Cassia Cafe & Tearoom @ Soi Sawatdi, Bangkok

Cuisine: European

Map: Cassia Cafe & Tearoom @ Soi Sawatdi, Bangkok

Price: THB400 per person without alcohol for dinner (what I paid for)

Visited: 29 December 2010

Food: 5/10

Dessert & Tea: 5/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Value for money: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Overall: 6/10

Cassia, an English country style tea room decorated in blue and white tone, is located in Soi Sawatdi, Bangkok. Entering Soi Sawatdi from Sukhumvit Road, Cassia is on the right-hand-side. The blue and white sign of Cassia can be easily spotted. This year, Cassia has been one of my favourite place to have a quick meal because of its privacy and comfortable atmosphere. Dishes here are served in a homemade style. Feelings and touches are just like you are having a meal in the garden of your house.

Today we began our dinner with soups: Tomato Soup and Sea Asparagus Soup. Both soups give strong flavour of the main ingredients and thick; while tomato soup represented sour, sea asparagus was sweet and subtle. Touches of homemade indeed (6/10). Soups were served with a piece of toast which was crisp outside and soft inside.

Spaghetti Vongole was one of the two main courses. Spaghetti, even though a little over cooked, was prepared with garlic, parsley, and clams (generous portion). Hint of white wine was also there. Spaghetti Vongole at Cassia is light thick and of course, without cheese (5/10).

Veal with Mushroom Cream Sauce was the other main course. This dish was below par for Cassia. Mashed potatoes was rather coarse. Carrots and beans were overcooked. Despite tenderness of veal, chewiness was also there. Lastly cream sauce was just too normal (4/10).

We also had refreshing drinks during our dinner, which were great: Blue Pea Flower Drink with Lime and Lime Juice with Honey. They both were great but a little too sweet for me.

Accounting for touchy atmosphere and friendly service, an overall score of 6/10 should be explainable. Definitely, we will return to this relaxing venue of Cassia.

Cassia Cafe & Tea Room @ Soi Sawatdi, Bangkok

20 Soi Sukhumvit 31 (Soi Sawatdi)

Sukhumvit Road

Khlong Toei Nuea, Vadhana

Bangkok 10110

แคสเซีย คาเฟ่ แอนด์ ทีรูม @ ซอยสวัสดี
20 ซอยสุขุมวิท 31 (ซอยสวัสดี)
ถนนสุขุมวิท
แขวงคลองเตยเหนือ, เขตวัฒนา
กรุงเทพ 10110

Tel: +66 (0) 2662 0325

Web: http://www.cafecassia.com

Honmono Sushi @ Thonglor 23, Bangkok

Cuisine: Japanese (Specialise in Sushi)
Map: Honmono Sushi @ Thonglor 23, Bangkok
Price: THB2,100 per person without alcohol for dinner (what I paid for)
Visited: 25 December 2010
Food: 5/10
Sushi: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
Service: 5/10
Overall: 7/10

As of July 2011, I have to let every visitors of this blog know that Honmono Grand will no longer be operated under Honmono Group and has changed its name to other due to some INCIDENT of the landlord where the restaurant is situated. Below is my comment about Honmono Sushi but were taken at Honmono Grand. However, every dishes in the menu are the same for every branches.


Honmono Sushi is a restaurant chain that is specialise in sushi and is suitable for every occasion. The restaurant is decorated in Japanese style with friendly atmosphere. There is also a sushi counter, which can serve more than 10 customers at the same time. Chef Boontham or Arjarn Bantoon, head chefs and co-owner, would be supervising the sushi counter himself. 

In case sushi counter is your choice, a variety of seaweed to couple with sushi will always be served.

While penguin decided to have sushi, bunny chose to have sashimi. Our meal began with Hamachi (Yellow Tail), which was just freshly arrived. Freshness, sweet, and firm meat were beyond expectation (8/10).

Next was Shima-Aji (White Trevally), another beyond expectation at Honmono. For sushi, it was served with Uni sauce, which was sweet and creamy (9/10).

Next inline was Halibut. Sashimi was Hirame on-top with Ume Shio (Plum Salt), while sushi was Aburi-engawa on-top with Ume Shio. This white fish was juicy and little fatty. Ume Shio incorporated with freshness of this fish well. Another wonderful experience (9/10).

