MO Independent Outlets

228
.

The independent duo

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel operates two independent restaurants outsides the hotel. One in Siam Paragon and the other in the Emporium. Both are all-day coffee shop style international dining venues, the prefect way to relax and recuperate on your Independence Day massive shopping.

Coffee shop is not design for fine dining (of course), but is good for light meal, and to do afternoon tea.


afternoon tea set with choices of coffee or Mariage Freres teas THB 460++



L'Espace by Mandarin Oriental Bangkok ***
M/F, Siam Paragon
991 Rama I Road
Prathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.610.9840

Open daily : 10 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,800

Salon de L'Oriental ***1/2
G/F the Emporium
622 Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.259.8710

Open daily : 10 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only for two): afternoon tea - around THB 500; lunch/dinner - around THB 1,300

Erawan Bakery

227
.

Bangkok sweet teeth pleasure

Local bakeries including those in hotels always bake their cakes too sweet except a very few 5-star hotel outlets bake cakes with taste and health conscious customers in mind, one among them is the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok

Almost all outlets in Grand Hyatt Erawan are of nice ambiance, attentive service and good quality (of food) except the emerging French accent the Tables and the ousted Cantonese accent the Chinese Restaurant.




The Erawan Bakery is an ideal alternative to the Lobby Lounge to hold your afternoon tea chit-chat agenda or a casual meeting with associates. There you were served one of the country irresistible temptations of the finest pastry and bakery items, as well as sandwiches and even home-made ice creams and chocolates, with a cup of freshly brewed espresso or fine tea.

The Erawan Bakery ****
Lower lobby, Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel
494 Rajdamri Road
Prathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.254.1234
Erawan Bakery

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (bakery items for two): around THB 300

Mo-Mo Paradise

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
.

Phoenix in the fire

My most favorite shabu-shabu joint Mo-Mo Paradise was down in the "red" fire last month. I miss her. As Mo-mo offers best value all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu with a market style vegetables bar; for just Thai Baht 399++ Mo-Mo serves melt-into-mouth beef from Australia and hygiene pork products by S.Pure.



Fortunately we don't have to mourn on losing Bangkok most favorite shabu-shabu joint too long as Central World Plaza is scheduled to reopen in September 2010. If one couldn't wait any longer, then head to her new branch at Crystal Design Centre in Ladprao for a round of authentic Japanese shabu-shabu with melt-in-the-mouth beef on demand.

Mo-Mo-Paradise ****
Crystal Design Centre, Building E
1420/1 Praditmanutham Road (Ekamai-Ramindra Highway)
Ladprao, Bangkok 10230
Tel.: 02.102.2050

Open daily : 11 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): THB 939.25 all-you-can-eat

il cielo

225
.

A taste of Tuscany in Bangkok

I did review many of Dusit Thani outstanding outlets such as Benjarong (royal Thai cuisine), Hamliton's (steakhouse), and D'Sens (French), so it is time for its Italian restaurant, il cielo.


classic minestrone THB 330++
(assorted root vegetables and tomatos with pasta and basil)
porcini cream soup THB 350++
(with fresh ricotta cheese and a drizzle of hazelnut oil)

appetizer tasting platter THB 970++
from left to reght, they are (beef carpaccio with arugula, lettuce, porcini mushroom and cubes of duck liver; Param ham with sweet honeydew melon and figs; tuna tartar with artichoke, olives, sun-dried tomatos and Trout caviar; marinated goat cheese with garlic, chili and olives; garlic bruschetta with mozzarella cheese, anchovies and black truffle; pan-fried duck liver with crispy Coppa ham; pancetta and sage wrapped prawns with lemon dressing; deep-fried calamari with tomato and lemon)

al granchi THB 510++
(tomato, mozzarella, crabmeat, caper berry, black olive, Trout caviar)

al pomodoro THB 390++ (tomato sauce, basil and olive oil)
pan-roasted corn feed spring chicken THB 620++
(braised in white wine and tomato with black olive, capers, thyme and baby spinach)

braised wagyu beef rib in Borolo wine THB 880++
(with small risotto, mushroom emulsion and rosemary jus)
marinated and pan-roasted snow fish fillet THB 790++
(served on root celery mousse, red pepper coulis, Italian basil and selected vegetables)

tiramisu THB 350++
(Italian mascarpone cheese cake flavoured with coffee and Kahlua)
panna cotta THB 290++
(cream and vanilla pudding served with raspberry sauce crunchy almond pastry)

il cielo Italian Restaurant ***1/2
Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok
946 Rama IV Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.200.9000 ext. 2299

il cielo, were the appetizers good? were the food good?

Open daily : lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm; dinner 6 - 10:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 3,500

Häagen-Dazs

224
.

Better than none

Found 1961 in New York. Häagen-Dazs is a worldwide renowned brand in gourmet ice cream. Some countries only sell Häagen-Dazs ice cream in supermarkets. Lucky that in Thailand we were served in its ice cream parlor with choices of sundae and special items, though the local franchisee does not really know how to run a dessert restaurant. But better than none!



Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Parlour ****
Maneeya branch
518/3 Ploenchit Road
G/F Maneeya Centre North Building
Prathumwan, Bangkok 10300
Tel.: 02.652.0807

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (ice cream sundae only for two): around THB 500

Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Parlour ****
Siam Paragon branch
991 Rama I Road
G/F The Siam Paragon
Prathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.610.7541

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (ice cream sundae for two): around THB 500

* Häagen-Dazs is available in major shopping malls across Thailand, and also available in leading supermarket and selected hotel outlets

Rosabieng

223
.

Sukhumvit off-steam railway dining

Rosabieng, or dining car in a train. Lesson one to Thai cuisine for first time visitors.

The food do taste good!


1. fried marinated chicken in pandanus leaves wrapper (gai hor bai toey)
2. Thai eggplant salad Thai style (yum makhuea yaao)

3. stir-fried bitter gourd stem (phad pak yod mara)
4. red curry with roasted duck meat (kaeng phet ped yang)

5. deep-fried king fish with sweet and spicy green mango dressing (pla samlee)
6. home-made coconut cream ice cream (i-tim kati)

Rosabieng Thai Restaurant ***
3 Soi 11, Sukhumvit Road
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.253.5868

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700

A&W

222
.

The great American cough syrup

During college years, one blue night with tears in my eyes, I landed at a fast food restaurant in British Columbia, stayed for a while, then left the shop with smile, slept well that night. Since then, A & W Restaurant had walked through many blue nights with me in the old school days.

A & W root beer and friend chicken, the comfort food in need, and a friend in time!



A & W Restaurant ***
Silom Complex Shopping Plaza
191 Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.231.3120

Open daily : 10 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 300

Little Home

221
.

Too big too be little

A Bangkokian bakery since 1951, the Little Home turns 60 next year.

First time I passed by Little Home, the impression was OMG another local owned pancake and bakery shop without merit. As time goes by, the bakery turns restaurant is one of my loved eating hut for late lunch.

The menu is big and food taste nostalgic. From delightful Thai fare of traditional recipes, to Western cuisine and American old school bakery items (taste adjusted to the Thais palate), my hut has them all. Little Home is simply too big too be little!



Little Home Bakery and Restaurant ***
413/10 Soi Thonglo
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.185.1485
Little Home

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

Long's Fish ball Bangrak

220
.

Ping-pong in soup

Two decades old Chou Long Luk-Chin-Pla (Long's Fish Ball) serves bouncy fish ball in a bowl of hearty clear soup with rice noodles. An inexpensive treat of the day.



Chou Long Luk-Chin-Pla ****
456 Charoenkrung Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

Open daily : 8 am - 8 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 80