Shrimp and Pork Summer Rolls

Alex, a good friend of mine here in Bangkok, along with his wife Mam, have recently opened Vietnamese and More – a peaceful homey restaurant where they prepare both Vietnamese classics, and a number of fusion Thai creations.

Like any good Vietnamese meal, I started things off with a lovely plate of shrimp and pork summer rolls, triplets to be exact!

The rolls begin with leafy greens, a variety of fresh herbs, and shrimp and pork neatly stuffed into transparent rice paper sheets and rolled into tubes. Served with sweet peanut sauce, the contrast of the crisp vegetables and the smooth nutty sauce was nicely refreshing.

I might add that their deep fried spring rolls, which include glass noodles and pork, are superb as well. You might remember them from Big Bite Bangkok, where they are always a big hit!

Simple, easy to follow menu

The menu at Vietnamese and More is simple and easy to understand – items are listed in both English and Thai – including detailed  ingredient descriptions.

Bún Thịt Nướng

One thing I can’t get enough of is their fresh rice noodle dish known as Bún Thịt Nướng (khanom jeen in Thai terms). The noodles are topped with a garden of lettuce, basil, cilantro, mint sprigs, pieces of marinated pork, and one of their signature fried spring rolls placed on the side.

To make things complete, it’s served with a sensational fish sauce dressing mixed with pickled carrots and daikon radish.

Dump the dressing over the noodles, mix everything together in a few tosses, and it’s ready for consumption.

Pure delicious

Here’s a close up bite.

You’ll love it!

Thickened pork rib noodle soup

Alex is a serious master when it comes to slow cooked broths and soups.

Next I sampled the “thickened noodle soup” with pork ribs. It’s kind of cross between a watery broth and thick gravy – almost like a Thai radna gravy.

There were so many incredible meaty dimensional flavors packed into the soup, and the meat effortlessly slid off the bones.

Beef pho noodle soup

The beef pho noodle soup was nearly as good as the thickened porky soup. It was that similar wonderful flavor of freshness I remember so vividly from eating Vietnamese street food in Hanoi when I visited.

Be sure to garnish with a few generous squirts of Siracha hot sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Vietnamese coffee

I have no fonder memory of visiting Vietnam than sitting on the side of the road, watching rivers of motorbike whizz past, while nursing down iced Vietnamese coffee.

While the atmosphere is much more peaceful at Vietnamese and More, the coffee is still wonderful!

Dessert at Vietnamese and More

For dessert, you’ve got to try the banana jackfruit spring rolls drizzled in homemade caramel. They are a twist on Filipino banana lumpia, known as turon, but the Vietnamese and More version.

Served warm, you get that wonderful crunch, paired with the sweet banana interior. Delicious.

This is what you’ll see just after passing Monterey Place condo

Vietnamese and More is located within the neighborhood off Sukhumvit Soi 16. Here’s a photo of the outside of the restaurant. Notice the medical clinic sign on the left hand side? Vietnamese and More is the metal gate directly opposite the walking street.

Entrance to Vietnamese and More

Here’s a photo of the entrance. Just walk into the gate, and within the double wooden doors is Vietnamese and More.

The Bottom Line

Alex and Mam are both passionate about cooking, and Vietnamese and More is the product of their hard work, and skills in the kitchen.

Head over to Vietnamese and More for great food in a peaceful, friendly environment.

What to eat: Everything is good, just depends on what you’re in the mood for. I’d especially recommend the deep fried spring rolls and fresh spring rolls, and the Bún Thịt Nướng.

Vietnamese and More

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vietnamese-and-More/142379832484797
Address: 458 Soi Pai Sing To, Rama 4 Rd, Klong Toey 10110
Phone: 089 890 4890
Hours: Tue – Sun 11 am – 8:30 pm
Prices: Expect to pay 80 – 150 THB per person, single dishes are 60 – 90 THB

How to get there:

You’ve got a couple options.

The easiest way to get there is by taking the MRT to Queen Sirikit Station. Exit towards Soi Pai Sing To and walk north on the street for about 20 meters until it makes a 90 degree right turn. Keep following the road until it turns left, but instead of going left, go straight on the smaller soi (you’ll pass right by the large Monterey Place condo). Just after that, you’ll see Vietnamese and More on your right hand side (see photos above).

