Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts

[FOOD] 20151111 Rak Lay Thai Food & Sea Food @ Walking Street, Koh Lipe, Thailand


Rak Lay Restaurant is one of the more popular dining options here in Koh Lipe. Opened for lunch as well as dinner, the restaurants offers a variety of Thai cuisines and Thai BBQ menu. Located at the middle of the Walking Street the restaurant is usually packed with patrons during dinner time hence do come early to secure a seat.

Fresh seafood delivered daily and a counter in front of the restaurant is available during dinner time for the BBQ menu. The dine in menu also offer other variety of dishes such as papaya salad, tom yam, green curry etc.

Mixed reviews are available on the internet, giving compliments for the food but condemns on their service. Some also mentioned about the long waiting time due to the huge crowd but this can be avoided if you come as early as possible. This not only ensures you of a seat, it also allows the food to be served faster and most of all, you get to pick the best meat first before the others (MAJOR TIP).

I noticed that this restaurant do not serve pork and beer but not too sure whether it is a halal restaurant. I do see some Muslim friends dining in. Other halal alternatives are available along the walking street.

Price wise it is 10%-20% more expensive than the average price in Koh Lipe with spending per pax easily cost up to RM50/pax depending on what you order. They also have individual menus for those who don't prefer a bill shock but the BBQ menu is what they are famous for and I would admit it's better than the other but not too sure whether it's the best around.

Communication is hard where the staff here only speaks limited English despite one of the staff is able to speak decent Malay. However, he is the guy that always messed up with orders. Not too sure whether they use this tactic to actually serve you higher price food. Just make sure you make your orders clear and check your bill (despite all in Thai) before you pay.

Rak Lay Thai Food & Sea Food Restaurant, Walking Street, Koh Lipe, Satun, Thailand.
Telephone: +660873997960
Opening Hours: Lunch and dinner hours from 6pm onwards

TO GO


Located in the middle of the Walking Street, it is not hard to miss this restaurant as it is usually packed with patrons during dinner hours. The most visible landmark is the 7-11 convenient store which is located at the opposite lane of this restaurant.



SPECIALITY



We went as early as 6pm+ right after the sunset as you can see the staff are still quite free and waiting for patrons.


Plenty of seats are available during my visit as I came early and get to pick a good seat with fan and nice background.


First stop would be the seafood counter. A huge variety of fresh local seafood such as crabs, mackerel, grouper, big prawns, calms, oysters, squid etc are available to choose with some additional packet seafood like scallops which are brought in from other places. The local seafood would be your first choice. Just pick or choose which ever seafood and let the guys weigh it for you. Remember to ask the price tag first as prices may vary according to season.


After weighing, the staff will tell you the price and you may try to negotiate for cheaper price or extra portion, which I did and he generously give in because I ordered quite a lot. After the weighing, the seafood will be processed or grilled right away. Example like the prawns are cut opened and marinated with their garlic and butter sauce.

Coconut Shake - THB70 (RM8.50)

We proceed to order the remaining dishes from the menu inside, but first let me have a coconut shake to quench my thirst. The coconut shake here is special because they directly use the coconut as the containing medium and it does taste good.

Garlic and Butter Grilled Prawn - THB1200/kg

The main dish was the first to arrive. The garlic butter sauce grilled prawn is one of the speciality here in Rak Lay. The prawns are priced according to grades, from the cheapest THB700/kg up to THB1200/kg. The prawns are very fresh and succulent and marinated with the fragrant garlic and butter sauce coupled with the flavourful prawn roe, but it's a bit too salty if you just eat it alone without rice. The prawns are accompanied with Thai chilli sauce and the sourish lime sauce, each has its own merits to suit your liking. The plate above is the biggest prawn that cost THB1200/kg and cost us THB840, it may look small in the picture but it is as big as my knuckle, if not bigger.

Stir Fried Mixed Vegetable - THB200 (RM25) or less

Next to serve is the stir fried mixed vegetables, which is literally a mixture of all sorts of vegetables which includes Chinese cabbage, Kailan, baby corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots etc. I shall give this dish a pass because it has been overpowered by the other dishes here.

