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Clockwise from Left: Crispy Noodles Salad, Green Curry with Prawns, Steamed Rice and Banana Flower Salad at Chote Chitr

Yesterday I put up a list with directions of Bangkok eateries that have seen a mention or two in the Western press.  Today a few notes on my visits there.  These are by no means the fair 3-visit-minimum of a comprehensive restaurant review, but I certainly had the same chance that any week-long visitor to Bangkok would have at getting a representative meal.  So here it is:

Chote Chitr – This renowned Bangkok institution, named after the owner’s grandfather and mother respectively, has received visits from nearly every food writer travelling through Thailand.  The crispy noodle salad (mee grob) and banana flower salad, both rightfully famous, are stand-outs. On a recent visit, however, the prawns in a green curry were mealy and desiccated.

Banana Flower Salad at Chote Chitr

Tim, Chef/Owner of Chote Chitr

Chua Kim Heng  - A third-generation Thai-Chinese restaurant specializing in poultry, known in particular for its roasted goose, and located in an industrial hinterland underneath a freeway.  I veered off the path of accepted wisdom and ordered the braised goose leg, instead of the roast goose, there.  The legs turned out to be feet, soft, anise-scented and dark brown from stewing in a reduction of spices, garlic and bacon and covered in a tangle of egg noodles.

Braised Goose Leg at Chua Kim Heng

Nguan Lee  - This Chinese restaurant is best visited with a large group since dish proportions anticipate sharing.  I visited the restaurant with a friend and sampled a greasy fried pork dish and bitter soy bean stir-fry, which I’m pretty sure was a bad order, but I haven’t been motivated to return with a larger group yet.

Stir-fried Soy Beans with Shrimp at Nguan Lee

Crispy Pork at Nguan Lee

Or Tor Kor Market – The Whole Foods of Bangkok’s outdoor markets, this market showcases pristine, steeply-priced produce, meats and seafood, as well as a wide range of prepared foods.  It’s the ideal place to survey Thai food, particularly for first-time visitors who may find some of Bangkok’s other outdoor markets to be a little overwhelming.

Seafood at Or Tor Kor Market

Curries & Stir-Fries at Or Tor Kor Market

Monstrous Custard Apples at Or Tor Kor Market

Phahurat Samosa Vendor – Thailand has a sizeable Indian immigrant population, who starting arriving as early as the first or second century AD, and Bangkok’s Phahurat area is known as Little India.  I have to admit the samosas at this daytime vendor are really tasty.  The velvety potato filling, lively with spices and tangy tamarind, is encased by a crispy, crunchy shell that provides the perfect textural counterpoint.  The pakoras were pretty good too.

Samosa & Pakoras in Phahurat

Polo Fried Chicken – The first and last time I visited the oft-mentioned restaurant my chicken was salty and dry.  This destination is distinctive for the fried garlicky bits served on top of the chicken and the two sauces are served alongside (typically you get one), neither of which made up for the disappointing bird.  With fried chicken vendors slinging wings, thighs and breasts on nearly every other street throughout Bangkok, I haven’t had a reason to give Polo another go.

Polo Fried Chicken, Sticky Rice and Papaya Salad (Som Tom)

Raan Jay Fai – Famous in Bangkok for its superlative rice noodles, as well as sky-high prices, which at approximately 250 baht per dish are about eight times as much as most open-air operations, this is restaurant is one of the few places that (still) lives up to the hype.  The wide noodles are magically pliant and sauce-absorbent and I’m quite fond of the drunken noodles in particular.

Drunken Noodles at Raan Jay Fai

Talad Loong Perm – Named to Food & Wine’s 2007 “Go List,” this collection of prepared-food stalls, adjacent to a clothing and knick-knack market, serves up a plentiful range of lunch items and khanom (thai desserts).  Although I haven’t yet figured out how it’s superior to any similarly-sized lunch market around town.  

Fried Chicken at Talad Loong Perm

Sticky Rice with Shredded Coconut and Sesame Seeds at Talad Loong Perm

Mini Coconut Pancakes at Talad Loong Perm

Dumplings at Talad Loong Perm

Thip Samai – Phad Thai, Thailand’s somewhat eponymous and ubiquitous dish, is usually best at stalls and small restaurants that specialize in the dish.  Unfortunately, the time I visited, my noodles arrived in an awkward clump, due to poor wok timing, and didn’t taste much better.  It’s right down the street from Raan Jay Fai though so perhaps worth a quick stop if you’re not expecting greatness.

Phad Thai at Thip Samai

Yaowarat Street Stalls – With its neon signs and packed night stalls, Chinatown really comes to life after dark.  And it’s worth spending a night dipping into side streets and alleyways to taste (and see) as much as possible.  

Fire in the Wok on Yaowarat Road in Chinatown

Krua Apsorn – Although this was one of the most frustrating places to find, it didn’t need to be and the water taxi is a good way to get there. Plus the owners are lovely and their menu boasts a few items that aren’t all over town.  In particular, the mussels with green peppercorns and the crab stir-fried with beans and yellow chili were quite nice. We thought the Thai omelet was underwhelming.

Food Loft at Central Chidlom – Admittedly, I haven’t yet been the Food Loft.  I’ve heard mixed reviews and prefer to scrounge for lunch in the food courts that pop up outdoors, which is not to say it’s not worth trying if you’re in the area.

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