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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Phuket Weekend Market, Phuket

A visit to Phuket is not complete without visiting their Weekend Market in Phuket Town. Although it is much smaller than Bangkok's Chatuchak Market, the weekend market in Phuket offers a wide variety of local Thai Street Food that in many ways differ Bangkok.

Fried Worms and Insects



Coconut Ice Cream



Assorted Siu Mai




Southern Thai Grilled Chicken




Khanom Buang



Fried Fish Crackers



Waffles



Stir Fried Noodles



Deep Fried Prawn Patties



Roast Chicken



Chiu Chow Braised Meats


There was so much food in the Market we had no way of sampling everyone one of them. There was one stall however that deserves a mention. It's the stall selling Southern Thai Grilled Chicken that is located at the corner end of the Market next to a Fried Potato Stand and a host of food stalls.

Contact Information
Address: Phuket Town, Phuket
Tel: N/A

Phuket Lobster @ Kang Eang Pier, Phuket

We had our first dinner in Phuket at Kang Eang Pier after browsing through several websites to find out which Restaurant in Phuket serves up good seafood and offers a beautiful environment.

Kang Eang boasts a beautiful outdoor setting that overlooks the Sea and features a variety of live seafood that can be cooked using several methods. Phuket Lobster was definitely on our list of dishes to order as we picked a hugh 2.8KG Lobster in addition to other dishes.




Fried Oyster Omelet

We were hoping for a Crispy Omelet but got a rather soft Omelet. Nevertheless the Omelet was delicious. It was light, fluffy and contained a lot of mini-oysters that were not overcooked.


Tom Yam Goong

The Tom Yam Soup was spicy but had a nice Sour Taste that was balanced with a slight touch of Coconut Milk.


Green Chicken Curry

The Chicken Curry was rich and thick from the Coconut Cream used. It was really fragrant and went well with White Rice.


Pineapple Fried Rice

The Fried Rice was good but was not the best I've had. I wish it had more curry powder to give it more flavor


Grilled Calamari

The Squid was so tender and well seasoned!


Grilled Tiger Prawns

These were so fresh and good. The prawns are not overcooked and had a nice meaty texture! The Roe was also equally delicious.


Salt-Baked Fish

We were so stuffed when the Fish came but it was quite good nevertheless. It was moist and wasn't too salty.


Baked Lobster Thermidor

One of my all time favorite methods of cooking Lobster. The Lobster Meat had such a nice meaty texture and was very sweet. It went well with the Mustard Cream Sauce and of course Cheese :)


Grilled Lobster with White Wine and Garlic

Delicious as well! The Lobster was grilled perfect and went well with the White Wine and Dill.


Overall we thoroughly enjoyed the food at Kang Eang. One could definitely get better food at a cheaper price elsewhere but Kang Eang's beautiful setting, excellent service and good food more than makes up for the price.


Food: 4.3/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Price: $$$$$ (Approximately USD $50 per person)


Contact Information
Address: Viset Road, Muang, 44/1 Moo 5, Muang, Phuket 83130, Thailand
Tel: +66 8 3173 1187 ‎
Web: www.kaneang.com
Map:

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Famous Curry Crab @ Somboon, Bangkok

Wayne's parents were over from Canada for a 2 week holiday and were looking to try out some of the local restaurants in Bangkok. We headed to Somboon for our first night near our Hotel on Surawong Road to sample their famous Curry Crabs.


Fish Maw and Crab Meat Soup

Delicious! The soup was very thick and had a stronger broth than the clearer Cantonese Version from the use of Soy Sauce and Oyster Sauce. The Fish Maw was soft but at the same time had a nice bite and the soup also contained a lot of Crab Meat Chunks.


Curry Crab

Somboon's signature dish. The Curry Sauce contained a lot of eggs and was really smooth and flavorful. The crab however did not contain as much meat as I had hoped. Fatty Crab still serves up the meatiest Crabs.


Sauteed Beef with Oyster Sauce

The Beef was way too chewy for my liking. It was like rubber.

Braised Pork Ribs

The Pork Ribs were really tender but the flavor was a little bland.


Somboon's Herbal Duck

The Duck was deep fried and then braised in a broth that's similar to the Fish Maw Soup. The duck was quite crunchy despite being soaked in the Broth.


Goong Ob Woon Sen

Their Goong Ob Woon Sen was good. The glass noodles were not overcooked and absorbed all the flavors of the prawns, pork fat and sauce.


