Showing posts with label Thailand. Show all posts

[PLACE] 20151111 Walking Street @ Koh Lipe, Thailand


Koh Lipe is a relatively small island and the locals cleverly developed the Walking Street in Koh Lipe is the centre of attraction of tourism for the whole island, creating lots of commercial value to sustain the economy for the island.

It stretches from the Pattaya beach front until the middle of the island, which connects to the main road. You can basically find everything you need on this island from the Walking Street from convenient store, pharmacy, clinics, street food, restaurants, massage parlours or even night bars.

While the main activity starts in the night, the Walking Street during day time is still active with basic needs such as convenient stores and clinics opened. Some restaurants are also opened for breakfast and lunch. You may also book your island hopping or diving tours via the various travel agencies at the Walking Street.

There are a few interesting bars with very unique characters which opens until late. Food option are abundant with selections from authentic Thai food, Western, Italian, BBQ. Halal food are also available with a few stalls and restaurants operate by Muslims. The one and only 7-11 store is also located at the Walking Street.

The shops in Koh Lipe seemed to have a mutual agreement and a fixed price policy whereby everything (souvenirs) sold here are fixed price with no discount. Yes, no "wholesale" here. However, you may try your luck for some "free gift" instead which some stalls are kind enough to give. Prices of massage services are also fixed with typical Thai and oil massage at 300 Baht. No discount even if you come in group.

Koh Lipe Walking Street
Opening Hours: 6:00pm until 12:00am

TO GO


Koh Lipe is so small that you basically don't need a map to travel around because theoretically you won't get lost in this small island. Besides, you definitely won't miss the entrance of the Walking Street as it's fronting the Pattaya beach or the main road of the island.

Tip: Do remember to get a local tourist map from your hotel or travel agency as it will have the latest map with ads and promotion for various services.



ATTRACTION



The walking street during day time is rather quiet which most shops and stalls were closed.


On and off there are some interesting decorations along the walking street that offers a photospot for visitors.


Koh Lipe's very own garbage truck. What's special about this truck the engine is modified from a boat's engine and is exposed directly. A very simple and straight forward design that serves its purpose.


One of a few clinics available on the island. If you are having any illness or food poisoning, you know where to head to.


While most of the stalls are closed during the day, there are still a few stalls opened with some mouth watering street food.


The coconut ice cream is surprisingly good and cheap with option to choose from small to big. 5 big scoops of the ice cream cost 60 Baht. The ice cream is very flavourful compare to those in Bangkok. Not as creamy and bit coarse but the strong coconut flavour overcomes the shortcomings.

The Pattaya Beach fronting entrance arch

Night time is where all the fun starts. Most restaurants and shops open at 6pm, welcoming the crowd especially during the peak season from Nov to May every year.


Many interesting bars and cafe around, like the one in the picture above known as Maya Bar.


Each bar has their every own style and design to attract patrons. Some have interesting bartenders, while others might have live band, some even have live performance to keep us entertained. While the interior and design plays a big role, the most important is the feel and atmosphere that counts.


The one and only 7-11 on the island, with prices slightly more expensive than Bangkok as expected. The dogs here are very clean and obedient. 


Some Halal restaurants around serving Malay style ayam percik for Muslim tourists.


The yoohoo aunty who operates a pancake stall (roti canai alike) who will keep "yoohoo" to attract people to patronize her stall.


The big boob Ms Aiwa statue in front of a souvenir shop is another photospot. Many people like to, erm, you know, pose with Aiwa.


Some travel agencies around that offers island hopping or diving packages which are very affordable in my opinion. You wouldn't want to miss out snorkelling in such crystal clear water, so it is a must do in Koh Lipe.


We booked our tour earlier in the afternoon this agency called Dayatravel which located next to Limoncello restaurant near the inner entrance. Mahadee is able to speak decent English and is very friendly and kind to explain the difference of the trip. We booked the highlight tour which covers most of the key spots for a day trip and managed to negotiate a good price due to travelling in a big group. Free advertisement for Bro Mahadee for him and his staff's hospitality and service during the trip. Their facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/daya.travel.koh.lipe/


SUMMARY


A very interesting street that has all to offer. Some very good restaurants around like the Rak Lay Seafood is one of the must try around. The bars and cafe are good place to hang out after dinner to catch up with your friends or family, or even to know new friends. One minus point will be the price fixing for souvenirs and massage, which can be a good or bad thing, depending your point of view.