Seafood Tom Yam - THB400 (RM50)

The Seafood Tom Yam here is kinda pricey at a price tag of THB400 but it does pack in good amount of seafood which includes a whole crab within. The flavours are very rich and spicy (alert to those who can't take spicy food). A very nice pot of tom yam but would prefer a cheaper alternative.

Stir Fried Baby Calms - THB250 (RM30)

I was informed that they have special calms (lala) today which were very fresh when I was choosing the seafood at the counter. I agreed to try and asked the staff for the recommended cooking method and they recommend to be stir fried with chilli. I have to agree that the calms are very fresh without any trace of sand or mud which makes the whole dish very enjoyable. It's stir fried with generous amount of chilli, which makes the dish the spiciest among all with a hint of sweetness in the sauce. Despite the flaming heat, I enjoyed this dish a lot.

Grilled Squid - THB175 (RM21)

We also ordered grilled squid to try but this dish just turn out to be mediocre despite the freshness of the squid. The BBQ is just normal without any special taste. Would recommend to skip this.

Steamed Grouper in Lemon (Lime) Sauce - THB600 (RM72)

Last to serve is the steam grouper in lemon sauce. The grouper is very fresh and coupled with the mouth watering sourish lemon (lime) and garlic sauce on the sizzling hot plate makes you wanna have more. This fish dish cost us THB600 (RM72) which is kinda pricey but acceptable for the quality and taste.

SUMMARY


Overall the dining experience here was pleasant with superb food but mediocre service as the waiter often mistakenly delivered the wrong beverage to us despite writing it down for 3 times. The steam grouper was also another mistaken identity as initially we only ordered sea bass. Waiting time was cut short as we arrived early.

Taste
☆☆☆☆☆
One of the best BBQ seafood I had in Thai
Value
☆☆☆☆
20% more expensive than average restaurants in Koh Lipe
Service
☆☆☆
Tend to be impatient and often wrong order delivered
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
Lunch hour and dinner till late
BBQ counter opens during dinner
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 6.487362, 99.304873
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[FOOD] 20140614 Cameron Organic Produce Steamboat @ Brinchang, Cameron Highlands


What's the best thing you can have in a chilling weather? Steamboat it is! Cameron Organic Produce Steamboat is one of the few steamboat restaurants in Cameron Highland that offers organic vegetables right from their very own organic vegetable farm.

This steamboat restaurant has been operating since 1999, offering quality food at reasonable price. One very unique feature of the restaurant is that they used traditional charcoal instead of conventional gas stove or induction cooker.

Their menu is simple and straight forward, with the Option A for chicken broth or Option B for vegetarian soup, at the same price of RM20 per pax. Quite pricey if you compare it to the price for a normal steamboat we have on normal steamboat restaurants but still reasonable, giving the fresh ingredients provided.

Reservation is recommended as the tables are filled up fast especially during peak season and dinner hours. Their organic vegetables are also available for sale if you would like buy some.

Cameron Organic Produce Steamboat
金马伦有机蔬果
10, Bandar Baru Brinchang, 39100, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia
Telephone: +605 491 4807 / 5011
Opening Hours: 12:00pm until 10:00pm (Daily)

TO GO


Navigating through the narrow roads in Brinchang could be challenging especially when the steamboat restaurant is located some where hidden within vegetable distributors. Parking can be an issue here due to limited parking lots, hence do expect to park further away.


SPECIALITY



The restaurant was packed during my arrival around 7pm and we had to wait for some time just to get a small table at the very edge of the shop. The simple one pager menu describes the difference between both the normal set and the vegetarian set. However, you still pay the same price despite being just vegetable only, which I believe will be well compensated with generous amount of greens.


Here comes the charcoal stove with glaring hot charcoal pieces, boiling up the soup pretty fast as the heat emitted by charcoal far exceeds the heat generated by gas stove. Notice the bottle of garlic oyster sauce at the side? It's actually the restaurants another specialty and it goes very well with the bland blanch vegetable, giving you a similar taste if you stir-fry your vegetables with oyster sauce. Not forgetting the very special homemade chilli sauce that also goes very well with the meat dish. Both sauces adds a lot of brownie points to the steamboat, and it is also available for sale although not cheap.


