Makan Thai: Somboon Seafood

The famous and cash only seafood restaurant in bangkok is always a favourite amongst the locals and tourists and often imitated by other seafood restaurants. Somboon only has 5 branches in Bangkok so BEWARE of scammers that uses "similar names". Taxi drivers usually get paid a huge sum of commission for driving you to a "fake somboon". We usually eat at the Surawong branch which we think is nearer to the city center. Somboon is famous for their seafood, even the Japanese royalty once dined at this famous restaurant. Even though the price is abit on the high side but the taste is exceptional that's why people keep on flocking back to this restaurant ever since they opened up their first restaurant back in 1969. Their most famous dish is the Curry Crab similar to the ones that you find in Singapore. The Curry Crab is NOT the reason that keeps the MakanKings for going back there to eat everytime that we are in Bangkok. To us, the Curry Crab is just well like any other curry crab but it's the other dishes in the menu that entices our tastebuds !
Makan King's Favourite Dishes at SomBoon:
(1) Roasted Crab with glass noodle
(2) Tom Yum Goong
(3) Thai Styled Steam Fish
(4) Barbequed Roe Crabs
(5) Fresh Oysters
(6) Water Prawns stir fried in garlic and chillipadi

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Photos that we've taken back in 2005 - during our FIRST visit to somboon ^_^ and when we first started MakanKing

MakanKings Rating: 8/10

Somboon Surawong

169,169/7-12 Surawong Rd.,Suriyawong, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

Tel. 02-233-3104Fax. 02-234-4499

Makan Thai: Erawan Tea Room

Most Buddhists and tourists that visits bangkok will surely go offer prayers to the famous Brahma Shrine at Erawan (Phra Phrom). The next time when you're there, remember to pay a visit to the Erawan Tea Room in the building adjacent to the Erawan Shrine. Erawan Tea Room is owned by the Grand Hyatt Hotel and offers afternoon tea sets and snacks for tired shoppers to take a break.
Our tea set, loved their coconut themed kuihsTofu Delivery King's Pork Flat Noodles served with Bean sprouts and crispy Pork Skin yummy !

My egg covered Phad Thai

MakanKings Rating: 7/10

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A late night trip to swensen's at Thonglor

Chocolate truffle sundae OMG heavenly !

Signing off,
Ketchup Queen

Makan Thai: 大戸屋 Ootoya

Ootoya is a japanese restaurant that has chain stores all over Japan and have recently opened up their stores in Bangkok at J avenue Thonglor, Emporium and Siam Paragon. I was kind of intrigued when I saw the "crazy queue" outside Ootoya and decided to go in for lunch.Ceaser Salad, I think that the grilled chicken that accompanied the salad is seasoned with honey, it tasted so good we actually thought of ordering the chicken as an ala carte item the next time we pop into Ootoya.

Tonkatsu Set (one of their Must Eat items), the tonkatsu is super crispy and the tonkatsu sauce is amazing and they do give out mustard and fresh sesame seed for you to pound. The portion of this dish is quite big so sharing is recommended.

My grilled mackerel set. The fish is very fresh and grilled to perfection but again the portion is too big and only at RM24 for the whole set.

They have a selection of soy related desserts which is simply too delicious

Macha Ice cream served with red bean paste, dumpling and green tea jelly covered in soy milk.

Soy Bean Milk Cream served with Red beans

Overall, Ootoya is a nice place for a quick lunch or dinner at affordable prices and the portion is quite big so big eaters (like us at MakanKings) would be in paradise.
MakanKings Rating: 7/10
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PS:This might not come as a surprise for many but for others, Japanese food in Bangkok is waaayy better (in terms of the taste and the quality of ingredients that they use) than the japanese restaurants back in Malaysia and not at cut-throat prices (for example RM40 for 5 pieces of sashimi at Sugimoto KL whereas RM13 for 5 pieces of sashimi at Fumi Bangkok), so remember to eat japanese food while you're in BKK.

Signing off,
Ketchup Queen

Makan Thai: Spice Market at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok

I think that the Spice Market at the Four Seasons (otherwise known as the Chap Fan Stall at Cut-Throat Prices) is a nice place for first timers that is visiting Bangkok to have a taste at Thai food because the Set dinners available at the restaurant has a very comprehensive set of Thai dishes commonly eaten by the locals, not forgetting the excellent "Four seasons service, i.e they ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE ANG MOH", food are not that spicy (WHICH IS A MAAAJORR turn off for south-east asian such as myself), nevertheless the taste is nice but not great. What i'm trying to say is that it's is not worth the RM350 (inclusive of a bottled mineral water, fruit punch and singha beer) that we paid. You can get to taste similar food at any Mixed Rice (Chap Fan) Stall in Bangkok and probably pay less than Rm5 for a full box of chap fan.

