Sunday, November 27, 2011

Siang Ki Khaotom Pla @ Yaowarat, Bangkok

Cuisine: Chinese
Visited: 20 October 2011
Price: THB300 per person (what I paid for)
Food: 8/10
Atmosphere: n.m. (kind of street food)
Value for money: 6/10
Services: n.m. (kind of street food)

Undeniable that this almost a century old store called "Siang Ki" at Yaowarat is one of the legend of rice in soup with fish (khaotom pla or fish gruel). This little place is located just in Soi Bamrung Rat, just about 100 meters down on the left hand side. The old ladies and gentlemen owners are always there to prepare and cook food themselves. Pricing may be a little high for gruel but it surely worth what you get. Just keep in mind that you will need to find parking space on the street in case of driving and it is rather difficult. We, hence, recommend you to take taxi.

Siang Ki Sign - ป้ายร้านเซี่ยงกี่

Siang Ki from Outside - หน้าร้านเซี่ยงกี่

Owners Preparing Dishes

Menu Board - ราคาอาหาร

We did try both with and without soup this time. Pomfret without Soup - เนื้อปลาจาระเม็ดแห้ง was really tremendous. Fish was really fresh and supremely tender. We love it ^^. By the way, this Pomfret without Soup had no rice, just pure fish. The other one was Khaotom with Pomfret and Fish Maw - ข้าวต้มปลาจาระเม็ดกับกระเพาะปลาสด. Highlight was fish maw that was just tender, smooth, and tasty. Addition of some soy bean paste gave really splendid taste. There are also fresh oyster available if you love it. We highly recommend this place.

Pomfret without Soup - เนื้อปลาจาระเม็ดแห้ง

Khaotom with Pomfret and Fish Maw - ข้าวต้มปลาจาระเม็ดกับกระเพาะปลาสด

Pomfret Meat - เนื้อปลาจาระเม็ด

Fish Maw - กระเพาะปลาสด

Oyster - หอยนางรม

Siang Ki Khaotom Pla @ Yaowarat, Bangkok
54 Soi Bamrung Rat
Yaowarat Road
Samphanthawong
Bangkok 10110
Thailand

เซี่ยงกี่ ข้าวต้มปลา @ เยาวราช กรุงเทพ
54 ซอยบำรุงรัฐ
ถนนเยาวราช
แขวงสัมพันธวงศ์ เขตสัมพันธวงศ์
กรุงเทพ 10100

Open Hours: 16:00 - 23:00 daily except last Sunday each month
Tel: +66 (0) 2224 3600, +66 (0) 86 882 3675

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Four Seasons @ Siam Paragon, Bangkok

Cuisine: Chinese
Visited: 4 November 2011
Price: THB550 per person without alcohol (what I paid for)
Food: 5/10
Atmosphere: 4/10
Value for money: 5/10
Services: 2/10
Here we are at last, the famous Chinese restaurant from London "Four Seasons" on ground floor of Siam Paragon. Many people have heard about its famous roasted duck, many have even tried, and many have fallen in love. If you have experienced Four Seasons before in London, you may probably notice that half of customers in London branch, especially at Bayswater, is Thai....interesting. For decoration of this place, just simply forget the cosy decoration: this place is just designed to represent some Chinese atmosphere and that's it: many small tables, pack and crowded.

Before giving this place a visit, we would like to give you a few suggestions. First, they do not take reservation, so do not bother give them a call to book and they do open everyday. Secondly, the queue can be long as it is newly opened but we are not sure what the situation would be in the future. What we did experience was 2 hours queue at 17:30hr T__T and there will be many people who try to get their queues cut. They may also tell you promising to give you a call when your turn comes but what we did find out was that they never gave us a call ~_~. Last but not least, it is a Chinese restaurant, hence, do not expect great and friendly services here: just go and enjoy your food.

Four Seasons @ Siam Paragon, Bangkok

The Long Queue T__T

Rather Crowded Atmosphere

The Red Menu ^^

The first menu of the meal was Deep-fried Beancurd with Salt and Pepper - เต้าหู้ทอดเกลือพริกไทย. This dish was rather impressive in terms of skill and technique. Each piece was crisp on the outside and soft inside with mild flavour of salt, pepper and springs (6/10).

Deep-fried Beancurd with Salt and Pepper

Deep-fried Squid with Salt and Pepper - ปลาหมึกทอดพริกเกลือ is usually one of our favourite dish. But deep-fried squid did let us down a bit. It was crisp but almost hard and the portion and size of each piece was rather small (4/10).

Deep-fried Squid with Salt and Pepper

For the famous dish that every table did order "Four Seasons Roasted Duck - เป็ดย่างโฟร์ซีซันส์", at the price of THB1,100 you get a whole duck as can be seen in the photo below. Each piece was tender with thick meat. The sauce was also enjoyable: salty base rather than sweetness. If the skin was more crisp, this dish would be more wonderful (7/10).

