Personally, a Mookata buffet usually conjures up images of menacing gas cylinders and splattering hot oil. I would classify it under "higher risk" food adventure, and unless the benefits are justified, I would not go near a Mookata anytime. Legend has it that Soi 51 Mookata has great value-for-money all-you-can-eat delicious Mookata buffet at $20 nett only! And $18 nett during promotion periods. That certainly outweighs the risk of me being burnt by a Mookata. 

The variety of food offered at Soi 51 Mookata is amazing. Besides the usual marinated pork, chicken and beef, I was surprised with the seafood offerings which include prawns, mussels, scallops, squid, bamboo clams, flower crabs. And they also have a huge selection of pork balls, Thai fish cakes, mushrooms etc. 

Taste-wise, we love almost everything. The barbecued marinated meats were excellent. They were tender and juicy. The prawns and scallops were succulent as well. Again, to re-emphasise the price point of $20 nett, it's really worth the money and there's not much to complain about the food standards.

Soi 51 Mookata has several outlets and I think most of them are located in coffee shops. Take your pick of "prime real estate" in the coffee shop and enjoy the open-air ventilation. Service is adequate and efficient. Though one should not be expecting restaurant type of ambience and service level.  We left with our souls satisfied, stomachs overworked. 

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/soi51mookata/ 

I think I’ll never be sick of Bangkok. The problem with Bangkok me is that I am always there on short visits. And I try to do too many things in that 2 or 3 days there. Due to the limited resources (i.e. stomach capacity and time), it is crucial for me to prioritize the food that I want to eat. On my recent last trip to Bangkok, these were some of the places that I ate at. It's going to be my to-eat list going forward, sorted by priority level. 

(A) High priority

1. After You - Shibuya honey toast

I think the picture says it all about the famous Shibuya honey toast. But I will still elaborate. The warm and lightly buttered toasted toast is airy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It is accompanied by smooth vanilla ice-cream. When drizzled with the honey, the combination is equivalent to fireworks in the mouth. Even my friends who hate sweet stuff love this.

I’ve not personally tried the other varieties that After You have but according to my research, don’t bother with other varieties. This is the real bomb.

Tip: Go during odd timings like dinner time when there is a shorter queue.

2. Ban Khun Mae

This is a one-stop place for all my favourite Thai dishes – Phad Thai, Basil chicken, Pandan chicken, spring rolls. I also tried the Tom Yam but didn't include it in the photo above as the photo turned out blurred. Going to Ban Khun Mae feels like going home. Because the food is hearty and taste like home-cooked dishes. And also because a lot of Singaporeans eat there too. Ban Khun Mae has really nice Red Ruby (water chestnuts) and Mango sticky rice too. This is a place to come if you are like clean and simple flavours with not too much experimentation or embellishment.

3. Coconut ice-cream at Chatuchak

Nothing beats refreshing coconut ice-cream + coconut water on a sweltering hot day at Chatuchak. There are several stores selling this but we got the one that came with a flag.

4. Som Tum Nua

The speciality is supposedly the Som Tum (papaya salad). But I love the fried chicken more. A perfect amalgamation of crispy texture and tasty flavour. A must order.

5. Out of the world fried chicken

Somehow the Thais just know how to cook really delicious fried chicken (or Gai Tod as they call it). Especially the ones at the streetside stalls (outside Central World). There is something in the marinade that makes it special and irresistible. I wouldn't be surprised to know if the marinade is a complicated concoction of a wide variety of herbs and spices. Southeast Asian food is famous for that, thanks to the easy access to various spices in the region. Unlike the American or Korean versions, the crispy skin is thinner and I think this allows the spices to be better absorbed by the tender meat underneath.

I call it my "out of the world" fried chicken because that's how AroiMakMak.com described it. You have to try it yourself to know exactly what we are talking about.

6. BAKE cheese tart

Best cheese tart ever. Within the crackly crust contains creamy and smooth cheese.

OK when I was there during my last trip, BAKE has not arrived in Singapore. But if you are in Bangkok, why not? Since the queue is much shorter, it only makes sense to eat in Bangkok.

7. Smooth Curry

Located in Plaza Athenee, a 5 star hotel, this is a hidden gem. The set lunch comprising of 4 courses is only THB 666 (~S$25). Among the 2 of us, we had 8 different dishes to share - crab sausage,  prawn spring rolls, Tom Kha Gai (spicy and sour coconut soup with chicken), Tom Yum Goong (spicy and sour lemongrass soup with shrimps), beef tenderloin with sweet basil and green chili, red curry with chicken and coconut, red ruby and mango sticky rice. The food is top notch and exquisite.

