Bangkok Restaurant Guide, review, and food critic.

Champ Saak Thong @ North Pattaya Review

2008-04-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest little pleasures in my visit to Pattaya is a little Khao Nieow Kai Yaang shop in North Pattaya. This little restaurant is a well-known secret amongst Bangkok visitors to Pattaya and also known amongst Pattaya people.

On my last visit there, I found that the number of people at this restaurant had reduced. Fear was that maybe the food quality had gone down with the rising prices of food. That was not to be the case, it was just that they opened another branch in Pattaya Sai 3 closer to Central Pattaya than this one.

You can get to Champ Saak Thong easily if you follow these directions: On North Pattaya road (going towards the beach), look out for Tesco Lotus on your right. Across Lotus is a small soi with "DIFFER" in large letters, and also there is a Thai restaurant there (it will be on your left side). Drive into the soi for about 50 meters, Champ Saak thong is on the right hand side with parking on the left hand side. The soi has not much development, so if you see a lot of development, you're in the wrong soi.

The secret to their Kai Yaang is the honey glaze they put on it. The chicken meat is sweet and juicy, yet onto their paste they added some spice, like tamarind, but I'm not so sure. Sticky rice is sticky rice... som tum there is delicious, the right combination of sweet, sour, and spice. The naam jim jaew is very spicy (you have to ask for the spicy version, or they give you a sweet version). The yum seafood is good due to chunky pieces of fish. Khor moo yang (grilled pig neck) is juicy and meaty.

All in all, good light Esarn food.

Food: 45/50

Service is ok, really, pretty good for a place like this.

Service: 27/30

Atmosphere is ok ok.

Atmosphere: 18/20

Total: 90/100

Excellent value for money, and a must-stop lunch at Pattaya for the Issarn food lovers.

Elements Restaurant Review @ Sheraton Pattaya

2008-04-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Some people go to Pattaya for the sin.

Some people go to the Pattaya for the sun.

Others want to be by the beach.

Yet others decide its a close place to Bangkok for relaxing.

I, on the other hand, go to Pattaya to eat.

I had a coupon for a free dinner at Elements @ Sheraton Pattaya due to be completed in a few days.

I needed to make full use of my coupon, so I filled up oil to rush to Pattaya to eat my free meal.

I like Sheraton Pattaya. It is not surprising it immediately became an award winning hotel. The feel there is one of total relaxation, beautiful views, though you won't get to play in the beach, but with a swimming pool this nice, who really cares?

Besides, I was there at night, and the weather was balmy; windy enough to sit outside and enjoy the night air. Humid enough to keep your skin from getting dry, but not enough to make you sweat.

Buffet selections were very good; after my dreaded meal at Birds of Paradise @ Sheraton Laguna, I was praying that this meal would do good to the Sheraton name, and it did. I think this buffet is even worth its full price.

The highlight is an outdoor grill of seafood, with the sweet meat of rock lobster.

Food: 46/50

Service was very good, though they were slow when we wanted to order some drinks in between the meal.

Service: 27/30

Atmosphere was perfect, I blame the night :)

Atmosphere: 20/20

Total: 93/100

Brought back some much needed confidence in buffet meals at Sheraton properties. Worth my 2 hour drive going, and 2 hour return to Bangkok.

Pool Side Restaurant Review @ Sheraton Blue Lagoon Hua Hin

2008-04-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Bkkeater is a firm believer in evolution. After all, how do you explain constant changes in body sizes and brain sizes even as far as recent history amongst humans, and not too far amongst apes and us humans.

But when you go further back, it could just be we came from the sea. We were the biggest fish of them all apparently because now we eat all the other fish, including whales.

In that essence, our food preparations too evolve.

For example, a Naan Pizza?
So simple, yet few have thought of it. I mean, we got a Pita Pizza, but whosoever thought you could add cheeze on a Naan?

Indian food enthusiasts are probably having a cow about it... pun intended.

But as I was getting back to my evolutionary roots (swimming) I was again starved, so I made a stop over at the pool side deck and ordered a pizza with a som tum.

The Som Tum was great, it wasn't spicy, and they used cashews instead of peanuts. Also they gave 2 good size shrimps and the dried shrimp were bigger than what your typical som tum lady sells. Hi-So Som Tum anyone?

The Pizza was a pizza, though the crust tasted Indian, like a Naan... so thats why they call it a Naan Pizza!

It was delicious.

Food: 45/50

Service is what is expected.

Service: 28/30

A nice sala with good views to go with the good eats.

Atmosphere: 19/20

Total: 92/100

Not bad value for money... For STARWOOD CARD HOLDERS!!!

