92. Ho Kitchen 釆華軒
Sometimes I crave for roasted suckling pig (real week-old baby pig but not those small pigs presented in most Thai-Chinese eateries) and rare seafood, eating them may simply make my day. Good seafood restaurants accommodate chefs with decent culinary skill aren't being seen everywhere though Bangkok is the center of seafood trading in Thailand. Frustrated isn't it?
Nesting in the humdrum Bangkapi residential community, Ho Kitchen Meng-jai branch came to my rescue.
Occupying two rais of land with spacious parking, this two-storey club-house-look seafood restaurant with the Cantonese accent is easy to be mistaken as a fancy seafood joint without true enthusiasm in the feast if we neither try once nor hear of the restaurant's what-about. Behind Ho Kitchen is a celebrity chef Mr. Ho once mastered the China House @ the Oriental Hotel Bangkok and the same man who made the Shang Palace @ the Shangri-la Hotel Bangkok shone in the 90's before he ventures into his own restaurant business in the entrance to the 21st Century. In Bangkok, Chef Ho believes a feast after authentic and quality Cantonese dining shouldn't be the privilege of those rich tourists and the few well-off Bangkok elites. Thus in contrast to many celebrity chefs tend to open fancy and high-end individual restaurants, Chef Ho aims to the plebeian. With highest quality on an easy pricing in mind Chef Ho opened his first wallet-friendly Ho Kitchen around 10 years ago on Rama 3 Road, soon a second branch opened in Bangkok seaside Bang-khun-thian, and the latest Meng-jai branch is the sign showing to Thais how much he is devoting to the country's restaurant business he found in love with.
In Ho Kitchen Meng-jai branch, a chilled-water fish tank system is being introduced to the country. Imported live seafood enjoy the nursing in some very cold (some even icy) water fish tanks with adjusted temperature for those seafood came from the cooler water region, such as lobster, abalone and barramundi cod (pla-karang-naa-ngon) from Australia, geoduck clam from Canada, and king crab from Alaska. They swim in a similar environment (in term of water temperature) therefore result in the seafood live happier and the meat stay fresher with a firmer texture and a (naturally) sweeter taste. The handling costs increase, but the price doesn't. Instead it is slightly cheaper than those prominent seafood joints even without having such chilled-water fish tank system installed to keep seafood live longer and stronger.
Knowing to keep live seafood happier is one point but having patrons eating happier is even more important, now the responsibility of those Chef Ho trained chefs. To kick off the dinner we had Live Geoduck Clam (Baht 3,100) prepared in sashimi with a hot pot on the side. Need not to describe the geoduck clam was ultra fresh with a hints of crunchy texture thanks to the icy-water tank, the taste was so naturally sweet yield a full flavor of the clam without any help of seasoning. Bravo! The best live geoduck clam I have sampled in Thailand. I remember once I paid for a dish of overpriced stiff and frozen-tasted stir-fried geoduck clam in a Rajprasong area five-star hotel's outlet; therefore, some of those so called 5-star-hotel Chinese executive chefs may have better knowledge in golfing (if not mahjong playing) than cooking!
Our second dish, my favorite, the Roasted Suckling Pig Hong Kong style. Two dishes namely roasted suckling pig HK style and pigeon HK style are among my most wanted list on the dinner table. However, in Bangkok having a good HK style pigeon (you get one in Roselamoon) and roasted HK suckling pig are as difficult as you want some traditional pasta prepared with Abla white truffle flake! Lucky, suckling pig in Ho Kitchen was marinated and roasted the Hong Kong way without any mistake, crispy on skin with thin layer of aromatic meat attached. Critical notice - only her Meng-jai branch has good suckling pig, not the branch in Rama III Road (that one sucks as they deep-fried it). Why one restaurant group has two standards? Maybe Chef Ho has learned from China one country two standards, ooops, it is one country two systems indeed.
Followed was soup to do the cleansing. I had Bird Nest Soup with Minced Chicken (Baht 550) while my friends took the Braised Shark Fin Soup in Supreme Brown Broth (Baht 800) and Monk-Jump-Over-the-Wall (Baht 1,200). Except the monk-jump-over-the-wall, my bird nest soup and the braised fin soup were pleasant.
To go with some rice we ordered the Roasted Pigeon, Stir-fried US Scallop, Yum Sea Conch (boiled sea conch in Thai style spicy salad), and Stir-fried Pak-waan Vegetable (local watercress). They were acceptable though not outstanding.