Attraction
☆☆☆☆☆
very lively and interesting street
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Sandy but overall clean
Entrance Fee
Nil
Opening Hours
Night life starts 6pm until late
Wifi
Selected outlets
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 6.487026, 99.304568
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[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] 20151111 Sunrise Beach Restaurant @ Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe, Thailand


Just check in your hotel/resort in Koh Lipe and no idea where to grab a bite while the walking street will only open in the evening? Why not have a try at the Sunrise Beach Restaurant by Sara and Gong next to Wapi Resort which is recommended by the local guide after we have booked our island hopping trip.

Located about 5 minute walk from the Walking Street, this cozy little restaurant is opened almost all day long, with the beautiful fronting of the Sunrise Beach.

They serve Thai and Western Menu with offering such as individual meals like various kind of fried rice, noodles, pad thai, or sandwiches, fish and chips or spaghetti. Ala carte menu is also available for those who preferred sharing portion of traditional Thai dishes.

Pricing is slightly on a higher side as expected for a tourist area and a distanced island. Generally food here cost from 80 Baht to 250 Baht while beverages starts from 60 Baht onwards. Acceptable pricing given the portion served.

They also have snorkelling gear and kayak for rental for those who are interested.

Sunrise Beach Restaurant, Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe, Satun, Thailand.
Telephone: +660836575719
Opening Hours: 7:30am until 9:00pm

TO GO


From the inner arch/entrance (not the beach arch) of the Walking Street, walk towards Sunrise Beach direction until you reach Gypsy Resort or Wapi Resort. Then turn left if you enter from Gypsy Resort or turn right if you enter from Wapi Resort. If you get lost, just walk along the beach and enjoy the view while spotting for the signboard above. Another landmark will be Adang Sea Divers.

Get a local map from the tourist counters, some maps will tag Sunrise Beach Restaurant within their maps.



SPECIALITY



The restaurant is a cozy little hut on the sand with an awesome beach fronting with cooling breeze while you enjoy your meal.


On a calm day, you may get to enjoy the view and the two tones of sea water right from your table. The ordering here in Koh Lipe is a bit different where the waitress will ask you what meat would you like to put in your noodle/dish, choices include chicken, pork, seafood, squid, crab, and etc. Of course, the price varies according to the ingredient used.

Pad Thai with pork - THB 90 (RM11)

A dish that I will always order when I'm in Thailand would definitely be their national dish of Pad Thai. However, from the looks, the Pad Thai served here is different from their siblings in mainland Thailand where it is lighter in colour. Taste wise is a tad more sour than the usual Pad Thai I had and taste very different from those Pad Thai I had in Bangkok. Nevertheless, it is still a good dish despite I sensed heavy used of seasoning/MSG.

Coconut Shake - THB70

A glass of Coconut shake to quench your thirst under the hot sun.

Various type of Fried Rice - ranges from THB 90 to THB120 (RM11 to RM15)

They have various type of fried rice available such as pineapple friend rice, seafood fried rice, crab fried rice etc. It might look the same but taste wise is totally different from one another. The rice is fried until fragrant with good "wok hei". The fried rice taste good with enough flavour despite mainly derives from seasoning. The portion is big and is enough for two light eaters.


Bird's eye view of the Fried Rice.

Spicy Spaghetti with Herbs and Basil - THB140 (RM17)

The Spicy Spaghetti with Herbs and Basil is like a mixed pot of ingredients fried with spaghetti. It tastes like our local maggi goreng but using spaghetti instead of maggi noodles if you want a accurate description.


Most of all, just enjoy your meal after your swim or kayak trip and relax.

