Chinatown, Bangkok – Night and Day
July 23, 2009 | 6,719 views
Complete with neon lights, gaudy architectures, cabs plying the route non-stop, and tuk-tuk terrorizing the streets …. Bangkok’s Chinatown lights up come sundown.
T&K Seafood Restaurant @ Chinatown – With the cheerful workers all decked in GREEN. Such nature lovers these Thais are …..
Tangy tangerine juice, sweet coconut juice fresh from the shell, and the condiments – sweet, sour and fiery
Juicy, succulent LARGE prawns barbecued @ 150baht/RM15
Fried Meat Crab with Yellow Curry Powder @ 300baht/RM30
The crabs cooked with the thick, almost gelatinous curry powder and beaten eggs fared not too well though. The curry paste being a little overwhelming and rich, while the crab (only one, for we ordered the small portion) was nothing to shout about. (300baht for Small, 350baht for Medium, and 400baht for Large).
Oyster Omelette/Or Chien @ 100baht/RM10
Unlike sc’s version, this one did not come on a bed of bean sprouts, but instead akin to the average fried egg omelette commonly found everywhere. Not crispy at all, with meagre servings of oysters. Served with a sweet chilli sauce. Forgettable.
Steamed Squid with Garlic, Lemon Juice and Chilli @ 150baht/RM15
Fortunately, the steamed squids fared so much better. Springy, fresh squids complemented perfectly by the zesty sauce. Almost resembling the type of gravy used in steaming fish, Thai-style.
Tom Yum Seafood @ 100-150baht/RM10-RM15
See the small, confined seating area? In fact, there are FIVE storeys to T&K, climbing the steep staircases endlessly til you find an empty table!
Hop over after dinner, for some cooling desserts …….
Sweet, cooling and soothing …. who cares if they’re real or made from jelly? 
We passed by Nam Sing, a few shops away from T&K Seafood, and instantly drawn to the two shoplots, air-conditioned restaurant serving shark’s fins and bird’s nest soups. Of course, at Chinatown, you can savour a full bowl to yourself, at almost dirt cheap prices.
The accompanying ginkgo, red dates and longan in syrup
At Nam Sing, we were served with cooling chrysanthemum tea the instant we sat down. Welcomingly refreshing, given the hotter than ideal weather in Bangkok right then.
The bird’s nest is segregated into 4 different classes, with 1st class being the most pricey (1000baht/serving!), and the 4th being cheapest (200baht/bowl). We picked the 3rd class (hehehe, being 3rd world mentality and all?) at 300baht/RM30 per bowl. Enough to be shared amongst two, served with sides of either longan, or ginkgo nuts in syrup. A lovely end to the meal, and call it placebo effect if you would; We felt soothed, refreshed, and radiant almost instantly. LOL.
Location : Nam Sing Bird Nest @ 39-47 Soi Texas, Phadung Dao Road, Yaowaraj, Bangkok, Thailand. Various other branches elsewhere, even in Pattaya, and Hong Kong! Opens from 9.00am – 2.00am.
Daytime in Chinatown …. a little lonely, but not without its charm
Then one fine morning (after we’ve moved to a boutique hotel in town – more on that in later posts), we’ve lost all opinions on where to have our breakfast. Sure the omnipresent 7-11 was tempting, with cheap hot dogs, burgers, pizzas and buns, but we practically had them for breakfast almost every single day during the last trip, 3 years ago.
Wat Traimit in Chinatown, still under construction it seemed
Temples at almost every corner in Bangkok. Nothing to do after meal? Let’s Pray! Enough of shopping and walking around? Let’s Pray! 😉
A corner lot at Soi Sukon in Chinatown, serving typical Chinese hawker fare.
And so, round and round we went on foot, desperately seeking for a dim sum place to satisfy our hunger. We woke up rather late that morning, since it’s a Sunday after all.
But to no avail. Most shops were not even opened that early, and directions from the locals ain’t helping at all.
Chicken Rice, Popiah, Pork Noodles and Pork Congee for breakfast –Simple, yet effective
Thankfully, as the locals spoke Mandarin fluently around the area, one lady guided us to Soi Sukon for breakfast. Or wait …. that has to be brunch, by that time.
A very old and classic coffee shop, it reminded us of Penang’s typical kopitiam, with several stalls all around, lining up to satiate the hunger pangs.
We had some hawker grubs, particularly memorable was the porridge with pork meat balls, and a raw egg, and the unassumingly-delicious popiah (julienned vegetables + pork slices wrapped crepe-style, served with a sweetish sauce).
This uncle was even featured in the papers! Frying some Or Chien/Oyster Omelette
Nice, crispy edges gave the Or Chien some crunch, with lots of bean sprouts, chives and coriander. And of course, plump oysters. But if I’m not mistaken, mussels were used instead.
Sweet, sweet Bananas on a High !!!
Brings back alot of sweet memories of 2 years stay in Bangkok. Those big head fresh water prawns are very succulent. Street food is the best!
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worldwindows : you stayed there before? aiya … should've asked you for recommendations also!
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wei.. good job, motormouth!!! ^^
wrap up all in ONE.. haha!! wat post next??
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fun! it's so much fun with lots of food!~!
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Interestingly, my sis also went to Thai for a holiday with a few friends.
