I still remember my first visit to Northern Thai Restaurant 泰北 in 2011. Back then, this eatery was located in a coffeeshop along Tyrwhitt Road at Jalan Besar area and everyone at this coffeeshop was patronising this stall. I wanted to visit the eatery a couple of years back, but got to know that it shifted out from Tyrwhitt Road to Upper Paya Lebar Road. Hence, I was surprised to find see this stall at Peace Centre when I walked past it recently.
Northern Thai Restaurant is now located at level 1 of Peace Centre. It is located together with Isle Cafe. As its name suggest, the eatery serves Northern Thai cuisine.
The menu is pasted on the facade. Generally, they now focus on offering a fewer variety of dishes due to the difficulty in getting manpower. They no longer sell dishes such as Stewed Pork Leg, Spring Rolls and Fried Kang Kong.
Phad Thai $3.80 and Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4
I visited the stall on several occasions to try their food. During the first occasion, I ordered their Phad Thai $3.80 and Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4.
Phad Thai $3.80
The Phad Thai which is the Thai version of fried kway teow cost $3.80. It was fried with egg, beansprouts and prawns, and served with grounded peanut, chilli powder and lime. They were generous with the ingredients and this is a relatively cheap plate of Phad Thai as a similar portion elsewhere (e.g. other thai eateries - note not restaurant) would have easily cost $5.50.
While this plate of Phad Thai was quite well fried and decent in terms of taste, if I may compare, it lacks the taste (wok hei) and fragrant of the Phad Thai at Ah Loy Thai. However, for $3.80, I should not be complaining too much as its so value for money.
Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4
I remember that this is one of their signature dishes - Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4. This was quite a unique bowl of tom yam soup. It was cloudy and orangey in appearance and was served with fish slices. The fried fish soaked up all the essence of the soup!
Phad Hoon Sen $3.80
On another occasion I had the Phad Hoon Sen $3.80 and Traditional Clear Tom Yam Soup $4. Both were quite well executed.
The Phad Hoon Sen $3.80 is a Thai stirred fried glass noodles dish. This is a dish that is not easy to execute and fire control is essential to ensure that the glass noodles are cooked to the right texture and not overcooked. This was delicious as taste wise, it was just nice and cooked just right too. The plus point was that it was not oily at all.
Traditional Clear Tom Yam Soup $4
The Traditional Clear Tom Yam Soup $4 was not bad. Just that I found it a tad too sour. Could have been a little more spicy.
Generally, the food here was not bad. Price wise, it was so value for money. During lunch time, it can be quite crowded and hard to get seats. If you intend to come on a Saturday, do give them a call as some of their popular items could be sold out as early as 1pm.
Northern Thai Restaurant 泰北 (Peace Centre) #01-46 Peace Centre 1 Sophia Road Singapore 228149 Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm (or sold out) Closed on Sun and PH Tel: +65 9851 6386 Facebook
At the capital of the Land Of Smiles, Thailand, the Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must visit place for tourist. This market is the world's largest market weekend market spanning an area of 35 acres, split into 27 different sections with more than 15,000 booths selling different types of products.
With its attractive prices and wide range of products, this market can attract up to 200,000 visitors daily on weekends. This is despite the narrow alleys and unbearable heat. Few than 1% of the stalls are air conditioned.
It is highly advisable that you wear comfortable clothes such as t-shirt, shorts and slipper.
We did extensive research on the location for our lunch and came across this eatery called "Noodle Soup with Chicken". It was not easy finding this place because Chatuchak is huge! Luckily, we managed to narrow down the search area to Soi 29 which is along this 'main road' (above photo).
We were thrilled when we found this place. It was like how I would imagine a popular place to be. Brisk business, filled to the brim with people. Noodle Soup with Chicken is actually located at Section 21, Soi 29 facing Soi 47. The nearest gate is "Gate 3". You can refer to either the interactive or static map at the bottom of this post to better visualise the location.
Notice the empty pot at the left. It actually contained braised chicken feet/claws. I tried to order that, but I was a few moments too late! They had just sold their last bowl of chicken feet/claws noodle at 1230pm. So if you want to try it, you have got to earlier than 1230pm.
It was replaced by a pot of stewed chicken meat.
The Noodle Soup with Chicken shop offers different types of noodles including Kway Teow, Bee Hoon (Rice vermicell) and Yellow Noodles.