The place is super quiet, offering an elegant reprieve while being right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city.  We were the only ones there during lunch (I think it's more busy during dinner). Highly recommended to bring your secret lover here.

8. Mango Tree

Mango tree is located in transit area of Survarnabhumi airport. It is my to-go whenever I need a meal at the airport. And if I still can't get enough of Thai food before flying home. The green curry is sumptuous and chockfull of chicken meat, best drizzled on a bowl of jasmine rice. The Phad Thai is coated with a perfect mix of sweet and savoury sauce.

(B) Medium priority

1. T&K Seafood

This place is in Chinatown and very easy to find. The lazy us had the curry crab (peeled version) and a steamed fish. The curry crab was disappointing. It might be because it was peeled and so there was not much kick. The steamed fish was ridiculously cheap and we loved it.

2. Raan Jay Fai

We came here for the famous Drunken noodles which every blogger has recommended. I have no idea why the noodles are called drunken when there is no alcohol in it. It's mainly stir fried flat noodles with lots of seafood. The chef is Raan Jay Fai and she cooks her food over charcoal, giving the food an unmistakable wok-hei. The drunken noodles were great and spicy. The seafood were in abundance and fresh. But it is very expensive (THB 400 or ~S$15). OMG. The place is very popular at night but Madam Raan Jay Fai cooks each dish individually. (Seriouslyyy). Which meant we had to waittttt.. I think we waited for almost 2 hours. OMG. While the drunken noodles were awesome, I don't think I will be back unless I have a lot of time.

This place is a victim of its own success, unfortunately.

3. Mango sticky rice (Mae-varee)

Mae-Varee was top search result when I googled "Best Mango sticky rice". Hmm.. Mae-Varee is great and the mangoes are sweet not sour. Which is what you should be getting in Bangkok as the Thais usually use a special type of mango called nam-dokmai (flower nectar mango). I can't really tell how Mae-Varee is better than the rest of the mango sticky rice which you get at any part of Bangkok. They are same same and not different to me.

We trekked specially to Sukhumvit Soi 38 for it. Apparently, according to our pre-trip research, there is supposedly very good street food there. However, we found there aren't many stalls there and it was quite boring for us.

4. Coffee Beans by Dao

Coffee Beans by Dao has several outlets. We had the yam cake which was had a thick smooth layer of yam paste atop fluffy moist cream cake. Don't mind going back to try other cakes.

5. The Deck

The Deck is situated right opposite the Wat Arun across the river. We went there specially to get a night view of the glittering Wat Arun. Unfortunately, the Wat Arun lights were spoilt that night. Otherwise, it would be a perfect ambient place for some drinks.

6. 55 Pochana

It was of some comfort to us knowing that we were the only foreigners in this late night supper place in Sukhumvit. Which means we probably are eating the real Thai food. We were there for "dinnpper" (dinner + supper) so the famished us ordered more than 1 dish. I can't remember what was the name of the dish on the top left. I think it was some vegetable + vermicelli. The top right was a spicy crispy duck + crispy basil dish. The thin slices of duck were flavorful and very spicy, and tastes rather interesting with the fragrant crispy basil leaves. The Tom yam was a bottomless bowl of seafood and also very spicy.

If you can't handle spicy food, don't come. This place is not for amateurs.

We couldn't finish everything. It's wiser to just order two dishes in the future. The food is also too oily for me and I will request them to go easy on the oil next time.

7. Nara Thai

As we could not afford the Nara Thai in Singapore, we can only eat the original version at cheaper prices in Thailand. Pad Thai, Basil chicken and Tom Yum Goong get our thumbs up. 

8. A&W - Root beer + curly fries

Yea...Because we all missed our childhood comfort food. 

(C) No priority (won’t be back)

1. MK steamboat

MK is supposed to be a famous Thai steamboat. Hmm not sure what is the hype about. I mean the roast duck was not bad, tender meat, but not out of the world. The steamboat was quite a letdown.

2. P Aor Tom Yum Goong

This was supposed to be the best Tom Yum Goong in Bangkok. We were disappointed that it was served not hot, and that the prawns were not fresh. This is also the first non-spicy Tom Yum that I ate. Without drinking water.

3. Thip Samai Phad Thai

Supposedly the best Phad Thai. Not served hot. I prefer my food to be served hot and piping. It is tasty but I think it is comparable to other restaurants. Not worth the hassle to travel (it's not really in central Bangkok) and queue for it.

