Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน)

Known in Bangkok as one of the top restaurants that serves northern Thai jungle curry (gaeng pa แกงป่า), I was really looking forward to eating at Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน).

Though quite a local restaurant, there’s both a Thai and English menu. However, I did notice that the English menu only contained about half the dishes that were on the Thai menu, the frog and quail both absent on the English menu.

So that’s exactly what we ordered: the frog and the quail.

Thai jungle curry (gaeng pa แกงป่า)

As the name of the restaurant suggests, Thai jungle curry (gaeng pa แกงป่า) is what it’s most famous for.

Northern Thai jungle curry is a mindblowingly flavorful medley of vegetables, herbs, chillies, pungent roots, and a choice of meat. Traditionally, the jungle curry was most frequently made with wild boar and a selection of natural growing vegetables from the forest.

At Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน), you can order jungle curry with a choice of different meats. For something unique, we ordered it with frog (แกงป่ากบ)

Jungle curry with frog

It’s by far the best Thai jungle curry I’ve had.

The mixture of young bamboo shoots, Thai eggplant, pea eggplant, fiery chillies, strips of ginger-like krachai (a rhizome similar to ginger but with no real English name), big clumps of simmered basil, and the meaty chunks of frog made it spectacular.

It literally contained the earthy yet green flavor of an entire jungle in a bowl before me.

It was spicy and amazingly good.

Hoy Comb Pad Cha หอยขมผัดฉ่า

Next up were the bitter river snails stir fried with a generous amount of krachai (Hoy Comb Pad Cha หอยขมผัดฉ่า).

The snails were conveniently de-shelled and just slightly rubbery, not a bad thing, I like the texture. Again, the flavor was extremely fresh, including plenty of chili peppers, kaffir lime leaves, fresh green peppercorns, and garlic.

Colorful snails and chillies (หอยขมผัดฉ่า)

Here’s a colorful bite of the snails (หอยขมผัดฉ่า). I absolutely love Thai green fresh peppercorns. They are mild, not spicy, but every little ball is a bomb of peppery flavor.

Nok Sab Pad Kee Mao นกสับผัดขี้เมา

Every dish we ordered was beyond delicious and prepared to perfection, but out of everything, even more than the Thai jungle curry, I fell in love with the minced quail prepared kee mao (drunken) style (Nok Sab Pad Kee Mao นกสับผัดขี้เมา).

The best dish of the meal!

The quail was ground up, quite a few bones included, so it was a little crunchy at times, but tasted almost like ground beef.

A variety of spices, intense chillies, fried kaffir lime leaves, and dark soy sauce made it extraordinary. My favorite dish of the meal!

Stink Beans – Goong Pad Kapi Sataw (กุ้งผัดกะปิสะตอ)

And just for good measure, being a die-hard stink beans fanatic, I simply had to order the Goong Pad Kapi Sataw (กุ้งผัดกะปิสะตอ).

Stink bean stir fried with shrimp and fermented shrimp paste

The shrimp were big and meaty and the plate included a generous helping of the luscious beans. Another bonus was that it was fried in a combination of chillies and fermented shrimp paste for even more extreme delicious flavor.

Durian Ice Cream for dessert

And last but not least, nearly everyone that enjoys a meal at Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน), cools down the mouth and eases the stomach with a final course of ice cream topped with sticky rice.

The durian ice cream was really good, but if you go just a couple blocks down the street to Ice Cream Sriyan, the durian ice cream is even better.

The coconut ice cream was alright here as well, but not the best I’ve had. However, ice cream after spicy jungle curry really hits the spot.

Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน)

The Bottom Line

The food is astonishingly good, I don’t think they do anything wrong.

The jungle curry is amazing, and I’m sure it would be fantastic with whatever choice of meat you choose. The minced quail, my particular favorite, was sensational.

I’d add that the flavors are very strong and they use a lot of chillies in their cooking, so this is very much a spicy lover’s restaurant.

Check out the full video of this awesome meal!

Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน)

Address: 954/2 Thanon Nakhon Chai Si, Dusit, 10300, Thailand
Phone: 022414216
Hours: 10 am – 9 pm on weekdays, closed on Sunday
Prices: Dishes are about 60 – 100 THB. Two of us had 4 dishes, 4 bowls of rice, 1 bowl of ice cream, a few bottles of water, and our bill came to just over 500 THB. That being said, we had enough food to probably feed four… we were just really hungry!

954/2 อาคาร ติดกับที่ทำการไปรษณีย์ดุสิต ถนนนครไชยศรี แขวงถนนนครไชยศรี เขตดุสิต กรุงเทพฯ
โทร. 022414216
เปิดทุกวัน เวลา 10.00 – 21.00 น. หยุดทุกวันอาทิตย์

How to get there

Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน) is located just a few blocks from the Sriyan Market. The closest BTS station is Victory Monument and from you’ll either need to take a direct taxi for about 60 THB or take bus #14 from Victory Monument.

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Here it is, the best durian ice cream in Bangkok!

Now I normally would never claim that anything is the “best” in the Bangkok (apart from exaggerating from time to time).

But there are exceptions.

And after eating a take-away bowl, and then returning for two back-to-back bowls of durian ice cream the next day, I can say with some certainty that this is the best durian ice cream in Bangkok.

Note: If you would like to challenge my opinion, I would be happy to eat any other recommendations – durian ice cream being one of my absolute favorite Thai desserts.

Ice-a-Cream-Sriyan (ไอศกรีมศรีย่าน)

It’s from a small Thai Chinese homey creamery located in the food heaven of Talad Sriyan (Sriyan Market) in the quiet Dusit area of Bangkok.

The  shop is known as Ice-a-Cream-Sriyan (ไอศกรีมศรีย่าน), and the family has been hand churning homemade ice cream for decades.

durian ice cream (ไอศกรีมทุเรียน)

The plain durian ice cream (ไอศกรีมทุเรียน) is unbelievable. Honestly, upon taking my first bite I was speechless.

One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because it’s somehow super creamy, but at the same time it doesn’t seem overly buttery – meaning it goes down really easily without any feeling of over-richness.

The durian flavor is miraculous.

They must use strictly the kobe beef of all durians, top quality and super pungent. After a couple of bites I could almost feel the durian rising in my nose, a wasabi effect from the ambrosial flavor.

Durian Ice Cream – Even better with sticky rice on top!

And then we discovered they also served sticky rice.

I had thought it couldn’t possibly get better, but the sticky rice, which I think was flavored with a little durian itself, elevated it to an even higher level of perfection.

I would highly recommend the durian ice cream with sticky rice (ไอศกรีมข้าวเหนียวทุเรียน).

ไอศกรีมศรีย่าน

Just like drinking coffee at Kope Hya Tai Ke, it’s a joy to sit in a classic open air shophouse style ice cream parlor like Ice Cream Sriyan (ไอศกรีมศรีย่าน).

The small establishment is cosy and retains its small home style ice cream feel to it. As for the ice cream, they serve the best durian ice cream I’ve ever had in Bangkok!

Don’t worry, if you’re not a durian fan, they also have vanilla ice cream (ไอศกรีมวานิลา), which I must admit was beautiful as well.

Isn’t it beautiful?

Ice Cream Sriyan (ไอศกรีมศรีย่าน)

Address: Talad Sriyan Thanon Nakhon Chai Si, Kate Dusit, Krung Thep
Prices: 25 – 30 THB per serving of ice cream (and I can assure you, you’ll have at least 2 or 3 bowls)
Phone: 022414008
Hours: 8 am – 3:30 pm

อาคาร ตลาดศรีย่าน ถนนนครไชยศรี แขวงถนนนครไชยศรี เขตดุสิต กรุงเทพฯ
โทร. 022414008
เปิดทุกวัน เวลา 08.00 ถึง 15.30 น.

How to get there:

Ice Cream Sriyan is located near the Sriyan Market in the Dusit are of Bangkok, just down the road from Ratchawat Market. The closest BTS station is Victory Monument and from there you’ll either need to jump in a cab for about 60 THB or take bus #14 straight to the market.

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Bangkok Restaurants of 2012

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2012 was yet another year of productive Thai food eating.

In addition to getting to dine at some fabulous Bangkok restaurants this year, I was also able to do quite a bit of exploring, while creating a Bangkok video and travel guide.

But back to the food, here are my personal choices for the top 10 Bangkok restaurants I ate at in 2012.

Rod Ded Isan restaurant (ร้านอีสานรสเด็ด)

1. Rod Ded Isan restaurant (ร้านอีสานรสเด็ด)

Located just a 5 minute walk from Victory Monument BTS station and opposite the street from King Power complex, Rod Ded Isan restaurant is in a good location and serves outstanding Isan food.

Som tam (green papaya salad ส้มตำ) is a must, but also try their yam woon sen (mungbean noodle salad ยำวุ้นเส้น), and tom saap sekong moo (pork ribs soup ต้มแซ่บซี่โครงหมู).

Due to their convenient location, this is one Bangkok restaurant I frequent, and have never been disappointed.

Heng Chun Seng (เฮ้งชุนเส็ง)

2. Heng Chun Seng (เฮ้งชุนเส็ง)

Bangkok locals mainly go to Heng Chun Seng (เฮ้งชุนเส็ง) to get a maw fai (fire pot หม้อไฟ) full of beef soup, which is what they’ve become most famous for.

A flaming pot of tender beef soup is brought to your table to be eaten with rice. Make sure you spice up your beefy soup with chili flakes and vinegar!

Larb Bpet Yasothon (ร้านลาบเป็ดยโสธร – ตรงข้ามสุสาน)

3. Larb Bpet Yasothon (ร้านลาบเป็ดยโสธร – ตรงข้ามสุสาน)

Dominating the sidewalk of Silom 9, and across the street from a graveyard, is the popular Larb Bpet Yasothon (ร้านลาบเป็ดยโสธร – ตรงข้ามสุสาน) Isan street food restaurant.

They made the list of best Bangkok restaurants because everything they make is spectacular. Their som tam (green papaya salad ส้มตำ) in particular is  massively good and always prepared with fresh ingredients. Their gai yang (grilled chicken ไก่ย่าง) is also a hit.

