Nomadcitizen

Bangkok, I’m back !

During my last trip in Bangkok, I had the chance to to try some restaurants I have never been before. Well the restaurant scene in Bangkok is huge ! Bangkok has hundreds and hundreds of restaurants which can offer a large variety of food and satisfy our stomach and also our wallet.
In case, you plan to open a restaurant in Bangkok, be well prepared as the level is high and competition very fierce.
In fact, to be successful, your food must be at the top in order to be noticed.

Anyway, I’m digressing from my topic. In this post, I wanted to recommend you some good place to eat during your next stay in Bangkok.

In order to be complete, I should also recommend you to check two posts I wrote about a year ago where I was suggesting some cool place to eat. Consider this post as an addendum to my two previous posts (here and here).

Laem Chareon Seafood (curry crab …)

: Located at 3rd Floor Beacon Zone, CentralWorld (near Siam). The restaurant is specialised mainly into seafood. I had a great curry crab and I’m still salivating just by thinking of it. Service is fast and reliable and prices are fair.

Zen Japanese Restaurant

: Located at 3rd Floor Beacon Zone, CentralWorld (near Siam). Despite a lot of unsatisfied customers complaining on Travel Advisor website, I tried my luck and I was not disappointed. We had fresh sushi and sashimi, again the service was fast and reliable, it won’t hurt your wallet.

Taiwanese Din Tan Fung

or the paradise of dumpling: You can called me an ignorant, but I was not aware of this “institution”, Din Tai Fung are in the business since 1974, they opened their first restaurant in Taipei then they export their “savoir faire” in various place such as Singapore, Bangkok, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, US. My friend living in Singapore and who came to meet me in Bangkok and keep praising Din Tai Fung, so I had no choice than give a try (well as my friend was paying the bill I didn’t mind at all) .

Located also at Central World but on the top floor, you simply can’t miss it, it’s often crowded. I would suggest to arrive earlier or eventually book in advance.

My first impression was: WOW. The restaurant looks like a factory where kitchen staff are working with surgical precision on producing hand-made dumpling. Yes they produce dumpling as soon they receive orders and steam it during exactly 3 minutes, so YES dumpling are fresh ! Dumpling are delicious and full of flavors and yes I will go back again at my next trip !

Somboon Seafood Restaurant

(Chamchuree square). MRT Samyan Station. Another great seafood restaurant (5 branches in Bangkok), but more into Thai/Chinese style. It’s a well-known establishment in Bangkok. They started their business in 1969, their speciality: Fried Curry Crab ! Customers are mostly Bangkokian. Highly recommended.

Overall, I am still impressed about the level of quality of the food provided but also the creativity of the dishes in terms of flavors. Bangkok is certainly becoming a leader in terms of gastronomy in Asia and you should not miss an opportunity to explore their culinary gastronomy during your next stay in the city of angels.

Ready for a culinary experience in one of the most outstanding place in Amsterdam : La Serre ? Yes, then follow me !

The other day, some and friends myself went  for a lunch to the contemporary restaurant called La Serre located in Amsterdam. La Serre is actually the little brother of the two Michelin star restaurant Ciel Bleu. Both of them are located at Okura Hotel. So imagine within the same location you have the following :

• Two Stars Restaurant: Ciel Bleu
• One Star Restaurant Yamazato (best Japanese restaurant in Europe)
• La Serre Restaurant (I will not be surprised if he get a star someday…).
• Okura Hotel (5 stars hotel)

So yes the place is top-notch, without any shadows of doubt ! La Serre Restaurant is inspired by recipes from Ciel Bleu, let’s put this way, La Serre is the light version of the top-notch but also expensive restaurant Ciel Bleu (having tried both, I could say Ciel Bleu is still far away …), they give a second life to recipes from Ciel Bleu for a larger public.
Quality is SUPREME, attention to details is unbelievable. Price is reasonable. We decided, as we were a group of 6 people, to go for the surprise menu (4 courses with a dedicated glass of wine matching each course). What a culinary experience !

Surprise menu means: the chef is deciding on the day his menu according to the season, the variety of the veg, meat, his mood ……

Remember : attention is given to every details.

