K. Phanich

Mango and sticky rice is, like phat thai and tom yam, one of the few Thai dishes foreigners seem to be familiar with even before arriving in Thailand. On Khao San Road there are even a couple mobile mango sticky rice carts that wander up and down the streets, scavenging for hungry new arrivals. I haven't tried these carts, but doubt they're anywhere as good as the stuff sold literally across the way at K. Phanich.

K. Phanich only sells khao niaow moon, sweetened sticky rice, and a few other sweet/savoury toppings; if you want to eat your rice with mango you can buy one from the woman waiting patiently out front. We arrived late in the day and she apologized several times that she only had slightly sour mangoes left. She choose what she reckoned to be the sweetest one and proceeded to peel and slice it for us:

K. Phanich has no seating, so we took our booty to the shop next door (another interesting place that I'll blog about next) where, after ordering a few more things to eat, we combined about half of the sticky rice with the mangoes, poured over the still-warm salty-sweet coconut dressing, and sprinkled the lot with the crispy dried peas (the peas don't provide much taste, but provide the dish a wonderfully crunchy texture). The mango was slightly sour, but I thought it was a pleasant counterpoint to the very sweet rice and sauce. This dish, like many other Thai desserts, also has a slightly salty flavour, and is best eaten slightly warm, which really allows the bizarre but delicious salty/sweet combo. to shine.

If you'd like to try to make this dish at home, here's a recipe from Pim.

K. Phanich
431-433 Thanon Tanao
02 221 3554

Bananas on the run

Nakhorn Sawan Street, just outside Banglamphu in old Bangkok, is home to Talaat Nang Loeng, one of the older and more interesting markets in town. However the street is probably even more associated with the several shops in the area that sell kluay thawt, deep-fried bananas. This snack, also sometimes known as kluay khaek, is found just about everywhere in Bangkok, but what's special about these bananas is the way they're sold.

As illustrated above, the vendors take their product directly to the streets, waiting for a red light and weaving between stopped cars.

Technically, this is illegal, and every time a policeman comes, the vendors scream warnings at each other and run away frantically. I saw this happen several times in the nearly 15 minutes I watched them at work and thought that it seemed an awful nerve-wracking way to make a living.

Eventually I took a seat and tried the bananas. Although they're normally sold in bags of two for 20 baht, I bought a single bag for 10. The bananas of the particular vendor I bought were decent; not too greasy, but could have been a bit sweeter (and I prefer the ones with sesame in the batter). While I sat and crunched through my bag, I chatted with the vendors while they screamed at their co-workers in the streets when cops drove by. One vendor told me that he was particularly annoyed with journalists who had pretended to want to buy bananas, only to snap pictures and leave without buying anything.

Pok Pok

I was recently forwarded this New York Times article about dining in Portland, Oregon (one of my three 'hometowns', along with Bangkok and Stockholm). Other than making me slightly homesick, I was surprised to learn that a Thai restaurant is among those currently creating a buzz back at home. I did a bit of research and found that Pok Pok, the restaurant mentioned, serves not just Thai, but ahaan isaan, northeastern-style Thai food. The self-proclaimed 'shack' was also voted the Oregonian's Restaurant of the Year. Two detailed and generally favourable blog reviews can be seen here and here (I particularly like this bit: "Fortunately the lighting is is much better than what you’d typically find in Thailand."). Sounds very interesting. Has anybody been?

Khao Soi Sophaphan

I used to think khao soi, the northern Thai curry noodle dish, was nearly impossible to find in Bangkok, but in the last few weeks I've run across it more than a couple times. My latest discovery was ironically only a few kilos from my house, under the Ram Intra Expressway near the intersection with Lad Phrao.

Arriving just after lunch with my generally reliable food sidekick Aong, we were dismayed to find that they only khao sois remaining at that time were the pork and seafood varieties. This was immensely disturbing news, as khao soi is almost exclusively served with chicken or beef (a sign of the dish's Muslim roots). Pork is a lazy substitute and seafood khao soi is a heresy beyond words, and those responsible for the concept should be forced to eat...seafood khao soi for the rest of their days. Grudgingly, we chose the pork (shown above). The dish was a decent, if not mediocre take on the dish, but lacking the creamy, oily, spiciness of Faa Haam's nearly-perfect bowl. The sides (pickled mustard cabbage, sliced shallots and lime) also seemed of substandard quality. Sophaphan also serves the Shan noodle dish, naam ngiaow, as well as some northern Thai standards and som tam. Good in a pinch, I reckon, or if you're in the neighborhood (make sure you come early), but you'll be much happier if you make the trip over to Viphawadee to eat at Faa Haam.

