Krua Apsorn

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Eat well, share them, sleep happily

Krua Apsorn, a decades old no-frills noisy eatery with minimal decoration, is fan of Thai royalty and local connoisseurs, also on radar of foreign journalists and foodies.

Choices of order are limited to a single sheet ordinary laminated menu, offering Thai household dishes with a small selection of Thai-Chinese favorites. All dishes are delightful. With focus on quality of food and authentication of taste only, Krua Apsorn is surely one of the most unpretentious eateries in town.


spicy salad with seafood (yum talay) THB 100
braised pork and eggs in thick broth (kai palo) THB 80

a slice of fluffy omelet with crab meat

fluffy omelet with crab meat (kai foo poo) THB 85
green curry (gaeng kieo-wan) THB 90

fried river prawn in tamarind sauce (goong-maenam phad sauce ma-kam) THB 300

stir-fried crab meat in yellow curry (poo phad phong karee) THB 320
vegetable clear soup with tofu and minced pork (gaeng juud) THB 70

Krua Apsorn Thai Restaurant ****1/4
503-505 Samsen Road
(near corner Samsen Soi 9)
Dusit, Bangkok 10300
Tel.: 02.241.8528
Krua Apsorn

Open daily (except Sunday): 10:30 am - 8 pm
Pay (food only for two) : around THB 450

Phad Thai Samsen

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Phad Thai and then some!

On Sunday I went to Ratchadamnoen area for business; unfortunately, both red-shirts and yellow-shirts staged their protest carnival there. To avoid unwanted entertainment, I detoured to Samsen Road.

There are two eateries in Samsen area I couldn't afford to miss. One is Krua Apsorn while the other is Rad-na Samsen. Since Je Noom wasn't in her rad-na shop, I moved to eat at her neighbor Phad Thai Samsen. This is a phad Thai eatery very well received by officers from the Palace and civil servants in the vicinity (such as Bank of Thailand).



Phai Thai Samsen THB 25 & THB 35


Phad Thai Samsen ***
512 Samsen Road
Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200

Open daily : 10 am - 8 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 60

The Orient

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Orient, not the Oriental

This is a modern Thai restaurant quite well received within the local high-so(ciety) circle renowned for its traditional fare of exquisite recipes from the royal palace.

I really like this Restaurant. Not about her food, but the longer operating hours. I hate most local family restaurants "welcome" customers with an ugly face after 9 pm (as waitress busily painting watercolor on face to prepare a funky trip to hell). Service at the Orient is impeccable; normally this kind of (good) service doesn't exist in a standalone restaurant.

The Orient deserves the Like from facebook!


yum pak boon tord (deep-fried morning glory with Thai spicy dressing) THB 135++
goong phad sauce ma-kam (fried prawn in tamarind sauce) THB 195++

tomyum goong-maenam (spicy & sour soup with Thai herbs, river prawn) THB 350++

toumyumgoong THB 350++, pla chon (snake-head fish) Ratchaburi recipe THB 195++

shaved ice - condensed milk flavor Thai style THB 65++

lok-chong THB 65++, ruby in coconut milk THB 65++

The Orient Since 1981 ***1/4
Somerset Building
115 Soi Thonglo
Sukhumvit Soi 55
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.381.6667

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm (Fri-Sat until midnight)
Pay (Food only for two): around THB 1,200

belGuardo

294
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Mega mall, mini-buffet

After famed chef Marco Cammarata left for Niu's (Silom 19), sorry to see this once pretentious high-end Italian dine and wine corner now lost in Mars. To survive, belGuardo is very happy to roll out the THB 399++ all-u-can-eat lunch and dinner set (yes, dinner also!) of which consist of salad-by-order, buffet style antipasti table, choices of pasta à la minute, all-u-can-eat pizzas, desserts, fruits and coffee. Service is good. .

After a day of shopping with my pocket emptied (at last), such dinner deal is a rescue to my bank. (Oops for less than THB 500 including everything the food is decent, at least better than the one opposite or Pizza Company!)

belGuardo Restaurant & Wine Lounge **1/2
LG/Floor The Siam Paragon
991 Rama 1 Road
Prathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.610.9380

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (all-u-can-eat set): THB 399++ per head

Tong Lee

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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The centennial roast

Since 1911, Tong Lee has roasted its duck for many many so many years - now a century in service. Hundred of food critics, guide books and tourist programs had her in coverage.

My find of its centennial-recipe roasted duck is just average to my palate. The meat is not moist and not so chewy-kind-tender. The duck skin is just semi-crispy. The good is the dressing that pour on the duck meat, flavorsome with depth but not salty. Unbearable is the two dipping sauces. One is the thick dark (cheap) sweet soy sauce while the other is fish sauce with chilies. Chinese doesn't eat roasted duck with fish sauce, so this universal Thai sauce just lost in a culture shock!


order a bowl of rice to go with a portion of roasted duck (order by small or large dish, half or whole duck), the more enjoyable way to eat them, not roasted duck on rice


Overall Tong Lee's roasted duck is still eatable, slightly better than those served in M.K. and Coca. Maybe the younger generation of Thong Lee lost his great grandpa's recipe, and perhaps low cost in concern! If this is the case, why not sell iDuck instead?

Tong Lee Restaurant ***
213 Sukhumvit Road
corner Sukhumvit Soi 15
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.251.5262

Open daily (except Sunday): 11:30 am - 3 pm, 5 pm - 8:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 250

Don Don Tei

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Gourmet in a bowl

Isetan 6th floor has been invaded by a few good Japanese delis outlets since two years ago. Don Don Tei is one of them.


ooebidon THB 280++ (tempura rice bowl set)

potato salad THB 60++; deep-fried soft shell kani (crab) THB 190++

buta shoga yaki (pork) THB 180++; deep-fried tofu THB 90++

rice bowl set A tendon THB 280++

Don Don Tei Rice Bowl ***1/2
6/F Isetan Department Store
Central World Plaza
4/1-4/2 Rajdamri Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.255.9891

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700

Melt Me

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Melting me softly with a scoop

Bangkok most trendy Italian gelato parlor debuts in trendy Thonglo.

Since December (2010) I hover in Arena 10 0f Thonglo at least three times a week, sampling self-proclaimed "healthy" gelato at Melt Me is one of the agendas. Is that gelato so good? Definitely NO! Is that awful? Neither!

I appreciate that the texture of Melt Me's gelato is smooth, creamy, and gentle; however, the taste - some flavors very artificial. (I can easily get the same flavor from my family doctor, just tell him I have a cough.) The good are forest berries and pistachio. Hard to bear are mango and vanilla. May spit to dustbin are strawberry and mojito. Three stars that I gave to Melt Me; half star for the ambiance, another half being part of Thonglo trendy kids (when I sit there), and one for her marketing achievement. (If it is not slightly overpriced, I may be more generous to give her Four!) Melt Me is where one can learn how to venture into a restaurant business, frog can turn out to be a prince!



Melt Me's chilled Hokkaido chocolate tastes like melting a piece of chewy creamy candy with dark chocolate flavor (tasty though) in my mouth. A cover version of Royce! Like it or not. Your call.

Melt Me Hokkaido Chocolate & Healthy Gelato ***
Arena 10
159/8 Thonglor Soi 10
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.392.4855
Melt Me

Open daily : 11 am - 2 am
Pay (desserts only for two): around THB 450