InAzia Review @ Sheraton Blue Lagoon, Hua Hin

2008-04-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Swimming. I like to swim. I was never (and still) am not a strong swimmer, yet I enjoy swimming.

The reason is that swimming is one of those things that increase appetite. Since I live my life to eat, swimming is good in that it allows me to eat more.

We reached Sheraton Hua Hin after almost 10 hours of straight driving from Phuket. Sitting in the car didn't exactly increase the appetite from the heavy lunch. In spite of reaching Huahin at 6pm, the first destination was the swimming pool, and there we remained till 30-40mins AFTER the pool closed. One of the great advantages of the "pool access" rooms they have there.

Famished from the straight hour and half of swimming, we headed to InAzia restaurant.

They claim the food is some 'modern asian' cuisine. They are right, in part, but there is no real 'fusion' dishes there. Just a choice of different Asian food from "Japanese", "Indian", "Thai", "Indonesian", and I think "Singaporean/Malaysian".

After swimming for so long, I thought I'd go for a Sashimi collection. Also, in the mood for some lamb, I ordered the 'lamb kebab'.

The Sashimi selection was not so good. A lot of 'fillers' were there in forms of squid and artificial crab sticks. Very less fresh fish, and the salmon was the high point of the dish. I must say though that the entire selection was very fresh and cut properly; just not worth it's price.

The Lamb Kebab should be renamed to lamb curry. It is served with 2 pieces of Naan, but the flavor of the Garam Masala was INCREDIBLE. They actually used the ribs of the lamb that tend to be reserved for lamb chops rather than just lamb meat or lamb shanks. Typical kebab dishes means 'no bones', but I guess this not being an Indian restaurant, and the fact that the dish was so delicious made up for that boo boo. The flavor was tangy, not too hot n spicy, not too sweet, not heavily curried at all. It is not too pasty, and not too watery. In short, it is very delicious and highly recommended.

Our final course was diced shrimp wrapped in seabass with a sweet and sour sauce. Everything in this dish went well because all the flavors cut each other perfectly. That we ate it with brown rice was even more telling.

Desserts were a "Thai-ramisu" (Tiramisu with a Thai twist) and a chocolate cake. The cake was good, but not memorable. It was the Thairamisu which was a hit though. Pretty much your tiramisu with mangoes and coconut meat inside. I think the coffee-ness of the Tiramisu is different too, and the type of cream was not as thick as your typical tiramisu, which is good because otherwise it wouldn't have gone well with the other ingredients.

The kebab, fish, and dessert made up for the bad selection of sashimi.

Food: 46/50

Service was top notch. I don't think they made a single mistake.

Service: 29/30

Somehow the Bkk Eater gets the feeling the finishing at InAzia was rushed, or something just doesn't fit right and doesn't make me comfortable.

Atmosphere: 18/20

Total: 93/100

Good value for money I guess if you're going for hotel eats.

Ratchapreuk dam

2008-04-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

The wonderful thing about road tripping is seeing the countryside.

Whoever wrote that probably has a fear of flying.

The endless hours of driving alongside trucks, buses, pickups, vans, motorcycles has taught me but one thing: NEVER DRIVE ON ONE LANE ROADS IN THAILAND. Unless of course, you have a low value for your life.

If you do insist on road tripping still, it would be better if you get a driver! That way, your viewjoyment won't be ruined by swerving left and right to avoid overzealous truck and bus drivers.

Road tripping however does have its benefits... you get to enjoy out of the way restaurants!

We took a turn off the main highway to Ratchapreuk Dam. It's a beautiful place, you could even think you were in another country with fjords and what not. It is a great fresh water reservoir. Funnily when we were there, there were some Thai school on a field trip there singing songs from Oasis. Watch the view, and live entertainment from a class full of kids going, "Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you..."

The cool thing of the dam is that on the drive up, the nice windy roads and reaching the part where I cross the dam, I could even feel that I was doing a CRV commercial, but that is another point altogether.

Because after that stop off, I was hungry. And a hungry man is an angry man.

Logic thus told me to drive towards the direction of the Ratchapreuk golf course (where I was bound to get food) rather than the road. The road to the golf course however led me to a restaurant whose name I cannot remember, and didn't write.

And that is exactly what is wonderful about blogs, you're not liable; you can miss a few things and it doesn't matter... especially in a blog that is probably hardly even read by anyone....

I miss eating fish curry; the kind to eat with roti pratha (south Indian/ Singaporean/ Malay style). This restaurant without a name also had a fish curry, I think it was called "Kaeng Phrik" which literally means "Chilli Curry". The curry is made using some mud-fish or "Pla Krabok" or some name like that. The curry was mad mad spicy, so as an accompainiment I ordered Khai Jeow Moo sab (Pork Omelet) as well as bai kra phow gai. Everything was spicy... but yummy.