The veges are very fresh and green as shown in the picture above. If you would like to have more, you can order extra as side dish.


The meat and seafood are also adequately provided for RM20. Good thing is that the meat are also very fresh with tiger prawns, chicken breast meat and squid. The serving above is for 2 pax which you can probably guess the serving for per pax. Other ingredients including some processed food like fish balls, squid balls, crab sticks and fu chuk (dried bean curd films) are also provided along.


Lastly, the chicken broth served is well prepared with no MSG (as claimed by the owner). Only clear soup is available, in order to emphasizes the freshness of the ingredients provided. 

SUMMARY


Overall the dining experience here at Cameron Organic Produce was very pleasant especially under the cooling weather with fresh ingredients served. The taste is not spectacular but the freshness of the ingredient says it all. You will not feel any burden unlike some other restaurants that are too heavy in flavour or meat. The steamboat here is very healthy and well balanced. Recommended if you have no idea where to settle your dinner but do expect long queue during peak seasons.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
fresh and healthy ingredient served with simple broth
Value
☆☆☆☆
Service
☆☆☆☆
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
Opening Hours
12:00pm until 10:00pm (Daily)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
Limited
Website
http://www.cameronorganic.com.my/

GPS: 4.491827, 101.387618
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[FOOD] 20150426 Restoran Pik Wah (MABA) 碧华楼酒家 @ Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur


If you are bored of normal Chinese restaurants and looking for somewhat a more premium yet affordable restaurant around KL, then probably you should give a try at Restaurant Pik Wah Lao 碧华楼酒家.

This hidden gem located at the lower ground floor of the Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) at Jalan Hang Jebat (opposite Stadium Negara), at fringe of Jalan Sultan is well known among the elderly as a place that serves quality Chinese cuisines.

The restaurant exists for quite some time since the 70's and features some unique dishes that are not found elsewhere in Klang Valley area. The dishes varies from the common dishes to fancy and premium cuisines that you probably can't miss.

The restaurant is often full of patrons especially weekends even there's no on-going functions and it is advisable for you to reserve a table before coming.  There are also a few (but limited) private rooms available with complementary karaoke function, but the catch is with minimum spending of RM1,000-00 otherwise additional surcharge of RM100 will be imposed as they will assign one waitress to serve your room exclusively.

The restaurant is often the choice for celebrities, politicians and businessmen to meet and dine. Suitable if you are planning for a dinner celebration.

Restoran Pik Wah (MABA)
MABA House
Basement Level, Stadium Block,
6 Jalan Hang Jebat,City Center,50150 Kuala Lumpur
碧华楼酒家
Nearest LRT Stations: Plaza Rakyat Station
Telephone: +603 - 2072 3668
Opening Hours: Noon - 03:00pm; 6:30pm - 10:30pm (Daily)

TO GO



Despite being located at the city centre, Restaurant Pik Wah Lao 碧华楼酒家 is shyly hidden away from the busy roads of Kuala Lumpur along Jalan Hang Jebat at MABA House, which is opposite the Stadium Negara (National Stadium). Getting here is pretty easy, just beware of the horrible KL traffic jam.

There are ample parking at the tier parking next to MABA House, which will charge RM5 per entry after 6pm or hourly prior to 6pm. 




SPECIALITY




I have been to Pik Wah Lao for a few times and have tried quite a variety of their dishes but not all. They have a few signature dishes such as the Portuguese Grilled Pork Ribs, Flying Snakehead Fish, Lemon Steamed Grouper etc that I have yet to try and would love to try some other days. They also have this daily promo for some common dishes at half price without compromising on the quantity! A very good deal I must say.

Special Braised Pork with Bun 招牌红烧骨 - RM30

I tried their special braised pork belly that comes with a fried bun. Unfortunately the waiter cut the pork belly into pieces immediately when serve before I was able to take a picture. The restaurant emphasizes a lot on their gravy which you are able to taste that they really put in effort and attention to every gravy for each dish. 

