Showing posts with label Rice Noodle. Show all posts

[FOOD] 20150114 Pad Thai Thip Samai (Prathuphi Pad Thai) @ Phra Nakhon, Bangkok


It is said that the Thai national dish i.e. Pad Thai was originated from this stall known as Thip Samai back in 1966. I often see this stall being featured in travel programmes and told myself that this is the one restaurant I need to go.

Pad Thai Thip Samai, or also known as Prathu Phi Pad Thai by the locals ("Prathu Phi" means ghost gate) due to its location nearby Prathu Phi, is well known among the locals and often packed with patrons no matter what time. It's opened until mid night and many will come here for supper after work.

The restaurant is operated in stations to cater for the huge crowd where each station has it's own function i.e. the cooking station, the wrapping station and the garnishing station. Worth mentioning that they use charcoal instead of gas stove for their cookings.

Huge wok of Pad Thai is churned out from time to time, with more than 10 servings per wok. The Pad Thai will then be prepared according to the order and some will be sent to the wrapping station for the Pattaya style omelette wrappings.

It was fun to see how each task was broken down into unit operations in order to be more efficient to cut down lag time between each plate of Pad Thai, without compromising on the quality.

There are a few options available from the normal Pad Thai, Supreme Pad Thai, Prawn Pad Thai etc etc. Not forgetting their special ice blended coconut that taste like 7-11's slurpee but in coconut flavour.

Pad Thai Thip Samai
313 Maha Chai Road Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon Bangkok 10200
Nearest BTS Stations: Nil
Telephone: +66 (0) 2221 6280
Opening Hours: 05:30 pm until 01:30 am

TO GO


Thip Samai is located at Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok, which is very near to Khao San Road or Chinatown. My recommendation will be to come here for supper after your visit to either place. Taking a cab will be the most convenient way but some cab driver might refuse to bring you over due to the short distance. Just tell the driver "Prathu-Phi Pad Thai" and most likely he will know where is it.



SPECIALITY



It was late at night and I managed to get one kind cab driver to bring me over the Prathu-phi Pad Thai. Being the origin of all Pad Thai recipe in Thailand, I was wondering how "legendary" will the Pad Thai be, while being sceptical over the "mass production" method. The restaurant is full of patrons, including the roadside corridor outside the restaurant. Mostly locals who got off work late or dropping by for supper or take away.


The restaurant uses hot flames from the charcoal instead of gas stove, just like how it was done during their inception. Charcoal fire also gives a better aroma and is much hotter than normal gas stove, making the cooking harder as you required to stir fry as quickly as possible to avoid over-burnt.


The cooking starts off from a big wok and then segregate into smaller plates of Pad Thai for the next station to do a fast stir-fry action with intense fire with additional toppings or ingredients according to the order.


Those who ordered the Supreme Pad Thai will be sent to the next station for the omelette wrapping where you can see the worker skilfully wrapped each plate of Pad Thai in a blink of an eye, like a machine.


The finished product will be transferred into a clean plate and garnished with coriander and chilli. The waiter will then fill his hands with plates of Pad Thai before doing the delivery. It was fun and interesting to see the whole process on how fast your Pad Thai can be served and how efficient the workers work.


My Supreme Pad Thai (85 Baht) is ready in a jiffy and looks very inviting.


Traditionally, Pad Thai will be served along with some raw vegetables such as chives and bean sprout. However, I noticed many locals did not touch these raw vegetables and only concentrate on their Pad Thai. 


Not forgetting the coconut "slurpee" which is said to be a secret recipe passed down by the Queen directly to the owner of this restaurant. It does taste like a coconut flavour slurpee, if you are wondering.


The Pad Thai tastes good with nice flavours but was not as good as I expected. Probably I have too high hopes prior to this. The ingredients also seemed "ungenerous" for the pricing of 85 Baht, in contrast to the Pad Thai Fire Look I had in Thong Lo which comes with generous amount of prawns and crab meat, at a cheaper price and better flavour.

