Category Archives: Good For – Casual Dining

Mont Nom Sod – The milk and toast cafe at MBK Bangkok (มนต์นมสด)

by

3

Mont Nom Sod

Address: MBK Center 2nd floor

Operating hours: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Introduction

Mont Nom Sod is a cafe that specialised in toasts and milk that is situated at level 2 of MBK Center (Mah Boonkrong). The outlook of the cafe is not exactly impressive but don’t be fooled by their simple interior design. It looks our typical Singapore’s Ya Kun or Toast Box and the price is really economical as well, at about 23 baht per slice of toast bread.

Generally, Mont Nom Sod offers two kinds of bread, the toasted bread slices topped with a spread (like Coconut Custard, Condensed Milk, Chocolate, Taro spread, Pumpkin spread and Corn spread just to name a few) and the second kind is their soft steamed bread with a dip (coconut custard or chocolate dip).

Click to view enlarged menu

Click here to view my full list of Bangkok food Itinerary

The Toast (Coconut Custard and Condensed Milk) – 23 Baht

Mont Nom Sod’s bread is nothing like our square white bread where the texture became a little tough after toasting, or really crispy like Ya Kun’s. Their toast is crispy on the surface and fluffy soft on the inside.

Their Coconut Custard is in fact similar to our Singapore’s Kaya, just that there is lesser egg taste and stronger coconut taste. The aromatic coconut fragrance simply filled my mouth when i took my first bite. The bread didn’t became soggy even when it’s spread over the bread for a period of time. I know this because, as usual, I took quite some time for the food shot.

I always have a thing for condensed milk toast. Who didn’t spread condensed milk over their toast when we were kids? For Mont Nom Sod’s condensed milk toast, the last thing to worry is the condensed milk taste overpowering the toast and turned into a nothing-but-sweet-tasting toast. The condensed milk are applied in moderation with butter, and the sweetness is just nice for a supposedly-sweeter kind of taste.

Steamed Bread with Molten Chocolate Dip – 70 baht

If you have tried Old Town’s steamed bread, Mont Nom Sod’s steamed bread’s dough is fuller, more like a Man Tou (White Steamed Bun) texture but without the grease. At only S$2.80,  i get to enjoy a steam bread chocolate fondue. How good is this? Chocolate dip is rich and smooth and bread is fluffy and soft. No complain!

I also had their Sweet Cold Milk. Unlike chocolate flavor or strawberry flavor milk, white fresh milk is normally not as sweet but Mont Nom Sod’s is a sweetened version. I guess the Thais really like sweet stuff! The milk is worth a try, and after all, what is a visit to milk cafe without trying their milk?

Conclusion

Mont Nom Sod is a cafe which serves simple, yet delightful food at a very minimal price, which made me very happy after having my meal here. Some people classify Mont Nom Sod as one of the hidden gems in Bangkok. I like this cafe and thought that i will visit this place again on my next visit. I still have many bread flavors which i had yet to try.

This place is a perfect place to rest after walking for hours, and to refuel your energy. Give yourself a sweet sugar rush and continue with your shopping Part Two!

Related articles

After You Dessert Cafe (Siam Paragon – Bangkok)

by

8

After You Dessert Cafe

Address: Siam Paragon Ground Floor

Operating Hours: 10.00am to 10.30pm daily

Introduction

After You Dessert Cafe apparently is the rising star of all dessert places in Bangkok. There is a legend that says ‘you have never been to Bangkok until you tried Afteryou dessert’. I visited this place once previously but I thought this saying was too exaggerating but nevertheless, After You Dessert Cafe is worth the visit for their Signature Shibuya Honey Toast, for at least once.

Twice, I visited their Siam Paragon branch situated at the basement. It was rather early at about 10am so there is no crowd. Awesome. After You Dessert Cafe mainly sells sweet items like pancakes, waffles, ice-creams and toast etc. They only have a handful of savory items on their menu and one of them is the Grilled Ham Cheese Sandwich.