4. Roast Cafe

Another "must-try" from our pre-trip research. Hmmm so so and the dish was killed by the balsamic sauce which I hate most. Seriously balsamic sauce is like waste water. How can anyone serve waste water? If you want to serve waste water, you should disclose in your menu.

So there you have it. My two cent baht worth of where my priorities are. You're welcome. Now I can’t wait to go back to Bangkok again.. to eat.. repeat. 

Sawadee kha! It's long time no see kha! I found a lovely Thai restaurant in Bugis recently called Sawadee.. without the Kha. Thai food is one of my most favourite cuisines. And surprise surprise,  Sawadee has some awesome dishes.

The interior is elegant and exudes Thai charm. The prices are also very elegant. I would say a normal dish (small serving) costs around $12 to $18. Bigger servings typically cost more than $20. No GST but there is service charge. We didn't have much issues on what to order because everything on the menu sounds so nice! 

The duck curry ($15+) impressed me- a unique curry that was enhanced with real lychee and pineapple slices which gave a sweet fruity tone to the spicy thick curry. The creamy gravy was perfect with a bowl of rice. The only imperfection was the portion - too small!

We also ordered the otah ($15+) which was elegantly presented in seven portions in a clay plate that helped to keep the food warm. The fish paste was tasty, succulent, and well marinated with coconut milk and fish sauce. 

We only ordered two mains between the two of us.. as we wanted to try the desserts.. One dessert for each of us :)

Mango sticky rice ($6+) - The warm sticky rice was wondrously topped with coconut milk and tiny crispy soya beans. And the main star, golden yellow mangoes, were just like the ones from Bangkok.. Juicy and sweet. 

The red ruby ($4+) is a traditional Thai dessert that is made of crunchy water chestnuts and coconut milk. The icy dessert was a refreshing end to our meal.  

Service staff was elegant, courteous and  they seem to be real Thai. However I think their boss was less courteous. In fact, he was scolding them most of the time. So embarrassing. 

Overall, I would say this is some really good Thai cuisine, albeit a little pricy. No need to go Bangkok anymore. We can have authentic Thai food at Sawadee. Can't  wait to be back for another meal at Sawadee.

Address: 9 Tan Quee Lan St #01-01 TQL Suite S(188098)

Tel: 6238-6833

I have to start by disclaiming that this is not a story about authentic Thai food. This is another story of how I found a gem by following the long queue. Ah Loy Thai located at the basement of Tampines Mall always had a long queue every time I passed by. Like always. Being the typical Singaporean, I made the assumption that the long queue means good food. I am a good follower.

The unassuming hole-in-the-wall that contains the gems.


The pineapple fried rice ($7, below) had a wok hei taste, and the pineapples, prawns and raisins were a great infusion to entice the tastebuds. The eggs were to die-for. Although it tasted more like Chinese Zhi Char fried rice, it made me wanted to go Bangkok immediately. 4.5/5


The Tom Yam seafood soup ($7.50, below) was really spicy. One sip and it set my tongue and belly to flames even faster than I could say "sa-wa-dee-kha". And I think they must have been best friends with their supplier because there were a lot of fresh ingredients: prawns, mushroom, lemongrass and chock-ful of squids. It was like a bottomless pot of ingredients. The soup brought out the essence of the ingredients and the spiciness was well balanced by the sourness. 4.5/5


Loved the Phad Thai ($7, below) which was well done : not too oily and had a wok hei taste to it too. Umani packed thin flat noodles were flavorful and delivered the punch. Again, generous amount of eggs, prawns and beanspouts. This is like my perfect Phad Thai. 5/5


And before we thought the meal would not get any better, the butter calamari ($8, below) arrived. Hail the butter calamari! Every bite was a burst of sweet and savory. Although it's sinful, it's addictive and tasty. 5/5


Meat is very important in a meal so we ordered the pandan chicken ($10, below). Hmmm the chicken was a little tough (frozen meat?). Would give this a miss if we had known. 3/5



Although the food was more like Chinese Zhi Char rather than Thai Thai in my opinion, it's really irresistible and tasty and had us swooning. These were really simple, nothing over the top dishes but that's all it takes to make us contented. And also make us work harder at the gym thereafter. And all these for only $13 per pax which is value for money! There is no service charge or Gst. It would have cost more if we went to other Thai restaurants. There is another outlet at Bugis Shaw towers but I haven't tried it before. Despite the long queues during meal times, this is stuff that I would not regret queuing for. Ok I need to wipe off the drool on my keyboard now.