In the front yard of their house, three Thai women serve up superb
Thai food in a nice garden setting at prices which would be simply
impossible to comprehend anywhere else in the world. I often go over
there for lunch - a single plate meal is 35 baht; or, for dinner, you
can have green chicken curry, and garlic pork, and Thai omelette, and
tom yam goong, for a grand total of less than 200 baht. It's also a
pleasant place to sit with a few beers in the evening, with the rest
of the farangs from the area who have stumbled upon this little gem.
Im Aroi, Yen Akat Soi 1.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Full/delicious.
Just near my place is one of Bangkok's best-kept food secrets.
Reality check.
I can’t help but notice a disturbing trend when it comes to new restaurants opening in Bangkok lately.
It doesn’t seem to be enough to offer good food in pleasant surroundings. Instead, almost every new place these days has to have some sort of theme. Recently opened offerings include a Wild West theme; an Imperial China theme; a Mexican theme; and of course an Irish theme.
These places are worthy, and I have nothing against people trying to differentiate their business offerings. And I’m the first to accept that every place needs to fit into some sort of category. However, most of them, it could be argued, push their themes a little too much. Mexican sombreros on the walls and cowboy hats on the waitresses. Jangly ‘arriba arriba’ guitar music on permanent rotation. Ming Dynasty uniforms and wintry tree branches dividing the tables. A green-clad would-be Paddy O’Murphy in the corner singing Republican folk songs. Meanwhile, the real connection to the theme is dubious at best; no Mexicans to be seen in the Mexican restaurant’s kitchen; no portly Irishmen pulling pints in the Irish place. Instead, shifty-looking ‘investors’ hang around, trying to look casual while counting heads. It all feels a bit plasticky, a bit Disneyland.
Lest we forget, there are some places in Bangkok that are the real thing. German restaurants where the ‘concept’ is actually about serving authentic German food. Vietnamese places where the waitresses don’t wear conical hats, but where you can get proper Vietnamese food, cooked by someone who actually does possess a Vietnamese passport.
Here, then, is a list of twelve places in Bangkok that are the real thing: places where they do things properly. (It should have been ten, but I didn’t want to leave anything out.)
The Great American Rib Company, Sukhmumvit Soi 36. The ovens are from America. The meat is from America. Even the owners are from America. The frozen margaritas are heavenly, the ribs are superb, and I would request the pulled pork sandwiches as my last meal if ever I was to be executed.
Vivi Coffee. Down a little lane, overlooking the river near Tha Tien, Bangkok’s best cappuccinos are being served. In big cups, froth piled high with slightly burnt edges, just like they serve it in Roma. The view of Wat Arun and the elegant Royal Thai Navy headquarters across the river is nice too.
Limoncello, Sukhumvit Soi 11. There are a few decent pizza places in Bangkok – but this one scores highest on the reality meter because of the constant presence of the Italian chef overseeing proceedings. Granted, he’s often drunk, but as far as I know, there’s nothing in the Pizza Rulebook that demands permanent sobriety.
Korean place, Ratchada Soi 14. In this most unexpected of places, about 150 metres down a narrow soi full of low-rent apartment blocks, is this Korean restaurant whose name I never quite got around to remembering. Run by a formidable-looking Korean woman who obviously maintains impeccable standards by striking the fear of God into her staff, you can be assured that this is the authentic experience. On the right, across from Family Mart.
Le Bouchon, Patpong. Judging by how long this place has been around, my theory is that the French owner stuck it out in post-colonial Vietnam for a few years, then escaped when he decided things were getting too hot as a result of Mr Ho Chi Minh’s shenanigans. A little slice of Lyon in the heart of I-Love-You-Long-Time territory.
Uomasa, Thonglor Soi 13. Japanese, as authentic as they come. The live lobster heads served with the sashimi – decapitated so recently that the pincers are still rattling – are, if anything, a little too authentic for my tastes: but others might not be so squeamish.
Jools, Soi Nana. Past Nana Plaza, this sleaze-free horseshoe bar has been pulling in regulars for decades. The sign promises the best British food in Bangkok, and after nearly eating myself to death with the jumbo-sized Toad In The Hole, I’m in no position to argue.
Bei Otto. The best German food in Bangkok, no questions asked, cooked by Otto himself: and the only place serving this range of authentic German beers. Sukhumvit Soi 20.
Nefertiti. In truth, almost every Middle Eastern restaurant in Soi Arab is authentic. This one scores a mention because of its great outdoor area, its range of shisha flavours, and the Egyptian MTV blaring out of the huge TV set. Sukhumvit Soi 3/1.
On the subject of Middle Eastern food, but rating a separate mention because it’s not in Soi Arab, Beirut is the real thing when it comes to Lebanese food; both of the Arabic and more Western varieties. Silom and Mahatun Plaza.
