Bkk Best Restaurants 2006

Hi -

I know its a little old, but I thought it was interesting enough to post. Its The Bangkok Posts' Best of 2006 Restaurants list. The Post itself mangled the page, attaching some of the reviews to the wrong restaurants. I think its sorted out correctly below, but I hope someone will see it and say so if its not.

Ian

THAI

Krua Apsorn
Samsen Road (between Wat Rachathiwat and the National Library)
Tel 02-241-8528, Open daily 10:30am-7:30pm
closed Sundays

If asked which restaurant has made the biggest impact over the past year, I would have to say Krua Apsorn. After my review of the restaurant was published I was approached by friends, colleagues, and even top dogs in the office, who said that they had been there and thought the food was great.

Though Krua Apsorn was a discovery for me in 2006, the restaurant has been well-cherished among royalty, local foodies and finicky diners for decades. In terms of setting, there's nothing to distinguish Krua Apsorn from the usual streetside, air-conditioned restaurants - the place is neither modern nor traditional, with just ordinary tables and chairs and some framed reviews on its plain white walls.

Perhaps it was the inexpensive prices on the menu, the simplicity of the
place or just the remarkably delicious food, prepared by a veteran chef who has worked in a royal compound, that make people love the place so much.

The menu presents around 30 selections of simple local dishes. Some items require advance ordering, early arrival or reservations, otherwise be prepared for disappointment.

You should not miss the restaurant's best selling gaeng luang lai bua, or sour and spicy yellow curry cooked with lotus stems (90 baht), hoy
malangpoo pad cha or stir-fried mussels with basil leaves and chilli (70
baht) and deep-fried chicken wings (60 baht).

The famous grilled chicken wings (100 baht) - availability of which is
limited, requiring reservations a day in advance - proved to be truly
wonderful. My personal favourite is the stir-fried crab meat with yellow chilli (250 baht), which presents generous portions of meaty white crab prepared with garlic, string beans, basil leaves and yellow chilli oil.

Krua Apsorn is located on Samsen road between Wat Rachathiwat and the
National Library, opposite Suan Sunantha Institute.



Baan Chamnong
37 Mahaset Road (off Surawong), Si Phraya
Tel 02-234-1432
Open daily 12-2pm and 4-10pm

Owned and run by a 30-year veteran of the hotel and service industry, Baan Chamnong is a good example of why Thai food is revered worldwide.
Pungency, freshness and well-balanced combinations are evident in almost
every dish served at this seven-year-old restaurant.

Situated right on the side of the newly-built Mahaset Road, the restaurant offers all that's necessary for pleasant dining - cleanliness, comfort and good food.

The truly impressive pla muek dad deow (100 baht) is the most
straightforward, yet uncommon appetiser. The yum takrai pla salid (110
baht), featuring crispy deep-fried salid fish tossed with finely chopped
lemongrass and cashew nuts in spicy sauce, is also very delicious.

Goong kai ten (200 baht), a brilliant marriage of ordinary steamed egg
pudding and spicy lime soup, is enjoyable as a soup or as a side dish with rice. Equally magnificent is moo manao (100 baht), or grilled pork loin slices topped with spicy lime sauce and served with crispy kale.

For dessert, the refreshing and not too sweet woon maprao on (20 baht per small order) was the ideal choice for palate cleansing.



INTERNATIONAL

Tharn Fai Gao Grill Room
857 Soi Pibhun Upathum, Lat Phrao soi 48 (off Sutthisan road)
Tel 02-693-0915
Open daily except Monday, 6-11pm

Despite its somewhat ramshackle and tawdry surroundings, I guarantee that you'll fall in love with the warm and charming Tharn Fai Gao. The
restaurant occupies a pleasant red brick building with a lovely little
garden, inviting al fresco area and warm, memorable decor.

Like its appearance, Tharn Fai Gao's menu is fascinating yet unpredictable. Many of the items you won't find anywhere else in town - but that doesn't mean they are those elaborately presented or super-fusion dishes with eccentric names.

