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BBQ of the Gangnam style
One of the first (and also one of the best) Japanese yakiniku cum Korean BBQ specialty restaurants at Thonglo community, Seoul BBQ Restaurant; its glorious reputation has never faded away year after years.
Seoul BBQ Restaurant ***1/2
Sukhumvit Road Soi 55 (Soi Thonglo)
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.392.6046
Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 5 - 10 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 400
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.Sweet and no sweatDuring (Thai) summers, ripe mango has its best flavor of the season. It can be either eaten alone, as an exotic fruit, or served as a dessert with other sweetened ingredients involved; for a perfect dessert with a Thai twist, ripe mango usually served with khao-niew moon (sweet glutinous rice with kati coconut cream dressing), becoming the globally renowned 'coconut sticky rice with mango' or khao-niew ma-muang.
In downtown Bangkok, I found that Maewaree is one of the vendors where we can get a fix of the best khao-niew ma-muang (sweet glutinous rice a.k.a. sticky rice, with kati coconut cream dressing, served with ripe mango), and it is tourist accessible.
sweet glutinous rice and ripe mango
at Maewaree Fruit Shop ****
1 Sukhumvit 55 Road (Soi Thonglo)
off Sukgumvit Road
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.392.4304
Open daily : 24 hours (sweet sticky rice available during 4 am - midnight)
Pay (sweet sticky rice with ripe mango only for one): around THB 60
BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
.Khao Tom Fifty Fifth (a.k.a. 55 Pochana)Khao tom means rice soup in Thais, and khao tom shop usually serves up spicy Thai salad and Thai-Chinese dishes to go with the rice soup (or plain rice) and a bottle of chilled beer.55 Pochana is sitting on the mouth of Soi Thonglor, on Sukhumvit Road toward Ekamai. I have no idea when was this busy and famous (at least in the high-so Thonglor community) shop house style khao tom eatery opened for the first day and how it earns the heart of Thonglor queens and clubbers. At least I am one of the 55 Pochana regular for 15 years, at that time I 'roamed' and later lived in the area. My regular visiting hour was 1am to do my supper with a friend, who just finished his duty in the hotel. At 1am, sometimes we couldn't grasp our table if we were being slow and polite. This devil khao tom eatery was packed from 7pm until they close at 4am. Simply because the food is good and the price is right.
Last week, I placed 55 Pochana a revisit. The shop is still that popular despite of the economic downturn, packed with patrons from the neighborhood. Servers are still quite laid back. Owner is still coughing toward patrons while they asked for the bill. The food, authentic and those yum (Thai salad) and tom (spicy soup) that burn your tongue, still serves with good quality. During the dinner we ordered seven dishes. Started with Yum Hoy Krang (spicy Thai salad with herbs and slightly cooked cockles), and Or-Suan (sizzling pan fried oysters with flour and eggs). The cockles were fresh and the yum tasted fiery hot enough! Followed were Tom Kom (spicy soup with local herbs and prawn) and Stir-fried Clam in spicy Holy Basil and Chilies; both of them pungent hot and ultra aroi (delicious). To go with a dish of Seafood Fried Rice, we preferred the simple Stir-fried Morning Glory and Steam Eggs; and both were satisfying. The bill, at Baht 640, good value!Khao Tom Fifty Fifth ****Sukhumvit Road, corner of Soi ThonglorWattana, Bangkok 10110Tel.: 02.391.2021Open daily 7pm - 4 amPay (food only for two): around THB 600* Both air-conditioning dining room and sidewalk sitting are available.
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.Cheap Eat
Roadside dining
Sukhumvit Soi 38 Hawker Food
In general I have no high expectations on roadside dining (hawker food) in Bangkok (or anywhere in the world) since there are more misses than hits even I forget the word ‘hygiene’. However, the one on Sukhumvit Soi 38 (a.k.a. Thonglo roadside dining) is a place I always visit due to its location as it is near my home sweet home. Starting from 6pm until 3am it gives me enough time to roam on each stall, thus Thonglo roadside dining is one famous venue among Bangkok white collars after work hours and clubbers after fun in the entertainment web of Sukhumvit. I meet celebrities from pop stars to high profile politicians dining there. So it is advisable to bring along a sign pen, besides the wallet, if you are a fan of some Thai movie stars.
Few nights ago I revisited the venue. I started with the succulent mun mun (fatty) grilled marinated pork on skewers, Moo Satay (Baht 40/10 skewers). They can serve only lean meat if one prefer them not mun mun.
Followed was the Joke (Baht 30) a.k.a. rice porridge or congee with ground pork and thousand-year-old egg which was a satisfying one through the aroma of the good quality jasmine fragrant rice. Joke may also be served with raw egg, preserved egg (thousand years egg), pork intestine, liver, stomach or kidney.
After the appetizer I went on with a big bowl of assorted Fish Ball noodle (Baht 50), and a bowl of Barbecued Pork noodle (Baht 30) of which I found that the pork was so tender and the egg noodle was up to Hong Kong standard. What I ended the dinner was a scrumptious bowl of Giew-nam (Baht 30) (wonton soup). Wide selections, great taste, cheap prices made me holy full and no more room for the Ripe Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice dessert. I paid Thai Baht 200 ($6) for the meal including a glass of fresh-squeeze carrot juice and a bottle of distilled water. I don’t eat roasted duck and roasted goose but still worth a mention is the Khao-na-ped-yang (steam rice top with roasted duck); it is one of the top sellers of the venue. However, I am a foie-gras lover, not fancy in roasted duck.
Also worth a try are khao-khaa-moo (steam rice top with braise pork knuckle meat), khao-moo-dan (steam rice top with barbecued pork with egg), khao-mun-kai (rice cook with chicken broth top with steamed chicken), made-to-order a la carte (choices range from pad-kaprao to tom-yum-goong), and ripe mango with sweet sticky rice. Bread with green pandan leaves kaya (sweet and creamy dipping), coffee, tea, and fresh squeezed fruit juice also available.
Another favorite roadside dining venue is the Yaowarat (Bangkok Chinatown). It has biggest selections, better taste, but a little more in price.
Suk 38 Hawkers' Food ***
corner Shukumvit Soi 38
Sukhumvit Road
Wattana, Bangkok
Open daily : 6 pm - 3 am
Pay (food only): THB 100 for two
