Yentafo

199
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Noodles in Sea of Red

Yentafo is a bowl of noodle in tofuee fermented tofu paste (that red color paste) with fish balls and tidbits, either served dry or in soup.

Thanks to Yentafo Noodle House Group never tired to open more branches in major shopping centers; therefore we can enjoy this popular roadside delicacy in the comfort of an air-conditioning and clean dining room, saving us from unnecessary sweating.


1. fish ball noodle in yentafo soup; 2. fish ball noodle in clear broth

Yentafo Noodle House ****
Basement, the Esplanade
99 Ratchadapisek Road
Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400
Tel.: 02.660.9119
Yentafo

Open daily : 11 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only): around THB 150 for two

Provence

198
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Thai noodle in Southeastern France

Local foodie Khun Nunthinee Tanner, brought sidewalk noodles to a cozy space with leafy garden interior in Bangkok's most prestige shopping mall where houses Prada and Louis Vuitton flagship stores.

Provence at Gaysorn is famous for her kuay-tiew rua (Ayutthaya boat noodle in spicy heavy broth) and guay-jub (Tieo-chew style roll-noodle soup with crispy pork and pig intestine) as well as a menu of Thai tidbits designed for quick lunch, snacks, and afternoon tea.



guay-jub (Tieo-chew style roll-noodle soup with crispy pork and pig intestine)


Provence at Gaysorn ***
3rd floor, Gaysorn Plaza
999 Ploenchit Road
Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.656.1050

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

Lek Seafood

197
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Floating on Bangkok C.B.D.

If you don't mind going a little rustic, Lek's food is great. In fact Lek is almost the only place in the area you find fresh seafood cooked in decent Thai style with a good price.

People may argue if those side walk seafood hawkers on Silom and Surawong Road are also good! I will not counter such pledge only if they insist stale and fishy seafood are good, with bonus that hygiene is never in the vendors mind. Remind you that those side walk seafood joints are not necessary cheaper in price though.


1. spicy cockles salad with mint and chilies (yum hoy krang)
2. crispy fish maw salad (yum sam krob)

3. fried river prawn in tamarind sauce (goong phad sauce makham)
4. steamed cuttlefish in lime broth (pla muek neung ma-nao)

5. stir-fried bitter gourd stem (phad pak yod mara)
6. fried whole live crab in curry sauce THB 700 (poo phad pong garee)

Lek Seafood ***1/2
Narathiswas-rachanakarin Road
(beneath BTS Chongnonsi)
Silom, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.636.6460

Open daily : 5 pm - 11 pm
Pay (food only): around THB 800 for two (without live crab)

Kum Poon

196
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Big bites of gai-yang somtum in Central World

Where in Bangkok's modern mega mall you eat authentic Issan fare in a touch of Thailand northeastern surroundings? There we do it at Kum Poon.

Kum Poon, literally means 'big bites' in Issan dialect, serves a wide array of Issan delicacies. Although dishes served here can be found much cheaper (and prehaps better) on any sidewalk stalls, but having your favorites gai-yang somtum tom-saap* in a jungle (feel) without the comfort of air-conditioning justified, this restaurant is truly different dining experience worth to sample.


1. minced pork spicy salad (larb moo)
2. grilled chicken (gai-yang)

3. sour and spicy soup with prawn (tomyumgoong)
4. grilled pork in Issan namtok sauce (namtok moo yang)

5. snake head fish fillet with boiled vegetables
6. herbal jelly

Kum Poon ***1/2
Central World Plaza, 7/floor
999/9 Rama 1 Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.646.1044

Open daily : 10 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only): around THB 500 for two

* Issan (Thailand Northeastern region), gai-yang (grilled chicken), somtum (shredded raw papaya spicy salad), tom-saap (Issan spicy soup)

D'Sens

195
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Fine dining by Jacques and Laurent Pourcel

I was told that fine dining is the combination of arts through opulent or hip decoration with higher cost material, elegant ambiance, use of selective fine china and glassware, impeccable service and of course dedicated cuisine.

Therefore we should not see dinnerware bought from a weekend market, lamp and lighting from a local night market, uncomfortable chairs made by low-cost material, decoration that one may feel 'cheap', and unqualified service staffs in a fine dining restaurant.

