Samsensoisam

35
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Samsensoisam

I recently visited one of my favorite riverside restaurants, SamSenSoiSam, next to the Rama IIX Bridge in Samsen area of Bangkok. It is a sin if I covered up this restaurant in my closet.

My visiting friends requested authentic Thai dinner where middle-class locals ate, added a bit of seafood, and must be along the riverside. Therefore, time to unfold SamSenSoiSam to them. I took them to the restaurant by boat from the Taksin Pier (besides Shangri-la Hotel) to avoid traffic jams during the evening in Bangkok’s Banglumphu area. Yes, Banglumphu, you are familiar with the name because of Khao San Road!

The restaurant decoration is simple and minimal, promoting a relaxing and ‘resort feel’ in the premises. People don’t care if the restaurant shall be decorated with more pops like a beautiful girl needs no extra jewelry to stand out the natural beauty of her; we come for the stunning view and the food. I shall confess that I was on edge having missed this gorgeous restaurant; as, at first I thought it was another pub cum restaurant for the teens without sincerity on serving food. Well, the DJ playing soft and house music is there, the live band is there, the teens (like me) are there, and the good food is in place too.

A glass of iced cold beer (or chardonnay) should be appropriated to kick off the dinner in such ambience. With Yum Hed (spicy assorted mushroom salad) leading, Yum Pla Tok Foo (deep-fried minced catfish with raw mango dip), and Deep-Fried Chicken Joint followed. They couldn’t be better starters to go with beer.

There are three must try dishes in SamSenSoiSam, first the house specialty Goong SamSenSoiSam (fried prawns in spicy red sauce). The prawns were split into half each, fried until the meat was done and dressed with the house spicy sauce. The coral in the heads of prawns were great together with the help of the house spicy sauce, the prawn tasted creamy, spicy, sour, salty and heavenly delicious.



Another must try at this restaurant is the Tomyumgoong Nam Khon (spicy and sour prawn soup with coconut milk). The perfectly balanced broth was enriched with the coral from the prawn heads and enhanced by the aroma of galangal, kaffir lime, lemongrass, and coconut milk. Truly aromatic spicy and great!

The third must order dish shall be the Two-Taste Grouper. Fresh grouper cooked two ways, first half the chef deep-fried it with pouring sweet and hot sauce on the fish, the other half steamed with lime juice and bird eyes chilies; it was pungently hot. In one fish we sampled the sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy 4 basic tastes, and 2 textures, in their good balance. For those who are afraid of spicy food, there came the Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables and plain jasmine rice.

The chef must be a southern Thailand native if not the owner, or both! He was in good control of chili (hot) and lime (sour) alongside with different Thai herbs. After the three extreme spicy dishes my friends’ tongues were burnt and sweating like waterfall, but worth that for a gastronomic journey. Weren’t they asked for authentic?

For those who are afraid of spicy food, there came the Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables and plain jasmine rice.

From a Singaporean travel forum, a member commented SamSenSoiSam is pricey and foreign-tatse Thai food. Expensive? I do not want to counter this guy as everyone's living standard (and stingy standard) maybe different. However, I would like to state that in SamSenSoiSam half of the dishes are below Baht 100 while almost other half is slightly above Baht 100 with few dishes at Baht 250. It is much below the average cost in major riverside restaurants. Foreign-taste Thai food? Maybe he is right! Thailand is a foreign country to Singapore, so authentic Thai food becomes foreign-tatse Thai food to him, if not he thought his Thai cooking is better than any Thais.

SamSenSoiSam is an ideal hangout for the newly dated, dating couple, romantic dining for all, or even friends gathering. Panorama river view is available free of charge. Reservation is a must for an al fresco riverside table.

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): SSSS has [4.4]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food=4.5, Service=4, Ambiance=4.5, Money Worth=4.5

Price range for two without drinks (incl. local water) in Thai Baht = BBB

(B=below 200, BB=201-500, BBB=501-1,000, BBBB=1,001-2,000, BBBBB=over 2,000)

Details: Open daily 5pm-12am (midnight)
SamSenSoiSam Pub and Restaurant, 10 Samsen Soi 3, Samsen Road, Pranakorn, Bangkok 10200; Tel.: 02-6288362

Update on 01-May-2009 : SamSenSoiSam Restaurant closed its door to the public, sad!

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Suan Thip

34
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Suan Thip

I seldom read food review for this garden restaurant in the suburb of Bangkok. Simply because it is not a 50 Baht taxi ride away or we are not angels?

Suan Thip, literally means Garden of the Angel, set in the midst of an enchanting tropical garden landscape with traditional Thai houses on the bank of the Chao Phraya River in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok city scene.