Except for the barbequed banana, there are no similarity in the photos she took. Hers include all sorts of insects and stuff.
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You really make me miss Bangkok a lot!!! So nice to see all these pictures
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KCA : erm, not sure lah. rest from Bangkok posts first i guess. overdose …. hahaha …
ai wei : yeah, food brings ppl together ya?
ahlock : insects we only managed to bump into one solitary roadside stall in town. not even in Khao San Rd anymore. wonder why … not in season?
Selba : you really do love BKK, dont you?
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I miss tom yam already! The soup looked LOADED with goodness! *yum*
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This is exactly the kind of place I want to be a part of. Colorful and alive. Thanks for sharing to us the photos.
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iamthewitch : loaded right …. and not too pricey, the tom yum.
Hi I'm Grace : you're most welcomed. Thailand's great, vibrant and lively. with lotsa delicious food to boot.
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Oh no. Shdoulf I do Thai food or the 'Kings' this wkend? Think sudden combustion can be caused by over heatiness?
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The seafood place you went at night… is which one? I went to the one on the right side previously and food were quite good, especially the oyster omelette.
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Feast like a king!
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Tummythoz : you just sidai in HK and China, rest 1st. hahahah ..it's raining here anywya.
jason : erm, the green shirts one. another one is red shirt. dunno which one right or left, since you can come from both directions.
email2me : yeah, and came back heavier than a loadsack of potatoes.
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The most memorable moment for me in Bangkok was my trip to Chinatown.. it took me two attempts before reaching here (the first one we caught in a REALLY BAD JAM from Bangkok city centre)…
Then my friend in Bangkok took me here… forgot the name of the restaurant but the food was damn good! Very large fresh oyster, fish and lip-smaking delicious roasted pork knuckle… sigh!!!
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So funny whn think bk student days we ate the 4th class Bird's Nest..And now 3rd pclass pulak..Hahaha…Actually the matter of eating 1st class shud be no prob as the reason here is whether "seh mm seh tuck" eat only =)
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I've been to Bangkok 3 times & still unable to cover up that much place as u.
Yes..I do like thier exotic taste of food especially fried bugs.
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thule : yuh, talkin bout pork knuckle got me salivating now! strange enough, we did not eat much pork when we were there.
mboy : true lah, but at RM100 per bowl, I'll have doubts whether true or not … bird's nest in Chinatown?
Hulk : ooohhh, i like them bugs also! but cannot find so easily nowadays lah!
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hahaha just pure awesome . . . .drooling looking at them! lol! food heaven indeed!
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fun! fun! fun! good and cheap food.
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It seems that they like to grill and roast^^
The dessert! that bowl of bird's nest really makes me drool :p
By the way, fried bugs? you mean the real bugs?
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aiyoh..beh tahan la… great stuff, wonderful pictures, delicious food.. no wonder u said came back poorer.. but it is worth it!!
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Hi J2kfm,
It's Elin here, I have passed the Best Blog Award to you. Please check it out from my blog. Thanks.
You deserved the award
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Wow…i miss bkk so much…AND THE FOOD….damn..i need to return there soon…the pork ball porridge looks so tempting from here…i wish they had it where i live:-(
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BBO : yeah, indeed.
foodbin : eating from the streets is an experience needed to be felt, and savoured.
kevin : yeah, kevin, REAL bugs. pity I didnt snap any pics of the stall. but the previous visit, we did try some, and they were delicious! almost like fries.
reanclaire : came back poorer, and fatter. well worth? you bet!
elin : thanks Elin for the award.
hcpen : the hawker fare resembles our very own Chinese hawker food. being chinatown and all. from chicken rice to noodles, and porridge to even Or chien.
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Definitely this is post that I will refer to when I am going for a holiday…thunmbs-up!
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wow, all the delicious foods. Yum! Yum!
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my bangkok trip got canceled. suppose to go on the 1st. can only sulk looking at ur delicious photos
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Oh Boy… *continuous drool*
I'm so hungry right now… Waaaaaaaaaa
BBQ Banana's… hmmm.. maybe if I chuck some on the barbie here, the ang mohs might think I'm mad?
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BKK. Somehow nothin beats the sheer variety, the lifestyle and the food, (PlUS shopping!) here better than anywhere else!
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Oo, fried bugs like spiders, beetles? No peculiar taste?
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ck lam : thanks, ck. but this one not a comprehensive guide to most attractions. as we went to most during our 1st trip way back then.
Food paradise : yum alright!
citygal : oh no! yeah, you told me. cancelled cz of the flu?
msihua : nah, you can try. hehehe… just wondering who's gonna be the takers?
TNG : true. BKK has almost everything. good food, great ppl, and wonderful places.
kevin : we went for the fried worms, and the cricket, or beetle. I cant rmbr as we didnt take photo back then. very heavily seasoned, hence no awkward taste.
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[…] anyway. The squid was good, yet not model for a stir-fried curry seafood dish. In this category; Bangkok Chinatown’s TK Seafood trumps a foe with their tasty curry crabs. But afterwards again … needs a pass and some-more bid […]
[…] The squid was good, though not exemplary for a stir-fried curry seafood dish. In this category; Bangkok Chinatown’s T&K Seafood trumps the competition with their delicious curry crabs. But then again … needs a passport […]
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