Showing posts with label ice-cream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ice-cream. Show all posts

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Just a thought, Oldie vs. Trendy

Having been writing blog for sometime and most of the time I have been trying to keep posting a weekly basis, this would be my last post before taking a long break. Writing blog does give pleasure of sharing experience. Of course, some are great, some are enjoyable, and some are unacceptable. Living in the world of social media nowadays, I, personally, do often feel somewhat uncomfortable despite writing the blog.

Thus, I have come to decision that this post would be my last blogging for now before returning in the future. Just need sometime off really. More time on dining table with beloved one and family with flashing photos. Of course, there will still be one or two for instagram and things like that. Anyway, for this blog I will be comparing a few of those the local has enjoyed for long while the trendy stuff has as well penetrated the market especially for those young generation. All of which are Tubtim Krob @ Wongwein Yai, Strawberry Cheesecake Kakigori @ After You, Coconut Ice-cream of Pa Na @ Hua Ro Market in Ayutthaya, and Tiramisu Soft-serve of Kiss the Tiramisu @ Siam Square.


First of all, it is Tubtim Krob at Wongwein Yai. Tubtim krob has long been one of favourite desserts for generations. These ruby like water chestnut are just crisp and sweet and when combined with a touch of syrup and coconut milk, it is just awesomely delicious. I, personally, can go on and on with this dessert meal after meals. However, it seems to be freaking hard these days to find a good store/stall that sells nice one. Just when I was a kid, a nice tubtim krob can be found like within the neighbourhood.

Anyway, this one at Wongwein Yai is a famous one and is just wonderful. Love the freshness and crunchiness of water chestnut. The sweetness of syrup is just right. Having along with salim or coconut is equally pleasant. Going there can be difficult but this is not a hurdle for me at all when I feel like one.

P.S. They also serve vermicelli with fish curry and soft-boiled egg (Kanom Jeen Nam Ya).

Tubtim Krob (THB40)

water chestnut, salim, and ruby water chestnut


For Strawberry Cheesecake Kakigori at After You, I have to say that this might be the only one at After You I would actually eat. As posted a long while ago, After You has never been my choice of dessert. With those toast soaked with yakky melted butter and ice-cream that is full of esters aroma, I will never touch it. But this kakigori is another story in my view. They do it much nicer that others. The ice flakes are creamier and with more flavour. If there is more of the strawberry sauce, it would be more balance. By the way, kakigori is just shaved ice in Japanese. You may also find the word Bing Su in Korean shop. But if you go on street food in Thailand, it would simply be Nam Kang Sai (น้ำแข็งไส). They are all the same word but just different marketing terms.

Anyway, at the price of THB235 (if I recall it correctly) for just shaved ice and strawberry sauce is way too excessive in my view, not even counting in the long queue you will have to encounter. For me, I surely rather go for 8 of tubtim krob than just a bowl of this shaved ice. But it has been a trend in Thai for the last year and still now. You can find it anywhere. Wish the younger generations will realise the goodie of old time local food.

Strawberry Cheesecake Kakigori (THB235) 

If ones have been following my blog, facebook, or instagram, they would recognise that I am one of the ice-cream lovers. Back in May when I had a chance to visit the old capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya, I did not hesitate to search for a nice ice-cream stall. Indeed I did find one at Talad Hua Ro (Hua Ro Market) which sells the classic coconut ice-cream: Pa Na.

Na is the name of the owner and Pa means Aunty in Thai. This ice-cream stall is just a tiny corner in the market. There are perhaps less than 10 seats for you to sit while enjoying your treat. At the price of THB30, you get a delicious cup of coconut ice-cream with your choices of topping. My favourite would have to include sticky rice and candied palm seed definitely. If you want to go for a more rustic one, have them on bread. Surely classic and heavenly delicious. The best parts of Pa Na Coconut Ice-cream are just everything. The ice-cream is creamy and yummy. The toppings come in variety. The local atmosphere is priceless. Everyone is friendly. Hey, THB30 for coconut ice-cream is expensive??? Hell no for me. It is a treat for me.

Coconut Ice-cream Stall of Pa (Aunty) Na @ Ayutthaya

Coconut Ice-cream with your choice of topping (THB30)

Coconut Ice-cream on Bread (THB25)

Now it comes to a posher side of ice-cream. The Korean brand, Kiss The Tiramisu, offers just one choice (as far as I'm aware of at the time of tasting): Tiramisu Ice-cream of course. However, they recently offer Banamisu flavour also. Suppose it is banana flavour. The cost of savouring this Korean soft-serve would be THB159 for one. Good god!!! THB159 and it does not even satisfy me. Ok, it is not that bad, enjoyable at a certain level. But please, it is tiramisu, not vanilla soft-serve with a dash of chocolate flavour. Oh, did I miss out the coffee part. No, I did not. I barely sensed the coffee bit when eating. Give me back my THB159 pleaseeeeee.