Suan Thip Baan Chao Phraya Thai Cultural House (yes, this is its full name) is divided into 3 parts, the Garden they grow herbs and vegetables, the Main Thai House with air-conditioned section for comfort dining and outdoor terrace seats overlooking the lush garden for scenic dining, and the Sala Thai (Thai Pavilions) dotted around the sprawling tropical garden for al fresco dining by the river for a memorable special occasion. There is an additional option to dine under the shade of the leafy canopy or under the stars on a moonlit night on the lawn. From dawn to dusk, the sound of rustling leaves is punctuated by cheerful bird song, while cicada serenade fills the night. No matter where chosen to sit, we are dining in heaven on earth.

The food is authentic with the feature of many unique signature recipes from their homemade-cuisine collection with herbs and vegetables grown in the garden as well as traditional Thai dishes.

On our revisit to Suan Thip one afternoon, we started with Suan Thip Appetizer (pork satay, spring rolls, minced pork in flour shell, and khao tan) and Pomelo Salad with Prawn, followed with Somtum Thai (green papaya salad) set with Grilled Chicken. The Appetizer was so-so but my friends liked the khao tan (crispy rice cakes with shrimp paste) and pork satay. The pomelo salad with pungent heat from the chili and balanced sour and sweet taste from the pomelo was a nice starter. I prefer restaurants fried the prawn of which promoting better aroma and Suan Thip is one. Somtum Thai is my friend must-eat dish in Thailand, it is a dish of salad with raw papaya slice, small dried shrimp, tomato, roasted peanuts, flavor with dried chilies, bird eyes chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and sugar. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was what I think of eating somtum in Suan Thip.

For something a bit more filling, we had Deep-fried Prawn Cakes, Fried Garlic Prawn, Deep-fried Pla Samlee (king fish), accompanied with Pineapple Fried Rice. The prawn cakes were as good as the first time I sampled them, almost 10 years ago, and became my must-order dish in Suan Thip. The fried prawn in garlic yield a strong and welcoming aromatic garlic scent with the prawn firm (not hard) in texture, naturally sweet in taste, while the deep-fried samlee king fish was tender and delicious with the help of the slightly spicy and sweet mango dip.

I don’t have praise in Thai desserts as they always over emphasize in coconut cream and palm sugar. I am in weight control! My friends did try the Herbal Jelly and Ice Cream. Same quality you can easily find some on the street.

Service was attentive and prompt even waitpersons had to run a distance from the kitchen/main house to our pavilion. Overall my friends were impressed having lunch in Suan Thip especially while the ambience was taken into account. There is no comparison to Suan Thip, at least in Bangkok.

After lunch, we went to the Koh Kret (Kret Island) where we observed the ancient pottery making by the master artisans and experienced craftsmen, visited the ancient temple ruins, a 70-year old Thai traditional house overlooking the river and to a fruit orchard. Khao chae (chilled jasmine-scented rice soup) ethnic Mon people style shouldn’t be missed on the island, try them near the Paramaiyikawas Temple.

From the city (Bangkok) access to Suan Thip is easy, by Expressway Stage II exit on the Chaengwattana Road, heading toward Pak Kret. Suan Thip shall be the one-in-a-lifetime dining experience in Thailand for tourist and an ideal venue for memorable banqueting functions, special events and Thai theme parties.

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Suan Thip has [4.1]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3.5, Service=4, Ambiance=5, Value=4

Price range for two without drinks (incl. local water) in Thai Baht = BBB
(B=below 200, BB=201-500, BBB=501-1,000, BBBB=1,001-2,000, BBBBB=over 2,000)

Details: Open daily from 11:00 am - 11:00 pm (last order 10:00 pm)
Suan Thip Baan Chao Praya (Restaurant), 17/9 Chaengwattana Pakkred 3 Road, Bangpood, Pakkred, Bangkok; Tel.: 02-5834540, 02-5833748 http://www.suanthip.com
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Angelini

33
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Angelini @ Shangri-la Hotel

Food is essential, gourmet is indulgent. When the opportunity does arise to indulge, do it in style!

When my friends come to visit Bangkok, I like to take them to the Angelini, a top Italian restaurant in Bangkok. Angelini will undergo a thorough renovation soon, leaving us memory and memories we shared precious moments there in the last 12 years. New face will be launched during X'mas 2007.

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Angelini has [4.1]
(Rating are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality)
Food=4, Service=4, Ambiance=4.5, Money Worth=4

Price range for two without drinks (incl. local water) in Thai Baht = BBBBB
(B=below 200, BB=201-500, BBB=501-1,000, BBBB=1,001-2,000, BBBBB=over 2,000)

Details: open daily 11:30am - 1am
Angelini Restaurant and Bar, Shangri-la Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Thailand; Tel.: 02-206 8677

http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/bangkok/shangrila/dining
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Great Shanghai

32
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Great Shanghai 大上海

With 25 years of reputation in preparing Peking duck and Shanghainese Chinese cuisine, Great Shanghai not only earns the heart of local but also the Japanese expatriates. I was brought to this once brilliantly decorated restaurant almost 17 years ago when I asked for my favorite stir-fried Chinese eel with garlic.

