Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Dim Sum @ Mei Jiang, The Peninsula Bangkok - ติ๋มซำ @ ห้องอาหารเมเจียง โรงแรมเพนนินซูล่า กรุงเทพ

Cuisine: Chinese
Price: THB700 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)
Visited: 22 December 2013
Food: 7/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Value for money: 8/10
Services: 8/10
Scale: [ 1=poor ----- 5=average/standard ----- 10=outstanding/exceptional ]

Just across the river to the other side of Bangkok, almost opposite of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, The Peninsula Bangkok stands elegantly. Mei Jiang is the Chinese restaurant of the hotel and is located on the ground floor. It was our first time for dim sum at Mei Jiang and we were already in love with this place. The dim sum menu is just 1 page long but it is a delicious 1 page. Apart from nice dim sum, Mei Jiang also offers variety of Chinese tea. The service is as well above standard with the restaurant manager of good knowledge and humble.

Mei Jiang at The Peninsula Bangkok

already feel good from the entrance

just the menu

I personally really like the atmosphere of Mei Jiang. It is unlike other Chinese places that are usually decorated in Chinese style. This restaurant, however, is in a more contemporary style with the ambient and feeling of Chinese still preserved. The long latticed windows give the cosy and relax through eyes. You can view the Chaopraya River through the window. Flatware and cutlery are also elegant. The restaurant is really spacey and also large private dining rooms can be arranged upon request.

classic colonial decor with charming wooden and silk furniture

comfy and spacious

Chinese tea range

flatware setting

The first two that I would like to pay attention on were barbecued pork puff - พายหมูแดง  (9/10) and Shanghainese pork dumplings with Shaoxing wine - ขนมจีบเซี่ยงไฮ้ (9/10). These were typical Cantonese dim sum dishes that can be found in every dim sum joint. But I promise that they are really nice. The bbq pork puff was fluffy and light and flavourful filling: such a joy it was. The Shanghai Xiao Long Bao was, on the other hand, soft, juicy, and classic. The traditional vinegar sauce well balanced the palate touch.

amuse bouche (forget what it was T.T)

barbecued pork puff - พายหมูแดง (THB95)

the filling of pork puff

Shanghainese pork dumplings with Shaoxing wine - ขนมจีบเซี่ยงไฮ้ (THB115)

dumpling dipping into vinegar sauce

For the range of traditional dumplings, they were enjoyable but not in particular interesting. I would like to put it more in this way that they were made of fine ingredients but just lack of charm. Har Gaw or crystal prawn dumplings may be a step tastier than siu mai in this place. Anyway, people usually do not get bored with good classic range.

traditional siu mai - ขนมจีบ (7/10)
crystal prawn dumplings - ฮะเก๋า (8/10)
steamed shrimp dumplings and gung choi - เกี๊ยวกุ้งผักกุงชอย (8/10)

traditional siu mai - ขนมจีบ (THB125)

crystal prawn dumplings - ฮะเก๋า (THB125)

steamed shrimp dumplings and gung choi - เกี๊ยวกุ้งผักกุงชอย (THB115)

Steamed spare ribs with roasted black bean sauce - ซี่โครงหมูนึ่งซอสเต้าซี่ (6/10) might be the least famous dish of the meal. The pork was tender and fine but the overall taste was too light for the dish from our perspective. Crispy Japanese turnip rolls wrapped in rice noodles - ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหลอดไส้เปาะเปี๊ยะ (7/10) was, on the other hand, a more interesting choice. I am one of those who usually like fried dough wrapped in rice noodles. Here at Mei Jiang, the fried dough was also filled with prawn which offered another dimension. Nevertheless, the filling was not crisp enough to my liking. As the flavour was already great, if it could be crispier, this would be one of my favourite dish here. Next was steamed custard cream buns - เมเจียงคัสตาร์ดซาลาเปา (8/10). I would say that this is on par with the famous Chef Man at Eastin. In fact, it could even be tastier. The filling was more or less as delicious but the bun was softer and less chewy texture (I prefer this kind of texture). I would come here again and again for this custard cream bun.