The sautéed wild mushrooms with Italian parsley (180 baht) look rather
lifeless, but offer a marvellously addictive taste. For salad, spinach
with warm honey Dijon dressing (170 baht) is recommended.

Hibachi steak (470 baht) was the highlight for main course. This
Japanese-style grilled rib-eye steak presents a generous slice of beef
accompanied by baked potato slices and boiled vegetables. The steak,
well-done and well-flavoured, had been marinated in Japanese sauce for
three days, giving a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth result.

There are many other mouthwatering items on the grill menu including spare ribs, Japanese grilled chicken, Korean BBQ short ribs and lamb chops. The order of grilled blackened prawns (350 baht) - four partially burnt and spice-coated prawns - is delectably interesting.

For first-timers, the restaurant might be difficult to access. So it's
better call ahead for detailed directions.



CHINESE

Xinn Tien Di
3rd floor, Gaysorn shopping centre, Phloen Chit Road
Tel 02-656-2114
Open daily 11:30 am-2:30pm and 6-10pm

Open for five months already, Xinn Tien Di still offers reasonable prices, despite its ritzy location at Gaysorn.

The 150 seater, with a traditional fine Chinese dining atmosphere complete with beautiful contemporary Chinese decor, is owned and managed by a former co-proprietor of the well respected Jasmine Chinese restaurant. Regulars know that there are some items not to be missed, notably the Peking duck and dim sum. Available for lunch only, the dim sum is priced at 50 to 80 baht per basket. The selection ranges from traditional ha gao and shu mai to dumplings with crab claws and prawn dumplings with spicy lime sauce. However, the most impressive choice of all was the restaurant's signature creation, guay tiew lord jian, or steamed rice noodle rolls with prawn stuffing (100 baht).

From the a la carte menu hae guen, or deep-fried shrimp rolls (220 baht), is one of the most popular starters. The Chinese-style fillet steak (240 baht) is a must if you are a beef eater. Not only was the fillet super tender, but it came with perfectly subtle gravy - aromatic and not too sweet nor ketchupy.

At 590 baht, the Peking duck here is quite a bargain, especially for such a ritzy restaurant. Crispy, reddish brown, palm-size strips are carved from the huge bird and accompanied by steamed flour sheets, cucumber sticks and two choices of sauce. Considering how long the duck skin stayed crispy - at least an hour - , I can say that Xinn Tien Di's Peking duck is one of the best currently offered in Bangkok.

Chinese pancakes stuffed with mashed jujube (200 baht) are a great idea for dessert. The crispy coating wasn't too thick or mushy and the filling wasn't overly sweet.



China Gate
8/30 Vibhavadi Rangsit Road
Tel 02-511-0859
Open daily 11am-2:30pm and 5-10pm

Don't let the fact that the restaurant is owned and run by the owner of the phenomenally famous Rotiboy shops make you expect less of the place. After all, the impressive taste and quality of food served here - not how much money they have made - are what has got the restaurant onto this year's list.

Recently opened, China Gate is probably the proprietor's biggest and most heavily backed business. As a substantial full-scale Chinese restaurant, it offers a whole range of traditional Cantonese and Tae Chiew dishes, with the emphasis on fresh seafood, suckling pig, Peking duck and lunchtime dim sum.

Among the recommended hors d'oeuvres are braised duck's tongue (300 baht), which offers an awesome combination of succulent and crunchy textures and braised crab claws in soy sauce gravy (200 to 300 baht per claw, depending on size), which presents firm and meaty crab claws. Even more delicious was goong ob woonsen, or baked prawns and vermicelli in clay pot (300 baht). The prawns are fresh, the clear noodles perfectly cooked and the sauce subtle. Adding a light and soothing touch to the meal was Yin Yang fish soup, or pla song naam (1,250 baht). The dish features uncooked fillets of garoupa fish with two kinds of boiling broth: the hot, black pepper soup and the light and fruity plum soup.

