eatBANGKOK: Thai-style Barbecue and Suki @ Best Beef

This post really sucks if you are a vegan.  Otherwise, if you have 250 Baht in your pocket and are looking for endless serves of tasty barbecue meat, look no further than Best Beef in Sukhumvit.  This very local Thai barbecue place only costs 220 Baht (RM24/$AUD9) per person for the buffet with the option of adding a boiling pot of Thai Steamboat also known as Suki for 30 Baht per person.  Surely enough, we had the Suki with no regrets!

If all you eat are scallops, lobster and wagyu, you might want to give Best Beef a miss.  The meat here is typical but not boring for sure.  They serve humble cuts of meat like pork belly, pork loin slices, beef tongue, brisket, bacon, and chicken fillet as well as a list of seafood including prawn, squid and fish.  As ordinary as it sounds, Best Beef has to be one of the tastiest barbecues I have had for two reasons.

Firstly, the basic cooking technique works.   The meat here cooks beautifully thanks to the use of a pan laid over flaming charcoal and NOT gas.  Every one knows it is different when you cook food this way.  The flavours are in many ways tastier when it gets the treatment of the red flames!  Also while the Koreans use nothing on their pan, the waitstaff at Best Beef send you little knobs of butter to ensure your meat does not stick to the pan.  I cannot think of a better way to barbecue the meat!

Secondly, the sauces that Best Beef had were phenomenal.  Each person gets three dipping sauces which blends a mix of spices, and herbs with varying levels of heat and flavour.  One was sweeter whilst the other was more sour.  Dipping the barbecued meat in these sauces before dishing it into my mouth with the complementary serves of garlic fried rice was an amazing experience.  

The concept here is so basic yet so exemplary.  It almost reminds me of my first visit to Tong 86 in Perth before its menu became more compelled to conform to what other restaurants were serving.  Good, cheap and honest.  More importantly, delicious! See the map for directions to Best Beef from the On Nut BTS, the nearest BTS to the place.

WenY

About eatBANGKOK

I have not travelled to many parts of the world, but Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating and in this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

eatBANGKOK: Delicious River Prawns and Crab Claypots @ Jae Piak, Chinatown

If you leave Nai Mong Hoy Tod with a craving for more seafood, Bangkok has a little place beyond the likes of T&K Seafood in Chinatown for you food lovers.  Andrew Weinns from eatingthaifood.com has again introduced something off the beaten track for the adventurous and those who are not inclined towards the common.  Located a good 15 minutes walk from the Wongwai Yian BTS was Jae Piak (or Aunty Piak) with a concept similar to Somsak Poi Od (recommended by Andrew Weinns) where a single chef cooks up delicious hot pots worth of seafood topped with glass noodles.   The menu here is limited but what it does, it does really well.  Note, Jae Piak only open at night when the leather shop is closed.

The map on how to get there:

Unlike Somsak Poi Od that has its fair of online publicity, Jae Piak is something people might considered a copycat and that made us a little worried especially when prices were not displayed which means lost tourists like us might get ripped off! Fortunately, this was not the case at all.

First dish to come to the table was a Prawn and Glass Noodle dish for 220 Baht (RM24/$AUD9).  

The picture shows 2 big prawns on the side but on the underside is another 2 large prawns.  While it was everything you expected, fresh, juicy and tasty, the highlight for me was the cooking.  Generous amount of little peppercorns, and the chef’s special sauce was somehow made into something phenomenal.  Even Yobi who is not a big fan of glass noodles started to think otherwise.  It was that good.  

Looking at how other tables hungrily devour their crab clay pots had us jump onto the bandwagon and ordered one for ourselves too.  This by memory was 240 Baht (RM26/$AUD 9).  

My presentation sucks but I did not want to destroy the whole plate so I only managed to bring half a shell out from the base :P!  Cooked in a  similar way like the prawns, this is an absolute steal for seafood lovers.  The large meaty claw saw little efforts be rewarded with juicy flesh.  Droolworthy~!  The body parts are a little small but still every bit worth the dollars we paid.  Go anywhere else and be prepared to pay more!