Tonight the restaurant was crowded as usual, but some of their best selling dishes were missing due to lack of ingredients from Mainland China. With fewer service staff on duty therefore the Great Shanghai was in good position to promote the time consuming of slow eating. We waited for 10 minutes before a waitress was willing to pass us the menu and another 20 minutes when our order was (finally) being taken. Food didn’t take too long to arrive but some dishes arrived chilled, probably were dispatched from the kitchen long enough. This is a proof of inefficient management of the restaurant.

Waiting at the table for 30 minutes begging for service, acid started to overflow from our stomach. Without hesitation we asked the waitress (of whom at least gave us a glance) for the (1) Whole Roasted Peking Duck served with traditional condiments, a specialty of Great Shanghai. The Peking duck also came with the (2) Steamed Flour Wrappers and Condiments to go with the duck skin, the (3) Stir-fried Duck Meat, and the (4) Duck Soup with Chinese Preserved Vegetables. All for B850 (US$24). The size of the duck was medium. Waitress peeled the duck skin paper-thin into two big plates making it enough for a group of 8 persons, and sent the meat back to the kitchen for the stir-fried duck meat, then the bones for the duck soup. Frankly speaking, the Peking duck was not as good as many years ago when it was at B450 (US$13) both the quality and price; oh, service too!

The second must eat dish for us was the (5) Wok-fried Chinese Eel. The fresh river eel was cooked with overpower of garlic, seasoning and oil, an extremely oily dish. It was the best prepared wok-fried eel dish in Bangkok I have sampled, as well as in Asia outside Shanghai. Another specialty of the eatery was the (6) Stir-fried River Shrimp, river shrimp cooked with Chinese wine and green peas gave our taste buds a boost that night, it was palatable and with strong taste of the river shrimp unlike sea shrimp. The eel and shrimp dishes together became the real reward for us to wait for 30 minutes like a mummy.

When Shanghai cuisine was mentioned, it would be a sin not to try the (7) Xiao-Long-Bao, or the steamed little rice flour bun filled with minced pork. However, the Great Shanghai’s version was less than impressive. Another must order side dish that always goes well with the meal was the (8) Silver and Golden Bun, it was actually a roll of steamed plain rice flour bun and deep-fried plain rice flour bun. This was a good substitute for rice therefore we ordered many of them during our dinner.

Further we had the (9) Fish Head Stew Shanghai Style, a bowl of fish head stewed in an army of heavy Chinese herbs and spices, good for people that love fish head and useful to comfort headache and common cold; the (10) Braised Sea Cucumber in Thick Brown Sauce, a dish known to be friendly to our kidney; the (11) White Cabbage With Ham in Creamy Gravy, a very popular vegetable dish in Shanghai and it was doing well in Great Shanghai; and the (12) Pork Chop Noodle Soup. Pork chop was deep-fried to golden in color and crispy in texture, meat was tender and natural sweet taste of pork locked in the juicy piece of pork chop. Yummy!

Desserts were not our favorite as we tend to keep our devil body in shape. Drinks during the meal were hot Chinese tea, a ‘friend’ to clean the grease for such oily food, and beer. Wine was not popular there.

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Great Shanghai has [3.1]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =4, Service=2.5, Ambiance=2.5, Money Worth=3.5

Price range for two without drinks (incl. local water) in Thai Baht = BBBB
(B=below 200, BB=201-500, BBB=501-1,000, BBBB=1,001-2,000, BBBBB=over 2,000)


Details: Open daily Lunch: 11:30am - 02:30pm Dinner: 6 - 10pm
Great Shanghai , 648-652 Sukhumvit Road (corner of Sukhumvit Soi 24 next to the Emporium Mall), Bangkok; Tel: 02-; Opens daily from noon to 10pm
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C Jade Lain-Mian Xiao-Long-Bao

31
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Real Northern Chinese cuisine in Bangkok



Crystal Jade Lain-Mian Xiao-Long-Bao ***3/4
Lower Ground Floor, Urban Kitchen
The Erawan Bangkok
Ploenchit Road
Pratumwan, Bangkok

Open daily : 10 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,500
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Tang Jai Yoo

30
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Tang Jai Yoo Restaurant 陳再裕酒家