If you like moo han, go for Hong Kong-style suckling pig (1,500 baht).
This Hong Kong-styled dish is presented with the pork meat and fat intact, which proved to be very tender, flavourful and crispy at the same time. The grilled piglet, which can serve up to eight, was accompanied by steamed buns, roasted chilli paste and pickled vegetables.

From the dessert menu, I find China Gate's jujube pancake (200 baht)
unbeatable, even by those from five-star hotels.

The restaurant is situated between St John's University and the Thai
Airways building. Parking is plentiful.



Krua Dokmai Khao
678/4-7 Bamrung Muang Road, Pom Prab district
Tel 02-225-2749
Open daily except Sundays, 10am-10pm

This spacious restaurant made the list because of its impressive
combination of great food, good service, appealing atmosphere and amazing location.

Krua Dokmai Khao is located only a few steps away from the heavy traffic
and highly polluted Bamrung Muang Road in Bo Bae. Behind the restaurant's glass facade is a professionally designed, contemporary styled dining room with loft-like ceilings and red brick walls.

The menu presents more than 200 Thai and Western dishes - all without MSG. For drinks, we recommend the Thai tea latte (60 baht), local milky tea served hot with milk foam atop separate layers of milk and orange-coloured tea.

The spinach lasagna (105 baht) is one of the best sellers, as is the
deep-fried tofu and taro (75 baht). The fried squid with tartar sauce (85 baht) is also worth having.

For the main course, it's a good idea to order the spaghetti with clams,
garlic and chilli (85 baht). The pasta is cooked with olive oil and basil leaves and presents a great aroma as well as a well-balanced flavour.

The grilled seabass (155 baht) is perfectly seasoned and cooked, served
with mashed potatoes, vegetables and tartar sauce.

For dessert, warm waffles with ice cream (95 baht) are truly enjoyable. Of the 20 variations of homemade cakes offered daily, the coconut cake (60 baht) proved to be the biggest hit with soft and light butter cake stuffed with young coconut flesh. The strawberry cake (65 baht) is also light and savoury.

There's limited parking space in Soi Yosse 3. Taking a taxi is probably the best bet.



Ho's Kitchen
510 Pracha Uthit (off Praditmanutham Road)
Tel 02-934-7723
Open daily 11am-2pm and 6-11pm

One of the most memorable meals of the year was when our family dined at
Ho's Kitchen's newest outlet in Huay Kwang neighbourhood.

It wasn't the first time we'd been to Ho's. As regulars at the Rama III
outlet, our perception was that Ho's Kitchen was just another okay
restaurant. Then we finally checked out the new venue. That's when we
decided to list it as one of our favourites.

The restaurant highlights its fresh seafood - in terms of quality and also variety. And Ho's seafood isn't just grouper fish in a filthy glass tank or clusters of crabs tied up in a basket. Rather it means live giant lobsters from Australia and South Africa, huge Alaskan king crabs from Canada, abalones from Down Under and rare turbot fish from the waters of Hong Kong. The Boston lobster in supreme gravy sauce, prepared with a huge specimen (weighing approximately one kilo), was succulent and sweet - and probably the best we have ever had. At Ho's Kitchen, crab fans shouldn't miss poo nua tord khai khem, or deep-fried sea crab with salted egg (100 baht per 100 grammes). Served with sweet and sour sauce on the side, the deep-fried, yolk-battered crab with a light and crispy exterior and juicy, plump interior makes for an addictive appetiser and is also great with rice.

For noodles, sen mee khoo sang khoo som, or fried rice noodles and bean
vermicelli with seafood (120 baht), is definitely worth ordering. The
dish, cooked with two kinds of noodles as well as scallops, shrimps,
pickled vegetables, carrots, spring onions and beansprouts was delicious.

