Deadly Bunny & Chubby Penguin: Dim Sum @ Mei Jiang, The Peninsula Bangkok - ติ๋มซำ @ ห้องอาหารเมเจียง โรงแรมเพนนินซูล่า กรุงเทพ

Cuisine: Chinese

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

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.