The closest BTS station to Vietnamese and More is Asoke (and Sukhumvit Soi 16), but it’s quite a walk from the station. You can jump on a motorbike for a quick ride – tell them Monterey Place.

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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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Italian Restaurant in Bangkok

Now before we get started with this post I want to tell you one thing: I’m no expert when it comes to Italian food.

After all, I eat 99.5% Asian food (I’ll include Indian in that percentage), with the other 1% going towards things like Lebanese food or Italian food. Since I rarely eat Italian food, especially in Bangkok, I honestly don’t know that much about it.

However, I have a good friend here in Bangkok, Ben Viapiana who happens to make awesome custom jeans, and who has Italian roots. When he mentioned this Italian restaurant serves some of the best Italian food he’s ever had in Bangkok, you better believe him.

The newly opened Casa Pasta is a small little restaurant about a kilometer down Sukhumvit Soi 101/1, and if you love Italian food, you should come running.

Menu at Casa Pasta

Casa Pasta is a cozy restaurant owned and operated by 3 Thai chefs that formerly worked at hotels and perfected their skills with Italian cuisine.

The menu includes a few different appetizers, a selection of tasty sounding pastas (which all include hand-made noodles), a section of pizzas, just a few main dishes (like lamb chops and steaks), and a couple of classic Italian desserts.

For an Italian restaurant in Bangkok, the prices are really quite reasonable.

Good bread

After placing your order, you’ll be given a nice little basket of excellent homemade bread.

Linguini with amatriciana sauce

I had never heard of the dish before, but the description of the pasta with amatriciana sauce sounded superb, so that’s what I ordered.

A combination of tomato sauce, bacon, onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, chili, and a bit of cheese too, were the main ingredients. Placed over a bed of fresh linguini pasta, it was fantastic.

The flavor bursted with tomatoey goodness.

Price – 159 THB

Hawaiian pizza

I know, a Hawaiian pizza is not the most authentic Italian recipe, but it was still pretty good. The menu also included lots of other pizza variations.

Price – 189 THB

Tiramisu

For dessert, how could we skip a portion of tiramisu?

We didn’t.

It was richly creamy, with a noticeable hint of coffee and chocolate. Though the portion was a little small for 139 THB, I loved it.

The Bottom Line

It could be the best Italian restaurant in Bangkok, that’s up for you to decide. I thought it was pretty amazing as does Ben and Dwight.

The restaurant is friendly and relaxing, prices are very reasonable, and the food is wonderful.

Next time you’re craving Italian food in Bangkok, check out Casa Pasta!

Casa Pasta

Casa Pasta Italian Restaurant

Address: 169 Sukumvit 101/1 Soi 9 ,Bang Chak, Phra Khanong, Bangkok, Thailand 10110
Hours: 11:30 am – 11 pm daily
Prices: Pastas and pizzas are around 150 – 200 THB, big main steaks are around 300 – 400 THB

How To Get There

Casa Pasta Italian Restaurant is located about 1 kilometer down Sukhumvit 101/1 (Watchiratham Sathit), on Soi 9. It’s on the same street at Gold Bay Leaves, a top Thai restaurant.

To get there you can take the BTS Skytrain to Punnawithi station and then either take a taxi or a motorcycle to the restaurant. If you walk from the BTS station it will take about 20 minutes.

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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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Firehouse Burger Restaurant and Bar, Bangkok, Thailand

Burgers are something I very rarely eat.

And even in Bangkok, I eat burgers probably less than anywhere else I might be due to all the exquisite tempting $1 dishes to choose from.

But there comes a time when a burger sounds like the right thing; And when you’re in Bangkok (video), Firehouse is the the place for burgers!

Dwight has already eaten and reviewed Firehouse burgers a while ago, but this was my first opportunity to go there, so I thought I’d just post an update.

Along with Aaron who reviews Bangkok’s best hotels, I headed over to Firehouse Restaurant one evening, located just a 10 minute walk down Sukhumvit Soi 11, Nana BTS station.

California Burger at Firehouse!

I ordered their California Burger which came as a towering burger packed with 180 grams of fresh beef, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and a few slices of buttery luscious avocado – which I don’t get to eat too often in Bangkok.

I ordered the burger medium rare, and though it came more like a medium well, it was still excellent.