Gold Bay Leaves

4. Gold Bay Leaves

Once a hotel chef, Mr. Chai Boonlert now commands his own kitchen called Gold Bay Leaves which is partly indoors and partly outdoors along the sidewalk.

His menu includes both Thai dishes and even a few western pasta dishes that I must say are pretty good, although I prefer his Thai food.

Just about everything I’ve had has been good, but I’d recommend the neua yang (grilled sirloin) and the pad makua muang (stir fried purple eggplant ผัดมะเขือม่วง).

Som Tam Khun Gan (ส้มตำคุณกัญจณ์)

5. Som Tam Khun Gan (ส้มตำคุณกัญจณ์)

Som Tam Khun Gan (ส้มตำคุณกัญจณ์) is a local favorite neighborhood Thai restaurant located down Sukhumvit 101/1 a few kilometers from the main street. The restaurant is truly a Thai food oasis, almost having the feeling of being on the beach.

The menu is packed with Isan dishes, stir fried dishes, and seafood dishes, all of which are prepared extremely well. The pla chon lui suan (snake head fish with vegetables ปลาช่อนลุยสวน), though ugly, is mouthwatering good. Also try their pra goong (shrimp salad พล่ากุ้ง), a tasty shrimp salad.

The Local Restaurant Bangkok

6. The Local Restaurant

Chef Cann, with his restaurant The Local, has aimed to serve a menu of traditional Thai food (video) that includes flavors and dishes his mom prepared at home. Along with home style dishes, he also uses a few recipes from the Royal Thai kitchen.

I especially enjoyed the gaeng run juan (lemongrass beef salad แกงรัญจวนเนื้อ), pak miang pad kai (a southern leafy vegetables fried with egg), and gaeng kua gai bai som pan kee maa (coconut based chicken curry with orange leaves แกงคั่วไก่ใบส้มแป้นขี้ม้า).

For a sit down Thai restaurant, The Local is a great choice!

Khao Gaeng Ruttana (ข้าวแกงรัตนา) – Bangkok Restaurant

7. Khao Gaeng Ruttana (ข้าวแกงรัตนา)

This ancient Thai Chinese khao gaeng (rice and prepared curries) restaurant in Bangkok’s Nang Loeng Market, attracts quite a crowd during the lunchtime hours.

You’ve got to just pick and choose whatever looks best, but it’s best to go on the early side because they quickly run out of the best dishes.

Try any kind of fried fish and the lun boo (creamy crab หล่นปู).

Yong Lee (ย่งหลี)

8. Yong Lee (ย่งหลี)

Yong Lee (ย่งหลี) is a Thai Chinese shophouse restaurant that’s located just a stones throw from Phrom Phong BTS Station. When you taste their food, you know it was cooked with passion.

Dishes are tasty and meaty. Try their famous slow cooked beef tongue stew, boo jaah (crab cakes ปูจ๋า), and the pla kapong pad prik dam (stir fried barramundi fish with chili sauce ปลากะพงผัดพริกตำ).

Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน)

9. Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน)

Ever since I ate at Ran Gaeng Pa Sriyan (ร้านแกงป่า ศรีย่าน), I’ve been dreaming about eating there again. While they specialize in northern Thai jungle curry, there are lots of tempting dishes on the menu.

The food is prepared using lots of ingredient combinations, plenty of flavorful herbs, and an abundance of fresh chillies. They serve spicy food, and if you like hot, you’ll be drooling at this restaurant.

You’ve go to try their gaeng pa (Thai jungle curry แกงป่า), but my absolute favorite was the nok sab pad kee mao (minced quail in chillies นกสับผัดขี้เมา).

Home Cuisine Islamic Restaurant in Bangkok

10. Home Cuisine Islamic Restaurant

Home Cuisine Islamic Restaurant is a nice little restaurant serving Thai Muslim food with a mixture of Persian and Indian flavors as well.

Though I only went to sample two versions of Thai biryani (video), the whole menu looked pretty decent. It’s a sit down restaurant, so prices aren’t overly cheap, but the food is really good quality.

The goat biryani, with a huge meaty bone of goat, was excellent. It was served with some kind of Indian tasting pickle and a killer green sauce.

Remember to grab a free copy of the Bangkok $1 Menu if you don’t already have one, and for exclusive Thai food tips, check out the Eating Thai Food Guide.

Finally, have an awesome 2013 and we’ll see you for many more delicious meals to come!

Ratchaprasong Thai Food (ราชประสงค์ ไทยฟู้ด)

I think this Bangkok street stall is as photographed as the Grand Palace!

If you’ve spent time in Bangkok, or even if you’ve just visited for a few days, you’ve undoubtedly passed these street food stalls just outside Central World shopping center (เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์).

I’ve eaten here numerous times, but have just failed to write anything. So finally, here it is, one of the most popular and possibly the most easily accessible street restaurant in all of Bangkok: Ratchaprasong Thai Food (ราชประสงค์ ไทยฟู้ด).

Thousands of pedestrians stop to admire this Thai street food!

Located in one of the busiest locations for foot traffic in all of Bangkok, the series of Thai street food restaurants just outside of Central World shopping center, attract the masses.

Everyday thousands upon thousands of tourists and locals as well make the trek from Siam to Pratunam market (video) area, passing, taking photos, and admiring the jaw dropping grills on display.

Bangkok street food at Central World

During the daytime, the section of sidewalk is filled with clothes vendors and small street food stalls, but starting at 5 pm each day, the scene shifts to much more impressive and tasty things.

There are about 5 or so restaurants that take control of the sidewalk, all of them serving just about the same menu.

I personally go to the first stall closest to Central World, known as Ratchaprasong Thai Food (ราชประสงค์ ไทยฟู้ด), mostly because the owner and the crew of staff are all extremely friendly.

Duck beaks?

Among the selection on the menu are grilled duck beaks.

They don’t look that good, but they do make an exotic, and pleasantly tasty Thai dish.

How could anyone not want to stop here and eat?

From the appearance of the street stall, one may assume that the chickens have been cooked by electrocution. However, they are most likely just grilled!

Classy dining atmosphere

Classic Bangkok fold up tables are lined up along on the sidewalk cafeteria style.

It’s not exactly a peaceful dining experience; Traffic roars in all directions, pedestrians never stop, and both the heavy smoke from the grills and the fumes from the vehicles makes the air far from fresh.

People tend to eat and go quickly, it’s fast paced street food!

Grilled Snakehead Fish (pla chon pao ปลาช่อนเผา)

The main attraction for me is the grilled snakehead fish (pla chon pao ปลาช่อนเผา).

They are by all means not the most attractive creatures in the world, but what they lack in their looks, they sure make up flavor wise.

Thai vegetable plate

Like all Isaan restaurants, you’re first served a plate of raw vegetables: cabbage, long beans, cucumbers, and sweet basil.

The meal from above

We went a little light, just ordering the basics, as I was most interested in eating a snakehead fish.

Grilled Chicken (gai yang ไก่ย่าง) at Central World street food stalls

We also got a half a grilled chicken (gai yang ไก่ย่าง), which in my opinion was just a little dry (perhaps it got electrocuted?), not as good as the chicken from Sabai Jai Gai Yang.

That’s just sort of the luck of the draw when you eat Thai street food – I’m sure other chickens on the skewer were more juicy and moist.

Nevertheless, it was a good and meaty chicken for those that aren’t interested in the grilled fish.

Som tam (green papaya salad ส้มตำ)

Som tam (green papaya salad ส้มตำ), is of course a must.

While I wouldn’t rate it as good as the som tam at Silom’s graveyard street stall, it’s pretty good.

Another great thing about Ratchaprasong Thai Food (ราชประสงค์ ไทยฟู้ด) is when you ask for spicy, they won’t fail to deliver.

Hot means hot – no joking!

Flaky, moist, and flavorful: Roasted Snakehead Fish (pla chon pao ปลาช่อนเผา)

Finally to the main attraction, the roasted snakehead fish (pla chon pao ปลาช่อนเผา).

Stuffed full of lemongrass and rolled in salt before being slow roasted over the fire, the fish was excellent. It was moist, flaky, and the sauce was particularly wonderful.

Grilled fish and sticky rice is the best reason to go to the street food stalls outside of Central World!

Bangkok traffic on Ratchaprasong

Here’s a quick shot of the traffic at 5:30 pm in Bangkok at Ratchaprasong intersection.

Ratchaprasong Thai Food, Bangkok, Thailand

And here’s one last photo of the busy pedestrian sidewalk that flows right next to the hot grill.

Ratchaprasong Thai Food (ราชประสงค์ ไทยฟู้ด)

The Bottom Line

Part of any street food dining experience is the ambiance, and the stalls outside of Bangkok’s Central World offer an extremely fast paced environment for a meal.

Like any business, it’s all about location, and they perhaps have the best Bangkok street food location. Also, their trophy grill packed with slow roasting creatures is simply irresistible, a Bangkok attraction in and of itself.

As for the food, it’s not the best in Bangkok, but it certainly is tasty Thai street food that’s very worth eating, and extremely convenient.

Ratchaprasong Thai Food (ราชประสงค์ ไทยฟู้ด)

Like I mentioned above, there are about 5 different stalls to choose from, but I prefer the very first stall, which is closest to Central World. The staff is nice and friendly, and I think the food looks the best.

Hours: 5 pm – 2 am daily
Prices: 100 – 200 THB per person for a full meal, the meal we ate above came to 300 THB
Address: Sidewalk outside Bangkok’s Central World shopping center

How To Get There

Take the BTS to Chit Lom station, walk towards Ratchaprasong road and cross the street over to Central World. Walk all the way past Central World on your way to Pratunam, and it would be impossible to miss these Thai street food stalls (only begin at 5 pm).

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Video:

Finally, here’s the full video of the restaurant, which you’re going to love (just press play below)!

Pad Thai Thip Samai or Pad Thai Pratu Pi (ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี))

Pad Thai, as I’m sure you know, is unquestionably the most recognized Thai dish throughout the world.

