Showing posts with label BBQ. 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] 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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[FOOD] 20150113 Pratunam Food Street (near Big C) @ Pratunam, Bangkok


If you are staying nearby Pratunam area and looking for breakfast after your comfy sleep in your hotel, why not head down to the food street at Ratchadamri Road, nearby Big C supermarket if you have already tried looking around Pratunam Morning Market.

The food street mainly caters for office workers who are off to work early as I observed most of the customers are mostly locals who are buying breakfast along the way to work. The food street stretched from the bridge at Ratchadamri Road down to the Big C Supermarket. You may also find some clothes vendors along the streets as well.

There are more food choices here compared to Pratunam Market as the later mostly cater the clothing market. You can find variety of food from staple rice and noodles, or street snacks and food like sweet potato balls, fish cakes, pandan kuih etc. You can even get a quick fix with a cuppa from the cafe or road side coffee stall, or a milk tea as an alternative.

This post will mainly introduce the morning session of the food street. When the sky turns dark, there will be another shift of food vendors that will gather in front of Central World.

Ratchadamri Road (both sides, from bridge until Big C)
Nearest BTS Station: Siam Station
Telephone: N/A
Opening Hours: Morning

TO GO


Just take a walk from your hotel location towards Big C supermarket or Central World Mall. If you are taking a cab, just head to Central World will do. Alternatively, you may walk from BTS Siam Station (all lines) from Siam Paragon towards Central World direction.


SPECIALITY


Staple food like rice, fried or soup noodles and vermicelli are common breakfast for South East Asian countries. You may find these food commonly available around streets of Bangkok.

Sweet or Savoury Crepe - 20 Baht for 3 pieces (RM2.20)

Different flavours of crepe from the sweet to the savoury. The fillings includes grated coconuts, cereal, nuts or fruits. 


Came across this fish cake stall which sell deep fried fish cakes. The fish cake will then be cut into slices and then topped with special green chili sauce which is sour and spicy and some cucumbers. 

Deep Fried Fish Cake - 20 Baht for 1 packet (RM2.20)

It may look like normal fish cake from the outside but it taste surprisingly good until the extend that I purposely went back the next day to look for it but found out it was not there. Probably on alternate days or free for all basis. It has a texture of tofu but flavour of fish. Coupled with the sour and spicy chili sauce makes a delicious and appetizing combination.


Next will be the coconut crepe or kuih like. Not sure what is it called in Thai. It's actually a batter with coconut milk and then pan baked till cooked with toppings like corn, yam, chives or original flavour.


The stall is manned by an old lady, constantly preparing batch and batch of the coconut snack.

Coconut Milk Kuih - 20 Baht for small packet

The old lady will randomly pack the different flavours for you and it's available in small portion (20 Baht for 16 pieces) or big portion (30 Baht for don't know how many pieces). This coconut snack is savoury with the strong presence of coconut milk. I personally like the corn and yam flavour, but it tend to be a bit too salty for me. Grab some water after that!


Not forgetting the delicious pork satay (skewer). It is much cheaper here that each satay cost only 7 Baht. The uncle handed me 3 pieces fresh and hot from the grill and offer me for 20 Baht. I obliged. Locals tend to pair the pork satay with sticky rice. Very friendly couple.

Thai Milk Tea - 25 Baht (RM2.80)

After so much food, it's time to get something to quench my thirst. I noticed many locals went to this stall at the side of the alley instead of the ones at the main corridor. It must be either cheaper or better in quality, or maybe both. I pointed to the old lady for a milk tea and she understood. The tea here in Thailand is different from ours in Malaysia. It's a kind of red tea which is literally red in colour when brewed. Hence the milk tea is more to orange colour instead of brown colour like our teh ais. The flavour is also different from our Cameron Highlands Teh Boh, and I should asked for a kurang manis version instead as the sweetness level is pretty much like our fellow mamak stall.


Local snacks like crackers and fried anchovies are also available in this market. I asked for a sampling but didn't like the flavour.