Menu
I suspect this is the menu.. its all in Thai. We had to point at the next table to try to explain what we wanted to order. When it came to the type of noodles, we actually went to the shop front where they displayed the noodles and point the type of noodles we wanted. To be fair, the young man who took our orders was so polite and courteous despite the difficulty we had communicating with each other. Don't you love the service at Thailand? No wonder it is the land of smiles!
This eatery offers Noodle Soup with Chicken (meat/chicken feet).
Beverage Menu
Ironically, the beverage menu was available in English!
Thai Ice Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25)
For drinks, we ordered the Thai Ice Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25). I noticed that the stall owners collaborated with the drinks stall located just outside as the drink was from that stall. The Thai Ice Tea was very sweet! Even after the ice had melted, it was still too sweet for my liking.
Noodle (Kway Teow) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)
We all ordered the same dish - Noodle Soup with Chicken. The only variation was the noodles.
This was the last bowl of Kway Teow Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)!
Noodle (Glass Noodle) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)
Noodle (Glass Noodle) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)
We ordered Noodle (Glass Noodle) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)
Noodle (Bee Hoon) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)
Deciding to try different noodles, we also ordered Noodle (Bee Hoon) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08).
The Noodle Soup with Chicken was delicious. Each bowl was accompanied by two pieces of braised chicken meat, one of which would be a drumstick. The braised chicken meat were so tender and flavourful. The (chicken) soup was rich, tasty and sweet with a slight hint herbal flavour which was just nice, such that those who do not fancy herbal stuff would not be turned off. Great find with satisfying and comfort food. Certainly a place to try if you are in Chatuchak Market.
Chatuchak Weekend Market Map
As mentioned earlier, this eatery is located at Section 21, Soi 29 facing Soi 47. Section 21 and Soi 29 is the clothing/fashion area while Soi 47 is the Home Furniture area.
Noodle Soup with Chicken at Chatuchak Weekend Market (Thailand, Bangkok)
Section 21, Soi 29 facing Soi 47 Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand
Ban Khun Mae located at Siam Square is just across the road (Zebra Crossing. Yes, they do have Zebra Crossings in Bangkok!) fromMango Tango. It is also located less than 5 minutes away from Hotel Novotel.
Ban Khun Mae when translated into English Language means "my mother’s kitchen". The restaurant opened for business in 1998 serving authentic Thai food has impressed many locals and foreigners. On its website, it claimed that the food it serves is made from secret recipes passed down from generation to generation. We visited the restaurant on a weekday for lunch.
The restaurant dimly lighted was clean, rustic with its timbre furnishing and Thai theme decorations (ornaments and paintings).
Their timbre chairs were huge and heavy! Had a little struggle trying to shift it inwards.
Menu
Ban Khun Mae's menu was in both Thai and English languages with prices clearly stated.
Deep Fried Marinated Chicken Wrapped with Pandan Leaf 120 Baht (S$5)
Deep Fried Marinated Chicken Wrapped with Pandan Leaf 120 Baht (S$5)
The Deep Fried Marinated Chicken Wrapped with Pandan Leaf 120 Baht (S$5) served with sweet dipping sauce was superb. The chicken was well fried. Each piece was fragrant and incredibly tender and succulent.
Green Curry Chicken 120 Baht (S$5)
Green Curry Chicken 120 Baht (S$5)
The Green Curry Chicken 120 Baht (S$5) was also top notch. It was creamy and had an appetising aroma and unique flavour. It had the right balance of sweetness and mild spiciness which hits the right spot making it a perfect combination with plain rice.
Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles 280 Baht (S$11.67)
The most expensive dish which we ordered was the Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles 280 Baht (S$11.67). The prawns were all underneath the grass noodles.
Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles 280 Baht (S$11.67)
Look at big the prawns are. The prawns were very fresh and the meat was firm. The glass noodles were pretty ordinary. Although the glass noodles were moist and springy, they were just way too peppery such that we could not detect any other flavours.. T&K Seafood's version was much better.
Every evening, there would be live entertainment / performance at the restaurant and that's the period when the restaurant would be most crowded. Although the Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles was a disappointment, the other two dishes were real good. Price wise, it was quite value for money for the quality of food. As for service, it could be improved. Sometimes, it could be hard to get the attention of the staff.
Ban Khun Mae Restaurant at Siam Square (Thailand, Bangkok)
A trip to Bangkok is not complete without a stopover at Chinatown (also known as Yaowarat) for a meal. The best time to visit Chinatown is at night; between evening to midnight. This is the period where the area comes alive with many eateries setting up shop along the side of the road, and tourist and locals start flocking into the area to savour the delicious delicacies such as bird nest, sharkfins and seafood.
