3 Farangs Go Into An Mk Restaurant

[DJ Pat]

MK boys, not MBK. MBK is a shopping centre in Central Bangkok.

In defense of MK:

The stuff is boiled, which makes it a nice change from all the stir-fried and deep-fried food you get otherwise (which I like too, but... lipid levels and blood pressure...).

Their veggies and mushrooms are generally high quality (although the price is a bit over the top).

The way I eat it. Skip the yucky stuff like the crispy squid, innards and fish. Stick to the shrimps, seaweed rolls, sliced beef, luuk chin MK and veggies/mushrooms.

Start off by breaking an egg and distributing it in the pot through the spoon with holes in it. Makes nice threads of egg through the entire pot.

Chuck in everything that takes a long time to finish - seaweed rolls, luuk chin MK, all mushrooms except for the het khem thawng shrooms (needle mushrooms) as well as the celery (to add taste to the soup).

Get a plate of roast duck (they have excellent duck in the Chiang Mai MK restaurants at any rate, never had it in Bangers so I dont know) to eat from while you are waiting for the first batch.

After a few minutes (4-5 or so), add more vegetables and noodles - morning glory, kale, khana etc. - as well as mee yok or woon sen (green or glass noodles)) and cook for 1 minute.

Then start taking out the finished food and put it in your bowl together with lots of nam jim spiced up with extra garlic and lime, and possibly chili). My tip is to add as much nam jim to the bowl as the amount of soup.

Keep filling up the pot with new veggies but dont overcook them, just one minute is enough normally, then they go soggy and lose taste.

Goes down a treat for me, but it took a few times to get used to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll print this up for my next visit then.

[Rinrada]

Where is that 89B BBQ again? Cheers!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

there's one in sukhumvit soi 22

where are the others?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are all over the place but you will hardly ever see any N.Ts eating there.....and... ... what a bargain.

I have tried them in Chiang Mai-Hua Hin-Patti (3rd road)and last one in Bangkok was in TheParak.. leo sigh just off Suk Rd and its on the RHS.

I think they have mostly "shot-up"in price to @ 79-89 Bt ...before 39-59 bt..but even so

Ideally you want about a dozen people/social scene and all tuck in but even with 2-4 it is still OK.

Depending on the joint they will have lots of noodles /vegis/salads/onions /toms etc but also sometimes fish/meats and as said above usually thick sliced bacon which is worth ithe $£$ .. just for that.

Big Heinees are sold at about 1 bt profit and the ice comes free.

M.K.are good for plugs and sockets

[Boo]

MK do the best crispy pork in sause & I like green noodles & garlic It's much healthier & a fun way of eating in a group, but the uniforms of the staff are too school style for me although some of you guys may like it

[Totster]

Where is that 89B BBQ again? Cheers!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

there's one in sukhumvit soi 22

where are the others?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are all over the place but you will hardly ever see any N.Ts eating there.....and... ... what a bargain.

I have tried them in Chiang Mai-Hua Hin-Patti (3rd road)and last one in Bangkok was in TheParak.. leo sigh just off Suk Rd and its on the RHS.

I think they have mostly "shot-up"in price to @ 79-89 Bt ...before 39-59 bt..but even so

Ideally you want about a dozen people/social scene and all tuck in but even with 2-4 it is still OK.

Depending on the joint they will have lots of noodles /vegis/salads/onions /toms etc but also sometimes fish/meats and as said above usually thick sliced bacon which is worth ithe $£$ .. just for that.

Big Heinees are sold at about 1 bt profit and the ice comes free.

M.K.are good for plugs and sockets

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My favorite BBQ is just up the road from the Huai Khwang Subway station. Massive buffet, cheap beer, and they even spray a fine mist of water from overhead to keep everyone cool. bt89

totster

[jrincon17]

Anyway we ordered a huge plate of veg which was to make up the base of the soup, as well as an egg. Still bland as &lt;deleted&gt;. Add some chillis and lemon, still tasteless. When our choice of raw meats arrived, fish, crab balls, pigs kidney, pork, prawns, tofu, salmon and liver, we did what we saw everyone else doing and dipped them into the bubbling soup to cook them, but still bland, like plain boiled pork.

So whats the secret here, some of you must know how to make a trip to MK at least palatable for a farang, I know the obvious "take your missus" thing but if thats all MK actually is, then why the huge success story.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's all in the "nam jim" - the suki sauce.

(.. don't tell me you didn't use any! )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SUKI YAKI , GOOD STUFF ! ITS ALL IN THE SPICY SAUCE

[ace]

MK boys, not MBK. MBK is a shopping centre in Central Bangkok.