Despite not being able to go to Somsak Poi Od, I cannot help but feel glad to part of an accidental discovery.  A truly special one too.  Maybe if you had come to Jae Paik based on my recommendations you would might not be too chuffed but otherwise, damn it was good.  Many thanks to Yobi who  suggested us to try somewhere different.

WenY

About eatBANGKOK

I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

eatBANGKOK: Sweet Cravings @ Petite Audrey, Mango Tango & Mr Jones, Siam Central

While I am no sweet tooth, it is finally time to kick back and relax after a fill of savoury courses.  3 places frequently mentioned are Petite Audrey, Mr Jones Orphanage & Mango Tango.  All of which are in Siam Central area.  Here we have the famous trio where the hygiene conscious can get their dose of quality desserts in a clean environment away from the Bangkok heat.

Petite Audrey, Siam Central

From the front, Petite Audrey is a French Cafe serving a mix of Thai and Westerns savoury delights but it also seconds as Bangkok’s most popular Mille Crepe or million layer Crepe place.  Their Thai Milk Tea Crepe is to die for and pictures do not lie.

The thickened Milk Tea sauce at Petite Audrey is simply sensational.  It was fragrant, not too sweet, mildly acidic from the potency of the tea and as a whole complemented the fluffy Crepe.  For 130 Baht (RM14.50/$AUD5.50), it is not exactly cheap but its French chic ambience paired with its crowd winning Thai Milk Tea Crepe makes Petite Audrey a great value hangout.

Mango Tango, Siam Square Soi 3

But if English patisserie is not you cue, head on to Mango Tango in Siam Square Soi 3.  If you have not noticed just yet, the streets of Bangkok is laden with quality mango sticky rice desserts but no one serves a more elaborate mango dessert than Mango Tango.  Housed in a small container off Siam Square Soi 3, this mango inspired dessert house in Siam Square specialises in everything mango.  Here I ordered the Mango Sampler for 165 Baht (RM18/$AUD 7).

Ripe mangoes, stick rice, refreshing mango sorbet and a light mango pudding.   What is there not to like?  I tend to go about having the sticky rice first as it is the heavier meal of the lot.  But considering the small amount of stick rice given, it was not all that bad!  The crispy Mung beans at the top gave the fragrant sticky rice some crunch to go with the mango.  Absolutely delicious.

Mr Jones Orphanage

Last but no least is Mr Jones Orphanage situated in the same building like Petite Audrey.  Its venue is build around a child’s playground concept.  The food is decent, and the price you pay is for the uniqueness of its setting rather than amazing dessert.

The cakes at Mr Jones Orphanage is what you would call acceptable but not truly satisfying.  The cakes were a tad dense and the icing was at best mediocre, but thankfully the tea was fine.

Verdict?  My biggest fancy was most definitely Petite Audrey and Mango Tango. Both venues served desserts that brings the flavours of Thailand to the dessert plate in a different way.  Petite Audrey more contemporary than Mango Tango, but both without a doubt are modern in presentation. So why have one when you can have two!?  The serving sizes as both are a lot smaller than what my pictures suggests. So have two!

WenY

About eatBANGKOK

I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

eatBANGKOK: Crunchy Oyster Omelettes @ Nai Mong Hoy Tod, Chinatown Bangkok

Seafood is a big hit in Thailand and the oyster omelette (more like a pancake) or Hoy Tod is one of the most recognisable form where seafood is presented in a basic but extremely tasty form.  From the starchy Taiwanese version topped with pink sauce or Malaysia’s fluffy egg ones, I find that no one does it better than the Thais.  To find the “best” Hoy Tod in town, I headed to Chinatown. 

If you are a tourist, be warned because Chinatown is a place where massive rip offs happen (we got ripped off by the taxi drive and was dropped of along some remote street!). But determined as ever Yobi, ZS and I made our way to the popular Nai Mong Hoi Tod for some delicious Oyster omelette.  The location is hard as to find but this is a google view.  Its address is probably 540 Phlap Phla Chai Road.

