440
.To sir with foodBaan Ar-charn (literally house of teacher, or Ar-charn's Place), is a tourist-palate-friendly Thai restaurant on Rangnam Road, an emerging tourist and residential belt at the edge of downtown Bangkok.
Last week my friends and I went to Rangnam Road with a carving for some nice local food. The original plan was to eat at Tida E-sarn, an Issan eatery highly recommended by one of my foodie friends; however, the eatery was closed on that night. Therefore, we walked a few meters towards Rajprarop Road, and settled at Ar-charn's Place. Though the restaurant enjoys an army of tourist clients and the food could be very tourist palate friendly, it is also good for locals, at least my (local) friends love it.
Ar-charn's Place ***1/2
107/7 Rangnam Road
Phayathai, Bangkok 10400
Tel.: 02.247.1682
Open daily : 11 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700
438
.Sweet and no sweatDuring (Thai) summers, ripe mango has its best flavor of the season. It can be either eaten alone, as an exotic fruit, or served as a dessert with other sweetened ingredients involved; for a perfect dessert with a Thai twist, ripe mango usually served with khao-niew moon (sweet glutinous rice with kati coconut cream dressing), becoming the globally renowned 'coconut sticky rice with mango' or khao-niew ma-muang.
In downtown Bangkok, I found that Maewaree is one of the vendors where we can get a fix of the best khao-niew ma-muang (sweet glutinous rice a.k.a. sticky rice, with kati coconut cream dressing, served with ripe mango), and it is tourist accessible.
sweet glutinous rice and ripe mango
at Maewaree Fruit Shop ****
1 Sukhumvit 55 Road (Soi Thonglo)
off Sukgumvit Road
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.392.4304
Open daily : 24 hours (sweet sticky rice available during 4 am - midnight)
Pay (sweet sticky rice with ripe mango only for one): around THB 60
437
.Back to a mom's kitchen! Bangkok city Thai food restaurant - Ban Khun Mae (literally House of Mother), is always the rescue when diners are lost in the transition of the fusion and confusion food scene at the Siam area (Siam Square, Siam Center, and Siam Paragon).
During the late 90's, this mammy's canteen was a popular after-work beer-and-dine shelter for local white-collars, and also a temple for foreign Thai food enthusiasts due to its very convenient access for tourists. As time goes by, the glory might be faded, but the foreign visitors, many of whom made the restaurant enjoy a nightly full-house, are still the pillar of support for the restaurant.
somtum Thai (shredded raw papaya spicy salad) THB 70;
yum wunsen (bean threads/glass noodles spicy salad with minced pork and prawns)
sakoo sai moo and khao kriap park mor (tapioca pearl balls with minced pork
stuffing, and traditional steamed rice flour wrapper with stuffing) THB 120 
tord mun goong (deep-fried minced shrimp and pork patties) THB 170;
phad pak ruam mit (stir-fried mixed vegetables, oyster sauce) THB 90
steamed local sea bass on herbs and lime broth, with chili sauce served
separately for non-spicy eater) THB 280+
pla kapong neung manao (local sea bass on herbs and lime spicy broth) THB 280+;
tomyumgoong nam khon (hot and sour soup with prawns, w/ kati coconut milk)
Ban Khun Mae Thai Restaurant ***1/4
458/6 Siam Square Soi 8
Rama I Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.250.1953
Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700
435
.Soul food in summerThis year I have had my share of khao-chae in downtown only, and these places are more realistic for tourists to join the joy of eating this Thai festive delicacy - khao-chae (rice soaked in icy jasmine-scented water, served with tidbits).Bussarasum is a pioneer restaurant serving royal Thai cuisine in Bangkok; and just like its name, a rare ancient Thai topaz, the food with a refined culinary touch is a jewel to Bangkok's gastronomy scene. Recently I sampled my third set of khao-chae of the year there; I found that its khao-chae set is truly at a soul food standard, and at THB 250++ a set, it is a steal for epicures.
welcome by a rabbit! amuse-bouche Thai style (mieng)
soul of khao-chae, its chilled jasmine-scented water, with jasmine blossom
a bowl of cooked rice with ice; carved vegetables
(green mango, cucumber, carrot, krachai, green onion, and red chili)
a complete set of khao-chae at Bussaracum, THB 250++
moo foi (shredded sweet pork); luk kapi (deep-fried fermented shrimp paste balls)
prik yuak sord sai, and hom daeng yud sai; chai pow phad wan
(banana chili pepper stuffed with minced pork wrapper in egg netting, &
deep-fried shallots in minced fish stuffing; stir-fried preserved sweet turnip)
pla waan (sweetened fish mouse); part of the set
khao-chae
at Bussaracum Royal Thai Restaurant ****
1 Si Wiang Road
off Soi Pramuan Silom, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.620.2216Bussaracum
Open daily : lunch 11 am - 2 pm, dinner 5:30 - 10 pm
Pay (khao-chae only for two): around THB 600 (THB 250++ per set)
* khao-chae is available from mid-March until end of April 