SUMMARY


Overall it is still a good and satisfying meal to have especially for supper. However, was slightly disappointed with the taste probably due to the mass production and high bar set by Pad Thai Fire Look that I had previously in Thong Lo. Nevertheless, it is still good to experience the very first recipe and to witness the stations of preparing in Pad Thai Thip Samai.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Good pad thai
Value
☆☆☆
Pricing towards the high side with minimal ingredients and toppings
Service
☆☆☆☆☆
Despite the huge crowd, service is excellent and prompt with very good manners.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
05:30pm until 01:30am (Daily)
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Minimal
Website
Nil

GPS: 13.752750, 100.504708
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[FOOD] 20150113 Som Tam Nua @ Siam Square, Bangkok


Som Tam, or also known as green papaya salad is a very well known Thai dish which is served in almost every Thai restaurant in the world. It's basically green papaya (unripe papaya), thinly sliced and served with other toppings like dried shrimps, nuts, long beans, chilli etc pounded and crunched to bring out the flavours and lastly with the sweet and sour sauce and a sprinkle of fish sauce.

Many reviews, blogs and even news portal have recommended this restaurant which specialize in Som Tam, known as the Som Tam Nua (or Somtam Paradise in Thai) which is located at Siam Square, Soi 5.

It's a restaurant, covering three shop lots and is nicely renovated. Besides som tam, they have other signature dishes like the fried chicken wings, BBQ pork shoulder, Thai style fried fish to just name a few.

While they do have a few outlets around if not mistaken, but it is recommended to try the original oulet at Siam Square, Soi 5.

392/14 Siam Square Soi 5
Nearest BTS Stations: Siam Station
Telephone: +6602 - 2514 880
Opening Hours: 10:45am until 9:30pm (Daily)

TO GO


Siam Square is located just opposite Siam Paragon, and next to the newly opened Siam Square One. Just take the BTS from any line or any public transportation to drop you at Siam Station, towards the Siam Square side, look for Soi 5 signboard and walk inwards until almost the end where you will find the signboard of Som Tam Nua.



SPECIALITY



Due to its high review, it is much recommended to come earlier before the lunch hour to beat the crowd. The restaurant is nicely renovated with a warm atmosphere and a counter in the middle where you will be able to see your som tam being prepared. Communication might be an issue as the waiter here speaks limited English. My orders are done by pointing the menu and numbering it. "This, one."


They have many variant of som tam, which is differentiated by the toppings added on top of the original som tam like the salted crab, dried shrimp, salted egg, pork or pork rind. Price range from 75 Baht (RM8.30) up to 90 Baht (RM10). Frankly, nothing to shout about the som tam. Maybe my expectation were too high, or maybe there are many better options out there, or even in Malaysia. At this price, it's a bit rip off. Nevertheless, it is fresh and is still a good dish.

Fried Chicken - 150 Baht (RM16.50)


The famous fried chicken, served in a basket which cost 150 Baht (RM16.50). Almost every table in this restaurant has this basket of friend chicken wings. The wings are well marinated and deep fried until crispy, maybe a bit overdone. Recommended.

Stir Fried Thai Rice-Flour Noodles - 110 Baht (RM12)

The stir fried Thai rice-flour noodles looks decent from the picture but it was a disastrous dish. I regret every single bit in ordering this dish. It's basically stir-fried soggy rice-flour noodles which coagulate into one big slimy chuck of noodle ball and taste nothing near to what it looks. Avoid at all cost unless you like soggy noddles, or maybe just my luck in getting a lousy dish.

 Crispy Fried Fish - 105 Baht (RM11)

The Crispy Fried Fish is also another signature dish here at Som Tam Nua which is actually deep fried talapia fish with their special spicy sauce that is full of herbs. The size of the fish is actually quite small and should be sufficient for 2 to 3 person.


The fragrant rice is served on a banana leaf and it is quite big in portion. However the price of 20 Baht is a bit steep for Thailand but understandable for a restaurant with this setup. Besides rice, they also have sticky rice which is served in tube basket that costs 25 Baht.


Overall didn't really enjoy the meal and was let down by all the highly rated reviews for this restaurant. I would consider this restaurant decent but overrated.

SUMMARY


Overall a decent meal but was disappointed due to high expectation. I might still come back next time to try some other dishes in the future. The fried chicken and fish are good but the soggy noddles is definitely a no no.