Nested in a number of "tourist-friendly" shark fins soup and bird nest desserts joints, the almost seven decades old Tang Jai Yoo (Chen Joy Yue) is considered a gem of eatery in the messy and shabby Bangkok's China Town - Yaowaraj. Its no-frills seafood and original Thai-Chinese dishes are the magnet of drawing low profile tycoons and foodies as her regulars. The princess visits here once a year during the Chinese Lunar New Year to sample Tang Jai Yoo's gourmet, during that time the soi was sealed. By night in Yaowaraj, only two restaurants I am willing to sacrifice my sweat and mood in exchange for my taste-buds pleasure; Tang Jai Yoo is one, the other is a fish khao tom shop. None of those famous or infamous (thanks to advertorial from guide books editors!) shops selling low-grade cum semi-artificial shark fins soup and bird nest desserts are on my China Town agenda whenever it is day or night.



In Tang Jai Yoo, live ocean species brought to the kitchen and transformed as an ultra fresh and tasty seafood dish. The roasted suckling pig, real baby pig, was roasted to its perfections. The shark fins soup, best value in town. For taro lover, don't miss the baked taro rice. Wanna hear more or you owe a trip to Tang Jai Yoo today?

Tang Jai Yoo Restaurant 陳再裕酒家 ****
85-87 Soi Yaowa Phanich
off Yaowaraj Road,
Sampantawong, Bangkok 10100

Tel.: 02.224.2167

Open daily: lunch 10:30am - 2pm, dinner 4:30pm - 10:30pm
Pay (seafood dinner for two): around THB 1,700
(non-seafood around THB 800)

*Reservation is highly recommended



* (updated on 2009-Dec-30, Tang Jai Yoo opens its first branch in C.B.D.'s Wall Street Tower on Surawong Road. The better decorated downtown branch suggests a 10-15% price different from its Yaowaraj mother shop, of course on the high side. Tel.: 02.632.7292)
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Orchid Cafe buffet

29

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Orchid Café @ Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Orchid Cafe buffet has [3.6]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3.5, Service=3.5, Ambiance=4, Money Worth=3.5
Details: Open daily 6:30am-10:30pm; Dinner buffet: 6:30-10:30pm


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Pavilion buffet

28
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Pavilion @ Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Pavilion buffet has [3.4]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3, Service=3.5, Ambiance=3.5, Money Worth=3.5
Details: Open daily: Lunch buffet: 12:00 – 2:30pm; Dinner buffet: 6:30-10:30pm; a la carte menu also available
Pavilion Cafe @ the Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok, Rama 4 Road, Bangrak, Bangkok.



MDS
The writer can be reached at thaisclub@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2007 MDS. All rights reserved.
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Next2 buffet

27
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Next2 Café @ Shangri-la Hotel

Today I tried the scrumptious Seafood dinner buffet at Next2 Café and Terrace, Shangri-la Hotel Bangkok, quality wise it was good but not impressive, but the price at B1,590++ was high-so(ciety). Take a look!

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Next2 buffet has [3.8]

(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =4, Service=4, Ambiance=3.5, Money Worth=3.5

Price range for two without drinks (incl. local water) in Thai Baht = BBBBB (B=below 200, BB=201-500, BBB=501-1,000, BBBB=1,001-2,000, BBBBB=over 2,000)

Best dishes: pan-seared foie gras, Mongolian grill, tomyum goong

Wine list: good selection of wine

Best table: terrace seats by the river

Details: Open daily a la carte dining open 24 hours; Lunch buffet: 12:00 – 2:30pm; Dinner buffet: 6:30-10:30pm

International Lunch Buffet (Monday-Saturday) B850++

Interactive Dining Experience with Mongolian Grill (Sunday-Thursday) B1,450++

Seafood Extravaganza Nights (Friday-Saturday) B1,590++

Fun-filled Family Sunday Brunch B1,350++

Next2 Cafe at Shangri-la Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suanplu, New Road Charoen Krung), Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand. Tel.: 02-2367777 http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/bangkok/shangrila

Lord Jims buffet

26
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Seafood Sunday Brunch
Lord Jims @ Oriental Hotel Bangkok

Excellent food quality, excellent service, and good price buy Lord Jims probably the best value seafood buffet and Sunday brunch in Bangkok. B950++ weekdays, and B1,200++ Sunday.

The scene-

My dishes-

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): LJ buffet has [4.5]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =4.5, Service=4.5, Ambiance=4, Money Worth=5

Details: Open daily for Lunch (buffet and a –la-carte): 12-2:30pm, and Dinner (a-la-carte only): 6-11pm
Lord Jims @ Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Soi Oriental, Charoenkrung Road, Bangkok; Tel: 02.659.9000
.