The food gets high marks because they warn you of their spiciness, and I took it as a challenge, and boy was I challenged...

Food: 45/50

For a place with no customer, they could've at least smiled, said hello, or commented when I told them how beautiful I found the dam. They just seemed bored with life, get some vibrancy people!

Service: 24/30

At least they have the basics, so the atmosphere is not bad, just not any good either.

Atomsphere: 14/20

Total: 83/100

Good value for money. Good luck finding the place!!!

Savoey Seafood Review @ Patong

2008-04-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

One the greatest pleasures in life is the Phuket Lobster.

yes indeed.

The main reason is that it is simply delicious.

The second is that in addition to its wonderfully sweet taste, it is also an aphrodisiac.

It doesn't really get much better than that.

In my search for the ultimate Phuket Lobster (being in Phuket and all, it was the most logical choice), we stopped at Savoey Seafood @ Patong Beach. Now, Savoey is next to another place called Patong Seafood but I picked Savoey for purely materialistic reasons: the fact that they had a beachfront section, and that my lovely wife was looking radiant that night I felt the better atmosphere of the place might suit.

I wasn't wrong. The Phuket lobster was grilled to perfection. Now normally, taking the grilled version of the Phuket Lobster comes with risks, it could get burned or it could be undercooked. The safe bet is to take the Phuket lobster baked in butter, while I like that, the butter taste can overwhelm the taste of the lobster itself. So grilled it was and grilled it was brilliant.

The meat was succulent. It easily peeled off with the spoon and fork, yet it did was not too soft. It was chewy, but not tough. It was sweet, and a small dip into seafood sauce made it perfect.

We accompanied this meal with a nice Khao Phad Poo (Crab fried rice) and Tom Yum Goong. The combination worked perfect. The goong inside the tom yum was nice and chunky. There was good meat in the khao phad poo, not the fake kind of crab mind you. I like it when they make khao phad poo out of the fats from the crab meat itself, too many places overcook it with cooking oil. I prefer it light and flavorful, that way you can eat it with tom yum without getting a full or bloated feeling.

Savoey. You just can't go wrong.

Food: 48/50

Service beat 5 star establishments. All the wait staff seemed chatty and happy. They were very polite and didn't come across like they were trying too hard. They knew their job, and exactly how far they could take their chats without making anyone uncomfortable. What I appreciate most was that it was easy to find them and they didn't need to have 1 staff doing nothing but staring over our table. When our heads turn to look for them, they look back. Almost a Zen-like awareness for our peace and well-being while we satisfied our stomachs.

Service: 30/30

There is nothing I like more than sitting and eating at a place with a view. The patio entrance could throw you off, and remove the food, tables, and chairs, the patio is in pretty bad shape as well.

That I could notice it...

Atmosphere: 17/20

Total: 95/100

Incredible value for money.

I trust Savoey should be like a tourist destination for all upper middle class independent tourists who love seafood. It's just blasphemy to not visit there if you are in Phuket.

Khao Nieow Kai Yaang @ Haad Surin

2008-04-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

The problem with not blogging a while is this:

keep eating, keep enjoying good and tasty food... but not sharing it with anyone!! arrrrrgh! how to stay up to date?!??

Here is a quickie then.

A drive to the cashew nut factory in the morning resulted in a cashewfast (its when you eat cashews for b'fast).

Afterwards, we drove around aimlessly in Phuket hitting all the major beaches. Finally, a laid back beach in Haad Surin in the middle of the hot afternoon.

Lazing on a chair ordering kai yaang, khao nieow, and som tum. It was good no doubt, but I've had better:

Food: 35/50

I always say Thailand offers great service

Service: 16/20

The sounds of the waves crashing on the seashore. The bright blue sky. Sand, Sun, women in bikinis.

Atmosphere: 18/20

Total: 69/100

Quite honestly the bad food could have just resulted from picking the wrong stall... o well.

Birds of Paradise Review @ Sheraton Laguna Phuket

2008-04-06T23:54:00.001-07:00

One of the incredible things about Laguna Phuket is the sheer size of it.

It is absolutely beautiful, a huuuuuuuuuuuge lagoon, 5 resorts, an 18 hole golf course, and a beach front that probably stretches 3km from end to end (with the laguna properties covering a full 1.5km of it).

These properties include the Banyan Tree Phuket, Dusit Laguna, Sheraton Laguna, Laguna Beach Resort, and Laguna Holiday Club.

