474
.
Cheap eat, good eat!
Recently, my local friends complained that Bangkok's food court meal is not wallet-friendly anymore since a small portion of any single menu dish (such as khao mun gai, or Hainanese chicken rice) cost at least THB 50 as norm at the food courts of all Central Plazas, the Emporium, the Siam Paragon and the MBK Mall. Nowadays, the lunch cost is a burden to all local salarymen.
I don't blame the vendors as I realized that they only earn a minimum profit to make their ends meet at the end of a day, while the high food price was reflex action by the bullying rental charge (or profit share) in shopping centers, but not the cost of ingredients and raw materials.
Not all property vampires are bloodsuckers. At Pier 21 Food Terminal, a standard size of order costs from THB 30 - 40, that is 20 - 35% cheaper than those served in other major shopping mall's food courts with the same serving size, and even with better quality and taste, as the operator only enrolls a shortlist of the city's most renowned street-food vendors to serve. There, it is not just cheap eat but also good eat!
Pier 21 Food Terminal ****
6/F the Terminal 21
288 Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey-nua, Bangkok 10110
Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 100 (three dishes/courses)
* To follow Bangkok closely, please 'friend' Thaiscub in Facebook!
459
.Under the stairs
Unbelievably this tiny, under-the-stairs, Italian pizzeria, offers real Italian food in a sinfully delicious manner.
grilled vegetables, THB 150+ 
lentils, cannellini beans, spelt soup, THB 220+
bolognese, THB 210+
risotto salsiccia, THB 240+
tiramisu, THB 120+
Pala Pizza Romana ***3/4
Room A, MRTA Sukhumvit Platform
(MRT Sukhumvit link to BTS Asok)
1 MRTA, Asok Road
Klongtoey-Nua, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.259.1228
Open daily : 10 am - midnight
Pay (food only for one): around THB 600
*To follow Bangkok closely, please 'friend' Thaisclub in Facebook!
447
.World-class Beef BowlThe hundred and twelve year-old Yoshinoya, which is renowned for its Beef Bowl one-dish meal (cooked sliced beef on rice) with over a thousand and six hundred branches in Japan, North America and Asian countries, finally relaunched in Bangkok after it had been absent for a decade.
Yoshinoya maybe a newbie to Thailand (even though it had once opened in Bangkok, unsuccessfully); but it has a close tie to the United States. Since 1973, the main ingredient of its renowned Beef Bowl - beef, is sourced from the States. And just like most famous Japanese fast food chains, Yoshinoya also set foot in the US market for almost four decades already. Fans of Yoshinoya may not be aware that the Japanese 'beef bowl specialty restaurant' even has its own college in Los Angeles - the Yoshinoya College, the group's international training center.
Back to Thailand, having waited for a long time, the Yoshinoya has (finally) made its come-back to Bangkok. Though I eat at Yoshinoya quite often (whether it is in Los Angeles, Hong kong, and now in Bangkok) I almost treat her as my breakfast canteen; but, honestly said, its Beef Bowl is not gourmet but it is one of my comfort foods.
Yoshinoya Restaurant 吉野家 ***
4/F The Terminal 21
288 Sukhumvit Road
(corner Sukhumvit Soi 19)
North Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.108.0770
* also at Central Plaza Ladprao, Central Plaza Grand Rama 9, and Central World Plaza
Open daily : 10:30 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400
399
.
Experimental doughChu, probably from the name churro, the snack joint that has been claimed to be the only churros specialty in Bangkok, had its debut a year ago at Asok intersection's Exchange Tower. Churro, a.k.a. Spanish doughnut, a deep-fried dough snack that is very popular in Spain, Latin America, and the southern border States of the US, especially in Southern California, where Latin Americans have a strong hold in the areas. It is probably the Spanish answer to Thailand's infamous (an enemy to health conscious diet) bak-tong-kou, and Hong Kong's yau-ja-gwai, both go well with the jok (congee) for breakfast.
Chu also claimed to have a chocolate specialty, with the ingredients sourced from France. I found that the 58% dark chocolate drink was lacking in aroma, though it was strong enough for a chocolate lover like me. The hot chocolate got along well with my order of churros with cinnamon icing, which was nicely deep fried, crispy outside, but watery soft inside without a little chewy texture of the dough; the dough was lacking of the aroma that it should have. Perhaps the chef should take a Christmas vacation to Los Angeles, which is the temple of churros in the US, to sample some.
As for the other desserts and drinks, some were good while a few were horrible. I hope that the owner doesn't run an experimental kitchen and have customers paid to be his guinea pigs.
Service in Chu is slow, robot style and pretentious.
French 58% hot chocolate, THB 120+, rich but not aromatic! 
bratwrust and onion sandwich, THB 110+ half, stingy serving of sauteed onion, pale
bratwrust (not grilled) chopped into CN style small pieces, someone who doesn't eat
sandwich did this, so we can tell how much they understand about making a sandwich! 
churros, THB 90+, a familiar name, but not the familiar texture and taste! 
Chu chocolate truffle cake, THB 135+, no comment, just won't eat it again!
facebook crepe cake with berry sauce, THB 120+, the sauce is better than the cake ..
vanila mikeshake, THB 120+, I like it, because it has a very '60's Dairy Farm' taste
dark chocolate, THB 120+, not ugly, simply Chu has a good ice cream supplier
Chu **1/4
Unit 204, 2/F Exchange Tower
388 Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey-nua, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.663.4554
Open daily : 7:30 am (Sat & Sun 9 am) - 9 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 500
