At Cho Sornkaew, we sampled one of Bangkok best sweet glutinous rice (a.k.a. sweet sticky rice) desserts (served with ripe mango) in eight natural color from Thai herbal leaves and fruits. Our share, the texture of glutinous rice at Cho Sornkaew was tender yet chewy, best sweet glutinous rice dessert I sampled in Bangkok. The ripe mango, unlike most other sweet glutinous rice with ripe mango dessert vendors offer, was aromatic enough and not too sweet.
No wonder Cho Sornkaew has stand strong in Bangkok for three decades even though its location is quite remote from the city center.
If finding Cho Sornkaew is a bit difficult, you may alternatively try the dessert at a roadside sweet glutinous rice dessert vendor at Chok Chai 4 Market (at corner of Chok Chai 4 Road and Lat Proad Road) that also stands strong in Bangkok for a decade.
1. Cho Sornkaew shop at Chok Chai 4 Soi 54; 2. 8-color sweet sticky rice with ripe mango
From media reviews and advertorials, New York Steakhouse had been rated Bangkok's best steakhouse for few years, so does the hotel's Japanese restaurant Tsu-Nami. (Good PR job!)
But, they aren't.
Food at New York Steakhouse was decent but not outstanding. Of course we paid a handsome price so the quality shall be with certain guarantee. However, quality of steak did not match with the restaurant's top status and chef culinary skill just didn't live up to expectations. Service was way too 'professional' lacking of those natural touch of Thais hospitality, pretentious instead.
Although I don't crown New York Steakhouse the best in Bangkok, but a visit doesn't hurt our appetite either. The menu is big and coverage is more aggressive than any other top-notch hotel's steakhouse. With Marriott Gold Card (if you have one!) your meal is always free when dining with a friend.
Bourbon Street is the original Creole/Cajun cuisine specialty restaurant in Bangkok, offers gourmet with Louisiana accent of which known to be heavily influenced by an admixture of French, Spanish and Western African since the 18th century.
Bourbon Street's Louisiana menu includes Creole/Cajun favorites as, Gumbo Chicken and Andouille Pork Sausage or Gumbo Shrimp and Crabmeat, Blackened Redfish or Blackened Shrimp, Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Pork Sausage, Jambalaya (choices of chicken and andouille pork sausage, seafood or crawfish), Boiled Crawfish, and Bar-B-Q Baby Back Pork Ribs just to name a few.
Each year, the first quarter is the most difficult time for restaurants even before the worldwide credit crisis and economic meltdown. On Silom/Sathorn (Road) this year, the challenge raises. There are a lot of restaurants dotted around the Central Business District (C.B.D.) that are beneficiaries to the culture of expense account dining now suffer; as, companies cutting entertainment expenses and employees with little job security dwindling the spending on meals. Today the best selling lunch option among Silom/Sathorn white-collars maybe Mama instant noodles.
I see the closure of restaurants on a weekly basis. The glory of Silom/Sathorn restaurants bloom is fading into memory!
Grandmas like to talk about the old good days they spent at the Carlton Restaurant.True that Carlton did draw Bangkokians lots of memories.Whether you are grandmas in your 80's, you are daddy and mammy in your 50's, you are big brother in your 30's, or kids like me (don't laugh!) in our 20's; we all spent a tremendous happiness moment celebrated our birthdays, graduation parties, promotion parties, anniversaries, proposing, friends gathering or just after-school hang-out at Carlton.
Opened in the 60's, Carlton was the first high-class Thai cum French restaurant on Silom Road and almost an institution in the unique, famous or infamous Hong-Kong-style-Western-cuisine culture in Thailand following the trend of Western food bloom from Hong Kong.As the pioneer in foreign cuisine adjusted to the Thais palate, Carlton maintains its unique culinary characteristic for years.