Residents of the Laguna Holiday Club (where I stayed) get a spot on the beachfront right in front of the Sheraton Laguna property. On the way walking back we decided to join in the Birds of Paradise Buffet which I got complimentary from a Food Voucher.

Here is the thing about this place, I would never have eaten there if it weren't for the voucher, and after eating there, I safely conclude that I wouldn't even go for a meal there if paid.

Visiting the beach from Bangkok, especially Phuket, one wants to sink their teeth into some good shrimps, maybe small rock lobsters, fish, etc. But none of these meats were available at the Birds of Paradise. The main meal available was CHICKEN. Now I understand the restaurant is called "Birds" of Paradise but the name of that comes from the tropical birds in the Lagoon, not from the main course offering, whose prices are B1200 nett per person.

My grade gives my opinion, avoid eating here at all costs, or even for little income, don't eat here

Food: 0/50

Service is what you expect in a 5 star establishment.

Service: 26/30

The atmosphere is nice if you think about it objectively because you are set in the middle of a lagoon, and there is a great breeze. But when you are eating crap food wondering how the hell a 5 star place can do this and get away with it, while you stare at farangs eat their chicken like its the best food ever...

Atmosphere 10/20

Total: 36/100

TERRIBLE VALUE OF MONEY

AVOID AVOID AVOID

PTT Station

2008-04-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

Road tripping. Driving. Tar and concrete below the wheels. Trucks, Pickups, motorcycles, all sharing the highway.

8 hours between Bangkok and the Bkkeater's first destination: Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani.

Midway it was Midday.

We stopped at a PTT station on the side of the road heading North (we u-turned). Both the Mrs. and I felt our hunger pangs at exactly the same second and decided we'll stop at the next eatery on either side of the road, and PTT it was.

A u-turn, a quick peak at a 'Islamic Restaurant' too see if they served any interesting curries, and into PTT food court it was.

2 curries, one of clam (super spicy) and a fish curry (unbelievably spicy). We finished every bite, it was good, good thing we can eat spicy food.

Food: 40/50

Canteen style service, good smiles all around though.

Service: 24/30

There was an atmosphere?

Atmosphere: 5/20

Total: 69/100

At under a 100 baht to eat fish and clams, I'd say it is a great value. The hot stomache did mean ice-cream from the adjacent family mart...

A good option for those on the road.

The Travelling Bkkeater

2008-04-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Bkkeater went on Holiday to Khao Sok, Phuket, Hua Hin, and Pattaya. The next series of Posts will be about his experiences with food establishments (mostly hotels due to the fact I stayed at the Laguna, Sheraton Hua Hin, and Sheraton Pattaya).

In order of eating establishments, here was how we went:

PTT Station past betweeen Chumporn and Surat Thani
Khao Sok Mountain Resort
Birds of Paradise @ Sheraton Laguna
Khao Nieow Kai Yaang at Haad Surin
Savoey at Patong
Some restaurant near Ratchapreuk dam (damn I can't remember the name!)
Inazia @ Sheraton Hua Hin
The Pool Side Restaurant @ Sheraton Hua Hin
Elements Restuarant @ Sheraton Pattaya
Champ Saak Thong at North Pattaya

so I hope you'll enjoy the series of posts that will come up in the next 1-2 days, and it should in some way influence your eating decision when you travel.

Admittedly, this was one beaugoise trip as the amount of hotel dining on show.

Sorn Thong Seafood Review

2008-04-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

Ask any great Chef the secret to their food, and they will say "fresh ingredients".

That is the beauty of Thailand and eating Seafood in Thailand, the freshness of it.

Sorn Thong, like many of the "street" eat Chinese-Thai Seafood establishments in Thailand have an array of fresh and live seafood from where you eat from, and the prices are not exuberant, and their dishes definitely yummy.

Going in a big group always helps with the volume of food to eat...

Poo Phad Prik Thai Dam (Whole Crab stir fried with Black Pepper) was a treat as the sweet taste of the crab cut perfectly with the black pepper.

Pla Kraphong Neung Manao (Seabass Steamed with Lemon) was soft and extremely fresh. The soup gets tangy and spicy and works perfectly with the fish.

Yum Bhak Boong Krob (Salad of Fried Morning Glory) was sweet and spicy, no surprises there.

Moo Satay (Pork Satay) was chunky and the peanut sauce incredible.

Tom Yum Goong (Tom Yum Soup) had coconut meat in it, was creamy, spicy, sweet, and left you wanting more after the last sip (though that could be the MSG). The shrimps given were chunky and filling, did I say fresh?

And finally, the khao phat bai kra phow (Fried Rice with Chicken and Basil Leaves) was perfect with the Tom Yum.

