Highlights of Taipei, Taiwan

French Gourmet Sunday Brunch at J’AIME

Roasted half lobster, pilaf curry rice, ratatouille and bisque sauce (500 THB supplement for the second order per person)

BBQ and Beer in Bangkok? Absolutely :D

The milti-tier serving of BBQ goodies at Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok available nightly from 18.30 – 22.30 until end of February 2016. Photos by Kathy All Around.

Garden Barbeque Dinner at Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok’s Brasserie Europa’s Terrace 

To welcome the seasonal mild weather, from now until end of February 2016, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is serving a scrumptious garden barbeque dinner at the peaceful surroundings of its garden and pool at the terrace of Brasserie Europa. The refillable BBQ set features Australian beef, meats and sausages, fresh seafood, assorted vegetables and side dishes of delicious fried rice, salads and french fries. Everything is priced at THB 988++ per person and THB 494++ for children aged 6 – 12. You can also choose to indulge with a 5-L (169.1 oz) Paulaner Münchner Hell (Lager), which will be exclusively served in a custom-made wooden barrel, at THB 2,250++ per barrel or starting from THB 240++ per glass. A choice of red or white wine by the glass is also available from THB 180++.

Matthew Kenney Culinary at Evason Hua Hin, Thailand

The class of weekend intensive detox in November 2015.

RAW, VEGETARIAN AND PLANT-BASED CUISINE IN THAILAND| MATTHEW KENNEY CULINARY THAILAND AT THE EVASON HUA HIN

Good news for health-conscious foodies who are into raw, vegan or plant-based cuisines. The world-renowned Matthew Kenney Culinary has just opened its first-out-of-the-US school at the Evason Hua Hin Resort in Pranburi of Thailand; they are offering a variety of courses that range from 28-day intensive to weekend getaway detox. And you can download the entire course menu here

The demo session.

Jeanette Hogfeldt – our instructor of the day.

Noodles These Days…Ramen at Ton Chin Kan Aree

Big bowls of ramen noodles and lots of side dishes at Ton Chin Kan Ramen in Soi Aree 4 (Phaholyothin 7).

EATING BANGKOK| RAMEN NOODLES AT TON CHIN KAN RAMEN IN SOI AREE 4, PHAHOLYOTHIN 7

We have come a long way from finding a good ramen place used to be like finding an iceberg in this tropical country. From a dive exclusive for Japanese expats, ramen has become a local staple thanks to a lot of things. For me, it’s definitely has to be the TV Champion’s ramen contest series in the late 1990s that got me so hooked with things that they kept repeating while zooming into bowl after bowl of those Japanese favourite noodles. Ohhh…the savoury of the broth. The fat-melting tenderness of the cha shu (pork belly slices). The munching and crunchy factors of the noodles. And of course, the look of the ramen chef complete with a white towel ban across his forehead.

The Madrid Provision

Our food story about Madrid in POWER magazine, October 2015.

Sunday Buffet Brunch is About to Change Forever…

A New Premium Sunday Brunch at The Peninsula Bangkok
What do you normally expect when you are booked for a Sunday Brunch in Bangkok? Sure, it would be the enormous and dizzying lines of food that you can pig out as much as you want. Ones that even though you managed to streamline your selections (selecting to eat only things that you really really want to eat), still have a lot more that you couldn’t eat for you are already full at the third plate.

But things are about to change with the new Sunday Brunch concept at the Peninsula Bangkok. When we were invited over for their ‘Sunday Brunch’ last week, we expected all those typical surroundings, but then, instead of lines of food, we were greeted into their lofty and posh lobby with just four or five and very trimmed buffet lines.

Lustre of Lisbon

Our travel article recently in POWER Magazine’s October 2015 Issue| เรื่องท่องเที่ยว ลิสบอน ในนิตยสาร Power เล่มล่าสุด (ตุลาคม 2558) ค่ะ

A Vegged-Up Potion (A Vegetarian Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe)

FROM MY SASSY KITCHEN ;D
Certain situations had driven me far into a serial cooking mode. An obsessed, daily – breakfast-lunch-and-dinner – cooking mode that, even though it requires tremendous amount of washing, rinsing, and cleaning that practically reduce and dry my hand dermis, I still vow to do more. The more I cook, the more I have plans for new recipes. I found it greatly fulfilling when I take one recipe and replicate or twist and adjust it to my taste. By doing so, I feel atoned for the fact that cooking is quite forgiving. And most of the time (since some recipes need so much of the exactness), cooking gives me a freedom to make the food I want to eat taste exactly how I want. And to eat well, there’s only way to do it. Make your own food. Make the time to make your own food. If you can, I mean.

เก็บตกมรดกโลกที่หลวงพระบาง

เรื่องท่องเที่ยวหลวงพระบางที่ดิฉันได้เขียนลงในนิตยสาร Expression ฉบับเดือนกันยายน-ตุลาคม 2558 ค่ะ

Stewed Prunes with Citruses and Cinnamon

Drizzled on Greek-style yoghurt as a snack or breakfast.

FROM MY MESSY KITCHEN
One of my favourite books of all times is ‘A Homemade Life’ by Molly Wizenberg whose many recipes read so easy that they tempted me into action.

Apart from her to-die-for French toasts and potato salad that I have plans to try, there’s this very easy ‘stewed prunes’ which she said is also another of her father’s recipe. Since this one needs practically 5 ingredients and one pot to make, it perfectly fit into my short between-project rest. Easy. So here goes:

When Arts Are So Appetizing: M Krub by Chef Man

Mantis Prawn with Egg White.