For a Cantonese dinner we never missed out the fish. Although Ho Kitchen has a wide range of fish to offer from the five continents, but we still stuck to our favorite Steamed Coral Trout in Warm Soy Sauce (Baht 1,600). The fish was steamed to perfection, 90% done with the center of the fish (attached to the bone) left sightly in pink-red. Don't be scare! This is the way a well prepared steamed fish supposed to be.
Although we have heard that the Snowy Taro (puak hima) and Ginkgo Nuts in Roasted Coconut are outstanding desserts in Ho Kitchen but we had to save them for next visit as we were very full by now.
Authentic Cantonese cuisine tends to be on the bland side in tern of seasoning. Real gourmet relies on the freshness and the natural taste of the ingredients instead of the seasonings. Since Ho Kitchen tends to taking care mostly local customers with stronger palate, some Cantonese-cum-Thai dishes were added to the menu. For most dishes original taste couldn't be adjusted due to authentication, house-recipe dipping sauce on the helping hand. Chef Ho trained a team of hotsy-totsy chefs benefited from the state-of-the-art fish tank system, best to keep all seafood live healthier, did prepare us a feast of freshest tasting and quite delicious seafood dinner at Ho Kitchen Meng-jai branch.
Ho Kitchen (Meng-jai branch) 釆華軒 ***3/4
510 Prachauthit-mengjai Road
(off Pradit-manutham Road),
Wangtonglang, Bangkok 10310;
Tel.: 02-934 7723
(Ho Kitchen Rama 3 branch not recommended)
Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm; dinner 6 - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): lunch around THB 600; dinner around THB 1,000 (or around THB 3,000 for live seafood dining)
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46 comments:
Is this the private Kitchen from a mutual friend we know?
I like to try all these private kitchens mentioned from this blog. Next time I have to make my stay longer in BKK.
From,
Mi
Stella,
I don't like so as our friend will not make the dim sum(I guess)shown on picture.
From,
Piggy
I mean I don't think so not I don't like so.
From,
Piggy
very observant Piggy!
but inside the basket was not dimsum, it was thin rice flour bun to eat with suckling pig, more pics will be displayed in few more days
and this Ho's Kitchen is not a private kitchen in HK, it is by celebrity chef Master Ho in Bangkok
Master Ho had made two Chinese restaurants in Bangkok become great, one is the China House of the Oriental Hotel and the other of course Shang Palace of the Shangri-la Hotel
stay tune
So is he another chef coming out of the Hotel's restaurant and ran his own kitchen place?
right, he came (out) from China House and Shang Palace, around 10 years ago he formed Ho's Kitchen
chef Ho is a native Hong Kong
So this Ho is not that Ho we know?
OK, let's go to "Ho Kitchen" next time if it is worth to go.
That's why there are so many nice restaurants in Bangkok. The chefs don't wanna leave Thailand and then opened their restaurants. There are many similar cases.
This looks like a club house from outside.
Is this a Cantonese Seafood Restaurant?
yes, this a Thai-Cantonese seafood restaurant, why i say it is Thai-Cantonese? because the taste sightly fine tune to Thais palate and it offers some yum (spicy salad)there
Thank you Mr. Tea for the explanation. I like Thai Cantonese food.
The food looks very nice. The restaurant looks good too. Some food with Thai taste, quite good to try. Is it difficult to find? Thank you Thailand Club.
Man
Yes this looks like a good restaurant. I would like to try if the price is reasonable(not more expensive than Crystal Jade inside Siam Paragon).
The name seems not to go with the restaurant's look. XXX Kitchen sounds like it's a small restaurant. This one is more than that. Thailand Club, can you send me the original size of the fish photo? I would like to check something in Man's way (CSI)... :)
u mean the Chinese name?
Check it the CSI Way? Did I miss any new guessing game?
I think in the Sea want to check if there is something wrong on the fish or what kind of fish. Mr. Sea, wait for your CSI checking.
Man
in-the-sea would like to check what part of water the fish came from, and he told me it was from the south instead of the north, but not sure what region yet :)
he also would like to check how long the fish 'live' in the Ho's fish tank to c the freshness of the fish
Wow, I cannot wait for your detective work on your fish report. You guys are so pro.
To Anonymous 9:11 pm,
Do you know Thailand Club, Sea,and Man are in detective business as well as eating business?
u r so funny
Yes Anonymous 9:29 pm. The three of them are gourmet CIDs.