Nai Mong Hoy Tod in Chinatown is small but their fame is unquestionable. Nai Mong Hoy Tod closes at around 3pm daily, and yet they were still busy when we got there around closing time.  After a quick scan of their menu, we picked their two most populars Hoy Tod as well as a plate of crab fried rice.  The owners' kids speak brilliant English with a badass accent so do not be worried of coming to this remote place for a yummy Oyster Omeletre. 

For 80 Baht, this had to be one of the tastiest fried rice I have ever eaten.  Its rice was so well fried that each rice grain was on its own.  Not those gluggy ones or broken ones you get from those half-assed restaurants!  Crab pieces were a mix of little shred and larger chunks of crab meat.  Yummy!

The first Hoy Tod to arrive was the crispy mussel omelette and I reckon it was worth every bit of the walk!

Looking back at this picture, I still recall my mouth drooling at the sight of this beautiful Hoy Tod.  Its was fried till golden brown with its crispy jagged edges teasing me visually.  The first bite was always the best and this was no different.  With a little chilli sauce, this was an oyster fritter on steroids!  So yummy! Salty deep fried goodness with that bursty seafood flavour from the chunks of mussel flesh.  Some people dislike floury omelettes and I am one such person.  I could tell that some flour was added to a certain degree but nowhere near what other places put so it was pretty damn good :D!

The second one we shared was the crispy omelette topped with sautéed oysters with diced scallions in a oyster sauce.  

OMAIGAWD this was so good.  Super plump  oysters graced the top of the crisp omelette.  The oysters used here made the ones used everywhere look like cockles!  Flavours were more balanced in this dish  with the crispy omelette going really well with the saucy oysters.  Great stuff!

Writing this post was probably an awkward experience for me because I never really liked oysters in the first place.  But in Bangkok where oysters are incorporated and made into something amazing, damn it was hard to resist.  Me eating Hoy Tod shows my confidence in the cooking in Thailand.  This place was a clear winner for me.  The crispy Mussel Omelette at Nai Mong Hoi Tod was really nice especially for first timers who are afraid of the taste shell fish might have.  If you happen to be a seafood purist though, my second dish the Hoy Tod with sautéed oysters would be your best as the oysters were still really plump and creamy!

WenY

About eatBANGKOK

I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

eatBANGKOK: Delicious Boat Noodles @ Doy Kuay Teow Reau & the "best" Pad Thai @ Thip Samai

There are simply too many places to eat in Bangkok and this trip I dined at some really delicious places in town, some popular while others are hidden treasures! Writing this post has got me drooling again!

Doy Kuay Teow Reau at Victory Monument

Looking for breakfast? Maybe Bangkok’s hidden boat noodle place might tickle your fancy!  First introduced by Mark Wiens from eatingthaifood.com, I was super pumped to be here.  The trek from Victory Monument BTS Station is little more than 10 minutes through a back alley, but the Boat Noodles at Doy Kuay Teow Reau is definitely worth coming for. Getting here is a little tricky though, so see the map below!  I personally prefer the river route!  Feels more of an adventure through those little lanes!  FYI  it is just behind Phra Mongkut Klao Hospital!

15 Baht (RM1.80/$AUD0.60) gets you a serve of boat noodle where guests have have a choice between the beef and pork version. I reassure you that both noodles are equally tasty. First up, the Pork boat noodle. (Pork crackling and fried wanton skins are served at the side and can be added for a couple of Baht extra)

The pork slices are thinly sliced, noodle cooked just right and the top was sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander and morning glory (kangkung).  But putting details like these aside, the best part was none other than the rich broth and bugger it was good. Mildly sweet, salty and potent with spices, the broth was to die for. The heat was mild and most eaters would not even mind it!

