Hor Mok Ma Prao On ห่อหมกมะพร้าวอ่อน

Seafood Curry in Coconut

Hor Mok Maprao On ห่อหมกมะพร้าวอ่อน

Thai Seafood Curry in a Coconut

ห่อหมกมะพร้าวอ่อน

Pronunciation

hòr-mòk má-práao òn

Description

A combination of seafood made into a thick curry where coconut cream is the overpowering flavor.  This delicious curry is then normally put into a coconut shell to add to the effect of the dish.

Main Ingredients

• fish
• combination of seafood
• coconut cream
• red curry paste
• kaffir lime leaves
• galangal
• fish sauce
• basil
• sugar

Where to Eat

Recipes / Information

Larb Pla Duk ลาบปลาดุก

Spicy Catfish Salad

Larb Pla Duk ลาบปลาดุก

Larb Pla Duk ลาบปลาดุก

Thai Catfish Salad

Pronunciation

lâap bplaa-dùk

Description

Larb pla duk is a dish I seek out to find and eat almost every other day while living in Bangkok.  The catfish is grilled over burning coals to become smoky yet still remain firm and flaky.  The fish is de-boned and mixed with the normal larb ingredients to form a mouthwatering spicy combination fish salad.  It goes superbly well with either sticky rice or normal rice.

Main Ingredients

• Catfish
• Red chili flakes
• Toasted rice flakes
• Mint
• Onions
• Lime juice
• Fish sauce
• Green onions

Where to Eat

Most Isaan restaurants around Thailand.  If you see a street cart of restaurant serving som tam (papaya salad) along with grilled catfish, the vendor will be able to make it for you.

Recipes / Information

Larb pla duk can be made with the same recipe as normal pork larb, just exchange the minced pork with de-boned catfish.

Pad Pla Keun Chai ผัดปลาคึ่นฉ่าย

Stir Fried Fish with Celery Leaves

Pad Pla Keun Chai ผัดปลาคึ่นฉ่าย

Pad Pla Keun Chai ผัดปลาคึ่นฉ่าย

Pronunciation:

pàt bplaa kêun-chàai

Description:

Usually made with white meat firm fish of whatever is in stock for that day, fried in oil to become crispy on the outside.  Chinese celery leaves, a handful of grated ginger, green onions, and an oyster soy sauce, combine everything together.  The pungent celery leaves compliment the outer crispiness of the fish and the robust ginger.  A great dish to order with a bowl of rice.

Main Ingredients:

• assorted fish pieces
• celery leaves/stems
• ginger
• green onions
• chili peppers
• oyster sauce
• fish sauce
• sugar
• soy sauce
• oil

Where to Eat:

Chinese or seafood restaurant / stalls that serve fish.

Recipes / Information

• Stir fried fish with Chinese celery
• Pla pad kuen shai recipe

Kuang Sea Foods (กวางทะเลเผา หูฉลาม) has been at the top of my list for Thai seafood for a long time now. The restaurant provides an extensive, easy-to-order menu, packing in the finest seafood dishes Thailand has to offer – at very reasonable prices.

Kuang Sea Foods, Bangkok, Thailand

The restaurant picks up most of it’s business during evening hours and by 7 – 8 pm Kuang Sea Foods is hoppin with customers every night of the week.

A spread of food like the one pictured below cost 250 THB per person, split by 4. It was an all out feasting session.

Average Meal at Kuang Sea Foods กวางทะเลเผา หูฉลาม

Their boo pad pongali (crab yellow curry ปูผัดผงกะหรี่) is delectable, a thick egg sauce that will have you licking your lips for days.

Boo pad pongali (crab yellow curry) ปูผัดผงกะหรี่

Another dish that I religiously order is the pla kahpung neung see ew (steamed fish in soy sauce ปลากะพงนึ่งซีอิ๊ว). The fish is steamed and doused in a light, not overpowering soy based sauce with shredded green onions and ginger arranged on top.

Pla kahpung neung see ew (steamed fish in soy sauce ปลากะพงนึ่งซีอิ๊ว)

It’s always a beautiful sight to hear and smell something coming out of the kitchen to a sizzling applause. The Or suan (sizzling oyster omelet ออส่วน) at Kuang Sea Foods is a showstopper, an intricate combo of oysters, beansprouts, half cooked eggs, and garnish of cilantro!

Or suan (sizzling oyster omelet ออส่วน)

This particular time I went with the squid version known as Pla Meuk Kai Neung Manao (female squid in lime sauce หมึกไขน่ึ่งมะนาว), though I often order this same dish with fish. The female squid was still stuffed with it’s eggs and swimming in a tangy lime sauce, robustly infused with garlic and Thai chilies.

Pla Meuk Kai Neung Manao (mèuk kài nêung má-naao) หมึกไขน่ึ่งมะนาว

The thick tofu soup is a great way to easy the stomach and palate during a full meal spread. The soup’s mild flavor goes well with the sourness, saltiness and spiciness of the other dishes.

Thai Tofu Soup

Not a meal has gone by at Kuang Sea Foods that I didn’t feel the want need to order the crab fried rice; it’s an immaculate fry, loaded with pre-peeled sweet crab!

Crab Fried Rice

Address of Kuang Sea Foods

Kuang Sea Foods
107/13 Soi Rangnam, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400
Open Everyday 10 am – 2 am
Tel. 0-2642-5591

กวางทะเลเผา หูฉลาม
107/13 ซอย รางน้ำ สามเสนใน พญาไท กรุงเทพฯ 10400
เปิด-ปิด10.00-02.00 น.
โทร. 0-2642-5591

How to Get to Kuang Sea Foods

Located just a 10 minute walk from Victory Monument BTS station in central Bangkok. Get off the BTS and head down Soi Rangnam, pass King Power shopping complex and you will see Kuang Sea Foods on the left hand side, just before reaching the main road and opposite a petrol station.

View Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map

I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed with the Thai seafood at Kuang!

Whatever they touch at this restaurant, they make well. There’s a small army of workers running around this neighborhood hot-spot, taking care of the large amounts of hungry folks that wander through.

Laan Thung Khao Tom Hua Pla ร้านตี้งข้าวต้มหัวปลา (ตลาดพลู)

The restaurant, located right in the Talat Phlu are of Bangkok, Thailand is easy to spot as the food is displayed pouring over onto the sidewalk. Laan Thung Khao Tom Hua Pla Restaurant is only open for dinner at night.

Food Displayed onto the Sidewalk

Selection of fresh seafood and vegetables

Menu

Their steamed sea bass in lime and garlic (pla kahpung neung manao ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว)(250 THB) was extravagant, something I could eat everyday for the rest of my life. The fish was steamed perfectly before being dressed in a tart lime sauce. A copious amount of toasted garlic, red chilies and cilantro are what gave it it’s succulence.

My single discrepancy was that it was served on a plate, not the normal Thai metal dish with a candle burning underneath to keep it steaming hot.

Pla kahpung neung manao (steamed fish in lime sauce) ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว

My personal favorite vegetable, water mimosa (pad pak gachet ผัดผักกะเฉด)(50 THB) was prepared unblemished. It was flash stir fried with a load of spicy Thai chilies and a thick oyster sauce.

Water mimosa (pad pak gachet ผัดผักกะเฉด)

Another personal favorite Thai dish is stir fried fish with celery leaves (pad pla keun chai ผัดปลาคึ่นฉ่าย)(120 THB). It was quite good, with a generous portion of fish, but it was slightly too sweet.

Stir fried fish with celery leaves (pad pla keun chai ผัดปลาคึ่นฉ่าย)

I was very excited with their mixed tofu soup (tao hoo song kreung  เต้าหู้ทรงเครื่อง)(150 THB), a blend that included mushrooms, shrimp, squid, oysters, and even a large amount of shell-less crab!

Mixed tofu soup (tao hoo song kreung เต้าหู้ทรงเครื่อง)

We ordered spicy Thai soup with fish (tom yum pla ต้มยำปลา)(120 THB), an amazing soup. It had a different twist from other tom yum’s in Thailand, it was characterized by a wonderful flavor of roasted chilies (prik pao) and dried whole chilies. The concoction was richly full of flavor.

Spicy Thai soup with fish (tom yum pla ต้มยำปลา)

The vegetables were fresh and this plate of stir fried bitter melon leaves (pad pak yot mala ผัดยอดมะระ) was perfect.

Stir fried bitter melon leaves (pad pak yot mala ผัดยอดมะระ)

It goes down as one of my favorite stir fried with rice (aa hăan dtaam sàng อาหารตามสั่ง) restaurants in Bangkok.

Price

It’s a little more expensive than Thai street food, especially with the generous potions of seafood served. A normal meal should fall in the range of 150 – 250 THB per person.

Address

Laan Thung Khao Tom Hua Pla
1119 Thoet Thai, Talat Phlu, Thonburi, Bangkok 10600
Tel. 0-2466-0948
Open: 16:30 – 00:30

ร้านตี้งข้าวต้มหัวปลา (ตลาดพลู)
453 ถ.เทอดไทย บางยี่เรือ ธนบุรี กทม. 10600
โทร. 0-2466-0948
เปิด-ปิด 16.30-00.30 น.

How to Get There

The restaurant is located in Talat Phlu, Bangkok, Thailnad. The closest BTS station is Wang Wian Yai, though it’s still about 2-3 km from there. The easiest way is to take a short cab from Wang Wian Yai to arrive at the doorstep or the restaurant. It’s also possible to take a bus to The Mall Tahpra or Thonburi Plaza and then walk from there.

View Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map

There’s never a dull moment while eating at T & K Seafood. Waiters dash around the multistory complex like playing in a jungle gym, sprinting up the staircase – all in an effort to effectively deliver some of Bangkok’s finest Thai seafood.

ร้านอาหาร ทีแอนด์เค ที่เยาวราช คุณไม่ต้องสงสัยเลยว่าในระหว่างที่คุณทานอาหารที่ร้านเทีแอนด์เคและจะเห็นพนักงานเสริฟวิ่งไปวิ่งมาเหมือนกับกำลังเล่นอะไรบางอย่าง ก็เป็นเพราะว่าพวกเค้ากำลังยุ่งในการเสริฟรสชาติความอลังการของอาหารไทยนั่นเอง

T and K Seafood in Bangkok on Chinese New Years

T & K Seafood Restaurant is located in Bangkok’s bustling Chinatown district, in the area known as Yaowarat. The restaurant opens it’s doors in the evening and begins to guerrilla market their seafood on the side of the road, while grilling up a storm of shrimp and fish to mesmerize those who walk by.

During the busiest times at T & K, waiters even utilize a pulley system to get orders to the various floors of the restaurant.

ร้านอาหารทีแอนด์เคตั้งอยู่ในเยาวราช ร้านนี้เปิดบริการและเริ่มย่างอาหารทะเลสดๆในช่วงเย็นๆ
ซึ้งเย้ายวนผู้ที่สันจรผ่านไปผ่านมาแถวนั่นเป็นอย่างมาก

T & K Seafood, Yaowarat, Bangkok

As usual, the sizzling oyster omelet (Or Suan, ออส่วน) emerged from the kitchen in a spectacular sizzling display that made me want to give it an immediate round of applause. T & K Seafood makes a killer Or Suan, judged especially by the crispy edges.