They have another branch at Thonglor area, that is just opposite to Roast Coffee & Eatery and Mr Jones’ Orphanage. I didn’t pay a visit to this branch as i was already too full after having brunch at Roast and dessert at Mr Jones’ Orphanage. But one thing i am quite sure is, comparing to Siam Paragon’s basement branch, food shots at this Thonglor branch should turn out better due to the natural lighting.

Branch Address: J Avenue, Thonglor 13 Operating Hours: 10.00am to 12.00am daily

Click here for a consoliated list of my Bangkok Food Itinerary

Signature Shibuya Honey Toast

The whole idea about this Shibuya toast is actually very simple. This is not a sophisticated dish which requires long preparation time. I personally think that the reason for it’s popularity may just be it’s well toasted soft fluffy thick toast with melted butter evenly infused into every single slice of the toast.

After You Dessert Cafe then topped the toast with their fresh vanilla ice-cream and generally speaking, an additional scoop of Ice cream can almost never spoil a dessert. Complete this dish with honey syrup for those who have really sweet teeth. To be frank, this dish is definitely not out-of-this-world, but i would describe this dish as a ‘very satisfying’ dessert.

Hazelnut Pancake with Nutella Sauce

The formula to this dish is even simpler. If i am someone who love Nutella and Hazelnut, i will love this. After You Dessert Cafe provides a small tub of butter to be applied separately. I thought adding the butter is a good idea as sometimes it taste a little dry with just Nutella alone. I have no complain about the pancake. Soft, warm and fluffy.


Grilled Ham Cheese Sandwich

Using the same thick toast as the Signature Shibuya Honey Toast, this savory fluffy toast can be an option for those who are not very into sweet stuff. For certain kind of toast, i prefer the toast to be very thin with a lot of fillings, but not for this Grilled Ham Cheese Sandwich. The bread itself is rather enjoyable with two layers of melted cheese and a layer of ham.

Maple French Toast with Smoked Sausages

I think this is the other rare savory item in After You Dessert Cafe’s Menu. I thought the french toast is OK. It’s something that we can easily find in Singapore so nothing fantastic about this and can order something else on the menu.

Conclusion

Personally, i think that this place is not a die-die-must-go place but if i am at this area, specifically Siam area, i will make a point to visit After You Dessert Cafe just for their Shibuya toast. I really like the buttery taste of their toast that goes very well with vanilla ice cream.

For those who like an even stronger flavor, they also have Shibuya Chocolate Toast, Shibuya Nutella Toast and even Cheddar Cheese Shibuya Toast. You may want to give yourself a reason to pop by this cafe to see what is the big deal of these Shibuya Toast.

Related articles

Huaplachongnonsea Junior ร้านหัวปลาช่องนนทรี (Central World – Bangkok)

by

6

Huaplachongnonsea Junior

Address: Central World, 6th Floor, Unit A 603-4

Operating hours: 10.00am to 10.00pm

Introduction

Since my first trip to Bangkok, i wanted to try out this Huaplachongnonsea (or they called themselves HPC as per their logo), but the main branch is just too far and too inconvenient. Huaplachongnonsea is a non-mainstream non-touristy restaurant that sells traditional Thai food and i have much difficulty looking for it’s information because this place is very little mentioned in Singapore blog or forum. Even their official website and facebook page is in Thai – http://www.huaplachongnonsea.com/

After much research, I realized that they actually have a branch at Central World! Apparently, the branch that i am visiting is a “Junior” version. I have no idea what is the difference but i keep my finger-crossed that their food are as good as the non-junior branch like how some people described online. Here’s the “Junior” website in English: http://www.huaplachongnonsea.com/junior/

My must-eat for Huaplachongnonsea will be their signature Hot Pot Tom Yum Soup (they even use the hot pot in their logo) , Roasted Pork Cheek and the highlight – Thai-style Curry Crab Meat!

Click to see my list of consolidated Bangkok Food Itinerary

Hot Pot Tom Yum Soup

Surprisingly, i didn’t manage to get a really good Tom Yum Soup in Bangkok. If you do have a good Tom Yum Soup recommendation in Bangkok, feel free to share! I heard Ban Khun Mae and Nara Thai serves pretty good Tom Yum Soup. But this Hot Pot Tom Yum Soup from Huaplachongnonsea manage to satisfy my craving for a good soup!

This is the coconut milk version and note that it is slightly oily. So what is better than a pot of spicy and sour Tom Yum Soup? A pot of piping hot, spicy and sour Tom Yum Soup!!

I’ll definitely give my vote to Huaplachongnonsea for the most satisfying Tom Yum Soup in Bangkok till date. Large portion, big fresh prawn, piping hot soup, flavorful, spicy and spices infused Tom Yum Soup, and at a reasonable price of 270 baht!


Roasted Pork Cheek

This is one disappointment for me as I was expecting a char-grilled pork cheek with a little burnt on the surface but there isn’t any. This pork cheek has a tinge of sweet coconut taste which don’t exactly enhance the taste in my opinion. This also has something to do with the way the chef cuts it, which makes the pork cheek rather tough on the teeth. I thought a good way of preparing the pork cheeks is to slice them into thin slices.

Salted Fish Kai Lan

Best Kai Lan dish ever! But provided you like salted fish. The whole dish is overpowered with the aroma of salted fish which makes it rather salty and goes very well with white rice. I can finish the whole bowl of rice with just the vegetable alone. But a word of caution, this dish is really salty, but in a way that I favor.

Curry Crab Meat

This is my favorite dish of Huaplachongnonsea. We have chilli crab in Singapore and the Thais have curry crab! I did a search on instagram for this restaurant and apparently this is one of the most popular dishes in Huaplachongnonsea, which i made this a must-order for my visit. Like the Hot Pot Tom Yum, this cost about 270 baht if i remembered correctly.

Best thing I like about this dish is – there is no need to de-shell the crab as the kitchen had already removed all the shells and stir-fry chunks of fresh crab meat into their special curry gravy. How I wish I have some fried man tou (steamed bun) to go with it.

Some may find this dish a little too oily but I heck it since it’s an overseas trip and won’t get a chance to eat this when I return to Singapore. Like how we Singaporeans say it – “Just whack only!”. I will be back for more of this.

Conclusion

I looked around Huaplachongnonsea and noticed there are not much foreigners in the restaurant. Almost all the guests are locals. Actually even for me, if I don’t already know this place, I probably won’t set foot into this place as there are just too many other tourist-friendly-looking restaurants at Central World.

The total damage is about S$36.00 for Hot Pot Tom Yum Soup, Roasted Pork Cheek, Curry Crab, Salted Fish Kai Lan, Rice, which is reasonably enough for four people. The price seems pretty reasonable for a restaurant located at Central World. If you ask me, I will visit this place again for their Curry Crab Meat and Hot Pot Tom Yum Soup and and other dishes as well.

Map of Central World

Related articles

Roast Coffee & Eatery (Bangkok – Thonglor)

by

15

Roast Coffee & Eatery

Address: SeenSpace Thonglor 13, Bangkok, Thailand 10110

Opening hours: Mon – Thu: 10am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 9am-12:30am, Sun: 9am-11pm

Click here to see my list of consolidated Bangkok Food Itinerary

Introduction

Recently, visiting a brunch cafe is one of the must-do things in Bangkok. Roast Coffee & Eatery, the one of the most popular cafes in Bangkok is situated in the area of Thonglor, just next door to Mr Jones’ Orphanage. Roast Coffee & Eatery offers a wide selections on their menu with more than 90 items to choose from, including all day breakfast, dinner menu, sides and drinks.

I made a reservation through their Facebook page but their Facebook admin replied me saying that there’s strictly no reservation during the weekend and i should be able to get a seat if i’m there at 9am, and i did. From my photo, you can see that it’s not that crowded yet.