The  Beef Boat Noodle at Doy Kuay Teow Reau was again an experience of thick, dark and rich broth that was equally mind blowing.  Whilst this broth was not as thick as the pork one, it had a better balance.  The soup felt a little sweeter and beef slices more tender.  But other than that there is little difference between the two.  To some extent, I thought they were the same!

Verdict?  Class!  Two bowls for breakfast was all I could spare in my busy eating schedule!  Come on any other day, and 10 bowls would be about right for me.  The boat noodles at Doy Kuay Teow Reau near Victory Monument was really yums.

Pad Thai Thip Samai, Maha Chai Road

Sitting high in the ranks amongst the foodies; some even say that this place serves the best Pad Thai in the world.  This is Pad Thai Thip Samai. Located 3-4kms away from the city on Maha Chai Road, a taxi easily gets you here for around 150 baht.  But transportation is the least of your concerns because when you reach Thip Samai, a queue hold you a back a little longer.

A queue of 20 odd people took us no more than 15 minutes so do not be put off by the long queue.  The turnover here is quick thanks to their super quick cooking.  Once the noodles are cooked, it heads over to the egg station where all they did was fry a thin layer of egg wrap, dump the noodles in and put its back on the plate.  The average time needed to cook was only like 1 minute per plate!

With so many choices of Pad Thai to choose from, I chose the one with the edible shrimp oil, jumbo prawns, Chantaburi noodles and spices wrapped in a thin layer of omelette.  It is the most popular and I can understand why. To start, the presentation here was stunning for a Pad Thai.  Even more so when it only cost us 80 Baht (RM9/$AUD3.50) for a decent serve.

The Pad Thai here gets its strong flavours from the shrimp oil and Thip Samai is not afraid to share its secret.  The slow cooking of these shrimp heads slowly extract the flavour of the brilliantly orange roe to produce the best shrimp oil.  But no one ingredient can make a whole dish delicious by itself so Thip Samai also  seasons its noodles to make sure it is mildly sweet and fragrant.  To cook,  it employs the use of a fiery charcoal to keep things traditional while lacing the noodles with a delicious wok-fried fragrant.

The Pad Thai here comes naked which means you get the chance to top it with whatever you want.  I go no further than adding a little chilli flakes, crushed peanuts and of course a few wedges of lime, all of which makes a Pad Thai a Pad Thai.  

Do not forget the vendor outside the shop that sells some serious orange juice!  Its super sweet and high pulp content means the longer it sat in the ice, the more its flavours become apparent.  

Verdict?  The Pad Thai here is really good.  Its noodles were nicely cooked with each piece separated from one another while being coated with a really tasty sauce.   The shrimps flavours were noticeable when I drew the chopsticks near my nostrils and it was very fragrant!  That novelty jumbo prawn was really fresh and was a nice touch to what is an already amazing plate of Pad Thai.   But does it qualify as the best Pad Thai ever?   At the moment, I believe that the title of “Best Pad Thai” is still a claim too farfetched for Thip Samai.  There has got to be a place out there that is even better!

WenY

About eatBANGKOK

I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

eatBANGKOK: Sensational Fried Chicken @ Som Tam Nua, Siam Square

Coming to Bangkok as a foreigner no matter how prepared, you might feel that cleanliness can be quite an issue (even if you country is no better). In saying that, I can guarantee you that looks are deceiving.  But if you insist, here is a place for the faint hearted.

Som Tam Nua in Siam Square 5 is a success story of a shop whose humble beginnings involved the mortar and pestle action of making the Thai staple, Som Tam (papaya salad).  Presumably the best eat at Som Tam Nua would be the Som Tam itself right?  Errr?  Yeah?  Ok, maybe but not really.  Your best bet to start the meal with a bang would be the Some Tam Nua’s fried chicken.  For three boys a large serve for 150 Baht (RM18/$AUD6) is just about right if you plan on decent eating rather than being a glutton.

