Never a lonely place

EATING Out

Do we need another review of that eminent hole in the wall, the local establishment of the Wang Lang area, the invariably busy and famously no-fuss Namtok Sida?

The spicy duck laab, plus the bamboo soup and sticky rice. PHOTOS: ANUSORN SAKSEREE

Maybe yes, maybe no. But here it is, so here you go. If you've eaten there, well, you already know what we're going to say about this 40-year-old Isan joint in the bustling Soi Wang Lang near Siriraj Hospital, near Patravadi Theatre, not so far from Wat Rakhang, a pebble's throw away from Pran Nok ferry pier, across the river from Thammasat, etc.

If you have never been, if the area is beyond your perimeter for dining excursions, (having said that, why not get away from Sukhumvit sometimes; it's good but it's not Bangkok), then Namtok Sida is a worthy excuse to cruise down the Chao Phraya on an express boat on a late afternoon to get there for a simple, hearty dinner of nua nam tok and som tam.

Namtok Sida - so named after its sizzling Isan-style grilled beef salad - is mainly frequented by students (high school and university), office workers and drinkers on a prowl for spicy snacks to go with their bottle of Saeng Thip for their evening sessions. The eatery benefits from its location close to one of the busiest piers of the Thon Buri side, a hub of daily transport for thousands of people. Literally, all day long there are hundreds of passers-by crawling that small lane (see map, if in doubt, don't call the proprietor, just go to the area and ask, everyone knows the place) and Namtok Sida is never a lonely place.

The ‘‘crying tiger’’ beef slices.

So make the most out of the trip by treating it as an excursion. Consider taking the express boat from Sathon pier - at the edge of BTS station - then walk around Wang Lang to shop for cheap second-hand goods, before popping in to the joint. Or: Visit Wat Arun - why not? - to admire its Chinese-inspired spires, and then Wat Rakhang, a historic temple frequented by merit-makers of various stripes, before ending your trip at Nomtok Sida. Or: Cross the ferry from Bangkok to Wang Lang. It's possible to find parking near Wat Rakhang on the Thon Buri side, but still, we recommend leaving your car at home.

Now the food. It's simple, basic, delicious in a homey, earthly way. Once seated, you'll find on your table a sheet of paper with names of the food and small checkboxes. So you tick, tick, tick what you want and what you want will need no introduction: grilled chicken, grilled catfish, grilled beef, namtok (beef, pork), grilled liver (beef, pork), laab ped, laab kai, bamboo soup, Isan sausages, som tam of various kinds (including horsecrab shoes and fermented fish).

That humid evening last week we settled for grilled beef, grilled sua rong hai (the brisket), beef namtok, bamboo soup, laab ped and a basket of sticky rice. There's no point breaking down the price list: the bill came to just 230 baht after the meal.

Grilled beef, pure and simple.

First things first, the sticky rice was a classic example of how you should cook khao niew: It should stick together, but not stick to your hands, like what you're served at many Isan places around town. It sounds simple, but a discerning gourmand (not me) knows great sticky rice when he eats some.

What we dug supremely was, of course, the namesake dish of namtok. The grilled beef was chewy and juicy, and the herbal mix was aromatic, homely and well-flavoured. In short, a good down-to-earth version, as an Isan dish should be. The compliment was extended to the grilled brisket beef, aka the Crying Tiger, with slices of beef with unhealthy yet irresistibly pieces of fat. Not to die for, but close. Meanwhile the regular grilled beef had an edge in the slightly charred texture, giving off a delicious smoky smell as you chew it.

We weren't so thrilled with the duck spicy salad, laab ped. The version I had at a night market near my house in Phatthanakan was obviously more sensational. Perhaps it was our own misjudgment: a laab is more reliable with chicken or beef. We had a consolation in the form of a sour and spicy soup nor mai, with fresh, crispy bamboo in a seasoned puddle that went very fine with a scoop of the sticky rice.

Namtok Sida is an eminent hole in the wall near Pran Nok Pier.

All in all, a full-stomach, slightly sticky, altogether satisfying experience down the river at Namtok Sida. The place has been around longer than most of its clientele, and that alone is proof enough in a city whose dining scene is characterised by fleeting cool and transient fireworks of new cuisine. You don't even need to go to the ATM before dropping by there.

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