If you go to a Thai restaurant in the United States or a Thai restaurant in Europe, Pad Thai will most likely be represented on the menu with a top-recommendation icon next to it.

And while Pad Thai is popular in Thailand, because there are so many $1 dishes and so much food to explore, I myself rarely eat Pad Thai. I’m not the biggest Pad Thai fan, I’m more of the strong southern Thai flavors type.

However, occasional Pad Thai can be good.

Pad Thai Thip Samai or Pad Thai Pratu Pi (ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)), which translates to “Ghost Gate Pad Thai,” as it’s more commonly known, is one of the most famous Pad Thai restaurants in Bangkok.

Fresh, piping hot, plates of Pad Thai

Starting at 5 pm daily, the fires are kindled, and street chefs beginning churning out wok fulls of Pad Thai like crazy.

You’ll hear a continual clickety clack as the metal spatulas clank against the metal rounded woks.

While many people sit down for dinner, even more people order take-away, often in bulk orders.

Eating Pad Thai in Bangkok

Using charcoal, the chefs are able to fuel the fire so they get the fierce heat required to produce the correct scorched flavor.

Big batches, probably 10 – 15 plate fulls, are cooked at a time in medium sized woks.

Depending on the version of Pad Thai ordered, the recipe often begins first with shrimp that are fried in oil before being joined by thick handfuls of dry rice noodles. The noodles are soaked in sauces and oils as the heat and steam cooks the noodles quickly.

Tofu, baby shrimp, leeks, bean sprouts, and other ingredients per recipe, are all tossed into the mixture. Finally the mess of Pad Thai is scooted to one side as eggs are cracked into the agglomeration.

Wrapping the Pad Thai in a thin layer of egg

After the batch of Pad Thai is finished, it’s divvied out onto individual plates and either served as is, boxed into styrofoam to-go containers, or brought over t0 what I like to call “the gift wrapping station.”

Similar to shopping at a department store and having your gift wrapped in a fancy box and tied with bright colored ribbon, so the Pad Thai is decorated in a beautiful wrapper before being served.

Over a bonfire of flames, an intensely hot wok is thinly layered with beaten egg and swirled around like a crepe.

The egg cooks in seconds, at which point the plate of freshly cooked Pad Thai is dumped into the middle of the egg, wrapped up on all sides, and placed back onto the plate.

The first egg layer is messy with holes in it, so the process is repeated twice, leaving the final Pad Thai neatly wrapped in smokey flavored eggy goodness.

Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot (ผัดไทห่อไข่กุ้งสด)

The version of Pad Thai wrapped in egg is called Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot (ผัดไทห่อไข่กุ้งสด).

Meaty jumbo prawns and perfectly cooked noodles are packed into the egg wrapper which is then garnished with cilantro and slices of pepper.

I like to add chili flakes, crushed peanuts, and a squeeze of lime to my Pad Thai.

Like most Pad Thai, the noodles were slightly sweet, but I could detect that charcoal roasted flavor, and the lime juice balanced all the flavors together. The egg was the highlight, a great asset to the dish.

Pad Thai Sen Jan Man Goong (ผัดไทเส้นจันมันกุ้ง)

This Pad Thai Sen Jan Man Goong (ผัดไทเส้นจันมันกุ้ง), noodles fried with the head juices from jumbo shrimp, may not sound too appealing when described, but it sure was good.

The noodles had that same wonderful hint of smokiness which complemented the subtle shrimp seafood flavor. Rather than being wrapped in egg, this style included scrambled eggs mixed within.

Pad Thai Pratu Pee ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)

The Bottom Line:

If you like Pad Thai and are visiting Bangkok, you have no choice but to eat here.

Even if Pad Thai is not your favorite (like me), the experience of watching the chefs make batch after batch of Pad Thai over huge flames is a lot of fun.

Also in the area is a historical coffee shop where they serve great strong brews, but don’t try the food… it’s not so good.

What to Eat: Pad Thai Sen Jan Man Goong (ผัดไทเส้นจันมันกุ้ง) – Pad Thai with prawn head juices, and Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot (ผัดไทห่อไข่กุ้งสด) – Pad Thai wrapped in an egg.

Prices: This restaurant is expensive for Bangkok prices, but it’s in a good location, and very famous, which bumps up the cost. You’ll pay around 70 THB for a plate of Pad Thai here.

Pad Thai Thip Samai (Pad Thai Pratu Pi) ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)

Address: 313 313 Thanon Mahachai, Phra Nakorn
Hours: 5 pm – 3 am daily
Phone: 022216280

ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)
313 อาคาร บริเวณภูเขาทอง ถนนมหาไชย (มหาชัย) แขวงสำราญราษฎร์ เขตพระนคร กรุงเทพฯ 10200
เปิดทุกวัน เวลา 17.00-03.00 น. (หยุดทุกวันพุธต้นเดือนและปลายเดือน)

โทร. 022216280

How To Get There

Pad Thai Thip Samai is located in the old district of Phra Nakorn, just a few minutes walk from the Giant Red Swing near Chinatown Bangkok, and very close to the Golden Mountain.

If you go as soon as they open, you can take the Khlong Saen Saep canal boat to the final Panfa Leelard station, exit towards Ratchadamnoen, make a left on Mahachai, and the restaurant will be on your left hand side. Alternatively, you can either take a taxi directly there or a bus. It’s also an easy 5 minute walk from Democracy Monument.

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Jiew Look Shin Pla Yoawarat (จิวลูกชิ้นปลาเยาวราช) restaurant

After residing in Thailand and constantly eating Thai food, every now and then it’s nice to find unique dishes you’ve never heard of before.

That was case at Jiew Look Shin Pla Yoawarat (จิวลูกชิ้นปลาเยาวราช) restaurant, and that’s precisely why we headed over to Talad Sriyan market one day to EAT!

Pork Stew over Rice (Khao Sa-tew Moo Toon ข้าวสตูหมูตุ๋น)

Pronounce “stew” as a normal English word, and no one will understand you.

Instead, you’ve got to pronounce it the Thai way: sa-tew and make it linger for little bit at the end.

Jiew Look Shin Pla Yoawarat (จิวลูกชิ้นปลาเยาวราช) is well known for their Pork Stew over Rice (Khao Sa-tew Moo Toon ข้าวสตูหมูตุ๋น).

Pieces of potato, carrots, and tender chunks of pork were slow cooked for hours to prepare the stew. It was very Western tasting, yet at the same time I could tell it was Thai, maybe because it was just a tad sweet.

The meaty flavor of the gravy was wonderful, and I also liked the black pepper sprinkle and cilantro on top.

Yellow Egg Noodles in Gravy with Chicken and Mushrooms (Ba Mee Radna Gai Het Hom บะหมี่ราดหน้าไก่เห็ดหอม)

Another dish we sampled was the Yellow Egg Noodles in Gravy with Chicken and Mushrooms (Ba Mee Radna Gai Het Hom บะหมี่ราดหน้าไก่เห็ดหอม), a variation of the common Thai radna noodles.

Despite its not overly attractive appearance, it was actually quite nice. The egg noodles were soft and the gravy was basically just thickened stock including big chunks of chicken and fragrant mushrooms. The noodles went with the gravy remarkably well.

Khao Pra Ram Lum Song (ข้าวพระรามลงสรง)

But the dish of the meal was their very own unique creation known as Khao Pra Ram Lum Song (ข้าวพระรามลงสรง).

Almost like pork satay over rice

It tasted pretty much like a pork satay (moo satay) over rice that was lathered in peanut sauce.

I don’t think the pork was anything special, but it was the lovely rich peanut gravy poured on top, along with little condiments of sliced chillies, prik pao roasted chili sauce, and steamed morning glory (pak bung), that made it really good.

All three dishes weren’t overly strong in flavor, yet they were all comforting style dishes.

Jiew Look Shin Pla Yoawarat (จิวลูกชิ้นปลาเยาวราช)

The Bottom Line

It’s fun to discover unique dishes, that are either made up by the restaurant, or very rare, and Jiew Look Shin Pla Yaowarat has a few dishes that are one of a kind and quite tasty.

The stew is comforting and tasty!

If you are in the area, don’t forge to sample the best durian ice cream in Bangkok!

Jiew Look Shin Pla Yoawarat (จิวลูกชิ้นปลาเยาวราช)

Address: 530-532 Talad Sriyan, Thanon Nakhon Chaisri
Phone: 0-2669-5743,08-6830-8947
Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily
Prices: 35 THB per dish, expect to pay 30 – 50 THB per person

530-532 อาคาร ตลาดศรีย่าน ถนนนครไชยศรี แขวงถนนนครไชยศรี เขตดุสิต กรุงเทพฯ
โทร. 0-2669-5743,08-6830-8947
เปิดทุกวัน เวลา 08.00- 17.00 น.

How to get there

The restaurant is located at the Sriyan Market in the Dusit area of Bangkok. The closest BTS station is Victory Monument and from there you’ll either need to take a 60 THB taxi ride or take bus #14 to Talad Sriyan.

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Yen Ta Fo (เย็นตาโฟ)

Yen Ta Fo (เย็นตาโฟ) is a distinctively pink noodle dish in Thailand.

While it’s not quite as popular as boat noodles, it’s still one of the more popular local soup noodles, and retains its share of loyal connoisseurs.

While you do have the possibility to order Yen Ta Fo with a choice of different rice noodle, sen yai, the Thai wide rice noodles, are most common (and I think the best in this dish).

I recently went to a famous restaurant known as Nai Uan Yen Ta Fo (นายอ้วนเย็นตาโฟ), located walking distance from the Giant Swing near Chinatown Bangkok (video).

Nai Uan Yen Ta Fo (นายอ้วนเย็นตาโฟ)

One of the best things about a bowl of Yen Ta Fo (เย็นตาโฟ) is the assortment of tasty toppings.

Chunks of pork, fish balls, slices of squid, fried tofu, slices of water morning glory, rectangles of coagulated blood, and a big crispy chip, were all floating around in this particular dish.