Four Seasons Hotel Sunday brunch

25

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Sunday Brunch
Parichart Court @ Four Seasons Hotel

The Sunday Brunch at Parichart Court of the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is a desirable one among Bangkok high-so(ciety) and expat diners. This famous Sunday brunch was the first one that includes pan-fried foie-gras and free-flow Martini and wine in the buffet scene in Bangkok later adopted by most competitors.

The plentiful selection of food including a salad table with Caesar salad, marinated salad and organic leaves, assorted cold cuts, Prosciutto di Parma, homemade smoked salmon, asparagus tip salad with shaved parmesan cheese, mixed mushroom salad, marinated green and black olives, and more…

On the cold appetizer station we found Australia rock oysters, sea crabs, Tasmania blue mussels, tiger prawns, rock lobsters, red claw lobsters, scallops and a wild range of home-made dipping sauces and condiments.

In the pond of the Parichart Court there was a set-up for the ‘Caviar in Pool’, including cod roe, salmon roe, black vegetable caviar, whitefish roe, trout roe, lumpfish orange roe, and condiments such as wheat blinis, sour cream, lemon and boiled egg.

The Japanese station featured sushi, California roll, eel teriyaki, and chilled soba; while the Chinese station featured assorted dim sum (ha-gar, siu-mai, …), shark’s fin soup, barbecue whole duck, barbeque pork (char-siu), barbeque marinated baby pork rib, …

Asian specialties didn’t stop here. An Indian corner of traditional chicken tandoori, marinated fish tikka, shish kebabs, plain and garlic naan, potato samosa, chicken salad (chard ra ja wab), prawn salad (gin ka razed), and curries such as chick-pea curry, aloo kobe matta, paneer curry and vegetable curry, were all included.

The breakfast station featured waffles, fruits and berry pancakes, assorted Danish pastries, croissants, bread rolls, muffins, toast, cream cheese, butter, jam, homemade pâté, and an egg station with choices of smoked ham, sausages, bacon, tomato, and mushroom, while I put caviar in my omelet.

Came to the best buffet foie gras in town, the foie gras corner had choices of pan-seared foie gras with port wine sauce, foie gras sausage, terrine de foie gras and foie gras custard with truffle oil.

By this time we were half full, the grilled seafood and steak from the Madison Grill were awaiting us to sample. They included tiger prawns, rock lobsters, fresh trout, salmon steak, John Dory, snow fish, tuna, lamb chops, beef medallion, sirloin steak, spiced pork and veal sausage, assorted grilled vegetables, baked potatoes and sauces. Also there was a carving station for roast duck, crispy pork loin, roast beef and roast chicken.

To save some room for desserts, we didn’t sample the pasta and risotto prepared by the Biscotti, and the Thai corner prepared by the Spice Market, which featured with four kind of spicy salads including som tum, charcoal grilled pork ball dumplings with chili dips, marinated tradition chicken, and Issan sausage (sai krok Issan), steamed prawn soufflé (hor mok goong), and northern style egg noodle curry with chicken (khao soi).

Couldn’t be missed in a prominent buffet scene is the cheese board. Four Seasons prepared for us the Swiss cheese, goat cheese, Roquefort, Brie, blue Stilton, Grana Padano, Provolone, Asiago, Scamorza, Gorgonzola, Taleggio Cheese, with condiments such as dried fruits, dates, apricots and walnuts.

The Dessert Station, not extensive but impressive, included tiramisu, brownies, strawberry trifle, peach crème brûlée, chocolate praline, fresh fruit tart, pistachio raspberry cake, Sacher cake, Ticino cake, cheese crêpe, cherry crumble, banana and Grand Marnier soufflé, crêpe suzette, ripe mango, fresh fruits and ice cream.

The cost for this plentiful buffet treat is B2,200++ included free flow of wines (6 red and 6 white), beers, Martini cocktails, fresh squeezed fruit juice and soft drinks.

Enjoy!



Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Four Seasons brunch has [3.7]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food=4, Service=4, Ambiance=3, Money Worth=4

Details: Sunday brunch open on SUnday 11:30am - 3:00pm

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, 155 Rajadamri Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Tel.: 02-2501000

The Med brunch

24
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Sunday Brunch
The Med @ Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel


Bangkok’s hotels are in heavy competition of good quality Sunday brunch. The Med at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel is the first one I am going to show you, it is not the best, but it is well worth the price (THB850++) though. Oh it was full house on the day I visited.

Theme of today's Sunday brunch was seafood. The seafood selections included rock lobsters, fresh Aussie oysters, smoked salmon, N.Z. mussels, herrings, seafood tidbits, and lots more on the cold; followed by barbequed sea prawns, baked salmon, pan-fried sea bass with butter sauce, cooked N.Z. mussels with tomato sauce on the hot. In addition to the seafood there were a variety of salad and vegetables, cold cuts, choices of cheese, foie gras, parma ham, roasted beef, roasted lamb leg, roasted baby pig, pizzas, Thai dishes, and desserts. Missing was the popular Japanese specialty such as sashimi, sushi and tempura as in the Bangkok buffet scene.

