Yum & Tum

414
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Healthy salad and fierce pok-pok

I love Issan (Thailand northeastern provinces) food, just like most of the expats living in Bangkok do. Whether it is sidewalk somtum (spicy raw papaya pok-pok salad), gai yang (grilled chicken), or to higher-end Issan restaurants, I couldn't wait to leave my foot print there if it is a good one.

Yum & Tum, with its first debut at the Life Center Sathorn three years ago, has climbed to be a popular Issan delicacies joint with comfy interior and an eclectic menu to offer. Recently I went to her branch at K-Village with two visiting friends, the food was decent though not as good as those at Life Center and Central Festival Pattaya.

Yum & Tum Issan Restaurant ***1/2
2/F K-Village
93-95 Sukhumvit Soi 26
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.665.6546

Open daily : 11 am - 9:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700

Kiang-uan

413
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Cuisine of prosperity

Founded in Mahachai (Samut Sakhon) six decades ago, the renowned seafood eatery Kiang-uan Mahachai Seafood Restaurant somehow withdrew itself from the seaside province of Samut Sakhon and has been re-established in Bangkok. Today all Kiang-uan's branches still serve fresh catches and seafood sourced directly from Samut Sakhon (formerly Mahachai) that may dance on our table. Its fourth branch, the latest addition in the Kiang-uan's family, just opened at the newly opened Central Plaza Grand Rama 9.

Recently I visited her new branch at Central Plaza Grand Rama 9, though the seafood was very fresh, sadly they were spoiled on the chefs hand; perhaps the kitchen team needs more practice to make those quality ingredients dance with my taste buds.






Kiang-uan Mahachai Seafood Restaurant ***
7/F Central Plaza Grand Rama 9
Ratchadapisek Road
Huaykwang, Bangkok 10310
Tel.: 02.160.2424

Open daily : 11 am - 10 pm
Pay (seafood dining for two): around THB 1,500

Fei Ya yumcha

412
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Dim-sums for dragons

In just a short two years after its debut, Fei Ya Chinese Restaurant has already earned a reputation for its lychee wood roasted Peking duck and baked beggar chicken in lotus leaf; and its authentic Hong Kong style (not Thai-Chinese) yum-cha (drinking tea, eating dim-sum, bite-sized food in small portions, usually served in a small bamboo steamer basket) is arguably one of the best served in Bangkok. Let's have some dim-sums to start the year of the Golden Dragon.

Cantonese yum-cha lunch ****
Fei Ya Chinese Restaurant
Renaissance Rajprasong Bangkok Hotel
518/8 Ploenchit Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.125.5000
Fei Ya

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 6 - 10 pm
Pay (a la carte yum-cha for two): around THB 1,500
* weekdays all-you-can-eat dim-sum THB 680++ per person

Hai Somtam Convent

411
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Convent's pok-pok

Hai Somtam Convent Pochana stands on Soi Convent for decades, used to serve good quality som-tum (spicy raw papaya pok-pok salad) and gai-yang (grilled chicken); still serves these Thai Issan delicacies, but not as good as before. In my recent revisit to Hai, I found that its grilled chicken is of cheap quality while the papaya pok-pok salad and other yum (spicy salad) dishes are still delightful to eat.



Hai Somtam Convent Pochana ***
2/4-5 Soi Convert
off Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02. 631.0216

Open daily : 10 am - 8:30 pm (Sat 10 am - 5 pm)
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400

Est. 33

410
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An edutainment microbrewery

Est. 33, the name coming from the Kingdom's oldest brewery debut in 1933, is a serious microbrewery, restaurant and mini beer museum in Bangkok. Though most of my friends are fans of beer gardens and wine bars, yes people love beer, but I am not particularly excited about this fermented malted wheat beverage; so when Est.33 opened at the posh CDC (Crystal Design Center), I didn't immediately share the joy. Later I found out that Est. 33 teamed up with one of my most favorite bistros (to handle the kitchen) to offer New York style Parisian minibar cuisine and fusion Thai fare; I now join my friends at the Est. 33 and have become a regular.

Of course Est. 33 serves (maybe the Kingdom's best) fresh home brewed beer (larger, copper, and dark) from its microbrewery, and other selections in a bottle; with the help of her kitchen partner, it also serves 'real' food and enticing mocktails.










Est. 33 ****
Crystal Design Center, Building E
1420/1 Praditmanutham Road
(Ekamai - Ramintra Highway)
Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240
Tel.: 02.102.2096

Open daily : 4 pm - midnight (Fri-Sun from 11 am)
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,000

* Est. 33 also has a branch at the Nine, Rama IX Road

La Tavola

409
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Start of a delicious new year

The scenario of Italian restaurants inundating every soi (small street/lane) in downtown Bangkok lets us eat too much cheese and tomatoes these days; all of them say that they are authentic and run by Italian chefs, but it turns out many of their foods are dull and mediocre.

Three years ago, before Renaissance Rajprasong Hotel opened, I had heard that it will include an Italian (La Tavola), coffee shop (Flavors) and Chinese (Fei Ya) restaurants in the venue, but I just didn't feel too excited about these culinary additions to the city. However, later I found out that Fe Ya is probably Bangkok's best Chinese restaurant, especially its dimsum dishes during the lunch time yumcha period; the quality is above the mark in Bangkok's Chinese restaurant scene, and on par with top Chinese restaurant standards in Hong Kong.

La Tavola, nested in the Renaissance Rajprasong Hotel, is a ristorante with home-style Italian cuisine to offer. The food was good though not overly outstanding on the first time I visited; not the love at first bite kind! Over time, my taste buds tends to appreciate Chef Fabio's culinary style, complexity in simplicity, and I started to enjoy the food more.

Just like in most five-star hotel dining, the service at La Tavola is of the enthusiastic and attentive kind.


rocket salad with tiger prawns, THB 390++
(served with cantaloupe melon, sun-dried tomato pesto, a wonderful appetizer)

clear duck consomme, B280++
(served with dill omelet & enoki mushrooms, a hearty soup, taste so-so!)
minestrone with parmesan crouton & pesto, B280++
(vegetable soup, with hints of sourness, like cooked and scented water!)

handmade squid-ink cappellini angel hair pasta, THB 680++
(with crab meat, in rich bouillabaise sauce, very light, one of my favorite)
white truffle & parmesan cheese risotto, THB 750++
(with seared foi gras and aromatic oil, nice texture, and it is a real treat)

roasted sea bream Acqua Pazza style with Prosecco wine, THB 670++
(w/ capers, red onion, fresh tomato, zuchini & basil, fish is fresh, sauce too sour)

la Margherita pizza, THB 320++
(w/ tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese & oregano, nice but not outstanding)

herbs marinated grilled lamb cutlet, THB 750++
(with potato tart zucchini Provencal, red wine reduction, yummy red meat)

grilled vegetables, rocket lettuce & parmesan cheese, THB 90+)
(mushroom, rocket leaves & parmesan just get along quite well, aromatic)
sauteed zucchini and cherry tomato, with herbs, THB 90++
(just stir-fried zucchini with zest of wine vinegar, quite sour, didn't like it)

panna cotta with fresh strawberry, THB 380++, pretty nice pudding!
vanilla ice cream, THB 90++, chef homemade, but why not gelato?

crispy focaccia bread, complimentary

La Tavola Italian Restaurant ****
Renaissance Bangkok Rajprasong Hotel
518/8 Ploenchit Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.125.5000
La Tavola

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 6 - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 4,000