We do like this dish though many people say it is rather normal. But pricing is not totally attractive from our point of view. THB1,100 for a whole duck is pretty similar to fine cuisine in a hotel.

The Famous Four Seasons Roasted Duck

Thick and Tender Meat

Next in line was Aromatic Crispy Duck Served with Pancakes - เป็ดอโรเมติก. Thai people may be familiar with Peking Duck, this Aromatic Duck is something similar. Instead of wrapping crisp skin of duck within pancake, you also wrap meat into pancake for Aromatic Duck. We say we like it but we don't love it. Skin was indeed crisp which was good. But the meat was rather dry and coarse. If it was more tender, it would be fantastic. For the sauce, it was thick and a little sweet, not bad (5/10). However, taking into account of THB1,500 cost, we say (3/10).......rather expensive T__T.

Aromatic Crispy Duck Served with Pancakes

Aromatic Ready to be Wrapped ^^

Here it comes, our favourite dish: Double Cooked Belly Pork with Preserved Vegetables in Hot Pot - หมูสามชั้นอบหม้อดินผักกาดดอง. It is simply pork belly that is slow cooked with preserved vegetables. Rich taste of soy sauce base flavour with combination of sour hint of preserved vegetables. Pork belly was supremely tender. This went really with boiled rice. Fantastic dish it is (7/10).

PS. This dish is surely unhealthy though, but still nice ^^.

Double Cooked Belly Pork with Preserved Vegetables in Hot Pot

Lastly, we had Egg Noodle with Roasted Duck and BBQ Pork - บะหมี่เป็ดย่างและหมูแดงอบน้ำผึ้ง. It was just noodle topped with roasted duck and bbq pork, nothing else special. Of course, roasted duck was good but bbq pork was below our expectation. We felt that what we used to have in London was better and more tender. Noodle part was just any typical noodle you can find elsewhere (4/10).

Egg Noodle with Roasted Duck and BBQ Pork

Four Seasons @ Siam Paragon, Bangkok
Floor G, Siam Paragon
Rama 1 Road
Pathumwan, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

โฟร์ซีซั่นส์ @ สยามพารากอน กรุงเทพ
ชั้น G สยามพารากอน
ถนนพระราม 1
แขวงปทุมวัน เขตปทุมวัน
กรุงเทพ 10330

Open Hours: 11:00 - 21:00 daily
Tel: +66 (0) 2610 9578

Friday, November 18, 2011

Ki Shin @ All Seasons Place, Bangkok

Cuisine: Japanese
Price: THB400 per person without alcohol (what I paid for, lunch menu)
Visited: 21 October 2011
Food: 6/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 4/10
Services: 5/10
At last, I have a chance to write something on this blog after a long time......so many reviews to catch up now T__T. Let us this time bring you to an elegant and luxury Japanese restaurant in the town centre: "Ki Shin". This restaurant is located on the 1st floor of M Thai Tower at All Seasons Place on Witthayu Road. This place does serve fine traditional Japanese food in wide variety as well as set lunch. This atmosphere of this place is somewhat contemporary Japanese with sushi counter at the front. There is also private rooms available.

During lunch time, this place can be packed with businessmen around this area but less customer for dinner. Pricing of set lunch here is somewhat in-line with other places but dinner menu can be very expensive without careful order. We were there for lunch this time and had set lunch. On the service side, it is just an average standard, nothing impressive for this kind of luxury restaurant though. If the service is more friendly, it would make this place much more attractive.

Entrance

Atmosphere

Menu

For this time, we had Steamed Rice topped with Grilled Eel Set - ชุดข้าวหน้าปลาไหล (6/10), Tendon Set - ชุดเทนด้ง (5/10), and Vinegared Rice topped with Seasoned Raw Tuna Set - ชุดข้าวหน้าปลาโอ (4/10). They were all rather nice and came in beautiful decoration, especially Grilled Eel Set, but not impressive. Grilled Eel Set and Tendon Set had rather good standard taste and quality but Tuna Set did let us down a bit from its small portion (say 7-8 slices of thin cut tuna T__T), comparing to the price. Side dishes that came with each set were just salad, typical miso soup, and a small portion of appetiser.

Personally, we prefer lunch of Suikin more for Japanese restaurant around Witthayu and Lang Suan areas. Ok.....if we are happen to be here during lunch time again, we may sometime give it another. Otherwise, coming here specifically to give Ki Shin a visit is perhaps not the case. Not sure if dinner menu would get better, let us try it for dinner and keep you updated when we have a chance then ^^.