I've also come across khao soi on Sukhumvit Sois 22 and 31; stay tuned for a detailed investigation.

Khao Soi Sophaphan
86 Soi Inthraphorn (under the Ram Intra Expressway not far from the intersection with Lad Phrao)
02 530 6292
Mon-Sat, 9am-4:30pm

Addendum: In flipping through my replies to this blog, I recently received a comment from a woman who's doing a blog exclusively about khao soi in New York City! Honestly, I was surprised enough to find out that one can actually get khao soi in in the US (it's hard enough to find in Bangkok), but even more shocking is the price: $16 for a bowl of khao soi??!!?? Maybe I'm spoiled living here, but the price I payed for the bowl above, 30 baht--slightly less than $1, feels about right to me. Guess I won't be going home anytime soon...

Chanthaburi

I recently spent a couple days in the town of Chanthaburi. Discovering a new place is always fun, but sometimes it's better to have a guide, and on this trip I was fortunate to be accompanied by a well-connected half-Chanthaburian food freak.

Rice noodles, the main ingredient in phat thai (shown above) are associated with Chanthaburi, and we stopped by a factory where they still make the noodles the old school way, by drying them in the sun on bamboo racks:

Rice noodles are also used in kuaytiao muu liang, another dish associated with Chanthaburi:

We at at a place outside of town called Phrya Trang (address below). The broth gets its dark colour from a combination of local herbs, and its slightly sweet taste from the addition of pineapple. I'd say it was somewhat similar to kuaytiao ruea, but not quite as intense.

Root herbs are actually a very important part of the local cuisine in Chanthaburi, and a walk through any of the city's markets will reveal several kinds of plants generally not used elsewhere in Thailand, such as krawaan:

and young krachaay:

Being close to the sea, seafood is also a big deal, and the markets are stocked with heaps of fish, shrimp and squid, and even odder things, such as horseshoe crabs:

The ones above have already been grilled, and you only eat the eggs (often made into yam, Thai-style salad); there is no meat.

If you're at Chanthaburi's main market in the morning and find yourself in need of a snack, you can do like the locals and stop by this tiny stall selling paa thong ko, deep-fried bits of dough:

The stall is very popular, as the line of impatient motorcyclists suggests. Unlike elsewhere, in Chanthaburi paa thong ko are served with a thin, sweet/sour sauce, somewhat similar to that sometimes served with deep-fried chicken elsewhere in Thailand.

Muu Liang Phraya Trang
60/1 Moo 12 Tambon Tha Chang
039 339 761

Chinatown, October 4, 2007

Selling garlands in front of Wat Kammalawat, Thanon Charoen Krung

Broom-seller in the market alley of Sampheng

Moving merchandise at Sampheng market

Tuk-tuk driver, Thanon Yaowarat

Taking a break from butchering, Talaat Mai

Taking a break from... something, Thanon Phaatsaay

A Chinese temple/school near Thanon Songwat

The narrow alleyways of Sampheng are barely large enough for umbrellas

Sweeping up at Wat Mangkorn Kammalawat

Jay Kii

If you've ever looked at my photo blog, The Old Main Drag, you'll have noticed that I tend to spend lots of time in Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown. For the last few months, I've been working on a photo project that will be shown Bangkok's own Kathmandu Photo Gallery late next year. As a result, I've been going to Yaowarat at least once a week, often more. My favourite time to take pics in Yaowarat is early in the morning, and after a couple hours of walking and shooting, inevitably I get pretty hungry. Despite the variety of eats in Chinatown, I always end up eating at a streetside curry stall off of Thanon Phaatsaay called Jay Kii.

