Something for everyone at this well-priced Vietnamese restaurant

We are always tempted to eat a lot of French food in Vietnam – all the amazing baguettes and well-priced wines and cheeses. These are not easy to find in other places in SE Asia and when you live abroad for a while it is hard to say no to a perfectly ripe cheese and a slice of bread.  However, on our recent trip to Vietnam, we vowed to avoid sliding into this trap and we wanted to have a deep dive into Vietnamese food. And I am glad we did. The Bahn My sandwich was the sandwich of my dreams, Bia Hoi and boiled peanuts hit the spot as an afternoon refresher and Quan Com Pho restaurant was an excellent way to try lots of local foods with our large group.

Quan Com Pho is in the Hoan Kiem district and just south of Hoan Kiem lake. It is a simple restaurant in an old colonial style house. The wooden tables and chairs are rustic but not artistically so – it has the feeling of a street stall that grew up and formalized, a local neighborhood place where locals and expats go for well-priced Vietnamese favorites. The average price of a dish is about 30 – 35,000 VND.

There were about 8 of us on this recent trip, so we decided to order family style in order to try little bit of everything at Quan Com Pho. The menu was endless and so it was in fact hard to choose. Lyan had already decided before we sat down that he wanted to have Nit Neo Nuong (grilled pork chop) and while it wasn’t on the menu, the kitchen happily complied.

And then we moved on to try Vietnamese Spring Rolls , Fried Chicken Wings, a Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab with Butter, Pho bo (beef noodle soup), and grilled eggplant. This was of course washed down by a few bottles of Saigon Beer J

Everything was super fresh and full of that distinctive savory, fresh flavor profile of Vietnamese food. The grilled pork chop was mouth watering good, so we were happy that Lyan had ordered it ‘off menu’ (in fact we ordered 3 servings by the end of the meal!)

I have a soft shell crab fetish, so I pretty much will order this anywhere it is on offer. And of course, I was curious to try a Vietnamese version. The soft shell crab (Cua Lot Chien Bo) was in fact buttery, yet light. The simple preparation highlighted the flavourful crab. And it even made a convert out of a friend who typically doesn’t like crab.

The Pho and spring rolls were good, but of course it isn’t hard to find good spring rolls or Pho anywhere in Vietnam.

The only “miss” of the afternoon, we all agreed, were the chicken wings… a bit dry and “skinny” – I don’t know if the chickens are scrawnier here than in other parts of SE Asia, but there simply wasn’t much meat on the bone.

A real unexpected highlight was the grilled eggplant – another dish we ordered a second helping of. It was so rich and flavourful that it became the unwitting star of the show.

Quan Com Pho is definitely worth a try if you are in Hanoi. It’s nothing fancy, but that’s kind of what we liked about it. Good, simple and traditional food that well executed and tasty but also light on the wallet.

Quan Com Pho Restaurant
29 Le Van Huu
Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone: +84 4 9432356

Anyone who’s ever talked to me about dining in Bangkok knows my passion for spreading the word of Soi Polo Chicken. You’d think that’s the only chicken I ever eat in Bangkok. As much as I’d love their beautiful fried garlic encrusted chicken every day of the week… well, that’s not incredibly healthy. Thai’s do a mean grilled chicken as well. That and some Som Tam is a tasty meal that’s not too bad for you. My favorite for grilled chicken currently is “Hai”.

Hai is conveniently located on Soi Convent road, very close to the Sala Daeng BTS station. It is also minutes from my former office at Lookeast Magazine. My friend Mario and I would regularly venture down to Hai for a cheap lunch of grilled chicken, som tam, and larb phet (duck larb). It’s fresh, fast, and a great weekday lunch in Bangkok.

I started going for the grilled chicken. Grilled to perfection, the chicken is juicy with just the right amount of crisp to the skin.

But I soon discovered that the real reason to go was the Som Tam. This is a classic dish everyone needs to try when in Thailand… and this is a great place to do it. Many friends have told me that it’s one of the best they’ve had in town. To start off with go for “Som Tam Thai”. This version lacks the nastier fermented crabs that aren’t for most foreign palates.

Round out a meal for two with one of their many “Larbs” (a thai meat salad). You can’t go wrong with any… I reguarly get the Larb Pla Dhuk (cat fish), Phet (duck), or standard (minced pork).

Service is quick and prompt. They’ll usually send round one person who speaks a bit of English to deal with the foreigners, so while it is mostly a local joint, you won’t feel out of place or unwelcome.