The chicken portions came out piping hot and crisp from top to bottom.  A few bites was enough to to tell me why this chicken is so popular all over the Internet.  Som Tam Nua’s secret lies in its more-ish batter made from flour mixed with blended ginger, chilli, onion and garlic with generous lashings of fish sauce and other spices to reach a point where its balance of flavour was perfect.

Coming in second place at Som Tam Nua is none other than their Som Tam (Papaya Salad).  With a host of varieties including Som Tam with crab, salted eggs and shrimp, we decided to go with the original Som Tam topped with little shrimps.

Crisp and juicy with a refreshing aftertaste, this was the answer to Bangkok's sweltering heat.  Served cold, the acidity of the salad was just spot on.  Its seasoning which mixed sweet, salty, and sour flavours together with a hint of Chilli was just sensational.  Definitely a great bite!  But at 70 Baht (RM8/$AUD3), its serve size was smaller than anticipated.

Another in house specialty is the fried rice flour noodles topped with pork floss and crackling for 110 Baht (RM12/$AUD4.50). 

Deceivingly soft and stodgy, this noodle made our taste buds tingle with excitement. Its sticky, sweet and spicy flavours mixed the pork floss and crispy crackling were quite a joy to eat!  But more surprising was how Som Tam Nua manages to grill lean pork while keeping it so tender!  My suspicion?  Som Tam Nua marinades the pork with young papaya juice which acts as a tenderiser! 

Tender grilled pork 100 Baht (RM11/$AUD4).  Not the tastiest but tender enough to amaze!

Verdict?  Pretty damn good!  The food at Som Tam Nua is what you would expect.  It was not amazingly different but it was definitely a good enough to keep the crowd coming.  Price wise it was a little steep but for most it is a small price to pay for ambience and hygiene.  In saying that, I believe the general public agrees, so prepare to queue up!

WenY

About eatBANGKOK
I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

eatBANGKOK: A Foodie's Guide to Bangkok Street Food

From the hotdogs stands to Gryo Platters at Halal Bros. in NYC, the spicy Tteobokki in Seoul, and the Smelly Tofu & Curry Fish ball vendors in Hong Kong, street food is an interesting dining scene where spare change can make your buds tingle.  More importantly, street food plays a massive part in encouraging different cultures come together to create an identity of a nation.   In Bangkok though, its all about satisfying local hunger.   This post, I feasted on some of the tastiest street food at the local Wang Lang market, and at food street Soi 38 at Sukhumvit. 

Wang Lang Market

While I gave the floating markets a miss this trip,  I took the opportunity to travel on the Chao Praya river bus to Wang Lang market situated in Thonburi, a place where the population thrives on locals looking for a feast or fresh food to prepare one.

To get to Wang Lang market, take the BTS to Taksin before jumping on the ferry which costs 15 Baht.  The ferry is one of Bangkok’s main mode of transportation and its a breeze to ride with no traffic jams of course!  

I do not blame you if you start your street food trip a little fazed.  The selections are massive and if you have the mentality that the vendors up the front are for tourists, time to get that out.  At Wang Lang, start eating because your stomach needs the time in between to relax!  

Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fishcakes - 20 Baht for 4)

Need I explain this anymore?  This bite size delicacy comes in different odds and sods but its shape matters little when you get that massive spice punch serenading your buds.  To cool, the vendor pour a sweet chilli and cucumber relish.  Slurps~!

Moo Yang (Grilled pork - 40 Baht for 100 grams)

This makes the Texan folk away from home cry.  Surely not the same smoky goodness but who is able to resist the juicy, succulent pork grilled and tossed in that sticky sweet sauce!

The lady at the stall packing larger packets for other customers!


Tub Tim Grob (Rubies and Chestnuts in Coconut Milk - 15 Baht)

Its hot so you need to cool.  Bangkok’s sweltering heat is like that.  When coconut no longer excites you, settle for this icy alternative.  This royal loving vendor at Wang Lang market spares no expense in making this colourful dessert worth you buck.  He puts chestnuts in there like a boss.