Pictures tell a thousand words. Enjoy!

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Med brunch has [3.6]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3.5, Service=4, Ambiance=3, Money Worth=4

Details: Sunday brunch open: 11:30am-3:00pm
The Med @ Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, 259 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand; Tel: 02-2078000

* (update on 2009-10-15, The Med had been replaced by the Taste, still doing lunch and dinner buffet)

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Bug and Bee

23
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Failed to fly

At Bug and Bee Cafe, ordering took a timely process; the menu is extensive and informative, history of crepes and the uniqueness of Bug and Bee crepes were written on the menu, and it is customers' obligation to read the encyclopedia alike menu. Choices of crepes and dishes made of crepe noodles are a lot, they are fusion and they are innovation, but failed in cooking process with certain misfire. After ten minutes reading (the menu), I still couldn't launch my verdict on the order, so did my friends; luckily the cafe manager came to our rescue.

He suggested the cafe best selling drink - the mango marvel, consisting of fresh mango and passion fruits blended on a bed of sago (tapioca), to drink the mango juice and suck the sago was how I handled this drink; followed by peachy melo and kiwi cooler, they are funny drinks (taste funny I mean). For crepes, the manager recommended the crepe stuffed with curry crab, Sichuan crepe noodles with prawns, and crepe with grilled duck breast in cranberry ginger sauce. The curry crab (meat) was average, aroma with mild heat of curry married to little sweetness from the crepe, to make this dish eatable, but never remarkable; while the Sichuan prawns had a good recipe and heat but still far from the real Sichuan treat, the prawns, maybe I shall call it small shrimps, were full of frozen taste. The grilled duck breast in cranberry ginger sauce, was indeed few pieces of tough duck meat that would train my teeth, and the cranberry sauce was kind of weird in taste. Perhaps its kitchen is set up for experiment purpose but not to cook for diners!

My friends and I further sampled the seafood (crepe) lasagna, which was unique but not of my fond; and the phad-khee-maow crepe noodles with seafood (with thrifty seafood ingredients), a dish self-proclaimed to be the best phad-kee-maow (stir-fried drunken noodles with basil, garlic, young green pepper, chili and lots of chilies) in Bangkok. (Really? or the owners themselves are drunken 24/7!)

For desserts, I ordered the orange passion fruit crepe with ice cream, my friends opted for the cheesecake parfait with fresh mango (seasonal), Belgian waffle with ice cream, and the shop's signature deep-fried Shanghai date crepe. The cheesecake was a bit too sweet to my standard, but I am sure some people would love it; while the deep-fried Chinese date paste crepe cake was average.

Besides their fusion crepes menu, Bug and Bee also offers a small selections of Chinese fare; they are baked rice Hong Kong style, Cantonese congee, and Hong Kong fried rice. Moreover, there is a full set of all-day breakfast on duty. As mentioned earlier, the menu is BIG, so they are just a few to be named here, from the Bug and Bee's full 'experimental creations'; and the cons is, BIG menu doesn't mean they are good, though!

In order to be benefited from better health through slow eating, I didn't rush my meal at Bug and Bee; our drinks and food didn't arrive promptly after the order had been taken, that given us more time to browse the menu, learn the history of crepes, read a numerous of magazines displayed on two giant racks in the shop, chat to our neighboring table(s), and play with our notebook. Though the restaurant provides free snail-speed wifi service with password access; however, smooth connection is only by luck!

Bug and Bee Cafe **
18 Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.233.8118

Open daily : 24-hour (random shortened opening hours without prior notice)
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700



*(update on 2009-10-28 : Bug and Bees' Siam Paragon branch is now a history)
*(update on 2010-05-25 : Bug and Bee's MBK branch is now a history)

Senor Pico

22
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A hot cha-cha salsa night

Senor Pico is a nice Mexican restaurant in Bangkok; it is very popular with high-so(ciety) residents and expatriates who are craving for genuine sizzling fajitas, and other Latin American delicacies.



Senor Pico Mexican Restaurant ***
Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok
19 Sukhumvit Soi 18
off Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.261.7100
Senor Pico

Open daily : 5 pm - 1 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,300

Nefertiti

21.

An Egyptian surprise

On one evening, I was frustrated looking for an Ethiopia restaurant in Bangkok's Little Arabic, but due to wrong information from a new guide book (new guide book with copied old information?) published by an expat friend that the Ethiopia Restaurant had been closed for good without any update in his guide book, I was (almost) lost. Then instead I had better luck in the mini palace of an Egyptian Queen, as, Nefertiti where located in the same soi and I had a wonder night there with friends.