โดยปกติแล้ว ออส่วนทำเสร็จไหม่ๆที่เสริฟบนเตาร้อนๆทำให้ผมอยากจะลุกขึ้นตบมือให้อย่างมาก
ร้านนี้เป็นมือสังหารในการทำออส่วนกันเลยที่เดียว โดยตัดสินได้จากแป้งหอมๆกรอบๆตามขอบๆของออส่วนนั่น

sizzling oyster omelet (Or Suan, ออส่วน)

Directly after Khao Tom Hua Pla located in Talat Plu, T & K serves my 2nd favorite pla kapong neung manao (steamed lemon sea bass ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว). The combination of green chilies and chunks of fragrant garlic, made it remarkable.

นอกจากข้าวต้มหัวปลาที่ตลาดปูแล้ว ร้านอาหารทีแอนด์เคเป็นร้านที่ทำเมนูโปรดอันดับสองของผม คือ ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว
ซึ่งมันคือความผสมผสานความหอมของพริกสดและกระเทียมเข้าด้วยกันไปได้อย่างดี

Pla kapong neung manao (steamed lemon sea bass ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว)

This time I ordered Thai yellow egg curry with squid (Pla Meuk Pad Pongali, ปลาหมึก ผัดผงกะหรี่), though it can also be ordered with another form of seafood, especially crab. The curry was lightly flavored and less oily than many (which I like).

ครั้งนี้ผมสั่งผัดปลาหมึกผงกระหรี่ ซึ่งจานนี้อาจจะเปลี่ยนจากปลาหมีกเป็นเนื้อชนิดอื่นก็ได้ เช่น ปู และอื่นๆ
ร้านนี้ผัดได้ไม่มันเหมือนร้านอื่นๆที่ผมเคยชิมมา

Thai yellow egg curry with squid (Pla Meuk Pad Pongali, ปลาหมึก ผัดผงกะหรี่)

You know a restaurant is really bad in Bangkok, if they can’t manage to get the stir fried morning glory with chilies (pad pak bung fai daeng ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง), Bangkok’s favorite vegetable correct. Don’t worry here, T & K Seafood does an excellent job, and again, the big cloves of garlic were a real asset.

ถ้าอยากรู้ว่าร้านอาหารไหนไม่ควรเข้าไปกินดูได้จากการผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดงของร้านนั่นๆ
ซึ่งไม่ต้องสังสัยเลยว่าร้านทีแอนด์เคสามารถผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดงได้สุดยอดมากเลย

stir fried morning glory with chilies (pad pak bung fai daeng ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง)

This was the lovely balcony view from T & K Restaurant during Chinese New Years in Yaowarat, out of harms way of the swarms of sweaty people below.

นี้คือวิวจากระเบียงของร้านในช่วงตรุสจีน ซึ่งจะเห็นผู้คนเดินกันอย่างหนาแน่น

T & K Seafood, Yaowarat, Bangkok

Address of T & K Seafood, Yaowarat, Bangkok, Thailand

T & K Seafood
49-51 Soi Phadung Dao, Yaowarat Rd, Bangkok 10100, Open from 4:30pm to 2am, Tel. 01 507 5555
200 – 350 THB per person

T & K Seafood
49-51ซอยผดุงด้าว ถ.เยาวราช เขตสัมพันธวงศ์ กรุงเทพฯ 10100
โทร. 0-2223-4519 (สั่งอาหาร) 08-1507-5555 (คุณต๋อย) 08-1508-9999 (คุณคิด)
เปิด-ปิด 16.30 – 2.00 น.

Cost

The prices are slightly elevated in the popular Yaowarat so expect to pay about 300 THB per person for a hearty seafood meal!

ราคาก็เป็นราคาปกติที่คุณสามารถจ่ายได้ในที่ๆได้รับความนิยมอย่างเยาวราช คือ ประมาณคนละ 300
ต่อมื้อสำหรับอาหารทะเลสดๆ

How to Get There

The restaurant is located right on the corner of the busy Yaowarat Road and Soi Phadung Dao. It’s hard to miss, and famous so everyone knows of it!

ร้านตั้งอยู่ที่หัวมุมขวามือในซอย ผดุงดาว ซึ่งหาไม่ยากและเป็นร้านที่ดังมาก ทุกๆคนรู้จักร้านนี้เป็นอย่างดี

View T & K Seafood in a larger map

Hoy Naang Rom Sot หอยนางรมสด

Hoy Naang Rom Sot หอยนางรมสด

One of the popular ways to eat raw oysters in Thailand is garnished with a dabble of burnt chili sauce, a few fried onions and a sprig of herb. It’s hard to get better than this!

Boo Pad Pongali ปูผัดผงกะหรี่

There’s not a lot of food that get’s my emotions going like a perfect plate of boo pad pongali ปูผัดผงกะหรี่ (OK, that’s a lie – there are lots of Thai dishes that really get my emotions going).

With this particular plate I asked her to go easy on the oil but heavy on the yellow curry. She cooked it over a wok sitting, not on a propane burner, but over real fire and charcoal.

They serve great boo pad pongali ปูผัดผงกะหรี่ at Kuang Seafood restaurant, but this plate was nearly perfect!

