Khao Mok Kai, as I understand it, translates to chicken cooked deep in rice. The dish is from southern Thailand and as the name suggests, consists of chicken that is cooked within fragrant yellow rice served with crispy garlic on top. It’s normally cooked in a big drum like pan, so you’ll need to keep an eye out for it.

Unfortunately it’s very rare I see Khao Mok Kai for sale, so whenever I do you can be guaranteed I’ll get some in. Even if I’ve already eaten, I’ll order it “take away” and eat it later, knowing it maybe months before I’ll get to eat it again.

Trust me on this one, if you ever see Khao Mok Kai for sale on the streets of Bangkok, order it! The slightly Indian spiced yellow rice with the moist chicken thigh was delicious :)

Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed a fair bit of hype within my Twitter stream with people “checking into” Dean and Deluca, a new sandwich and deli shop from New York who have recently opened their first branch in Thailand. Naturally, I was keen to check it out.

Dean and Deluca in Bangkok is easy to find. It’s located beside the Chong Nonsi BTS (the opposite side to Mc’Donalds) and is easily accessible by the Chong Nonsi BTS station.

The place kind of felt a little sterile to me, which I wasn’t a fan off. To the core it’s a sandwich shop, however it felt like a mix between a cosmetic stand you’d find at a department store with a hint of car showroom thrown in. It’s weird.

Saying that, the place was busy when I visited. Mainly Hi-So Thai’s who looked like they had put on their best garments while checking out the selection of sandwiches. Most were sharing a single piece of cake themselves. Yes, the hi-so crowd in Bangkok are a unique bunch :)

Anyway, don’t let this put you off. The quality food on offer more than makes up for the weird ambiance.

I opted for the Goats Cheese and Avocado sandwich (฿200). The bread was of high quality and was very delicious, with heaped fillings to boot. In fact, there was to much Avocado for me, which seemed to drain out everything else. After taking a few slices of avocado out, I ended up with a solid sandwich that went down a treat.

I then had the Lamb, Spinach and Peach salad (฿160). What can I say other than this was gorgeous! The 3 simple yet quality ingredients complimented each other perfectly, which were combined with a simple virgin olive oil dressing. This was simplicity as it’s best. Yum!

My banana milkshake (฿100) and Strawberry smoothie (฿120) which were both excellent, filled me up to the point I was not able to fit a desert in. Which is a shame, as they looked very special.

I think the newly opened Dean and Deluca in Bangkok is an excellent choice to have lunch, if you like quality sandwiches, salads and bakery items. They also have a dehli area where you can pick up quality spices, salts, chocolates etc. imported from all over the world. I couldn’t help but think these items would make great xmas pressies.

Have you checked out Dean and Deluca yet? What did you think?

For the last few weeks I’m been craving a nice bowl of comforting ramen noodles. In fact, ever since I went to Japan and sampled lot’s of different varieties of ramen noodles and broths, I’ve been hooked! I would even go as far as saying eating ramen noodles if dam right exciting, as each bowl I’ve had has had it’s own characteristics, just like different varieties of wine has. I wonder if there’s any professional ramen tasters out there? Now there’s an idea :)

The Bangkok wide Oishi Ramen Noodle Bar chain is quick, cheap and excellent value for money. Now don’t get me wrong; the broth does lack the real depth of flavor as you would find in Japan, however the bowls I’ve had sure do the trick.

I opted for the Gyu-Niu Ramen (ramen with bouble boiled beef). The beef was very tender, the broth meaty and wholesome and the noodles were thick and fresh. Great value at ฿85 (£1.75 / $2.70)

My friend opted for the Miso Ramen (Ramen in beanpaste soup). We also had some nice Gyoza (Fried pork dumplings with a sticky sour sauce dressing) – ฿45 for 4 pieces. These were very good. In fact, so good that I forgot to take a picture of them!

All in all, Oishi Ramen Noodle Bar in Bangkok is a great place to check out if you love your ramen noodles!

I came across this little Thai eatery in Ubon Ratchathani a couple of years ago and since then I’ve returned whenever I’m in town. It’s funny that whenever you go somewhere, there is normally one or two restaurants you’ll miss when you leave. I have that sort of relationship with this no frills place.

They have lot’s of pre-cooked dishes to chose from, however it’s their Beef Massaman Curry that keeps drawing me back. The potato with thick slices of tender beef cooked in a mildly spiced, southern curry paste is a real treat. Oh, and its excellent value at only 35b for a single serving or 70b for a double serving (as seen in the picture above).

If you ever make it to Ubon Ratchathani, make sure you hunt this place down. The eatery is opposite the Phadaeng Mansion Hotel (which is where I stay when I’m in town), making it easy to find.

Do you like Massaman Curry? If so, where’s the best Massaman Curry you’ve had?

This week I made the decision to spend a further 2 months in North East Thailand, before going off on a trip to China followed by revisiting Japan to sample some more yummy ramen noodles!

As I’ve previously mentioned on this blog, Mukdahan is a small sleepy town and as a result there’s really not much to do here. Especially during the evenings.

