Nai Lieak Beef Noodle @ Ayutthaya - นายเลี๊ยก ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเนื้อเอ็นตุ๋น @ อยุธยา

Cuisine: Noodle / Street Food

Map: Nai Lieak Beef Noodle @ Ayutthaya - นายเลี๊ยก ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเนื้อเอ็นตุ๋น @ อยุธยา

Charged Price: THB100 per person without alcohol

Visited: 5 May 2016

Food: 9/10

Atmosphere: 4/10

Value for money: 10/10

Services: 6/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Ayutthaya is not all about river prawn. When talking about visiting Ayutthaya, the first question that would literally pop up from everyone would be "going there for grilled river prawn?". Since when that Ayutthaya, the old capital city of Thailand, has become river prawn destination.

During early May 2016, we had a brief chance to visit Ayutthaya for a couple of days. After had sought opinion from local friend, we did hesitate at all to stop by Nai Lieak Beef Noodle as our first destination of the trip. Beef noodle seems to be another famous food in Ayutthaya and this local store does it exceptionally well. Nai Lieak is located on Thanon Pa Maphrao; towards the end of the road. Beware of parking space, it can be very difficult to find a parking lot along the road, especially, during public holiday. 

Nai Lieak Beef Noodle @ Ayutthaya - นายเลี๊ยก ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเนื้อเอ็นตุ๋น @ อยุธยา

Nai Lieak, the Master

typical noodle joint

price list

If you have a chance to visit Nai Lieak, I would recommend to try both with and without soup. Personally, I would go for stewed noodle for the first one. Then follow with non-noodle braised beef soup. Both are equally delicious. The stewed noodle gives simpler touch in mouth-feel, while soup based one shows more complexity in flavour from the soup. I like the way that notes of spices explode from the soup. The beef has also been wonderfully braised giving tenderness and flavour.

For me, this is a destination that cannot be overlooked. So classic. Yet at a budget too. Love to go back there.

Beef Stewed Noodle (THB40)

zooming onto yummilicious

Beef in Soup (THB50)

Classic Iced-cold Beverage

Nai Lieak Beef Noodle @ Ayutthaya - นายเลี๊ยก ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเนื้อเอ็นตุ๋น @ อยุธยา

6/7 Thanon Pa Maphrao
Moo 4, Tambol Ho Rattanachai
Amphoe Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya
Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya, 13000
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 09:00am - 03:00pm

Tel: +66 (0) 35 251 761

Wattana Panich: Stewed Beef & Mutton @ Soi Ekkamai, Bangkok

Cuisine: Chinese (Noodle)

Map: Wattana Panich: Stewed Beef & Mutton @ Soi Ekkamai, Bangkok - วัฒนาพานิช: เนื้อตุ๋น แพะตุ๋น @ ซอยเอกมัย กรุงเทพ

Price: THB240 per person (what I paid for)

Visited: 11 September 2011

Food: 8/10

Atmosphere: n.m. (street food)

Value for money: 7/10

Services: n.m. (street food)

Talking about stewed beef, dwellers in Bangkok would probably be familiar with Wattana Panich @ Soi Ekkamai. This 2-block commercial building, just next to Soi Ekkamai 18, is indeed a legendary with its operation more than 5 decades. It may look just like an old little place. But once walking into the place, you could probably feel the atmosphere and smell of nice food. The secret of this little old place is perhaps the broth and stock. It may just be a tradition to keep the pot boiling broth 24/7 to make sure things are nice and thick. Just from appearance, they possibly have been boil the broth continuously for years (interesting...). Just to warn that there is not parking space, hence, bet yourself along the road or find somewhere to park in Soi Ekkamai 18.

Wattana Panich @ Soi Ekkamai

Old Looking Place

Store Counter

There are quite a number of choice of refreshment including traditional tea and coffee. Most of them are THB15 per glass or THB25 a bottle.

Iced Tea

Refreshment List

Beginning with Assorted Stewed Beef - เกาเหลารวมแห้ง, at the price of THB60 this is surely something incomparable. It may sound a little expensive. But indeed you get what you pay. The portion is not small and each piece of meat is tender and flavoursome. From our perspective, it is  a little too salty due to overuse of dark soy sauce. Otherwise, an undeniable dish (8/10).