Probably some will think that this place deserves a great grade with the foods mentioned above, but the amount of MSG in the food does leave one feeling quite sick afterwards, so this was no way an 'A' grade.

Food: 44/50

Service at these Chinese establishments always cover the basic. They have wait staff fulfilling your every need, and because they don't have to live up to a 5 star establishment, they do talk to you with simpler words than address you with wai's, sir's and madam's.

Service: 25/30

Typical Chinese restaurant atmosphere. The only thing 'good' is a flat-screen tv that shows live EPL games on saturdays and sundays, good call!

Atmosphere: 16/20

Total 85/100

Great value for money, and a good place to eat if you're looking to get a good fill of seafood and don't want to travel all the way to riverside Rama III establishments.

Steak Night @ Neil's Tavern (soi Ruamrudee)

2008-02-29T02:10:00.000-08:00

The Bkkeater is a member of a steak-dining club.

Pretty much what we do is go to restaurants, and everyone eats steak. The best part is, we eat exactly the same type of steak in terms of cut and quantity, the only difference is how we like the steaks prepared, and our side dishes.

This time, the steak night outing was to Neil's Tavern. The total number of people going was 8.

Neil's Tavern is a classic western dining establishment in Bangkok. It's been around forever, and a main reason for that is it's fantastic food.

For one, the garlic break is probably the best the Bkkeater has ever had in Bangkok. The escargot was good, not great. Sauteed mushrooms was a bit too dry for the Bkkeater; the smoked Oysters just a little too dry, and they could've honestly bit more generous with the size of the cheese-baked scallop. The Bkkeater even found the cheese to be of a cheap variety, and if it wasn't, then they need to find a way to not make their cheese smell and taste like Kraft... you know the saying.. if it quacks like a duck...

For the record, the Bkkeater would say he definately enjoyed every one of the appetizers and is keeping his judgments based on the fact that this is a fine-dining establishment.

7 of the 8 eaters had Chatauebrand steak, the final took a filet mignon. The Bkkeater took his steak medium, and must say he definately enjoyed it. In the middle were 2 Rock Lobster Thermidors to share.

The steak was a big of a hit-hit-and miss. The first few bites were enjoyable, though there was some inconsistency in the outer end and the middle of the steak. Then again, the Bkkeater had definitely been spoilt by his meal at Reflexions. The second thing was that the steak was going done well up until the Bkkeater had around 20% of his steak remaining and realized there was a taste of saltiness in his every bite. Somehow, the good people at Neil's had left their Steaks preserved with too much salt, and the taste was beginning to show.

The Rock Lobster to share was fantastic, no doubt about that. Can't find fault there.

Overall, its a place with good, but not great food.

Food: 44/50

You tend to get good service at establishment like these. However, they were slow on bringing us the wine, and were even slower to tell us the wine we had ordered finished. We waited 20 mins before finally asking them about the wine to have the waiter answer, "ah yes, the wine, it is finished." Bkkeater says, "Ah yes, why didn't you tell us that sooner??"

There was also a mishap when the waiter forgot to ask one of the diners his salad dressing and whether he wanted his potatoes baked, mashed, or fried.

Both these mishaps should not happen in a place like this.

Service: 26/30

The atmosphere is brilliant. Warm and Cozy: You can be there in a group of friends, a romantic couple, or a family, and somehow it fits you in perfectly.

Atmosphere: 20/20

Total: 90/100

Value for money: Very good.

Why? 8 people, 6 bottles of wine. Scallops, Oysters, Escargot, 8 steaks, 2 Rock Lobsters, and 4 plates of Garlic Bread, 4 viennese chocolate cake for dessert at the cost was 2200 baht per head... not bad at all!

Neil's is defintely a place the Bkkeater will return. It provides great value for money, a cozy atmosphere, and good food. Most likely, the Bkkeater will avoid the cheese-baked scallop and the smoked oysters, and will stick with only the Rock Lobster Thermidor for his main course.

Reflexions Review (Plaza Athenee)

2008-02-24T23:15:00.000-08:00

There are times when eating out can be described in 1 word: 'Delightful'.

Such would be the term for my night out at the Reflexions at Plaza Athenee.

For those who don't know the restaurant, it was opened approximately 5 or 6 years ago as a jazz bar, then moved into a jazz-themed restaurant... and at that time, the standards fell...

Then, the restaurant hired a new Chef and a new manager and went under renovation.

Renovations can be scary because like a box of chocolates, you never know what to expect.

In this case, was a wonderful mix of food, atmosphere, and service.

Bkkeater had a great meal for his dinner at the reflexions, starting with Sea Bass Ceviche and Raw Scallops.