Pla Kahpung Neung See Ew (steamed sea bass in soy sauce ปลากะพงนึ่งซิอิ๋ว)

One of my favorite reasons for being such a Thai food connoisseur is that I can eat seafood for just about every meal if I choose.

While I was growing up, it was only on special occasions that I’d get to eat shrimp, squid or even fish.

But in Thailand, things are different.

I eat fish or shrimp nearly every day and occasionally go HI-SO and indulge at one of the many nicer Thai Chinese seafood restaurants.

This time, rather than going to one of my all time favorite Thai seafood restaurants, I decided to give Hua Seng Hong  (ฮั่วเซ่งฮง) a try.

Hua Seng Hong is a seafood palace of Thai Chinese food. Along with their alluring menu of seafood, they also serve dim sum (which I haven’t tasted) and a bunch of Hong Kong style sweets.

At Hua Seng Hong Seafood Restaurant you can either order completely a la carte off the menu or you can choose one of their combination specials.

I went with the special “Family Set” that was a meal set up for 3 – 4 people. Choose 1 fish, 1 vegetable dish, 1 soup, and a choice of a few kinds of fancy fried rice, all for 899 THB.

Neua Boo Pad Pongali เนื้อปูผัดผงกะหรี่ at Hua Seng Hong

The Neua Boo Pad Pongali (crab meat yellow curry เนื้อปูผัดผงกะหรี่) was NOT included with the Family Set, so we ordered it as a welcomed addition.

Unlike many restaurants serving boo pad pongali, this crab was shell less, saving lazy eaters the agony of having to de-shell it themselves.

It was a truly stunning masterpiece of a dish, pinky sized chunks of succulent crab cooked in a thick egg creamy blanket of  yellow curry.

Price: 200 THB

Pad Pak Buay Lang (spinach ผัดผักปวยเล้ง)

To begin the Family Set I ordered the Pad Pak Buay Lang (spinach ผัดผักปวยเล้ง). Now when it first arrived, I thought it was just an ordinary plate of fried veg, but after digging in, I realized it was a vegetable bursting with flavor.

It tasted basically like spinach, but the scorched garlic and bits of mushrooms made this green vegetable extremely flavorful.

Potak Tale (similar to tom yum soup โป๊ะแตกทะเล)

Similar to tom yum goong, Potak Tale (โป๊ะแตกทะเล) is a sour clear seafood soup.

It was delivered to our table in one of those Thai style rounded bowls with the flame lit in the center. The soup must have contained a blend of 10 different goodies from the sea – big chunks of fish, squid, shrimp, a few different shellfish and I’m not even sure what else.

Along with the seafood the Potak Tale included mushrooms, dried chillies, lemongrass and sweet basil. It was soured with lime juice and served piping hot. I was in seafood heaven.

Khao Pad Boo (crab fried rice ข้าวผัดปู)

In my opinion, no other variation of fried rice compares to Khao Pad Boo (crab fried rice ข้าวผัดปู).

Hua Heng Song (ฮั่วเซ่งฮง) used those same beautiful chunks of shell less crab that they used in the pongali curry in the fried rice. The egg was spread so evenly on rice that it coated all individual grains.

A quick squirt of lime juice and a few chillies from the prik nam pla made the khao pad boo something to cherish.

Hua Seng Hong Seafood Restaurant, Bangkok, Thailand

Everything was amazingly delicious, but the Pla Kahpung Neung See Ew (steamed sea bass in soy sauce ปลากะพงนึ่งซิอิ๋ว) was the HIGHLIGHT of my night.

It was a monster, probably a good 2.5 kilo beauty. He was steamed in his oily juices along with soy sauce, and I could really taste an amazing fragrance of sesame oil.

After being steamed the fish was laced with shreds of green onions, peppers, and ginger.

The Pla Kahpung Neung See Ew was ambrosial, a fish so good that I’ve been dreaming about it ever since I ate there.

Creppe Cake เครปเค้ก

For the sweet tooth devotees, you’ll be extremely happy to know that there’s a huge amount of Thai desserts and other sweets on the menu.

We sampled this slice of Creppe Cake เครปเค้ก, which was good, but maybe not quite as fluffy as I had imagined. The strawberry syrup was fantastic though.

They had a wide range of other desserts that looked enticingly sweet and attractive, but I was just too stuffed to even consider another option.

Hua Seng Hong Seafood ฮั่วเซ่งฮง

The Bottom Line

If you like seafood and want to dine in a nice modern atmosphere, you’ll fall in love with Hua Seng Hong – I did!

The food is extremely tasty, the seafood is super high quality, and the specials on the menu are decently priced for the value.

Hua Seng Hong Seafood Restaurant (ฮั่วเซ่งฮง)

Address: Soi Sukhumvit 101, Sukhumvit Rd., Bang Chak, Phra Khanong, Bangkok 10260 Thailand
Website: Here’s the official Huang Seng Hong site
Hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily
Phone: 0-2730-5141-2
Prices: Be prepared to spend anywhere from 300 – 600 THB per person, maybe more if you dip into the higher priced seafood dishes (or the suckling pig). When I went, our bill came to about 400 THB per person, but if you wanted, you can just get that special without anything extra.

ฮั่วเซ่งฮง

สาขาสุขุมวิท 101ถนนสุขุมวิท ปากซอยสุขุมวิท 101 บางจากโทร. 0-2730-5141-2

How to Get There

Hua Seng Hong is a chain of restaurants with a number of locations around Bangkok. I’ve only been to the branch on Sukhumvit Soi 101, right below the Punnawhithi BTS station.

Take the BTS to Punnawithi Station, and the restaurant is right below the station on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi 101.

View Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map

Thai squid with holy basil

One of the most common day to day dishes in Thailand is known as Pad Gra Pao – a choice of meat stir fried with a few assorted veggies and the all important “holy basil” thrown in at the end.

The result is a pleasant salty dish with a peppery basil flavor that goes excellent with a plate of steamed white rice. While pad gra pao gai and pork are both common, I enjoy my pad gra pao with shrimp or squid.

A Lazy Afternoon Started with Twilight Summer Ale, recently launched in Bangkok.

Oyster Bar’s Scallop Ceviche with Pickled Shallots and Mango Puree

Doesn’t it always seem that when you’re invited to comment in depth on something or ponder some existential quandary — that you’re always asked while you’re shoving food into your face?

Maybe that’s just me, but I think it’s kinda rude.

Nope, no sir, I’ll never get used to it.

Baked Rockefeller Oysters

Glasses of Shrimp Cocktail at Oyster Bar

So whilst I was double-fisting over the weekend, my left hand catapulting crabby patties spongebob style and doing constant craft beer bicep curls with my right hand, I was abruptly asked, “So are you here for the beer?”

Mouth full, eyes squinting I turned desperately to friends nearby hoping they’d recognize my immobilized expression.

Crabby patties! Crab cakes at Oyster Bar, drizzled in aioli sauce.

An Oyster with Chipotle Sauce

Luckily, the telepathic distress signals worked and someone in the group chimed in, “Both.”

Close call. Who’d ask such a thing, anyway?

Delicious Clam Chowder

Baked Casino Oysters

Was it ironic and I should be immediately engage the man in an oyster shoveling death-duel to defend my honor?

Or was it friendly and I needed to let my guard down for the man overly curious about four friends so focused on ‘the mission’, that we hadn’t noticed the silence?

I don’t know, but thank the stars I wasn’t forced to stop chewing, nor decide on a favorite limb.

Rapidly disappearing Black Butte Porter

No. It was Saturday and no difficult decisions should be made.

Which is precisely why I spent the afternoon at Oyster Bar where Beervana was hosting the launch of a well known Oregon craft beer brand, Deschutes.

Profound since, it seemed only yesterday that craft beer had arrived and because these beers aren’t yet widely available yet.

Gary Fish Founder of Deschutes serving up tastes of four new ales available in Bangkok.

So believe it or not, Bangkok is a few steps ahead of other cities outside North America and even some places like New York.

Note: Deschutes is a well known in the craft brew world, especially after bringing home the 2012 Best Beer Award for their Northwest Pale Ale (not available here yet, but fingers crossed).

Seafood Ravioli

Penn Cove mussels poached in beer with sai oua (Chiang Mai Sausage)

For now, their leap into Bangkok includes four beers: Chainbreaker White IPA, Twilight Summer Ale, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, & Black Butte Porter

They’re all incredibly easy to drink and I think in addition to seafood they’ll make a good match with all kinds of Thai food, including the spicier stuff.

They’re all light ales, not overly carbonated and even the Black Butte Porter which you would assume to be a bit heavier went down quite smooth.

For starters though, I’d recommend grabbing the blonde (Chainbreaker White IPA) and the redhead (Twilight Summer Ale) on a chill day with something spicy you love to eat. These were great with the casino baked oysters and the spice from the sai oua at the bottom of the Penn Cove mussels.

But before you get too comfortable, be sure you’ve found a place to munch where you’ll be safe from any rigorous questioning.

This ice cream with this rich, chocolate fondant was blah, but desserts here are normally tasty.

The Bottom Line

Tasty sustainable seafood and beer that’s way too easy to drink. If you’re a craft beer lover and love the mid build to heftier beers like Dead Guy Ale, these are normally on the menu at Oyster Bar anyway.

Oyster bar is great for their seafood platters and fish dishes. They used to have another location nearer to my neighborhood called Seafood Bar which was recently closed. The fish is high quality and more expensive than what you’d expect to pay at an average seafood place (no farmed fish is sold here) so keep that in mind and check out the sample menu on their website.

I prefer their fresh clams to the baked ones, but admit the baked casino and Rockefeller oysters went well with the beer (didn’t care much for the chipotle ones). The ice cream with the fondant I was served was pretty lame, but I’ll overlook that since I’ve been here before and had great desserts.

Beervana & Deschutes

Check out the Beervana site to find a full list of restaurants where you can try the new beers or to join their Craft Beer Club. For Oyster Bar, we’ve provided the details below. 

Oyster Bar

Address: 395 Narwathiwas Soi 24, Chongnonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120
Phone: 02 212 4809
Website: http://www.theoysterbarbangkok.com/
Hours: Daily, 6pm – 11pm, 5pm-11pm, Sundays Noon – 10pm
Prices: 500 – 1500 baht per person. Menu changes daily and with such a wide range of seafood it’s hard to say how much you’ll spend. Exotic fish dishes in the 400 baht range up to a double stacked Seafood Platter to share with 2-4 people is around 2000 baht.

How to Get to Oyster Bar:

Oyster Bar is located in Narathiwat Soi 24 (also commonly known as Satu Pradit Soi 19) past the Chatrium Hotel, across from Bangkok Gardens Condominium. You can BTS to Chong Nonsi and taxi over to Narathiwas 24. Avoid the high traffic times though or this it’s a pain. You can also take the BRT bus to get you closer if you want to come by public transportation. Because it out of the way I normally take a taxi the entire way. Find the map below and have the restaurant’s phone number ready incase you get turned around.

View Bangkok Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map

A very happy Mark!

While oftentimes Thai street food comes at very affordable prices, other rare times it can be expensive (relatively).