In my memory, Carlton’s Rock Lobster Thermidor (Baht 495++) served with lots of lobster meat and rich in Parmesan cheese with sherry and bechamel sauce stuffed into a rock lobster shell, baked.This French dish since 1894 was one of Carlton's popular dishes.The Fondue set (Baht 550++), consisting of tender beef, pork and chicken cubes, fresh salmon and vegetables with the running oil dip always steal the show.The French Onion Soup (Baht 120++) with caramelized onions, reduced beef stock covered with gruyere cheese, baked, was one of my favorite dishes.And my other favorite dish was the Roasted Chicken with Rosemary Sauce (Baht 295++); the chicken was tender and aromatic.Carlton also offered the world cheapest Kobe Beef Steak (Baht 350++); of course for Baht 412 it was not real Kobe beef, but tender enough and good for value.On the Thai menu, what I really appreciated was (only) the Fried Noodle with Shredded Chicken and Chinese Mushroom in Brown Sauce (Baht 250++), probably the most expensive fried chicken noodle in a non-hotel establishment but it was simply delicious.
The last fort of Hong-Kong-style-Western-cuisine presence in Bangkok is completely vanished by the farewell of Carlton on December 31, 2008, giving us a chance of evolution to authentic French cuisine appreciation!!
Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Carlton has [3.1] (Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambiance, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3, Service=3, Ambiance=3, Money Worth=3.5
A feast of Italian/Japanese fusion X'mas Eve dinner in Bacchus.
* pictures on courtesy of Mr. Tony King Our 5-course dinner: 1. Lobster Salad Wasabi Dressing (/Crab Meat Avocado on Endive) 2. Lentil Soup (/Spaghetti with Porcini and Mushrooms) 3. Christmas Roasted Ham (/Grilled Black Cod) * Lemongrass Sorbet 4. Season's Greetings Turkey Cranberry Sauce (/Braised Oxtail in Beer with Dark Soy Sauce) 5. Celebration Cake * Limoncello * Coffee or tea Baht 1,766 ($52) + Red Wine
Imagine how wonderful if there is a restaurant that serves your visual pleasure while having your taste buds a lift; this has to be a view-to-dine-by restaurant. The surroundings elegantly decorated with tranquility ambiance; heavenly view of 360 degree panorama overlooking anywhere in Bangkok above the hustle and bustle of city living rarely found elsewhere.
Vertigo and Moon Bar ****1/2 Banyan Tree Hotel Bangkok 21/100 Sathorn Road Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 Tel.: 02.679.1200 Banyan Tree Bangkok
Open daily : 6:30 pm - 11 pm (weather permitted) Pay (food only for two): expect THB 7,000
My favorite rooftop restaurant in Bangkok simply its food is 'eatable' though not outstanding and the price is affordable, with the enjoyable panorama city view!
Red Sky *** 55th Floor, Centara Grand Hotel at Central World 999/99 Rama 1 Road Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel.: 02.100.1234 Centara - Red Sky
Opening daily for Dinner 17:00 - 01:00 Pay (food only): expect THB 7,000 for two
Today, I went to Bangna district's Soi Udomsuk with a good friend from Hong Kong. Udomsuk area is about 40km southeast of Bangkok city center, a humdrum residential area. We took the BTS skytrain to On Nut terminus, caught a taxi to Soi Udomsuk. Total travel time was an hour from my friend's hotel located on Sukhumvit Soi 8 in the major tourist area. My friend couldn't hold his curiosity to ask, "Do we have to dine this far while our stomach is singer?", and his question had not been entertained. In my mind was 'hey, you will see'!