steamed spare ribs with roasted black bean sauce - ซี่โครงหมูนึ่งซอสเต้าซี่ (THB95)

crispy Japanese turnip rolls wrapped in rice noodles - ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหลอดไส้เปาะเปี๊ยะ (THB260)

steamed custard cream buns - เมเจียงคัสตาร์ดซาลาเปา (THB100)

the yummy runny filling

For non-dim sum dishes, they were as well sweet. Cold marinated Japanese cucumber and jellyfish salad - สลัดแมงกระพรุนและแตงกวาญี่ปุ่น (8/10) was such an enjoyable dish. We kept eating and realised again when the dish finished. I like the chewy texture of jellyfish with the light flavour of marinating dressing. The cucumber also helped balancing the flavour. I would say that this is really the dish to go for but if you are not into jellyfish, just don't try. The traditional roasted duck and barbecued pork - เป็ดย่างและหมูแดง (8/10) was a competitive one. They were simply tender, juicy, sweet, sour, and delicious. No need to say much, just order it. Preserved egg with spinach in clay pot - ผักโขมตุ๋นไข่เยี่ยวม้า (8/10) was what the restaurant manager suggested. It was not in the menu though. Preserved egg was of fine quality. The dish was rich in flavour whilst maintaining lightness of texture. It was such a good dish to end the meal. This is a dish to can replace the usual soup dish at the end of a Chinese meal. We were not disappoint with the recommendation at all.

Well, Mei Jiang is indeed in the range of my top list of Chinese restaurant in Bangkok. I would confidently say that this is the one to go for. I shall be returning more often surely.

cold marinated Japanese cucumber and jellyfish salad - สลัดแมงกระพรุนและแตงกวาญี่ปุ่น (THB460)

roasted duck and barbecued pork - เป็ดย่างและหมูแดง (THB460)

preserved egg with spinach in clay pot - ผักโขมตุ๋นไข่เยี่ยวม้า (THB480)

lovely yummy preserved egg and spinach

Dim Sum @ Mei Jiang, The Peninsula Bangkok - ติ๋มซำ @ ห้องอาหารเมเจียง โรงแรมเพนนินซูล่า กรุงเทพ
333 Charoen Nakhon Road
Khlong San
Bangkok 10600
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 11:30am - 02:30pm for lunch and from 06:00pm - 10:30pm for dinner

Sunday, February 23, 2014

E Guigal Ermitage Ex Voto Rouge 2009

Date of Tasting: 27 December 2013
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 100% Syrah
Alcohol: 13.5%
Origin: Rhone, France
Appellation: Ermitage
Expect to Pay: ~ THB10,000 - 20,000
Web: http://www.guigal.com/
Chubby Score: 100/100
Value for money: 8/10
Professional Rating: WA - 100/100, WS - 97/100, CT - 98/100



Appearance: dark violet ruby
Aroma: red fruits, floral, and spices
Palate: ripe blackberry and cassis, raspberry, spices, and small hint of vanilla, wood, lead, and flowers. powerful big body but supple and sweet tannins. elegant and extraordinary. long long finish with waves of notes one after one.

This big gentleman is a mind blowing canon: so much lingering dynamics with fruit notes. The aroma itself was flamboyance. Yet the palate touch was exceptional. The balance structure and silky fine tannins are unrivalled. It is accessible now during its early life. However, it would potentially live for a few more decades. I could not wait to see how it would develop. Really difficult indeed not to pop another bottle up. Cheers many more times!!!!!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Raya (ระย้า) @ Dibuk Road, Phuket, Thailand

Cuisine: Thai (Southern)
Price: ~ THB350 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)
Visited: 20 December 2013
Food: 7/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 6/10
Services: 4/10

Visiting Phuket for a short vacation, it is perhaps a must thing to do these days to pop by Raya which is currently one of the most famous restaurant on Phuket Island. Raya is located on Dibuk Road, just by the corner where Dibuk Road (ถนนดีบุก) and Thepkasattri Road (ถนนเทพกระษัตรี) intersect. It is pretty easy to locate the place. It is an old build with two storeys and there is a big "Raya" sign to spot.


