EATING OUT
Quarter-century old eatery still serves some of the most authentic and delicious Thai dishes in town
VANNIYA SRIANGURA
On weekdays the restaurant attracts loyal Thai customers, but at weekends it is packed with Japanese expats and tourists. |
There haven't been many times that I've felt like a stranger in my own home. But when I paid a visit to Thon Krueng, a well-loved 26-year-old Thai restaurant where my family have been regulars of its take-away service since the 1980s, there was an odd feeling that hit me and I just had to smile but with my eyebrows raised.
On Sunday evening, whether it was in the air-con dining room, the outdoor terraces or even in one of the private rooms on the second floor, the restaurant was fully occupied by diners of all ages and social status. There were business executives coming back from a golf game, families with children and groups of young friends. Of course, out of all the 150 or so diners that evening we might have looked the most worn out since we'd just got back from our three-day vacation (and had been craving and moaning for our favourite Thon Krueng food all the way from Rayong) but that's not the reason why we felt so out of place. Amazingly, it was because we were the only Thai customers in the restaurant!
Anyway, we managed to forget about the hordes of Japanese diners and ordered our food. Being at Thon Krueng I could never miss ordering yum tawai (90 baht), the dish which was the main reason for my family's decades-long patronage of the restaurant. Yum tawai is an age-old traditional Thai salad featuring a platter of boiled vegetables topped with sandy brown sauce, which is made from dried fish, coconut milk and various kinds of herbs and spices, and sprinkled with crispy fried shallots and roasted sesame seeds.
Goong chae nam pla, or raw shrimps in sour and spicy fish sauce. |
The hor mok red curry souffle in ceramic khanom khrok tray. |
Yum tawai presents a platter of boiled vegetables with a tasty dressing. |
The crunchily tasty winged bean salad is not to be missed. |
Because of its very healthy and delicious character, yum tawai would be an ideal food for this health-conscious era. However, due to its time-consuming preparation and fading popularity, the dish is scarcely available at any restaurant today.
Our order of yum tawai came with finely sliced morning glory, aubergine, banana bloom, beansprouts, bamboo shoots and green beans. The sauce, more like a red-curry, was rather spicy compared to that of the authentic recipe, but overall it was a scrumptious treat you'll hardly find anywhere else in town.
Next up was gai hor baitoey, or deep-fried pandan leaf-wrapped chicken (120 baht). We were pleased with the chicken, which had been marinated in sauce and spices until the meat absorbed the flavours and became very chewily soft and flavourful. However, we thought that the accompanying sweet sauce was insipid.
Other than the fried chicken, another dish that would please any kids is the supple and tasty tord mun goong, or deep-fried prawn cakes (160 baht), served with sweet plum sauce.
Try goong chae nam pla or raw shrimp in sour and spicy fish sauce (140 baht) if you're looking for a deliciously different and pungent treat. The uncooked shrimp came bathed in a sharp sour and spicy dressing, topped with chopped chillies, garlic and coriander.
Yum thua phu, or winged bean salad (95 baht), is another dish you should try. It presented finely cut winged bean tossed with roasted grated coconut and shrimp and was topped with thick coconut milk. It's an interesting option if you shun the super-sour-and-spicy Thai salads and are looking for a milder but no less flavoursome choice.
One of the most popular orders here is hor mok khanom khrok, or red curry souffle served on a multi-hole ceramic tray (110 baht). While a serious food connoisseur would comment that it tasted like soft and smooth steamed egg infused with red curry paste, it is worth trying if you'd like to sample the local hor mok but are intimidated by the fiery chillies and the fish bones.
Recommended only if you are in the mood for hot and spicy food is the phad phed pla chon tord krob or deep-fried catfish with spicy herbal sauce (100 baht). To be eaten with rice, the super hot dish made with eggplant, young peppercorn, krachai and basil leaves was very fragrant and fiery.
The only not-so-impressive dish that day was chicken green curry with roti (110 baht). Normally at many Thai restaurants you would find great green curry that came with below standard roti bread, but here the roti was great but the curry was just mediocre.
For desserts my two favourite choices are warm bua loy pheuak or tiny taro dumplings in sweet coconut milk (30 baht) and red bean in fresh milk topped with shaved ice (35 baht), which were as delightful as usual.
Our long time favourite restaurant may have become a hit among Japanese expats. But Thon Krueng still retains its original charm of cooking up some of the most authentic and delicious Thai dishes in town.
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Thon Krueng
Thong Lo Soi 13
Tel 02-185-2874 and 02-391-8719
Open daily 11am-10:30pm
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