But let me tell you, if you’re paying top prices for Thai street food, your money isn’t going towards the nice ambiance or the perfect service, you’re paying for high quality ingredients.

People begin to wait in line

Located just a 5 minute walk from Bangkok’s Wong Wian Yai, on Charoen Rat Soi 1, is a street stall that lives up to its reputation of having the BEST goong (shrimp) and pu (crab) ob woon sen (with vermicelle, baked in a small pan) in the city (at least by far the best I’ve ever had).

The master and his kitchen

Starting at 5 pm each evening Somsak Pu Ob (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ) takes position along the sidewalk.

This is the type of Bangkok street food stall where Mercedes driving CEO’s share the same tables with those like myself who scraped up our final 1 Baht coins to claim a seat.

Reaching out their claws and begging to be devoured!

The recipes used at Somsak Pu Ob (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ) are simple, but it’s the superb quality of ingredients and the pinpoint timing of the cooking that makes it so extraordinary.

Working the pots like a wizard

Unlike places like Pad Thai Thip Samai where the fame of their pad Thai made them expand into hiring 10 chefs to produce quantity, one thing I admire is at Somsak Pu Ob (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ) it’s just a single chef, and he only cooks four pans of goong ob woon sen (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น) at a time – keeping quality and precision at its highest.

Part of the cooking process

The shrimp, or crab, are first added to the skillet along with a few seasonings, and placed over the flames which are so hot they could probably be used as a welding torch.

Goong Ob Woon Sen (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น)

A mixture of glass noodles and soy sauce is then added to the top of the shrimp before a handful of green onions is placed on top.

I’ve had goong ob woon sen before, at places like Kuang Seafood, but after eating this goong ob woon sen, I can tell you that I’ll never be ordering this dish again anywhere but here. I would probably be disappointed with any other version.

Our irresistible meal at Somsak Pu Ob (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ)

Depending on how many orders are before yours, which can be quite a few, will determine how long it takes for you to get your food. And while Thai street food often comes within 5 minutes, you can easily wait 10 – 20 minutes, or even much longer (sometimes to even get a seat) at Somsak Pu Ob (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ).

Quality won’t be sacrificed.

Just begging to be devoured!

Within the Goong Ob Woon Sen (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น) were four jumbo prawns (even larger than those beauties in P’Aor’s tom yum goong), a handful of glass noodles, and green onions.

The prawns were so meaty and had a brilliant muscular texture; They were also cooked perfectly so they weren’t rubbery and remained juicy. The glass noodles were spectacular, coated in a little pork oil and flavored with just the right amount of soy sauce, black pepper, and fresh coriander root.

Price – 220 THB

Hoy Kraeng (หอยแครงลวก) – blood cockles

They may be notorious for their potential diarrhea causing properties (like any street food shellfish), but if you love shellfish, you’ll enjoy Hoy Kraeng (หอยแครงลวก), or blood cockles. I’ve had some that are fully cooked, others that taste almost raw, and these were somewhere in between.

The key to eating hoy kraeng (หอยแครงลวก) is the dipping sauce, and at Somsak Pu Ob (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ) they make no mistakes; It’s perfectly spicy and sour.

Price – 50 THB

Pu Ob Woon Sen (ปูเนื้ออบวุ้นเส้น)

The crab version, Pu Ob Woon Sen (ปูเนื้ออบวุ้นเส้น), also arrived to our table, looking like pure glory.

The noodles were a little drier, so I think there wasn’t as much pork fat used in the preparation, but they were still unbelievably flavorful. The chunks of crab were sweet and I loved the smoky flavor embedded within them from the high fire torture they received.

Price – 250 THB

The sign of a satisfying meal

The Bottom Line

If you love juicy jumbo prawns and sweet crab claws, there’s nothing negative about this place, you’re going to love it. I personally found everything we ordered extremely delicious, and worth the cost!

Somsak Pu Ob (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ)

Address: Thanon Charoen Rat Soi 1, Khlong San, Bangkok
Open hours: Monday – Saturday from 5 pm – 10 pm, Sunday from 4 pm – 10 pm (but they often sell out early)
Prices – 300 – 500 THB per person

เจริญรัถ เขตคลองสาน ถ.เจริญรัูถ ซอย1 กรุงเ่ทพ
โทร. 081-823-9706
จันทร์ – เสาร์ เปิด. 17.00 – 22.00
อาทิตย์ เปิด 16.00 – 22.00

How to get there:

You can take the BTS to Wongwian Yai station. Exit towards Saraphi 3, walk straight up the road and once you get to the Charoen Rat intersection, you’ll see Charoen Rat Soi 1. It’s very close to the Wong Wian Yai roundabout.

View Bangkok Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map

Lung Ja Seafood Restaurant (ร้านลุงจ่า) – Hua Hin, Thailand

Have you ever been walking around with absolutely no intention to eat whatever you walked past, and the next thing you knew, you found yourself about to dig into something you weren’t planning on eating?

For myself, when it comes to Bangkok street food, it happens more than frequently…

But usually it doesn’t hurt the wallet too much… like it did in Hua Hin!

I was in Hua Hin a few weekends ago, walking through the night market just before dark, when I saw the seafood trophies being advertised.

We first walked through the market, amazed, but I knew I couldn’t afford it…

Yup, the next thing you know, my wife and I were sitting down to a 1.1 kg lobster!

At the night market in Hua Hin, Thailand, you’ll find about 10 different restaurants all serving fresh seafood.

My wife had already researched that the most recommended stall was Lung Ja Seafood (ร้านลุงจ่า), so that’s the one we decided on. Plus the vendor was extremely friendly and he’s the one that sold me on the lobster (กุ้งมังกรเผา) when I was at my weakest… and I caved in, unable to resist.

