Su Tha Ros

501
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The Iron Chef's cuisine

With stunning view overlooking the Rajprasong lifestyle hub, Su Tha Ros, is an elegant and classy Thai restaurant at the Muse Hotel Bangkok that serves time-honored Thai cuisine with a modern touch. For a few visits I did over the year, young chef culinary presentation did live up to expectations. 

Su Tha Ros ***1/4
19/F Muse Hotel Bangkok
55/555 Soi Langsuan, off Ploenchit Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 
Tel.: 02.630.4000
Su Tha Ros

Open daily : 6 am - 10:30 pm (full Thai menu during lunch and dinner only)
Pay (food only for one): around THB 900 
(lunch set at THB 299++)

*Updates (2015-Feb): Su Tha Ros is now replaced by Babette's | the Steakhouse Bangkok.

* To follow Bangkok closely, please 'friend' Thaisclub in Facebook!

Waraku

486
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Eat that display!

Waraku, at the downtown mega mall - Central World, offers Japanese cuisine with a European twist (yes, that means fusion!) and in an casual array. The food display at the shop front is gorgeous, sadly not the food itself! Their ambiance and service, on par with other dine-in fast food joints.

Waraku Japanese Casual Dining **1/2
7/F Zone A - Atrium, Cemntral World Plaza
Rajdamri Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.613,1750

Open daily : 10:30 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 400

* To follow Bangkok closely, please 'friend' Thaisclub in Facebook!

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 

* To follow  Bangkok closely, please 'friend' Thaisclub in Facebook!

Fifth Dragon

468
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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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Charm Thai

464
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Charm of Thais

Charm Thai, a hotel's Thai restaurant that doesn't hurt my taste buds. I eat there quite often, due to her very convenient location, although it is not one of my favorite Thai restaurants.


yum som-o (spicy pomelo salad with river prawns)

gai hor bai-tuey (marinated chicken meat wrapped in pandan leaves)

gaeng massaman gai (Southern style massaman curry with chicken meat)

tom kha gai (chicken soup in coconut milk with galangal and herbs)

phad pak yod mara (stir-fried bitter gourd leaves); stir-fried mixed vegetables

pla kapong tord rad prik (deep fried local sea bass, chili sauce)

goong maenam bai horapha phad prik (river prawns, sweet basil, chili sauce)

Charm Thai ***1/2
The Holiday Inn Bangkok
971 Ploenchit Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Charm Thai

Open daily : 6 - 10:30 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 800




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King Kong Yakiniku buffet

454
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Eat like King Kong at a small cost

One of the youngest yakiniku chains in Bangkok, King Kong, gains momentum to be Bangkok's most popular Japanese BBQ restaurant!

King Kong Yakiniku Buffet Restaurant ***1/2
Silom branch
3/F United Center
323 Silom Road
Bangrak, bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.238.1877
* more branches at Ekamai, Rama 9, Mengjai and Langsuan

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (all-u-can-eat yakiniku for one): THB 470 net (incl. free-flow drinks)



* To follow Bangkok closely, please 'friend' Thaisclub in Facebook!

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

khao-chae @ Kalpapruek CWP

433
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Comfort food in Thai summer

Every year during the hottest month in Thailand I anticipate the coming of Songkran (Thai New Year) Festival, or Splash-water Festival in the eyes of foreign visitors, and eating of khao-chae or literally rice soaked (in icy water).

As the fuel cost increases are skyrocketing, the best way to fight electricity bills is to eat khao-chae to lower our body temperature. Khao-chae consists of rice soaked in iced-cold jasmine-scented water served with elaborately prepared side dishes.

Khao-chae chao-Mon was originated from the Mon ethnic people resident in Thailand two centuries ago, cooked to sacrifice to the God, the dish is rather simple compare to the Royal Thai version. Khao-chae chao wang (the Royal Thai khao-chae) which had been brought to the royal court of King Rama II as a dish to comfort the King (Rama II) and royal people during the hot season. The rice and water of Royal Thai khao-chae is pretty complicated and requires a long process. Half cooked rice repeatedly rinsed to get rid of the starch before further being cooked, next put in cold water to avoid a premature process, drain the water; later steaming the half-dry rice in a cloth wrapper over a volcano-hot boiler until it is fully cooked in order for the scented water to look clear with the rice, earning a firm texture. The jasmine-scented water is not prepared with less effort. Jasmine blossoms are soaked in water in a clay pot with a jasmine-scented candle carefully floating on it for the water to absorb the fragrance with the pot covered for a while; repeat the process until satisfaction is met, then pour the scented water into an earthenware pot and store them overnight. When served, add the rice in the scented water followed by mini ice cubes, accompanied by tidbits.

The tidbits or side dishes, are, luk kapi (deep-fried fermented shrimp paste balls), hom daeng yud sai (deep-fried shallots stuffed with minced fish), prik yuak sord sai (banana chili pepper stuffed with minced pork wrapped in egg netting), moo foi (shredded sweet pork), chai pow phad wan (stir-fried sweet dry turnip with egg) and carved vegetables (usually consist of green mango, cucumber, krachai, red chili and green onion).

To ensure our palate enjoys the most pleasure from the jasmine-scented khao-chae and tidbits, we eat the rice and the tidbits separately, one at a time. Never put the tidbits in the rice and water as it will cloud the scented water.

Khao-chae is another original delicacy from Thailand, it is unique and it is chic. Summer time is coming, my favorite khao-chae treat is here, though Kalpapruek is not my favorite choice.





khao-chae
at Kalpapruek Restaurant ***
CWP branch:
7/F Central World Plaza
4 Rajdamri Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.613.1359

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (khao-chae only for tw0): around THB 650 (THB 290+ per set)
* khao-chae is available from mid-March until end of April

Lee Cafe

428
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Chef that is lacking of iron

Japan's most talked about cooking contest and television show, the Iron Chef has come to Thailand; last week (March 14) the contestant (or the challenger in Iron Chef's term), a Thai-northeastern native chef who works in a Bangna district Chinese Restaurant, that leans on group tours and event clientele, easily beat the program's permanent Iron Chef of Chinese cuisine - Khun Chaithe a.k.a. Mr. Lee (owner of Lee Kitchen and Lee Cafe) by a fairly big margin. I went to Mr. Lee's restaurants a few times, no matter if they are the Lee Kitchen or Lee Cafe, the food was far from cheerful.

* Iron Chef Thailand, every Wednesday 11 pm on Channel 7.



Lee Cafe **1/4
3/F Central World Plaza
4 Rajdamri Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.646.1838
.. more branches at major shopping centers

Open daily : 10 am - 9:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 450