The Garden is on the rooftop of the Executive Residence Apartment on Udomsuk Soi 18. In order to reach to the rooftop of this 15-year-old poorly maintained apartment we need courage (yes, I am talking about real courage) to pass through a shabby lobby armed with moth-eaten carpet and took the building's only outworn elevator to the top floor (just on 6th). When the lift (door) opened my friend immediately realized the difference between haven and hell. A scenic British garden of lush tropical plants and floras caught our first sight with my friend's generous read out 'Wow'! For the next two hours we were dining in a paradise that transportation can reach. At 4 pm, we started our late lunch with Ox tongue in red wine sauce (THB 250+). The ox tongue was tender and the wine sauce followed exactly the original recipe, as very French. Next dish was Rainbow trout in white cream sauce (THB 350+); trout was truly fresh (from Royal project in Chiangrai) without marinated and extra seasoning thus brought out the natural sweet and goodness of the trout herself. The cream sauce helped to enhance the taste if one found it bland. Another marvelous dish was the Fried rice with salted fish (THB 150+); top grade aromatic slated fish pla kurau (four-finger-threadfin mackerel, or ma yau in Cantonese) was used as the ingredients with chopped kale and BBQ pork cubes. Fried rice was fried dry enough, a well balanced dish with appealing taste and presentation.
The garden has both indoor (air-conditioned) and al fresco dining option. If you choose indoor dining, you will encounter an European mini palace fittings with chandeliers and classic paintings on display, dine with lovely Cupids (sculptures) if not your honey. I always opt for the al fresco option with the surroundings of a botanic exhibition and a 16th Century inspired fountain.
We left the Garden with a promise to return as soon as possible.
The garden, beautiful! The food, delicious! The Garden, marvelous! Seeing is believing, go!
The Garden **** 6th Floor, the Executuve Residence Apartment Soi Udomsuk 18 off Sukhumvit 103 (Udomsuk) Bangna, Bangkok Tel.: 02.361.7881
Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm Pay (food only for two): around THB 800
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 10500 Tel.: 02.235.8382
Open 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)
Two places I don’t like to go are discos and BBQ restaurants esp. bulgogi (Korean barbecue) and yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) that cook in front of us with open fire, because of the smoke.
I always praise on BBQ restaurants with the installation of smokeless barbecue table, but unfortunately too hard to locate one in Bangkok, even not in a famous 4-star hotel’s Korean restaurant. Until recently I bumped into the AKA accidentally, a Japanese restaurant with specialty of yakiniku and shabu-shabu in the CentralWorldPlaza, I had a yakiniku meal without the smoke in my head and clothing as unwanted souvenir.
AKA is another brand developed by the long established local standard ZEN Japanese Restaurants without my attention as a favorite Japanese restaurant to entertain my friends, or even just by myself.
On our lunch table there were choices of seafood, beef, pork, and chicken to fulfill our yakiniku meal.Raw meat for an authentic yakiniku serves without the meat being marinated; we grill them fresh and dip the meat when it was done before eating.In AKA, house sauce was put on the raw meat, so I had to get rid of the sauce before putting them over the charcoal griller.The meat was good enough for the price although it is lack of outstanding, perhaps better score to them if unwelcome sauce wasn’t put on the raw meat.However, I will not refrain from return for more yakiniku due to its smokeless facility and the convenience location.
AKA also serves shabu-shabu, and traditional dishes such as sushi (raw fish fillet on a bed of rice cube), tempura (deep-fried breaded prawn), tonkatsu (deep-fried breaded pork cutlet) and more.
Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): AKA has [ 3.0 ] (Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambiance, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality)Food =3, Service=3, Ambiance=3, Money Worth=3
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)
Best dishes: combination seafood set (for yakiniku) Wine list: limited sake and wine on the drinks list Best table: table by the window Details: Open daily – 11:30am - 10pm AKA Yakiniku Restaurant, Level 7 Beacon Zone, CentralWorldPlaza, Bangkok; Tel.: 02-6461364; and other major shopping centers in Thailand
Consume of shark fin soup used to be the privilege of a Chinese Emperor for a century, later spread to banquet tables in weddings and all exquisite dining parties for the Chinese communities in modern days.Shark fin soup is made with fins obtained from a shark.Frankly, shark fins are the pectoral and dorsal fins of shark species, with flexible soft tissue known as cartilage which contains nutrition and even medical goodness.Shark fin has almost no flavor of its own but has an amazing ability to absorb and enhance the flavor of other ingredients cooked with it, such as hen, pork ribs, dried black mushroom, Yunnan ham, and even expensive dried abalone, simmered for enough hours in preparing of the hearty superior broth for the shark fin soup.Best serve with aged Chinese black vinegar or even a drop of brandy to add the zest in eating pleasure. By now you can figure out why shark fin soup cost so much money for a little serving.
