Yes, am back from a short break :)
A fantastic shopping break to be exact, which as usual, I find too short to satisfy me!
Since my main agenda to Bangkok was to unleash the full fledged shopaholic in me ;p, food was not the main quest *gasp*
But there must be some decent eats in malls too right?
Some recommendations by friends gave me a brief reprieve from the maddening shopping crowd while I recharged...
Nara
Gary's friend(who's based in BKK) brought him there for a meal, in which he promptly recommended me. The location was perfect- the main branch is at Erawan and another branch at Central World. Not hard for a pit stop at all :)
Heard that it's a popular spot for lunch where local businessmen go in throngs, so we decided for dinner instead. We were at the Erawan branch, there's a healthy crowd, but manageable.
A good range in the menu...
We started with the appetizer- Sakoo Sai Moo (pork tapioca pearl dumpling)
These dainty dumplings looked so pretty- Nara serves an uppity class version of this street food snack which I rather enjoyed. The minced pork filling was warm, savoury sweetish and paired well with the springy casing and crisp shallots.
The Yum Som-O (Pamelo salad) looks like it has potential..
But alas, failed to shine..The sauce was was too gooey sweet with a hint of coconut aroma, which was just not to my liking. I've had much better versions than this.
Poa Pia Nara..
Well, I guess I dont need to translate this. These ! cigar th in springrolls was beautifully present and it ends there. Pretty to look at, yet lacks in flavour. It was supposed to be filled with mince meat and vegetables, which we could hardly find any..
Phunim Phad Pong Curry came next..
Wonderful recommendation from Gary. Thai Crab Curry with a twist. It was served with deep fried soft shell crabs instead, which suprising worked quite well with the thick curry too. Have it piping hot with white rice, the combo was alluring- the soft shell crab was crunchy, the curry sauce creamy and thick and the rice soaks up everything.
We tried the Kuay Tiew Rua (Boat noodles)
This was supposed to be very popular in Nara and we had a choice of dry noodles/ with clear or dark broth. We asked for recommendations and dark broth was the choice. The soup was definitely acquired taste, it was rich in spices and herbs flavour that I found too overwhelming. The texture of the noodles was fantastic though, it was springy and I could easily slurp it down.
Some hits and misses at Nara, our total bill was about RM110.
Taling Pling
Jungle Jerry recommended me to pop by the original branch which I didnt have time for, but found that it has 2 branches in the midst of all the malls ( at Siam Paragon and Central World)
It was a rainy day, we were kind of stuck in Central World, so we decided to rest our legs at Taling Pling.
Obviously very popular amongst the locals, it was packed to the brim and we were lucky to get the last table.
Taling Pling serves plenty of local favourites, here's what we tried..
Morning Glory salad
A mixed of fried and cooked morning glory tossed in spicy sour dressing. Great to whet the appetite with a nice range of texture.
Spicy fish cake
Thick slabs of fish cake (compared to those sold at streets) which was lip smacking. The pattie was dense with fish paste (than of flour), have it with fried basil and the accompanying sauce- just wonderful.
The ubiquitous pandan chicken..
This was well executed. The chicken was well marinated and extremely juicy. Very succulent and I really enjoyed this. And the dipping sauce? It's sweet and plumish in flavour, hence having the chicken with the sauce almost convert it to a chinese dish. I prefer sans sauce.
The Duck Curry was a petite version..
The curry was mild, maybe that was scaled down for tourist? I'm not sure. The duck breast was fork tender and a delight to eat. But oh, if just the curry was more fiery.
The piece the resistance (well, at least for me and my friends) was the absolutely plain looking fried chayote..
This vegetable was surprisingly delicious, so good that I cant help taking hefty portions of it and not bothering if my friends had enough. Yes, it makes me greedy :p. The wok hei to this dish was fantastic but what draws me to this dish was the texture of the vegetable- crunchy, not fibrous, hint of sweetness and high in water content. Very very yum-o!
For local faves, Taling Pling seems to hit the ri! ght spot s for us. Total bill was approx RM95.
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