The soft pork belly, accompanied with the rich gravy will definitely make you ask for more rice. Another thing to highlight is the rice served is actually quality fragrant rice instead of normal white rice. Taste wise is predictable just like any other braised pork, but with more attention to their gravy. For RM30, the portion is definitely worth it.

Stir-fry Green Dragon Vegetable 清炒青龙菜 - RM25

Green Dragon Vegetable 青龙菜 (a variant of Chinese chives) is gaining popularity in Chinese restaurants recently as more and more Chinese restaurant offering this special vegetable with unique taste. Surprisingly, Pik Wah Lao only charge RM15 for this delicious stir-fry vegetable that is enough for a table of 6 while other normal restaurants can easily charge the same with but smaller portion and less tasty. Very very cheap if you ask me.

Claypot Seafood 海味煲 - RM20/pax

The captain introduced us to try the claypot seafood when I asked some dishes with sea cucumber. The picture above is portion for 4 which cost RM80 but has abundance of dried seafood such as sea cucumber, fish maw, dried scallops, dried oyster etc which worth every penny paid for this claypot. Again, the gravy is very rich and strong with the essence of dried seafood however, a little disappointment is that I believed it was prepared in bulk and heated up based on portion ordered. Don't get me wrong, it still tastes very good but lack of the taste of a dish that was prepared separately.

Slices Smoked Duck 海蜇熏鸭片 - RM18 (half price)

RM18 for a plate of smoked duck breast with jelly fish? That's a steal and the portion is definitely generous. I don't think you can find this price anywhere else. Despite half price, it didn't compromise the taste at all as the duck breast is well marinated and smoked to perfection with a thin layer of fat beneath the duck skin. Coupled with the marinated jellyfish slices makes it a great combo for starter or main dish.

Steam Patin 清蒸巴丁鱼 - RM100/kg

Fish the highlight of this restaurant, from the cheapest Talapia, to the expensive Grouper or snakeheads. The captain politely answers when I asked her for the current prices for different fishese available. The patin above (please ignore the blue tint from the TV screen reflection) was quoted RM100/kg and the bill also came at RM100 with no extra charges (unlike some restaurants that will tell you unable to weigh exactly 1kg and charge you more for the extra pounds). The fish was so fresh and steamed to perfection, not too cooked nor uncooked. The soy sauce was also the key with a hint of tangerine skin that adds a lemony zest to induce your taste buds without overpowering the fish itself.

Stir Fried Lotus Root and mixed vegetables with Macadamia 杂菜莲藕炒夏威夷果 - RM45 (portion for 10)

A very light vegetable dish that's very healthy that's slightly more expensive than normal dishes but worth it for the portion. The picture might look small but it's actually a very big plate that's more than enough for 10 person.

Special Minced Pork Homemade Taufu 招牌家乡豆腐 - RM30 (portion for 10)

The special homemade toufu with minced meat and crispy radish. Initially I thought this toufu is no where different from normal restaurants but I was proven wrong because the toufu is actually very flavourful and again the attention was on the gravy with the mince pork and crispy radish which goes very well with rice. RM30 for 10 person? That's another steal.

Ginger Paste Steam Grass Carp 姜蓉芫鱼 - RM60

This is by far the best grass carp I ever tasted. I ordered grass carp as other fishes were not available during our lunch. Traditionally, we will have the impression that the grass carp is full of bones and the flesh is somewhat mushy especially the bigger fish. However, Pik Wah Lao proves me wrong again as the flesh taste like toufu texture, which is firm yet like pudding. Makes me wonder why other restaurants' grass carp taste so differently. Mind you, the fish above is as big as two palm combined but only price at RM60. Yum yum.. never knew grass carp can be so enjoyable.