Khao Na Bpet  (Roast duck on Rice - 50 Baht)

Ok this is not your typical street food in Bangkok. When all the locals dine there, who are you to question?  Keep calm, just eat.  Tender flavoursome  duck meat was lovely to eat but sauce a tad too sweet.  I prefer the Cantonese version better!

Khanom Buang Maprow/ Khanom Tuntag ( Thai crepes w/ grated coconut and coconut milk - 15 Baht)

Walking back does not mean I was finished.  A sweet ending is a compulsory one.   Crisp at the sides, and fluffy in the middle, this yummy dessert can make every day feel like a Sunday.  Its sweet coconut was lovely and the over all experience reminded me of Apom back home.

These are the ladies working their magic on the wonderful pastries.

Soi 38 Sukhumvit

If you just cannot get enough and need to feed your daily dose of Bangkok street food, another popular places to feast at is Soi 38 at Sukhumvit. This place offers around 30 stalls in the evening serving a mix of delicacies which might not be as impressive as the 100 over eateries scattered across Wang Lang market but there is something here which might just tickle your fancy.

To get here, get on the train to reach Thonglor BTS.  Once you get of the train, you should be able see Soi 38 from the crossover bridge!

Daniel Thaiger - Amazing Pork and Beef Burgers 140 Baht

Halal Boy to New York City is like Daniel Thaiger to Bangkok.  Cultural acceptance.  Just when you thought hordes of people would come to Soi 38 in Sukhumvit for local food, you will see a stream of people queueing up for the infamous Daniel Thaiger burgers.  That evening, we were the first in line and was served by Mrs Thaiger herself.In fluent English, she tells us that her American husband is the brains behind this mobile burger flipping idea.  Opening at 5.30pm, we made sure we came extra early to get ours first.  Surely enough, our safe plan came to fruition because at 5.30pm, there were already 8 orders in the make! 

The Classic Pork with Cheese

Mr Steve. Beef burger with Cheese and Bacon.

Whilst the kids in the region play tricks with bamboo coal buns, Daniel Thaiger decides that Kuro buns are too mainstream and pulls the classic back on track.  A quick wait for the early birds were rewarded with a burger that is worth the effort.  Put together like a piece of art, the composition is simple and it works.  Daniel Thaiger might be small, but it sure gives Shake Shack fans a run for their money!

Pad Krapow Moo (Pork Stir-fry with Holy Basil - 50 Baht)

A favourite back in Australia came less exciting than expected.  But for the unfamiliar, this might be a delicious bite graced with the flavour of the Basil leaf!

Khao Niaow Ma Muang w/ Tua Tong (Sliced mango with coconut stick rice topped with toasted Mung bean - 60 Baht)

Putting the name on the sentence above is like seeing Obama on TV with the close caption saying Obama.  If you need any introduction to this Thai sensation, you must live in a hole #neversaynever.  This was one of the best ones in town according to most.  It sure lives up to its expectation but best is still a claim too farfetched.

WenY

About eatBANGKOK

I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok is easily one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.  Keen on a Bangkok food itinerary?  Look no further.

Melbourne: Modern Thai @ Longrain, Little Bourke Street

While the highly rated Chin Chin seems to be all the rave in Melbourne, my trip to the modern Longrain on Little Bourke Street still shows that the top spot for Modern Asian is still up for grabs.  Modern Thai food has come a long way from the awkwardly sweet and deep fried things they were before, but was this a change good enough?  This was my first visit to Longrain in Melbourne and I loved its airy venue which paired high ceilings with its long tables that swept across the diner. On top were glasswares arranged neatly for the afternoon service. It all felt very "upmarket".  Its a nice feeling.  But remember, Longrain gets pretty busy so remember to make your booking via the telephone or the OpenTable website here.

To get the pace going, we order a couple of betel leafs! Mine was the betel leaf with pomelo, mint, green papaya, peanut and toasted coconut slices.  Som Tam on a leaf? Maybe!