Kiss The Tiramisu @ Siam Square

the owner must really love Mary Poppins in my view

its soft-serve with filling to resemble tiramisu: Tiramisu Ice-cream (THB159)

shaving in the chocolate

Anyway, the point I would like to make here is nowadays we seem to forget all those nostalgic goodies and tend to be lured with those pricey fancy stuff. Personal opinion, I have to make it here. Not trying to discredit anyone here but purely pointing out that the local food can be equally great and at a more realistic price. Just don't forget them before they are no longer available.

Well, wish everyone enjoy their savouring. I will surely do. Sometime may be in any restaurants. Sometime may be strolling around on streets finding the best kept secret. Travelling the world to search for local culture could also be. Sipping Barolo while typing facebook can be a regular activity or swallowing in glasses of Burgundy somewhere on earth. Instagram with glasses of Champagne in someone backyard. Surely most of the time, dining either opposite or by the side of Deadly Bunny. Or even grilling my own steak, tossing pasta, blending soup, or baking something in my tiny orange kitchen. Bon appetite to you all till we meet again.

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Tubtim Krob @ Wongwein Yai, Bangkok
184 Thanon Lat Ya
Khlong San
Bangkok 10600
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 08:30am - 08:30pm
Tel: +66 (0) 2438 2118

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Pa Na Coconut Ice-cream @ Talad Hua Ro, Ayutthaya
Tha Wa Su Kri
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District
Ayutthaya 13000
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 09:00am - 01:00pm

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Kiss The Tiramisu @ Siam Square Soi 3, Bangkok
258 Siam Square Soi 3
Pathum Wan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 12:00pm - 09:30pm
Tel: +66 (0) 91 562 9956
FBhttps://www.facebook.com/kissthetiramisuthailand/


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

A Hot Day in Brighton with Fabulous Tea and Gelato

Here are two little places in Brighton in which they were never there when I was living in Brighton. It was a hot day when I paid a visit to this little beach town. As I was strolling from Brighton Pier through Pool Valley, I popped by a gelato shop called Boho Gelato in Pool Valley before stopped by Blackbird Tea Rooms for afternoon tea chitchat with my cousin. But hey, these two places were awesome, especially, Boho Gelato. What a delicious ice-cream.

Blackbird Tea Rooms @ Brighton

Charged Price: GBP7.00 per person
Visited: 1 July 2015
Food: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Value for money: 8/10
Services: 7/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Blackbird Tea Rooms is located in the famous shopping area of Brighton, The Lanes. It is rather small. The atmosphere is lovely which would bring you back to the rustic old time of England. It was a fine summer day when we paid a visit to Blackbird and we were fortunate to be able to grab a table in the backyard. There were on a few tables there in the backyard. Believe me it could be great sipping tea in the old fashion atmosphere here but it was fantastic, in my view, in the backyard on a fine day.

Blackbird Tea Rooms store front

getting more rustic inside

old fashion counter

a perfect day for courtyard afternoon tea

Typical and classic afternoon tea here. We had Cream Tea and Banana, Pecan & Date Cake and we did not disappoint. Scone came in a big chunk. It was not just about the size of scone here. It was delicious too. Soft on the touch and delicate. Wonderful scone indeed. The cake was as well in par with scone. Large slice and yummy. Perfect with its frosting. As for tea, there were around 10+ choices ranging from something classic to more exotic choices: English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Rose Congou, Rooibos, and etc.

In short, this is an excellent place to stop by for tea, snack, and dessert. A must return for me (if I have a chance).

our afternoon break treat

Cream Tea (GBP6.00)

delicious scone with jam and clotted cream

Banana, Pecan & Date Cake (GBP3.90)

Blackbird Tea Rooms @ Brighton
30 Ship Street
Brighton
BN1 1AD
United Kingdom

Open Hours: daily from 08:30am - 05:30pm
Tel: +44 (0) 1273 249 454
Webhttp://www.blackbirdtearooms.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/BlackbirdTeaRooms

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Boho Gelato @ Brighton

Charged Price: GBP2.40 per person
Visited: 1 July 2015
Food: 9/10
Atmosphere: n.m.
Value for money: 8/10
Services: n.m.
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Needless to say much about Boho Gelato. It is just a tiny shop with all about ice-cream. There are somewhat 24 flavours daily here. Again flavour ranges from something classic to exotic ice-cream. So so delicious ice-cream here. It was smooth, it was creamy, it was delicate, and yet flavourful. I had Cucumber and Rose on a cone on such a hot day and it was wowwww. Cucumber and Rose, what a combination. It somehow support each other pretty well. Freshness of cucumber seems to go unexpectedly well with aroma of rose. I miss it already as I am typing now. In two words, "MUST VISIT".

