Thursday, September 20, 2012

Bangkok, September '12: Dinner In China Town

It seems like every country has a China Town. The Chinese are everywhere! I think we're hardy like cockroaches – cannot die wan – and because of that, we manage to survive anywhere we find ourselves at. Haha. Bangkok is no different.




So, after sleeping the rest of the afternoon away and on our first night in town, we decided to head to China Town to try out some Teochew food that was highly recommended to Papa. Cabbed our way to China Town and, as expected, it was a big, bright "hello" to streets lined with Mandarin signages.









Yup, you know you're where the Chinese are at when you see stuff like that hanging around being sold. Haha. The Chinese eat e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! (Hong Kong is a million times worse though. Those people eat things I don't even recognise. *gags* @_@)


We walked around looking for the shop – New Kwong Meng Restaurant – but didn't seem to see signs of it anywhere. Stopped and asked a couple of nice Thai boys for direction, too, but they didn't seem to know where it was either. They recommended us another place instead. Hahaha. Fail.


All the while, my eyes kept going back to the colourful stalls that sold pomegranate and orange/lime juice along the streets. Every where we went, those colourful stalls were there! Scattered along the streets. One after another. And they all sold the same drink! @_@ You'd hear light clinking sounds of the fruit being stirred around the hand-press juicer and then voila! Fresh juice appears!




Finally, after walking past about a million of these stalls, we decided to stop and enjoy some fresh juice. Yayyyy! 3 bottles for only 100 Baht. But since there were four of us, we bargained for 4 bottles for 130 Baht so we get two of each to share between the two couples. =p






Pomegranate juice.

Orange/Lime juice.


I can't decide which I like better. The pomegranate juice was sweeter. But the orange/lime (I have no idea what fruit it actually is – looks like orange on the outside but zesty and yellow like lime) was wonderfully refreshing, too! If only they sold juices like these in Malaysia. I'd indulge in a bottle or two as a perk-me-up on hot afternoons without a second thought!


Anyway, after the juice, we went back to walking around, hunting down that Teochew restaurant again. Just like it was in Perth with Ipoh Restaurant, when Papa puts his mind to something, IT. GETS. DONE. Haha. And true enough, get done it did! He found the restaurant in some dark, abandoned lorong in the middle of nowhere.


New Kwong Meng Restaurant, China Town, Bangkok.

Finally! Some English words for verification that we're at the right place.


If you wanna try this place out, make sure you
walk down the dark lorong behind UOB at China Town.


Your cue to enter the lorong.


Anyway, I don't know if Teochew food is famous in Thailand lah but New Kwong Meng Restaurant was supposed to be good. And it was. Some of the food we ordered, at least. =p Like the peanuts.




OMG, the peanuts! It came piping hot! So nice!
I wonder why they don't serve hot peanuts in Malaysia.

The Stir-Fried Crab with Black Pepper
was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, too!





Hands down the best crab I've had in a looong time. (But then again, it has been a looong time since I've had crab anyways. -_-''' #deprived) We ordered just ONE crab and that was enough for all four of us cos the crab was HUGE! I was in crab heaven. Check out the size of the pincher!




It was the size of my palm!

Papa also ordered Fish Head with Taro Soup in Hot Pot.




I thought this fish dish with yam was ok-ok only.
Not too bad, but nothing to shout about either.


But confirm-firm The Husband and I 100% dunno how to appreciate the fried oysters in egg. Smelly like hell. End up whole plate Papa and Mama had to finish.






I nudged an oyster with my chopsticks and it started oozing black gunk. YERRRR... So geli-fying, man. I died at the sight. And when I ate it, I died again. T_T Thank goodness they served us bitter Chinese Tea at the end of the meal to wash it all down. Haha.




3 dishes of oyster, fish and crab came up to RM200. Expensive dinner, if you ask me. But the crab was good lah. I really wouldn't mind going back just for the crab. But nothing else. That's if I can find the shop again lah. Haha.




DON'T FORGET TO TURN INTO THE
LORONG BEHIND UOB, CHINA TOWN! =p


After that, we walked around a little bit more, and decided to head back to the hotel for an early night. (Not that early by Malaysian time lah. Already 10PM by the time we started hailing cabs.)


Sorry blur pic but... LOOK AT THE CUTE DOGGY ON THE BIKE!


The streets were jammed as usual. (See picture above.) So, The Husband suggested we ride the Tuk-Tuk for the novelty of it (and so that we can zip in and out of traffic). Asked for a quote and were told that the ride back to the hotel would cost us 100 Baht. Cheh. Same price as take taxi wat. Might as well sit in the comfort of a cab with aircon, right? While walking away, the man shouted, "OK OK! 80 BAHT!" Haha. No, thank you.


Your typical Thailand Tuk-Tuk.


Anyway, 80 Baht or not, the Tuk-Tuk was
deemed unsafe for the distance we were to travel
so we ended up taking a cab anyways.


The men hailing a cab.


Oh, by the way, this is my first trip to Thailand where I didn't step into a Tuk-Tuk even once throughout the 4 days. We cabbed everywhere! More worth it to travel by cab when you travel in fours, I think.


-----------------------------------------
NEW KWONG MENG RESTAURANT
-----------------------------------------

4-8 Padsai Road
Yaowarat Soi 19
Yaowarat

Tel: 02-224-2201, 02-224-2170

Open daily, 11am to 10pm
Listed in CNNGO's Best Eats as Bangkok's Best Teochew Restaurant.


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