Jay Kii sells a variety of Chinese-Thai curries, stir-fries and soups:

These include an excellent kaeng khiaow waan look chin plaa kraay, green curry with fish dumplings, some nice soups, namely jap chai, the Chinese-style vegetable stew, or an excellent bitter gourd stuffed with pork in broth. But I always tend to go for her daily 'specials', such as this morning's naam phrik kapi 'set' (pictured at the top of this post), or her excellent khao khluk kapi (shown in this post). After some eats, and a glass of iced coffee from the stall in the same soi, I'm usually ready to wander for another hour or so before heading home.

Jay Kii
Thanon Phaatsaay (virtually next door to Iea Sae Coffee Shop) (Google Maps link)
7am-noon (or until all the curries are sold out)

Mee Krob

Chote Chitr, a six-table restaurant in the Banglamphu district, has gained something of an underground following since it was mentioned in a New York Times article a few years back. I first learned about Chote Chitr (pronounced chote jit) from Suthon Sukphisit, author of the Bangkok Post's excellent weekly Thai food column, Cornucopia. Suthon told me that it is of his favourite places in town to eat, and in particular he always orders, mee krob, 'crispy noodles' (pictured above). He explained that Chote Chitr is one of the few places that makes this dish the old school way, using the peel of som saa, a certain kind of citrus fruit, to flavour the sauce. The sour/citrus flavour of the som saa is indeed very prominent in the dish, which despite appearances, wasn't as sweet as I feared. In fact, it was a very nice balance of sour, sweet and savoury, with a satisfying crunch. There were a few prawns and squid bits thrown in, a topping of shredded pickled ginger, and sides of Chinese kale and beansprouts. I've never made the dish, and have no idea where to get a good recipe. Any ideas?

For other good eats in this area, check out this post.

Chote Chitr
146 Thanon Phraeng Phuthon
02 221 4082
10am-10pm

Chinatown, September 27, 2007

Sleeping motorcycle taxi driver

Much of life is lived on the streets in Bangkok's Chinatown

Hostess at a Chinese restaurant, Yaowarat

Selling used items

Reflections in a shop front, Thanon Charoen Krung

Looking at Buddhist amulets and used goods, Thanon Charoen Krung

Hua Lamphong, Bangkok's main train station

Mangkorn Khao

Bamii, wheat noodles served with muu daeng, barbecued pork, is a dish you can find just about anywhere in Bangkok. The vast majority of stalls are leased out by a franchise called Chai Sii, and are mediocre at best. The noodles at these stalls tend to be quite pasty, and the barbecued pork is largely flavourless meat that appears to have been painted with a overly-sweet red sauce. I'm sure there must be some good bamii out there, but the only place that has reached my lofty standards thus far is Mangkorn Khao ('White Dragon'), way out in Chinatown.

I always order kiaow naam:

wontons in broth. The wontons are filled with ground pork that has been mixed with an ungodly amount of ground black pepper, garlic and coriander roots, and wrapped around a single shrimp. The broth is subtle, but fragrant, and includes a few bits of greens and deep-fried pork rinds. Eat this and I can guarantee you'll still be tasting the warm black pepper/garlic/coriander root flavour a good half-hour after leaving. It's a nice feeling.

I like to follow this with a bowl of bamii haeng muu daeng, 'dry' noodles with barbecued pork:

The noodles at Mangkorn Khao are slightly thinner than those you'll find elsewhere, and are toothsome and have a pleasant nutty flavour. The barbecued pork appears to have really been barbecued, and is slightly crispy and fatty, almost bacon-like. If pork is not your thing, you can also get crab meat, which I usually do at lesser stalls, but the pork here is so good I can't pass it up. If you order your noodles 'dry', the broth is served on the side, and I like to add just a couple tablespoons to loosen up the noodles.

Mangkorn Khao was mentioned previously here.

Mangkorn Khao
Corner of Thanon Yaowarat and Thanon Yaowaphanit (across the street from the corner of Th Yaowarat and Th Plaeng Naam)
Every day 7pm-12am (but they often run out as early as 10 or 11)

Chinatown, September 19, 2007

Off of Thanon Charoen Krung

Thanon Yaowarat

Thanon Yaowarat

Lucky charms, Thanon Yaowarat

Waiting, Thanon Charoen Krung

Talaat Kao

Thanon Plaeng Naam

Eat this dish

There are heaps of good things to eat in Thailand. But if there was one dish that I would recommend to visitors, particularly because so few foreigners seem to be familiar with it, I would choose khao khluk kapi. This literally means 'rice mixed with shrimp paste', which is a poor description of this vibrant dish that seems to include every favourable flavour and texture in Thai cooking.