Like how most Thai salads are, this one had a refreshing punch the moment you take it in whole.  There is something about the crisp vegetable crunching in your teeth whilst your palate is serenaded by the Thai dressing that simply awakens your senses.  Love that sweet-sour-salty combination! Not to mention that juicy pomelo and betel leaf that are sweet at first but carries a slightly bitter aftertaste.  This was an appetiser that leaves your mouth clean for the next.

Longrain’s signature dish of Eggnet, pork, prawns, sprouts, and peanuts served with a cucumber relish came next.

It is easy to see why the dish is so likeable.  Firstly, it is big.  Really bloody big.  But there is a little catch and it is that the dish is not filled entirely with meat and seafood but rather, massive amounts of juicy bean sprouts that compliments the herb and meat contents.  This to a certain extent felt like a noodle-less Pad Thai! It was yummy!  Its savoury, then a bit sweet but more importantly the dish was fragrant thanks to the little strips of kaffir lime, chill and lovely mint.  I really enjoyed this dish.  At the end though, I felt a little sad for the cucumber relish.  The balance in this dish was already optimal so I had no need to add anymore sweetness from the relish!

The next dish was the special of the day recommended to us by Longrain's waiter.  It was a whole fish filleted and deep fried served with a tangy tamarind sauce.

I love seeing my fish filleted with the whole lot deep fried to perfection.  Here the batter was thin so it only had a mild crisp from the deep frying.  What it lacked in crispy batter, it made up for by ensuring that the flesh was kept superbly moist.  Drizzle a little lime juice over the fish before dipping it into the Tamarind sauce and wow! It was an amazing meal!   This was one of my favourite dishes that day which I believe Hendra enjoyed too.  It aced both presentation and taste well.

The next dish to hit the table was the dish of pork hock.  Need I SAY. The dish looked good!!! At Longrain, the presentation is almost as important as the cooking.  

Before we started, the waiter explained to us that the dish has a lot of sugar.  To balance the sweetness, Longrain uses a chilli-vinegar concoction that brings a sense of balance to the dish.  True enough, I can imagine the dish being immensely sweet without the vinegar.  Whilst this dish was quite good, it can very quickly become overwhelming because of that deep fried fatty pork hock combination with a fairly sweet and sour sauce.  Definitely not a dish to be ordered for one, but its something to be shared around the table.  It is almost as if one piece is too little but two on the other hand is too much!

Last but not least was a dish of stir fried king prawns, and mussels in a turmeric x chilli sauce.

The dish looked meagre on the first sight.  All we had were 4 prawns and 3 mussels.  But fret not, each piece of seafood were still rather plump in size.  But Mei reckon that the garnish of fried kaffir lime leaf would already cost a fortune! She is most definitely right because Kaffir Lime leaves are  really expensive!   Putting prices aside, this dish is pretty damn tasty thanks to it sauce.  Also, the turmeric is really mild so do not worry if you dislike that herb.  In a nutshell, it was a rather tasty but a little expensive :P!

While I would have loved to order a dessert to end, my stomach thought otherwise.  I was very full!  With a bill the creeped close to $190, Longrain is by no means a cheap affair.  For 4 diners, we might have been overly ambitious and ordered too much but no regrets here for sure.  The service was decent, food was tasty, the ambience comfortable and more importantly, the company that afternoon was spot on.  My best comparison for modern Thai would be Nahm Thai which has now been branded to Nunam as well as Galangal Thai and Red Opium, all of which are in Perth.  Out of these four places (including Longrain), it is clear that Longrain is a winner for the many reason which includes better value, greater creativity and  more originality.  Nahm Thai dulls in comparison to the lot especially when most Perth people considers Nahm Thai to be Perth’s finest modern Thai restaurant.  In my opinion, only Galangal Thai’s Pad Prik King and Red Opiums incredible tapas selection comes close to challenging the delicious fish and egg net dish I had today at Longrain :)!  Oh do not forget, Galangal Thai is possible the cheapest contender of the lot albeit its small serving sizes!

WenY