On the other hand, Stewed Beef and Beef Ball in Soup - เกาเหลาน้ำชิ้นเปื่อยสด is as good as the Assorted Stewed Beef but with broth. Beef broth is thick and strong. One of the best broth in town (9/10).

Assorted Stewed Beef

Stewed Beef and Beef Ball in Soup

Here we come, the legend Stewed Mutton with Chinese Herb in Hotpot - แพะตุ๋นเครื่องยาจีน. Definitely tender and savoury. Again thick broth with loads of Chinese herbs scent such as ginkgo and goji berry or wolfberry. It is always good to have this dish and it does go perfectly well with a bowl of rice (8/10). But be warned if you cannot take the scent or smell of mutton, just go for beef. Though Chinese herbs do their jobs well to eliminate such scent, some still presents. Another thing is THB650 for this medium size hotpot is rather dear.

Stewed Mutton with Chinese Herb in Hotpot

Just a close up look

Some Cabbage to go with stew

Holy Basil for topping

Rice to complement the meal

Vinegar and chilli base dipping sauce

We did also try other non-stew dish and they were also nice. Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Prawn in Thick Sauce - ก๋วยเตี๋ยวราดหน้ากุ้ง was quite nice and up to standard. But I felt that prawn was a little overcooked (6/10).

Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Prawn in Thick Sauce

Ending the meal with Coconut Milk Ice-cream - ไอติมกะทิ, which was rich and thick. It did also contain bits of jack-fruit. It may be so creamy but really delicious and delightful. Good thing is it was not too sweet and it did use evaporated milk to make if my sense is not wrong ^^ (7/10).

Coconut Milk Ice-cream

Wattana Panich: Stewed Beef & Mutton @ Soi Ekkamai, Bangkok

336 - 338 Soi Ekkamai (Soi Sukhumvit 63)

Sukhumvit Road

Bangkok 10110

Thailand

วัฒนาพานิช: เนื้อตุ๋น แพะตุ๋น @ ซอยเอกมัย กรุงเทพ

336 - 338 ซอยเอกมัย (ซอยสุขุมวิท 63)

ถนนสุขุมวิท

แขวงคลองเตยเหนือ เขตวัฒนา

กรุงเทพ 10110

Open Hours: 10:00am - 09:00pm daily

Tel: +66 (0) 2391 7264

DaLong @ Future Mart Rama III, Bangkok

Cuisine: Chinese/Thai

Map: DaLong @ Future Mart Rama III, Bangkok

Price THB125 per person (what I paid for)

Visited: 3 January 2011

Food: 6/10

Atmosphere: 3/10

Value for money: 5/10

Service: 3/10

Overall: 4/10

DaLong is a friendly restaurant, which is specialised in beef and pork noodle, and is suitable for a quick meal. The restaurant itself is located on the ground floor of Future Mart Rama III. The decor is simple with many wooden tables for 4 people. DaLong also offers varieties of rice dishes.

Stewed noodle was indeed a great choice here. Even though beef meat was not so exceptional, stewed beef was tender and full flavour. Beef calf was also fantastic and tender but too thin. Despite the small size of beef ball and tendon ball, they were above the standard. For those who do not like noodles, try Assorted Beef without Soup, it is something special here.

Assorted Beef without Soup

Narrow Rice Noodle with Beef without Soup

Rice Noodle with Beef without Soup

Vermicelli with Beef without Soup

For noodle soup, the soup was great but not those of heavy and thick one. There was also hints of herb in the soup.

Assorted Beef in Soup

Vermicelli with Beef in Soup

Beef Tendon Ball in Soup

Chicken Cream Rice was surprisingly amazing. It was creamy, thick, and tender chicken. Something you cannot miss here at DaLong. Addition of a fried egg would make this dish 10 out of 10, otherwise 7/10.

Chicken Cream Rice

DaLong @ Future Mart Rama III, Bangkok

295 Rama III Road

Bang Khlo, Bang Kholaem

Bangkok 10120

ต้าหลง @ ฟิวเจอร์มาร์ท พระราม 3
295 ถนนพระราม 3
แขวงบางโคล่ เขตบางคอแหลม
กรุงเทพ 10120