Is it as good as my beloved Soi Polo? It’s just different. Even though the menus are virtually the same, save for the difference between fried and grilled… they really do feel like different restaurants . I’d definitely recommend Hai Somtam Convent to anyone looking for a fresh, local meal in Bangkok. Best bet is a weekday lunch.

Hai Somtam Convent
(Across from Molly Malone’s Irish Pub)

Paul

Tasty grilled meats and veggies on a stick, Japanese-style

Seems every culture has its meat on a stick – from Thai moo ping to Turkish shish kabobs, these are always an international favourite. When we were living in Bangkok, it was ubiquitous…grilled chicken, fish balls, and the aforementioned moo ping, grilled pork. But the Japanese raise it to another level – as it seems they do with everything – in their version called Yakitori.

Yakitori, usually chicken and vegetables, is a popular snack or after work meal enjoyed by the Japanese. A very casual meal eaten on the fly, although still in the restaurant (you never see Japanese walking around with food and eating like one might in Thailand or even America). In these tiny places, most people choose to sit around the counter and watch their items be grilled to order over the charcoal fire, but there are also usually small rustic tables and stools upon which one can perch while munching.

The best way to start, if you have never eaten Yakitori, is to order single skewers of several items and then order seconds (or thirds) of those that you really enjoyed. Yakitori is best accompanied by a local beer but if you are not in the mood to drink, green tea will do nicely as well. Also an etiquette tip…it is polite to remove the items from the skewers with your chopsticks and put onto the plate, eating the bites from the plate with your chopsticks rather than putting the skewer to your mouth (this is quite rude). And further…look around the table, there is often an empty cup specially designated as a place to discard the empty skewer sticks.

While grilled chicken is the “normal” Yakitori order, there are many other items to try:

•    kawa – chicken skin (Yum!!! This is incredibly delicious, but maybe not so healthy)
•    hasima / negima – white meat chicken combined with leeks, the leeks are also yummy on their own…mild and delicate but adding that extra zing that makes it irresistible
•    shiitake – Japanese mushrooms
•    tsukune – ground chicken meat formed into a meatball with some seasoning
•    reba – chicken livers
•    piiman – these are small, bitter Japanese green peppers
•    gyu niku – grilled beef

You may be asked if you want a salt or teriyaki marinade…we prefer the salt because it lets the flavour of the meat / vegetable shine through. Also, if served with lemon, it is not a decorative garnish – use it, and you will see how it enhances the grilled flavours.

While these are everywhere, when in Tokyo we like the ones in the Shibuya area. Near the famous intersection by the Mark City Mall there are 3 well-known, established Yakitori places in a row. Look for the Pachinko parlor as a landmark and just keep walking. Our favourite is Toritake, look for a has a cartoon icon of a chicken on its sign. But don’t worry if you have trouble to locate our recommended spot as our Japanese friend living in the area commented, “all the food in this area is good…so you really cannot go wrong, even if you just randomly pop in to a place.”

Toritake
Shibuya, across from Mark City shopping mall
Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: +81 (0)3 3461 1627

When we last visited Thailand, I read a review of a new Bangkok brunch spot for those in the know. With it’s location close to where we were staying, undiscovered vibe, and our intense love of brunches how could we not try it out? Was it worth the hype?

Minibar Royale is located in the Citadines hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 23. It would be very easy to walk or drive by the location and not even take notice. The restaurant is located on the ground floor and is decorated in a bistro style. Inside you’ll find lots of glass dividers with menu options handwritten on the glass, eclectic decorations, etc. Considering the size of this particular Citadines, the restaurant is well executed.

Taking our seats I saw an old friend from Glow Bar Bangkok and knew service would be top notch. We began to look over the menu, when we discovered one fatal flaw with this hip new brunch location – there’s really not much brunch on offer. The menu had many appealing dishes, but they only had poached eggs and a couple other items for actual brunch.

We started with cappuccinos. They came quickly and were very creamy and rich. We discussed the menu over the coffees with some of us going for brunch items and others choosing to venture out into more hearty mains.

The highlight of the meal was the French Toast with fresh seasonal fruit (200 THB). It was well presented and flavorful.

The Waffle Stacks with Seasonal fruits was equally attractive in appearance, but not as successful in taste. They weren’t bad, but weren’t a standout.

Ana had the Eggs Florentine (200 THB) and found them tasty.