Egyptian food is not my expertise but I like gourmet from every corner of the world. Nefertiti offered the best naan bread I have ever sampled in Bangkok, and nice lamb and chicken dishes. On next visit I would bring along with a guru to show me how to enjoy an Egyptian meal properly.

Since wasting almost an hour for a search of a restaurant that didn't exist, my friends and I were hungry, very hungry! Even without a guru, we immediately started the blind order from the menu, we ordered the hummus goat yoghurt (a dip made of ground chickpeas, sesame, olive oil and herbs with goat yoghurt), and the sesame mousse, together with some freshly baked naan bread. The naan bread was crunchy and smooth with a good taste of the wheat flour yield a redolent flavor with wood smoke aromas. The hummus goat yoghurt was simple but good while the sesame mousse was pretty bland.



Further we had the ground lamb kebabs with the meat marinated to please our appetite, the barbecue pomfret fish promoted an ugly overly burned look and somehow it was also less impressive in taste, the barbecue lamb leg was tasty and tender enough for us to keep asking for more naan to go with it, and the savory barbecue chicken was burned outside but tender inside with naturally sweet of the meat and aroma from the herbs, and it was the star of the night.

To clean the heavy (but welcoming) taste of the herbs I opted for a bowl of mutton soup. Oh, it was another treat of the night!

We concluded the dinner with two desserts, the om ali (warm naan bread pudding) and the mahalabia (egg white custard). They were not as impressive as the savory naan, hummus and the barbecue dishes.

For those who are fans of shisha, Nefertiti is the place for the smoke of the popular water pipes in this Little Arabic in Bangkok.

After the dinner we called the friend who didn't update his guide book for some honest genuine gourmet reviews in the future, instead of just paid advertorial.

Nefertiti Egyptian Restaurant ****
4/8 Sukhumvit Soi 3/1
off Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey Nua, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.655.3043

Open daily : 24 hours
Pay (food only for two): around THB 600

Arirang

20
.

Sing with kimchi

Ranging from barbecues (bulgogi) to rice prepared on limestone (bibimbap); Arirang does its best to bring out the taste of authentic Korean cuisine in the City of Angel - Bangkok.



Arirang Korean Restaurant ***1/2
Sukhumvit branch:
Sukhumvit Plaza
212/4 Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.653.0177
Arirang

Open daily : 11 am - 9:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,000

Maha Naga

19
.

Cuisine of the Great Snake

Mahanaga, the God of the Great Snake. The name is Hindu, the decoration is a mix of Asian and Moroccan, the fare is Thai served in Western style; thus, MahaNaga Thai Fusion Restaurant itself is fusion and the food is fusion.

Upon arrival the oriental-colonial style house in yellow caught my immediate attention. I was greeted by a pleasant Thai lady in Moroccan outfit, who guided me through the foyer to the bar which is inspirited in Moroccan style, is probably the most stylist bar in the Sukhumvit area. I took a rest and sip in the colorful bar while waiting for my friends to arrive. The bar offered panorama view of the beautiful European style courtyard where customers could dine under moonlight in a romantic evening (or sunlight if one needs a good tan). I chose to be entertained indoors where decorated in exciting Thai, North African and Asian accents. Before I went on to the menu, I already agreed that MagaNaga Thai Fusion Restaurant is very fusion.

Together with friends who ate with me, we tried our best to order Thai fare even some ingredients may be atypical with the menu, such as rib eye steak with Thai sauce (please imagine). First we picked goong-see-thong (deep-fried prawn rolls on a bed of crispy vermicelli), poo-hoh (deep-fried crab meat, and shrimp wrapped in a tofu sheet), and poh-piah-ped-grob (deep-fried spring rolls wrapped with duck breast, glass noodle, bean sprout, jelly mushroom served with jujube sauce), they all turned out delicious.



After a round of all deep-fried appetizers we proceeded to a menu sounded more fusion included poo-nim-nam-makham (deep-fried soft shell crab in tamarind sauce), hoy-shell-phad-cha (stir-fried scallop with yellow chili and green peppercorn), phad-kaeh-makhuea-on (grilled NZ lamb racks and spiced young eggplant salad with herbal sauce), and chu-chee-pla-salmon (pan-fried salmon in red curry paste served with jasmine and red rice). Stars of the meal were poo-hoh and hoy-shell-phad-cha. Both mingled well in between Thai, Chinese, and Western culinary accents brought out great taste and made my friends' felt that it was well worth to spend their holiday in Bangkok for some Thai cuisine even it was fusion. The sauce for chu-chee-pla-salmon was not bad either; however, I prefer that they serve chu-chee dish with fresh water fish or river prawn.

