Chocolate Ville

484
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A day in New England

I really love this place - the Chocolate Ville, especially the scenic setting, so I would just show the ambiance of this restaurant instead of their food, as, to keep only the good memory be recorded.

Chocolate Ville ***
Thanon Kaset-navamin Km.11
Bueng Kum, Bangkok 10230
Tel.: 083.077.3738

Open daily : 4 pm - 1 am
Pay (food only for one): around THB 400

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Rabiengta-le

415
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Beauty and the breeze

Bangpoo in Samut Prakarn is about 20 km, or an hour's drive, from Bangkok city center in the Southeast, stretching to the Gulf of Thailand where the river meets the sea. In the 70's Bangpoo was so popular where Bangkokians fond of spending their weekends at the seaside, went to Samut Prakarn especially in the Bangpoo area; thus the area has a handful of seafood restaurants to serve the tourists. Though the glory faded away with time, Bangpoo's restaurants serve local residents, and Bangkokians seeking a deja vu experience.

Rabiengta-le is the established one in the area. Seafood is very fresh while most of them are live in the fish tank, with some rare shellfish choices; but chefs didn't cook them to expectations. For the three stars rating, one and a half goes to the ambiance and the sea breeze.


raw shrimp in light fish sauce, THB 100 (goong chae nam-pla)
raw local oysters, small size, served with condiments, THB 90

baked ma-prao clams topped with condiments, THB 150 (hoy ma-prao phad cha)
stir-fired local watercress, THB 90 (phad pak waan)

char-grilled local white sea bass, THB 290 (pla kapong yang kleua)

tamarind curry w/ jumbo fresh water fish roe, THB 220 (gaeng-som kai pla)

grilled ocean squid, THB 150 (pla-meuk yang)
curry souffle w/ seafood in young coconut, THB 220 (hor-mok talay maprao-on)

Rabiengta-le Seafood Restaurant ***
72 1/71 Moo.14 Thai Ban, Bangsaen 2
Sukhumvit Road (old line)
Bangpu Mai, Samutprakarn 10270
Tel.: 02.709.1825

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (seafood dining for two): around THB 900

khao-chae @ Pa Daeng

319
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Chilled summer non-stop

At Khao Chae Pa Daeng, I sampled ethnic chao-mon's khao-chae from pa Daeng (or auntie Red) family's recipe, with 180 degree breathtaking river view. Arguably best khao-chae chao-mon in Koh Kret Island. Only available during weekends.


Pa Daeng's khao-chae chao-mon set, THB 50; available weekends, all year round


khao-chae at Pa Daeng ****
37 Moo.7 Koh Kret
Moo Baan Koh Kret OTOP Village
Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Thailand 11120
Tel.: 02.584.5126

Open Saturday and Sunday : 10 am - 5 pm
Pay (khao chae set for one): THB 50 per set

khao-chae @ Pa Noi

318
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Chilled summer continues

Took a river ferry (2 baht) at Pier Wat Sanam-rua (Pak Kret, Nonthaburi) to cross the river, disembarked in Koh Kret, asked a local about khao-chae Koh Kret, she directed me to Raan Pa Noi - the khao-chae specialty vendor runs by pa Noi (auntie Noi) and je Jit (sister Jit).

A trip to Koh Kret, an island in Bangkok's vicinity (haha, yes Bangkok has island!), without a bowl of khao-chae to worship my little belly is a waste of the trip.

A trip to Bangkok in summer (April) without a bowl of khao-chae to enhance ones gourmet memory is also a waste of the journey.

Here, my share of khao-chae chao-mon (the Mon ethnic people style rice soaked in jasmine-scented water, serve with tidbits) from Raan Pa Noi in Koh Kret. Simply a treat!


khao chae chao-mon set, THB 70 set (for 2 persons), available all year round


khao-chae at
Raan Pa Noi Khao-Chae Koh Kret ****
56 Moo.7 Koh Kret
Koh Kret Otop Village
Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Thailand 11120
Tel.: 02.584.5423

Open (almost) daily : 9 am - 5 pm
Pay (khao chae set for two): THB 70

Dairy Queen D-rimnam

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Where doesn't serve soft ice cream and hot dog!

A friend from San Francisco is bored of Bangkok downtown riverside dining where only small bridges (hey Jack, not everyone can dine by the Golden Gate Bridge so often!) and a few hotels composing the view, therefore he requested a change.

There we took a 50-minute boat trip to downstream of Chaophraya River, to the D-Rimnam (used to call Dairy Queen) Seafood Restaurant in Nonthaburi province.

The ambiance here is relax, service is prompt and helpful, and food (Thai, seafood, pastry and Japanese) is superb if you order the right one. Just like dining in any Thai restaurant, we need to order the right dishes the restaurant is good at. There we skip the Japanese selection!


1. khao kriap park mor (steam rice flour wrapper with stuffing)
2. mee krob (a classic dish of sweet and sour fried noddle in a nest)

3. hor mok ka-nom-krok (baked curry fish paste on earthenware)

4. pla kapong neung manao (steam sea bass in spicy lime and chili broth)
5. tumyumgoong (sour and spicy soup with prawn)

D-Rimnam (Dairy Queen) Seafood Restaurant ***1/4
27/4 Moo.3 Rattanathibet Road
(besides Phra Nangklao Bridge)
Saima, Nonthaburi 11000
Tel.: 02.921.8670

Open daily : 5 - 10 pm
Pay (food only): around THB 800 for two with seafood

Hong Seng

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
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Rim nam chill chill riverside

Hong Seng by the Pak Kret Pier, a five decades old community restaurant offers a breezy riverside cum countryside dining atmosphere, is renowned for the freshwater catches the Chaophraya (River) has on offer. I traveled almost 100 miles to Hong Seng due to dear recommendation by a celebrity chef, TV host and food critic McDang (M.L. Sirichalerm Svasti). Taste of food here is definitely local, heavenly spicy and sinfully salty.


1. phlaa goong salad; 2. deep-fried marinated chicken with salt and lemongrass

3. grilled river prawn (Baht 450 each); 4. stir-fried bitter gourd

5. tom yum goong; 6. kra-tawn (santol) loy-kaeo

not only dine by the river, but also dine on the river!



Hong Seng (Rim Nam) Pochana ***
280 Moo.2 Pakkret Chaengwattana Road
at Pak Kret Pier
Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Thailand 11120
Tel.: 02.583.7654

Open daily: (Mon-Fri) 10:30am - 2 pm, (Sat, Sun and public holidays) 10:30am - 6pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700
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