Abalone with Braised Goose Feet 鲍鱼焖鹅掌 - comes in set meal

Another dish that I would like to highlight which is part of a set meal was the abalone with braised goose feet. It's my first time of trying goose feet as it is a rare delicacy in Malaysia as not many places do serve goose, let alone goose feet. The abalone was cooked just right with the gravy as highlight to add flavour to the texture. The goose feet skin absorbs most of the flavour of the gravy, which makes it very flavourful. I ate it just like how I would normally do while eating chicken feet, just that this is not as soft as the latter.


SUMMARY


Much praise was heard for Restaurant Pik Wah with its unique culinary and dishes served. Do not miss out their special dishes like the Portuguese Grill Pork Ribs (prior booking preferred), various method of preparing fishes, etc. Spending here may vary from standard price to more premium pricing, depending on what you order. The restaurant starts to fill up by 6:00pm onwards, so be sure you made your reservations earlier hand to avoid disappointments.

I will definitely come back again whenever I feel like having a better Chinese meal once awhile.

Taste
☆☆☆☆☆
One of the best Chinese cuisines around town
Value
☆☆☆☆☆
Tends to be premium, depending on what you order but definitely worth it.
Service
☆☆☆☆☆
Captains occasionally might be a bit harsh but the waitress are excellent.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Run down restaurant but well maintained
Opening Hours
Noon until 03:00pm
6:30pm until 10:30pm (Daily)
Wifi
Yes
Parking
Ample
Website
Nil

GPS: 3.142837, 101.700289
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[FOOD] 20140711 Haji Musa Ikan Bakar @ Crystal Bay, Melaka


I have blogged about Haji Musa Ikan Bakar in my previous blog which receives quite a number of hits and I guess the owner should thank me for promoting his stall as I see his stall expanding bigger and bigger every time I visit them.

Jokes aside.

I was introduced to this stall by a friend who is a local here in Melaka few years back and have never fail to drop by for their ikan bakar (grilled fish) every time I pass by Melaka. My last visit was back in July 2014, hence the date was titled as above.

If you are looking for something different than the usual Melaka famous food, this Ikan Bakar would probably be in your want-to-try list. It may not be the best around, but it is definitely best bang for buck although prices might seemed to be on the increasing trend every year (still affordable!).

Medan Selera Crystal Bay, Jalan Alai Perdana 8, Taman Alai Perdana, 75460 Melaka
Telephone: N/A
Opening Hours: 06:00pm until late

TO GO


The food court (medan selera) is located away from the usual hotspots of Melaka and unfortunately you will need your own transport to get to Crystal Bay. It's about 20 minutes drive from Melaka town centre along Jalan Permatang Pasir on the way down to Muar, Johor.

The stall is located within a housing area near a coast line called Crystal Bay. The exact name will be Medan Selera Ikan Bakar Crystal Bay. Basically there are two ways to get here. If you know how to go to the Portuguese Village from Melaka Raya then it will be easier for you. If you are heading to Portuguese Village or Aunty Lee's Nyonya Restaurant's direction from Melaka Ray, then you will just need to continue driving straight in that direction until the end of the road where you will pass thru traffic lights and Malay villages along the way until the end of the road where there's a big left turning (curve) where you will arrive at a traffic light. From that traffic light, turn right after the light turns green and you will soon cross a small bridge across a stream. Keep right after the bridge and you will see a turning to the right with a big pintu gerbang and you will see the signboard "Crystal Bay". Turn right and travel some distance and you will notice a signboard stating Medan Selara Ikan Bakar at your right side. Turn right again and drive all the way to the end then you will find yourself a parking area with the stalls at your left. If you came earlier then you will be able to find ample parking. The stalls open at 6pm, come any time later than that then you will have to pray that it is not weekend or public holidays.

Just key in "Jalan Alai 8" in your navigation app and you will eventually reach the food court. Look for stall number 3 or the one with the dark blue table cloth.

Would recommend you to come earlier for the tables and also the best catch.



SPECIALITY



Crystal bay is located near the beach which you can stop by before you dinner for sunset. The food court itself is located next to a river with fishing boats, but try not to look at the water will ya?


