http://www.chow.com/boards/48 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:37:14 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://www.chow.com/topics/562600#4097441 Hi Prasantrin: Just need to clarify again Sin Lee does not serve local cuisine; it serves Cantonese food, and its specialty is more on the high end seafood dishes. They can cook the seafood dishes as well, if not better, as the high end Cantonese restaurants in Orchard Road but charges less due to its casual ambiance and less-convenient location. It only operates in the evening, I believe from 6pm to 2am. We usually started off with their soup. When we want to splurge, we will order the braised shark fin 紅燒翅, which cost around $50 per pot, which you can share with your mother. (but I am greedy so I order the pot for myself) The waitress will then ask you if you want to include a slice of abalone on the shark fin soup. But when we are stingy, we will just ask her to recommend their soup of the day. (one small pot for two persons will cost around $10) It tends to be clear soup with herbals that has been simmered for the whole day. If you like Hong Kong style steamed fish, then you should order one here since the steamed fish here is always good. We usually order 红斑, a type of fish that is popular and price rather reasonable. (Just pull out my old bills; it was $56 for the whole fish at 700gm when I went there two weeks ago) The Alaskan king crab was cooked with salted egg yolk, very delicious but rather expensive and I think it is too overwhelming for just two persons so I won't recommend that for just you and your mother. Bamboo clams that girobike recommend is just right for two persons. Or for an alternative dish but yet similar to the clams, you can try the geoduck, that can be eaten sashimi style or stir fried with XO sauce. I will end with the vegetable which I usually order 上湯九杞 (a regional vegetable with broth) or stir fried 豆苗 with garlic (another type of vegetable, sorry, I don't know what the names in English for both vegetables). I will also order seafood hor fun (rice noodle) to finish up the dinner. When people talk about getting crab in Singapore, I think they usually meant Chilli Crab or Pepper Crab, or even Crab Been Hoon, which I don't think is served in Sin Lee. This has been a common topic in Singapore Board so you can do a little research on the past threads. I will be going to Tokyo again on mid November so just like you, I have to make decisions soon. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:16:51 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/562600#4097441 http://www.chow.com/topics/562254#4096586 Viz Wat Phra Kaew Ferry Terminal Market, where you said, "The chili paste was an intriguing mix of spicy, salty and sweet ..." It's called nam pla wan: Boil 2 cups of palm sugar with 1 cup fish sauce (nam pla) till the mixture's sticky/thick. Turn off the flame & simply stir in about 10 small hot chillis (prik kee noo) finely chopped, 4-5 small shallots (finely sliced) & 2 Tbspns dried shrimps (grounded). Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:24:24 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/562254#4096586 http://www.chow.com/topics/555456#4096578 Thanks Peech and Klyeoh! We're in Seoul tomorrow, and I expect we'll follow your advice exactly. After reading the glowing review of Budnamujip on the board, we thought we'd go there, but the locations seem like they might be too much of a haul for a couple of people unfamiliar with Seoul and due back at the airport at a specific time. Myeongdong limousine bus it is! Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:17:46 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/555456#4096578 http://www.chow.com/topics/556980#4094382 I did end up going to Balihai seafood one night all by myself. Ordered the 'big head' shrimp fried in salty egg yolk which was delicious. Stirfry cockle. And another plate of clams. That was right after I had the fried koay teow and chicken wings for dinner earlier. I was so stuffed but satisfied. I was running out of time but wanted to try as many things as possible. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:17:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/556980#4094382 http://www.chow.com/topics/560281#4093273 In Cambodia, where I lived for 6 years, field rats are a valuable source of protein. Here is a pic I took in Battambang of frogs and rats, skinned and ready for the pan: http://www.flickr.com/photos/koknia/140314342/ Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:45:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/560281#4093273 http://www.chow.com/topics/563439#4092598 Thanks so much for the great report, burumun! Makes me want to "sail" right into Surabaya & check out Layar Seafood. I remembered that I once asked you, a while ago, to write more about Surabaya's eating options - and this latest post of yours is a great addition to my list of restaurants to explore there. I've tasted crab with "telur asin" somewhere as well, not in Surabaya, but perhaps in a seafood restaurant in Penang or Hong Kong or Singapore. I think this dish might be a variation of stir-fried shrimps in salted egg-yolks that one often find in Shanghainese restaurants. But I do agree that it's absolutely yummy - a creamy, salty sauce juxtaposed against sweet crab meat. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:53:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/563439#4092598 http://www.chow.com/topics/563191#4089891 At last, one can satisfy one's hunger for authentic Spanish tapas in Singapore - at Bodega y Tapas, Orchard Hotel. I've been there 3 times the past week, but have not tried all the items yet. The Tortilla Espanola was absolutely scrumptious, also loved the delicious trio of croquettes. Hats off to Madrileno Chef Bernardo Novas Pardeiro for serving us honest-to-goodness Spanish fare! The full menu below (prices in Singapore dollars): Cold Tapas Pan con tomate (Toasted bread with fresh tomato pulp & olive oil vinaigrette) … $6 Jamon Iberico (Spanish Iberico ham) per 40g … $25 Aceitunas marinades (freshly marinated capsicum on bread) … $8 Montaditos de escalibada de pimientos (braised marinated capsicum on bread) … $8 Ensalada de melon con jamon (cured ham on a salad of fresh seasonal melon) … $14 Gaspacho con jamon crujiente (cold tomato soup with crispy cured ham) … $8 Montaditos de Jamon Iberico (slices of bread topped with tomato pulp, Iberico ham & olive oil) … $9 Tabla de quesos y membrillo (selection of Spanish cheeses with quince) … $16 Ensalada de ahumados con limon y alcaparras (salad of smoked fish on orange & capers vinaigrette) … $10 Tabla de embutidos y jamon (assorted platter of cured sausages & hams) … $18 Fish & Seafood Tapas Mejillones a la Marinera (fresh mussels in white wine & tomato sauce) … $18 Gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns) … $15 Revoltillo de gambas, ajos tiernos y setas (scrambled eggs with shrimps, spring onions & mushrooms) ... $12 Calamares a la Andaluza con alioli (deep-fried squid with garlic mayo) … $12 Pulpo a la Fira (octopus & potato cooked in paprika garlic marinade) … $18 Marmitako de atun en Pinxos de romero con chalotas caramelizadas (fresh tuna stew on rosemary skewers with caramelized shallots) ... $16 Bacalao crujiente con jamon y puerros (pan fried cod with Spanish ham & crispy leek) ... $19 Vieiras con bacon y salsa de ciruelas secas (scallops & bacon in dried plum sauce) … $15 Hot Tapas Tortilla Espanola - seleccion del dia (daily selection of traditional Spanish omelets) … $12 Crema de esparragos blancos (crème of white & green asparagus with crispy bred croutons) … $10 Chorizo frito (fried Spanish chorizo sausage) … $10 Solomillo al ajillo y perejil (cubes of striploin fried with garlic & parsley) … $15 Almondigas de cerdo con salsa de tomate (pork meatballs in tomato sauce) ... $12 Pinxos de magret de pato a la reduccion de naranja y canela (duck breast skewers on an orange & cinnamon reduction sauce) ... $18 Pollo frito con guindillas y tomillo (crispy fried thyme chicken wings served with spicy sauce) … $10 Piquillos rellenos de pollo con salsa Espanola (chiles stuffed with chicken, Spanish sauce & cheese gratin) … $10 Costillas de cordero a la parilla con salsa de pimiento (2 pcs of grilled lamb racks with black pepper sauce) … $16 Patatas bravas con Alioli (fried potato wedges with spicy tomato relish & garlic mayo) … $6 Trio de croquetas con dulce de tomates verdes (trio of croquettes with green tomato marmalade) … $12 Desserts Crema Catalana (Catalonian crème brulee) … $8 Arroz con leche (Spanish milk pudding) … $8 Tarta de pera y chocolate con helado de vainilla (chocolate & pear tart, served with vanilla ice-cream) ... $12 Macedonia con yogurt griego y miel (sesonal fruit salad with Greek yoghurt sweetened with honey) ... $10 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:49:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/563191#4089891 http://www.chow.com/topics/536647#4088645 I absolutely agree with Four Seasons on Li Bai. It's definitely smart. In my opinions, they did the traditional dishes well, and with that foundation, their more "creative" ones are solid (unlike the typical innovations just full of flairs with no essence). Crabs is the most dangerous thing to get near in Singapore. You would be bombarded with choices, chili crab or black pepper or white pepper or butter cheese or ... and you always would need Tiger to wash them down. A trip to Jumbo is a sure way to start a heartburn. All jokes aside and back to the original questions, I wouldn't recommend you not buy the book, but I had done well without it. I speak Mandarin and Hokkien but I doubt that makes any difference in SIN. There are tons of food blogs online about Singapore food. It's a makan heaven indeed. Another thing is, I find the opinions are so widely different that you need to take every recommendation with a grain of salt anyway. It's highly personal. I have gone to a Makansutra awarded stall for Bak Chor Mee and just got disappointed. My girl friend doesn't even like chicken rice from Tien Tien (how how in the world is this possible ...) The bottom line is, try as many places as possible. My strategy is trying to walk as much as possible between eating. When in SE Asia, you should give up the 3 meal a day idea. Instead, walk and eat and walk and eat. Magically, you would eat all days without gaining much weight. :-) Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:40:49 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/536647#4088645 http://www.chow.com/topics/537207#4084999 fyi.. Just heard that the school is going through some reorganization, so I don't know if it is the same as when we went. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:04:56 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/537207#4084999 http://www.chow.com/topics/559777#4084530 Hi Lucil: Goto focus on very traditional Kyoto-style kaiseki. Very small exclusive restaurant, just 4 tables with Zen like simple yet refined interior. It was full that evening (on a weekday), sitting right opposite my table are well known local tycoons in Singapore. It was a long meal from 7:30pm till about 10pm; I think about 7-8 courses, unfortunately I can't remember all the details as it was a business dinner so I did not have the time to take note of them. The chef, I was told by my friends, was the main chef at the Japan Embassy here before he set up this restaurant. If you like traditional kaieseki, I will highly recommend this place as this is the best kaiseki I had in town. But like I wrote before, traditional kaiseki was a bit bland and monotonous for me. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:49:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/559777#4084530 http://www.chow.com/topics/560384#4082591 Hi FourSeasons, Thanks for the tip. Will check it out when I'm there (hopefully) at the end of the month. It may be because I spent 18 years of my life in S'pore, including NS. I knew Sin Lee when it was ummm... ...a humble corner "hole in the wall". I don't do shark fin, but I swear that their bamboo clams are the best in the world and their fried rice soup also. Just thinking about the dishes gives me hunger pangs. Since they moved, my family has noticed that the number of expats visiting is growing. Good for both them and Sin Lee! Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:42:05 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/560384#4082591 http://www.chow.com/topics/561462#4080878 Hello klyeoh! I think the reason why they prohibit the photo taking is probably what you have already mentioned. The manager told me that they want to keep their restaurant 'mysterious' so that people have to personally visit there. I heard that's the way chef Gagnaire wants. Thank very much for your kind photo sharing of Pierre, Here are also some photos of Pierre Hong Kong I took before. Some photos were taken in fall, 2006 when Pierre had just opened, while others were taken in June this year: http://blog.naver.com/kosmose7/90032239596 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 06:38:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/561462#4080878 http://www.chow.com/topics/544523#4078954 Great to see so many Singaporeans here contributing on our favorite hobby - eating! Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:48:54 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/544523#4078954 http://www.chow.com/topics/561248#4071564 Just returned from a business trip to Kuala Lumpur, where we lunched at the Ming Room, Bangsar Shopping Centre. Unlike many upscale Chinese restaurants located in hotels in mainly -Muslim Malaysia which are halal (i.e. pork-free), Ming Room serves Chinese food in all its glory - roast pork, char siew, pork fat, pork lard & all. I was told that Ming Room's close competitor is Reunion, another upscale Cantonese restaurant in Bangsar Village II mall, just a few minutes away. Anyway, being unfamiliar with KL, I pretty much depended on my hosts. The food literally blew me away! The "char siew" pork was the best I've ever had outside of Hong Kong & Guangzhou - fatty, caramelised slices of velvety pork-belly slices, so robust & full of flavors. The accompanying "siew yoke" (crispy pork with crackling on top) was exquisite - the brittle crackling was light & perfectly crisp. The next course was stir-fried sharksfin omelette, served in little lettuce cups. Followed by seafood consomme steamed in individual whole mini-pumpkins; grilled black pepper pork chops; an amazing deep-fried giant carp fish-head accompanied by braised fish fillets; and a platter of absolutely delicious braised abalone, served with spinach-topped egg tofu & broccoli. The penultimate course was braised rice vermicelli in a thick-brown herbal sauce flavored by ginseng & wolfberries. It was both robust & intoxicatingly addictive. We rounded off the meal with a cold dessert of double-boiled & then chilled snow-frogs' glands with red dates & nashi pear. It was quite simply the best Chinese meal I've ever had in Kuala Lumpur. Cost: RM1,700 (USD500) for 12 persons (not including drinks). Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:54:06 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/561248#4071564 http://www.chow.com/topics/561050#4071264 I don't think I've seen pondaeggi (boiled silkworms soup) in LA K-town. There are some street stalls in Dongdaemun where I've tried that. You can also explore the food street near Namdaemun market - try nakchae: live octopus, which they serve to you swimming in a glass bowl. Grab one by the head, dip it into kochujang sauce & eat. If you don't mind being politically-incorrect, you can also try su-yuk (grilled dogmeat, served with raw salads/sesame leaves/kochujang & doenjang dips) & poshintang (spicy dog-bone soup) available in some speciality restaurants especially during the winter months. I can't possibly bring myself to eat dog, but those who did said it tasted like chicken dark-meat. I think I'll stick to real chicken. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:28:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/561050#4071264 http://www.chow.com/topics/560516#4068389 Hey there Sam Thanks Ya I have seen the heavy wok burners in China town for sure a great bargin unfortunally my condo won't let us use gas sooo sad when I say cook wear I'm thinking pots and pans actually I'm looking for something comparable to calaphon? Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:09:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/560516#4068389 http://www.chow.com/topics/560529#4064831 Hi friends Hey has anybody done the dim sum brunch at the Royal Dragon Bangna Trad area? is 189 Baht and just wondering if it's yummy Thanks Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:35:32 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/560529#4064831 http://www.chow.com/topics/558621#4060027 I am salivating over all these talk of khanom krog. I have this knack of eating two at one go - just invert one over another & form this oval "sandwich" :-) Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:37:38 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/558621#4060027 http://www.chow.com/topics/315799#4049031 Due to the enforcement of the street vending ban, Convent Road is a ghost town on Mondays. Tuesday mornings they are setting up for lunch. Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:05:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/315799#4049031 http://www.chow.com/topics/557639#4041052 Curt, can you share with us some of your brother-in-law's favorite restaurants, please? I'd love to try some posh "new" places the next time I'm in Bangkok. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:21:10 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/557639#4041052 http://www.chow.com/topics/556548#4040103 Hope you have a great trip. Hoi An is on my list of places to see someday. A friend mentioned Tam Tam Restaurant as a recommended stop. Let us know how everything goes. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:07:17 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/556548#4040103 http://www.chow.com/topics/557037#4031829 You may want to read the three previous threads on Ubud: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/518196 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/520886 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/537627 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:33:14 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/557037#4031829 http://www.chow.com/topics/554678#4029398 I think too rich for our blood for a lunch. Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:33:47 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/554678#4029398 http://www.chow.com/topics/555805#4019096 Nepal isn't listed on this board, or on the South Asia board either, but I need some advice. I'm going to Kathmandu in October. Where and what do I eat? Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:17:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/555805#4019096 http://www.chow.com/topics/346585#4017570 what are the price points for any of these places? Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:37:00 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/346585#4017570 http://www.chow.com/topics/538464#4010122 I recall that any area close to a university is full of good, cheap eats. Street food has gotten pretty good and quite varied since say, ten years ago. But if it's not Korean you want then Itaewon would be a good place to get foreign food, and Hongdae's got some nice non-Korean places too, along with Kangnam. In Nakseongdae, they do have some decent places to eat but depending on what you want as it is a small-ish area. I can not say I've had any bad food in Nakseongdae or anywhere else I ate in Seoul. Also keep in mind that Seoul is full of little enclaves and there is no shortage of restaurants around so if you're feeling adventurous, check out the different areas/neighbourhoods in Seoul and grab a bite along the way. The subway system is quite efficient but unfortunately, the streets don't really have names so tough to get around at times. Some of my faves were shabu-shabu, samgyupsal, kalnak-tang, kalbi... Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:13:36 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/538464#4010122 http://www.chow.com/topics/553405#4008847 My fave haunt for street food is Jalan Alor: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/505932 Another spot to go to is Petaling Street, Chinatown. If you're looking for good ethnic Malay food (NOT Malaysian-Chinese or Malaysian-Indian) & don't mind paying a bit more, check out these places: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/501256 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:41:57 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/553405#4008847 http://www.chow.com/topics/548579#4002062 I unfortunately had to leave Bangkok and went on to India and am now back in Dublin--hence my not posting. I had amazing food in Bangkok, almost entirely on the street. I went for spicy food, but didn't have much of a problem, although the green curry in the MBK food court almost made my head explode! That said, it wasn't too bad compared to what I was going to experience next in India. I loved eating with a spoon--I'd happily do it this way forever. Also, after taking the Thai cooking class I feel more equipped to make it myself at home. I've already tried a few things and have been very pleased with the results.Thanks again for all of the advice! Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:49:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/548579#4002062 http://www.chow.com/topics/459331#3990175 Just brought 2 American friends visiting from San Francisco to Yantra for lunch today. Gorgeous tandoori chicken/seekh kebabs, delicious Goan fish curry, an incredible pureed spinach dish with sweet corn kernels, a creamy Moghul-style lamb curry, pillowy-soft naans, perfectly-executed palak paneer, fragrant basmati pilau. My friends were bowled over by the decor, the food, the service. One of them said, "If this restaurant is in San Francisco, it'll be the best Indian in the Bay Area, ever". Come to think of it now, I'd agree with him. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:22:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/459331#3990175 http://www.chow.com/topics/547238#3989859 I believe Lina left a week ago: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/549396 jnsx Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:31:23 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/547238#3989859 http://www.chow.com/topics/551559#3982079 I'll be traveling by myself to Bankok from Vietnam in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if there are any chowhounds who either live there or are traveling then who might be interested in meeting up for a culinary expedition. Reading the posts on the list about Bangkok street food has made me salivate and now I want to eat everything I possibly can. So I figured, what better way to try a bunch of different things than to head out with a group of like-minded folks? Having never been there before, I would eagerly defer to more knowledgeable people on the list about where to eat, though it sounds like there are plenty of number of good market/food court options. Feel free to contact me on the list or by email (davehimmelfarb@gmail.com) if you're interested. Cheers! Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:08:47 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/551559#3982079 http://www.chow.com/topics/543651#3976773 I also went to Baipai in Bangkok in 2006 and thought it was great - www.baipai.com - as well as reasonably priced. As I remember they do a different set of recipes each day and I regretted not being able to go back for a 2nd class. In my group there were about 15 people including a professional chef from Australia and some fairly confident/competitive US women, so I was quite worried that as a UK male I would show myself up as unable to make the more intricate Thai dishes properly (all thumbs) ... but I did fine and was very pleased with myself. We all had fun and laughed a lot but the instructors were pretty tough on us to make sure we took the lesson seriously and didn't fall behing the timetable. If you want a quick intro to how Thai people cook (but SO much hot chilli) I would recommend it 2separategorillas Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:45:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/543651#3976773 http://www.chow.com/topics/539897#3965326 Hi, for a great guide on what to eat, where to eat in Singapore, check out http://ieatishootipost.sg This is a blog started by a Singaporean doctor who is an amateur photographer as well as a foodie. Hence he started a blog documenting the marriage of 2 of his favourite pastimes. It has since become a definitive guide to eating and drinking cheap in Singapore, with contributions from its forum members on the better places to eat as well. By the way, I suggest you scrap The White Rabbit from your list. Other than the nice building, everything else is overpriced and over-rated. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:44:57 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/539897#3965326 http://www.chow.com/topics/549416#3963916 I spent a couple months in phnom penh this year. here is my take on the restaurant scene there. almost everything is within ten minutes by taxi (though there aren't many) or tut tut which are oversupplied. French: plenty of french. Best is 112 (was called 102, recently renamed or renumbered after the talented original chef was killed in a car accident) located on street 102 in colonial mansion. elegant colonial decoration. everything good. liked the pan fried fois gras, salads especially the nicoise, lobster bisque, terrific onion soup, steaks, osso bucco, real good desserts. Vans is nearby. similarly decorated in a colonial building. also good. Topaz on Norodom is beautifully decorated in modern style. very good appetizers. main courses not quite up to the competition. they should change their beef supplier. 