Raya @ Dibuk Road, Phuket, Thailand

the old house-converted building

The interior has been perhaps kept with most of original feature. I kind of like the old fashion ambient myself. The place is rather large. I guess up to 100 customers can be held at once. Range of food here is local Southern Thai food. Although, there are some of those famous Thai dishes available but please do not bother with non Southern dishes. On the pricing side, it is not cheap but not so dearly cost.

still kept the old fashion interior


more rooms on the upper level

One of the dish that we could not really miss was crab meat with curry and coconut milk - แกงเนื้อปูใบชะพลู (7/10). This is probably the most famous dish from the Southern part of Thailand. The dish itself was nice and lovely. The curry paste was flavourful. The overall taste was not too spicy and I guess foreigners can take the dish with care. They were fairly generous with the fresh blue crab meat in the curry. Though the dish was nice, the overall taste however was not as expected by the local. It tasted more like the recipe has been adjusted to suit the liking of Bangkokian and travellers. You may perhaps try the crab curry in a more local place to compare. I would not say I do not like this dish but I am not so fond of it. One of the knowledge that we have learnt from the local was chaphlu leaves (piper sarmentosum or wild betel) are never an ingredient for crab curry. Well, it may be Raya's own recipe.

The other soup base dish that we had to order was prawn and pak meang in coconut milk - แกงกะทิผักเหมียงกุ้ง (8/10). Pak Meang is a local vegetable in the South of Thailand. It can be a great ingredient for coconut milk base soup as well as to go with omelette. This soup was lovely indeed. Thick coconut milk with fresh leaves and fresh prawn. So simple and so authentic. Love it. (ps. I could not see it in the menu but you sure can ask for it)

crab meat with curry and coconut milk - แกงเนื้อปูใบชะพลู (THB600)

zoom up to crab meat

prawn and pak meang in coconut milk - แกงกะทิผักเหมียงกุ้ง (THB350)

prawn and pak meang

Steamed pork with pepper and garlic - หมูฮ้อง (6/10) was somehow less enjoyable than expected. I think that the overall palate was overwhelmed by pepper. I would personally love to see less pepper and a touch more of sweetness to balance. The pork itself, on the other hand, was wonderfully tender. I suggest asking for the belly part. The pleasure of a bite that combines both tender meat and fatty/gelatin part was wonderful in fact.

The other dishes that you may not like to miss were stir-fried sataw with shrimps - ผัดสะตอกะปิกุ้ง (7/10) and deep-fried pork with salt - หมูคั่วเกลือ (6/10). Sataw was fresh and delicious. Some may say that the natural scent of sataw can be unpleasant. Well, I disagree with the claim and would encourage to really try the dish. It was stir-fried nicely with shrimp paste. Deep-fried pork with salt is almost everyone, every gender, and every generation favourite dish. No strong chili or herbal taste. The texture is the part that comes into play. Crisp and light salted. Terrific indeed. Only if pork could be sliced in a thinner form, the dish would be perfect.

steamed pork with pepper and garlic - หมูฮ้อง (THB350)

tender piece of pork

stir-fried sataw with shrimps - ผัดสะตอกะปิกุ้ง (THB350)

deep-fried pork with salt - หมูคั่วเกลือ (THB200)

For dessert, something cool and sweet is really a compliment for hot weather in Phuket. Grass jelly with longan - เฉาก๊วยลำไย (6/10) is not the one to pay attention to. You can find this anywhere in Thailand. Lukchok in syrup - ลูกชกลอยแก้ว (7/10) is, on the other hand, the one you should try if it is available. You would not see much of lukchok elsewhere in Thailand. Lukchok is similar to lukchid (palm seed) but in a smaller form and round. The texture is chewy just like palm seed but firmer.