That’s not even including all the other flavoring ingredients like the fermented soybean paste, chillies, vinegar, fish sauce, and pepper that combined to form the flavor.

So Why Is It Pink?

The pinkness comes from the fermented soybean paste that’s added to every bowl of Yen Ta Fo.

When combined into the soup mixture, it gives a lightly sweet, almost flowery essence to the broth. Other than that, to me it still remains a mystery as to why it’s so pink.

Also, this bowl of yen ta fo was not nearly as pink as some others I’ve seen.

Nai Uan Yen Ta Fo (นายอ้วนเย็นตาโฟ)

The Bottom Line:

This is a well known and long standing establishment in Bangkok that serves Yen Ta Fo. The noodles are excellent and even though I’m not the biggest fan of yen ta fo broth, I really liked all their high quality toppings and the fish balls in particular were wonderful.

What to Order: Get a bowl of the Sen Yai Yen Ta Fo (เส้นใหญ่เย็นตาโฟ)

Prices: A bowl of noodles is 40 THB, which is a little high for most places in Bangkok, but they are famous and located right in the heart of town.

Nai Uan Yen Ta Fo (นายอ้วนเย็นตาโฟ)

Address: 41 Soi Nava Thanon Saochingcha, Phra Nakorn, Bangkok, Thailand 10200
Phone: 02-2229701
Hours: 9 am – 9 pm on Weekdays, 9 am – 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday

นายอ้วนเย็นตาโฟ
41 ตะนาว เขตพระนคร, กรุงเทพ 10200
02-2229701

เปิดวันจันทร์-ศุกร์ 09:00-21:00
วันเสาร์-อาทิตย์ 09:00-16:00

How to Get There:

Taking a direct taxi or the local bus are the best ways to get there. The restaurant is just a few hundred meters down the road from the Giant Swing and is about a 10 minute walk from Democracy Monument.

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Tung Ha Seng (ร้านตั้งฮะเส็ง)

While I was in Nakhon Pathom for the annual Nakhon Pathom temple festival, I decided to head over to a long standing restaurant.

Tung Ha Seng (ร้านตั้งฮะเส็ง) is mainly famous for their khao moo daeng (red barbecued pork over rice ข้าวหมูแดง), but they also serve khao na bpet (rice and duck), duck soup, and other things like that.

Khao moo daeng (ข้าวหมูแดง)

But having already eaten quite a few snacks and a giant piece of grilled chicken with sticky rice, I settled just for a single plate of khao moo daeng (ข้าวหมูแดง).

Red barbecued pork, a few slices of moo krob (crispy pork belly), and few cuts of Chinese sausage, were all placed on the rice. It was then smothered in their sweet red barbecue sauce and garnished with cucumbers and cilantro.

Ok, but not the best I’ve had

Overall it was a decent plate of khao moo daeng, the sauce was sweet and tangy, but nicely flavorful, and all the pork was excellent.

However, it was far behind my favorite khao moo daeng in Bangkok.

Tung Ha Seng (ร้านตั้งฮะเส็ง)

The Bottom Line

If you’re in Nakhon Pathom and want to sit down and have a plate of khao moo daeng, Tung Ha Seng (ร้านตั้งฮะเส็ง) is alright.

Definitely don’t make the trip out to Nakhon Pathom just for this restaurant – but there are lots of other snacks and restaurants in the vicinity.

Tung Ha Seng (ร้านตั้งฮะเส็ง)

Address: On the corner of Phaya Kong and Thanon Rotfai
Phone: 034241322
Hours: 7 am – 4 pm daily
Prices: Khao moo daeng – 30 THB

32/3 อาคาร บริเวณป้อมตำรวจองค์พระปฐมเจดีย์ ถนนนครปฐม – บรรจบทางหลวงหมายเลข 340 (สุพรรณบุรี) (นครปฐม) ตำบลนครปฐม อำเภอเมืองนครปฐม นครปฐม 73000

โทร.0-3442-2564

How To Get There

Once you’re in Nakhon Pathom, the restaurant is just a 2 minute walk from the big temple and right near the city center. It’s on the corner of Phaya Kong and Thanon Rotfai

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I’d like to say, if all you look at is the map at the bottom of this blog post, you have a great advantage that I didn’t finding this hidden spot for Thai vegetarian food (menu has some other dishes too)!

The place is hard to find, then you see a little park and all of a sudden you’re in this beautiful colonial style house, surrounded by fake meat.

The garden at The Vegetarian Cottage

Signature Cocktail: The Fall Down

Finally found it, but needed an emergency aperitif, so I had their signature Fall Down cocktail made with tequila, gin, dry sherry, and cream de cassis.

Was pretty strong. I suspect that for the average vegetarian knocking back a few of these, you wouldn’t care if they were serving real meat or not.

But on to the faux-carnage!

Fake duck red vegetarian curry (150 THB)

First out the kitchen was a yummy curry with a soy protein fake duck. It wouldn’t fool you into thinking it was really meat, but they went to a lot of work to make it similar. I was surprised there was even a layer of fake skin on the duck and overall I approve of it’s fakeness.

Spicy Mushroom Salad (120 THB)

Spicy mushroom salad to share, was light and packing some heat. Another cocktail please.

Meatless Mania: Fish?

There’s sirloin steak on the menu, but because I didn’t want to get upset at anyone, I ordered the fish instead.

Errr… now I’m fake full, but these real fried bananas helped.

Real Fried Bananas with Ice Cream

The Bottom Line

Once you find this place, I have to say the atmosphere is pretty surreal. Love the old house, you’re kind of transported to some meatless world where things are quiet, beautiful, and green. The service was excellent, even if everything was a bit more old school than I would usually prefer. Expect an older crowd and both Thais and foreigners hanging out as the prices are pretty reasonable.

The best vegetarian food in Asia? Not even the best in Bangkok. But I’ll give them the crown for the best fake meat I’ve had in Asia.

The Vegetarian Cottage: S.P.A. Foods

The Vegetarian Cottage สปาฟู้ดส์ สาขากระท่อมมังสวิรัติ

Prices: I think I spent around 1000 baht, but I ordered a lot and had drinks with friends. I expect you should probably only spend half of that. Majority of the dishes range from 150-300 baht.
Hours: 11 am – 2:30pm, 5:30-9:30 (Monday-Friday) or 11:30am – 9:30 on weekends
Address: 41/19 Soi. Chokairumit Vibhawadee-Rangsit Soi 16/21 Bangkok, Thailand
Phone: 02-691-5083
Website: http://www.spa-foods.com/thevegetariancottage.htm

How to Get There

Best to get close by going to the MRT Ratchadapisek Station. From there you can get in a minibus if you’re cheap, walk if it’s not scorching, and if I could take it all back, I would take a taxi from the start. The map will be a huge help!

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Menu at Gold Curry Bangkok

Eating Japanese golden curry is about as comforting as being in your mother’s arms.

I’m not kidding.

I’d had it before a few times in Hawaii, and a number of times I made Japanese golden curry from a box mix (which by the way is pretty tasty too) during university.

It’s not a pungently strong curry, but more of a subtle soothing thick golden gravy that warms your heart with every bite. It gives you that same overwhelming food comforting feeling as a loco moco in Hawaii.

About 300 meters down Sukhumvit Soi 39 (Phrom Phong), is Gold Curry Bangkok, a comfort restaurant straight from Japan.

Though everything on the menu, from the omelets to the hot dogs, looked tempting, I was there for just one dish: Chicken katsu curry rice.

There are four different sizes, depending on how much rice you want at the bottom of your bowl. I, of course, wanted nothing but the LL size – a saucer of 450 grams of high quality Japanese rice.

Miso Soup

A nice feature at Gold Curry Bangkok is the self service miso soup, which happened to be delicious.

There she is, my beautiful metal bowl of comforting chicken katsu curry rice

There it was, a gorgeous pile of rice lathered in bronze gravy and topped with a flawless fillet of crispy fried chicken.

Japanese rice cooked perfect

Japanese rice, cooked perfectly, is hard to beat.

The crunch on that katsu was heavenly

The chicken was marvelous as well – the light katsu sauce drizzled on top, and the golden curry oozing onto the rice and chicken – almost unbelievable.

Habanero Tabasco

At the beginning I was so excited to dig in that I somehow missed the condiments on the side of our table.

A few generous pours of Habanero Tabasco added another lovely dimension to my chili addicted mouth. I was flying high with satisfaction at this stage.

Stirring up all the goodness

I think it’s Japanese red pickled radish. Anyway, it was lightly sour, and also went extremely well to switch up the salty gold curry and fried chicken.

Every single bite just got better and better… and more comforting.

Gold Curry Bangkok

The Bottom Line

Golden curry is one of the top Japanese comfort foods.

When I was looking around the restaurant, apart from a few Thais, I noticed some Japanese businessman straight from the office and some other Japanese guys that looked like they had just woken up and were still in their pajamas.

The curry and rice topped with chicken katsu is marvelous.

Gold Curry Bangkok

Address: 20/3 Soi Sukhumvit 39 Sukhumvit Rd. Klongtannua Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand 10110
Phone: 02 662 5003
Hours: 11 am – 2 am daily
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GoldCurryBangkok
Prices: My meal cost 200 THB, expect to pay around 150 – 300 THB per person

How to get there

Take the BTS Skytrain to Phrom Phong station. Exit towards Sukhumvit Soi 39. Walk straight down the road, you’ll pass Yong Lee, and after about 400 meters or so you’ll see the orange Gold Curry Bangkok restaurant on your right hand side.

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Thai Lao Yeh Restaurant at Bangkok’s Cabochan Hotel

Even though it’s just steps away from noisy Sukhumvit Road, stepping into Cabochan Hotel was like entering a colonial country club on a golf course.

The luxurious residence aims to depict the golden years of Bangkok’s “Shanghai chic” era, with French and Austrian architectural influence.