Don't let the restaurant's address mislead you. Though its official nameis Ho's Kitchen at Meng Jai, the place is several kilometres away from the Meng Jai intersection. The easiest route to the restaurant is via Praditmanutham (Liab Tangduan Ekamai-Ram Indra) Road. From Ekamai, head northbound towards Praditmanutham and turn left at Pracha Uthit
intersection. The restaurant is approximately 100 metres down the road on your right. Reservations are a must, especially on weekends.



Top Menu
34/1 Soi Lang Suan, Phloen Chit Road
Tel 02-251-1438
Open daily 11am-10pm

Top Menu is a little Chinese restaurant 100 metres down from the mouth of soi Lang Suan. Unlike other eateries in the neighbourhood, the restaurant is far from lavish and what it offers is not intricate fusion Chinese food but down-to-earth vegetable-based Beijing cuisine.

The menu, which comes in Thai, Chinese and English, features dumplings,
seafood, vegetables, pork and poultry.

Number one on our don't-miss-list is the stir-fried green peas (100 baht), plump, fresh green vegetables, naturally sweet and crisp. And make sure to try the mixed bitter gourd (80 baht). The dish comprises crisp, thin slices of bitter gourd in light sesame oil dressing and is refreshingly delectable. I also guarantee that you'll like the restaurant's bestselling gyoza, or fried dumplings (70 baht).

For entrees, spicy sliced pork (160 baht) and steamed snapper in soy sauce (400 baht) are among the most ordered items. The pork dish was delightful: super tender slices of pork and vegetables bathed in thick, rather hot, flavoursome gravy. The fish - fresh and naturally sweet - came under a pile of finely chopped ginger, garlic and lemongrass in light soy sauce. From the dessert menu, the stuffed eggplant with taro (120 baht) is well worth sampling. Simple as it sounds, the dish is made up of big flat pieces of deep-fried eggplant, battered with bread crumbs and stuffed with smooth, sweet taro paste.

Though the service is not especially proficient - most of the Chinese staff don't speak great Thai or English - Top Menu has a convenient location, unpretentious atmosphere, delicious food and reasonable prices.



Nai Sow
3/1 Maitri Chit Road (next to Wat Phlap Phla Chai) Pom Prap district
Tel 02-222-1539
Open daily 11am-2pm and 5-9pm

If the year's top tables were graded solely by the setting of the
restaurant, Nai Sow wouldn't be on the list. And out of 10, its atmosphere might receive a mere five. But its food deserves a near perfect score.

For as long as my family has been frequenting this small, 30-year-old
Chinese shophouse eatery near Wat Phlap Phla Chai, we have never failed to come away satisfied.

For first timers, sticking to the restaurant's 10 recommended dishes is
probably the best idea. The super delicious hoy malang poo krata ron, or fried mussels on sizzling dish (70 baht), is among the must haves as is hua pla mor fai puak (150 baht), or fish head soup. Served in a metal pot over a burner, the soup is soothingly savoury until the last drop. Abalone fans should not miss the stir-fried sea asparagus with Chinese kale (150 baht). While hae guen (60 baht) and sai moo tord (80 baht) are among the most popular tidbits.

Don't miss the moo sate (80 baht), even if you're not really a pork fan.
This popular dish presents grilled pork neck topped with sour and spicy yum sauce and served with chilled kale.

At Nai Sow, the orders come out extremely quickly, even when its two-storey air-conditioned restaurant is fully packed. The service is efficient, if not endearingly sweet. Arriving during peak hours may mean a long wait for a table. Reservations are not accepted on weekends.



JAPANESE

Baan Nakatani
63 Sukhumvit Soi 11
Tel 02-651-0550
Open daily 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-10pm

Baan Nakatani is another reason that makes beef fans like me wish we could afford to dine here more often. Obviously high prices on the menu match the high quality it offers.