Sauteed Morning Glory

The sauteed morning glory was a little too salty for my liking.


Braised Goose Feet Noodles

Not bad. The Noodles were a little overcooked and was too soft.


I must say after our meal the food was not as what we had expected. The Curry Crab's Eggy Sauce was good but the Crab rarely had any meat. Other dishes were decent but not exceptional except for their Goong Ob Woon Sen and Fish Maw and Crab Meat Soup which were my favorites of the night.


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $$ (USD $20 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 169/7-169/ Surawong, Suriya Wong, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 233 3104
Web: www.somboonseafood.com/
Map:

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Famous Pork Trotter Rice in Bangna, Bangkok

Arriving in Bangkok at 10am, Ken and I went for a quick meal before we headed to work. This open-air restaurant is located in an industrial area but it has received a lot of media coverage in the past for its famous Pork Trotter Rice that can be seen through the newspaper clippings that are hung on the cashier's desk.

Till today we still refer to this place as the "Pork Trotter Shop" because we can't read the Thai Signboard. It not only offers Pork Trotter Rice but also other Thai Chinese Food which we ordered.

Iced Coffee



Pig Trotter Rice


This is by far the best Pig Trotter Rice I've had in Bangkok. The meat is very tender and the gravy is not too sweet like in many other places. The Pork also had the right amount of fat which was great when eaten with the rice, meat and gravy.


Yong Tau Foo

Honestly, after so many years in Bangkok this is the first time I've had Thai Style Yong Tow Foo. It's very different from the Malaysian version. First, the soup is Pink and not clear. Second, it is sweet, sour and spicy. Third, there's no stuffed Tofu, Lady's Fingers and Chili. Here they only serve it with Fish Balls. I thought it was not bad but I think most Malaysians will find this version a little weird.


Chicken Rice

Ken was super hungry and ordered a plate of Chicken Rice. The Rice was fragrant and not very oily and did not clump together. The Chicken Breast was quite tender but was a little bland in flavor since it was not dressed in any soy sauce.


Anyone that loves Pork Trotter Rice and do not mind the drive from Bangkok City to come here should try this place out. There is a website that is seen on the signboard and it reads www.hereping.com, which I think is the Restaurant's website. It is in Thai though.


Food: 4/5
Service:2.5/5
Ambiance: 2/5
Price: $ (Under USD $5 per person)

Contact Information
Address: Near Luang Phor Tor Temple, Bangplee
Tel: N/A
Web: www.hereping.com (This was on their signboard but it's in Thai)

Sharks Fin @ Kieak Sharks Fin, Bangkok

Wayne and I were in Bangkok for four days during which we met up with Eric’s Grandpa (Uncle Low) from Hong Kong on our first night. Having visited Bangkok for the past thirty years, Uncle Low decided we have dinner at one of his old time favorite Kieak Sharks Fin.

Most people would have had Sharks Fin Soup prepared the Cantonese way but in Bangkok it is done Fujian Style. Served in a huge clay pot, Fujian Style Sharks Fin Soup tends to be creamier in texture and stronger than the Cantonese Versions.

Having had quite a few Clay Pot Sharks Fin Soup in Bangkok I must say Kieak is definitely the best I’ve had so far. The key is their creamy and flavorful soup which went so well with the generous serving of Sharks Fin.




Uncle Low also ordered quite a few of my favorite Thai Chinese dishes. Our first dish was Stir-Fry Fish Maw which, was a little bland and under seasoned.




The Goose Feet Noodles was also disappointing. Although the noodles were cooked perfect it was way too salty and dry.




Goong Ob Woon Sen (Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles) came with the largest prawns I have ever seen on this dish. However the prawns were way overcooked and the noodles were again very salty.





Our last dish was Stir-Fry Sharks Fin with Eggs. It was a little dry but the egg flavor was well drawn out. The combination of Shredded Sharks Fin and Egg tasted similar to Chinese Stir-Fry Vermicelli with Egg both in terms of flavor and texture.




Overall Kieak’s Clay Pot Sharks Fin Soup is definitely the best I’ve had. However all the other dishes we ordered weren’t very good. Anyone that is craving for some good Sharks Fin Soup should definitely come here, but if you’re looking for a complete Thai-Chinese meal that is good, Kieak might end up disappointing.


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Price: N/A (We were treated for this meal)

Contact Information:
Address: 294/3-4 Surawong Road , Bangkok (Next to Toyota Showroom)
Tel: +66-2236-1747
Map:

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