We voted not to order desserts since we were pretty full after sampling seven dishes of exotic creation by the daring young chef. (Actually we went to Cherubin on Soi Sawasdee for the warm chocolate cake later.) So we concluded our delightful lunch with a visit to the Naga's restroom, colorful and fusion again!

During lunch I also ordered lemongrass juice, and chardonnay for my dear friends. When came to wine there couldn't be fusion. Luckily at MahaNaga they have extensive labels of wines and champagnes from all over the world for wine and dine lovers to sip sip. Wine started from THB 220 ($6.5) a glass or THB 1,400 ($42) a bottle. Dining in this trendy eatery we had to pay a handsome price of around THB 3,500 ($105) for three during lunch, that was included food, drinks and wine.

MahaNaga Thai Fusion Restaurant ***1/2
2 Sukhumvit Soi 29
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.662.3060
MahaNaga

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 5:30 - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,500

Fuji

18
.

Cuisine of the rising sun

Running a Japanese restaurant to the success end needed the owner heart and soul in his business philosophy as Japanese culinary art always refers to both arts and taste. Although we don't expect 100% authentication for those Japanese restaurants aim for local market in Bangkok; but freshness of ingredients esp. on sashimi and sushi, and cleanliness of the shop and kitchen are not to be overlooked by the management. Those followed the formula led themselves to a great success. Competition after many years promoted two major chains in Thailand continue to prove their enthusiasm in offering Bangkok and upcountry eaters elementary Japanese fare at a competitive price. They are the Fuji and Zen together with around forty branches throughout Thailand.

When I was first brought to the Fuji (Fuji in Bangkok is not related to the one in Japan) some twenty years ago when it was still 'small, I foresee that Fuji will earn a success in the future judging by their fully illustrated menu (photo menu) of which easy for non-Japanese to understand what to order, good quality on the food (as taste and cooking method tended to match with local's appreciation but didn't lose the Japanese culinary spirit) and unbeatable price an advantage for the local consuming power. Simply the owner does run Fuji with a heart.

It may not be my favorite Japanese restaurant in Bangkok, but still worth a visit to eat with friends, no matter they are visitors or locals, that Fuji is an eatery in inexpensive charge with reasonable Kanto treat though not awesome.

When Japanese cuisine has been mentioned, we immediately considered some sushi (raw fish on bed of Japanese sushi rice cube) and sashimi (raw fish in bite-size portion). Last week I went to Fuji with friends (again), we started with avocado sushi train, California maki, salmon roll with pink caviar sauce, assorted Nigiri sushi topped with sweet shrimp, seaweed, fish roe and squid, sashimi boat medium (of five kinds of raw fish and seafood). Chilled sashimi came on a bed of crushed ice in the boat were fresh and tasted naturally sweet, so did the sushi, fair enough for the price.

Moving to appetizers, we had the avocado salad, deep-fried salmon salad, agedashi tofu (deep-fried tofu in tempura sauce), and gyoza (pan-fried dumplings with ground pork and chopped vegetable stuffing). The deep-fried salmon salad was a nice blend of traditional and contemporary one yield a welcoming taste. The gyoza has better quality than most eateries we sampled in Bangkok. Both sashimi and the appetizers dishes were satisfying.



For mains, we picked tiger prawn and mixed veggie teppanyaki, squid teriyaki, prawn tempura, chicken teriyaki and salmon steak. Simply yummy therefore need your further exploration to prove my word.

Before we can conclude the meal with desserts and fruits, we needed some carbohydrate first. We ordered grilled eel rice, soba mori (chilled plain buckwheat soba), sabusabu beef, and a set of Fuji bento. Sauce on the grilled eel was aromatic, lightly sweet and not overly salty, as, the chef had controlled the seasoning with a skill. Soba was a bit too soft due to overcooked, but Thai people fond of such soft texture when soba, udon or even spaghetti was considered; what can we say!

Because locals like sweet, very sweet; so desserts in Thailand always present in overly sweet compared to Japanese or European standard, so did at Fuji. Therefore we skipped the desserts and ordered some fruits, and more fruits.

Choices of sake in Fuji were quite limited, as Thais (still) are not familiar with this supreme Japanese rice wine. Green tea in Fuji tasted like those bottled ones sold in supermarkets, so we took bottled mineral water instead during a meal at Fuji.

Judging by its price the quality of food is decent and the service is prompt and attentive. Ambiance in Fuji may enchant diner a good appetite; it is modern, bright and cheerful. Therefore Fuji is very popular among Thai youngsters and white collars as well as family dining.

Fuji Japanese Restaurant ***
branches throughout Thailand in major shopping centers
Fuji

Open daily : (most branches) 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400