Proclaimed as a fine dining venue, D'Sens at Dusit Thani Hotel makes no mistake. Stepping out of the lift (elevator) we float on the sea of elegant custom knitting carpet and were ushered by beautiful receptionist with smile to our table, sit comfortably. Despite the breathtaking panorama view, ambiance in the restaurant is relax and elegant. Dinnerware is by Rosenthal. Wait-staffs are attentive, the restaurant manager hovers between tables to ensure diners of utmost pleasure dining at D'Sen, and the chef is listening to feedback.

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Although the Pourcel brothers seldom do the cooking, but dishes are prepared by D'Sens highly-talented team of chefs. We have heard that the former sous-chef now opens his own restaurant on Soi Thonglo, and after his departure D'Sens delivers better quality dishes to diners. A re-visit to D'Sens prove that the food is exquisite!

D'Sens French Restaurant ****
Dusit Thani Hotel
946 Rama 4 Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.200.9000 ext. 2499
D'Sens

Opens Monday - Friday : Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Opens Monday - Saturday : Dinner 6 pm - 10 pm
Pay (food only): expect THB 6,000 for two (lunch set 2-course B590++ each, 3-course B770++ each)

Parferio

194
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Healthy Trend Strikes Back

Frozen yogurt were once so popular (in Thailand) in the 90's before it had been diminished from the market. After the 1997 economic crisis, people tend to spend carefully and these fancy and expensive (cost a lot more than soft ice cream) frozen yogurt became not justified.

Two years ago, the trend (of frozen yogurt) strikes back while people willing to pay a little more to control their waist size. Sfree is one ventured into the trend by offering healthy dessert and ice cream (actually frozen yogurt). In February Sfree's first premium outlet Parferio opens on Sukhumvit Soi 24, where spending power is not to be worried.

At Sfree, parfait desserts cost a little more than Baht 100; while at Parperio they go for Baht 150 and up.



Parferio by Sfree Healthy Dessert Cafe **1/2
President Park Arcade
Sukhumvit Soi 24
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.661.0800
Sfree

Open daily 10 am - 11 pm
Pay (parfait dessert only for two): around THB 400

Dairy Queen D-rimnam

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Where doesn't serve soft ice cream and hot dog!

A friend from San Francisco is bored of Bangkok downtown riverside dining where only small bridges (hey Jack, not everyone can dine by the Golden Gate Bridge so often!) and a few hotels composing the view, therefore he requested a change.

There we took a 50-minute boat trip to downstream of Chaophraya River, to the D-Rimnam (used to call Dairy Queen) Seafood Restaurant in Nonthaburi province.

The ambiance here is relax, service is prompt and helpful, and food (Thai, seafood, pastry and Japanese) is superb if you order the right one. Just like dining in any Thai restaurant, we need to order the right dishes the restaurant is good at. There we skip the Japanese selection!


1. khao kriap park mor (steam rice flour wrapper with stuffing)
2. mee krob (a classic dish of sweet and sour fried noddle in a nest)

3. hor mok ka-nom-krok (baked curry fish paste on earthenware)

4. pla kapong neung manao (steam sea bass in spicy lime and chili broth)
5. tumyumgoong (sour and spicy soup with prawn)

D-Rimnam (Dairy Queen) Seafood Restaurant ***1/4
27/4 Moo.3 Rattanathibet Road
(besides Phra Nangklao Bridge)
Saima, Nonthaburi 11000
Tel.: 02.921.8670

Open daily : 5 - 10 pm
Pay (food only): around THB 800 for two with seafood

Niyom Pochana

192
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Care for a bowl of khao-tom?

Niyom is the only place on Silom Road we may enjoy decent Chinese Tieochew khao-tom dining.



Niyom Pochana 時興飯店 ***1/4
491/10-11 Silom Plaza
Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.234.0149

Open daily: 5 pm - 2 am
Pay (food only): around THB 400 for two

Hot Shoppe

191
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Hot - Without Mercy!

One of my favorite Thai noodles - khao soi, can be found at Hot Shoppe.


1. spicy lemongrass salad (yum ta-krai)
2. pan-fried local mussel in tapioca flour (hoy tord)

3. green curry with deep-fried roti
4. spicy Indian curry noodle (kuay-tiew kaeng)

5. spicy northern deep-fried egg noodle in thick curry (khao-soi)
6. fried rice in shrimp paste (khao kluk kapi)

Hot Shoppe Coffee Shop ***1/4
Miracle Mall
Sukhumvit Road Soi 41
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.258.0653

Open daily : 10:30 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only): around THB 300 for two for single dish menu, around THB 700 for two for a la carte meal