Price: 280 THB

Potato Wedges from Firehouse Burger Restaurant, Bangkok, Thailand

Potato wedges were perfect.

No too salty, and fried to the perfect crunch. A choice of potato wedges, regular fries, coleslaw, or I think onion rings, are part of your burger order at Bangkok’s Firehouse.

Lava Cake from Chu Bangkok

Finally for dessert there’s a selection of three different sweet plates that are all courtesy of Chu Chocolate Bar, which I recognized from taking part at Big Bite Bangkok.

Firehouse Restaurant is rated by Bangkok Burger Blog as an 8/10, and I’d have to agree with that.

It was a really burger, when you’re ready for one!

Firehouse Burgers Bangkok

Website: http://www.firehousethailand.com/en/home/

Prices: 200 – 400 THB

Go check out Dwight’s article for more information and how to get there.

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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The Big Bite Bangkok Crowd

It’s an extra special food porn Friday session, with 20 or so scrumptious photos from our charity tasting market, Big Bite Bangkok, for you below!

By the way we’re full on into planning cool food events for 2013!

Last year was awesome and both Mark and I are appreciative to our readers who helped us spread the word about each event, raising a bunch of much needed support for poor families in Bangkok.

Premium Coffee from Northern Thailand wearing the Big Bite Logo.

If you haven’t seen what we’re up to in Bangkok, check out Big Bite Bangkok and the soon to come Dinner & A Cause.

For now, here’s some great photos mostly taken by Ramon, who blogs at Ramny.net, check him out!

Starting out healthy with veggie treats from delivery service Good Food 4 U BKK.

A bowl of ‘bun’ a famous noodle salad dish from Vietnam by Vietnamese & More.

Super Spicy and Homemade Pakistani Chicken Curry

Late Breakfast by Chu Chocolate Cafe

Beetroot Latkes by Birds in a Row

Reppin’ Manila while enjoying a free welcome cocktail from Mekhong.

New restaurant Appia’s greatly coveted and hot out the oven Italian porchetta.

Freshly baked artisan bread from Urban Pantry.

Couldn’t miss what new restaurant Gastronom had to offer!

Imported American Craft Beers for sampling at the Beervana Bar.

A variety of Dutch stroopwafels begging to be nommed!

One of Worldfoods’ do it yourself Thai curries.

Fresh certified organic vegetables from Adam’s Organic.

Twist fresh juices and snacks.

Hand rolled bagels, brownies, and other sweets from Pigwit.

A meal and a half of homemade Pakistani food.

French artisan bread by Maison Jean Philippe

A cup of premium blend coffee beans harvested from Northern Thailand

Can’t forget all the great folks who shared their photos on Instagram, thanks for the love and great photos!

Cocktail craze — drinks to wish down all the food from Lamai Thai White Rum and Bartender Coffee

Big thanks to our sponsors: Maduzi Hotel, Mekhong, & Worldfoods!

Part of the Big Bite Bangkok organizing crew in front of Maduzi Hotel!

Thanks to our foodie friend Ramon, for these fatty approved photos and everyone who came!

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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Thai khao lam (ข้าวหลาม)

Of the never ending list of Thai desserts and khanoms, khao lam (ข้าวหลาม), in my opinion, should rank pretty high up.

And even for being a person who’s nearly always thrilled to fill myself on the main dish without touching dessert, I can always make space for a few bites of khao lam.

Roasted Khao Lam (ข้าวหลาม) in Thailand

What is Khao Lam (ข้าวหลาม)?

There are two main versions, one made with normal white sticky rice, and the other made with black sticky rice (khao neow dam). I prefer the latter.

The sticky rice is mixed with sugar, sweet red beans, and coconut cream and then stuffed into cylinders of hollow bamboo. The tubes filled with goodness are then slow roasted over coals as they slowly cook and the ingredients mingle together.

Khao lam (ข้าวหลาม) is not always easily available in Bangkok, but it’s very popular to purchase in Nakhon Pathom and Bang Saen, both about an hour from central Bangkok.

Cutting open a bamboo stick of khao lam

As soon as you order a baton of khao lam (ข้าวหลาม), the vendor gives it a swift whack with a hammer or knife, making it convenient to pry open the bamboo and dig into the treasure.