In an attempt to not go out drinking beer ever night, I’ve been downloading lot’s of cookery programs and documentaries to keep myself entertained. Most of them have been worth watching, however I really enjoyed the following 3 and thought I’d share them with you guys.

Rick Stein’s French Odyssey

Rick Stein travels around France on a barge cooking and sampling some of, what looks like, the finest food on the planet. You get to really appreciate France’s love for cooking and food, and it brings home that not all French food is complicated. I would love to do a trip like this with my family one summer!

Oh’, if you like this series, you’ll probably also like Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escape.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets

Raymond Blanc, the head chef at two Michelin stared restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, seriously has some flair.  This is the series to watch if you want to try some complex French cooking at home. From a cup and saucer made out of chocolate to the breads and bakery items that make you physically dribble, this is the show to watch for the serious home cook.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage

If you have ever considered breeding your own livestock or growing your own produce, you’ll find this series a real treat. I learned more from watching River Cottage than any other cookery program I’ve ever seen. Fresh produce, simple and complex recipes (like how to make your own salami) along with Hugh coming across as an all around nice guy, make this worth watching. I’m now eagerly awaiting the next series!

Click here to view the embedded video.

What cookery programs do you recommend? Please do leave them in the comments :)

Hong Kong Noodles at Changi Airport, Singapore.

I’m now back in Thailand, in Mukdahan to be precise, and just had my first lunch since I’ve been back. I opted for my recent found love; DIY Hong Kong Noodles, which I make myself using 2 dishes available at the popular MK restaurant.

I have covered the nationwide MK Restaurant chain before, way back in 2008, and it still remains one of my favorite best-value restaurants in Thailand. I’m still not keen on the Suki part (I leave that to the missus and friends), however I am a sucker for their roasted red pork, duck and bamboo spring rolls.

Even though I dine at MK on a weekly basis while in Thailand, it’s only recently I figured out how to make some Hong Kong Noodles that very nearly match the real deal.

So what makes a great bowl of Hong Kong Noodles? Well for me, it starts with light fresh thin egg noodles that are not starchy and not clogged together. Some chunky Asian greens help, and some succulent roasted red pork is a must. This should all be mixed together by a sauce that should mix sweet, meaty, salty and sour in harmony with each other. There shouldn’t be any firecrackers when you taste the sauce, it should just taste.. well… comforting and balanced. Oh, and we can’t forget the crispy garlic.

The best place to get Hong Kong Noodles in my opinion is in Singapore, as well as in Hong Kong of course. However if your in Thailand, I urge you to give this a go… it’s so easy and is by far the best way I’ve found, to get my Kong Kong Noodle fix.

First up, I like to order the Roasted Red Pork and Crispy Pork dish. At only 110฿, this has got to be one of the best-value dishes I have ever come across.

Next, the Egg Noodles. I always opted for the Green Noodles before I tried the yellow variety and since I’ve tasted these, there is no turning back.

Simply mix the meat, sauce (the sauce is the key here which brings this dish alive), noodles and garlic and wholla, you have a tasty bowl of Hong Kong Noodles!

A few questions…

1. If you are currently in Thailand, will you give this ago?
2. Where is the best place you’ve had Hong Kong Noodles?

Nicky, Andrew, Myself and Trevor – The 4 of us hanged out together everyday, for 10 years.

For us lot that travel and live abroad, I got the call all off us fear of receiving. My buddy, who has been battling cancer for the last 5 years (since he was 24), was taken into hospital and was in a bad shape.

Hours later I had arrived in London and made my way over to see him at the hospital. He promised me he’d be my angel and that I had to stay strong for everyone else. We joked about the good old times we would get into trouble together while growing up, the state of the food the hospital were serving up and even began talking about our wild trip to Bangkok 5 or 6 years ago.

Sadly, Nicky Avery, my best buddy, passed away the next day on 19th July 2010, due to brain cancer.

Nick was a hero to many, as he was always upbeat about battling cancer and still made it he’s priority to make people laugh and feel good about them selves. He was the least selfish person I knew and also the strongest by far. He’s big smile and deep laughter will be remembered by hundreds that were lucky to know him. It was a privilege to know Nicky. I will miss him deeply.

RIP Nicky Avery.

—

There’s a lesson to be learned here for those that live and work away from home; and that’s to make sure you have enough money to get home in case of an emergency. Although not important in the grand scheme of things, the cost for me to get home was just shy of $1,500 (one way) – a figure a few friends who work online in South East Asia do not have saved up.

I’ve been dreaming about not only eating Japanese food, but any food other than Thai for the last few weeks. This is what happens when you grow up eating food from all over the world, then suddenly have to stick to the same cuisine for weeks on end due to living out in the boonies. Like a pregnant women with her weird and wacky cravings, I have been craving Sushi. Even dreaming about Sushi. Sushi yeah. Sushi.

On route to London I made sure I had enough time to visit the newly opened Japanese restaurant, Fuji, in Ubon Ratchathani. There are Fuji stores nationwide in Thailand and offer very reasonable priced dishes and set menus with excellent service. Highly recommend.

