Phaka Krong

498
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On Narathiswas Road 

Phaka-krong is not just another Thai restaurant near Bangkok's C.B.D. for the after-work white collars, but it is also one of the few Thai restaurants on Narathiwas Road where its food doesn't hurt our taste buds.

Phaka-krong Thai Restaurant ***
100 Narathiwas-rajanakarindra Road
Sathorn, Bangkok 10120
Tel.: 02.676.1213 

Open daily : lunch 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, dinner 5:00 - 10:00 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 300

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Okashi by Poonni

442
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Sweet cravings

Okashi by Poonni is run by a local patissier who bakes cakes with a French-Japanese touch. The owner guarantees that at Okashi they only use fresh and quality ingredients, and their cakes are light in sugar, not causing our teeth to have cavities. I found that their cakes are mild in sweetness and have a fairly nice texture and taste.

When they mentioned that their cakes are of French-Japanese style, it seems that the price is also of quite a 'French-Japanese' standard.



Okashi by Poonni Patissier ***
Navamin Festival Walk
299 Prasertmanukit Road (Kaset-Navamin Road)
Ladprao, Bangkok 10230
Tel.: 02.676.4395

Open daily : 10:30 am - 9 pm
Pay (desserts only for two): around THB 400

(Okashi branches are also available at City Viva, a lost and quiet community mall on Narathiwas-rajanakarin Road in C.B.D.; and at the very busy new shopping center - the Central Plaza Grand Rama 9)

Napa

372
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Charm, on Silom

Napa is a charming two-story house restaurant on Naradhiwas Road in between Surawong and Silom Road, with both al fresco and air-conditioning dining area. Just like its neighbor Take a Seat, Napa also offers tourist-palate-friendly Thai cuisine. Napa even claimed itself a Thai-fusion restaurant. I found, its Thai dishes are quite authentic in taste that may please both local and foreign diners.





Napa Restaurant and Bar ***1/4
6 Naradhiwas-najanagarindra Road
Suriyawong, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.234.8671

Open daily : 5 pm - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 600

Take a Seat

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Seat, on Silom

Judging from its interior and clientele, Take-a-Seat may easily be mistaken to be a tourist-orientated Thai restaurant, and thus inauthentic in true Thai taste and expensive in price. I was previously misled as well.

In fact, Take-a-Seat serves authentic Thai fare with a modern twist to both tourists and CBD white collars, and the price is surprisingly on the low side compared to other Thai restaurants in downtown Bangkok.


yum talay (spicy seafood salad Thai style) THB 120

stick moo (pork satay on skewers) THB 100;
tord mun pla (deep-fried minced fish mousse) THB 120

hor-mok talay maphrao on (seafood curry souffle in whole coconut) THB 180

phad pak muam-mit (stir-fried vegetables) THB 120;
goong phad nam makham (stir-fried prawns with taramind sauce) THB 150

yum pla kapong tord (deep-fried sea bass fillet in spicy dressing) THB 180

Take a Seat Thai Restaurant ***1/2
38 Naradhiwas-najanagarindra Road
(at Naradhiwas-najanagarindra Soi 2)
Silom, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.634.8964
Take-a-Seat

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 450

Viet-Hue Kitchen

340
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Color of health cuisine

Been there, Viet-Hue Kitchen, a six-table home-cook Vietnamese eatery in Silom/Chongnonsi district. The food is definitely home-style, authentic, prepare a la minute (therefore need a little patience to wait), with very reasonable price. However, the side, fresh vegetables were not quite fresh. Three visits (out of all three), I found rotten part among them. Even if it is not of e-coli concern, the restaurant shall (still) care for ingredients freshness and hygiene. Therefore Viet-Hue has room to improve until she wins the heart of CBD's residents.


bo la lot (grilled seasoned beef rolled in betel leaves wrapper) THB 100
banh cuon gio lua (rice flour rolled cake, Vietnamese sausage) THB 120

side, (not so) fresh vegetables, complimentary (click to enlarge)

chao tom (fried minced shrimp paste on sugarcane stick) THB 150
pho bo (Vietnamese noodle soup with beef) THB 60