A perfect tube of Thai khao lam (ข้าวหลาม)

Hiding in the tube is a lump of delicious sticky rice cake!

The top part is custardy, extremely rich, quite sweet, and really good. The bottom is less sweet and the grains of rice tend to be a little more separated from each other.

The mixture of both the head and the tail creates a perfect harmony. It’s sweet and creamy and there’s an earthy element from being slow cooked in bamboo.

Perhaps the only thing that could make khao lam better is if there was a durian version – which I have yet to see, but have contemplated asking a vendor to make me a special batch.

Be careful, khao lam (ข้าวหลาม) is like a meal in itself; Eat a couple bamboo pipes without thinking about it, and you’ll find yourself stuffed, and happy too!

Price – 20 THB

And here’s a video of khao lam… Enjoy!

(If you can’t see the video, click here to watch it on Youtube)

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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Kuay teow tom yum w/ fried pork

This past weekend I had some time to re-visit Bang Nam Pheung floating market.

Although I think Khlong Lat Mayom floating market is just a bit better, Bang Nam Pheung is probably my second favorite weekend floating market in the Bangkok area. You should definitely visit one day on a weekend!

Hoy tod

I started things off with a bowl of kuay teow tom yum, which came filled with deep fried pork and crunchies on top. It was really good, the deep fried pork adding some serious porky flavor to the normal bowl of tom yum noodles.

Due to a little rain storm that came upon us while slurping down our noodles, we took the opportunity to get an order of hoy tod – a fried mussels omelet. It was of the sticky variety, not the best I’ve had, but still by all means tasty.

Pork meat ball wrapped in noodle

Something I’d never had before is this pork meat ball wrapped in a noodle and deep fried (หมูโสร่ง). It was good, what could be wrong with a fried ball of pork wrapped in crispy noodles and dipped in a sweet and sour sauce?

Dried squid

Continue with the snacking, I couldn’t resist dried squid.

Dried squid

After they give dried squid a quick roast over charcoal, it’s then flattened out using a roller and served with a sticky sweet peanut sauce.

It tastes like squid jerky, full of seafood flavor with a nice chewy texture. The sweet sauce contrasts the salty squid.

Coconut ice cream

And lastly, things wouldn’t be complete without ending with a lovely scoop of coconut ice cream topped with toasted peanuts – this time served in a coconut shell, not in a bun!

Bang Nam Pheung floating market is open on Saturday and Sunday. I like to go at around 10 am and stay for a few hours of browsing and snacking.

Modern Thai Food at Paste Bangkok

Looking for exciting and marvelously delicious modern Thai food in Bangkok? Paste Restaurant is as far as you need to search.

What is Modern Thai Food?

The first thing to know about modern Thai food, as Chef Jason clearly states, is that it’s not fusion.

Fusion is the combining of different cuisines; An exaggerated fusion example is Khao Pad American (Thai fried rice with hot dogs). Modern Thai food is not fusion.

The menu at Paste restaurant does include some brilliantly creative combinations, but they are combinations within the Thai food sphere, not extending into other cuisines.

Modern Thai food is an extension of Thai cuisine, it’s the high end, high quality version of Thai food.

Modern Thai food is also not just about decoration. There are plenty of high end Thai restaurants in Bangkok that prepare normal Thai food, then present it artfully, and charge high prices. That’s not what Paste is about, and while they are experts in presentation, their main focus is on ingredients, flavor perfection and remaining fully Thai yet with a modern take.

Using only super high quality ingredients (often local and organic), paying meticulous attention to fine preparation details, and taking ultimate care in cooking techniques (most of which have been researched far into the culinary history of Thailand), modern Thai food comes into existence.

One thing the chef duo at Paste don’t compromise is flavor. Dishes are never compromised to weaken the flavors intended, but are instead packed with natural flavors that will elevate your taste buds to new levels – they way they are supposed to.

Seng Wa Goong Pao (แสร้งว่ากุ้งเผา)

So, on to the amazing dishes I ate…

My first bite was a dish called Seng Wa Goong Pao (แสร้งว่ากุ้งเผา) – a dish that’s rare nowadays, but always rings a bell for Thais who associate it as a royal dish.