SUMMARY


Food was tasty despite heavy use of seasoning, at least it's better than a tasteless meal. Price wise is on a higher side as expected for a tourist area with average spending of RM20 per head. I only tried their individual menu and skipped the traditional Thai food as I will be trying those for dinner. Overall a good meal with affordable price at a serene place made this restaurant a recommended place for breakfast or lunch.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Good but heavy reliance on seasoning/MSG
Value
☆☆☆☆
On the higher side but expected and affordable
Service
☆☆☆☆
Communication might be difficult as some waitress speak limited English but pointing on the menu does help. One of the waitress is able to speak simple mandarin. Good service nevertheless.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
Beach fronting with sand and flies but overall cutleries are clean
Opening Hours
07:30am until 09:00pm (Daily)
Wifi
Free Wifi available but connection is hit and miss
Parking
N/A
Website
Email: sarajiab@hotmail.com

GPS: 6.488939, 99.309924
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[FOOD] 20140517 Number 6 Restaurant @ Patong, Phuket


Phuket is one of the popular island destinations in Thailand, welcoming millions of tourist from all around the world. During a company event back in 2014, I got the opportunity for a short visit to Phuket for its beautiful beach and vibrant night life.

While I have skipped most of the pubs and clubs at Bangla Road in Patong Beach, food is something I will never skip when visiting a new place. While looking for a dinner spot at Patong Beach, we were recommended to give Number 6 a try. Please be reminded to inform your cab driver to go to the one near the beach instead of the one uphill as they have another branch up north of Patong Beach with free transportation provided at the same price and quality but a different environment.

Number 6 is a family run business, serving typical Thai cuisine at a very reasonable price, hence its popularity among tourists gained over time. Despite not being the best Thai food around, what I liked about Number 6 is the service, speed and reasonable priced food at decent quality. Typical serving here ranges from THB70-THB200. Not to sure any price increased after so long.

Number 6 Restaurant
Thanon Ratuthit Songroipi Road, Patong, Phuket
Telephone:
Opening Hours: 8:30am until 12:00am

TO GO


Most of the hotels and resorts in Phuket will provide transportation to Bangla Road or Patong Beach. Otherwise, just catch a taxi or cab to either one destination, or best to get the driver to drop you at Jungceylon Shopping Mall, which is the biggest shopping mall at Phuket todate.

From there, walk towards north along Thanon Ratuthit Songroipi Road until you reach a cross junction, continue straight and you will see UOB bank at your right side. Number 6 Restaurant is just further ahead at your left.



SPECIALITY


*pardon me for the poor quality pictures as colleagues are very hungry after the long queue*

The restaurant was packed and a long queue was seen during my visit but the waiters and staff efficiently cleared the queue, making the waiting time as short as possible for hungry patrons. We were seated quickly and menu presented immediately and off the waiter go to serve another table. Everything here is swift and fast to cater the huge crowd. Dishes are also served very quickly after order as most of the dishes are popular dishes that will be ordered by every table.

Fried Mince Pork with Sweet Thai Basil - THB100 (RM11)

The waiter recommended fried mince pork with sweet Thai basil, which is a very common dish in Thai cuisine. The serving is rather small but reasonable for THB100 but the taste beats my expectation as the dish was very fragrant and flavourful albeit tend to be at a saltier side, which goes well with rice by the way.

Garlic and Pepper Squid

Next to serve is the garlic pepper squid, with fresh squid stir fried with garlic and pepper. Not to bad for a dish like this but can give it a pass if you want to try something else. Price should be around THB100-130.


The stir fried chicken with cashew nut taste very much like our Malay style paprik. No complains for the portion and taste.


Green curry chicken is typical with no surprises. Just to compliment with white rice.


The grilled squid was surprisingly good with fresh seafood, grilled to almost perfection with nice char flavour and trace of garlic with tender and succulent texture. We liked it so much that we ordered a second dish to satisfy our carve.

We also ordered a plate of Pad Thai after our meal to try out and it tasted not too bad although there are more Pad Thai selections around. Overall, the meal cost us about THB200 per pax including beer. Not too bad for a satisfying meal (or probably too hungry).

SUMMARY


I would recommend to give Number 6 a try if you have no other options in mind. It is not the best restaurant around but definitely one of the recommended one mostly predicated by the affordability and decent quality. However, if taste or time is your main concern, you probably need to look for somewhere else.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
decent Thai cuisine with some surprises
Value
☆☆☆☆☆
Bang for buck at a tourist area
Service
☆☆☆☆
Fast and prompt but tend to overwork by the crowd
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
somewhat dirty and oily environment
Opening Hours
08:30am until 12:00am (Daily)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 7.893641, 98.298480
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[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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