On the bottom floor of the hotel is Thai Lao Yeh, a cozy restaurant that specializes in authentic Isaan and Loas cuisine. It’s an atmosphere that if in a movie, the men would be sitting back with glasses of whiskey while puffing on thick cigars.

But if you know me by now, I went for the food!

moo krob (หมูกรอบ)

We started things off with a few small starters.

These pleasant morsels of moo krob (หมูกรอบ) were like pig candy, fried to a crisp, yet soft and easy to chew on the inside.

We also ordered a bowl of larb gai yang (not pictured). The tender chunks of grilled chicken soaked up the larb sauce remarkably well and the fresh herbs and fried chili peppers topped things off.

Fried frog

Deep fried pieces of frog, paired with slivers of garlic, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai green peppercorns was also a treat to nibble on.

Northern Thai sausage (sai ooah ใส้อั่ว)

I love dissecting a sausage and being able to distinguish the ingredients, rather than peering into a sausage only to see lumps of transparent fat. That’s one reason I love northern Thai sausage (sai ooah ใส้อั่ว) so much.

The sai ooah was a really small portion, but the sausage was really nice, and neatly served with roasted peanuts, raw cloves of garlic, and chili peppers.

kha gai super (ขาไก่ซุปเปอร์ super chicken feet soup)

Normally a sloppy bowl of fiery hot liquid that looks more like a chicken feet graveyard than a dish, is kha gai super (ขาไก่ซุปเปอร์ super chicken feet soup).

The version at Thai Lao Yeh was a lot tamer looking than my usual street side chicken feet soup, but the flavors in the soup were still impressive.

Though a fancy restaurant, they did not slack when it came to sour, spicy, and strong with galangal and lemongrass. Each slurp of the soup was an explosion of lemon and chili softened by those sweet chicken feet.

Gaeng Om at Thai Lao Yeh

Along with the lovely chicken feet, we ordered gaeng om. Heavy on the herbs and loaded with frog, this little bowl of soup is what I consider a more gardeny, instead of the foresty tasting version of Thai jungle curry. Both excellent.

Nam prik ong

My lesser favorite dish was the steamed veggies with nam prik ong. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but perhaps my taste buds were overjoyed by the fierce and sour other dishes so by the time my tongue came in contact with this lesser spicy platter of vegetables and dipping sauce, it just wasn’t as thrilled.

nam tok pla chon

Another satisfying dish of the meal was the nam tok pla chon, deep fried bite sized pieces of snake head fish, combined with a generous amount of shallots, green onions, fried chillies, and drizzled in lime juice and fish sauce.

The crunch of the fish with the excellent dressing was fantastic.

Thai Lao Yeh at Cabochon Hotel

The Bottom Line

All the dishes were superb. Flavors were spicy and sour as they should be, and herbs and garnishes were fresh and aromatic. Our meal was balanced to perfection. I had by far the fanciest helping of larb pla duk (ลาบปลาดุก) I’ve ever had in my life, and it was extremely tasty.

My only complaint would be that dishes were quite dainty. Quality was excellent, portion size was tiny, prices were quite steep.

Special occasion Thai food with a lovely ambiance.

What to order: Menu is fully in English and includes descriptions of each dish

Thai Lao Yeh at Cabochon Hotel

Address: 14/29 Sukhumvit 45 Road, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Prices: 300 – 600 THB per person for a good well rounded meal

How to Get There

The Cabochon Hotel is literally just a stones throw from Sukhumvit Road on Soi 45. The soi dead ends right into the hotel. Closest BTS station is either Phrom Phong or Thong Lor.

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Ethiopian restaurant in Bangkok

Apart from Thai food, Ethiopian food has long been one of my favorite cuisines in the world.

I vividly remember my first bite of Ethiopian food, a home cooked meal that was prepared by some Ethiopian friends of mine while I was living in Nairobi, Kenya.

My eyes closed and I cherished that bite like it was gold… until swallowing and taking another bite… and another bite until I was so stuffed the only thing I could physically do was take a nap.

Ok, enough of my love for Ethiopian food and on to the new Ethiopian restaurant in Bangkok, and it’s simply Ethiopian Restaurant.

Ultimate combo at Ethiopian Restaurant in Bangkok

In 2009, I had read that there was an Ethiopian restaurant in Bangkok, in the Nana area on Sukhumvit Soi 3.

So years ago, I decided to explore the region and search for the restaurant. Three hours later, and after asking numerous business owners in the vicinity if they had any clue where it was, I came home with an empty stomach (ok, well not really, I just ate Thai food instead).

I was disappointed. The Ethiopian restaurant no longer existed.

I had to wait until returning back to Africa where I stuffed my face at The Smart Village in Nairobi about eight times in the course of two weeks to get my fill before coming back to Bangkok.

Doro Wot – famous Ethiopian stewed chicken and eggs

Having given up hope for any Ethiopian food in Bangkok, I wasn’t expecting to hear about a new one in the near future.

But fellow Ethiopian food connoisseur Kevin Revolinski, heard about a new spot, checked it out and we all decided to try it for first time.

The menu includes most of the Ethiopian food classics: kitfo, doro wot, tibs, shiro wot, alicha wot, and the glorious realm of different side dishes.

We chose, the mixed ultimate plate – a 700 THB platter of everything you see in the photos. Mixed vegetarian sides, a generous bowl of raw hamburger kitfo paired with paneer like cheese, and a centerpiece of famous doro wot, chicken stew simmered in berbere spices.

While the vegetarian dishes were a little on the mild side, both the kitfo and the doro wot were superb!

Kitfo – raw minced beef mixed with spices and Ethiopian butter

So go get some Ethiopian food in Bangkok now!

It’s located in an ex-club, so the entrance is kind of dark and night club like, but once you get inside it’s a normal looking Ethiopian restaurant with dim lights and a stage set-up for a live band – but not sure at all when that goes down.

The Bottom Line

With great Korean food, Japanese food and Lebanese food in Bangkok, it’s great to finally add Ethiopian food to the array of international restaurants.

Ethiopian Restaurant served delicious food, the injera was wonderful as well as the doro wot and the kitfo. The vegetables dishes could have been a bit stronger spiced.

Overall, excellent food and the staff were all very friendly and eager to have customers!

Ethiopian Restaurant in Bangkok

Address: Sukhumvit Soi 3, less than 100 meters down the road on the left hand side.
Hours: 11 am – 10 pm daily
Phone: 089 798 1307
Prices: The mixed ultimate platter costs 700 THB and that fed 3 of us. There is aslo, I think a 17% addition for tax and tips. You’ll likely spend 300 – 400 THB per person.

How To Get There:

Take the BTS Skytrain to either Nana or Phloen Chit station. Walk to Sukhumvit Soi 3 and walk down on your left side about 100 meters until you see the green, yellow and red sign that reads Ethiopian Restaurant.

When we went, the yellow shutter gate was closed, making it look like the restaurant was shut, but in reality it’s open. Go to the right of the shutter.

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Ji Jong Wa (จีจ้งหว่า ภัตตาคาร)

Recently, while wandering around Pahurat in Phra Nakorn district of Bangkok, we needed something to eat. Stumbling into Ji Jong Wa (จีจ้งหว่า ภัตตาคาร), I decided to give it a try. It’s kind of at the far west side of Chinatown Bangkok, across the street from Khlong Tom Market.

It’s a nice looking restaurant, an old-school Chinese shop house like Kope Hya Tai Ke, and it reminded me of being in Singapore.

Tender pot of stewed duck

The bowl of fall-apart-tender duck drumsticks at the front of the restaurant is the big draw. You can smell it from across the road and see the egg noodles being blanched unleashing fumes of steam.

The master cooking the egg noodles

Ba mee, fresh yellow egg noodles with duck is what Ji Jong Wa (จีจ้งหว่า ภัตตาคาร) specializes in, and that’s what I’d recommend you eat there if you go.

Ba mee – egg noodles!

They make the noodles fresh, and then set them in individual portions within wooden crates waiting to be ordered and cooked.

Ba Mee Bpet Toon (บะหมี่เป็ดตุ๋น)

Here’s a close up of the Ba Mee Bpet Toon (บะหมี่เป็ดตุ๋น), a bowl of egg noodles with super tender stewed duck and a few duck dumplings added as well. The duck was so tender I didn’t even need my teeth to chew it.

The noodles were fresh and perfectly cooked and the soup was a little sweet with hints of cinnamon.

Giew Nam Bpet Toon (เกี๊ยวน้ำเป็ดตุ๋น)

We also just ordered Giew Nam Bpet Toon (เกี๊ยวน้ำเป็ดตุ๋น), the same luscious duck drumstick with fresh dumplings instead of egg noodles. It was also quite good.

Pad See Ew (ผัดซีอิ้ว)

The Pad See Ew (ผัดซีอิ้ว) was not the best I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t bad. I particularly enjoy Pad See Ew (ผัดซีอิ้ว) when they’ve cooked it on a really high heat, so you can taste a bit of smokey char, and also when they use plenty of dark soy sauce, but this was less flavorful.

One thing I did really like about this is that they included bamboo shoots in the mix, not a common ingredient, but I liked it.

Pad Kra Pao Goong Kai Dao (ผัดกระเพรากุ้งไข่ดาว)

Wanting to eat some rice as well, I decided to also try their Pad Kra Pao Goong Kai Dao (ผัดกระเพรากุ้งไข่ดาว), and we got it with shrimp and a fried egg on the side. The egg was good, the rice and the rest of the dish was sadly terrible.

At this restaurant I would stay far away from the rice dishes, they really aren’t very good and for some reason they use really low quality rice. I guess they specialize in yellow egg noodles (ba mee) and punish anyone who tries to order otherwise! So stick with egg noodles if you go.

The Bottom Line

The only thing to eat here is Ba Mee Bpet Toon (บะหมี่เป็ดตุ๋น), everything else is ok at best. If you really love yellow egg noodles, check this place out. However, if you really love duck I would recommend a place more like Bpet Paloe Goliang 2.