Situated at level 2 with all it’s full height window, the cafe is very well lit with natural light, and this can almost guarantee that your food photos will look good. Having a meal here and chilling out with some friends definitely gave me a great way to start a day.

Menu 1: click to enlarge

Menu 2: click to enlarge

Menu 3: click to enlarge

The Roast Breakfast Set

The breakfast platter cost 350++ baht and comes with a compliment juice and a hand crafted coffee/tea.

The best item in the platter got to be their bacon! Super crispy! Not exaggerating to say that this is one of the best crispy bacon that i had. And they are quite generous with the portion of their bacon. The more interesting item got to be the sausage patty. It taste like our Chinese dish – steamed minced pork patty with preserved vegetables, but less moist and with additional tinge of herb taste.

For those who like runny scramble egg, you may want to request them to make it more runny cus Roast’s style is a little dryer. The portion is huge for a breakfast. Don’t forget it comes with a glass of orange juice and a coffee with this set. Definitely a hearty brunch!!

Pulled Pork Burger

Costing 320++ Baht, the well toasted burger bun is served with a generous serving of moist juicy pork that are well tossed and coated with barbeque sauce and a portion of fries. I am glad that their pulled pork taste as good as how it look! This dish was recommended by the staff of roast.

Crab Cake Benedict

The only problem is their crab cake benedict. The poached egg’s yolk was almost fully cooked, which i consider it as a failure. And the portion for the crab meat egg benedict is really small. At the same price (350++ baht) as the roast breakfast set, i will choose to order the platter anytime.

Conclusion

Having your meal at Roast Coffee & Eatery is a break-away from the heavy traffic and the crazy shopping routine.  Apart from Roast Coffee & Eatery, this area also has many other interesting restaurants worth visiting. if you have yet to visit this area of Bangkok, why not fork out some time in the morning to chill out at this place and continue with your crazy shopping in the noon!

Don’t forget to pop by Mr Jones’ Orphanage for a quick dessert just next door!

Directions

The nearest bts station is Thonglor station and takes a 15 minutes walk. Taking a cab may be much easier, especially if Roast is your first meal of the day. If you choose to walk, you just need to walk on one straight road on Sukhumvit 55 and turn left into Akkhara Phat when you see a building call “Home Place”.

Related articles

SabX2 Wanton Noodle (Bangkok – Pratunam)

by

16

SabX2 Wanton Noodle

Location : From the main road of Phetchburi Road, turn in to Phetchburi Soi 19 and walk about 2 minutes to locate this shop. It’s just situated in a lane beside Shibuya 19 Shopping Mall / Glow Pratunam Hotel.

Operating hours: 9.00am to 4.00pm

Click here to view my full list of Bangkok food Itinerary

Introduction

This SabX2 Wanton Noodle is located beside my hotel, Glow Pratunam, at Phetchburi Soi 19.  Just turn into the small lane Soi 19, walk for about two minutes this stall is on the right hand side. This Wanton Noodle is very popular among Singaporeans and the waitress even knows how to communicate in Mandarin.

SabX2 is a fairly clean air-conditioned eatery just across the road of the Platinum Mall that serves mainly three items: Wanton Noodle Dry/Soup, Braised Pork Trotter and Braised Pork Intestines.

Wanton Noodle Dry

The most popular must-order is the Wanton noodle dry. Unlike some of our singapore version, their Wanton noodle has no sauce, no gravy and no fried chilli. The ingredient to Sabx2 great tasting noodle is the  fragrance of the deep fried pork lard and a little bit of Chye Po (preserved radish).

There are lots of crispy goodies in every mouthful of noodle, including the slightly char roasted Char Siew. Do note that the noodle’s portion is rather small so do manage the expectation well. And if you are someone who shun stuff like deep fried pork lard, then this Wanton noodle may not be appealing to you. Add some dried chilli flakes for a stronger flavor!

