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.Thanks, turkey!Every year, I don't want to skip two very important meals, one among them is the Thanksgiving dinner. Though I am not a farmer, but I shall give thanks for being able to live so happily on earth.
I am not an enthusiastic turkey eater, and usually I eat the big bird only during very special occasions, such as the Thanksgiving. For nearly twenty years living in Thailand, I have always waited for a feast of truly impeccable turkey menu to celebrate with this festive moment, whether it is in an individual establishment or in a hotel's restaurant, but to no avail. But tonight my prayer was being answered, at Roadhouse, the roast turkey breast served in the Thanksgiving buffet dinner was so moist and tender with the rich flavor of the bird, and the flavorful giblet gravy enhanced the taste to a truly impeccable level. Surprise! The buffet offered scrumptious pumpkin pie as well.
For the once in a year festive meal, I didn't eat alone. Tonight, I ate with two friends, one of them is a foodie from the U.S. who really knows Thanksgiving menu, and he agreed that the dinner at Roadhouse is a very pleasant one.
Thanksgiving buffet dinner ****
Roadhouse Barbecue Smokehouse and Grill
942/1 Rama IV Road
Surawong, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.236.8010
Roadhouse
Open daily : 10:30 am - 1 am
Pay (Thanksgiving buffet dinner): THB 895++
280
.All time American favorites Six years ago I visited Roadhouse, first month after its debut, the food wasn't that convincing. Obviously the kitchen was not quite ready. Too new!
Revisited two years ago, to join a party. Sorry I didn't pay much attention on the food!
1. buffalo wings, plain, THB 125+; 2. buffalo wings, spicy, THB 125+
3. seafood chowder, cup, THB 95+; 4. beef taco's, THB 295+
5. barbecue baby back pork ribs, half rack, with twice baked potato, THB 450+
6. New England fish 'n' chips, THB 350+; 7. burger with cheddar cheese, THB 345+
8. home-made grandma's coleslaw, THB 55+; 9. bread pudding, THB 145+
Last week I ate there twice. Found out that Roadhouse now serves succulent pork ribs, crispy, fresh and moist (snapper) fish 'n' chips of excellent quality, tangy and flavorsome buffalo wings, impeccable cheeseburger, and other all time American favorites in the middle of my circle. (Can skip the bread pudding, almost felt eating a piece of stone seasoned with Bourbon sauce!)
Roadhouse Barbecue Smokehouse & Grill ***1/2
942/1 Rama IV Road
Surawong, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.236.8010
Roadhouse
Open daily : 10:30 am - 1 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,000
102.
Serina Teppanyaki
This luxury Hokkaido style tappanyaki joint is little-known outside of the Japanese community. The cuisine, of course authentic, is strictly followed on traditional recipes with modern preparation and stylist presentation.
Serina has divided into three sections, main dining room does teppanyaki, upstairs for a-la-carte menu, while another dining room in the annex building does shabu-shabu at Baht 650 per person.
My recent visit with two friends dug us around Baht 7,000 ($205) for an a-la-carte teppanyaki dining with basic seafood and steak (no lobster and wagyu steak) order, and my stomach was not even fed to half-full. Alternatively the chef can prepare a tasting-set for you based on your budget (minimum Baht 1,500++), and teppanyaki lunch set from Baht 350++ is relatively a bargain.
The pros - smokeless teppanyaki table left no uninvited smell on shirt and chef has decent culinary skill the Japanese kind
The cons - uneasy for my wallet (well I did mentioned it is a luxury eatery didn't I) and our chef was lack of smile
The bottom line - lots of true Japanese and seasonal ingredients that other teppanyaki joints don't offer, chef with good skill in mastering the cooking and teppanyaki show in balance without acting like a monkey, and all dishes came out simply taste good
Serina Teppanyaki Restaurant ***
9/26 Soi Jim Thompson
Surawong Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500Tel.: 02.235.8382Open daily: Lunch 11:30-14:00; Dinner 17:30-22:30
Pay (food only for two): around THB 3,000 (lunch set available at THB 450)
BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Ramentei
Ramen is Japanese noodle made of flour, salt, water and kansui (water of Kan, or water with sodium carbonate and phosphoric acid) served in broth. Kansui, names after the mineral water source in Lake Kan of Inner Mongolia, made the noodle’s texture uniquely firm and bouncy also turn the noodles look yellowish. Nowadays kansui needs not to be brought from Lake Kan but be produced in factories. Ramen is originally brought from China many centuries ago then became a better-known Japanese cuisine since the Muji period before topped a popular cuisine in Japan until today after the WWII. As exporting is the survival of the Japanese industries, they export Ramen too. Ramen was imported back to China in the 19th Century and it is now a convenience food in all corners of China and Asia.
The broth or soup base plays a rather important part in whole of a bowl of ramen. Almost every prefecture in Japan has its own kind of ramen specialty based on its recipes of broth, but four variations became major of them. 1. SHIO (salt) ramen is clear soup of chicken broth. It is almost the oldest of the four and became less popular serving on the table in ramen shops across the nation. 2. TONKOTSU (pork bone) ramen is thick broth of pork bone boiled for half a day thus the soup has a milky white texture. It is a specialty of Kyushu. A decent bowl of Tonkotsu ramen can be found in Hakata, a small town in Fukuoka. 3. SHOYO (soy sauce) ramen is clear soup boiled with chicken then added with soy sauce became the HONSHU (the Mainland) specialty. Tokyo is popular for Shoyo ramen even with its different extensions. 4. The last one is the youngest in the family. MISO (fermented soybean paste) ramen considers semi-thick broth of chicken stock boiled to its perfection added with miso. It is a specialty of Hokkaido. Sapppro is well known for Miso ramen in Hokkaido.
Ramentei has all of them, and their tonkotsu ramen and other ramen are almost the best in Bangkok! 
Ramentei ***1/2
Soi Thaniya, off Surawong Road,
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
(also branches on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1, and Silom Soi 6)
Open daily : 11 am - 1 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400