Just like any other ikan bakar joints, you get to choose your seafood at the counter and inform the boss on the preferred cooking method. The price is seasonal but reasonable, always check the price with the boss before you choose to avoid any "unhappiness". The usual seafood available includes:

  • Siakap (Seabass)
  • Pari (Sting Ray)
  • Kembung
  • Kerapu (Grouper)
  • Merah (Red Snapper)
  • Big prawns
  • Squid
  • Flower crab
  • Shellfish (lala, siham/kerang, bamboo clams, mussels etc)

It's best for you to choose your seafood to ensure the quality, or you can just tell the boss what you want and he will do the dirty job for you. After you done choosing, just pass the basket back to the boss for weighing and also to inform him on the cooking method. Cooking method varies according to type of seafood but commonly ordered flavours include:

  • Bakar sambal (sambal grill - spicy)
  • Bakar garam (salt grill)
  • Goreng tepung (flour battered)
  • Goreng chili (fried with chili)
  • Goreng kunyit (fried with tumeric)




Besides grilled seafood, each table is also served with nasi lemak, otak-otak (grilled fish paste) and occasionally coconut jelly by other stalls which will be charged accordingly if you choose to consume. The nasi lemak is just normal and small portion, and I usually take it along with my grilled fish and calamari.



One of my sure order will definitely will be the fresh prawn, nicely grilled with salt. Because you get to choose your prawn, you will have the biggest and freshest prawn on your table. The prawn is measured in kilo and average each prawn will cost you about RM3+ (very cheap for the size!). I usually order 2 or 3 per person, but if you love prawns, you might need to top up more. 

Tips for choosing prawn: look for prawns with head firmly attached and clear colour. 


Not forgetting the calamari with sweet and sour dipping sauce. The squid is best prepared with goreng tepung method which is very much like our Chinese style of preparing fried squid. Recommended portion will be one squid per person because you will not be able to stop once you start. Average per squid (big ones) will cost you about RM5 or RM6.


I would recommend you to skip shellfish due to a few reasons. The taste is not up to standard (at least from Chinese preparation point of view), and the lala is not properly clean with traces of sand within. Bamboo clam, however, would be a better choice.


The main highlight would definitely be the fish. I always order their Siakap (sea bass) due to freshness and cheap, and prepared with sambal. I don't quite like their pari prepared with sambal but that's personal preference. Nowadays their Siakap will cost about RM40/kg (inclusive of preparation), which is higher than my first visit of only RM30/kg.


Ikan kembung goreng chili, nothing much to shout about. Just ordered to try and should just stick to their signature grills.


SUMMARY


Ikan Bakar Haji Musa may not be the best in town but definitely the best bang for buck on top of its freshness. However, prices have increased and may need to reclassify from "cheap" to "affordable". Nevertheless, this stall is worth a try if you are looking for something different in Melaka.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Not the best, but acceptable
Value
☆☆☆☆☆
Cheap and affordable
Service
☆☆☆
Friendly boss but staff might not be attentive at times.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
Opening Hours
06:00pm onwards until late (Daily)
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Yes (RM1 parking fee might be chargable)
Website
Nil

GPS: 2.171094, 102.307875
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[FOOD] 20150114 T&K Seafood @ Chinatown, Bangkok


T&K Seafood is well known in Chinatown area for serving fresh and cheap seafood for years. It is located at the centre of Chinatown, or also known as Yaowarat in Thai. It operates in an 3-storey intermediate old shop lot near a junction with a direct competitor (Lek & Rut) located right opposite them. Don't get confused among the two as T&K will be in green while Lek & Rut in red.

If you are here during peak season or peak hours, be prepared to queue for your table as this place will be packed with locals and tourists. Their business is so good even the outdoor seating extended until the main road are usually packed. Air conditioned tables are available in the restaurant but could be very pack.

The BBQ grill is located right in front of the restaurants where you will be able to see how your dinner is prepared especially if you ordered their grill menu like their famous grilled big head river prawn or squid. Other dishes will be served from their kitchen at the back of the restaurant.

Famous dishes like the grilled big head prawn, oyster omelette, tom yam gung, fish cakes etc are among the dishes you might want to try. Although I said cheap in the earlier paragraph but I felt that I will be able to get cheaper price somewhere else. Having said that, the pricing is still reasonable for a popular tourist spot.

