a dill essence was very fresh and almost melted in the mouth. The potatoes were slightly crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside. With a little lemon squeezed on top and a dash of creme fraiche, it was an excellent combination.

Verdict: T= Subtle, but extremely tasty.

J ordered the Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs. They say you can tell the skill of a chef by how he poaches an egg, well this chef was brilliant. The eggs were cooked just to the point that it wouldn't fall apart leaving the yolk delightfully runny and the whites silky. J asked for the hash extra crispy and they listened. While the potatoes retained a softness, the shredded corned beef was almost frizzled, yet not at all chewy. 

Verdict: J= Some of the best corned beef hash I ever had. So crispy!

We also shared an order of Spinach with Garlic and Cream. The garlic was finely minced and left a subtle flavor impression. J thought the salty cream sauce seemed to be slightly whipped as the texture was thicker than cream more like a cheese sauce. However, T thought it was too watery. Hmmm...

Verdict: T= Good (J's is better), but watery sauce/ J= Liked it, but a tad too salty.

T ended with a strong Americano and we hung out in the pretty outside garden area, thankful we weren't actually at Balthazar next to a foot of snow.

Night stall near Miracle Mall

After a night out at a bar with a few new friends and only a sausage for dinner (sorry, no pic, but it was delicious), J went to get a late night snack. T was tired and had eaten a boring chicken fried rice at the bar (no pic). Sukhumvit near Phrom Phong BTS station was not packed with stalls like it is during the daytime and I was only able to find one next to Miracle Mall on the north side of Sukhumvit. It looked grungy, but I was hungry and ordered my food to go from the friendly ladyboy proprietor. Here's what I ate:

I got one small snakehead fish. It was not as good as the bigger variety, because it only had a few bites of meat and was harder to avoid small bones. Plus, a fish that's been sitting out at 1:30am on a Sunday morning, can't be that pleasant. The pork was also cold, but was cooked perfectly with just a slight tinge of pink in the center. The dipping sauce was a vibrant mix of red chillies, lime juice and fish sauce.

Verdict: J= The dipping sauce made everything taste good. Ingredients alone probably not so good.

Also, the reason you keep seeing a fork and spoon is because that's what we use to eat here (unless it's noodles, then you get chopsticks too). Finally, by request, here's the view from our apartment:

Chatuchak Market

After our huge meal last night, we decided to eat a quick and light lunch at the Chatuchak Weekend Market. There was nothing specific that stood out about the stall, but we needed a break from the crowds and the shopping, so sat down at the first one we saw.

Here's what we ate:

T ordered this one. It was medium-thickness rice noodles with pork and other goodies/no soup (sen lek haeng moo) -- we're learning Thai :-) The noodles were chewy. The pork was very tender, but not very flavorful. Once T added some vinegar with chilies, thick soy sauce, and two spoons of ground red chili, it livened the dish, complimenting, not overpowering, the pork and fishballs.

Verdict: T= An adequate lunch. 

J got pork and sausage over rice (khao moo daeng???). The meats were not very distinct by themselves and the very sweet and peanuty sauce easily dominated the dish's flavor. The rice was soggy.

Verdict: J= Okay, but too sweet... and, really, how hard is it to cook rice?!

Soi Phraeng Phuton off Thanon Tanao

Chote Chitr has been written about in nearly every restaurant guide to Bangkok, from the lofty Wall Street Journal to the local city mag BK. We had to try it.

After getting off the sky train at National Stadium we encountered terrible traffic, so decided to walk the three miles (5km) to the restaurant instead of cabbing it. After also doing a gym workout earlier in the day, we were starving when we arrived... and, of course, ordered way, way, way too much. Here's what we ate:

This dish was called Mee Krob, or Crispy Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp. The deep fried noodles were very thin, so although crunchy it didn't take too much jaw work. It had a sweet orange flavor and even had a couple of slices of caramelized rind added to the noodles. The shrimp were plump, while the chicken was reminiscent of a Chinese-American stir fry.

Verdict: T = Far too sweet/ J = Tasted like it looks, fried thin noodles. Meh!

The broth of this dish (Tom Yum soup with crisp fish) was strongly sour with a hint of sweetness, and a fragrance of lemongrass and bird's eye chilies, which were liberally sprinkled in the soup. The crisp fish, which tasted almost like a chewy pork rind, stayed very crispy throughout the whole meal, despite being soaked in the broth and the long mushrooms were especially tender.

Verdict: T = Perfection in bowl! /J = Awesomely sour (I love sour). Crisp Fish perfect ingredient for it.

The Chinese Broccoli with Salted Fish was very much like similar dishes J's had in Hong Kong, Singapore, and even Flushing in New York. The slightly crisp broccoli was tossed in a light oyster sauce and the salted fish was only mildly salty and much more tender than other versions. 

Verdict: T = Fresh, crunchy vegetables, but fish not salty enough/ J = Well prepared, but pedestrian. 

This stir fry of squid with heart of palm and green peppercorns was not what T ordered (squid with curry and chilli), oh well! The squid was not chewy, but not especially succulent either. The sauce was a mild goopy sauce that did not sufficiently hold the spice of the peppercorns. We also detected a hint of anise. 

Verdict: T= Overpowered by licorice flavor/J = Good ingredients, but boring flavor

This was Thai bacon with long beans in a dry red curry. The bacon was very chewy and difficult to eat and lacked a strong flavor on its own. The long beans were just slightly blanched and soaked up the curry paste very well. The curry paste was deeply flavorful (garlicky, spicy from bitter dried red chilies, salty, and fragrant, possibly from ginger or galangal).

Verdict: T= Would've been better with less chewy bacon/ J= The beans were too waxy (not cooked long enough), but the curry paste was rich and complex.

The Spicy Banana Flower salad also had chicken and was sprinkled with fried shallots. Served warm, the extremely creamy sauce was a unique combination of sweet and rich coconut and spicy red chili. The banana flowers soaked up the sauce exceptionally well. When we constructed bites consisting of chicken, banana flower and fried shallot together the result was an explosion of flavor and texture.

Verdict: T= The perfect combination of creamy, sweet and spicy/ J= Flavor party in my mouth. Woohoo!

As if we didn't eat enough... dessert. A simple concoction of simple syrup with grass jelly and ice. Well, it tasted like sugar water and aspic. T drank the syrup straight from the bowl... bad girl!

Verdict: T= I love syrup!/ J= I prefer ice cream

As you can imagine, after the meal we resembled this dog on the table next to us: