Great Shanghai

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The great Hu cuisine

The three-decade old Great Shanghai is a longstanding Chinese Shanghai cuisine (a combination of Chinese Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine) specialty restaurant in Bangkok, though its food is far from outstanding, it is the only authentic and banquet-grade Shanghainese restaurant present in Bangkok.

Two decades ago, while her food quality was good, I ate at Great Shanghai quite often; and for now, I eat there only once every five years. A few weeks ago I went there to exercise my 'every-five-year' duty and I found that her wok-fried Chinese eel in garlic and dark gravy and the sour and spicy soup are so good not to be missed.

Great Shanghai Chinese Restaurant ***
648-652 Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.258.7042

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 6 - 10 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 500



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Tang Dynasty

492
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Dynasty of Silom

Tang Dynasty, a bistro style restaurant with the specialty of Chinese provincial cuisine, is a recent addition to the restaurant scene at Silom/Surawong area. 

Tang Dynasty ***1/2
128/7 Silom Soi 6
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.634.4199

Open daily : 11 am - 1 am
Pay (food only for one): around THB 300

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Summer Palace

483
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Another palace to dine at

I am a fan of the Iron Chef Thailand (and also Iron Chef America), a TV program that puts chefs in the cooking contest arena, which was originated in Japan by Fuji Television Network. Earlier this year, when I witnessed two Chinese chefs from one of my favorite hotel chains - IHG, Crowne Plaza's Xin Tian Di and InterContinental's Summer Palace, beat the Iron Chef of Chinese cuisine from the Iron Chef Thailand, I had a mixed feeling. 

I agree that Chef Lam of Xin Tian Di (Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park) deserved the victory in the Iron Chef Thailand contest, as I always enjoy his culinary service at his restaurant, whether it is home-style menu when I dine alone, or a banquet feast that I celebrate with friends. And for Chef Khor of Summer Palace (InterContinental Hotel Bangkok), I have a neutral view on that. I do sometimes enjoy food there!

 















Summer Palace Chinese restaurant  夏宮金殿 ***
InterContinental Hotel Bangkok
973 Ploenchit Road
Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.656.0444
Summer Palace

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am -2:30 pm, dinner 6:30 - 10:30 pm
Pay (food only for one): expect THB 2,500 or more 

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Fifth Dragon

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Fly high and humble

This Chinese dumplings joint, the Fifth Dragon, serves real xialongbao and hand-pull noddles in a downtown low cost mall. Although its food is far from a 'wow', but with its unbelievably friendly price for the locals, and the offer of real Chinese Northern bao (bun) and la-mian (noodle), the Fifth Dragon is an unpretentious restaurant that serves solid food but not a story or 'strawberry*'. So it is unlike the one in the opposite shopping mall (CWP); in here every penny a customer paid goes to the food, not to a PR cost or franchise fee.





The Fifth Dragon Chinese Restaurant ***1/4
4/F BigC Supercenter Rajdamri
97/11 Rajdamri Road
Prathumwan, Bangkok 10330

Open daily : 11 am - 10 pm
Food (only for one): around THB 200




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Lieo Lieng Seng @ United Center

452
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Time honored hole-in-the-wall grows bigger!
A hole-in-the-wall, secret foodies joint, Lieo Lieng Seng recently opened a canteen-like branch at United Center, right at C.B.D.'s Silom Road; now everyone can have easy access to Lieo's Thai-Chinese time tested menu, though the ambiance is (still) not 'on the menu'.

Lieo also owns the Kingdom's oldest ice cream recipe. Lieo's 555 Ratchawong Ice Cream was the first ice cream vendor in Thailand (yes, more than a century ago); the recipe passes on to Lieo's third generation, with the use of the best ingredients, is also available at Lieo Lieng Seng @ United Center.
dried fish maw in supreme broth, THB 100

wok-burnt tofu with bean sprouts and preserved sour veggie, THB 100

stir-fried kale, THB 100; fish maw in supreme broth, THB 100

oysters casserole, in Lieo's secret sauce, THB 300

fried bamee boran (literally ancient egg noodle) with chicken, ham, or crab meats, THB 100

Lieo Lieng Seng @ United Center ****
Basement, B1 #103, United Center
323 Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 081.827.6512
Lieo Lieng Seng

Open daily : 11 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 300 

** update: sadly this branch is now a history; its original branch at Galaxy Square (off Rama 4 Road) is still serving old-school Thai-Chinese at present.


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Xin Tian Di

451
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A comforting feast!

Xin Tian Di is the Chinese cuisine arm of the Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park (formerly Pan Pacific Hotel), located twenty-two stories above the ground, and it is advertised that it has 'a stunning view of the Bangkok city skyline', and the fact is, patrons will only 'enjoy' a panorama hospital (Chula) view.

Last year, when IHG's Crowne Plaza took over the management of this former Pan Pacific's property near Saladaeng intersection, they also re-branded the Chinese restaurant; though the team of chefs (including the head chef) and the team of service staffs remain retouched; probably the (Crowne Plaza) executives realized that Hai Tien Lo (the name when it was under Pan Pacific's umbrella) didn't earn a good reputation among epicures. Now, Xin Tian Di (literally new sky earth, or the new era), does enter into a new era. Under the new management, the restaurant and the kitchen team are being revitalized, and the food enters into a new chapter of gastronomic journeys.

The restaurant now serves one of the city's best Peking duck (THB 1,100++), and Chef Lam's home-made tofu is a must-try; otherwise it will be like leaving a treasure hut without digging up a few gold nuggets to take back home with us!


double-boiled conch soup with black chicken, THB 300++;
double-boiled grouper filet soup with century eggs, THB 220++

Chef Lam's home-made fried tofu with XO sauce, THB 160++; portion of Peking duck

Peking duck, wrapping and ready to eat

roasted Peking duck with condiments, half order, THB 650++

Chef Lam's home-made tofu and seafood casserole, THB 320++

roasted marinated pigeon, THB 600++

stir-fried grouper filet with ginger and green onion, THB 350++;
veggie with golden & silver eggs (salted & century eggs) in broth, THB 280++

sweet and sour pork, THB 300++; stir-fried kale with preserved veggie, THB 280++

yang-chow fried rice, THB 300++; chilled lemongrass jelly, THB 150++

Xin Tian Di Chinese Restaurant 新天地 ***1/2
Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park
952 Rama IV Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.632.9000
Xin Tian Di
(Please don't mix up with that Xinn Tien Di at Gaysorn Plaza, which has been heavily presented in free guidebooks!)

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 6 - 10:30 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 900




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yumcha @ Summer Palace

444.

Dimsum for the Last Emperor

Summer Palace is a long standing Chinese restaurant serving a traditional Cantonese specialty menu in Bangkok. Just like any hotel's Chinese restaurant, Summer Palace also serves dimsum during lunch time (it is called yumcha in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, where Cantonese yumcha culture has its roots there).

Yumcha, or drinking tea eating dimsum (bite-sized food in small portions, usually served in a small bamboo streamer basket or on a small plate); at Summer Palace, of the Intercontinental Hotel Bangkok, it is set in an ambiance of opulence, with the choices of a la carte and all-you-can-eat. The dimsum dishes, enjoyable but not outstanding; and service is pleasant but not impeccable!

Cantonese yum-cha lunch ***

at Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant 夏宮金殿

InterContinental Hotel Bangkok

973 Ploenchit Road

Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330

Tel.: 02.656.04444

Summer Palace

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 6:30 - 10:30 pm

Pay (yum-cha lunch for two): around THB 1,500

weekdays all-you-can-eat dimsum offer THB 638++ per person