I picked our trophy, a 1.1 kg. beauty!

He sliced it open like a block of butter, the flesh oozing out and ready to be cooked.

Lung Ja Seafood Restaurant (ร้านลุงจ่า)

At Lung Ja Seafood Restaurant (ร้านลุงจ่า), they first steam the lobster, and then grill for the last few minutes. This makes the lobster tender and non-chewy, said the cook.

crab fried rice (khao pad boo ข้าวผัดปู)

Along with our beautiful lobster, they threw in a complimentary plate of crab fried rice (khao pad boo ข้าวผัดปู) and stir fried morning glory (pad pak bung fai daeng ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง).

Both of the side dishes were actually superb on their own, though they were dwarfed by the anticipation of my main event of the meal.

Lobster (กุ้งมังกรเผา)

She was delivered in glorious fashion, garnished with a few raw veggies and lathered in a collection of different sauces.

Black pepper sauce, garlic sauce, buttery sauce, and some kind of barbecue sauce were all placed on top of our lobster (กุ้งมังกรเผา). They were all good, but in actuality, if I were to order it again, I’d ask for all the sauces on the side.

Digging in to our lobster!

At Lung Ja Seafood Restaurant (ร้านลุงจ่า) they make a pretty awesome lobster. It was pure heaven, juicy and tender, not chewy, but cooked just right.

The sauces were even quite good, but I would have preferred them on the side. Out 1.1 kg. lobster was insanely good and as I took bites of huge pieces of flesh, I couldn’t help from closing my eyes and thoroughly enjoying every bite.

A mouthwatering bite of lobster

Here’s a little close up of a bite from the tail end, but the lobster meat from the head section was even more juicy and tender and amazing!

This meal was not cheap, they charge 1,500 THB per kilo for the king lobster. Ours weighed in at 1.1 kg, but luckily he gave it to us for just 1,500 THB. Two sides dishes come complimentary if you order a lobster.

This is the place you’re looking for!

The Bottom Line

The food at Lung Ja Seafood (ร้านลุงจ่า) is fantastic. The lobster was amazing and even the crab fried rice (khao pad boo ข้าวผัดปู) and stir fried morning glory (pad pak bung fai daeng ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง) were excellent.

If you’re in Hua Hin and looking for a splurge meal of seafood, head over to Lung Ja Seafood (ร้านลุงจ่า).

Lung Ja Seafood (ร้านลุงจ่า)

Address: 103/4-5 Hua Hin Night Market Soi. Hua Hin Prachuap Khiri Khan
Open hours: Monday – Sunday 6.00 pm – 3.00 am
Phone: 082-975-9905 , 086-764-1678

103/4-5 ตลาดโต้รุ่ง ต.หัวหิน จ.ประจวบคีรีขันธ์
เปิด จันทร์ – อาทิตย์ 18.00 – 03.00 น.

How to Get There

Lung Ja Seafood (ร้านลุงจ่า) is right in the middle of the Hua Hin night market main soi. Just wander around and you’ll find it!

View Bangkok Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map

Khao pad boo (crab fried rice ข้าวผัดปู) at Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่)

A couple days ago I met up with my friend Ramon for an expedition to Mahachai (มหาชัย) to search for seafood… what else could we want!?

Mahachai is a small town about an hour and a half from Bangkok, located in the province of Samut Sakhon. It’s positioned at the mouth of the Gulf of Thailand, and for this reason it’s one of the main seafood distribution centers of all things from the sea.

Anyway, you go to Mahachai to eat seafood, in fact, even the air in Mahachai smells fishy!

We met a local friend who directed us to a restaurant known as Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่).

Just from the location, the ambiance and the fact that the restaurant was located in the bottom of a small private apartment looking complex, I knew it was going to be good.

We started things off with a big platter of khao pad boo (crab fried rice ข้าวผัดปู), one of the better plates I’ve had. It was cooked on an extremely hot wok, leaving the rice scorched and dry. Plus there big chunks of sweet crab and egg tossed throughout.

Price – 170 THB

Moo pad sataw (pork withs stink beans หมูผัดสะตอ)

I’m addicted to stink beans, there’s nothing I can do about it.

I could eat them every meal for the rest of my life.

So I couldn’t resist ordering the moo pad sataw (pork withs stink beans หมูผัดสะตอ). It also had bits of chopped shrimp within it, and the dish was excellent as expected.

Price – 150 THB

Goong pad pongkari (shrimp in a Thai yellow egg curry กุ้งผัดผงกะหรี่)

Next up was goong pad pongkari (shrimp in a Thai yellow egg curry กุ้งผัดผงกะหรี่).

The shrimp were of utmost freshness, firm and cooked to perfection. The light curry was rich, oily, and perfectly coated on each curled up beauty.

Price – 250 THB

Meuk pad kai kem (salty egg with squid หมึกผัดไข่เค็ม)

I’m honestly not always the biggest fan of kai kem (salt cured egg), and I’ve had pla meuk pad kai kem (squid stir fried with kai kem) a number of times in Thailand, and I don’t always care for the sand texture of the salted egg yolk.

But we ordered a plate of meuk pad kai kem (salty egg with squid หมึกผัดไข่เค็ม) and it ended up being one of my favorites of the meal.

The egg yolk was somehow silky smooth, and it provided an intensely rich, salty, and creamy sauce for the high quality, non-rubbery rings of squid. Amazing!

