Tom Yum Noodles @ Muay Thai

Very close to calling Muay Thai the best place in Thaitown, sure Chat Thai and Spice I Am would have something to say about that but Muay is starting to pull out in front. I do need a number of Spice I Am visits to commit to this, but the distance involved in getting down there from the office is not helping their cause.

So when we had an old colleague come to visit the obvious choice was Muay - it also helps that it never busy so the fact is we can snag a table for 7 easily. Having said that that fact it's never really busy at all might be an issue down the line for their business.

Having jumped back on the Tom Yum bandwagon a little while ago was interested to see how Muay Thai would do here; was not disappointing.

Am disappointed by the level of lighting though. Poor photo ahead;

The key here was the lack of the Tom Yum flavour that is everywhere, I assume this is because most places are using the same brand of paste to make their soup. Muay Thai are working from scratch. The biggest clue here is the colour of the soup, more clear than the generic red-orange of tom yum paste.

Lemongrass and lime leaf flavours in the soup but nowhere near as overpowering as they are normally. Plenty of room on the palate to personalise the dish with some condiments. Vegetables were crunchy and there were even wonton sheets here, a very different soup.

With all the wet dark weather this was quite the mood lifter and puts the generic tom yum back in it's box. Muay Thai again putting most of the other stores to shame.

Where – Muay Thai

When – 03/04/13

What – Tom Yum Noodle

Cost - $10.50

With – Messrs Kim, Lim, Toll, Maynard, Calalang and Chongwattanapirom

Rating – 3.5/4

Yen Ta Fo (Dry) @ Thainatown

I've crossed blocks for this dish. From Market Street to Golburn; which, by my count, is four. Four whole blocks I used to have to negotiate from the old office to get to Thianatown for a serve of their dry Yen Ta Fo.

Why the Herculean effort? Why the struggle? Cause you can't get this dish anywhere else (that I've seen).

There has been another dry YTF tasted in the fair history of this blog at the ever reliable Chat Thai - here. But there, and most places I've been into to, serve with just a dash of soup and that is the only difference from the regular dish. Less soup.

Thainatown go the whole hog (hold the pig please) with a full on stir fry dish.

We've got the same basic ingredients here, seafood, kale and noodles but it's the different type (vermicelli as opposed to wide flat rice) of noodles that makes the dish stand out and allows it to stay a Yen Ta Fo as opposed to Generic Stir Fry No 12. The vermicelli absorbs most of the sauce so whist there is no soup here the flavor the soup brings to the dish is not missed.

All in all a top dish and unique enough to want me coming back time and time again. Only complainet was that the serve was a touch on the small side so it does lose half a point there. Think I'm still burnt from the disappointment of the Rad Na in my last post. 

Better news is that Thianatown is only a block away now.

Where – Thainatown

When – 02/04/13

What – Yen Ta Fo (Dry)

Cost - $10.50

With – Messrs Clarke, Dong, Mukai, and Chongwattanapirom

Rating – 3/4

Rat Na @ Khao San Road

I went to Khao San Road in Bangkok once, had a beer, nosed around for 20 minutes and hoofed back to Sukhumvit as fast as I could.

Looks like this restaurant in the heart of Thaitown on Pitt Street has taken after the notorious backpacker road and gone for the disappointing and kinda shit feel of it's namesake.

And so it is with great regret that I announce; worst lunch ever (well, worse lunch so far). How can you mess up a Rat Na so much. Well I think this speaks for itself;

Where are the noodles? And what's going on with the tofu? No other vegetables? Presentation is not a thing? Did I order off the kids menu? 

Come on.

This is not what I've come to expect from what is fast becoming a favorite dish; this was bland and left me hungry still - so in short it failed on every level as a meal.

Not happy.

Where – Khao San Road

When – 27/03/13

What – Rat Na

Cost -$9.90

With – Messrs Kim, Mukai, Milet, Calalang and Chongwattanapirom

Rating – 0.5/4

Paak Boohng Dtai Laow @ Chat Thai

Paak Boohng Dtai Laow? 

WTF?

I'm not sure that this is a thing. Well, I know it exists as a dish, I ate it, but have never heard of anything that sounds like this. And this is post 14.

Global had come to town (CEO, CFO and HR) so we had the customary get together after a few presentations. I did miss the 4am bender on a Monday due to flu. Lucky. But apparently word got out of the quality of Thai food in the area and I was the obvious point man to lead the charge (much to my Thai colleague's dismay, sucker).

So eight of us went to Chat Thai.

New experience here as there was eight people sharing but being the token vegetarian I got the one dish to myself as everything else that was being shared and passed around was with pig or chicken.

Can't really see from the picture here but dish is made up of vermicelli noodles, cucumber, hard boiled egg, and deep fried river prawns served with sweet chilli sauce.

Now I must say that I loathe with a passion sweet chilli sauce, it is disgusting. Only up to the time that I had this dish. Secret is not to have that crap that comes out of a jar who's whole existence is to accompany potato wedges. This was actually made in house and does contain chill (not just sugar), and what a difference that makes.

What I enjoyed most here was the textures; noodles, egg, prawn, and cucumber held together by the sauce was quite the experience. Would have enjoyed a little more heat in the food but there would have been the danger of overpowering what was already in the bowl as the flavors were quite delicate and balanced.

The school prawns we deep fried whole so you're eating brain and tail. Normally I don't go in for that sort of thing but just felt and tasted right here.

Best thing was that Global picked up the tab. Will be back for another bowl, more than happy to pay for this dish with my hard earned.

Where – Chat Thai

When – 25/03/13

What – Paak Boohng Dtai Laow

Cost - Free!

With – Messrs Clarke, Dong, Milet, Crawley, Lee, Noguerol and Chongwattanapirom

Rating – 3.5/4