MakanKings "We've been BOMBED"Rating: 4/10

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*Sidenote*
Going Bananas for Bananas

Banana fritters with maple syrup and mint chocolate chip ice cream from The Loft Central Chidlom, Bangkok

Very very crispy and sweet banana fritters bought from the market at PJ Old town (near KFC and Sunrise Duck Rice)
I Heart Pisang Goreng,
Ketchup Queen ; )

Makan Thai: Antonio's

Antonio's is a quaint little Italian restaurant in Sukhumvit that serves great Italian food. Reservation is needed as the place is at capacity most of the time but is still able to provide intimacy for people on first dates on the upper level of the restaurant, its friendly and efficient staff and owner Antonio himself is always present to provide you with suggestions when ordering your food and attend to your culinary needs. The "Hot items" to order at Antonio's includes King fish carpaccio,Lamb Shank and Ravioli in truffle sauce. They also offer many types of pastas and rissotto, pan fried foie gras, fresh seafood platter and so on.

Some focaccia cheese toasties with salsa to nibble on while waiting for our appetizer

pssst: even they bread is nice :P

Sauteed river prawns
Lobster Bisque
The "MUST EAT" item at Antonio's is their home made Ravioli filled with porcini mushroom served with cream truffle sauce. I don't know what they do or how they do it but I must say their ravioli is simply OUT OF THIS WORLD.. especially the truffle sauce, makes me salivate everytime I look at it *salivating now*. There's this magical explosion of taste in every single bite, the combination of the ingredients for this dish is too perfect for words.

Seafood pasta was sensational
And for dessert, Chocolate Lava Cake.... MmMmMmMMmmm see the hot "lava" oozing out ?

Overall, we had a jolly good time and dinner at Antonio's - a restaurant where the people are serious about their food.

*I would like to apologize on the picture quality, had to use non-flash photography via a cell phone*

Licking lips,

Kechup Queen.

Makan Kings Rating: 8/10

Antonio's - The Italian Experience

Address: 59/1 Soi Sawasdess, Sukhumvit 31 Rd., Klong Toey, Wattana, Bangkok, 10110.

Tel: 0-2258-4247/4108

Makan Thai: Cream & Fudge !

Cream and Fudge is a sinfully addictive ice cream parlour available all over thailand.

Why "Factory" after the cream and fudge is that you get to "manufacture" your own creation. What is the difference between cream and fudge with other ice cream parlour is that they have all the TOPPINGS that you can ever think of (all the fruits and jellybeans and chocoloate chips and fresh fruit, sweets I could go on forever you just have to see it for yourself)to put in your ice cream. You get to pick your own ice cream toppings (as many as you want) and the lovely cream and fudge staff will mix the toppings all up "Teppanyaki" style for you and tadah your creation is complete.

Visit http://www.creamandfudge.com/ for further details.

Signing off,

Ketchup Queen.

Makan Thai: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Author's Lounge

Arguably the best high tea in Bangkok and Ketchup Queen's favourite afternoon hang-out spot :P Hey they serve the best scones and clotted cream !! Besides the delightful scones they also serve very nice cakes and pastries, the author's lounge also provides a very relaxing ambience for you to just kick back and have a cuppa and read a little or simply catch up with some girl friends about all the latest fashion, restaurants, gossips hiak hiak hiak :P One thing nice about the hotels along the riverside is that they have free ferry via the river from the BTS station.

Mandarin Oriental's dock
Mandarin oriental's ferry
On the ferry

Lime sorbet

Fruit cake for my mom

Fresh fruit preserves - pomegranate & rose
Raspberry sundae

Lotus flower decor in the ladies room
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Alternatively, if you don't want to travel all the way to saphanthaksin or no one to share that 3-tiers of cakes and sanwiches with you, you can get the scones at only RM14 compared to the entire tea set for 1 that costs RM99 at any Oriental Bakery (available at siam paragon/central chidlom/emporium)down town.

L'Opera cake

PS: LOOK WHAT I FOUND hahaha Beng-beng chocolate waffle bar, they should one strawberry flavoured waffle bar named "Lala" or "Lian-lian" hahaahaha *oh i'm so mean*
Signing off,

Ketchup Queen

ps: The dark knight was boring