EATING BANGKOK| CHINESE FINE DINING| M KRUB BY CHEF MAN

For those who are fans of Chef Man Cantonese restaurants, you might have already heard about his latest venture – the fine-dining version of his Chinese cuisine expertise – M Krub private dining restaurant located on the second floor of Maganakorn Cube at Chong Nonsee area.

After about a year of incubation and more than three months of soft-launch operation, M Krub has finally opened up to the press and public. Last month saw a series of media visits that piqued interests from fine-dining aficionados. If you ask me, I think the whole concept of this very place is an innovation in itself. From their culinary concept (private dining, set menus only) to the ensemble of each dish (artistic and so tasty), to the way the whole meal is served (with a well-versed food presenter). After all, as you have already known, the Mahanakorn Cube is where many top-notched restaurants are already located. L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon is there. The Vogue Lounge is there along with the Dean and Deluca Thailand’s flagship store. So M Krub, for its innovative and fine gastronomy, just makes an appropriate existence into the cluster. 

Perfecting Pasta and Lots of Italian Delights by Chef Theo Randall at Theo Mio Italian Kitchen at Intercontinental Bangkok

Burrata with slow-cooked red peppers stuffed with tomato basil, capers and anchovy, Bt450++

EATING BANGKOK| THEO MIO ITALIAN KITCHEN AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL BANGKOK

It was a valuable cooking lesson, albeit a short one, by Chef Theo Randall – the British celebrity chef whose latest venture brought him over to Bangkok. His latest Italian restaurant that is called Theo Mio – the first one out of the UK – is located at the Intercontinental Bangkok where he recently made an appearance giving away pasta perfecting tips that any of us can easily replicate at home.

Second Time the Wiser: Siam Wisdom’s Revised Menu Highlights Better Value and Culinary Authenticity

Tod Man Pla Krai with Sweet Chilli Sauce and Crushed Peanut

Eating Bangkok| Traditional Thai Cuisine| Siam Wisdom, Sukhumvit 31

Nothing beats the classic. And that’s the case for Siam Wisdom – one of the most beautiful and talked-about Thai restaurants in Bangkok.

Located in an old teak Thai house in Sukhumvit 31, Siam Wisdom opened its door last year with extensive set menus that had impressed a good number of fans. But now, a year later, the restaurant has just revised its serving style by replacing many molecular-inspired dishes with the Thai traditional classics. Plus, instead of offering only set menus like before, they are now serving their dishes a la carte, meaning guests can select and choose what they like to suit their moods. And most importantly, they have made the prices a little bit more wallet-friendly, too.

A Day in Bangkok Old Quarter: Kim Leng and Loha Prasart

Spicy salad of crispy fried catfish at Kim Leng on Tanao Road.

EATING BANGKOK| KIM LENG ON TANAO ROAD| VISITING LOHA PRASART
Lately, the weather has been such a tease! Last Saturday, after a few days of continuous downpours, we were wearing a light jacket and slippers inside our shady home. It was quite nice and cool throughout the previous period that I was thinking I should layer up a bit for our day out in Bangkok Old Quarter later that day. But then at perhaps 10am, the weather had changed dramatically from being cloudy and drenched with the after-rain comfort to a real burning and scorching like the peak of a bad summer. This is so another evidence that the global warming is so real and in our face.

Eat and Learn: Healthy and Easy Recipes from Chiva-Som

Image synopsis from Chiva-Som’s latest cookbook ‘Cooking with Light.’

Cooking and recipes| Cooking Class| Chiva-Som Academy

We all learn something when we eat. If we pay enough attention, that is. Apart from the obvious good tasting stuff, we also learn about how each dish, with usually more ingredients than one, combines into different flavours, and different cooking methods also definitely yield different textures and tastes. If you are an avid eater, it is so very unlikely that you would fail to notice the differences of each dish when prepared differently, and especially by different people.

To Live A Little..<3<3<3

The first course of the Friday’s magnificent dinner by Chef Patrick Raingeard – Marinated Scallops with the plump and super sweet scallop seared to perfection and served in a tangy marinade of red onions, Thai basil, papaya and served with a white Chablis wine from Domaine Faiveley of Burgundy 2013.

EATING BANGKOK| THE WORLD GOURMET FESTIVAL 16 AT ANANTARA SIAM BANGKOK| CHEF PATRICK RAINGEARD
To live a little, of course, is to indulge a little. During the past week, many of Bangkok gourmands had indulged in the top gourmet foods prepared by world-class chefs at the World Gourmet Festival at the Anantara Siam Bangkok (formerly Four Seasons Bangkok). The event has been ongoing for 16th year this year and it is still a good cause for enjoying the world of gourmet food while giving something back to the society because parts of the proceeds acquired from this event will be contributed to a good charity.

Intimate, Personal and Heart-to-Heart

Thai-style ‘samrab’ or meal that we eat together with steamed rice.

EATING BANGKOK| THAI FOOD AT THE BANGKOK BOLD COOKING STUDIO
The act of cooking and eating has, in the past decades, been blended together into a mega-mothball in which eaters and cooks are kept far far apart. In a typical line kitchen, those who cook would never see the faces of those who eat their food. At the same time, in restaurants, it is so very unlikely that we would see those who prepare the dishes in front of us. From things so personal and homey, food has been transformed into things made and traded like other commodities. This situation has become so common that we hardly raise any questions about it.

But then, there’s this small place that made me feel like the blurred line had been reconnected all over again. Those who cooked for us was there at the same room that we were eating. We saw each other. We talked to each other. We enjoyed, in a polite way, each other’s company. In a way, eating at Bangkok Bold Cooking Studio on Pan Fa Street in the Old Town was one of the most intimate experiences I ever had in terms of eating out. The meal was delicious, price excellent, ambiance wonderful and cool and we would for sure go back for more.