All in all, Raya is a lovely restaurant with nice ambient of local atmosphere and nice food. Some may have been transformed to suit the modern day liking but still enjoyable. For me, I would not really chase for it much but if you have not tried, why not?

lukchok in syrup - ลูกชกลอยแก้ว (THB30)

grass jelly with longan - เฉาก๊วยลำไย (THB30)

Raya @ Dibuk Road, Phuket, Thailand - ระย้า @ ถนนดีบุก จังหวัดภูเก็ต
48 Dibuk Road
Talat Yai, Mueang
Phuket
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 10:00am - 10:00pm
Tel: +66 (0) 76 218 155

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Raumland Riesling Sekthaus Brut NV

Date of Tasting: 24 December 2013
Wine Type: White Sparkling
Grape Varieties: 100% Riesling
Alcohol: 12.5%
Origin: Rheinhessen, Germany
Appellation: n.a.
Expect to Pay: ~ THB1,000 - THB1,500
Web: http://www.raumland.de
Chubby Score: 88/100
Value for money: 5/10
Professional Rating: CT - 90/100




Appearance: pale straw yellow
Aroma: fine nose of apple and tropical fruit
Palate: fresh dazzling acidity and minerality with ripe lime and citrus, not overwhelming with good degree of mousse. medium finish.

Think of Raumland Riesling Brut as a fine substitution of those expensive champagne (though not cheap). It may not be as fine and elegant as champagne but should serve well enough. I like the character that does not show toasty nutty/almond nose like prosecco. It is an impressive one. Delicious with fresh seafood like sushi. Give it a try if you see one.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Maverick Restaurant and Bar @ Asoke 3, Bangkok

Cuisine: French
Price: THB700 per person (what we paid for)
Visited: 30 December 2013
Food: 7/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 7/10
Services: 7/10

Maverick Restaurant and Bar at Soi Asoke 3 is another joint that I have just recently discovered, though it has started since early 2013. I kind of like the multi purpose character of Maverick: hanging out with friends, entertaining clients, dating, or even a family meal. The setting is more of casual like. There is a bar and a pastry counter right next to the entrance. The place is also spacious with capacity to hold more than 50 clients comfortably.

Maverick Restaurant and Bar at Ocean Tower 2


chill atmosphere

the open kitchen

lunch menu

Apart from decent French food that they serve, pricing is also not too excessive. I would like to draw a particular attention to weekday lunch menu which costs THB350 for 2 courses and THB450 for 3 courses. We think this menu is a really value for money. The beverage range is also fabulous for hanging out. Even the wine list is also splendid: reasonable mark up and rather wide choices of wine by glass.

bar and pastry corner

the bar

the pastry

wine by glass range

wine display

We popped by Maverick for lunch and decided to have 2 courses lunch. For starter, we had soup of roasted pepper, garlic croutons (7/10) and beetroot salmon, pickled beetroots and walnut salad (6/10). The soup was a pleasant one for me. But if you do not like pepper that much, this might not be the choice for you. It gave really strong aroma and scent of roasted pepper but with fine touch. As for beetroot salmon, it really was beetroot everywhere. Salmon was well marinated to give beetroot character. The colour of salmon was in fact red. It was served with chopped chives on top. Nevertheless, I felt a bit raw fishy scent from salmon though.

bread

soup of roasted peppers, garlic croutons

beetroot salmon, pickled beetroots and walnut salad

For the mains, there were grilled steak, herbed polenta, roasted tubers, Sangria red wine sauce (7/10) and beef bourguignon, smashed potatoes, braised pearl onions (6/10). Both were really nice, I have to admit. Beef was tender and well prepared. The grilled steak may be an ordinary dish but it was delicious. I love the herbed polenta which was fine and smooth. Beef bourguignon was also enjoyable to have with its rich flavour.

All in all, lunch set here was indeed splendid with value for money. A really good place to have a quick fine lunch and hanging with friends at night.

grilled steak, herbed polenta, roasted tubers, Sangria red wine sauce

beef bourguignon, smashed potatoes, braised pearl onions

Maverick Restaurant and Bar @ Asoke 3, Bangkok
Floor G Ocean Tower II
Soi Asoke 3 (Sukhumvit 21 Soi 3)
Khlong Toei Nuea, Wattana
Bangkok 10110
Thailand

Open Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00am - 11:00pm and Sat-Sun 05:00pm - 11:00pm (lunch from 11:30am to 03:00pm, dinner from 05:45pm to 10:30pm, and all day coffee and pastry)
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