Cucumber and Rose on Cone (GBP2.40)

mini store of Boho

the menu board

Boho Gelato @ Brighton
6 Pool Valley
Brighton
BN1 1NJ
United Kingdom

Open Hours: daily from 11:00am - 06:00pm

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Afternoon breaks at Hua Hin / Pran Buri : Eighteen Below Ice-cream @ Hua Hin and La a Natu @ Pran Buri

Towards the end of February / beginning of March, we had a chance to take a short break to relax at Pran Buri. Having heard rumour about the famous Hay Lobby and Eatery @ La a Natu Bed and Bakery and Eighteen Below Ice-cream @ Naeb Kehardt Road, Hua Hin, we did not hesitate to find sometimes to visit them. In brief, we are not so impressed with both places, especially Hay Lobby and Eatery in term of taste but they are ok when not crowded and happen to be nearby.

Cuisine: cafe food / afternoon tea
Price: THB210 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)
Visited: 1 March 2014
Food: 2/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Value for money: 5/10
Services: 3/10
Scale: [ 1=poor ----- 5=average/standard ----- 10=outstanding/exceptional ]

La a Natu is set right on the quiet beach of Pran Buri. The place has been resembled to give the natural relaxing ambient by using haystack for most of its accommodation. Hay Lobby and Eatery of La a Natu is well-known for afternoon tea and even the place itself is proud of its reputation. The Hay Lobby is not really a big which can probably accommodate around 30 guests max. The very best part is the cool and relaxing atmosphere. The dining room provides a good sea view but bear in mind of hot weather and strong sunlight in the afternoon.

La a Natu @ Pran Buri

village style surrounding

Hay Lobby and Eatery

relax ambient for afternoon tea certainly

The pricing of menu is not so cheap nor so expensive, modest in fact for a hotel. However, we are not really so delight with the taste of it. The first impression goes for the tea. La a Natu is supposed to be famous for afternoon tea. But we were served with Twinings. Good god, I could not believe and it was tea bag instead of loose leaf. In addition, the staff tried to pour us a cup immediately after the tea had arrived out of the kitchen. For heaven sake, the tea was nowhere near being properly immersed and infused.

The next disappointment was the pastry set in the afternoon tea set (2/10). If I remember correctly, there were 7 kinds of dish that were served: cheese sandwich (I really mean the simply cheese only), scones with whipped cream and jam, panna cotta, cheesecake, brownie, carrot cake, and chocolate cake. The scones were the first one to make me laugh. It was sure not a scone with that spongy texture and served with whipped cream and somewhat sour strawberry jam which was supposed to be the classic homemade. The panna cotta was the worst. It melted after a while leaving us with creamy liquid with strawberry sauce (that tasted like the strawberry jam). Not so whether the weather was too hot or there was too little gelatin in the panna cotta. The rest of pastry were just ok to eat.

On the service side, it was nowhere near hotel standard. Notwithstanding the aforementioned tea pouring service, we encountered a long wait for bill checking. We waited for quite sometime for changes to be returned and when asking, the answer simply was they had run out of change and needed to go somewhere for exchange. I presumed that I should have been warned or else something could have been adjusted. Well, I guess I had enough experience of this place. They are not so professional in the service. We sure will never return to this.

pastry and tea menu

happen to be just Twinings

afternoon tea set (THB350)

again, really great ambient

Hay Lobby and Eatery @ La a Natu Bed and Bakery, Pran Buri, Thailand - เฮย์ ล๊อบบี้แอนด์อีทเทอรี่ @ ลา เอ นาตู เบดแอนด์เบเกอรี่ ปราณบุรี
234 Moo 2
Samroiyod, Pranburi
Prachuap Khiri Kha
77120
Thailand

Open Hours: all day but 02:00pm to 05:00pm for afternoon tea daily
Tel: +66 (0) 32 689 941-3, +66 (0) 81 731 8688
Webhttp://www.laanatu.com/
FBhttps://www.facebook.com/laanatubb

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