The history of the Vietnamese woman running Xuan Mai is too interesting to even begin to relate with the limited space I have. Go there and listen to her story yourself: and enjoy what is without doubt the best Vietnamese food in the Thai capital by a country mile. The difference between this place and others in Bangkok is so great that you’ll never be able to eat Vietnamese food anywhere else again. Sukhumvit Soi 13.
Tapas Bar in Sukhumvit Soi 11 is a great example of a place that does what it is supposed to do, without descending into ‘theme’ territory. No bullfighting posters on the walls, no waiters in matador outfits: just a modern space serving great tapas.
Finally, Enoteca: a quirky little outfit run by three Italian chaps, this place scores 100% in the reality stakes. Great wine selection, and the best antipasti in the city. Sukhumvit Soi 29.
It doesn’t seem to be enough to offer good food in pleasant surroundings. Instead, almost every new place these days has to have some sort of theme. Recently opened offerings include a Wild West theme; an Imperial China theme; a Mexican theme; and of course an Irish theme.
These places are worthy, and I have nothing against people trying to differentiate their business offerings. And I’m the first to accept that every place needs to fit into some sort of category. However, most of them, it could be argued, push their themes a little too much. Mexican sombreros on the walls and cowboy hats on the waitresses. Jangly ‘arriba arriba’ guitar music on permanent rotation. Ming Dynasty uniforms and wintry tree branches dividing the tables. A green-clad would-be Paddy O’Murphy in the corner singing Republican folk songs. Meanwhile, the real connection to the theme is dubious at best; no Mexicans to be seen in the Mexican restaurant’s kitchen; no portly Irishmen pulling pints in the Irish place. Instead, shifty-looking ‘investors’ hang around, trying to look casual while counting heads. It all feels a bit plasticky, a bit Disneyland.
Lest we forget, there are some places in Bangkok that are the real thing. German restaurants where the ‘concept’ is actually about serving authentic German food. Vietnamese places where the waitresses don’t wear conical hats, but where you can get proper Vietnamese food, cooked by someone who actually does possess a Vietnamese passport.
Here, then, is a list of twelve places in Bangkok that are the real thing: places where they do things properly. (It should have been ten, but I didn’t want to leave anything out.)
The Great American Rib Company, Sukhmumvit Soi 36. The ovens are from America. The meat is from America. Even the owners are from America. The frozen margaritas are heavenly, the ribs are superb, and I would request the pulled pork sandwiches as my last meal if ever I was to be executed.
Vivi Coffee. Down a little lane, overlooking the river near Tha Tien, Bangkok’s best cappuccinos are being served. In big cups, froth piled high with slightly burnt edges, just like they serve it in Roma. The view of Wat Arun and the elegant Royal Thai Navy headquarters across the river is nice too.
Limoncello, Sukhumvit Soi 11. There are a few decent pizza places in Bangkok – but this one scores highest on the reality meter because of the constant presence of the Italian chef overseeing proceedings. Granted, he’s often drunk, but as far as I know, there’s nothing in the Pizza Rulebook that demands permanent sobriety.
Korean place, Ratchada Soi 14. In this most unexpected of places, about 150 metres down a narrow soi full of low-rent apartment blocks, is this Korean restaurant whose name I never quite got around to remembering. Run by a formidable-looking Korean woman who obviously maintains impeccable standards by striking the fear of God into her staff, you can be assured that this is the authentic experience. On the right, across from Family Mart.
Le Bouchon, Patpong. Judging by how long this place has been around, my theory is that the French owner stuck it out in post-colonial Vietnam for a few years, then escaped when he decided things were getting too hot as a result of Mr Ho Chi Minh’s shenanigans. A little slice of Lyon in the heart of I-Love-You-Long-Time territory.
Uomasa, Thonglor Soi 13. Japanese, as authentic as they come. The live lobster heads served with the sashimi – decapitated so recently that the pincers are still rattling – are, if anything, a little too authentic for my tastes: but others might not be so squeamish.
Jools, Soi Nana. Past Nana Plaza, this sleaze-free horseshoe bar has been pulling in regulars for decades. The sign promises the best British food in Bangkok, and after nearly eating myself to death with the jumbo-sized Toad In The Hole, I’m in no position to argue.
Bei Otto. The best German food in Bangkok, no questions asked, cooked by Otto himself: and the only place serving this range of authentic German beers. Sukhumvit Soi 20.
Nefertiti. In truth, almost every Middle Eastern restaurant in Soi Arab is authentic. This one scores a mention because of its great outdoor area, its range of shisha flavours, and the Egyptian MTV blaring out of the huge TV set. Sukhumvit Soi 3/1.
On the subject of Middle Eastern food, but rating a separate mention because it’s not in Soi Arab, Beirut is the real thing when it comes to Lebanese food; both of the Arabic and more Western varieties. Silom and Mahatun Plaza.