Here we have Tuna and Salmon Sushi – my faves, along with fried cheese in a light pastry, which were non greasy and really tasty.

I had planned to go all out on a Sushi binge, until I noticed this Mulloway fish set menu. I’ve never tried Mulloway before, so thought I’d give it a shot. And boy am I glad I did. The fish was cooked perfectly with crispy skin, tasted very light and had a beautiful flaky texture – perfect!

Have you tried Fuji Japanese restaurant in Thailand before? If so, what do you think of it? Any other good Japanese restaurants in Thailand you can recommend?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since I last updated this blog, it’s been a crazy 12 days or so. I fractured my rib, got man flu and my notebook died on me, hence infrequent updates recently.

Along with working my arse off and moving into a new apartment, I’m also trying to live a healthy lifestyle, with regular exercise and keeping an eye on my diet. It’s not been easy with a fractured rib, but with dedication it seems to be working as I lost 6kg over the last 6 weeks! So all in all, I’m feeling on top of the world at the moment.

Anyway, here’s a quick video tour of the small apartment I have rented here in Mukdahan (North East Thailand) for a couple of months. I wanted you guys can get an idea of what you can get for a measly $70 per month, in one of the coolest places in South East Asia!

I just come back from a quick 1 night stay in Savannakhet, Laos to renew my Thai visa. As I’m currently located in Mukdahan where the Friendship bridge is located, it was just a 2 hour commute for me (Sweeeet!). Here is my mini “Visa run to Savannakhet” guide for those that are coming from Bangkok:

Getting to Mukdahan

Air Asia and Nok Air currently fly into Ubon Ratchathani, the nearest airport to Mukdahan, and takes just 55 minutes from Bangkok. Alternatively, you could get a train direct to Ubon, or get a bus direct to Mukdahan from Morchit bus station in Bangkok.

Once you have got your dates fixed, call the Ploy Palace Hotel in Mukdahan (042 631 111) and get their VIP transit mini van to Mukdahan. It costs ฿350 and takes 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, you could get the local bus which costs around 100b I think, however it takes at least 4 hours.

Staying in Mukdahan

Having stayed in 5 or 6 hotels in Mukdahan, I think the Rabiangmuk hotel has the best rooms. The hotel is newly built, oozes quality and at ฿550 per night, the rooms are big and the internet is fast.

For things to do in Mukdahan, the night market is worth a look, and is only 10 minutes walk from the Rabiangmuk hotel. The Good Mook restaurant is my fav for great Thai food, and the Pool Bar located by the Esso garage is a cool place to have a beer where you can check out the great band who play every night of the week. A walk along the Indochine Market by the Mekong River is also a pleasant way to kill an hour or so.

Getting to the Friendship 2 Bridge and into Laos

The Friendship 2 bridge connecting Mukdhan with Savannakhet.

If you don’t speak Thai and have problems organising a tuk-tuk to pick you up in the morning, I’d ask the hotel staff to organise this for you. The fee should be around 100b, maybe a little more. An 8am pick up should work well.

When you arrive at the Friendship bridge, you’ll need to buy a bus ticket from the little office outside immigration (50b), get stamped through get the bus across the Friendship bridge into Laos. The bus can become very over crowded, but luckily only takes 5 minutes.

Rates for Laos Visas differ depending on your nationality. For a British national, the fee was equivalent to 1,500b (you can pay both in Thai baht and US dollars). You’ll need to attache 1 passport sized photo to your application.

After paying the stamp fee (40b), which some say you don’t need to pay, you’ll get bombarded with tuk tuk drivers and taxi drivers keen to take you to the Thai Embassy. The fee for a tuk tuk for a local or Thai is 60b, although you may end up paying around 100b

Thai Embassy in Savannakhet

The queues at the Thai Embassy in Savannakhet

When you arrive at the Thai Embassy in Savannakhet, you’ll need to buy, yes buy, the visa application form from the shop opposite the Embassy. They also offer you glue to attache 2 passport sized photos.

On my recent trip, the queues to submit my visa was around 50 people long, and took around 30 minutes to hand in my application and passport for 2pm pickup the next day. The visa fee right now is free, although you could check before you go.

Staying in Savannakhet

Excellent coffee at the Chez De Bourne

Time for breakfast! Hands down, the Chez De Bourne restaurant located on the same road as the Thai Embassy in Savannakhet offers not only the best Coffee in town (as seen in the picture above), but also superb food.

Beautiful architecture in and around Savannakhet

I love how shutter doors add a real rustic appearance to buildings. Stunning!

You have to wait 30 minutes for the lasagna at the Chez De Bourne, but so worth it!

I then went and looked for a hotel for the night, and ended up staying at the Savanbanhao Hotel, which at 250b for the night with aircon, with extremely friendly locals (the staff took me out to Oscars night club), was a good choice.

Getting back to Mukdahan

At 2pm you’ll need to head back to the Thai Embassy to collect your visa at 2pm, then get a tuk tuk back to the Friendship bridge (80b this time around). The fee for the bus is 50b, but takes you all the way to Mukdahan bus station.