Haha.. I like checking things in details but not good at eating and making food. In the Sea seems to be very busy recently. Maybe he is now really in the sea and checking the fish for us. :)
Man
Thank you Thailand Club for sending the photo. It's not a detailed check. I just wanna see how the side fins and the fish body skin are. The fish should be a farm fish and may have stayed in the fish tank in the restaurant for quite some time. I checked on the fish body, it is not in a bent and shrunk condition; so I can tell it's a farm fish. Then the side fins are not upright after being steamed, that told it stayed in the tank for quite some time. However, it is still a live-killed fish. Check on the eyes. The eye ball was out.
this was a live red grouper (imported from Singapore as Ho's claimed), so the fish maybe farm either in Malaysia or China, then ship to Bangkok, the fish maybe not that expensive as farm fish cost less, but adding the transportation cost, the fish is THB2,000 per kg, pretty expensive considered it is only farm fish
I don't know how to check if the fish is from the sea or farm. Interesting. Red Groupa means "east star" groupa? If so, it's not expensive. We pay HK$700 for a one kilo "east star" groupa,but I don't know if it's from sea or farm.
Man
This fish is too expensive. The most expensive fish I had in a restaurnat is $15.99/lb. If we buy in market, usually it is $3.99/lb for live Talapia(Lap Fish), $6.99/lb for live Sea Bass, $7.99/lb for snow fish or Trump Dragon. If the same fish is ordered from restaurant, then add $4-$6 per lb in average. That is about it for live fish.
I just went to one Cantonese Seafood Restaurant in Alhambra last night. I noticed the "East Star Garoupa" was US$18.99/lb, the big head "Red Dress" was US$15.99/lb and the live Talapia was US$8.99/lb. The live Geoduck is US$13.99/lb.
Special for last night was:
Live lobster- $3.99/lb; Alaska King Crab- $6.99/lb;
Key Wai Shrimp- $3.99/lb.
You can only choose one out of the three special above so I picked the lobster.
Man,
Are you reading this blog at work? That is ok as long as your boss does not know. Also now is noon time in HK so you are just doing this at your lunch break.
Lucky you. I cannot have internet/blog access at office.
Mmh.. it's indeed a bit expensive. However, it can't be compared. Garoupa in Thailand may not be that cheap, not to even mention it' s a live one. I think I seem to recall to see those live fish in supermarket like Tesco-Lotus, they are even not cheap.
I think the Thai eating culture for fish is most likely to deep fry it, instead of steaming it in Chinese way. So if it's deep frying, there is no need to have live fish - kind of waste. Then if the demand for live fish is not that much, the live fish's price must be more expensive.
That is correct. It is all related to supply and demand.
If Thai culture is more into eating deep fry fish, there is no need for a live fish, so the demand is not there(and therefore the higher price is justified).
Yes, I heard about this restaurant from my Thai friend. She told me this owner was once a famous chef of Shangari-la Hotel in the 90's.
Now I get the address and I have to try next time and let you know my report.
From,
Mi
Although I am originally from Thailand(15 years ago), you people do know about good food in Bangkok more than I do.
From,
Restaurnat owner in CA
Yes Mr. Thailand Club does know more about good restaurants than native Thais in BKK.
Thailand Club knows not only the restaurants in Bangkok, but also all other general aspects from local culture, real estates, travel to the Government's affairs of Thailand. For real estates, he knows more than the local agents. Buying properties in Thailand requires very complicated documentation especially for foreigners. He is an expert in that area too. I'm glad that now he is working on this blog so successfully. Haha, it's not a advertising promo. for him, or my compliment. We are happy to share our comments thru' this blog. That's like a collective diary of our chatting in 2008 an forward to 2009 and so on.
Yes the two of you(In-the-Sea and Thailand Club) are good influence to all of us. Thank you for broading our horizon overall.
of course i hv to know property and local politics, that's my core business
So it seems like the blogger is not only a gourmet but also property business man, as well as a good write and photographer.
From,
Mi
Yes, Thailand Club is a real estate guy besides a tour business guy, a real gourmet, a writer and also a big eater.
My friend told me this restaurant is kind of expensive.
if we just order some ordinary dishes without the shark's fin and Alaska king crab and geoduck clam then our pocket won't hurt (well well imported seafood of course it costs)
for instance, its Peking duck and HK style bbq suckling pig r cheaper then other eateries in the same grade
Ho Kitchen's target customers r locals middle-class (not tourists) so price won't hit too high
What is the cost per person on this one? $25 US per person?
like what my grand mom said "人離鄉濺，物離鄉貴” (People will become "cheap" (means less wanted) when they are not in their home town. Things will become expensive (means more valuable) when they are not in their home town.
Ho's seafood is expensive for the locals but in expats eyes maybe relatively cheap! It has some weird seafood I never seen.
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