Many people believe shark fins have the benefits of retarding aging, improving sex life (for men), and even curing cancer?On the other hand, academic report of shark fins probably contains high levels of mercury maybe harmful to consumers’ health!
I was told that consume of shark fin soup was cruel and it was against the animal rights.Then some people raise another question about eating foie gras if it is relatively cruel as method of raising goose for the foie gras is more controversial than catching shark.Personally I neither eat shark’s fin as a habit nor particularly enjoy this expensive food (yes it is expensive if you get the real fins and it is even very very expensive if you get the top grade fins); but, some customers and friends from Japan and Greater China region (China, HK and Taiwan) are fans of this delicacy popular in China since the Ming Dynasty.Like it or not, my duty to show them where to eat delicious and real (yes there are many fake fins out there in Yaowaraj and other parts of the country) shark fin soup in Bangkok.
If you are a bit hesitated to eat shark fin soup because of its controversial fining method, but eventually might enjoy a bowl of shark fin soup due to the hearty broth, then rescue came to your palate enjoyment.You may get your bowl (of shark fin soup) in Yaowaraj, Bangrak, Klong Tan or any roadside shark’s fins hawkers, browse the giant tin pot they do the broth, if you find pork ribs and chicken bone in the giant pot, then your bowl of shark fin soup probably is well prepared.How about the killing shark part?Don’t worry, for Baht 300 you don’t get real fins; they are vegetarian fins a.k.a. artificial fins.
Below are my picks for the best shark fin soup in town, either the fins were superior (under the Baht 1,000-2,000 mark), the soup prepared the superb way, or it was environmental friendly vegetarian fins.Please bear in mind in Thailand chefs are better off to prepare Thai-Chinese style braised shark fin in brown soup, not the Cantonese or contemporary Tiew-chew one people eat in Hong Kong and in the US Chinatown.In Greater China region people more opt for the consommé one that require a full day to prepare the broth simmered with pork ribs and chicken (hen) together with expensive ingredients such as Chinese Yunnan ham and even dried abalone without a drop of MSG, rather than the Thai-Chinese style of so-called brown soup based on heavy use of oyster sauce, soy sauce and MSG.
My cherry picks (4 categories):
Category I - Shark fin specialty, the winner is,
Bangkok Shark Fin(曼谷魚翅)
Why? Here they have better broth though oyster sauce and seasonings are not avoidable in all shark fin soup specialties across the nation to prepare the famous (or infamous!) Thai-Chinese style ‘brown’ soup.Taste good with better value than the rest in Thailand!
Food: The braised shark fin soup, Thai-Chinese style ‘brown’ soup base, flavorsome chicken and pork broth, soup not too thick has a nice balance in texture and taste even with the presence of oyster sauce and slightly salty; braised fins so tender!(Besides braised shark fin soup, the restaurant also offers stir-fried shark fins, braised fish maw soup, stir-fried sea cucumber, vegetables, fried noodles to even steam fish.)
Service: Friendly and helpful
Ambiance: Minimal decoration with a nice fish tank for our appreciation during wait for the soup to be arrived, air-con a bit too cold.
Shark fins: Real fins.
Value: From Baht 800 per clay pot; the Baht 1,000 one fins were plentiful in portion; arguably Bangkok best Thai-Chinese style ‘brown’ broth fins soup in term of both quality and quantity.
Address: 218/3-4 Siam Square Soi 1, Rama I Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330; Tel.: 02-2510987; open daily 12pm – 12am.
