The subject of this week's review, Makan Makan's marketing motto is "dine with an open mind".
It sounds like a caution, which you'll never need when dining there -- unless you are adverse to a very tasty and comforting home-cooked meal.
Opened nine months ago, Makan Makan (Malay for "let's go eat") is Bangkok's very first representative of Penang-style Eurasian cuisine.
A popular holiday destination among Thais, especially in the 40s and 50s, the island on the northwest coast of the Malaysian Peninsula is famous for its rich culinary tradition and agricultural abundance.
The historical port city boasts multicultural cuisine with influences from Malay, Chinese, Indian, Peranakan, Thai and European fare. Penang locals are also known for being very proud of their cuisine and never compromising when it comes to cooking and eating.
The lovely little eatery is owned and operated by Tania, Scott and Troy Da Silva from Penang.
The three siblings, who share a profound passion for food and drink, aim to bring to Bangkok the flavourful food heritage of their hometown through their Portuguese-Eurasian family recipes, which they say are "contemporary, vital and inspiring".
As folksy as the restaurant's name suggests, the food served here proved simple, heartfelt and truly approachable.
Devil roti roll with salted egg mayonnaise.
Makan Makan's kitchen is headed by brothers Scott and Troy, who are very finicky about the right ingredients. Products such as the prawn paste, coconut palm sugar, sauces and some spices are therefore imported or house-made to ensure a true taste profile of each dish
Listing more than 50 dishes, in categories of tapas, salads and starters, noodle and rice dishes, pasta, burgers and Eurasian specialities, the menu looks like a modern-day repertoire of East-meets-West cuisine.
Its best-seller, char koay teow (145 baht), looks a hybrid between phad Thai and kuay tiew phad si-ew with some extra ingredients.
In fact, this iconic dish of Penang is a unification of flat rice noodles, prawn, Chinese lap cheong sweet pork sausage, egg, bean sprouts, chives and special soy sauce mix, all stir-fried over high flame to develop a smoky wok-charred fragrance and subtle comfort of tastes.
Also a popular noodle option but meat-free is mamak mee goreng (145 baht). The dish is prepared with yellow egg noodles -- not the typical fine-strand egg noodles you'd find in Bangkok but bigger and chewier -- stir-fried in a sweet and spicy potato-based sauce with egg, fried tofu, potato, bean sprout, shredded lettuce and crispy shallots.
The char koay teow noodles.
Unless you are here for one quick dish, I suggest that your meal begin with chicken meatball vindaloo (165 baht) and/or Devil roti roll (165 baht).
The first features Indian curry through a savoury sweet coating of plump and succulent chicken meat balls. The peppery chicken was nicely accompanied by warm pieces of roti.
The latter showcases the Da Silva's signature spicy pork curry in a more accessible form of crispy pan-toasted roti wrap sandwich with house-made salted egg mayonnaise, which lends to the curry a mild and creamy complement.
However, should you wish to partake on the family's recipes the traditional way, go for Devil pork curry (255 baht), which features lean pork cubes in a fiery mixture of spice, chilli and vinegar. The curry comes with basmati rice.
Among the selection of daily specials on the day that I visited was nasi lemak with chicken sambal (145 baht).
Here, long-grain Indian basmati rice is blended with Thai jasmine rice so the dish is fragrant and soft yet well exhibiting a loose density, before being cooked in coconut milk.
Not at all oily nor overly flavoured, the rice comes with various garnishes, including pickled pineapple relish, roasted peanuts, small fried anchovies and hard-boiled or fried egg. Superbly complementing the nasi lemak was a very generous and delicious helping of chicken sambal.
Chicken meatball vindaloo with roti.
House special barbecue pork ribs, masala fish and chips, sambal prawn quesadilla and boneless chicken leg with gravy and fries also seem order-worthy, for which I've planned to return.
There are quite a few inviting choices on the dessert list but my sweet ending was represented, very interestingly, by a serving of chee choeng fun, or steamed rice noodle rolls (145 baht).
Taste profiles of this popular Chinese dish vary upon regions. The Penang rendition comes with a thick and rather sweet brown sauce that can be enjoyed either as a main dish or dessert.
The sauce, which tasted quite similar to hoisin sauce, is made with prawn paste infused with peanut butter which gives a sweet and nutty balance.
The flavourful dish with a very soft and soothing mouthfeel promises to make you skip the real dessert menu.
Anyway, if there's still more room in your stomach, check out banana in a bacon blanket with palm sugar dressing (165 baht).
Come on Tuesday for the restaurant's special chicken rice, or Friday and Saturday for nasi lemak with a choice of sambal or rendang curry.
Beverage options include smoothies, milkshakes, soft drinks, coffee and tea as well as cider, wine, beer and cocktails.
Clientele are local foodies and international expats who come in groups or as a happy lone diner.
The restaurant is 10 minutes' walk from BTS Asoke station. Or park your car at Shama Lakeview hotel and get a stamp for one-hour parking.
The nasi lemak with chicken sambal.
The super-luscious Penang-style steamed rice noodle rolls.
Cendol drink made with coconut cream, coconut palm sugar and pandan jellies.
- Makan Makan
- 168/1 Sukhumvit 16
- Call 02-077-5543
- Open 11am–10pm, Monday-Saturday
- Park at Shama Lakeview hotel across the street
- Cash only
