Chinese and Thai cuisine specialties in CNX

[ByblosYuNaiSoi]

Hi,

After moving here recently after a year in Bangkok, there are a few things I'm missing and haven't been able to find them here in lovely Chiang Mai.

1. Chinese "eggplant french fries" (ma khreua tawt, or the like).Best thing ever - there are a couple of little places in the BKK Rama IV Sathorn area who have it.

2. Crispy deep-fried morning glory (pak bung tawt) with porky, sweet-sour sauce (best found at Yum and Tum Q House Lumphini).

3. Great, cheap Isaan street food (somtam, laab, soup, salt-crust grilled fish). Yeah, you may say it's everywhere, but so far, below expectations, and not really everywhere. The somtam in particular tends toward drier and generally less tasty than I found in BKK (last night my laab was reheated in the microwave! argh.)

Looking forward to suggestions and corrections!

[Jingthing]

I am curious about your experience with the Chinese eggplant french fries.

There is a place in Bangkok, Sun and Moon Restaurant, that does a fantastic version of that. It is somewhat spicy savory dish.

I found a place in Jomtien that does it and I assumed it was the same dish.

Instead what was presented was basically sweet CANDIED eggplant french fries.

Very delicious if you're looking to eat candy.

I assume you're talking about the savory version, correct?

http://bangkok-restaurant-reviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/sun-moon-restaurant.html

Edited September 14, 2014 by Jingthing

[daoyai]

Dash teak house (between MM soi 1and 2) does a good version of deep fried crispy morning glory, If you can't find at least one somtam seller you like out of the approximatly 852 in the muang district it may br time to go east. ..... CM larb is different, salt crusted tubtim @ gad sompet is good.

[Seligne2]

For the fish, http://www.tripadvisor.co.za/ShowUserReviews-g293917-d4441843-r197567996-Lert_Ros-Chiang_Mai.html

[ByblosYuNaiSoi]

Thanks to all - I'm on my way.

Daoyai, I found great somtam last night - delicious, but at the same place that microwaved my laab!

JIngthing: the ones I loved were a little bit salty/sweet and glazed, and very crispy. You might say candied. Ever seen it in Chiang Mai?

[elektrified]

For the fish, http://www.tripadvisor.co.za/ShowUserReviews-g293917-d4441843-r197567996-Lert_Ros-Chiang_Mai.html

I like that place for plaa pao (salt-crust grilled fish) too. In fact it's my favorite for that. But I've been disappointed with the somtam there.

[Jingthing]

Thanks to all - I'm on my way.

Daoyai, I found great somtam last night - delicious, but at the same place that microwaved my laab!

JIngthing: the ones I loved were a little bit salty/sweet and glazed, and very crispy. You might say candied. Ever seen it in Chiang Mai?

Yes you definitely want very crispy with fried eggplant. Thanks for the information that you have had it sweet and glazed before.

I'd be surprised if you find such a dish in Chiang Mai, sweet or not.

Here is my favorite version, a spicy and numbing Sechuan interpretation from a famous Chinese chef in the USA:

The picture above is actually rather similar to the Bangkok place I mentioned except no Sechuan peppers there.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Jingthing

[Seligne2]

So what if your lâap was reheated in a microwave. It was probably cooked an hour before and got cold. So what? I don't get it.

[Bleacher Bum East]

For the Isaan food you're looking for try these places:

1. My favorite is located on the outside of the south side of the moat---after Chiang Mai Gate and just before the big Siam Electronics store. It has everything you're looking for, and excellent moo yang and sai yang as well...everything there is authentic and delicious. Opens around 5 pm and closes between 9-10 pm.

2. Som Tum Udon in Santitham...many different kinds of som tum and good laab moo, gai and pla. It's hidden on a small soi in North Santitham...Google it for directions. No salt crust grilled fish but everything else.

3. Som Tum Restaurant located just behind Hotel Pangsawan (on the superhighway opposite and just a bit down from Maya). Another very local and authentic place with many kinds of som tum, laab, etc. etc. No salt crust grilled fish. Not sure about opening hours.

3A. Citirin Restaurant on Kamphaeng Din. Authentic Isaan som tum, laab, etc. as well as excellent moo yang and moo jum soup. Open only at night---but open late i.e. 3-4 a.m. Also has some farang good. And a good place to watch football on the weekends as well!

4. Wichianburi Gai Yang and Som Tum: Open daytime until 2 pm only. On Ragang Road between Chang Klang and Kamphaeng Din. Look for the splayed BBQ chicken being grilled out front. Has everything except the fish.

5. Wichianburi Gai Yang and Som Tum: Same description as #4, but this one is just off of Sirimangkalajarn Road. I think it's Nimmanhaemin Soi 13, but could be a neighboring soi.

6. Gai Yang and Som Tum restaurant next to 7-11 just before Ram Hospital. Real Isaan people often don't like the som tum here and can't really call it authentic Isaan, but it's excellent food and a place to know about. Laab, Tom Saap soup, etc etc.

7. Cherng Doi Grilled Chicken on Soi Sukhasem off Nimman (soi opposite SCB Bank). Again not gritty authentic Isaan but very good food.

For Crispy Fried Morning Glory:

1. My favorite is the Banana Tree Restaurant on Canal Road South. A nice chill place to hang out as well with other good food--Banana Flower Salad and Young Cocunut with Prawns Curry being two favorites.

2. Mo' C Mo ' L does it nicely. On Huey Kaew towards the University.

3. Samsen Villa on the Ping River ... large menu of very good Thai food as well.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Bleacher Bum East

[ByblosYuNaiSoi]

Wow BleacherBum, thanks. What a lotta great info.

[Bleacher Bum East]

No worries enjoy!

If you go to the place by Siam Electric, you might want to try the nam tok moo (grilled pork salad), tap wan (liver salad), soup nomai (bamboo shoot salad), sai yang (grilled intestines) and laab pla duk (fish laab) for some variety...all my Isaan friends that have had these dishes there like them as well as the standards som tum pu para and moo yang and tom sap and salt fish.

In the daytime, the Wichianburi chicken and som tum place near Chang Klang also has good soup nomai and tap wan, as well as good tum sua (som tum with kanom jeen noodles) and som tum with fresh uncooked crab.

BTW if you really want to go hardcore Isaan ... there's another shack restaurant down the street from Wichianburi chicken, just before the small bridge over the canal running by Kamphaengdin Road. This place as good laab dip---raw beef laab as well as som tum, etc. that many Isaan transplants like (as do I).

Edited September 15, 2014 by Bleacher Bum East