Isaan Dishes & Salads At Marina Hk Restaurant

[jfchandler]

Ever since I began eating Thai food years ago, some of the things I have loved best are Isaan grilled meat and meat salad dishes, which were a staple food for me in Los Angeles before moving here.

But now living in BKK, it's been hard to find a reliable, inexpensive, but good quality source for these dishes.... On the low end, there's some street vendors where, if you order any beef (which most often they don't have), it's reasonably likely to break a tooth and be almost inedible. And their larb gai's more often than not tend to be chock full of diced up hearts and livers (which I prefer to skip). Then on the high end, there's a couple Isaan oriented full restaurants around BKK where you can go and order these, and pay restaurant prices...

But lately, I found a nice solution to this from a surprising place. In checking out the different offerings of ChefsXP delivery service one day, I was reading the online menu of a place called Marina HK restaurant, which I had never heard of before. And to my surprise, after a long list of Chinese dishes and dim sum, their menu includes an almost as long list of Isaan favorites including som tams and Thai meat salads... all priced for delivery typically between 68 and 78 baht per dish.

I was a bit skeptical, but I ordered via ChefsXP a couple of times, and tried different Isaan offerings from Marina HK, and everything has been very good.... tender meats, good portions, well prepared and flavorful. I haven't gone to the restaurant itself yet, which is located in Siam Square near Siam Paragon. But at those prices, the delivery is almost as inexpensive as the food you'd get from a street vendor. And the quality of their meats (chicken, pork, beef and duck) are infinitely better.

Here's the info on the restaurant itself:

Marina HK

216/1-6 Siam Square Soi 1

Rama 1 Rd., Patumwan, Bangkok 10330

And here's a link to their menu on ChefsXP... The Isaan offerings are at the very bottom.

I scrounged around on the Internet, trying to find any info on the place... There's not much out there on them....but I did find one stray photo of the interior... (the photo is not mine...)

I'd be interested if anyone else has had good or bad experiences with Marina HK.... And, if you've got any other alternate suggestions for convenient places to find comparable, quality Isaan fare at less than full restaurant prices...

[chiliwasabi]

While I haven't got any specific vendors to offer (as the directions would be too vague and confusing) you will a higher quality Isaan fare from a street vendor than from a larger restaurant (especially one that has a website!). Of course you will have to go through a process of trial and elimination to find vendors who produce the food that suits your palette.

I don't know you Thai language skills but it would be helpful for you to learn some phrases to help order the variations you desire (Spicy or not spicy, offal or no offal etc, etc). In the end you will be rewarded with great food at low prices.

Good luck

[jfchandler]

Thanks for your reply...

Actually, of course, I've tried any number of local street vendors near my home... and, there are limitations... All of them certainly make fresh som tam and som tam pooh. That's easy... But ask for som tam kai kem (with salty egg) or some other variation, and typically it's "mai mee."

Likewise, at the street vendors, as I mentioned, ask for beef or duck as opposed to chicken or pork, and it's either "mai mee" or it's like chewing plastic. Sometime, I think, it's nice to eat something other than chicken and pork, even in Thailand.

And, I certainly do know how to ask in Thai for the innards to be left out...but it does no good. At the main local street shop near my home, which prepares a lot of things fresh of course, they pre-prepare their larb gai in a big pot... And, the lady chef always includes innards, so there's no other choice to be had.

If I ask for larb moo, on the other hand, they'll fix that fresh (and of course, without innards). But frankly, it's no better (and a smaller portion for 40 baht per order) than what Marina is doing.

Not sure about your comment about having a web site... Actually, Marina HK doesn't have a web site at all...but their menu is listed on the ChefsXP delivery service web site... So are about 80 other restaurants of all types (Thai and other) spread around BKK. I certainly don't think being listed there should be considered any knock against their food.

At some point, it comes down to a question of convenience... If there was a place near my home where I could easily go and get all those choices, I'd do it. But if I have to start traveling around town and taking BTS or MRT to go somewhere where I can get everything I want, it begins to become very attractive to say...hey, I want it delivered for 70 to 80 baht per dish.

Edited October 15, 2008 by jfchandler

[chiliwasabi]

Not sure about your comment about having a web site

I thought this might be construed as a bit of an obscure comment but I didn't have time to explain. Basically, I am of the opinion that a restaurant in Thailand that is on the web isn't there to find Thai customers and therefore may not be more suited to the more generic of western palettes. In the larger scheme of things typical Thai folk will not be using the internet to research restaurants or order food.

This is certainly not true for all Thai or indeed all Thai eateries and yes, it is a broad generalisation on my part but I think it is a factor to take into consideration.

[prapagorn]

we have many kind of Thai food for talk .*-*and to do papaya salad

Double hit isan food so we can do everywhere have to do this

first to chop papaya,put chili ,sugar and to pop groudnut ,fishsauce ,slice tomato,

and we can taste ..............

Do you like spicy ?

to cook specical by chili

Enjoy your food *-*

[absolut413]

Two words for you. Soi Rangnam

[jfchandler]

Two words for you....

"Want delivery"....