Ji Jong Wa (จีจ้งหว่า ภัตตาคาร)

Address: 872 Thanon Mahachai, Wong Loo Lapa, Pirlom, Pranakorn, Bangkok, 10200
Phone: 022225973
Hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily

จีจ้งหว่า ภัตตาคาร
ที่อยู่ 872 มหาไชย แขวงวังบูรพาภิรมย์ เขตพระนคร กทม 10200
โทรศัพท์
เวลาทำการ
ทำการทุกวัน 09:00-17:00

How to Get There

It’s not close to any mass transit stations, so the easiest way to get there is to walk from Chinatown, or take a taxi / tuk tuk. Across the main street from Khlong Thom Market is a brand new shopping center (to the right of the Chinese Shopping Center). From there walk back one block, turn right and you’ll find the restaurant.

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“Order Here” – A Sneak Peek into Opposite Mess Hall

Pull up a seat at the bar for this preview of Opposite’s Mess Hall.

I have fond memories of an offbeat restaurant on the street I first lived on in Bangkok.

The place was called Pickle Factory and served snacks like pizza and cocktails until late — sometimes very late depending on how much they liked you.

“Boozy Ice Granita”

Boozy Ice Granita – A refreshingly sour iced cocktail treat

Now granted, there was a ton of things wrong with that place. And before someone who’s been around Bangkok long enough to do so, bursts my overly fond memory, I’d just like to point out as Bangkok experiences a restaurant explosion, places offering character, creativity, and community pocket extra WIN with people who love this city.

So whilst a faction of the foodie community in Bangkok is falling over itself to find the next ‘wow‘ place to overspend on, there always need to be places to gather and throw down on great food without the usual pomp (otherwise, we’d gladly stick to Thai street food).

To hell with nostalgia, here’s a REAL pickle factory.

Opposite (frequent host to art shows, screenings and pop up dinners) has a new restaurant concept called Mess Hall with the potential to become as much of a favorite watering hole as has the eclectic, cross-soi sister bar WTF.

So widely anticipated has Mess Hall’s arrival been, it’s preemptively been made one of CNN Travel’s top 9 picks for Bangkok’s best bars.

I wonder if  this had anything to do with pre-qualifying as one of Bangkok’s top bars!

Make that watering hole AND late night feeding spot.

The first course ready and waiting to be devoured.

Got your attention, yet? Mine too!

I jumped on the bandwagon early and booked a private dinner with a small group of other food loving friends.

We basically signed up to come to a blind tasting which included a cocktail, 5-6 courses, and most importantly gave everyone an idea of what to expect from Mess Hall when it opens officially.

To start: House pickles in chili salt and pork pate, onion jam, and toast

Can you spot the chili speckles in this pomelo flavored cocktail?

To start: Fried squid khao kua with aioli.

This month’s private dinners leading up to their full opening, along with catering and a few pre-order items have only fed into the hype surrounding Mess Hall, much of it word of mouth.

So you can bet I was in the house early to see which items from their experimental menu were selected for us to preview.

Small Bites: Steamed buns with pork belly, slaw, scratchings & prawn may served with a pumpkin & gorgonzola croquette and grilled leeks & romesco.

Traffic, natural disasters — the natural Bangkok traffic disaster –whatever may come– I knew I just couldn’t be late for dinner.

Especially not with strong cocktails and a slew of Mess Hall’s dishes meant to emphasize comfort through locally sourced and in-house specialty ingredients waiting to be devoured.

And Then: Potato & sorrel, horseradish, egg, artichoke, mayo (top right) and another dish of salad greens, pickled chayote and avocado

And Then: Fried chicken, corn puree, & pickled chilli

One thing you’re sure to notice as you make your way through the small, minimalist restaurant over to the diner-style long bar separating you from the open kitchen, is the ingredients jarred and stacked on the back wall.

The small kitchen team is involved in preparing many of their own ingredients and even many of the cocktails are mixed using blends of fruit and herbal concoctions made in-house.

Finish: Peach custard tart, salt caramel, and peach sorbet

Impressive for a small space which got noisy pretty quickly after friends piled in.

We had a party of about 14, but the space is said to be able to seat about 50 or so.

I’m scratching my head wondering where they’ll put everyone, but it will surely be a place where some hovering and rubbing of elbows takes place.

Making early memories at Mess Hall

So you’d be right to add Mess Hall on to your list of places to try out once the doors open in a few days. I’m already putting it on the favorites list and I don’t doubt I’ll have to crowbar my way to through a crowd to get to the bar on my next visit.

But for the preview dinner I enjoyed making quiet, messy memories here!

Mess Hall from the street, enter across from WTF and go to the 2nd Floor.

The Bottom Line

Mess Hall’s motto is ‘Ordinary Pleasures Offered with Uncommon Pleasure‘ and this is definitely embodied by the food I tasted. Whip your weary palate into shape because unlike what you expect when eating Thai food, the dishes here are subtle and you may miss enjoying tender nuances of flavor if you don’t adjust.

Expect a small line of nibbling food with few heavy dishes and mainly items meant to be shared in small groups.

The true test of the restaurant will be how they respond to crowds and the initial influx of fans. If they can handle the crowds in true mess hall style with little fanfare and big delivery, they’ll be making a mess of Bangkok’s food scene before you know it.

Soft opening is rumored to begin as early as the weekend, but expect things to be fully roaring the first week of June.

Opposite Mess Hall

Prices: Not a place to break the budget, unless you really go crazy with the drinks. Expect a quick meal with a few dishes and alcohol to fall around 800-1200 baht per person.
Website: http://oppositebangkok.com
Address: 27/2 Sukhumvit Soi 51, 2nd floor opposite WTF Gallery & Bar
Open Hours: 7pm to Midnight for food and for drinks 6pm til late.
Reservations: +66(0)2 662 6330

How to get there:

Easiest way to arrive is by sky train to BTS Thonglor and exit towards Sukhumvit soi 51. Follow the elevated skywalk until it ends and exit between Sukhumvit Sois 51 and 53. You can follow the small back alley path right to WTF and Opposite or go around and enter soi 51 and take the first small sub street to the left.

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P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ) – A restaurant you don’t want to miss!

Petchaburi Soi 5 is one of the best Bangkok street food streets.

Each day and even more so in the evening, you’ll find a bedazzling amount of restaurants and Thai street food carts serving delicious and ready to be devoured cuisine.

And among the mess of culinary delights, there’s one famous establishment known as P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ), that serves what I think could be the best tom yum goong noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น) in all of Bangkok.

The dining room

P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ) has become a little fashion trendy restaurant, they would be what I call just one step above a normal shophouse restaurant.

Their awards and trophies are decorated throughout the dining room, and rather than the customary stainless steel tables, they interior designed themselves with antique looking wooden tables and benches.

Starting off with a cha manao

Before our dishes arrived, we started off with a refreshing cha manao (ice lime tea).

Khao Goong Rad Sauce Man Boo (ข้าวกุ้งราดซอสมันปู)

And then the food arrived, one by one, the first being Khao Goong Rad Sauce Man Boo (ข้าวกุ้งราดซอสมันปู).

Now let me explain to you what this is…

It starts with a plate of rice. A shrimp, and I’m talking a jumbo prawn, is sliced in half and laid upon the bed of rice. From there, a heaping pile of “man boo,” known in English as the buttery oil and goop from the head of the crab is piled on top.

A few light seasonings and a sprig of cilantro, and the creative dish is complete.

A thing of beauty

It was reminiscent of boo pad pongali, but different. The shrimp was firm and flavorful and the crab fat was creamy like a cross between scrambled eggs and straight margarine.

It definitely was oily, but sure was tasty.

Price – 60 THB

Ba Mee Yok Neau Ob (บะหมี่หยกเนื้ออบ)

Then came a dish known as Ba Mee Yok Neau Ob (บะหมี่หยกเนื้ออบ).

You’ve probably seen the Thai yellow egg noodles, and green noodles are also widely available throughout Bangkok, especially served at places like MK Restaurant.

The egg noodles are supposedly flavored with green kale, but I think they use some food coloring too.

Green noodles and tender beef

The Ba Mee Yok Neau Ob (บะหมี่หยกเนื้ออบ) included bean sprouts, greens, a nice pile of noodles, and tender slices of slow braised beef similar to what would be included in Thai beef noodles.

The entire bowl was then drizzled in a salty oyster sauce that bursted with an unforgettable flavor of beef and crispy garlic and shallots.

Price – 40 THB

Kuay Teow Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น)

No, our meal at P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ) was not over yet, in fact, after consuming both other rich Thai dishes mentioned above, it was then time to move in to the main event: Kuay Teow Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น).

Now in Bangkok, it’s rare to find the creamy version of tom yum goong soup served with noodles, so P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ) is a specialty spot for it.

Jumbo Prawns!

And look at the size of the luscious jumbo shrimp that come loaded into the soup!

At most street food stalls, tom yum nam khon is made creamy by condensed milk, but at P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ), while they do use some condensed milk I’m sure, they also add a ton of the oily fat and custardy goop from the giant shrimp heads – that’s right!

At Pad Thai Thip Samai you can get pad Thai fried in shrimp head oil, but tom yum goong, in my opinion, is just so much better!

Packed with cholesterol, check, unparalleled flavor, check too!

Kuay Teow Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น)

The Kuay Teow Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น) was nearly unbelievable, almost too good to be true – had I not tasted with my very own tongue.

Along with being outrageously rich and creamy, it was also packed with sawtooth herb and the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves came through with gusto.

Price – 100 THB (this is for the special large size)

P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ)

The Bottom Line

There are no but’s about it, P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ) is the place in Bangkok for a bowl of Kuay Teow Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น) that may change your life (for the better), forever.

P’Aor Restaurant (ร้านพี่อ้อ)

Address: 68/51 Soi Petchaburi 5, Between Soi 5 – 7, Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok
Phone: 02-6129013
Open hours: Monday – Sunday 10 – 10 pm

Prices: We paid 220 THB for the entire meal

68/51 ซอยเพชรบุรี 5 อาคาร อยู่ระหว่างซอยเพชรบุรี 5 – ซอยเพชรบุรี 7 ถนนเพชรบุรี แขวงทุ่งพญาไท เขตราชเทวี กรุงเทพฯ
โทร. 02-6129013
เปิดจันทร์ – อาทิตย์ เวลา 10.00 – 22.00 น.