Steamed Rice Topped with Grilled Eel Set

Tendon Set

Vinegared Rice Topped with Seasoned Raw Tuna Set

Ki Shin @ All Seasons Place, Bangkok
Floor 1, M Thai Tower
All Seasons Place, Witthayu Road
Lumphini, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

คิชิน @ ออลซีซั่นส์เพลส กรุงเทพ
ชั้น 1 เอ็มไทยทาวเวอร์
ออลซีซั่นเพลส ถนนวิทยุ
แขวงลุมพินี เขตปทุมวัน
กรุงเทพ 10330

Open Hours: 11:30 - 14:00 and 17:30 - 22:00 daily
Tel: +66 (0) 2252 3866

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Audrey Cafe & Bistro @ Thonglor 11, Bangkok

Cuisine: International
Visited: 30 October 2011
Price: THB450 per person without alcohol (what I paid for)
Food: 4/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 5/10
Services: 5/10
Audrey Cafe & Bistro is another new talk of the town during recent days due to its lovely decoration and friendly atmosphere. This place is located in Soi Thonglor 11 and there are plenty of parking space hence no worry if you do drive. Many people may give this place a visit from the rumour that the decoration is lovely or cute, in fact, the atmosphere does suit a family meal more from my perspective. The space is large and there are 2 floors. It can surely hold almost 100 customers.

Audrey Cafe & Bistro @ Thonglor

Exterior of Audrey

Indeed the interior is pretty and lovely as rumour has said. Things are bright and soft. The decoration is in contemporary style. Even their staffs also dress like those who work in mansion of wealthy people. There are also balcony seats at the front of the cafe for those who love and enjoy fresh air.

Lovely Decoration

A coole corner

Balcony Seats

Selection of Cake

We began our meal with North Eastern Spicy Chicken Spring Roll - ปอเปี๊ยะลาบไก่่ to boost up our appetite. It was enjoyable though the same was just so so. It was crisp which was good of course. But the filling was a bit too little. It did taste ok, surely a bit of spice to ensure Thai style. However, we felt that it was not too spicy for foreigners also (5/10).

North Eastern Spicy Chicken Spring Roll - ปอเปี๊ยะลาบไก่

We are usually a fan of Tom Kha Gai - ต้มข่าไก่. However, it was a disappointment for us to order it here. Tom Kha Gai at Audrey was just not savoury. It tasted more like just putting pieces of boiled chicken into coconut based soup with a touch of lemon grass. Ok...you know what, we think Tom Kho Gai that is cooked with Lobo seasoning powder is better (2/10).

Tom Kha Gai - ต้มข่าไก่

Close up look

Now, let take a look at something more serious. I did try Fried Thin Rice Noodle with Shabu Pork - เส้นหมีราดหน้าหมูชาบูผัดพริกไทดำ. Well, it was just Radnah (ราดหน้า) to me. Nothing really special but the pork was tender and came in slices like shabu shabu (5/10).

Fried Thin Rice Noodle with Shabu Pork - เส้นหมีราดหน้าหมูชาบูผัดพริกไทดำ


Spaghetti Seafood in Thai Spicy Herbal Sauce - สปาเก็ตตี้ผัดขี้เมาทะเล is a pasta dish that is cooked in Thai style. Ok...everyone knows it would be hot and spicy. Ingredients were ok and tasted just like other places. A standard dish it is (4/10).


Spaghetti Seafood in Thai Spicy Herbal Sauce - สปาเก็ตตี้ผัดขี้เมาทะเล

Crackling Pork Fried Rice - ข้าวผัดกากหมูทรงเครื่อง was just ordinary fried rice but with loads of crackling pork. It is a dish that is enjoyable here. Just a bit too oily when we had it (5/10).

Crackling Pork Fried Rice - ข้าวผัดกากหมูทรงเครื่อง

For dessert, we did try 2 things. One was Strawberry Short Cake - สตรอเบอรี่ ช๊อตเค้ก and the other one was Blueberry Crumble - บลูเบอรี่ ครัมเบิ้ล. Both were just fine to be consumed. Short cake was soft for the texture but not as good as the one at Coffee Beans by Dao, while blueberry crumble came with vanilla sauce that was just sweet and too sweet in fact (4/10).

Strawberry Short Cake - สตรอเบอรี่ ช๊อตเค้ก

Blueberry Crumble - บลูเบอรี่ ครัมเบิ้ล

Overall, Audrey is another place for a good and relax family meal if taste and savoury are not big matters for you.

Audrey Cafe & Bistro @ Thonglor 11, Bangkok
136/3 Soi Thonglor 11
Sukhumvit Road
Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana
Bangkok 10110
Thailand

ออเดร คาเฟ่ แอนด์ บริสโทร @ ทองหล่อ 11 กรุงเทพ
136/3 ซอยสุขุมวิท 11
ถนนสุขุมวิท
แขวงคลองตันเหนือ เขตวัฒนา
กรุงเทพ 10110

Open Hours: 11:00 - 22:00 daily
Tel: +66 (0) 2712 6667 - 8
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