Paul (not me, the other one) ordered a tiger prawn bisque soup to start (200 THB off the specials of the day menu). The soup didn’t feature many prawns but was a decent soup.

I was going to eat a special fish of the day selection, but was advised against it by the staff. I was thankful to them for warning me that the fish might not taste super fresh and instead I had a Jerk Chicken with summer Mango Salsa (360 THB). The flavors could have come together a bit more as I was anticipating a dance between the spicy jerk seasoning and fresh, cool mango…this happened a bit, but not as well as I’d hoped.

Joanna went for the Lasagna. She says it was a nice version of lasagna chock full of vegetables. A satisfying dish that’s not too heavy.

She ordered the Spinach with Cream Sauce on the side. This was probably the table’s second favorite dish of the afternoon. The spinach was light but full of flavor.

There was one failure dish – the Oregon Stuffed Hot Crab Meat Sandwich. The crab meat tasted more like tuna, was diced too small to appreciate in the dish, and had entirely too much mayonnaise (and I really like mayonnaise). It was a special, so hopefully is not still on the menu currently.

All in all we had an enjoyable meal at Minibar Royale. I don’t know if it serves as a quality alternate to the standard choices for Sunday brunch (Crepes and Co/Large Hotel champagne brunches) …but it is a well-run, well-executed restaurant. I’d recommend it for a leisurely lunch with friends or on business or for a more casual dinner.

Minibar Royale
37/7 Sukhumvit 23
Bangkok
Tel: 02 261-5533

Soi Polo Chicken is really beyond words, but since I can’t hand you chicken through the monitor I’ll give it a try.

Soi Polo Chicken is a northeastern style Thai food restaurant located on “Wireless” Road in Bangkok, Thailand. They serve a variety of regional Thai dishes with an obvious focus on… Chicken. And not just any chicken.

Normally you’ll find great Gai Yang (Grilled Chicken) on the streets of Bangkok. Soi Polo offers a “Gai Todht” (Fried Chicken) but with a twist. The whole chicken is fried with and coated with fried garlic. The garlic is almost better than the chicken itself and can I enjoy snatching handfuls of it while others at the table are distracted. Complimented with the house sticky rice, dual sweet and spicy sauces, and fresh Som Tam (spicy papaya salad) this is a treat that can’t be missed in Bangkok.

The story I’ve been told is that Soi Polo started its life as an unassuming street stall on Soi Polo (it’s not actually Soi Polo in Thai but that’s what it says in English under the real name). At the end of this narrow street is the exclusive Royal Bangkok Sports Club and Polo Club. Soi Polo began servicing the patrons of the sports club and workers in the nearby embassies and offices. Prices were low, food was great, and soon Soi Polo was expanding. They added an indoor shop location and soon after another and another. Now the shop takes up most of the left side of the street (with Lumphini Park at your back).

Thankfully prices have remained low, with a whole chicken coming in around 90 THB or so (3 USD). I’ve had meals for 8 and not spent over 20 USD for the whole thing. Be careful coming at peak times such as the weekday lunch rush and after-work dinner hours or you might not find a seat in the one air-conditioned location.

Don’t expect a faux traditional Thai house here or really anything with style. The plates are oddly mismatched in style and size, silverware will bend if you strain it too hard, and don’t even visit the bathroom if you’re not comfortable with the squatty potty style bathroom. You’re coming here for the food and nothing else. It’s probably why the prices remain low. If the atmosphere bothers you too much and you speak a little Thai you can also order it for delivery.

Soi Polo Chicken is a perfect example of sometimes not having to spend more to get more. It rivals the most expensive meals I’ve enjoyed in Bangkok or anywhere else really at a fraction of the cost. It should be a featured stop for anyone who values fresh, authentic flavor when in Bangkok.

A few Soi Polo Tips:

• Come hungry and with a large group. The food offered here tastes better family style – with salty, spicy, and sour dishes complimenting and enhancing the tastes in other dishes.
• Be sure to try the Chicken (obviously)
• Try the northeastern sausage
• The Som Tam is excellent and they even do a version with blue crab legs!
• Eat the chicken with sticky rice and don’t be afraid to use your hands – that’s how they eat it in Issarn.
• If really adventurous and you can eat spicy, definitely order up the Yam Pla Duk Foo (pulverized catfish with mango chutney) my personal favorite Thai dish.

Location:
137/1-2 Soi Polo (near Lumphini Park and the Suan Lum Night Bazaar)

Hours:
7am-10pm

Contact and Ordering:
02 655 8489