How to get there:

You can take the BTS to Ratchathewi station. Once you get off, walk over to Petchaburi Soi 5 and make a right turn onto the soi. Walk down the street about 300 meters and you’ll probably see a durian or mango vendor – that’s where you turn right onto a small quieter street. Walk down about 50 meters or so, and P’Aor (ร้านพี่อ้อ) is on your left hand side.

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“No sir, you can’t actually purchase this entire plate…”

Anyone else hate waiting in lines?

I DO! (Well, unless it’s something like street style tum yum noodles.)

I also find that there’s things I’m just unwilling to wait long for — especially at dinner time when I’m more in hunter mode than any other time of the day.

Gyoza at Tong Jing Kang on Sukhumvit 22

Even the mini-bowl is packed with chashu pork and a load of rice.

Now that list of things gets longer and longer everyday, and recently came to include Japanese ramen.

Which is unfortunate because there’s some tasty places that I can’t be bothered with when I’m in strike-to-kill mode and need to inhale a place of something delicious. That includes Ramen Bankara, which I’ll only go to during non-peak times and even the Japanese chain Ramen Tei. Hell, there’s a whole list of places in the Thonglor area I’m happy to avoid just because of the crowds.

But the Japanese diaspora in Thailand is huge and so is the selection of restaurants, with a myriad of hole-in-the-wall ramen, sushi, and izakaya joints.

A bit of yolk porn for ya, these were eventually dunked into my ramen.

Nice sized portion of shio (“salt”) ramen.

Here’s one rad little ramen joint called Tong Jing Kang (ทง จิง คัง 豚珍館) located on Sukhumvit 22.

There’s confusion about Tong Jing Kang (or Tong Jing Kung) because as it was becoming popular they switched locations and are no longer located on Sukhumvit 24. Now they’re even closer to my house on soi 22 with hardly any signage outside the restaurant, only Japanese flags.

But despite the new location and lack of signage they have a faithful following which hasn’t yet outgrown the venue.

Hidden menu item? Fruit smoothies served in a tall glass.

Also worth noting that a while ago, CNN Travel mentioned Tong Jing Kang at it’s former location as a great place to grab ramen.

A plate of plain chashu and chashu covered with green onions in a chili sauce.

Was gonna write my biggest complaint is no Japanese beer, but it’s back in stock!

The restaurant’s specialty, which you’ve probably guessed by now, is their chashu pork, seen delightfully stacked above.

Chashu may sound familiar to you because it’s the Japanese version of char sui, the famous Chinese red pork which Thais call kao moo daeng.

Strongest flavors on this small menu? Pork and green onions!

With a pork pile like that, it’s easy not to have noticed the Thai guy pouring up the bowls. He’s a humble guy who’s formerly a sugarcane farmer from the north.

Somehow he’s made the leap from Thai farm countryside to serving ramen to Bangkok’s urbanites, mostly being frequented by Japanese and Thai customers.

You will notice him leaning on the bar to make sure all the customers have everything they need when he’s not making flames reach the ceiling for his stir fried dishes.

Thick and porky tantan ramen, you’ll be tempted to lick the bowl (if you can finish it).

“Honey, aliens hatched on your tofu again!”

If you like the chashu you’ll like most of the things that include it, including their rich and porkly tantan mein. Which tastes like you could plant it in a field somewhere and actually grow bacon.

I haven’t found a side item with the famed pork that I loved, but it’s a small menu so you can explore around. The tantan broth was so good, once I finished the noodles, I poured it all over this tofu and century egg.

We can’t seem to agree on what exactly the name of this place in English should be…

The Bottom Line

Confusing name and great ramen.

This restaurant can’t compete with the bigger chains as far as meat options. toppings, or types of ramen, but they make up for that by doing the few menu items they have well. The menu is printed back and forth on one page with pictures of most everything they offer, a rarity in Bangkok.

Pork and green onion flavors dominate, which is great with Asahi. If you’re not a fan of either though, this isn’t the place for you.

The restaurant appears on the google map as Tonchinkan Ramen and you’ll find the name on their sign different from google, foursquare, and everyone else. We suggest grabbing the Eating Thai Food map below to help you find it.

Finally, the price is reasonable. Expect to spend 200-300 baht per person for generous servings and sides to go along.

Pro tip: They have some giant sugary smoothies which are great on a hot day that don’t seem to be featured on the menu.

Tong Jing Kang ทง จิง คัง 豚珍館

Address: 551 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Khet Khlong Toei, Krungthep Mahanakorn 10110, Bangkok
Phone: 02 204 2366
Hours: Daily 11:30am – 2pm, 5pm-11pm, Closed Mondays
Prices: 200-300 baht for ramen and sides

How to get there:

Closest to MRT Queen Sirikit and BTS at Asoke, but not a comfortable walk from either. We suggest motorbiking or taxing down Sukhumvit 22 and get out of the taxi right after you cross We Love the King Road. On the opposite side of the street is a salon and 7-Eleven. (Note: the restaurant does not currently appear in the google street view).

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A Lazy Afternoon Started with Twilight Summer Ale, recently launched in Bangkok.

Oyster Bar’s Scallop Ceviche with Pickled Shallots and Mango Puree

Doesn’t it always seem that when you’re invited to comment in depth on something or ponder some existential quandary — that you’re always asked while you’re shoving food into your face?

Maybe that’s just me, but I think it’s kinda rude.

Nope, no sir, I’ll never get used to it.

Baked Rockefeller Oysters

Glasses of Shrimp Cocktail at Oyster Bar

So whilst I was double-fisting over the weekend, my left hand catapulting crabby patties spongebob style and doing constant craft beer bicep curls with my right hand, I was abruptly asked, “So are you here for the beer?”

Mouth full, eyes squinting I turned desperately to friends nearby hoping they’d recognize my immobilized expression.

Crabby patties! Crab cakes at Oyster Bar, drizzled in aioli sauce.

An Oyster with Chipotle Sauce

Luckily, the telepathic distress signals worked and someone in the group chimed in, “Both.”

Close call. Who’d ask such a thing, anyway?

Delicious Clam Chowder

Baked Casino Oysters

Was it ironic and I should be immediately engage the man in an oyster shoveling death-duel to defend my honor?

Or was it friendly and I needed to let my guard down for the man overly curious about four friends so focused on ‘the mission’, that we hadn’t noticed the silence?

I don’t know, but thank the stars I wasn’t forced to stop chewing, nor decide on a favorite limb.

Rapidly disappearing Black Butte Porter

No. It was Saturday and no difficult decisions should be made.

Which is precisely why I spent the afternoon at Oyster Bar where Beervana was hosting the launch of a well known Oregon craft beer brand, Deschutes.

Profound since, it seemed only yesterday that craft beer had arrived and because these beers aren’t yet widely available yet.

Gary Fish Founder of Deschutes serving up tastes of four new ales available in Bangkok.

So believe it or not, Bangkok is a few steps ahead of other cities outside North America and even some places like New York.

Note: Deschutes is a well known in the craft brew world, especially after bringing home the 2012 Best Beer Award for their Northwest Pale Ale (not available here yet, but fingers crossed).

Seafood Ravioli

Penn Cove mussels poached in beer with sai oua (Chiang Mai Sausage)

For now, their leap into Bangkok includes four beers: Chainbreaker White IPA, Twilight Summer Ale, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, & Black Butte Porter

They’re all incredibly easy to drink and I think in addition to seafood they’ll make a good match with all kinds of Thai food, including the spicier stuff.

They’re all light ales, not overly carbonated and even the Black Butte Porter which you would assume to be a bit heavier went down quite smooth.

For starters though, I’d recommend grabbing the blonde (Chainbreaker White IPA) and the redhead (Twilight Summer Ale) on a chill day with something spicy you love to eat. These were great with the casino baked oysters and the spice from the sai oua at the bottom of the Penn Cove mussels.

But before you get too comfortable, be sure you’ve found a place to munch where you’ll be safe from any rigorous questioning.

This ice cream with this rich, chocolate fondant was blah, but desserts here are normally tasty.

The Bottom Line

Tasty sustainable seafood and beer that’s way too easy to drink. If you’re a craft beer lover and love the mid build to heftier beers like Dead Guy Ale, these are normally on the menu at Oyster Bar anyway.

Oyster bar is great for their seafood platters and fish dishes. They used to have another location nearer to my neighborhood called Seafood Bar which was recently closed. The fish is high quality and more expensive than what you’d expect to pay at an average seafood place (no farmed fish is sold here) so keep that in mind and check out the sample menu on their website.

I prefer their fresh clams to the baked ones, but admit the baked casino and Rockefeller oysters went well with the beer (didn’t care much for the chipotle ones). The ice cream with the fondant I was served was pretty lame, but I’ll overlook that since I’ve been here before and had great desserts.

Beervana & Deschutes

Check out the Beervana site to find a full list of restaurants where you can try the new beers or to join their Craft Beer Club. For Oyster Bar, we’ve provided the details below. 

Oyster Bar

Address: 395 Narwathiwas Soi 24, Chongnonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120
Phone: 02 212 4809
Website: http://www.theoysterbarbangkok.com/
Hours: Daily, 6pm – 11pm, 5pm-11pm, Sundays Noon – 10pm
Prices: 500 – 1500 baht per person. Menu changes daily and with such a wide range of seafood it’s hard to say how much you’ll spend. Exotic fish dishes in the 400 baht range up to a double stacked Seafood Platter to share with 2-4 people is around 2000 baht.

How to Get to Oyster Bar:

Oyster Bar is located in Narathiwat Soi 24 (also commonly known as Satu Pradit Soi 19) past the Chatrium Hotel, across from Bangkok Gardens Condominium. You can BTS to Chong Nonsi and taxi over to Narathiwas 24. Avoid the high traffic times though or this it’s a pain. You can also take the BRT bus to get you closer if you want to come by public transportation. Because it out of the way I normally take a taxi the entire way. Find the map below and have the restaurant’s phone number ready incase you get turned around.

