WenY Wonders Why

Monday, January 26, 2015

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.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

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

Thursday, January 22, 2015

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!