The sea bass was nicely mixed with herbs (photos coming shortly). The cuts were superb, it was not too citrus infused as some ceviche's can be, and the touch of green mayonnaise on the side was a perfect compliment to the texture of the fish.

The scallop too was served on slight mayo on the side. I loved the hearty touch into the sauce (picture to come shortly). On one of the scallops, the Bkkeater got a big piece of sea-salt. Even then, the next scallop piece seemed to have melded perfectly with the saltiness on my tongue giving an amazing sensation at the taste buds.

Next was a sea-urchin soup topped with a mushroom ravioli. Its hard to really explain the flavor sensations when one takes a sip of this soup. I would even argue that the flavor that lingers and the imagination of that flavor when I recall it while writing is simply divine.

The one mistake I made for the night was not to listen to the manager's suggestion for the steak. In Thailand, my experience has been that 'no' restaurant makes a medium-rare steak properly. Somehow, even the holy grail of steaks in Bangkok, being the New York Steakhouse, tend to char the outer layer of the steak too much while leaving the inside bloody and therefore having no smooth transition of flavor within the steak.

Prejudice intact, I ordered my steak medium. And I must say, it was the best steak I have ever eaten in Bangkok. Kudos to the chef for getting the flavors and transition of flavor 100% correct.

Mrs. Bkkeater had the duck. And what a duck that was! The duck is served on a bed of snow peas. Its cooked to perfection.

For dessert, it was chocolate mousse cake (served for my b'day), and a capuccino. The cake was so rich: not too bitter, not too sweet, not milky, and had a velvety-chocolaty flavor that leaves the taste bud at the back of the tongue just yearning for one more bite. Addictive.

The only problem with the food, was that 1 piece of bread served was slightly salty... as such, we found 1 way to deduct exactly 1 point from the food total.

*Update* Someone commented to the Bkkeater that no restaurant should make a mistake with the bread, as a result the Bkkeater will reluctantly deduct 2 points as he too agrees with the notion.

Food: 48/50

One thing the bkkeater dislikes are servers, especially in 5 star restaurants, who think they know what you want, and give it to you without asking.

If bread at a table is finished, ask first before giving a new tray of bread. Even though its free, the people at the table might not want to get new break for fear of losing their appetite. Just ask first!

Or another common example are servers who assume you are done with your food, and pick it up without your asking. Hey, sometimes you are saving to eat the remaining sauce with bread, or whatever... again, its polite to ask.

The above examples did NOT happen at the Reflexions. What did happen was that our water (with both the Mrs. and I with glasses more than half-full) one of the dear waitresses decided for me that we wanted our glasses filled to the brim and opened me a new bottle of water. Of course, I wasn't going to complain about it there and look cheap, even though I may have wanted more water, I would've preferred being asked first.

Other than that, service was attentive and not over-bearing. Without that one incident, the service actually received a perfect score. However, that kept me annoyed for all of a minute (then the tango dancers entered), and I will cut off 2 points from there.

Service: 28/30

Intimacy requires passion. As such, live piano, movies of tango, and even real life tango dancing build intimacy. On one of the walls, you see beautiful photos of Angkor wat and a collection of mixed photos around southeast asia including children. The other wall is a large window looking down into wireless road. Somehow, either the window tint, or the room lighting gives it the image of a reflection of the room as a shadow.. its a very interesting and very intimate play.

The live tango, unfortunately, is temporary.

The manager deserves credit for his handling of the restaurant.

Atmosphere: 20/20

Total: 96/100

Value for Money: Very worth it. If you value food, and I mean delicious food, and you're willing to pay top money for it, forget Sirocco, forget Lord Jim's, this place just is so much better.

The total grade of Reflexions shows how they lost points on areas they should not have lost on. They are slights that do matter to the Bkkeater in his quest to review every dining establishment in Bangkok for your enjoyment.

Frankenweiss Beer House

2008-02-10T01:33:00.000-08:00

The Bkkeater had eaten here maybe 2 and a half years ago. Can totally remember both the beer, the orange juice, and the old coffee eaten there.

The location of Frankenweiss is all the way out into Puthamonthon Sai 3 and Sai 4. It is on Utthayan road, sometimes referred to as Switzerland in Thailand.

The setting is this big German farmhouse. The waitresses are dressed like Barmaids a la Octoberfest. The weather was nice while I was there, and I got a good seat with a nice view of the 3-4 geese that populate the man made pond.

I must note upon reaching it was crowded, and parking was difficult.

The first dish to arrive was steamed fish with mushrooms, ham, and bamboo. I picked this dish not because I have any clue as to what is good about this restaurant, but because it was so different. And well, the taste was just that, different. I liked it, ok, but not so much that I will ever think about it again.