Wild ocean king prawns, crispy catfish (similar to yam pla duk foo), lemongrass, young ginger, and a variety of different herbs were the main ingredients. But rather than being dressed in normal lime juice like nearly all Thai salads, this dish only used kaffir lime juice mixed with a hint of mandarin juice.

The diversity of textures, the herbs, the perfectly cooked shrimp, and the kaffir lime juice made their Seng Wa Goong Pao (แสร้งว่ากุ้งเผา) banging with zesty flavor.

Price: 420 THB

Melt in your mouth flavorful pork

One of Paste Restaurants signature dishes is their master stock poached organic pork (หมูตุ๋นเสริฟ์กับเกรฟฟรุ๊ตและดอกไม้ไทย).

If you can’t already conclude from the close up photo of this pork, let me tell you that it was nothing short of stunning.

From the inside to the outside, the pork was saturated in flavor. It came on a plate with a light salad consisting of  basil, cilantro, red grapefruit, avocado, toasted rice, and local flowers.

Price: 380 THB

Steamed sea bass in turmeric sauce

To round things up, we had the wild sea bass which was steamed and smothered in an insanely delicious sauce made from turmeric, logan honey, and fennel. Crispy shallots and hair-thin shaved kaffir lime leaves added a brilliant finishing touch.

The fish was the perfect consistency, and the sauce was heavenly – not heavy like a curry – but lighter and packed with flavor. Along with steamed jasmine rice, I was a very happy diner.

Paste

The Bottom Line

Chef Jason and Chef Bee are delivering top notch modern Thai food in Bangkok at Paste, and their passion shines through their cooking.

They serve a menu of incredibly tasty dishes that are creatively prepared and truly focus on getting all flavors balanced in perfect harmony, and packed with a complexity of fresh and lively ingredients.

Paste Restaurant is real special treat for anyone that loves Thai food, and I personally would highly recommend it. You’ll be amazed at the flavors and combinations you experience at Paste!

Paste Restaurant Bangkok

Prices: Expect to pay around 600 – 1000 THB per person for a truly memorable meal, they also have a full menu of cocktails and wines
Website: http://pastebangkok.com/
Address: 120/6 Sukhumvit Soi 49 (Opposite Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital) Klongton Nua, Vadhana, Bangkok 10110
Open Hours: Lunch Wed – Sun 12.00 pm – 2.30 pm Dinner Tues – Sun 6.00 pm – till late
Reservations: +66(0)2 392 4313

How to get there:

Paste is located in the backstreets of Thong Lor. If you take the BTS, get off at Thong Lor, walk over to Soi 49 and then grab a motorbike taxi to Samitivej Hospital. Just past the hospital, and on the opposite side of the road you’ll see the sign for Paste. You could alternatively just hop in a taxi.

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Flaming Baked Alaska Dessert Photo Sequence at Smith Restaurant on Sukhumvit 49

Here’s a few photos that couldn’t wait until the end of the week to share with you!

After dinner one night at Smith Resaturant on Sukhumvit 49, I was admiring the Baked Alaska dessert the waiter had just put down. Then another staff member walks up and sets it on fire!

I didn’t have time to get the camera settings ready, but was able to get a few snaps off in time for you to enjoy.

Smith’s version of baked Alaska is not only beautiful, but delicious and filled with passion fruit ice cream.

HelpLive Coffee Kiosk, Bangkok, Thailand

If you’re in Bangkok and love coffee, you don’t want to miss HelpLive coffee kiosk!

Started by a couple personal friends of mine, HelpLive is an organization that aims to help and provide for needy children. Their main project is supporting an orphanage located in northwestern Thailand on the border of Myanmar.

So where does coffee come into play?

My HelpLive latte

In order to raise money and be able to provide shelter and necessities for needy children, HelpLive decided to open a coffee kiosk in the Silom business area of town. Now, there is not just a single coffee kiosk, but three different locations in Bangkok.

Their menu is simple, consisting of just a number of different coffee choices like espresso, americano, cappuccino, latte, or mocha, in either hot or iced form.

The last time I stopped by, I ordered an iced latte, which was nothing short of marvelous, creamy, and strong.

Chocolatey cocoa

If coffee isn’t your thing, you’ll also find a chocolatey cup of iced cocoa or a green tea latte on the menu.

HelpLive Thailand

But what’s better than their coffee?