Not forgetting the famous Thai Fried Chicken, which can be found every where around Bangkok. There's a famous one at this location, in front of Central World during the night shift. The fried chicken here has a harder curst, which I believe they have add glutinous rice flour in their batter prior to the frying.


Everything can be grilled, even the stick rice and eggs are not exempted!



Yes, even bananas can be grilled.


Found my sweet potato balls in front of Big C. I asked for a 20 Baht mixture of both types and the vendor happily agrees even though his normal price is 50 Baht for more because I told him I'm very full from all the previous samplings. Nothing much to shout about the sweet potato balls as the night market in Malaysia has better ones.


Last but not least, I found the Pandan Kuih in front of Central World. It taste like Pandan Pancake but lack of a wow factor. This packet also cost 20 Baht, as it is pretty standard pricing for street food in Bangkok.

SUMMARY


What a filling food hunt along the food street and you need to come back in the night for the second round of hunt. However, the food quality here maybe a mix of high and low. Hence, hunt your food diligently!

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Huge variety of local street food but the quality might be hit and miss
Value
☆☆☆☆☆
Most of the food are priced at 20 Baht
Service
☆☆☆☆
Most of the vendors are very friendly to tourists
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
by the road side
Opening Hours
Everyday
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 13.747701, 100.540810
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[FOOD] 20150112 Honggi BBQ Seafood 洪记烧烤 @ Pratunam, Bangkok


I was looking for some place to have some good Thai food for dinner and stumbled across this roadside stall located next to Shibuya 19 called Honggi BBQ Seafood or 洪记烧烤 in Chinese.

This stall only opens at night as I don't recall seeing this during day time. The exact location is actually at the corner of Shibuya 19, next to McDonalds and opposite 7-11. The Platinum Fashion Mall is actually located at the opposite side of the main road. Apparently this seafood BBQ stall is operated by local Chinese and the waitress can converse well in mandarin.

They have typical Thai menu as well as BBQ seafood. The price, however, is not very friendly and probably a tourist trap. Taste wise is just mediocre.

Honggi Seafood Restaurant
Soi Phetchaburi 19, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Nearest BTS Station: Nil
Telephone: N/A
Opening Hours: N/A

TO GO


I wouldn't recommend you to dine here as you have other better alternative else where. However, if you must, it's located at the corner of Shibuya 19 Ground Floor, opposite a 7-11.



SPECIALITY



As you can see from the above the setup is pretty simple with the BBQ grill facing the main road while the kitchen is actually located at the back.


They have various seafood for grill which include squid, fish, clams and prawns. As I will be heading to T&K seafood in the next few days, I have skipped the BBQ seafood and opt for normal Thai food. Oopps, I did order a BBQ Squid.


The BBQ squid is just mediocre and no where near the one I had at Number 6 in Phuket. This squid cost me 250 Baht. That's an expensive squid.


The Stir Fried Minced Pork with Basil is also just so so. Maybe I have set the expectation too high after all the nice food I had for the past few meals.


Last but not least is the Seafood Tom Yam Gung or sour spicy soup, which actually taste quite good. 

Overall bill came to about 700 Baht (RM70) for two, which is quite expensive for a roadside stall like this to be honest. Although the food was ok with price clearly stated on the menu, but it felt like a bit ripped off.

SUMMARY


Overall it was not an enjoyable meal due to the higher expectations. I can get this kind of quality easily in Malaysia at cheaper price. Not really recommended unless you have no other options. If you are nearby Pratunam and looking for dinner, would recommend you to try the road side stalls near Center World. 

Taste
☆☆☆
mediocre food
Value
☆☆☆
not worth for a setup like this.
Service
☆☆☆☆
acceptable service
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
by the roadside
Opening Hours
N/A
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Limited
Website
Nil

GPS: 13.750987, 100.538308
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[FOOD] 20141220 Kiyomi 可优密 @ Dongmen, Shenzhen



There are many food stalls and shops along Dongmen, but the one shop that you cannot miss will definitely be Kiyomi 可优密. Kiyomi is a fairly new outlet here, as suggested by the hipster name "Kiyomi" (meaning cute in Korean) and the techno music played in the background. It may appear to be one fancy, hip outlet selling fruit tea/bubble tea and some street food, but do not let them fool you as the snacks sold here are better than my expectation.