The second dish was fried duck with sauce. The duck was over fried, I felt, but the sauce made up for it, and was quite tasty.

Final dish to arrive was fried pork leg. The sauce served with the leg was fantastic, and even the meat on the pork leg was very good, very meaty and less fats.

I wasn't too satisfied with my meal, the menu was vast, and I've heard a lot about this place. My conclusion is probably that this restaurant is probably better if you come in a big group and order a wide variety of food while having beer.

Food: 43/50

Service was fantastic. Every need met, and sometimes even before you realized it.

Service: 29/30

The atmosphere was incredible, definately chill, and being a Sukhumvit-person I probably will never drive out of my way to go there, I may just pop by if I'm in the area. I cut points because they would lose a good 60% of their business with the rain.

Atmosphere: 18/20

Total: 91/100

Value for money: Very good. Including a beer, and orange juice, and water, and our 3 dishes (seabass, pork leg, and duck) 900baht.

I would definitely like to get back there with a big group of friends. My final feeling is that the food would probably grade a lot better if I knew how to order and what to order.

My Choice Restaurant review on Sukhumvit 36

2008-02-10T00:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, Bkkeater has been slow updating his site, but we make up with the difference today.

Since the last post, Bkkeater has been to 3 restaurants (with photos only at 1 of them) to enjoy a meal and review the food for the rest of you palate-adventurous in Bangkok.

The first of these was "MY CHOICE" restaurant on Sukhumvit soi 36. The restaurant is situated on the left side approximately 60meters into the soi. There is a sign outside in Thai writing some of their 'specialties', a very intriguing menu with a dish called 'Sator' on it that captured my attention.

For those who don't know what Sator is in English, I'm sorry, I won't be able to help with a direct translation. For my best knowledge, Sator is a vegetable (considered by some to be smelly, but i strongly oppose that viewpoint) that is grown and eaten by many Thai Southerners.

Anyways, the menu being interesting, I decided to stop by there for a meal, and was more than satisfied with the outcome.

This is not some michelin 2 or 3 star restaurant with fancy decor, artistic presentation, and food so incredibly flavorful and pleasant that you'll be dying for the next bite. This is more simply food fair that is just wonderful for the mouth and stomache because it is not commonplace to find a good Southern Style Thai food in Bangkok.

The first dish that came my way was baked duck (Ped Ob Liab). Granted this is probably more Chinese does not belie the taste. The duck was really flavorful. You see, the duck is not baked the Chinese way, I won't be able to describe the difference but its full flavored, and the meet literally flakes off.

The next round for me was Serpent hesh fish filet in yellow curry (Kaeng Leaung Pla), Sator and white rice. The Sator was a great combination of the Sator bitterweet flavor, and the sweet cheweyness from the diced shrimp. The soup had a citrusy-spicy-tangy flavor mellowed out by the taste of the curry, and cucumbers! Yes, CUCUMBERS in the yellow curry. I've never imagined such a combo, and must say that the cucumbers keeps your stomach cool from all the hot spices. In all, the sator and yellow curry combination with rice was superb. The best combo-palate I can think of is like eating bai kraphow kai with tom yum soup. Full flavors just bring alive your tongue.

Didn't have dessert, was too full to even look at the menu.

I ate everything with a Singha beer, and the food and beer really went well together.

Food: 47/50

The place was middle sized, mabye 20+ tables, but only 3 tables were full, Bkkeater was 2, another table of 2 and 1 big party of 12. For this there was 3 servers, and at times you had trouble finding them. Shouldn't happen in a small place. However, the staff was very helpful and knowledgeable about the food.

Service: 25/30

Like sitting in your Thai upper-middleclass Grandma and Grandpa's house with oddly decided paintings, color patterns, and curtains. Yes, those floral curtains that you don't see anywhere. Its a riot, and even though I graded it low, somehow it just worked and created its own charm.

Atmosphere: 15/20

Total: 87/100

Value for Money:

food for 2, one beer, fish, shrimp, and duck for 500++ baht. Very good I'd say.

Terra Roku Review (at Grand Millenium Asoke)

2008-01-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Saw an ad for GRAND MILLENIUM SUKHUMVIT via SCB Platinum card.
Spend 3000 baht on the card, get a free night coupon.
Not bad idea I thought, having just read the restaurant introduction on 'Bk Magazine'. Terra Roku, a Japanese-Italian restaurant, 'fusion' I thought.

How wrong I was.