T&K Seafood (highlighted in red)
The most highly raved about eatery at Chinatown is T&K Seafood, a roadside eatery renowned for the cheap and good seafood. T&K Seafood is located at along the main road (Yaowarat Road) that cuts across the chinatown. There are two such eateries located opposite each other. One of the ways to differentiate them is through the colour of the polo tee the staff are wearing. Staff at T&K Seafood wear green polo tee while their competitor wear red polo tee.
Tip: There are several zebra crossings located along the main road. If you are going to cross the road, it is advisable to use these zebra crossings. Kudos to the Thai Authorities, I remember several years back, there were no such zebra crossings.
We arrived just after 6pm (on a weekday); their opening time as we did not want to queue. As it was raining before that, the staff were still setting up chairs and tables when we arrived. And surprisingly, it was already three quarter full.
The setup included placing placing fans above the makeshift shelter to ensure that it was well ventilated.
ps: They have an air-condition restaurant just beside this makeshift setup. We choose alfresco dining (outdoors - next to the road side).
Menu Cover
The menu was well categorized, in English and prices were stated clearly.
The biggest mistake we made were ordering these bottled drinks. Way too sweet, tasted like syrup drinks.
Condiments
Steamed White snapper in Spicy Garlic Lime Juice Soup
The Steamed White snapper in Spicy Garlic Lime Juice Soup (Baht 300, S$12.50) is a Thai-style steamed fish. This was a tasty dish rich with different flavours such as spicy, sweet yet sour. The fish was fresh and cooked just right such that its meat was so soft. A must order!
Tom Yum Soup
Tom Yum Soup
The Tom Yum Soup - seafood lemongrass soup with milk (150 Baht, S$6.25) did not disappoint. It had the right balance in taste with none of them overwhelming the other. Although it was spicy, it was addictive - you would be digging for more after each mouthful. The ingredients in it include squid, prawns, fish slices and button mushrooms.
Stir Fried Water Cress
Stir Fried Water Cress (80 Baht, S$3.33) was average with nothing much to shout about. We had to order some greens to make this a more balanced meal.
Fried Stuff Crab with Crab Meat and Glass Noodle
Fried Stuff Crab with Crab Meat and Glass Noodle
Fried Stuff Crab with Crab Meat and Glass Noodle (50 Baht, S$2.08 per piece) consisted of a mixture of crab meat, chicken meat and vermicelli. It was unique but in terms of taste was average. I felt that the flavours of the ingredients were not brought out. Not really a must order, but worth a try if you have not eaten such an item before.
Stir Fried Squid with Yellow Curry Powder
Stir Fried Squid with Yellow Curry Powder
Stir Fried Squid with Yellow Curry Powder (150 Baht, S$6.25) is another Thai-style curry dish. They have a similar variation with crab. However, as we had ordered too many crab dishes, we decided to order squid instead.
This was superbly executed - utterly delicious. The squids were cooked in curry pasta mixed with egg. The key to this dish was not the squid, instead it was the curry pasta with the egg. It was rich in flavour (due to the blend of curry powder), fragrant and not overly spicy. The sauce was irresistible and complement perfectly with rice. This was so good that it stole the show from the squid which to its credit was fresh and cooked to perfection (not overcooked). I am sure this dish would taste great with crabs or any other ingredients as long as the sauce is executed correctly. A must order!
Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot
Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot
Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot (350 Baht, S$14.58) was out of the world! Easily one of the better ones I have eaten. The glass noodle (vermicelli) was moist and incredibly flavourful with a slight spicy kick due to the peppercorns. The essence of all the juices (including the sweetness from the crab) in this dish was all captured in the glass noodle. It was so good that it stole the limelight from the crab. Yummy! Another must order!
The Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot reminded me of The Cheers Beer commercial which my Marketing lecturer showed us (watch from 1.05 onwards) when I was still studying. The execution, exaggeration, expression, humor and a simple tagline made this one of the most highly rated and popular beer commercials of all times. And just like the feelings shown on the video, this was what I felt after eating the Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot! So.. to every little good things in life... CHEERS!
As we were leaving, we noticed a large crowd standing outside waiting for their turn to be seated. The crowd had literally spilled out to the road. It is advisable to come early.
What a sumptuous meal! Cheap and good! Well worth the trip down to Chinatown. If only we can get such food at such prices back home in Singapore.
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