The history of the Vietnamese woman running Xuan Mai is too interesting to even begin to relate with the limited space I have. Go there and listen to her story yourself: and enjoy what is without doubt the best Vietnamese food in the Thai capital by a country mile. The difference between this place and others in Bangkok is so great that you’ll never be able to eat Vietnamese food anywhere else again. Sukhumvit Soi 13.
Tapas Bar in Sukhumvit Soi 11 is a great example of a place that does what it is supposed to do, without descending into ‘theme’ territory. No bullfighting posters on the walls, no waiters in matador outfits: just a modern space serving great tapas.
Finally, Enoteca: a quirky little outfit run by three Italian chaps, this place scores 100% in the reality stakes. Great wine selection, and the best antipasti in the city. Sukhumvit Soi 29.
Making a crust.
Best place for pizza in Bangkok: a toss-up between Scoozi, in Surawong Road, and L’Opera wine bar in Sukhumvit 39.
Wherever she goes, a friend of mine always eats the house pizza, no matter what it is: she says it’s always the best. At Scoozi, I took her advice and ordered the Pizza Scoozi: Gorgonzola and Speck expertly cooked in the essential wood-fired oven.
Excellent, although the Diavola or Vesuvio provide tough competition for those who like their spice.
Scoozi has been around for ages, but I never went until they moved to this new location. The place is nicely done. The long shared benches, where you rub shoulders with strangers, make for a convivial atmosphere. Good espresso cake too.
At L’Opera, a similar strong cheese and dried ham combination exists, which is also superb. No particular recommendations here, though: throw a dart at the pizza menu and no matter where it lands, you can look forward to a first-class experience.
Wherever she goes, a friend of mine always eats the house pizza, no matter what it is: she says it’s always the best. At Scoozi, I took her advice and ordered the Pizza Scoozi: Gorgonzola and Speck expertly cooked in the essential wood-fired oven.
Excellent, although the Diavola or Vesuvio provide tough competition for those who like their spice.
Scoozi has been around for ages, but I never went until they moved to this new location. The place is nicely done. The long shared benches, where you rub shoulders with strangers, make for a convivial atmosphere. Good espresso cake too.
At L’Opera, a similar strong cheese and dried ham combination exists, which is also superb. No particular recommendations here, though: throw a dart at the pizza menu and no matter where it lands, you can look forward to a first-class experience.
Middle Feast.
Most Western capital cities have areas where immigrant ethnic minorities congregate. Whether it be ex-colonial peoples settling in the mother country, descendants of refugees fleeing communist upheavals in the turbulent cold war years, guest workers deciding to stay after completing their contracts, or simply people attracted by liberal immigration policies, metropolises from Sydney to Stockholm all have their own areas populated primarily with non-natives, making for a colourful urban fabric and a cosmopolitan atmosphere - not to mention a vastly improved culinary outlook. This phenomenon is not quite so common in Asia. No Little Saigon in Singapore; no Polishtown in Phnom Penh.
One interesting exception to this rule is the area around Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 3.
Walk down the steps from Nana train station, run the gauntlet of cheap luggage sellers and bad Italian restaurants along the north side of Sukhumvit Road, and turn right into Soi 3/1. Walk a few metres into the soi, rub your eyes, blink a couple of times, then look around you.
Chances are there will be very few visual clues that you have not been magically whisked from the Thai capital and instantly transported to a destination thousands of miles from the Sukhumvit-Nana intersection.
Not a Thai to be seen; rather, the faces you see around you are all African or Middle Eastern. The smell of cooked lamb floats through the air while exotically wrapped women shimmer past you. Brightly lit signs advertise unheard-of products in Arabic and post-colonial North African French.
You have reached Bangkok’s Little Arabia; or Soi Arab, as the Thais call it.
I have spent many an evening on outdoor terraces eating excellent hummus and tabouleh at various eateries here while satellite TV broadcast live from Cairo or Dubai blares out across the sois. I have lingered over the aromatic smoke of a cinnamon or apple shisha, observing the comings and goings of the mysterious residents of this quarter.
Little laneways are crammed with tiny shops piled high with shoes and children’s clothes. Travel agents’ windows offer fares to Abidjan, Kinshasa and Beirut. The Syrian ambassador holds court in his glass-fronted embassy. Jittery American tourists, having clearly taken a wrong turn in their quest for the nearby Subway sandwich franchise, glance nervously about them before making quietly for the nearest exit as if slipping from a lion’s den.
What exactly goes on here is not something I can put my finger on. Why the place has developed at all is a question to which I have no answer. But it is certainly an interesting and very welcome addition to Bangkok’s already palatable cocktail.
One interesting exception to this rule is the area around Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 3.