The Chef then chose to serve Kampachi (Amberjack). The sushi was another extraordinary of Honmono, it was Aburi-kampachi Saikyo on-top with Truffle. The flesh was softer than Hamachi but still fatty. The miso sauce was sweet and intense in flavour, which went really well with truffle (9/10).

Ama-ebi (Sweet Shrimp) was the next piece. Nothing special but freshness and sauce that was made from fat from the head (8/10).

I was then served with Uni & Sujiko Gunkanmaki (Sea Urchin & Marinated Salmon Roe) and Aburi-sake Tare (Grilled Salmon with Tare Sauce). Unfornately, both pieces looked too great that I had  forgotten to take photo T____T. Uni & Sujiko went together fabulously. While uni was sweet, sujiko was lightly salty (from marination) with concentrate taste and sticky texture (8/10). Aburi-sake Tare was similar to Salmon Saikyo (7/10) but tare sauce (sweetened and thickened soy sauce) was in place of miso sauce, with grated yuzu on-top (8/10).

Maguro Akami (7/10) and Salmon Toro (7/10) were chosen for sashimi.

O-toro (Fatty Tuna) was served next. It was fresh and just melt in the mouth, and the flesh had highly marbled fat. Winter season is indeed the best time for tuna (9/10). Additionally, Aburi-toro with truffle was also unique (9/10).

Foie Gras sushi with grated Yuzu (6/10) and Negi Toro Maki (chopped Toro and spring onion roll) (7/10) were the last.

To end up, we were served with soup and melon, which were refreshing. The bill for two of us was ~ THB4,200. Overall, 7/10 should be suitable as excellent sushi was let down by not up to standard services, of course not the Chef himself.

Honmono Sushi @ Thonglor 23, Bangkok

19 Thonglor 23

Sukhumvit Road

Khlong Ton Nuey, Wattana

10110 Bangkok

Thailand

ฮอนโมโน ซูชิ @ ทองหล่อ 23 กรุงเทพ

19 ซอยทองหล่อ 23

ถนนสุขุมวิท

แขวงคลองตันเหนือ เขตวัฒนา

กรุงเทพ 10110

Tel: +66 (0) 2185 1447

Web: http://www.facebook.com/Honmono

Kuppa @ Sukhumvit 16, Bangkok

Cuisine: Italian

Map: Kuppa @ Sukhumvit 16, Bangkok

Price: THB700 per person without alcohol for lunch (what I paid for)

Visited: 26 December 2010

Food: 6/10

Dessert: 6/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall: 6/10

Kuppa is a rather large restaurant decorated in Loft style.  Kuppa is situated ~ 500 metres down in Soi Sukhumvit 16. Despite its parking limitation, valet service is also available for your convenience. Because its casual and friendly style and atmosphere, Kuppa is suitable for many occasions: family dining, casual business lunch, friends meeting, and weekend morning coffee. Apart from tasty food, dessert can also be highlight for a meal here.

The first dish to arrive was Pumpkin Soup. It was rather different from the others, this soup was light and not so creamy with hint of herbs. Personally, more thickness from cream would make it savourier (5/10).

Next dish was Salt&Pepper Squid, deep fried squid was crisp and had sharp flavour of pepper. The dip was creamy like, similar to tartar sauce (6/10).

Japanese Salad, which was recommended by a waiter, was a bowl of iceberg lettuce with tobiko, avocado, cucumber, and crab stick. The dressing was somewhat lightly creamy called Wasabi Dressing. Lime also brought up Asian feeling. Nevertheless, over dressing let down the taste (5/10).

This was followed by Baby Spinach Salad, all time favourite at Kuppa. The salad was coupled with avocado, mushroom, and crispy bacon.  While dressing was balsamic, which was sweet and sour, rich flavour from sauteed mushroom was also splendid (6/10).

Moo Yang (Thai grilled pork) and sticky rice was one of my favourite at Kuppa.  I must say it was far better and those in other Thai restaurants. Pork was tender and well marinated. Sweet hint in flavour. Jaew (Thai dried chili dipping sauce) was piquant but less spicy than others, foreigners can handle this comfortably. Sticky rice was also soft (8/10).