When it comes to street food, you probably picture that a bike with a make shift stall at the side of the road selling their specialities similar to those we seen in Penang or Bangkok. However in Shenzhen, or at least at Dongmen, most of the street food are located at road frontage stores.

Kiyomi has a variety to offer which includes street food, hot food like noodles, as well as beverages. You will not miss the huge crowd holding long skewer sticks (satay sticks) in front of the store.

Pedestrian Street, Dongmen, Luohu, Shenzhen
深圳罗湖区东门步行街二横路
Nearest Metro Station: Laojie Station, Exit A or G
Telephone: N/A
Opening Hours: N/A

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.

Travelling in Shenzhen is not as convenient as Hong Kong, with destination distanced away from Metro stations. I would recommend taking cab or public buses if you somewhat able to communicate in Mandarin as it will be the most convenient way to commute. The cab and buses are fast and reliable in comparison to our lousy Malaysian buses. If you are taking bus, just drop off at Dongmen 3 (东门3) stop or Dongmen Pedestrian Bridge (东门天桥) stop in front of MOI Department Store. Each bus ride is about RMB2 (RM1.20) or max RMB3 (RM1.80). 

However, if language is a barrier, then your only option will be taking the Metro. Take the Longgang Line (Blue) or Luobao Line (Green), and drop off at Laojie station, you may take Exit A or G, and then walk your way along the streets as there are much to offer.




SPECIALITY



The stall employed many young men to man the grill in their uniform. The techno music in the background will just keep them going non stop, selling one stick after another. Don't be amazed on the number of sticks on the grill as they go out pretty quickly!


In order to cope with the volume, they have a staff selling coupons in front of the stall to save time at the counter. Just look for a uniformed gentlemen with a basket of coupons, usually haggling in front of the store to get more business.


I'm here for street food and the Xinjiang Lamb Skewers is just too much to resist! Besides the lamb skewer, they also have grill squids, BBQ pork neck meat, takoyaki and scallops to offer.

Xinjiang Lamb Skewer 新疆烤羊肉串 - RMB10 (RM5.70) for 2

Despite the portion, the Xinjiang Lamb Skewer is a steal at only RMB10 (RM5.70) for 2 sticks. Xinjiang is a place in North China, close to Mongolia where their special marinate method of using Sichuan pepper (花椒) which provides the kick for the meat. Despite the mass production, the skewer is well marinated, grilled to perfection and finished with sprinkle of spices. The juicy and tender meat will just keep you going and wanting for more.

Grilled Squid 火爆鱿鱼 - RMB10 (RM5.70) for 5

The Grilled Squid is also a steal for only RMB10 for 5 sticks!! Compared to HK's Gai Kei of HKD15 for 1, this definitely worth the penny and it also tastes better too!

Takoyaki (6 pcs) - RMB10 (RM5.70)

My tummy only permits me to taste one more and takoyaki it is! The generous serving of bonito flakes (dried fish flakes) and chicken flosses definitely make this an enjoyable snack. The takoyaki tastes good but will not be on the must try list.

SUMMARY


Dongmen is a must come if you are in Shenzhen, and while you are here, just drop by this new Kiyomi store at the end of the pedestrian street. I guarantee you that the lamb skewers will not disappoint as I have tried all other different stalls in SZ and GZ, still this is considered the better one!

Taste
☆☆☆☆☆
for the lamb skewer
☆☆☆☆
for the rest
Value
☆☆☆☆☆
cheap food!
Service
☆☆☆☆
Not too bad!
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Clean outlet (new stall), dirty surroundings 
Opening Hours
N/A
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A


GPS: 22.546677, 114.121371
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