Runner-up: 1) Hock Shark-fins (福魚翅) on 167/2 Surawong Road, Bangkok; Tel.: 02-2335939 2) Nam Sing (南星)* on 231/19 Pattaya 2nd Road, Pattaya, Chon-buri; Tel.: 038-711221 * not Yaowaraj branch
Category II – Shark fin soup hawker, the winner is,
Tai Tong Bangrak(大中魚翅)
Why? Tai Tong Bangrak was chosen because it is safer to sit on the pedestrian footpath in a less traffic lane and probably with less pollution.
Food: Nothing good, just the vegetarian fins may be good for animal rights supporters.The broth had one taste, as, extremely salty.You will love the soup if you are fans of MSG and oyster sauce.
Service: Prompt and friendly
Ambiance: Set inside a lane off the main road better than sitting on the Yaowaraj roadside, still it is roadside ambiance, don’t expect comfort and hygiene.
Shark fins: Vegetarian fins
Value: From Baht 400 per clay pot; my Baht 500 one was overpriced for such quality of broth with vegetarian fins.
Address: Charoen Krung Soi 46, Charoen Krung (New) Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500; Tel.: not available; Open daily 5pm – 12am
Runner-up: 1) Sing Shark Fin Hawker, roadside Yaowaraj Road, China Town, Bangkok 2) Klong Tan shark fin soup hawkers, Klong Tan, Bangkok
Category III - Chinese restaurant, the winner is,
Lieo Lieng Seng (廖兩成酒家)
Why? Broth was authentic following Hong Kong’s Tiew-chew recipe, fins are tender and the portion was a steal for Baht 400 a pot.
Food: The braised shark fin soup, broth is rather quite Hong Kong Tiew-chew than local Thai-Chinese one although oyster sauce was on the call.The broth had an obvious taste of dried seafood, pork bone and chicken, not artificial seasonings.Fins were tender. No more extra seasonings to go with the soup, just some Chinese vinegar will enhance the taste and made the fins easier to be digested in our stomach.(The restaurant has a selective Chinese cuisine menu, food quite good!)
Service: Average service with prompt response, friendly recommendation on order.
Ambiance: Minimal decor and small dining hall poses a warm atmosphere for diners. It is bright and clean.
Shark fins: Real fins
Value: From Baht 500 per clay pot; our Baht 1,500 large pot was generous in portion (good for six servings) with relatively good quality of broth.It was a steal of the day.Excellent value!
Address: 802-804 Rama IV Road (behind Montien Hotel), Bangrak, Bangkok 10500; Tel.: 02-2345791; Open daily - 11am-10pm
Runner-up: 1) Tang Jai You (陳再裕酒家) 85-87 Soi Yaowa-Phanich, Yaowaraj; Tel.: 02.224.2167 2) Crystal Jade Golden Palace Restaurant (翡翠金閣酒家) at Siam Paragon Mall; Tel.: 02.129.4343
Category IV - Hotel outlet, the winner is,
China House(中茗閣) @ the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Why? Soup was hearty, fins were tender, the whole thing was heavenly delicious, and it is the Oriental!
Food: Their braised shark fin soup, broth took a day of work to simmer with expensive ingredients such as Yunnan ham, dried seafood, pork ribs, hen (not any chicken) and Chinese mushroom.The broth didn’t need any more artificial seasonings as the Yunnan ham did the job.Fins in decent portion were tender.Broth was aromatic with the goodness of full-day simmered pork and hen soup, good in nutrition though.I put some aged Chinese malt vinegar to go with the fin soup.(The restaurant offers a full menu for Chinese cuisine.)
Service: The Oriental Hotel kind of attentive service.
Ambiance: Sip your tea and enjoy your bowl of fin soup in an opulent ambiance.
Shark fins: Real fins
Value: Expensive in terms of the Baht, but well worth the bill if no compromise of quality and service is your main concern.
+5+pops.jpg)