Despite their coffee being excellent, for every cup of coffee you buy at HelpLive coffee shop in Bangkok, you’ll also be buying a meal for a child in need.

Did you get that? 

Now that’s what I call WIN-WIN. For just 45 Thai Baht you get a wonderful cup of coffee and the money you spend will also purchase a meal for a child.

Don’t forget your card either!

And if you’re in Bangkok for a while, be sure to grab one of the HelpLive frequent coffee cards where you’ll get your 10th cup for free – and even your free cup will buy a meal!

HelpLive Coffee Kiosk – Chong Nonsi BTS Exit 3 or 4, Bangkok, Thailand

HelpLive Thailand Coffee

Location #1: Silom, Thanon Saladaeng – it’s just a 5 minute walk from Sala Daeng BTS station. Head to Thanon Saladaeng and the coffee kiosk is on your left hand side just outside Adam’s Organic store. Open Monday-Friday from 6 am-2 pm.

Location #2: Chong Nonsi BTS Station (the location pictured) – Take the BTS to Chong Nonsi and follow the signs for Exit 3 or 4, and you’ll see the HelpLive coffee kiosk right there. Open Monday-Friday from 6 am-2 pm.

Location #3: Near Bangkok’s flower market (Pak Khlong Talad). This location is actually inside the Farm To Table organic cafe. Open daily from 7 am-9pm.

Coffees cost just 40 – 45 Thai Baht, and while you’ll get a delicious cup of coffee, you’ll also be purchasing a meal for a needy child at the same time!

When you’re in Bangkok, head out to HelpLive coffee kiosk, bring your friends and enjoy!

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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’s 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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Boat Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ)

There are countless places to eat kuay teow reua (boat noodles ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) in Bangkok, and we’ve written about quite a few spots here on Eating Thai Food.

But Bangkok is a huge city with everlasting culinary gems, and just a 10 minute walk from the boat noodle alley at Victory Monument is Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ), a restaurant serving even higher quality, better tasting, boat noodles (in my opinion).

As you can see from the photo above, they take their broth seriously, it’s indeed quite a notch above the boat noodles at Saphan Taksin.

It’s dark, thick, rich, and each bowl already comes pretty well seasoned with chillies and spices – I barely needed to add anything extra to make it perfectly flavored.

Boat noodles in Bangkok

Isn’t that tempting?

The pork and slice of liver wasn’t overcooked like it sometimes is, but it came just blanched long enough to still be moist and juicy. But again, it is their wonderful broth that elevates their boat noodles to a dish of beauty.

Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ)

Each and every bite of boat noodles at Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) is worthy of a celebration.

They have fried pork skins and crispy wonton wrappers placed on each table, easily available if you’d like to add them to your noodles.

Enjoying the boat noodles at Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ)

A few bowls later, I was feeling fantastic and sleepy.

They also serve moo satay (หมูสะเต๊ะ) at the same restaurant, which appeared to be really good too, perhaps very good because when I went to order them, they had just sold their last order. So better luck next time.

Pork satay and boat noodles… quite a wonderful combination!

Enjoying the boat noodles at Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ)

The Bottom Line

If you’re crazy about boat noodles, you’re going to marvel at the noodles served at Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ). They will ignite your taste buds and you’ll probably have to tie yourself down to not continually eat forever.

Located next to the canal and behind a temple, the ambiance is quiet and relaxing, making for the perfect boat noodle dining atmosphere.

Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ)

Address: Ratchawithi Soi 18 (Wat Makok), Thanon Ratchawithi, Bangkok 10400
Open Hours: Daily from 8 am – 6 pm
Phone: 081-619-1925
Prices: 15 THB per bowl

Doy Kuay Teow Reua (ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ)
ซอยราชวิถี 18 (วัดมะกอก) ถนนราชวิถี ราชเทวี กรุงเทพฯ , ทุ่งพญาไท, 10400
โทร: 081-619-1925
เวลาเปิด 08:00-18:00

How to get there:

The closest BTS station is Victory Monument, and once you’re on the skywalk facing the monument you need to hang a left on Ratchawithi, cross the street, walk down the sidewalk (you’ll pass Tops Supermarket), until you reach Soi 18. Walk down Soi 18 about 100 meters and you’ll come to a temple. Walk around the temple to the backside and you’ll discover the hidden boat noodle restaurant.

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