Chor Moung

370
.

Gem in the mist

This is a new restaurant recently opened in the revamped Siam Discovery Centre sixth and sixth A floors - the Sky Dining and Mood, with nice decoration and comfortable ambiance. First time to eat at this restaurant, it took me a few minutes at the entrance to figure out what kind of cuisine does she offer. It is about family Thai cuisine, and, it is Chor Moung.







Chor Moung Thai Restaurant ***1/2
The Sky Dining and Mood
6A/F Siam Discovery Centre
Rama I Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.658.0023

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 500

Cassia Cafe

369
.

Lunch by cassia

Cassia on Soi Sawasdee is a pleasant place to do lunch with friends.






Cassia Cafe and Tea Room ***1/2
20 Sukhumvit Soi 31 (Soi Sawasdee)
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.662.0325

Open daily : 9 am - 10 pm (Sunday opens at 10:30 am)
Pay (food only for two): around THB 900

Tang Ee Fa

368
.

Duck can fly

Tang Ee Fa Pochana, arguably best khao-tom ped (boiled rice soup with duck meat) in town, is part of the culinary glory of Bangkok's China town.





Tang Ee Fa Pochana ****
48 Plaeng Nam Road
Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10200

Open daily : 8 am - 8 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 100

Bake A Wish

367
.

Low-fat cakes come true

Japanese style bakery baking low-fat pastries for the waist-watching youngsters (like me).





Bake A Wish Japanese Bakery ***3/4
363/40 Suksawat 19
Ratburana, Bangkok 10140
Tel.: 02.427.3120

CWP branch:
7/F Central World Plaza
4 Rajdamri Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.613.1640

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 200

Orchard

366
.

A taste of disappointment

When there is a multi-cultural cuisine worthy to be mentioned, Singapore comes to mind immediately. One of the must-eat dishes is the chicken rice, and I am a fan of it; whether it is Singapore chicken rice, the original Hainanese one, or Thais khao-mun-gai, I like them all. Singapore's version is renowned for its refined recipe of Hainanese chicken rice, of which the chicken is prepared in a special process, accompanied with three dipping sauces with dark (sweet) soy sauce, chili and ginger paste, eaten with a bowl of chicken fat immersed fragrant rice. A visit to Singapore without including a meal of chicken rice is probably not having the trip complete.

When Orchard Chicken Rice, opened sometime last year by a local restauranteur, it proclaimed itself The Taste of Singapore; the first dish to sample is her chicken rice. The impression was negative on the first visit last year. The chicken was not tender, and the pale meat was tasteless. The steamed rice with immersed chicken fat was dull. I don't have too much to say about its dipping sauce (although I don't like it), since the fondness of sauce is always subjective; ever some renowned chicken specialty shops in Singapore such as Yet Con and Boon Tong Kee, some likes the sauce but others do not.

I revisited Orchard last week, and, yes, my mistake. The chicken rice was no better then last year's; it was pieces of chicken meat sadly floating on the sea of soy sauce; again the overcooked meat was not tender and was tasteless in nature; I doubted why it is so brave to be named Singapore chicken rice. The cendol and char kuay teow didn't yield a hint of the native Lion City's taste either. I didn't dare to continue another dish as I had to flag the white flag to Orchard.





Orchard Chicken Rice (Taste of Singapore) **
7/F Central World Plaza
4 Rajdamri Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.252.5581

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 500

Kuang Seafood

365
.

Sea in tanks

Advertorial for Kuang Seafood doesn't appear frequently in local medias, probably Kuang doesn't need any! Unlike a seafood diners' trap near Big C Superstore Rajdamri branch, Kuang's offers fresh (and some live) seafood at a reasonable price. Every night Kuang Seafood is packed with local and foreign customers, sharing a night of feast in cheer.

One of my visiting friends is a cockle lover, not only is he quite strict on freshness (of seafood) and hygiene but also he is lazy to travel far from his hotel to eat. In this case Kuang Seafood and my friend are the prefect match. Every time when he is in town, we go to Kuang Seafood for his cockle and seafood dishes. Though the food is far from outstanding but definitely worth every buck I paid. The fare is tended to be of Thai-Chinese accent; stir-fried dishes (incl. curry crab) and steamed fish are all expertly prepared, while the gaeng and tomyum dishes shall give way to Thai restaurants. In Phayathai and Pratunam area, Kuang Seafood is arguably the best shot for inexpensive seafood dining with comfort and quality; however, service maybe a bit sluggish.



Kuang Sea Foods Restaurant ***1/2
107/12 Soi Rangnam
Phayathai, Bangkok 10400
Tel.: 02.642.5591

Open daily : all-day-dining 10 - 2 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700 without crab
(live crab THB 600-1,000 each)

Pae Klang Krung

364
.

Floating palate

The concept of Pae Klang Krung Restaurant is to let customers dine on the water, while the restaurant had been built on a man-made pond. Ambiance of the restaurant is magnificent which made customers feel like they were eating on a floating palace.

Recently, I went to Pae Klang Krung for a round of early dinner before heading to a booze-bound birthday party at the CDC (Crystal Design Centre). However, the food is not as magnificent as the scenic view of the restaurant.



Pae Klang Krung Restaurant ***
13/1 Moo.9, Kaset-navamin Road
Klong Kum, Bangkok 10230
Tel.: 02.943.9531

Open daily : 5 pm - midnight
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700
(seafood dinner with crab around THB 1,600)