Braised Pork Trotter

One of the reasons to order the pork trotter is – the portion of the Wanton noodle is so so so so small and i could finish it in three mouthful so I’m still hungry! Ok, to be honest, I think the pig trotter is worth a try. The braised trotter is so tender that the meat almost fell apart when I exert more strength on my chopsticks.

There are other braised item like intestine, egg, tau kwa (bean curd). My friend’s verdict of the pork intestine is “I had never tasted such a tender pig intestine. Not in Singapore for sure”. This is the photo that i took during my last Bangkok Trip:

Conclusion

When you visit Bangkok platinum mall, why not just pop by for a quick bite to see why is this little air-conditioned eatery so popular within the Pratunam area. Some of my friends told me that they made it a point to visit this place every time they visit Bangkok. Definitely there are better tasting. Wanton noodle in Singapore, but this Thailand version has it’s own uniqueness in it’s own flavor.

Click here to view my full list of Bangkok food Itinerary

Ramen Keisuke Tori King

by

1

Ramen Keisuke Tori King

Address: 100AM, Amara Hotel, 100 Tras Street, 03-15,

Operating hours: 11.30am to 10.00pm daily

Introduction

Tori King = 鸡王(Chicken King). The founder, Keisuke Takeda, was once selected as the top ramen chef in Japan and crowned as Ramen King. We can easily identify this place by the queue forming out the restaurant during dinner. No reservation is allowed so just be prepared to queue, especially during dinner time.

Like Ippudo ramen at Mandarin Gallery, seating priority will be give to those group with all members present.

The menu is very simple. You got three kind of soup bases, the original, peppery black spicy, and green Spicy.  The ingredients for the ramen are the same for all the three soup bases. That’s right!! The secret to their great tasting ramen is definitely the chicken soup (鸡 白汤).

After waiting for about 30 minutes for my seat, the first thing that was served in Tori King was the mixed sesame bowl, for me to grind them into powder form, and probably to be added into the soup, or dip it with the chicken. Or maybe they just want to keep me busy while waiting for my ramen.

Original Soup Base

Tori King uses chicken broth unlike the majority, many traditional ramen places use pork broth. In comparison to Marutama ramen which also uses chicken broth, the taste of Tori King’s broth is stronger and much more flavorful. The stock is made from chicken bones, chicken feet, Japanese seaweed and an assortment of vegetables and boiled for eight hours. The original soup base comes with a piece of pork slice, giant seaweed, half boiled egg and the star of the show – the chicken drumstick!

Chef Keisuke said the chicken is boiled for 45 minutes and submerged overnight in soy sauce and is grilled before it’s served. The chicken drumstick is so tender that the meat comes off the bone so easily. A pair of chop sticks is all you need. No fork and knife involved.

Black Spicy Garlic Soup Base

The original broth with added black spicy garlic. I got to pay $1.00 more for this broth. I prefer this to the original. I like my ramen to be spicy.

Free flow condiment

There are a lot of sauces at Tori King – There’s a glass jar containing chilli sauce which there is a written instruction on the wall mentioning that it goes well with the chicken.

Like the Keisuke Tonkotsu King, there’s also free flow hard boiled egg, pepper and bondito flakes available. The mayonnaise goes pretty well with the chicken too, though i am not exactly sure that it’s the correct way of eating it. Remember to sprinkle some bonito flakes into your ramen soup!

Conclusion

For those who prefers a blander kind of soup base, you may think that Tori King’s thick soup broth is a little too much to take.

If you do not want to queue for too long, try to reach this place before 6.15pm and you should be able to get a seat for two quite readily.

Did i mention that that i was quite a ramen fanatic previously when Standard Chartered Bank released a list of top 10 ramen in Singapore and i tired about seven or eight out of the ten, like Noodle Ken at Somerset, Ippudo at Orchard, Santouka and Marutama from Clarke Quay, Yoshimaru at East Coast, Mentei and Baikohken at Raffles Place etc.

In my opinion, Tori King serves one of the best ramen that i ever had till date cuz the soup is awesome! And not forgetting the drum stick. Try it. Now.