112, Vans, and topaz are fairly expensive, though not crazy. two good and more reasonable places: atmosphere on norodom just south of the independence monument is pleasant. good basic french entrees: onglet, beef bourgignon, coq au vin. appetizers not so imaginative. best dessert is the flan. comme a la maison is a bakery as well as a restaurant. everything pretty good. only downside in hot phnom penh: no AC. bouganvillier on the river front i don't recommend. okay food, bad service, expensive. my favorite restaurant is Pacharan on the riverfront. Spanish with very good tapas. terrific Jamon Iberico, patata bravas, salad with lentils, very good specials. i was never dissappointed. the only italian i tried was luna d'autonno. as the chinese say, the chef must be in love. everything tastes sweet to him resulting in unfortunate oversalting. friends say the pizza is good but i never tried it. Tell is a well-run, comfortable german restaurant. i liked the sausages and the beer. le cedre on street 360 a couple houses west of norodom good lebanese cooking. it looks like they are going to open a second place on the river. bar food: Freebird on street 240 good food and pleasant staff. classic american rock and roll bar decoration. FCC (Foreign correspondents club) on the river. good view from fourth floor roof bar. okay food. nice place. also recommended on the river front: le quay (crepes), metro, and chow. all new, good looking joints with interesting food. avoid steve's steakhouse unless you care for boiled steak. asian: coca by the intercontinetal (with raffles the best hotels in PP) good for chinese/thai. golden cattle seafood chinese hot pot also good. man han lou for good chinese with a microbrewery. the guinness clone was admirable. they also do an emerald green lager (seaweed) that i liked. next door is master kang, a seriously good massage place. chinese, thai, and reflexology. men and women clientele, about 20-25 masseuses (most from china) on duty. amrita spa (more of a spa with good thai massage too) on the riverfront also recommended. for korean either le seoul (better food) or pyongyang (better show). pyongyang is a north korean government run restaurant. the food is decent (korean ain't my favorite so i am probably no judge) but the show is cool. the waitresses are NK military and they sing and dance korean favorites. the place is usually packed with korean tourists and business people. there's a lot of korean investment in cambodia. the real estate bubble there is korean made. malis: cambodian fusion. pretty interesting. nice decorartion. comfortable. run by the same thai family that owns topaz. cambodian food needs some help and this place provides it. pho 24: vietnamese chain. pretty good noodles. shiva shakti on sihanouk east of the independence monument. good indian. butter chicken really good. yamato: japanese like benihanas. okay. fusion sushi in the hotel cara was good and the nicely decorated hotel is a total bargain at $40 a night. if you get to sihanoukville (a four hour drive over a good two lane highway) i can recommend le vivier de la paillote. Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:14:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/549416#3963916 http://www.chow.com/topics/549396#3963749 Bangkok hounds, thank you so much for your help so far! I leave Bangkok tomorrow evening and I've had such a great culinary experience here that I thought this might be the place to get a gift for a special foodie in my life. Unfortunately he is quite possibly Chowhound-stalking me, but that's a risk we'll have to take. What neighborhoods/markets are the best for cooking stuff? I went to Chatuchak Market and managed to get myself a mortar and pestle but then was too exhausted to shop for anyone else. Then I went to Aw Taw Kaw Market and ate everything that I bought. Tonight I headed over to Soi Pradit Market because Lonely Planet (I know, I know) said it was good for cookware, but it was already pretty dead by the time I got there at 8. Any recommendations for interesting food gifts or nice cooking equipment? Something not too large would be ideal, and also something that doesn't already exist yet because he already has everything that could possibly be used for anything cooking-related. Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:27:08 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/549396#3963749 http://www.chow.com/topics/545092#3962428 Go to Chinatown known as Yaowarat. There are many gold shops there and seeing them is interesting. Go to Pratunam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratunam_Market . If your into computers, go to Pantip Plaza http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantip_Plaza (near Pratunam). Take a ride on the Sky Train. Go to Baiyoke tower at Pratunam and see Bangkok from above. For the backpacker crowd, go to Khaosan Road. Go to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo. Find street vendors and food courts everywhere. Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:16:37 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/545092#3962428 http://www.chow.com/topics/541676#3961709 no particular reason actually. i just figured it would be better! looks like none of them are willing to do the paperwork to hire a foreigner anyway. perhaps down-scale is the way to go. Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:17:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/541676#3961709 http://www.chow.com/topics/548547#3955876 Just got back from a long weekend in the beautiful island of Penang, Malaysia. Loved the amazing hawker food there. Penang is near the Malaysian border with Thailand, and its local cuisine (Penang laksa, fried koay teow, fishball noodles) showed close similarities to Thai hawker food. Perhaps it's no surprise that we stumbled upon the most authentic Thai food we've ever tasted outside of Thailand at Chok Dee Thai, a small but very well-managed restaurant on Burma Road (near the Chinese Recreation Club). We ordered: - mieng kum (betel leaves with galangal, roasted peanuts, toasted coconut shreds, dried shrimp, lime, chillis & tamarind sauce); - gaeng keaw wan (Thai chicken green curry); - deep-fried stuffed chicken wings; - tod man goong (prawn cakes); - "cha om" (ferns) omelette; - Bangkok-style oyster omelette; - seafood tom yum - which was deliciously spicy & perfectly balanced in its sweet-sour-salty flavours; - crispy pla dook (catfish) salad with shredded green mangoes - absolutely ambrosial! - hor mok pla (steamed Thai fish souffle in banana leaves), which was perfect; - kaeng som (sourish steamed whole snapper fish with lime juice); - ka mu (braised whole pork knuckle), which is piece-de-resistance for the evening. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:46:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/548547#3955876 http://www.chow.com/topics/548527#3955870 The coconut ice-cream looked delicious - thanks for the heads-up. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:28:00 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/548527#3955870 http://www.chow.com/topics/547757#3948376 in HCMC - Lemongrass, inexpensive Viet food in a small and nice setting. Across from Broulard (sp?) pastry shop. Good, though not great. Hoi An was good Vietnamese food at a mid price for Vietnam. In Ha Noi - Green Tangerine. Inexpensive French/Vietnamese in yet another real nice setting. Nha Trang - Sailing Club. Awesome location on the beach and excellent menu. Western and Viet and some Indian. mid price. Omars on Tran Phu not far from Sailing Club. One of the best Indian meals I've ever had. Better than London. Inexpensive. Looks like a hole, but it's excellent. Lac Canh BBQ it yourself here. Inexpensive and very good. Very smoky from the Q's and noisy. Truc Linh 3 very good. Inexpensive and more of a restaurant then many. Baguette and Chocolate in Sapa. Inexpensive excellent simple French fare and pastry like back home. Great vibe. Finally some decent music in the background. Sapa Lotus in Sapa has a wide variety on their menu. I went Viet and it was very good. Very nice hang. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:57:40 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/547757#3948376 http://www.chow.com/topics/547744#3948303 Joma bakery cafe. Quiet and comfortable. Excellent inexpensive lunch dinners, snack, and sweets. Mekong Fish on the river near Villa Santi. Inexpensive Loa selections. Delicious Fish is curry and coconut milk. Restaurant Luang Prabang aka Pizza. 2 locations. Quality Loa dishes for cheap. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:36:46 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/547744#3948303 http://www.chow.com/topics/547743#3948291 http://www.elephant-restau.com/Luang_Prabang_Laos_EN.htm A couple of Frenchmen and their Lao staff make great food in the comfortable and pleasant setting. While it was the most expensive meal I had in LP, that is quite relative. I started with a bowl of delicious pumpkin soup with a drizzle of coconut cream. For main pork roast filet mignon in a red wine sauce with garlic mashed. To finish up I had a poached pear in red wine and a capp. Everything was excellent as was the service. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:31:17 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/547743#3948291 http://www.chow.com/topics/547740#3948270 Didier Corlou is the chef and proprietor of this upscale restaurant in Ha Noi. http://www.verticale-hanoi.com/ 5 of us went a couple of weeks ago. With the exception of one meal, all of us were quite thrilled. 3 had local seafood & shell fish Brittany style. Great wine list, the wines we had were from the "family" list. Great atmosphere and building. Unusual flavors and combinations. One of the best meals we've had anywhere. Didier has been in Vietnam for 20 years or more. He blends Vietnam local with French tradition. A very worth stop in Ha Noi Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:22:35 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/547740#3948270 http://www.chow.com/topics/268462#3948244 we were in Hoi An last month as well. We made it too Brothers, which was not as interesting as billed, though it wasn't bad. Cargo was much better, especially the pastries, ice cream and sorbet. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:14:26 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/268462#3948244 http://www.chow.com/topics/543802#3923670 Gads! Everywhere: street, market, roadside, no-name restaurants, and sidewalk foods are the best. Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:19:43 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/543802#3923670 http://www.chow.com/topics/541848#3896764 You have to order the whole crab, so I would suggest you just request for a small crab. There is never a problem for the restaurant as long as you pay the bill but the main problem is that you will have less room to try other dishes, that's all. Just ignore any funny look, who cares anyway? Most people like to order at least 4-5 dishes in such setting. I think you will have room for just another 1 or at most 2 dish. The above 4 restaurants are well known and have similar standard, so I will just suggest you just go to the one that is convenient to you. P.S: East Coast Seafood Centre is not a restaurant, it is just a location near the seaside with several seafood restaurants that include Jumbo and Little Red House. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:15:46 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/541848#3896764 http://www.chow.com/topics/375439#3893283 See my photo, Cooking class with Viet Cuisine, Hanoiiiiii Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:27:21 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/375439#3893283 http://www.chow.com/topics/502101#3890094 * Ariake @ Hotel Shilla (Jang Chung-Dong, north of the river) Pretty good quality wagyu and nice balance of sauce. Tel: 02-2233-3131 * Omuraan (Yeok Sam-Dong, south of the river) This is actually a famous soba shop run by a Japanese chef family, but its donburi and sukiyaki are also quite nice. Cozier and more reasonable price than Ariake. Check if they still serve sukiyaki before you go, because I tried it long time ago. 02-569-8610 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:34:28 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/502101#3890094 http://www.chow.com/topics/540773#3887293 Incredibly, I found one of the best Peking ducks not in Beijing or HK, but in Bangkok. China House at the Oriental Bangkok was a beautiful, seductive restaurant. Jereme Leung of Whampoa Club is the restaurant's food consultant - which explained why its complimentary amuse-geule was the deconstructed drunken chicken (a Jereme Leung specialty) - poached wine-marinated chicken served in Martini glasses, topped with Shaoxing wine sorbet. Simply loved the Peking duck at China House, definitely the best in Bangkok. Seafood was ultra-fresh, and every dish we ordered was a delight. I loved the sweet-sour pork, which went well with the China House Yangzhou fried rice - perfectly executed. Unfortunately, the trademark dessert - mango pudding served in a dragonfruit shell was a bit of a letdown though. The jellies, accented by delicate tea-leaves & flowers, were a much better option. Still, the flawless service by a well-trained service staff, clad in sexy dark qipaos (for female wait-staff) & long flowing silk tunics (for males) designed by Shanghai Tang, really made me feel that it's the best Chinese restaurant I've dined in for quite a while. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:21:08 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/540773#3887293 http://www.chow.com/topics/538384#3886879 For street food, try Jalan Alor, which is near the Bukit Bintang shopping area. Some recs at Jalan Alor on this recent thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/505932 But whilst in Bukit Bintang, you may want to check out the basement area of the posh Starhill Gallery, they have a beautiful collection of restaurants offering an incredible range of food ranging from Chinese (Luk Yu, Pak Loh), Thai (Jim Thompson's MyThai), Arabic, fusion (Shook), Malay (Enak) to Japanese, etc. Also, the massive new Pavilion Mall opposite Starhill have endless dining possibilities: La Bodega (for Spanish tapas), Dragon-I (Shanghainese food), Yo-Sushi, to Mexican, Indian, Lebanese, etc. Also a massive foodcourt at its basement where endless choices of Malay/Chinese/Indian food are available. If you go to Suria KLCC, another huge mall at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers (KL's iconic landmark building), try Madam Kwan's fabulous Nasi Bojari (rice with fried chicken, curries, etc.) It'll be one of the best fried chicken dishes you'd ever had in your life. Also, their Nasi Lemak (Malaysia's unofficial national dish) is one of the best in KL (if not Malaysia) since the 1960s. Another place to try local/hawker food is at KL's Chinatown - especially Petaling Street, with its itinerant hawkers selling all sorts of branded goods knock-offs to Chinese street foods like wanton Noodles, steamed dim sum dumplings, etc. For fine-dining on Malay (not Chinese or Indian) food, look at this thread http://www.chowhound.com/topics/501256 BTW, I don't think there's a "Sadankin" in Malaysia. Do you mean Sandakan, off Sabah (East Malaysia)? Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:49:48 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/538384#3886879