BANGKOK EATS--NY Times article on upscale/indoor "street food"
 

I would love to hear the impressions of Agent Hauman, and the comments of anyone else interested in the local food scene, on the places mentioned in this article from the NY Times. I know that Bo.lan, and the stalls at Or Kor Tor, have been discussed extensively online, but I have not heard about the other restaurants mentioned here...Krua Apsorn and Cafe Chili.

Which of the four places should be on the list for a traveler avidly interested in Thai food?


http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/11/28...tml?ref=travel


Please enlighten me--which should I put on my list for a future visit?

we will try cafe chilli next week and report back

Good!


I've loved the Isaan food I've tried in NYC, so it sounds promising. And they even have a brownie cheesecake on the dessert menu that has your name written on it.

Heading back home and at the airport at the moment will reply ASAP after I'm home Eks.

Agent Hanuman: I know traffic in Bangkok can be brutal but surely 24 hours is a long time for a trip from the airport. You have been granted a dispensation for one more day so you can meet with your handlers and debrief. After that, I expect a full report.

After all, the other applicant for this dicey assignment (see first post after original) appears to be a Burger King and Italian food-in-Bangkok specialist, so this assignment is clearly out of his purview.

Madam Eks,

Sorry for the late reply!

Cafe Chilli - offer good e-sarn food with the local(e-sarn) taste. A/C inside a mall so many farang likes it!

Other Thai restaurant in the Paragon, I recommend "Taling-Pling" (near Vanilla) good tradition thai food.

Krua Apsorn - well known restaurant but sadly I haven't eaten there.

Hope this help!

i just ask any taxi driver for e-sarn food

All is forgiven, agent H. I understand that the debriefing was more complicated the usual due to the ongoing complexity of the situation.

Your next assignment will be to put on your undercover garb and head for Krua Apsorn.

Question: Shall I call it "e-sarn" from now on? (Not Isaan??)

Restaurants inside shopping malls do not sound too appealing to me...I want the "real deal!"

In the interest of efficiency, here is the review of 10/09 Bo.lan by our very own....Hanuman. (Now I know where to take you for dinner when we finally meet!)



"Just finished having dinner at Bo Lan restaurant and I would like to share my thoughts on the restaurant and food.

Location: You will need a taxi to get there and for those that knows Bangkok it's located in Soi 24 near the Emporium.

The restaurant: A converted house with outside dining option. The main restaurant is not that big but cozy. Modern decoration but the tables were a bit "rocky" and were not stable enough.

The food: Very authentic and they did not hold back on the spice or chili! Their recipes are from the old Siam period and their inspiration came from Khun Ying Pleon Bunnag who during the reign of King Rama 5 was credited with collecting all the recipes and published them in her books. We were surprised to see a copy of the book on every table and to learn of the chef's inspiration and doubly so because the friend who accompanied us is the great grandson of the Khun Ying!

The food most closely relate to the royal cooking style of the Thai royal court so it is not the most spicy or the hot style of Thai food. However the chefs, Bo and Dylan hence the naem Bo Lan which coincidently mean "old" or "ancient" in Thai, were very faithful to the recipe and did not tone anything down. Out of all the dishes, a lot of them were generously complemented by the chefs, I would give 1 dish 10 out 10 and the rest around 7 to 8 out 10 points. Very good for 2 farang(Dylan and Adam) and 1 Thai(Bo) chefs!

The menu changes every month or every few months, the service was a bit flawed but overall good, the food did not take too long and the owners/chefs were very friendly and took the time greet us and see as of. Prices for the food were high and the decoration were good. Would I go back? If you're buying I will accompany you!"

Pictures(taken with my phone): http://khun-pook.smugmug.com/

Eks,

IMO Bo Lan try to be TOO authentic recreating menus from the past. Food and cooking evolve so some of the more modern cooking methods/ingredient might be better.

Nahm at the Metropolitan is good. I ate there at the pre opening event and will dine there this Friday with Smeagol and Muffin. This will be a proper test of the restaurant since the regular chef will be cooking for us(at the pre opening David Thompson cooked). Will let you know my opinion as well as those of Smeagol and Muffin.

Regarding the spelling or pronunciation of E-Sarn or Isan. In Thai it's "อีสาน" and the closes English spelling to properly pronounce it, IMO, is "E-Sarn".

Pook, this reminds me: did you ever get to try Soul Food Mahanakorn?

Not yet Billy. If I go near the place I will definitely try it out.

Thank you, Agent Hanuman. I really do need to return to Bangkok one of these days!

Eaten at the Samsen branch of Krua Apsorn a few times. It one establishment that hasn't lost its soul to its English press popularity. Quite good!

Nahm was hands-down the worst eating experience we've ever had in Bangkok. Both of us ordered the set menu and agonized on nearly every dish (not from the prik, mind you). The English ladies seated next to us looked thoroughly perplexed and resigned to the fact that their dishes were wholly inedible. They seemed stunned into quiescence. I really felt bad for them.

BTW, We just did a Beijing, SR, and Bkk tour that I'll post about later.

Curt: MAny thanks--it is now at the top of my list..

Definitely go for Krua Apsorn's crab omelet. Any of their fried veggies are great. They also do a pretty good pu pad pong karee, with hefty chunks of crab.

I didn't care for their famous lotus stem yellow curry dish. Not really into sour.

I guess it's back to the MBK foodhall for you then Mango!

I thought the food was well presented at Nahm and the taste was toned down a bit so that most foreigners will be able to enjoy it more. Sort of like eating Thai food when you're abroad like in the USA or Europe.

Pictures from Nahm one evening and a local restaurant the next day:http: //khun-pook.smugmug.com/gallery/15056957_zEfHP#1124933734_SnWvS

At Nahm you will be able to eat all of their dishes but from what I ate the next day most foreigners will only be able to eat around 3 of the 8 dishes I ordered. The ones most foreigners will not like are the really spicy or pungent stuff.

We've eaten Thai food on all levels in BKK, but Nahm was the worst. Never have we had a bad eating experience, in fact. My wife (Thai) forced herself to eat as to not waste the food. MBK certainly would have been the better choice of the two.