T&K Seafood
49-51 Soi Phadung Dao, Yaowarat Road Chinatown, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
Nearest MRT Stations: Hua Lamphong Station
Telephone: +66 2 223 4519
Opening Hours: 04:30pm until 02:00am (Daily)

TO GO


T&K seafood is located at the centre of the Chinatown. Unfortunately there is no direct access via BTS or MRT and most likely you will need to take a cab to reach here. But be mindful on the peak hours as some taxi drivers may not want to travel here due to the jam, hence, plan your journey ahead to avoid disappointment. 

The nearest MRT station will be the Hua Lamphong Station, which you will need to walk for another 15 minutes to reach Chinatown. Walk along the main street of Chinatown and you won't miss the smell and the scene of busy workers grilling fresh seafood on the grill. Look for the green stall for T&K.



SPECIALITY


I arrived at Chinatown after my visit from Wat Arun and Wat Pho due to the proximity of the areas. I negotiate for a tuk tuk to avoid the jam, although it costs more than a cab but still worth for the ride and arrived at Chinatown swiftly.


Walk along the main street of Chinatown and you will eventually arrived at a junction filled with people, and most of all, filled with aroma of grill seafood. T&K seafood is the one with the green paintjob, with their competitor (Lek & Rut) right opposite them, head to head.


The outdoor kitchen, serving part of the menu. The outdoor seating are at the side of this kitchen, towards the main road and differentiated by the green colour stools.


The BBQ counter right outside the restaurants, preparing trays of grilled big head fresh water prawns, supplied by the Chao Phraya River.


The cute menu with drawing of two young lads, which I believed to be T and K respectively. Unfortunately no further information available on the two guys. The menu is categorized according to type of seafood with pictures of their signature dishes and price stated clearly. Although the price looks cheap by going with Malaysian or Singaporean standards, it is on the high side for Thailand standards but still reasonable and affordable.




Their famous grilled big head fresh water prawns, which comes in small or large portion. The small portion is as above with 4 pieces of fresh prawn, two male two female each. I resisted to order this during my dinner in the day before at Honggi BBQ Seafood because I have already have T&K Seafood in my itinerary. Overall the prawns are fresh but the size is smaller than my expectation (body length about 4 inches) as I have seen bigger ones by the street vendors. Average. each prawn will cost about 50 Baht (RM5.50), which I think is on the high side for the size.


I also ordered egg fried rice to try out and cost about 55 Baht (RM6). Not too bad with good flavour but lack of aroma from the eggs and wok hei that Chinese fried rice usually have.


Stir fried morning glory for some fibre diet, nothing spectacular. Still think our own Kangkung belacan is much better any time.


Grilled scallop but nothing special with the size of your thumb. Couldn't remember the price for this dish but it is around 200 Baht.


Tried their curry crab, which come in small, medium or large size. For comparison sake, Thailand's definition of crab size is much smaller than Malaysia. Their large size, as the picture above, is probably the same as our small size in normal restaurants. Taste wise, the crab is fresh no doubt but the curry is heavy in coconut milk, very good for rice but overpowered the crab. Regret ordering this crab dish which has inflated our bill for another 560 Baht, which I think is overpriced. Maybe Thailand don't have large crabs.

SUMMARY


Overall, dining in T&K is still enjoyable despite the cramp space and doubtful hygiene. Seafood are fresh and taste is considered good but not outstanding. Have yet to try the oyster omelette and steam or fried fish, perhaps another time. Pricing is on the higher side for Thailand's standard but still reasonable and affordable.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
good taste with fresh seafood served, but not the best
Value
☆☆☆☆
Not as cheap as expected and high side for Thailand standard.
Service
☆☆☆
Slow service but still friendly due to the crowd
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
Dirty environment. Pray for not having diarrhoea the next day.
Opening Hours
04:30pm until 02:00am (Daily)
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Limited
Website
Nil

GPS: 13.740109, 100.510604
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