My Egg Noodles

I received an email from Jamie, a reader of the blog asking for suggestions on where to find good eats in Bangkok. I thought it would be a good idea to post my response here for others to check out.

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The best Thai food you can have in Thailand, in my opinion, is on the street (check out my post on Egg Noodles with roasted red pork). Although I tend to review the higher end places, I do in fact eat “local style” most of the time. Most dishes can be had for 25 to 35b and more often than not are excellent. Just wonder around and keep an eye out where the locals eat. Thai’s are really fussy about their food, so if there are many Thai’s eating at one stool, the chances are it’s bloody good!

Remember to smile when ordering… a smile goes a long way in Thailand. If you can’t speak Thai just point at what looks good. The great thing about street food is it’s so cheap that you can try multiple dishes… some won’t be to your taste, but if you order 3 dishes then there’s a good chance you’ll at least like one. Take a pen and paper and write down the names of the dishes you like for future reference, or check out 12 Thai dishes I bought from the street here.

Some good restaurants I’ve reviewed here on the blog include:

Mid Price Options

• Pizza Patio – The best Pizza I’ve ever had

• Teppanyaki restaurants in Bangkok – Great for dinning with friends

• The best Cesar Salad in Bangkok

• Great breakfast options from the Bangkok Bakery

• MK – A Suki style restaurant chain. Great food at affordable prices

• Tony Romas – The best Ribs EVER!

• Zen – Japanese restaurant chain with stores all over Bangkok

• Lee Cafe – A great mix of Asian Fusion food at reasonable prices

High End Options

• The Oyster Bar – The best Oyster bar in Bangkok

• Biscotti Restaurant – One of my fav restaurants in Bangkok – Superb Italian food

• Cyan Restaurant – Great international cuisine in a very swanky setting

• The Riverside Terrace at the Oriental Hotel – Perfect for the romantics out there!

• Shanghai 38 – My fav Chinese restaurant in Bangkok

• Ma Maison – Great French cuisine with a beautiful garden to roam around in

• Eat Me – My fav restaurant in Bangkok

I also recommend checking out the major shopping centers where you’ll find lot’s of mid-priced dinning options to chose from like the Gustoso Italian Restaurant or Fondooz, a good Fondue Restaurant. Both are located in Central World). I also dig the Peri Peri Chicken Restaurant and 9th Cafe, a mix of Italian/Thai food – both are located in Siam Paragon. Central Chitlom is great for stocking up on food and they have ready made Thai dishes that are excellent.

If your going to splurge, check out one of the hotel buffets in Bangkok which normally happen on Saturday/Sunday. There are some great spreads available for 1,000 to 2,000b (some include wine).

Bon appetit!

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What’s your fav mid-price and high end restaurant in Bangkok?

Not your conventional kitchen mind you; here I am cooking up a storm in someone’s house in a rural Thai village. Even though I write reviews on the finer foods and restaurants I dine at, nothing beats cooking for friends and family… no matter if you do this in a $100k kitted out kitchen or a simple BBQ set up in the garden. Food is for sharing, and nothing beats sharing with the people you care about.

They were warm, and had a slightly sweet eggy flavor, which was gooey yet creamy in texture, wrapped in light pastry with white sesame seeds on top. I had 2 for breakfast with a cup of coffee for 3 days in a row. Very satisfying with the cold bitter weather outside. Yum!

Today’s Photo Friday is not about the image it’s self, but more about a healthy discussion I want to create about eating dog meat.

During our last day in Vietnam I and the missus went into a Vietnamese restaurant and while flicking through the menu I noticed they sold Dog Meat. I’ve wanted to try Dog Meat for a while now but had never seen it for sale. Basically I’m really open minded with food and strongly believe eating the local food is one of the best ways to learn the local culture while traveling around – even if you do find it a bit weird.

Not only was my girlfriend against trying Dog meat with me, but she made it very clear she really didn’t want me to eat it while I was with her. I respect her opinions and feelings so decided to wait for the next opportunity.

Let me ask you; is eating dog meat wrong?

Have you tried Dog meat?

If not… would you?

This is just quick review but I wanted to write it as the Caesar Salad was one of the best I’ve had in a long, long time. And besides, I always write up on restaurants that are great to visit in the evenings, so here’s one for a quick spot of lunch!

I didn’t intentionally set out to eat at the newly opened Mercure Hotel in Hanoi, I just went in to ask for directions and saw the bright and clean restaurant out of the corner of my eye. I was feeling peckish, so I decided to give it a whirl.

My self and the missus opted to share a Ceaser salad and a beef burger – the 2 items I only order at nice hotels/restaurants as the quality of the ingredients tends to be high, which is important for these 2 dishes to work.

The caesar salad was spot on: crisp cos lettuce, salty bacon, moist grilled Cajun chicken, crisp croutons topped with some parmesan cheese shavings. No one could call this rabbit food!

The beef burger was huge, plump and juicy, made with real mince; how a burger should be made. Seasoned with onion and garlic and cooked to medium with a toasted burger bun, this was one hellava burger!

Check this. The total bill for the salad, burger, orange juice and a bottle of water was $13 – Worth every penny.

I highly recommend for visiting the Mercure Hotel in Hanoi a quick lunch. Décor was spot on, service friendly enough and the food was awesome.