Viet-Hue Kitchen ***
185/14 Naradhiwas-najanagarindra Road
Sathorn, Bangkok 10500

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

Esarn Derm

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Twin - the beautiful one

Almost next to Raan Deur is Esarn Derm, another Thai-Issan restaurant on Narathiwas Road. Packed with delicious Thai cuisine with a northeastern (Issan) twist. And it is packed during (every) evening, even on a rainy day.


somtum, gai yang

nam-tok moo yang, pla kapong pao

Esarn Derm Issan Restaurant ****
377 Naradhiwas-najanagarindra Road
(near Narathiwas-Ratchada intersection)
Yannawa, Bangkok 10120
Tel.: 081.919.8297

Open daily : 4 pm - 2 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 300


*this picture was taken at 1:29am (in the evening, it was full house)

Raan Deur

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Almost twin - unfortunately

Thai-Issan cuisine is never short of in Bangkok whether in a form of sidewalk hawker, small vendor, or high-end eatery. Right! Those restaurants with specialties of gai-yang (grilled marinated chicken), som-tum (shredded raw papaya spicy Thai salad), yum (spicy Thai salads), tom-zaap (spicy and sour soup), and jim-joom (spicy Issan hotpot).

Today, after tea with a friend at Belle Park, we agreed to eat Issan food where the restaurant is not far from his house. He claimed, rumor says it is a good one.

We started with nam-tok khaw moo yang (grilled pork neck, Issan namtok sauce), gai yang (grilled marinated chicken), tom-zaap (spicy and spicy soup Issan style), and pla pao (grilled sea bass), and would like to order either the Issan hotpot or barbecue after the first round was done. However, after sampled the bland grilled chicken meat, spicy and salty only but not flavorsome pork neck, and also spicy and salty only but not flavorsome tom-zaap soup, we canceled the grilled fish. And of course forget about the hotpot or barbecue.

Rumor says it is a good one? Truly rumor.





Raan Deur Issan Restaurant **3/4
371 Naradhiwas-rajanagarindra Road
(corner Naradhiwas Soi 24)
Yannawa, Bangkok 10120
Tel.: 02.674.3040

Open daily : 4 pm - 1 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 300

Somtum Maneeya

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Roadside somtum, indoor comfort

Somtum Maneeya was one of the many restaurants doing business in the then demolished Bangkok Suanlum Night Bazaar. In the old days, I used to land at Maneeya to eat and wait for my friends whom doing their sweaty treasure hunting (for me, no treasure, but for the ladies, treasures) in the night bazaar. Food at Somtum Maneeya were good.

Sad! Bangkok Night Baazar had been relocated, to upper Sukhumvit area (Sukhumvit 101/1), as Siam Paradise Night Bazaar. Somtum Maneeya follows.

Since its relocation to Sukhumvit 101/1 Bang Chak district, too far so far very far, I never visited again. No more babysitting out-of-town guests to the new night bazaar - Siam Paradise. Then I miss spicy Thai-Issan salad papaya pok-pok at Somtum Maneeya.


sun-dried pork with condiments, nam-tok moo spicy grilled pork salad

somtum poo spicy papaya pok-pok salad with raw crab

tom-zaap spicy Issan hot & sour soup with pork ribs

gai-yang Issan grilled marinated chicken

stir-fried squid with salty eggs and yolk sauce, blueberry yogurt

Always have faith, always have luck! My regular gourmet feast at Somtum Maneeya has not been stopped. I continue the tangy Issan delicacies (incl. somtum of course) enjoyment at Somtum Maneeya Chongnonsi branch.

Somtum Maneeya & Seafood ***3/4
1669/33 Naradhiswas-rajanagarindra Road
(corner Narathiwas Soi 16)
Yanawa, Bangkok 10120
Tel.: 02.678.9891

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400