Last for the meal was Ox-tail Stew with Mashed Potatoes. Ox-tail was tender and delicate. Gravy was rich and thick with sweetness from plum. Sea asparagus was also well handled as it was crisp on the outside but soft inside. The only downside was mashed potatoes which was too mushy (6/10).

Even though, I didn't manage to have dessert this time, I had never had bad experience with dessert here from my past visits. Overall, scoring of 6/10 for Kuppa should be acceptable for this all purpose restaurant.

Kuppa @ Sukhumvit 16, Bangkok

39 Soi Sukhumvit 16

Khlong Toei

Bangkok 10110


Kuppa @ สุขุมวิท 16
39 ซอยสุขุมวิท 16
คลองเตย
กรุงเทพ 10110

Tel: +66 (0) 2258 0194

Mugendai Sushi & Tempura Bars @ Grass Thonglor, Bangkok

Cuisine: Japanese
Map: Mugendai @ Grass Thonglor Bangkok
Price: THB1,750 (with 30% discount) per person without alcohol for dinner (what I paid for)
Visited: December 2010
Food: 6/10
Sushi: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

more photos of Mugendai on happ-it.com

Mugendai is located on 7th floor Grass Thonglor (between Soi Thonglor 10 and 12) in Bangkok.  The only way to get to the restaurant is by elevator.  Parking space can be tedious but there is parking valet service.  The head chef on the sushi counter was originally from Maru restaurant.

The place is rather large and cozy with sushi bar which can accommodate around 10 customers at the front.  There are also private rooms and tables in the garden available.  If you choose to seat at sushi bar, a request for head chef to serve you can also be made.

We began with Hamachi (Yellow Tail) sashimi.  My first impression was a hint of salty taste and the texture was rather too soft: personally I would rather have it a little more springy (7/10).

Shima-Aji (White Trevally) was simply fabulous, one of the best I have ever tried (8/10)

Shake (Salmon) was excellent and up to standard of the class, texture was firm with fat lining (8/10)

Botan-ebi (Large Shrimp) has always been one highlight in my sushi list but here the shrimp was crisp and sweet, even resemble freshness.  On top of that, fatty part from head of shrimp was lightly flamed giving some subtle smell and taste (9/10).

Next inline was Uni Aburi-engawa (lightly flammed grill fatty part of Halibut on top with Sea-urchin), gorgeous juicy halibut coupled with creamy and tasty sea-urchin but flavour of sea-urchin stood out too much (7/10).

Followed by Anago (Sea Eel), whole eel served warm with great flavour (7/10).

Aburi Engawa has always been one of favourite, the fish was grilled to the level that was just right.  The taste was special indeed (8/10)

O-Toro (Fatty Blue Fin Tuna Belly), nothing special but delightful flavour (8/10)

Complementary from head chef, Japanese Tofu with Ikura (Salmon Roe), the tofu was light and soft (7/10).

Aburi Otoro (flamed grill Otoro): tuna quality was one of the best in town but let down by over flamed (6/10).

Ikura (Salmon Roe): this was surely not up to standard.  Even though it was not too salty and showed the freshness of quality but flavourless (6/10).

Last dish for our dinner was shrimp and fish tempura.  Magnificent in style, fried batter was well handled and crisp.  Enjoyment describes all (8/10)

The bill for two of us was ~ THB3,500 but bear in mind that bill can be dearer without careful order.  Up to now, Mugendai could be ranked in the top three for sushi place in Bangkok, surely the best I had experienced was Sushi Mizutani at Ginza.  Of course, the flavour was up to standard in its class but let down by pricing.  7/10 was somewhat comfortable for my scoring.

Mugendai Sushi & Tempura Bars @ Grass Thonglor, Bangkok
264/1, 7th Floor The Grass Thonglor
Soi Thonglor 12, Sukhumvit Road
Vadhana, Bangkok, 10110

มูเกนได ซูชิ แอนด์ เทมปูระ บาร์ @ กลาส์ ทองหล่อ
264/1, ชั้น 7 อาคารกลาส์ ทองหล่อ
ซอยทองหล่อ 12, ถนนสุขุมวิท
เขตวัฒนา, กรุงเทพ, 10110

Tel: +66 (0) 2725 6526