The dish is based around rice that has been fried, or sometimes boiled, with shrimp paste, giving it a pleasant fishy odour and a greyish-brown hue. This rice is topped with ingredients that usually include shredded green mango, slices of cucumber, a thin omelet that that has been sliced into strips, thinly sliced shallots, thinly sliced green beans, crispy deep-fried dried shrimp, and sometimes a few slices of kun chiang, Chinese-style pork sausage, and small slices of pineapple. There's always a side of muu waan, pork belly that has been braised in palm sugar and fish sauce, a garnish of few dried chilies deep-fried until crispy, and often a slice of lime. The dish is often, but not always served with a dish of clear broth.

The dish is salty from the shrimp paste, fresh and crispy from the veggies, sweet from the fruit and muu waan, and can also be spicy, if you decide to mix in the chilies. I like to mix everything together beforehand to ensure that I get a bit of each flavour/texture in each mouthful.

For more in-your-face khao khluk kapi action, check out the excellent version done at Ratana; an acceptable take at a local noodle stall; a decent but scant version at Tha Chang market; an improvised version at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar; and a haphazard dish at a local restaurant.

Jay Fai

Jay Fai is probably the most famous place in town to get phat khii mao ('drunkards' stir-fry'), the spicy fried noodle dish that, like the name suggests, seems to combine just about everything in the kitchen. People go to Jay Fai because the noodles are good, but her restaurant might actually be more famous because the noodles are expensive. Now, 200 baht (about $7) may seem like chump change to those of you reading this in the West, but it's a helluvalot for noodles here in Bangkok. Expectations run high.

I got there at 5pm, just as she was opening, which meant having to wait through a lengthy prayer and offering session at her spirit altar. Jay Fai began by pouring a good half-litre of cooking oil into a smoking hot wok. This was followed by two large prawns. After deep-frying these, she tilted the wok to pour out nearly every last drop of oil, reassuring me the entire time that "It won't be oily, it won't be oily..." And indeed, without adding any additional oil, she followed with the rest of the ingredients: the wide noodles known as sen yai, squid (both fresh and pickled), minced garlic, crab meat, chopped green beans, long slices of carrot, baby corn, palm heart, shiitake mushrooms, and finally, a healthy handful of holy basil leaves and a dollop of fresh chilies. While she sprinkled the lot with fish sauce, she explained that if the mixture stuck, she loosened it with a bit of broth, not more oil. The result:

was delicious: meaty, smoky, garlicky and only slightly oily. Was it worth 200 baht? Taste is subjective; try it yourself and decide. I'll certainly be back.

Jay Fai
327 Thanon Mahachai
02 223 9384
5pm-2am, Sun-Fri

Khrua Thalay

On Sunday I was lucky enough to go to a new place with some new friends. New Friend #1 Hock spent several years on the professional banana boat circuit, but after a near-fatal collision with a dolphin, is currently flipping burgers at an anonymous Bangkok restaurant. His wife, and New Friend #2 Maytel is a self-confessed full-time blogger (Half Asian Tourist, Gut Feelings) and part-time academic. And there was New Friend #3, who I will refer to as New Friend #4, and who, although it's only marginally relevant, somehow reminded me of Australian chef David Thompson.

The new place was Mae Phim Beach in Rayong. In the Thai tradition, half of the beach is devoted to fresh seafood shacks, one of which, Khrua Thalay, Hock and Maytel had been to a few times previously. Rummaging though glass cases of live seafood, Hock chose Moreton Bay bugs, which our lovely chefstress suggested deep-frying with garlic:

Very nice, and actually a first for me.

Somebody wanted whelks (pictured above), another novelty for me--I had only known them as hoy waan. We had grilled, and dipped into the famous Thai seafood dipping sauce, they were wonderful.