For each courses, the waiter come to give a word for the course he is presenting. Next, come the sommelier who give us a brief explanation about the wine we were drinking (such as : country of origin, cepage, vineyard, method of wine making etc etc). About the dish itself, well all I can say is that all your senses are awake, it’s a festival of flavors…

I really admire chefs who manage to create exquisite food with style (the creation of one dish takes weeks of preparation, it’s a long process that require precision, finesse and the right product) ! I admit my favorite was the desert, I’m still salivating just by thinking about it ! Overall, this experience (because we can call it an experience) was a real journey in the world of flavors, and again, no regret even when I got the bill ! Afterall, you pay for the top quality of the food but also the location/environment  (we were near the canal …), and the extreme attention of the staff !

So if you want to treat yourself and not burning your wallet too badly, I really encourage you to try La Serre in Amsterdam !

A quick overview of the budget you need (based on a 4 courses menu):

• 4 courses menu (surprise menu or bibemdum menu) : 46 euro
• Wine arrangement: 32.50 euro
• Total per  person around 88 euro

Last but not least, if you go in such place, take into consideration the “time” factor. It’s not a fast food, you won’t get your food and drinks in 5 min and certainly not in a rush way. Everything comes in the right order and you don’t need to wait a long time between dishes. Also, the waiter in charge of your table and the sommelier, will come on regular basis check if you feel comfortable and if you need anything while waiting.
Four course menu, expect to spend around 2 hours in the restaurant. We spent more time, because we were talking a lot and just enjoyed the place

I hope you enjoyed this post, don’t hesitate to subscribe and receive on regular basis my next series of posts !

Nomad Gastronomy is not a restaurant project or a cookbook ….it’s just a series of notes I used to write while I am away from home.

Gastronomy has a solid common ground with the world of travel, both are about: discovering, tasting and experiencing !

In each journey, food is always associated with our five senses (described below), our mind has a strong remembrance of the flavor of a place, a dish, a spice …Can you recall when your senses were completely awake during your last trip. I’m sure if you close you eyes for a sec, and try to think of one city  you visited, you will probably see a picture, but also you might remember the flavor as well.

As I said earlier, travel is calling our five senses :

• Sight: you remember how the city or scenery or a dish looks like.
• Smell: you remember for instance the flavor of the crunch ginger or fennel seeds while you were in Asia or the garbage smell of Naples (when the garbage collectors were on strike for many weeks ..). Imagine, life without aroma, it will be so plain and fade.
• Hearing: the level of noise in Manila street for instance or the open kitchen in a Japanese restaurant in Singapore
• Touch: for this “sense” i would recommend to close your eyes and touch
• Taste: remember the first time you taste lemon grass for instance ? This sense is particularly important as it develop the pleasure of food

Nomadcitizen is about to bring you for an exciting  food journey full in flavors and you will experience some of my best restaurants worldwide (the location is not an important factor, instead the tummy satisfaction is a crucial factor : ) I encountered, are you ready to enjoy a fine dining experience out of the beaten tracks ?

The page will be divided in two sections:

• Restaurants experiences
• Recipes experiences

Restaurants Experience

All the restaurants selected are not necessary listed in your “Michelin” star or exclusive restaurant  list(well you might encounter some of them though ..), but instead I made a selection based on the following:

• Quality of the food
• Atmosphere
• Quality of the service
• Price (cheap food does not mean necessary bad food and I will have several occasion to prove you that I’m not wrong).

Believe me, I’m glad to say that not everything is published on books such as LP there are still some well hidden gems …Another interesting point is, the Horeca field is a very dynamic world and every month, there are new restaurants popping up but also disappearing from the food scene industry.

Recipes Experience:

For the one who have an interest about cooking and the very rich Asian gastronomy for example, stay connected with nomadcitizen and I will provide you on regular basis recipes from all over Asia (Thailand, The Philippines, Malaysia, China ….) but also from many other places.

I do hope you will enjoy this page and my future post and really looking forward to hear from your comments and your food experience where ever you go.

Enjoy !

The other day I was invited for a dinner in a fine dinning restaurant called The Water Library located in Bangkok. More info about the exact location can be found here

This well-respected establishment has not received any Michelin Stars yet ..there is still some miles to cover before The Water Library belong to the supreme élite. Overall the dinner was interesting enough to get my full attention

An interesting aspect of their “fine cuisine” is the fact they want to take each customer to an incredible food journey. The team of cooks is not only Thai but also international which is an added value in my opinion.