Walk down the steps from Nana train station, run the gauntlet of cheap luggage sellers and bad Italian restaurants along the north side of Sukhumvit Road, and turn right into Soi 3/1. Walk a few metres into the soi, rub your eyes, blink a couple of times, then look around you.
Chances are there will be very few visual clues that you have not been magically whisked from the Thai capital and instantly transported to a destination thousands of miles from the Sukhumvit-Nana intersection.
Not a Thai to be seen; rather, the faces you see around you are all African or Middle Eastern. The smell of cooked lamb floats through the air while exotically wrapped women shimmer past you. Brightly lit signs advertise unheard-of products in Arabic and post-colonial North African French.
You have reached Bangkok’s Little Arabia; or Soi Arab, as the Thais call it.
I have spent many an evening on outdoor terraces eating excellent hummus and tabouleh at various eateries here while satellite TV broadcast live from Cairo or Dubai blares out across the sois. I have lingered over the aromatic smoke of a cinnamon or apple shisha, observing the comings and goings of the mysterious residents of this quarter.
Little laneways are crammed with tiny shops piled high with shoes and children’s clothes. Travel agents’ windows offer fares to Abidjan, Kinshasa and Beirut. The Syrian ambassador holds court in his glass-fronted embassy. Jittery American tourists, having clearly taken a wrong turn in their quest for the nearby Subway sandwich franchise, glance nervously about them before making quietly for the nearest exit as if slipping from a lion’s den.
What exactly goes on here is not something I can put my finger on. Why the place has developed at all is a question to which I have no answer. But it is certainly an interesting and very welcome addition to Bangkok’s already palatable cocktail.
Lovely buns.
Singing the praises of a humble burger might be a departure from the usual range of topics featured in this column. But on this occasion, it’s something I simply have to do. And at any rate, the creation in question is anything but humble.
Today I can confidently announce that I have discovered the world’s best burger.
Not one of the famous seventy-dollar burgers in New York; not the home-cooked greasy English version with delicious fried onions – as good as both of these examples are. No.
The world’s best burger, my own opinion being backed up by many others who care about such things, is a distinctly Asian creation and is available for a very modest amount of money at any MosBurger outlet.
It’s the Mosburger Teriyaki Beef Burger. Yet one more example of Japan taking Western creations and, with a little twist, making them better and more desirable.
With every burger at the Japanese chain freshly made to order, the MosBurger dining experience stretches the definition of fast food somewhat. Patrons have to display a little more patience than they are accustomed to showing at Burger King or McDonalds. But the wait is more than worth it.
When you’ve placed your order, taken your number and your peach iced tea to your seat and the seemingly interminable period of preparation is over, the Teriyaki Beef Burger is delivered to your table in a little plastic basket that gives no hint of the delights to come.
Unwrap the burger from its brightly-coloured paper. Arrange it so the open side of the bun faces you. And take a bite. The combination of soft white bun, perfectly cooked high-quality Japanese beef, fresh crunchy lettuce, teriyaki sauce and piquant, cool mayonnaise is nothing less than heavenly.
Even the size of the burger is perfect. It’s considerably smaller than a Whopper, which is no bad thing. The burger’s petite dimensions make it a guilt-free indulgence, and leave you slightly unsatisfied with a delicious yearning for more; a very poetic Japanese concept.
It’s an experience I aim to repeat on at least a weekly basis for the rest of my days.
Today I can confidently announce that I have discovered the world’s best burger.
Not one of the famous seventy-dollar burgers in New York; not the home-cooked greasy English version with delicious fried onions – as good as both of these examples are. No.
The world’s best burger, my own opinion being backed up by many others who care about such things, is a distinctly Asian creation and is available for a very modest amount of money at any MosBurger outlet.
It’s the Mosburger Teriyaki Beef Burger. Yet one more example of Japan taking Western creations and, with a little twist, making them better and more desirable.
With every burger at the Japanese chain freshly made to order, the MosBurger dining experience stretches the definition of fast food somewhat. Patrons have to display a little more patience than they are accustomed to showing at Burger King or McDonalds. But the wait is more than worth it.
When you’ve placed your order, taken your number and your peach iced tea to your seat and the seemingly interminable period of preparation is over, the Teriyaki Beef Burger is delivered to your table in a little plastic basket that gives no hint of the delights to come.
Unwrap the burger from its brightly-coloured paper. Arrange it so the open side of the bun faces you. And take a bite. The combination of soft white bun, perfectly cooked high-quality Japanese beef, fresh crunchy lettuce, teriyaki sauce and piquant, cool mayonnaise is nothing less than heavenly.
Even the size of the burger is perfect. It’s considerably smaller than a Whopper, which is no bad thing. The burger’s petite dimensions make it a guilt-free indulgence, and leave you slightly unsatisfied with a delicious yearning for more; a very poetic Japanese concept.
It’s an experience I aim to repeat on at least a weekly basis for the rest of my days.
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