I ordered hoy phat chaa:

clams fried with fresh herbs, including garlic, kaffir lime leaf, holy basil and krachaay. The clams were just done, and the balance of flavours nearly perfect.

Hock ordered plaa kraphong, seabass that was splayed and marinated with fish sauce before being deep-fried and served with a green mango dressing:

The fish was slightly salty and the salad provided the sweet and sour. There was balance.

And along with balance there was also a generous portion of fried rice with crab:

A lovely meal and a lovely day.

Khrua Thalay Seafood
Mae Phim Beach
07 138 7598

Yentafo Kruengsong

The restaurant is named after yen ta fo, a Chinese noodle dish that has become very popular in Thailand in the last few years. For many foreigners, the dish, which includes delicacies such as coagulated blood, pickled squid and fish balls, not to mention a disturbingly bright-red broth, is rather off-putting. I previously felt this way, but have learned to embrace the weirdness of yen ta fo and now consider it one of my favourite noodle dishes, especially when consumed here.

On a recent visit, Aong ordered a bowl, which at this restaurant, is immense:

It includes all the weird stuff mentioned above, as well as phak boong, deep-fried fish skin and heaps of chili. Oh, and apparently somewhere in there are some noodles.

This restaurant also makes some very good non-noodle dishes, and I ordered khao phat nam phik long ruea:

rice fried with a particular type of chili dip (nam phrik long ruea) and served with sides of battered and deep-fried and fresh veggies. Very nice, but not as good as their khao nam phik khai poo, rice served with a spicy chili dip made from crab eggs.

We also ordered a couple sides, including deep-fried fish skin:

which tastes much better than it sounds. The crispy skin is served with nam phrik phao, a sweet/spicy chili dip. Ironically, I usually pick the skin off when I eat fish, but like eating this stuff, especially with the dip.

There was also an assortment of look chin plaa, fish balls:

served with a delicious dipping sauce not unlike that typically served with seafood in Thailand. I particularly like the kiaow plaa, fish wontons (far left); the 'wrapper' is made from fish, and the filling is ground pork pounded up with fresh herbs.

For more yen ta fo-related mirth, refer to the yen ta fo eating contest (sponsored by Yentafo Kruengsong) that my buddy Kelly took part in last year.

Yentafo Kruengsong
(various locations about town: check this link for the one nearest you)

A taste of Luang Prabang in Bangkok

Joy Ngeuamboupha (above) and Caroline Gaylard of Tamarind restaurant in Luang Prabang have been making their delicious Lao food at the Sheraton Grand Sukhumvit this week. As part of the occasion, a small, but elite group of the city's media was invited to take part in a cooking demonstration of three traditional Luang Prabang dishes taught by Joy himself.

Joy, a native of Luang Prabang province, and Caroline, an Australian, originally collaborated to make a cookbook of authentic Lao recipes. This led to, as these things do, a restaurant, and in 2005 Tamarind was born. Today their restaurant is still one of the only handful of places in Luang Prabang where visitors can sample authentic local dishes, and the owners have made it their mission to introduce people to authentic Lao food.

Before going through the dishes Joy taught us, here are a few tips from Joy about sticky rice, the Lao staple:

-Sticky rice should be soaked for 12 hours before cooking
-After soaking, the sticky rice needs to be washed three times; the first time gently squeezing the rice, the second two simply rinsing until eventually the water runs clear
-Sticky rice should be steamed for about 30-40 minutes, uncovered; when steam begins to rise from the top of the rice, take the sticky rice out, flip it over, and steam for another five minutes
-When the sticky rice is done, keep it in a katip, a permeable bamboo basket; keeping the sticky rice in a sealed container will cause it to become inedible mush

Oua Si Khai - Stuffed Lemongrass

Joy began by showing us how to make several long slices in the bottom parts of largish stalks of lemongrass:

After being softened (with a pestle) and opened, the stalks were then stuffed with a filling of ground chicken that had been blended in mortar and pestle along with salt, garlic, spring onions, coriander and kaffir lime leaf:

The lemongrass sticks were then dipped in an egg wash and deep-fried:

until the meat was just done, resulting in the finished product seen above.