The service was perfect. The choice of wine was spot on. The attention to details make me realize that perhaps in a couple of years, we might see more and more “gastronomic restaurants” emerging from countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines.

Recently I read  the restaurant Tim Ho Want in Hong Kong was awarded one michelin star, and they wee offering a menu for just a couple of dollars or euros. It’s just a proof that fine cuisine can be dissociated from “high price”.

Regarding the wine selection of The Water Library Restaurant, I must say, I was impressed, the owner and the sommelier have a deep knowledge about wine from all over the world. They have a deep expertise about the wine matching well your dinner. This is serious business !

The Water Library Restaurant has 2 branches in Bangkok, one in Thonglor and one in Chamchuri.

I tried the one in Chamchuri and have no regret about it. I do recommend this address if you have the opportunity to stop in Bangkok I received very good feedback from the one in Thonglor. Perhaps next time I go to Bangkok I will give a try.

Still hungry, then I invite you to follow my everlasting food journey in Bangkok  !

Enjoy !

Bangkok is absolutely a gastronomic city which has a lot to offer !

Many of my friends going for the first time in Bangkok, always asked me where is the best Thai resto, well the fact is there are thousands of good Thai and international restaurants, and if I should make a list, it would take ages to compile all the info and the time I publish them, it may not be accurate anymore …Of course I can recommend some of them but my main advice is: follow your instincts and also check if the restaurant is crowded with local or foreigner or not crowded at all. Not all restaurants have a website !

I compiled a couple of good spots here below (I might add some more in the future ..)

Keep in mind that you can eat very well in food court and markets and just for a couple of euro.
Food court are mostly located in department store. Try Central or MBK for instance.

Central is located at Chitlom (near the skytrain) has a good foodcourt and it’s located high enough in the building, that you can enjoy a meal and have a nice view of the city (not as good as the view of the Scirocco tower though).  Customers are mostly foreigners, you will have the choice between thai food but also international food.

MBK is another department store located near Siam Square has also a very good foodcourt focused mainly on Thai food, you really can’t be disappointed. Very cheap and tasty !

I must say I ate some fantastic papaya salad (somtam) at JJ market or Lumpini market …food in most of the case is freshly cooked in front of you,  however ask less chilly (if you can’t eat spicy) as majority of Thai food can be very spicy !

Some upscale and fancier restaurant that caught my attention:

Harvey (Californian cuisine): I recommend you to go there during lunch time and enjoy their buffet (cheaper). Very fine cuisine. You will not be disappointed. Have a look at the wine cellar ! Avoid wearing flip flop and short pants, business casual is expected.

http://www.harvey.in.th/

Nobu: Great japanese restaurant : Very small place and often crowded, but has a great range of sushi. The cook is Thai and went to Japan to learn the technique about how to prepare sushi, sashimi etc ….Products are fresh and vibrant !

http://www.nobuthai.com/

Peninsula: Fantastic and ideal location with great service !

Located near the Praya river, they serve either Thai food or Chinese food, I tried both and I preferred by far their Thai food.
http://www.peninsula.com/Bangkok/en/default.aspx#/Bangkok/en/Dining/

Spring and Summer: a good place to chill out !

Ideal for a cup of coffee or tea after dinner. Relaxing area in with a large garden (Lovely contemporary house).
http://www.springnsummer.com/main.html

The Water Library: This fine restaurant offering a modern western cooking is on the way to be a real star in Bangkok. They have also a large range of excellent wines provided during your dinner by a sommelier with an extensive knowledge. You will not be disappointed.

http://www.mywaterlibrary.com

Enjoy !

Last year, my girlfriend and myself decided to go for a trek in the Atlas Mountains, in Morocco for a period of 7 days.

Knowing for a fact that trekking in the Atlas Mountain is a serious business, we went through a trekking agency who was in charge of the itinerary (based on our wishes) and every logistic aspects (mule, local guide, chef cook and assistant). One of my concerns was : how were we going to cope with the food during the trek, what sort of foods, will it be enough …in short I wanted to make sure we were not going to starve

And guess what, we didn’t, and I must say, we ate the best Moroccan food during our trek (far better than our stay in Marrakesh, Casablanca …). The cook manage to create every day simple and tasty food always accompanied with the best drink in the world : whiskey berber (mint tea with a big load of sugar)!

I do highly encourage for anyone who want to travel in the Atlas Mountain to contact this agency : www.atlastrekshop.com