Taste
☆☆☆
Decent but nothing to shout about. Roadside stalls sell pretty much the same at a cheaper price. Credits given to the fried chicken.
Value
☆☆☆
Despite the nicely renovated interior, I still find the price a bit at the high side but still affordable.
Service
☆☆☆
Understaff and not attentive. Difficult in communication sometimes.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
10:45am until 9:30pm (Daily)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
Yes
Website
N/A

GPS: 13.744523, 100.534257
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[FOOD] 20141221 Guilin Rice Noodles 爽又爽桂林米粉 @ Haizhu, Guangzhou



Guilin Noodles 桂林米粉 is a well known and common noodle dish in China, believed to be originated from Guilin, Guangxi Province (yet to be verified). Unlike other noodles which are mostly made of wheat, the Guilin Noodle is actually made of rice flour. However, the texture differs from the rice vermicelli (beehun) that we usually had. I used to have rice vermicelli and keow teow but never knew that a third variant of the texture can exist.

The Guilin Rice Noodle has a very smooth yet tangy texture. It will not soak up the broth like normal rice vermicelli but will hold enough for taste. Typically preparation includes cold noodles, sour and spicy, beef noodles etc.

I stumble upon this noodle eatery known as Shuang You Shuang Guilin Rice Noodle 爽又爽桂林米粉when I'm on the way to the Guangzhou Tower after late arrival from Shenzhen. It is located not too far away from the Guangzhou Middle Ave Bridge (there are many bridges along Zhujiang River!). My stomach was growling and have no idea where to grab a quick bite. The weather was cold and I was thinking a hot bowl of soup noodle would be a good choice.

This eatery is a small cornet shop at the side of the road, with about 6 small tables within (Sorry no pictures of the shop as I was starving!). There are a variety of Guilin Noodles and normal noodles to choose from, rice dishes are also available. Price ranges from RMB8 (RM4.50) to RMB12 (RM7) for a bowl of noodle or rice.

No. 71, Jinju Rd, Haizhu, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
广州市海珠区金菊路71号
Nearest Metro Station: Lujiang Station, Exit A
Telephone: +86 20 6126 7525
Opening Hours: 07:00am until 01:00am

TO GO


Disclaimer: Google services are barred in China. You need to either bypass the "Great Wall" or use a VPN. Alternatively, you may use their domestic sites such as Baidu Map.

There's no direct access by Metro for this eatery, with the nearest Metro station being the Lujiang Station. It is more recommended for you to take a bus or a cab or just take a walk from Guangzhou Tower as the river bank overs quite a scene.




SPECIALITY


A hot bowl of soup noodle is all you need during a cold weather. A quick glance a the menu, you will notice a variety of noodles can be chose from with beef and pork being the dominant flavour.

Char Siew Rice Noodle 叉烧粉 - RMB9 (RM5.20)

I ordered a very safe choice which is the char siew rice noodles. The serving here is more generous in comparison to Hong Kong, with different toppings like peanut, fried long beans etc within. The broth is clear soup yet flavourful. The peanut is surprisingly good with a very nutty flavour, which is very different from normal peanuts available in Malaysia. The char siew was just mediocre while the noodle was the highlight.

Mixed Variety Noodle 什锦面 - RMB9 (RM5.20)

This is my personal favourite as I like the texture of this noodle. It gives more filling to the stomach with a richer flavour due to the topping used.

五香卤肉饭 Five Spices Stew Pork Rice - RMB12 (RM7)

Last but not least, I also ordered a bowl of rice to try (please note, on sharing basis). However, would recommend to give the rice a skip and just focus on the noodles. 

SUMMARY


Overall, you have to try Guilin Rice Noodles when you are around in China. Not necessary from this same stall, but can be any other stalls that you stumble upon. No harm trying something new that you never taste before.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
for the noodle
☆☆☆
for the rice
Value
☆☆☆☆
pricey for cheap eatery like this but overall cheap
Service
☆☆☆☆
not too bad with prompt service
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
cheap eatery, hence lower hygiene cautious 
Opening Hours
07:00am until 01:00am daily
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A


GPS: 23.100896, 113.313899
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