View Bangkok Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map

Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV

It’s kind of like a home-country dining room, it’s peaceful, slightly elegant, like a cross between a Denny’s and an Irish pub… that is in ambiance, and ambiance alone.

The food is of pilgrimage worthy status.

At Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV, they make a selection of curries and prepared Thai dishes known as Khao Gaeng, and among the selection are a number of royal Thai dishes on the menu.

The assembly line

Just like the masses of Bangkok street food stalls that fill the sidewalks around town, this restaurant has a typical glass cabinet filled with tantalizing curries.

They also occasionally serve kanom jeen noodles, have  a menu selection with a few more dishes like the popular royal Thai dish of Khao Chae (ข้าวแช่), and a fridge full of traditional Thai desserts and sweets.

Curries and prepared dishes

I couldn’t wait to get started eating!

Gaeng Garee Gai (แกงกะหรี่ไก่)

How could anyone resist getting an order of their Gaeng Garee Gai (แกงกะหรี่ไก่), a chicken curry that’s similar to massaman, but a little stronger with spices?

Pla Duk Foo Pad Prik King (ปลาดุกฟูผัดพริกขิง)

One of the well known dishes at Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV, is Pla Duk Foo Pad Prik King (ปลาดุกฟูผัดพริกขิง).

Now I’m sure you’ve eaten yam pla duk foo many times, and this dish is similar, yet quite different. The crispy catfish was crunchy, sweet, and nicely flavored with ginger. On top of all the crispies were fried basil leaves, adding a superb extra crunch and fragrance to the dish.

Price: 60 THB

Kai Paloe (ไข่พะโล้)

They’re also particularly praised for their version of Kai Paloe (ไข่พะโล้).

Thick chunks of pork belly, fried tofu, and boiled eggs sit in a rich porky gravy nicely spiced with Chinese five spice.

It’s not the world’s prettiest dish, and while it’s a little on the sweet side for me, they did make it extremely well. The pieces of tofu were juicy and fluffy.

Price: 60 THB

Gaeng Garee Gai (แกงกะหรี่ไก่)

Gaeng Garee Gai (แกงกะหรี่ไก่) was every bit as good as it looks, slightly oily, rich from coconut milk, sweet but not overly so, and nicely seasoned with a curry paste that contains a mix of popular Persian spices.

At first I thought it was topped with an egg yolk… but it’s actually a tomato!

Price: 50 THB

Having lunch at Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV

The combination of all these dishes on my plate conjoined with rice was quite a delicious treat!

Royal Thai Food – Khao Chae (ข้าวแช่)

Finally on to the authentic Royal Thai food dish that’s so popular at Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV: Khao Chae (ข้าวแช่).

It’s a summer dish, delicately designed to be eaten when it’s hot outside as a cooling and refreshing dish, and that’s exactly what it is.

There are a few components to Khao Chae (ข้าวแช่). First of all the rice, which is prepared using the finest jasmine rice soaked in water and jasmine flowers to give it a floral tinge. The rice is served with actual cubes of ice in it.

Delicate side dishes

The other more beautiful part of any Khao Chae (ข้าวแช่) are the little dainty sides, most of which are rich and deep fried in lots of oil.

Shrimp kapi balls, shredded pork, and my favorite, the green chili stuffed with pork, wrapped in an egg net and deep fried, were among the selection.

Most of the little sides are sweet and oily in order to go exceptionally well with the icy jasmine rice water.

Elegant and artful

Khao Chae (ข้าวแช่) is an elegant and authentic example of a royal Thai food that was adapted and invented in the Thai royal courts.

It’s a very unique dish, there’s no other Thai dishes that really can be compared to it, and it really is refreshing and cooling.

That chili was amazing!

Some say you’re supposed to take little nibbles of the sides dishes and then chase each bite with a spoonful of icy jasmine rice. However, perhaps not proper, but I quite like a little bite paired at the same time with the fragrant water.

The chili stuffed with pork was by far my favorite item.

Price: 150 THB

Khao Neow Dam Nam Kati (ข้าวหนียวดำน้ำกะทิ) for dessert

Lastly, an opportunity for dessert is hard to pass up.

We got a small dish of Khao Neow Dam Nam Kati (ข้าวหนียวดำน้ำกะทิ), and it was by far the best version I’ve ever had. The sticky rice was almost pudding like, slightly warm, and not too sweet. It was contrasted by thick creamy coconut milk, a true sweet treat.

Price: 20 THB

Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV

Video:

Here’s a video of the entire meal of royal Thai food!

The Bottom Line

Sitting in an old-style dining room with tables draped in dark green table clothes, a glass cabinet full of delicious things to choose from, and a feel of royal elegance, yet still with very reasonable prices… there’s nothing bad to say about this place!

The food speaks for itself. If you’re looking for a unique restaurant that serves Thai food and dishes up some recipes that have been cooked for Thai royalty, this is a top choice.

Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV

Address: 199 Thanon Pichai, Kwang, Nakhon Chaisi, Kate Dusit, Bangkok
Phone: 0-22431980
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ov.catering
Prices: You’ll pay around 100 – 200 THB per person for a fabulous feast

199 ถนน.พิชัย แขวง ถนนนครไชยศรี เขตดุสิต กรุงเทพ
เปิด จันทร์ – เสาร์
โทร. 0-22431980

How to Get There

It’s a little tricky, but Krua OV (OV Kitchen) ครัว OV, is located in the royal government area of Dusit, right across the street from the Bangkok zoo. The closest BTS Station is Victory Monument, but from there you need to either take a taxi or a bus down Ratchawithi Road towards Dusit until you get to Thanon Phichai (right across from the zoo).

Just a little ways down Thanon Phichai, enter a gate and pass the guard and you’ll see the Irish pub like entrance of the restaurant (see photo above).

It’s a very unlikely place for a restaurant, but very worth a visit!

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Jok (โจ๊ก) vendor

Jok (โจ๊ก, pronounced joke), or the Thai version of congee also known as rice porridge, is about as comforting as a Thai breakfast can come.

While it’s available at some famous sit down restaurants like Jok Samyan, it’s more of a dish that people prefer to grab for takeaway. It’s a dish that makes one want to curl into a fetal position while watching a movie and drinking a cup of tea (maybe that’s why it’s often taken away?).

I didn’t first care for jok that much, I thought it was a little on the wimpy side and preferred to eat something more filling and spicy, but after eating it a number of times for breakfast recently, I can honestly say that I’m quite a converted fan now.

The cart that produces it all!

Within just about every morning market in Bangkok you’ll find at least one jok (โจ๊ก) vendor.

Still cooking jok over charcoal for a lovely smoky flavor

Jok (โจ๊ก) can be cooked on a stove, but I prefer when it’s cooked over charcoal, giving the rice a slight grilled smoky flavor. Here are a few pots of jok on the fires in different thickness stages.

Assembling jok for takeaway

Morning jok vendors can get quite busy, it being a very popular Thai breakfast dish to eat in the morning.

Pork and pig parts

While you could order it meatless, pork normally plays a significant part in any bowl.

Minced pork meatballs and slices of liver are the two most common pork additions. The vendor normally pre-cooks the meat and then adds them to each order.

Jok to-go

Plastic bags are of course used for takeaway, and since jok is piping hot when it’s served, the bags are placed into metal cans before being tied with a rubberband, placed in another plastic bag, and handed to you.

About to dig into my morning jok

Upon arriving home, the next step is to find a bowl, empty the contents of the plastic bag into the bowl, garnish with a few pieces of fresh ginger and onions and season with a little vinegar (however much desired), and dig in!

Morning (or even evening) Jok (โจ๊ก) is available throughout Bangkok, often from street stalls.

If you’d like to come to this spot, it’s located in the Talat Mahasin Market on Sukhumvit 101/1. On Soi 26 make a right, and then make a first left and the stall is right on the corner in the morning from about 6 am – 8 am.

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Japanese curry katsu at CoCo curry house

Throughout my entire life, I’ve been a little more than obsessed with all forms or Japanese food, and while I absolutely love sashimi, I’m also a huge fan of Japanese curry.

Luckily in Bangkok there are a few places to get Japanese curry, Gold Curry Bangkok, being one I ate at a few months back. Another huge chain, with locations around the world is CoCo Ichibanya curry house. They have a number of locations around Bangkok including Terminal 21, MBK, Siam Paragon, K-Village shopping center, and others.

Pure comfort food

Though the menu is rather extensive, when it comes to restaurants like this, I prefer to go with the simple specials… in this case the chicken katsu with curry and rice.

For the curry we ordered the spicy version, which wasn’t very spicy at all, but still good.

After adding some relish

The dish came on a white plate, not quite as cool as a metal saucer like at Gold Curry.

They gave a generous amount of curry sauce on the side, a pool of the beautiful brown gravy. Right in the center of the rice and the curry sauce was the neatly fried chicken katsu cutlet.

Rice, curry, egg, mushroom cream sauce

And just because it looked so tempting, we had to order the rice curry omelet with mushroom cream sauce.

A pile of rice was wrapped in an egg, similar to the pad Thai at Pad Thai Thip Samai, doused in super cream mushroom sauce, and then the same Japanese curry sauce was added to create a moat around the creation.

Getting messy

Yes, it did get a little messy, but it was sure worth it. The combination was fantastic, though in the end I started getting a little riched out from the heavy cream.

Like I mentioned above, overall I like to keep it simple at these sorts of chain restaurants.

CoCo curry house at K-Village

The Bottom Line

I guess everything we judge or test is by comparison, so I won’t try to not compare it to Gold Curry.

I can definitely say that the CoCo curry house Japanese curry katsu is wonderful, but overall I think Gold Curry has the slight flavor edge. However the chicken was perfect, crunchy on the outside and half in the curry sauce, half not, and I really liked that they gave a generous helping of curry sauce.

Prices – You’ll pay 160 – 200 THB per dish

Here are all the Bangkok locations.