In defense of MK:

The stuff is boiled, which makes it a nice change from all the stir-fried and deep-fried food you get otherwise (which I like too, but... lipid levels and blood pressure...).

Their veggies and mushrooms are generally high quality (although the price is a bit over the top).

The way I eat it. Skip the yucky stuff like the crispy squid, innards and fish. Stick to the shrimps, seaweed rolls, sliced beef, luuk chin MK and veggies/mushrooms.

Start off by breaking an egg and distributing it in the pot through the spoon with holes in it. Makes nice threads of egg through the entire pot.

Chuck in everything that takes a long time to finish - seaweed rolls, luuk chin MK, all mushrooms except for the het khem thawng shrooms (needle mushrooms) as well as the celery (to add taste to the soup).

Get a plate of roast duck (they have excellent duck in the Chiang Mai MK restaurants at any rate, never had it in Bangers so I dont know) to eat from while you are waiting for the first batch.

After a few minutes (4-5 or so), add more vegetables and noodles - morning glory, kale, khana etc. - as well as mee yok or woon sen (green or glass noodles)) and cook for 1 minute.

Then start taking out the finished food and put it in your bowl together with lots of nam jim spiced up with extra garlic and lime, and possibly chili). My tip is to add as much nam jim to the bowl as the amount of soup.

Keep filling up the pot with new veggies but dont overcook them, just one minute is enough normally, then they go soggy and lose taste.

Goes down a treat for me, but it took a few times to get used to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll print this up for my next visit then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You should. That's exactly how my ex-missus used to cook it and it was very nice, though a bit over-priced. And I always reckoned the sauce (essential) is almost certainly loaded with MSG.

[DJ Pat]

I'm determined to have a positive experience at Mk now, so I will take with me some people who have some culinary savvy.

[Nordlys]

It's all in the "nam jim" - the suki sauce. 

(.. don't tell me you didn't use any!  )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SUKI YAKI , GOOD STUFF ! ITS ALL IN THE SPICY SAUCE

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thai suki and Sukiyaki is not the same thing. No spicy sauce for sukiyaki (only raw egg for "nam jim"). And sukiyaki is served cooked (or else you have someone to cook for you before you).

You guys should try Coca. You won't go to MK agan. MK nam jim (sauce) is too sweet for me (and staffs can't make khao tom yippun!!). Ever noticed high-so Thais tend to prefer Coca suki over MK (just my impression)? Seen Thai celebrities at Coca in Central World Plaza a few times.

BTW why is this thread not in "Thai Food" forum (where I started Thai suki thread)?

Edited August 4, 2005 by Nordlys

[sonong1]

for some reason thais see a visit to MK some kind of treat ! its a mystery to me.

upcountry in issan you can get the same thing for 100 baht a pop.

for 200bahts you can eat a whole lot .

this could feed around 6-8 people.

maybe its a social thing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Buff-horns I think you hit the noodle on the head "maybe its a social thing"

[IMA_FARANG]

Todays lunch choice was either Sizzlers or MK. I hate Sizzlers and all their supersize me style dishes and there was a huge queue anyway.

Anyway, our only other option was the much lauded MK, with its colourful ads and inviting looking staff, we thought "why not?"

For those of you unfamiliar with MK, you pretty much pay to cook a huge bowl of soup but with your choice of ingredients. Otherwise your menu choies are limited to green mama noodles and duck in sauce or spare ribs, neither of which gets the wind up my skirt.

Anyway we ordered a huge plate of veg which was to make up the base of the soup, as well as an egg. Still bland as &lt;deleted&gt;. Add some chillis and lemon, still tasteless. When our choice of raw meats arrived, fish, crab balls, pigs kidney, pork, prawns, tofu, salmon and liver, we did what we saw everyone else doing and dipped them into the bubbling soup to cook them, but still bland, like plain boiled pork.

So whats the secret here, some of you must know how to make a trip to MK at least palatable for a farang, I know the obvious "take your missus" thing but if thats all MK actually is, then why the huge success story.

Imagine you went into a restaurant and you were served that soup, you wouldn't pay would you? Instead you pay to cook it yourself!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only a Brit would think that it was the SOUP that you were eating. It is just water you are cooking the tidbits in. The stuff you are cooking is the meal, not the water you are heating it in.

Not that I am a big fan of MK however. I LIKE the Octopus and Pork or Calf's Liver.

Being the Farang gives you the option of being "weird". So ask for a bowl or plate of plain rice. A litttle Nam Pla on the rice and some chilli sauce if you want the hot spicey taste. Then pick the bits you want out of the water, eat it on the rice, and be sure to dip the tidbits in the sauces.

