Tarua Seafood @ Koh Samui, Thailand

I was in Koh Samui for 4 days to see visit girlfriend Itsaree who was training to become a certified Yoga Teacher. We had our first meal at Tarua Seafood which was located a few hundred metres from her class in Vikasa Resort.




The restaurant specializes in Thai Seafood Dishes and was located on top of a cliff giving diners a beautiful view of the Sea. We kept our order light as she had to go back to class right after.




Fresh Coconut



Tarua Thai Salad



Yum Woon Sen

The seafood used in the Yum Woon Sen was very fresh especially thair Prawns and Calamari. The dressing however was a little on the sweet side. I would have preferred it to be a little more sour.


Salt Grilled Seabass
The Seabass was a little overcooked for my liking.


Stir-Fried Fish Maw

I particularly enjoyed their Stir-Fried Fish Maw. The Fish Maw had a good springy texture and was not too oily.


Food: 3/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Price: $$ (Approximately USD $20 per person)


Contact Information
Address: Next to Vikasa Yoga Retreat
Tel: N/A
Web: N/A
Map:

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Thai BBQ @ Thai Fish Farm, Ampang

I've been trying to find a Thai Restaurant in KL that is similar to Bangkok's Nathong Restaurant which offers a relaxing open-air environment. We stumbled upon Thai Fish Farm while surfing the web and decided to give it a try after seeing photos of its open-air village like ambiance.

The restaurant is located in a really obscure location in Ampang where one would have to drive down a small valley of uneven road before reaching the main entrance. The restaurant specializes in Thai BBQ Dishes with some Thai Stir-Fried Dishes.


BBQ Squid

The Squid was really tender and had a nice smoky flavor.


Salt Baked Tilapia

The Tilapia was grilled just right. The meat was moist and wasn't too salty.


Grilled Lamb

Our favorite of the night. The Lamb was tender and the sweet marinade complemented the lamb.


Pandan Chicken

Wayne's favorite. The Pandan Chicken was very soft and had a nice mild curry flavor.


Curry Crab

The Crab didn't have much meat but the flavor was very authentic. It had a nice eggy flavor and wasn't too oily.


Fried Prawns with Garlic

This was an interesting dish. The Prawns were served with crunchy pieces of Basil which went well with the Prawns.


Stir Fried Beans/Brinjal with Prawns

The vegetables were a little too oily for my liking. Flavor-wise it was quite good from the dried-prawn chili paste.



Overall we felt the food was above average. The Environment was definitely open-air but it was done quite cheap giving us an impression that the restaurant overall wasn't very clean.


Food: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $15 per person)


Contact Information
Address: Km 4 Jalan Ampang, Kampung Nanding, 43100 Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia ‎
Tel: +60 19-260 6493
Web: www.fishfarmthai.com/
Map:

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Old School Thai Food @ SaNguan Sri, Bangkok

I've stayed in Plaza Athenee, Bangkok a few times and have always wanted to try this small restaurant that's right next to the Hotel on Wireless Road. This trip we made it a point to pay this place a visit. The menu was very simple offering a number of Thai and Thai-Chinese dishes. Hungry, we ordered a number of items to try.


Yum Woon Sen

Their Yum Woon Sen was really good. There was a nice acidic flavor to the lime.


Yum Neur

I loved their Beef Salad. The combination of Mint, Onions, Lime, Chili and Beef just goes so well together.


Yum Hoy Nang Lum

The Oyster Salad was also really good. Like the two other salads above the combination of parsley, onions, cabbage, oysters, lime and fish sauce was really refreshing.


Tom Kha Gai

A favorite of mine. The soup was very sour and had the right amount of heat. The flavor of the lemongrass was prominent.


Tom Yum

Their Tom Yam is a clear soup version and was very sour and spicy the way we liked it.


Moo Kra Pow

Their Moo Kra Pow was so-so. I wished the Basil flavor was a little more pronouced.


Moo Pad Prik

Their Moo Pad Prik tasted similar to Moo Kra Pow except that it's got chillies. I wished the Basil Flavor was more pronounced.


Minced Pork Omelet

The Omelet was pretty fluffy and had some nice minced pork.


Pork Panaeng Curry

The Pork was very tender and the Curry tasted more like our Peanut Satay Sauce.


Braised Pork in Soy Sauce

This wasn't very good. The Pork was overcooked and dry. The gravy was also very sweet


Overall we enjoyed the food. The food tasted more like a home-cooked meal than from a restaurant which maybe why it's so popular among locals.


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 2.5/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $8 per person


Contact Information
Address: 59/1 Witthayu Road (Wireless Road), Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Tel: N/A
Map:

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Pigging out @ Hua Hin Night Market

We were in Hua Hin for the night and decided to have dinner at the Night Market. The best Pad Thai I've had in Thailand was at a stall at the end of the Night Market three years back and this was the place we decided to have our dinner in addition to a few more stalls.


Pad Thai


This is my favorite Pad Thai Stall and it still is. The Pad Thai here is not sweet and oily and had a very strong egg flavor. It was delicious.


Oyster Omelet

This was also quite good. The Omelet was very crispy and had a nice contrast in texture to the soft oysters.


Pork Ball


The Pork Balls weren't very good. It tasted like it's store bought.


Grilled Ayutthaya Prawns

My cousin couldn't resist trying one of the giant Ayutthaya Prawns which we did. The prawn turned out chewy and rather tasteless.