Price - 150 THB

Brown-marbled grouper (ปลาเก๋าทอด 3 รส)

Next up, we couldn’t have a seafood meal without a number fish joining us.

The pla kow tod 3 rot – which I believe is a Brown-marbled grouper (ปลาเก๋าทอด 3 รส), was a nice fat fish that was basically dug out into strips, deep fried to a crisp on all surfaces, and coated in a sweet Thai chili sauce.

Price – 250 THB

Goong dten (กุ้งเต้น)

Far different from the normal goong dten, the Thai dancing shrimp (กุ้งเต้น) that are so famous, they do a different version (maybe a made-up version of genius) at Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่).

They were jumbo prawns, roasted over fire, butterfly cut, then lathered in a near life-changing delicious sauce of chunky garlic, fresh and dry chilies, and mint leaves.

Those chunks of garlic and chilies were incredible

Along with the squid, this speciality of Mahachai is worth the effort to eat here. I could hardly contain myself.

Price - 250 THB

Pla krapong tod nam pla (barramundi fish fried with sauce ปลากระพงทอดน้ำปลา)

Then we had another fish…

… this time around a pla krapong tod nam pla (barramundi fish fried with sauce ปลากระพงทอดน้ำปลา).

The trophy was deep-fried to a crispy, and served with lovely green mango and chili fish sauce.

Price – 350 THB

Goong ob woon sen (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น)

Lastly, by the time we were already patting our stomaches and rejoicing from the food, out came the final dish: goong ob woon sen (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น).

I won’t say it was as good as the version at Somsak Boo Op (สมศักดิ์ ปูอบ) – that’s my standard for the dish, but it was pretty good and the fresh jumbo prawns were marvelous.

Price – 200 THB

Pure enjoyment at Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่)

The Bottom Line

The bad news is Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่) is a ways outside of Bangkok, and nearly impossible to get there without a car. The good news is, the food is worth turning it into a Thai seafood meal pilgrimage.

It won’t let you down!

Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่)

Phone: 034-426646
Open hours: 10:30 – 20:00 daily
Prices: Dishes are about 150 – 250 each, and the seafood is amazing!

ที่อยู่ 197/13 อาคาร ติดวัดเจษฎาราม ถนนเจษฎาวิถี ตำบลมหาชัย อำเภอเมืองสมุทรสาคร สมุทรสาคร
โทร. 034-426646
เปิดบริการทุกวัน 10.30 – 20.00 น.

How to get there:

Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่) is located in Mahachai (มหาชัย), about 1.5 hours from central Bangkok. The best way to get there is to either have your own car or to rent a car for the day. It would be convenient to go if you take a day trip to Mahachai for some sightseeing and then eat here for lunch or dinner.

The post An Unforgettable Thai Seafood Feast in Mahachai at Ran Ahan Pi (ร้านอาหาร ไผ่) appeared first on Thai Street Food and Pictures | Eating Thai Food.

“I can’t wait to get to Thailand to eat some pad thai!” I hear this phrase every year and it makes me wince and cringe thinking about having pad thai intervention sessions with people. It’s part of my foodie duty, but it’s just a little sad that I always ends with me smacking someone around […]

The post A Pad Thai Intervention: Is Hoy Tod Better Than Pad Thai? appeared first on Thai Street Food, Restaurants, and Recipes | Eating Thai Food.

Krabi, with its mix of beaches, islands, waterfalls, seafood, and southern Thai food, is one of my favorite provinces in Thailand… it also happens to be where my wife is from. A lot has been changing and developing in Krabi over the last few years, and many new restaurants have opened. Krabi Paknam Seafood (ปากน้ำกระบี่ซีฟู๊ด),... [Read More]

The post Paknam Krabi Seafood: Halal Restaurant in Krabi Town appeared first on Thai Street Food, Restaurants, and Recipes | Eating Thai Food.

(If you can’t see the video, click here to watch it on Youtube) Thai food is a wonderful combination of ingredients and flavors. Meals should encompass a range of tastes so every taste bud becomes alive! One of foundational dishes of Thai cuisine is tom yum goong soup – a hot and sour soup flavored... [Read More]

The post How to Make Delicious Thai Tom Yum Goong (VIDEO Recipe) appeared first on Thai Street Food, Restaurants, and Recipes | Eating Thai Food.

One of the most famous of all Thai foods, and what I think is one the best soups in the world, is Thai tom yum goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง). What I love most about tom yum goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง) is the flavors of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, fresh Thai chilies, and fresh lime juice, that all combine to... [Read More]

The post Tom Yum Soup Recipe (ต้มยำกุ้ง) – Authentic Thai Style appeared first on Thai Street Food, Restaurants, and Recipes | Eating Thai Food.

Stink beans are one of my favorite things to eat in the entire world. To me, they are little beans of joy – little morsels of power and flavor, packed with vitamins, and both their taste and texture excites me like I’m a little kid on a roller coaster. Alright, anyway, you probably have guessed that... [Read More]

The post Thai Stink Beans with Shrimp Recipe (วิธีทำ กุ้งผัดสะตอ) appeared first on Thai Street Food, Restaurants, and Recipes | Eating Thai Food.

When it comes to Thai chili dipping sauces (known in Thai as nam prik or nam phrik), nothing is more common or widely loved than nam prik kapi (น้ำพริกกะปิ). Nam prik kapi is perhaps the most famous of all the Thai chili sauces, made with fermented shrimp paste, chilies, and lots of lime juice. I... [Read More]

The post Authentic Thai Nam Prik Kapi Recipe (วิธีทำ น้ำพริกกะปิ) appeared first on Thai Street Food, Restaurants, and Recipes | Eating Thai Food.