The only 'fusion' dish was a tuna with wasabi-cream sauce with veal (pictured below)

the tuna is on the right, and the veal on the left. The veal was served with a sauce I wouldn't bother remembering, and while the tuna was quite good, crispy on the outside while raw in the middle, the veal was atrocious and tasteless. Not a good start to my meal.

I followed that with a pasta dish. Seafood ravioli with a light tomato sauce. Another disappointing dish.

Finally ended with a Baked Cod with a paste of sundried tomatoes and chillies on the top. On a bed of phak boong.... very surprising. Pictured below.

The taste of the cod was just right, not too soft that it breaks with your fork, but not at all chewy. This dish was the highlight of the evening, and the sweetened red onions only satisfied the palate even more. However, the surprising phak boong bed did not go with the dish.

The dessert (chocolate lava with another name) was good served with green tea ice cream. The outer layer chocolate was sticky and chewy, when it should've just melted in the mouth.

All in all food: 40/50

Service was great, as expected out of any and every 5 star hotel establishment.

Service: 28/30

The atmosphere was, like the food, a hit and miss. They got the right idea, but something, the chemistry just didn't do it for me. Not good for a hotel.

Atmosphere 13/20

Total: 81/100

Value for money:

Worth it only because they gave me a one night stay. I will add that during my stay at the hotel, I definately will NOT eat at the hotel restaurant.

The hotel looks promising. I suppose they need to make a big change on their system of food at Terra Roku. Either they should move or create more 'fusion' dishes in the Italian-Japanese sense, or separate their kitchens. The seating arrangement in the restaurant could use with a few minor changes. What those changes are, I don't know, but they should bring in an interior decorator's opinion to create a more warm feeling.

Jae Nui review เจ็นุ็ย

2008-01-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

Report:
Jae Nui เจ็นุ็ย

Food:
The food here is GREAT. But you have to order what they are good at:
Pla Krapong Kaeng Som: Seabass in Orange Curry. It is a wonderful dish, not too spicy, yet has the tangy flavor expected in orange curry. The fish is fried and very meaty.
Pla Kao Sam Rod: Fried Garoupa Fish with 3 flavor sauce. Also well made, cruncy, meaty, and a good combination of the spicy, sour, and sweet flavors.
Poo Phad Ton Hom: Full Crab stir-fried with garlic and spring onions. Wow! Sweet, meaty, goes well with their seafood sauce.
Goong Ob Woon Sen: Bakes Prawn with vermicelli. The greatest thing about the Good Ob is that they don't use much pork fat, the flavor of the prawn is perfect, not too oily or pork smelly. The noodles taste great with the seafood sauce. So good, my mouth still waters thinking about it.
Goong Sub Krapow: Diced Prawn stir fried with basil leaves. The krapow is not too spicy and overpowering, very good with rice.

Note: This restaurant, you cannot order their fried rice, it is really bad.

rating: 48/50 (food)

Service: Most of their staff seems to be FOBs (Fresh off the boat). Either from Mainland China or one of the Doi's in the north of Thailand. In other words, they can be hard of understanding, and don't know Thai very well. They have two 'captains' who take the order, both are knowledgable about food.

rating: 26/30

Atmosphere: Serves the purpose well, a/c, big screen tv with karaoke apparently. Got some big cocks guarding the front of the restaurant (you have to come here to see it). Also a photo of McDang on the wall with the Jae herself.

rating: 16/20

Total: 90/100

Value for money: SUPERB. You get the most amazing seafood at prices that would be considered 'very cheap' when comparing to anywhere in Bangkok.

How to get there: If coming from Bangkok, drive down RamaII road until you pass Mahachai Mueang Mai (the highway will go under a bridge, and there will be red/orange rooftops). Take an exit after that, and drive pass Tum Thai restaurant as well as Muang Le and a Honda Showroom. The restaurant is next to the Honda showroom.

You know you've gone too far if you're driving past the Mahachai Hospital

Starting

2008-01-20T23:23:00.000-08:00

I love food.
I love to eat out.
I love to be a critic of the food.
There is not enough information on restaurants in Bangkok online. This blog seeks to give whatever information the Bangkok Eater is able to give.

A restaurant will be surveyed and given ratings according to these weighted average.

Food - 50% of the grade. Lets face it, the main reason to eat and to return to a restaurant is if its food is great! How else can you explain getting back to the same restaurant?

Service - 30%. You can have great food, but if your service is terrible, you just can't cut it.

Atmosphere - 20%. Its the final ingredient.

Value for money - Not part of the grade because in itself, its a make it or break it grade. A restaurant may get a 95% rating, and yet might have low value for money... though not probable but possible. For example, you might get amaaaazing noodles worth 400 baht at a 5 star restaurant that is fantastic, but at 400 baht, it provides low value for money...