Don't worry if the Thais think you are "strange" for being the Farang. Ask for a dish of sweet/sour sauce. Mix some chillis in the Nam Pla dish. Mix Ketchup and Soy Sauce as a dip if you like that.

If you can pull it off with confidence, you can sell it.

[DJ Pat]

I don't think I'll bother now.

[Firefan]

Could somebody please translate:

"in Bangkok was in TheParak.. leo sigh just off Suk Rd and its on the RHS."

THanks, Cheers!

[Rinrada]

No Prob...oops Problem...

Area and location of this fine establishment.

Take the Skytrain from any central station on the Bangkok Sukhumvit Rd Line and alight at "On Nut" (which is adjacent to the large Tesco -Lotus British Supermarket)

From there you can pick up the 116 Blue and White local bus which passes the bagna turnoff and continues in the direction of Samrong-Samut Prakan.(5-6 bt)

After stopping outside the large Imperial World Shopping Complex it goes over the Samrong Canal Bridge and then takes a Left turn into Theparak Road.(approx 100mts)

Ring the bell about 50 meters further along and the Restaurant in question is located on the opposite side of the road (theparak)

Cant really miss it since it has a large Illuminated Thai BBQ food sigh and at around 7-00pm any evening is usually full of hundreds of Thai diners.

Hope this helps.

[Totster]

If BBQ buffets are your thing... then go tell us about it here...

BBQ Buffet appreciation thread

totster

[The_Other_Mac]

Just to try to balance things a bit, I'm a fan of MK, and the general concept of Suki. Agree with Ramdom Chance's instructions, but you shouldn't need to print and memorise a pageful. If you've ever learnt to cook anything from any country, the most basic principle is to start the slow-cooking stuff first (generally hard or thick things, that take longer to heat up) and the quick-cook stuff later. Your mother did the same with the roast turkey and peas. Incidentally, that's precisely why the meat is sliced so thin: it's almost impossible to under-cook. Try to forget your western fears of salmonella etc. RC forgot to mention when you add sliced meat - about the same time as the veggies. 1-2 minutes is right.

Your nam jin sauce can be adjusted to taste with the lemon and garlic. It's perfectly normal to go through several dishfuls - the waitresses keep big kettles of it handy for refills. If you or your gf puts too much in your bowl, making it too spicy for your comfort, just dilute it with a few ladlefuls of water from the centre. People like different amount of soupiness in their own bowl, which can be adjusted with the different ladle/strainer things. Some people like to add a bit of rice to the bottom of the bowl to make a thicker soup. Everyone does things slightly differently.

Best go along with a group of Thai females a few times, and watch the different things they do. In fact, best to always go with Thai females, sit back and let them fill your bowl with all the best bits.

[meadish_sweetball]

Saathu. (Amen.)

[haha]

Where is that 89B BBQ again? Cheers!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

there's one in sukhumvit soi 22

where are the others?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are all over the place but you will hardly ever see any N.Ts eating there.....and... ... what a bargain.

I have tried them in Chiang Mai-Hua Hin-Patti (3rd road)and last one in Bangkok was in TheParak.. leo sigh just off Suk Rd and its on the RHS.

I think they have mostly "shot-up"in price to @ 79-89 Bt ...before 39-59 bt..but even so

Ideally you want about a dozen people/social scene and all tuck in but even with 2-4 it is still OK.

Depending on the joint they will have lots of noodles /vegis/salads/onions /toms etc but also sometimes fish/meats and as said above usually thick sliced bacon which is worth ithe $£$ .. just for that.

Big Heinees are sold at about 1 bt profit and the ice comes free.

M.K.are good for plugs and sockets

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My favorite BBQ is just up the road from the Huai Khwang Subway station. Massive buffet, cheap beer, and they even spray a fine mist of water from overhead to keep everyone cool. bt89

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hey! I know that place. ..the one with the pig in a neon sign, right? yeah. I go there once every 2 weeks. I usually go there when I'm in the mood to eat for 3 hours. ahhhhh. ooohhhhh. talk about getting to a cliimax.

food - the second most important in life.

I even have the discount card. if you are a regular, you got to get the discount card.

[Totster]

hey!  I know that place.  ..the one with the pig in a neon sign, right?  yeah.  I go there once every 2 weeks.  I usually go there when I'm in the mood to eat for 3 hours.  ahhhhh.  ooohhhhh.  talk about getting to a cliimax.

food - the second most important in life.

I even have the discount card.  if you are a regular, you got to get the discount card.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah that's right, it's a pig sign... I thought it was a cowboy for some reason..

I did have the discount card, but it's only valid for a month isn't it, and seeing as I only go when I'm in Bangers it always runs out...

totster

[Rinrada]

Moo Kata..... Pig in the Wok......