Contact Information
Address: Hua Hin Market
Tel: N/A
Map: N/A

Som Tam & More @ Som Tam Nua, Bangkok

Located in Siam Plaza Som Tam Nua is a popular restaurant among locals and tourists for their Som Tam. The restaurant also feature a number of North Eastern Thai Food such as Grilled Meats and other Thai Salads. After waiting for 30 minutes we finally got our seats.




Som Tam

The Som Tam was a little too sweet for our liking. Maybe it's because they thought we were tourists.


Grilled Beef



Yum Woon Sen

The Yum Woon Sen wasn't as sour as I would have liked it to be


Grilled Pork Neck

The Grilled Pork Neck was quite good. The Fish Sauce Marinade went well with the Pork


Thai Sausage

Not a favorite of mine. It was very dry from being deep fried.


Fried Chicken Wings

My favorite of everything we had. The Chicken Drumettes were crunchy and had a pungent fried Garlic Flavor


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $10 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 392/14, Siam Square Soi 5, Rama 1 Rd, Pathum Wan, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330
Tel: N/A
Web: N/A
Map:

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Decent Thai Food @ Thai Basil

After 3 months in Asia, I'm back in Toronto for a couple of weeks. Catching up with an old friend we had lunch in Thai Basil after hearing the chef was from Thailand.


Beef Brisket in Massaman Curry

One of my favorite Thai Curries. The Massaman Curry here was quite good. The Brisket was very tender and the curry had a very rich Peanut Flavor.


Pla Neung Manow (Steam Fish with Lime)

A common Fish Dish in Thailand but rarely served in Toronto Thai Restaurants. Thai Basil uses Sea Bass in replacement of the common Siakap Fish. The Fish was a little dry but the Lime Dressing was actually pretty good.


Papaya Salad

The Papaya Salad had a nice crunch and the dressing although a little too sweet was quite nice.


The food overall was quite authentic with my favorite being the Massaman Curry. Anyone living around the Bayview and Major Mac area should give this place a try if they're craving for some decent Thai Food.


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $$ (Approximately USD $20 per person)


Contact Information
Address: F103, 1070 Major Mackenzie Drive East
Richmond Hill, ON, Canada, Smartcentres Richmond Hil‎
Tel: +1 (905) 780-8788
Web: thaibasil.ca‎
Map:

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Thai Food @ Mr. Tom Yam, Sunway Giza

I've eaten in almost all the restaurants at Sunway Giza except for Mr. Tom Yam. I've always avoided Mr. Tom Yam because of it's name and decor which puts me off as a cheap Thai Fast Food Restaurant.


Pad Thai

The Pad Thai here is excellent. The noodles have a nice springy texture and the Pad Thai was not too sweet or soggy.


Stir-Fried Mix Vegetables




Yum Woon Sen

A favorite of mine. It had a nice balance of sweet and sour and the chef was quite generous with the Seafood Pieces which wasn't overcooked.


Dry Chicken Curry

The Dry Curry was very aromatic although a little bit spicy.


Deep Fried Omelet Thai Style

The Omelet was quite crispy and seasoned just right with salt to draw out the natural flavor.


Pandan Chicken

The Pandan Chicken was actually quite good. The meat was well marinated and tender


The food was surprisingly good at Mr. Tom Yam particularly their Pad Thai. I was definitely fooled by it's cheesy name and decor thinking it to be a sub-par restaurant.


Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $10 per person)


Contact Information
Address: Sunway Giza Block D, G08&G09, No. 2, JLN PJU 5/14, Kota Damansara, 47820 PJ.
Tel: +603-2272 3708
Map:

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Salt-Grilled Snake Fish @ Awet Thai Food

I haven't had Thai Food in KL for quite a while and decided to visit Awet's latest outlet in Kampung Kayu Ara. Despite opening for only two weeks and its obscure location it was filled with diners even on a weekday.

Som Tum

The Som Tum was very spicy but good. It had a nice crunch and wasn't overly too sweet. They added extra peanuts which made it even crunchier.

Green Curry Chicken

Their Green Curry was quite good. It had the right amount of heat and the gravy was quite thick.


Curry Crab

The Crabs were not as meaty as those in Fatty Crab and the sauce was a little bit too watery .


Baked Prawns with Glass Noodles

This is one of my favorite Thai Dishes but its really hard to find a place that makes it well because most overcook the Prawns. Awet's Prawns were cooked just right but the noodles were lacking flavor.


Mixed BBQ Platter

One of my favorites in Awet. Their Lemongrass marinade on their Chicken Wings were excellent and their Lamb was tender and juicy.


Grilled Snake-Fish

My second favorite dish of the night. Awet is one of a few places in Klang Valley that serves this dish and they make it really well. The Fish was moist and the green chili dipping sauce had the right balance of sweet, sour and spiciness.

Mixed Vegetable Stir-Fry



Pineapple Fried Rice

Their Pineapple Fried Rice was good. It wasn't sticky and had a strong curry powder flavor which I liked


Overall Awet serves up some of the best Thai BBQ I've had in KL and their Grilled Fish is on par with those I've had in Thailand. Their other dishes although not stellar were decent.


Food: 3.8/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $15 per person)


Contact Information
Address: Lot 13544, Jalan Cempaka, Kampung Kayu Ara, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: +603-7725 0175
Web: awetthai.com/
Map:

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