Baan Nakatani is one of the most devoted and serious eateries in town. It is devoted to beef - Kobe, to be exact - and is serious about every single grain of the meat it serves. The owner, Mitsunori Nakatani, 62, has been a butcher for more than 40 years and is probably more familiar with cows than with the back of his own hand.

The restaurant features more than 50 items on its menu - 95 percent of
which are Kobe beef, with a few selections of seafood and pork available
for non-beefeaters.

The restaurant's steak menu ranges from rump to tenderloin (700 to 2,800
baht). The strip loin (2,200 baht per 200 grammes) and rib eye (2,500 baht per 200 grammes) are among those highlighted. The strip loin was
impressively tender, but once you've tried the rib-eye, you'll suddenly
forget anything else. The medium-cooked rib eye presented
melt-in-the-mouth marbled fat that made the steak ultra tender and juicy - divinely delicious and no condiments needed.

Other than the superb steaks, the sukiyaki, which is served in a huge pot supposedly for one person over a portable electric stove, is highly
recommended. Prices range from 900 to 2,800 baht depending on the grade of the beef.

Baan Nakatani is a paradise for those beef-addicts who expect more than
just ordinary quality and are willing to pay for prime-grade beef. The
restaurant is located almost at the end of Soi 11. Reservations are a
must.



Ootoya Japanese Restaurant
Ekamai Power Centre, Ekamai 6, Sukhumvit Soi 63
Tel 02-714-8241
Open daily 11am-11pm

Even though it's a chain restaurant - with more than 160 outlets in Tokyo alone - several impressive visits over the year to Ootoya on Ekamai made me decide to put this "fast food" joint onto my favourites list.

In fact, Ootoya is not just another Japanese fast food eatery. Though
there's no elaborate sushi or sashimi, it presents a wide variety of
grilled and deep-fried items as well as shabu-shabu selections, usually
served in a set with premium quality rice and delicious side items.

The menu features almost 60 selections of chicken, pork and fish dishes.
My favourite item is sweet and spicy fried chicken with mixed vegetables
(130 baht) which features super tender chicken with crispy battered skin in delicious sweet and sour sauce. For fish, the Norwegian aji served in a set (210 baht) is on the top of my list. The big charcoal-grilled fish offered a freshly firm texture and a delightful piquancy, presumably from having been marinated with salt, and was terrific with rice.

Highly recommended charcoal grilled choices include the chicken with pepper miso set (183 baht) and charcoal-grilled hamburger steak with mushroom sauce set (230 baht).

Don't hesitate to order Ootoya's desserts, as they're all good. The green tea sundae (100 baht) comprises a scoop of milky green tea ice cream, smooth green tea mousse, chewy moji dough and sweet little green tea jelly cubes with homemade sweet red bean topping.



Akiyoshi
2nd floor, Taisin Square Building, between Sukhumvit sois 67 and 69
Tel 02-714-0791
Open daily 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-10pm

This shabu shabu restaurant near Phra Khanong BTS station is well known
among restaurant hunters and local diners.

Located on the second floor of an unimaginative building, Akiyoshi is often packed at lunchtime. A popular custom at Akiyoshi is to order the shabu shabu or sukiyaki buffet. At 330 baht per person, customers can pick between pork and beef in either shabu or suki broth. Each order comes with a portable gas stove, a pot (clay for shabu, aluminium for suki), a large plate of mixed vegetables and noodles, a jug of soup and the raw meat of your choice. They are all refillable.

From the regular menu, customers can also order the shabu and the suki
individually. An order of beef sukiyaki costs 480 baht while the pork
shabu shabu is 330 baht.

The beef order presents generous portion of thinly sliced, decently marbled beef, konyaki noodles, soft tofu, onions, mushrooms, cabbage and fresh eggs. The pork shabu shabu, as impressive as the beef suki, is served with thinly sliced meat, soft tofu, fish balls, moji dough, shiitake mushrooms, golden needle mushrooms, white funghi mushrooms, napa cabbage and two kinds of noodles - regular vermicelli and udon
.