Jaew Makok - A "Dip" of Roasted Chilies and Makok

This one might be a hard dish for many of you to make at home, as makok, also known as hog plum, is undoubtedly quite hard to find abroad. I wouldn't really recommend substituting anything, but would just say that it's there to provide a sour flavour to the dish.

Joy had a bowl of previously-roasted chilies (the large ones called phrik chee faa), shallots, garlic and the makok, the green fruit shown below:

He told us to peel the burnt bits off before mashing the mixture up in a mortar and pestle along with some salt and that very Lao of flavourings, MSG:

To this mixture Joy added a handful of deep-fried pork rinds, some chopped coriander and green onions. Still using the mortar and pestle, he mixed the ingredients again, adding a few tablespoons of water as it was quite thick. The finished dip should be salty and sour in flavour, and is served with sticky rice and fresh veggies and herbs.

Or Lam - Thick Luang Prabang-Style Vegetable Stew

This is one of my favourite Luang Prabang dishes. It should have a spicy/bitter flavour, the result of the addition of sakhaan, a vine used in Luang Prabang cooking. Joy brought several chunks of sakhaan to Bangkok, and showed us how it should be used.

He began by peeling and quartering the sakhaan, and soaking it in water:

While this was soaking, Joy brought a couple stalks of lemongrass, a few round eggplants, a couple cloves of garlic and a handful of pea eggplants to a boil:

A few minutes later he added some sliced pork and the sakhaan. The mixture was left to simmer for about a half hour, or until as Joy said, "The eggplants are soft." When this was accomplished, he removed all the solid ingredients, except for the pork and sakhaan, reserving the broth. He then pounded the now-soft herbs and veggies in a mortar and pestle until a rough paste was formed. This paste was re-introduced to the simmering liquid, along with a couple tablespoons of paa daek (Lao-style fish sauce), chopped green beans, more pea eggplant, mouse-ear mushrooms (het huu nuu), tamlueng, a vine-like leaf, and khao buea, sticky rice that had been soaked in water then broken up into a course powder, a traditional thickening agent:

While this was simmering, Top was ordered to chop up a huge amount of dill, coriander, green onions, sawtooth coriander and Thai basil:

Which he happily did. When the most recently-added veggies were just about done, the chopped herbs were stirred in:

and the mixture left to simmer for a couple more minutes. Enjoy with sticky rice and Beer Lao.

If you just can't get enough Lao, check out this photo essay on Luang Prabang food I did for Lonely Planet a while back; a still-unpublished piece I wrote about Luang Prabang food; some super cool Lao recipes; and an article about Lao food I wrote that ran in the US food mag, Intermezzo.

Fashion tips from a military dictator

(A larger version can be seen here.)

I came across this interesting item at Wikipedia. It's a poster advocating how Thais should and should not have dressed during the conservative Phibulsongkhram era (1938-1945). It reads:

Thai Culture
When in communal or official places
When in public or on the street

(left side)
Do Not
Dressing in this manner is not part of Thai custom
Men:
Do not wear a sarong or expose the upper body
Do not shave your head or wear a Muslim-style hat
Women:
Do not expose the upper body or wear a shawl
Do not wear only underclothes or carry things on your head

(right side)
Do
Thai custom entails dressing this way
Men:
Do wear international-style clothes or Thai style short trousers
Do wear a proper button-down shirt
Women:
Do wear your hair long and a clean, proper outer shirt
Everybody must wear a proper skirt

Silom/Patpong, September 4, 2007

Fruit vendor, Thanon Silom

Ladies, Thanon Patpong

Man or woman? Thanon Silom

Definitely a man, Thanon Silom

Racy dinner, Thanon Patpong

Thanon Patpong

Shoppers, Thanon Patpong

Mmm... toast

Grilled, jammed and margarined toast, seen on Thanon Charoen Krung, Bangkok. For additional weird bread, check out previous posts on the Magical World of Thai Baked Goods. At your own risk, of course.

Chinatown, September 3, 2007

The results of yet another trip to Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown.

Near Talaat Kao

Casket maker on Thanon Charoen Krung


Off Thanon Plaeng Naam

Gold shop, Thanon Yaowarat

Porter, Thanon Yaowarat

Coke vendor, Talaat Kao

Talaat Kao

Talaat Kao

Old theatre, Thanon Yaowarat