Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla @ Chan Road, Bangkok - เฮียหวาน ข้าวต้มปลา @ ถนนจันทน์ สะพาน 2 กรุงเทพฯ

Cuisine: Street Food / Soft-boiled Rice / Chinese
Charged Price: THB200 per person without alcohol
Visited: 4 August 2015
Food: 7/10
Atmosphere: n.m. (street food)
Value for money: 9/10
Services & Cleanliness: n.m. (street food)
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

When I first heard about a new khao tom pla (soft-boiled rice with fish or fish gruel) near my place, I was so eager that I headed there to try on the next day. Since I was a little kid, I have been a fan of khao tom pla. Usually I have to take myself all the way to Yaowarat (Bangkok China Town) where the old Siang Ki is located. Indeed Siang Ki has been offering excellent khao tom pla since parent generation. However, the construction work of underground train around Yaowarat has caused chaotic traffic all day all night in the area. But now I have discovered a new place near home: Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla.

If you are familiar with Rama 3 Road area, it wouldn't be difficult at all to get to Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla. It is located right on the main street of Chan Road (the local call the area Saphan 2). If you are coming from Sathon Road, drive into Charoen Rat Road and when you meet Chan Road you turn left. Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla will be within 50 metres on your left. Just find an appropriate parking space along the street if you do drive.

Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla at Chan Road

Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla is right on the main street of Chan Road

store front

The good thing about Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla is it operates its business everyday. The only few times you will find this place closes are probably Chinese New Year, Thai New Year, and Vegetarian Festival in October. You can always check if you are going to visit during that period. The con is it opens from 5pm to 11:30pm only: i.e. dinner only. Also you better come by early if you want to eat something like fish maw. It will sure run out fast. When I say early, I mean something like before 06:30pm. Really early definitely.

The menu here is pretty much similar to other khao tom pla places. You get to choose ranges of seafood: grouper, pomfret, sea bass, prawn, oyster, and squid. With soup or without soup is up to you. If you are low-carbohydrate people, just ask for no rice. In case of bored with traditional khao tom pla, tom yum or spicy and sour mix are interesting choices here too. To me, the fascinating here is the size of seafood and its freshness. Things are really fresh and they do some in large size, especially, prawn.

menu 1 (Thai only)

menu 2 (Thai only)

fresh seafood daily

large and fresh prawns

pot of ba teng

Personally, I prefer to go without rice and with an addition of ba teng. Ba Teng is a kind of sweet and salty pork. Adding it to the soup does bring up the flavour of the soup considerably. It is not the very best here but delicious enough to bring me the finale part. For spicy and sour mix, this is rich on the palate and can be spicy for foreigners. Do not hesitate to ask for mild flavour if you need.

In brief, this is a highly recommended place for khao tom pla in Rama 3 Road area. The pricing, the overall taste, and the size of portion are in valuable range. Not the top top notch one but enjoyable at certain degree. I personally will return to this place from time to time for sure.

seafood in soup with/without soft-boiled rice

grouper, oyster, and ba teng in soup - เกาเหลาปลาเก๋า หอยนางรม บะเต็ง (THB150)

Spicy and Sour Mix (grouper, prawn, squid, and oyster) - ยำปลา กุ้ง หมึก หอยนางรม (THB200)

Ba Teng (sweetened salty pork) - บะเต็ง (THB50)

Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla @ Chan Road, Bangkok - เฮียหวาน ข้าวต้มปลา @ ถนนจันทน์ สะพาน 2 กรุงเทพฯ
816 Chan Road (Saphan 2)
Thung Wat Don, Sathon
Bangkok 10120
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 05:00pm - 11:30pm

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Nikolaihof Gruner Veltliner Hefeabzug 2013

Date of Tasting: 28 May 2015
Wine Type: White
Grape Varieties: 100% Gruner Veltliner
Alcohol: 12%
Origin: Wachau, Austria
Appellation: Wachau
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR20
Web: http://www.nikolaihof.at/
Chubby Appreciation: 91/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 90/100, WS - 92/100, CT - 90/100


Appearance: Bright yellow.
Aroma: Minerally citrus bouquet and subtle smokiness.
Palate: Medium-bodied on the palate. Appearance of complexity. Crisp acidity and iodine. Pear and citrus notes with mild spiciness.

Food friendly wine, this is. It is sure a good value table wine that deserves stocking up. I love the crunchiness character of this wine by Nikolaihof whilst subtlety and creaminess are still maintained. If Gruner Veltliner is your kind of white wine, here is one for drinking during the next 5 years.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

The Whitebrook Restaurant and Rooms @ Monmouthshire, Wales

Cuisine: British
Charged Price: GBP50 per person
Visited: 28 June 2015
Food: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
Services: 9/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

I am usually one who enjoys experiencing and dining in a unique restaurant out of city where it is less crowded and less well-known. The Whitebrook near Monmouth is another interesting one in Wales. It offers both excellent dining experience and calm environment. Personally, I felt that this is a wonderful place to visit in Wales. Food was crafted with care and service was friendly and attentive. The Whitebrook is not just a restaurant in countryside but it is as well a boutique hotel. I would say it should be nice staying at The Whitebrook if you are going to be in the area. Trekking, relaxing, and visiting farms around the area should be a wonderful break.

Walking into the restaurant, we were firstly welcome at the reception area where small bites and aperitif could be enjoyed. Once the table had been prepared, we were introduced to the table. The Whitebrook is just a small restaurants with about 5 tables each in two connected rooms. Though it is just a small place, each table is arranged with comfortable gap. The place is decorated neatly in white tone, yet opulent. The kind of cuisine here is rather classic with many ingredients can be found locally. Wine list is appropriately extensive. It is arranged in character types rather by region. As for the marked up, I would say it is moderately high: around 2 - 3 times retail price.

The Whitebrook Restaurant and Rooms @ Monmouthshire, Wales

beautiful restaurant and hotel in mountain

cosy reception

plain but nice dining room

For Sunday lunch, it was priced at GBP35.00 for a 3-courses meal (3 choices for each course). The meal kicked off with a small portion of amuse bouche (9/10). It was velvety carrot mousse topped with sweet, fresh, and crisp shaves of carrot. There was also chicken crisp that boosted contrast on the palate. The final touch was radish flowers that gave spices touch. As for bread, there were two choices of in-house made: white and brown. Both were delicious with soft touch.

small bites while waiting to be seated


amuse bouche

For the first course, we went for Asparagus Mousse, Monmouthshire Ham, Young Herbs & Flowers (8/10) and Goat's Cheese Fondant, Beetroot, Rye, Walnuts (8/10). The asparagus mousse was really tender and soft on the bite. The other vegetable components on the plate gave crispiness and freshness of the forest. Monmouthshire ham, on the other hand, brought balance with rich taste to the dish. To pair with this dish, I had asked the sommelier for an opinion and Trimbach Muscat Reserve 2013 (89/100, GBP8.75 per glass) was the choice. It is an unoaked dry muscat with highly perfumed character. On the palate, it showed bright acid and minerality with citrus notes. Nice one with asparagus. For goat cheese, its character was totally opposite of the asparagus dish. It was rich but tender. I like the way beetroots balanced out the heavy structure of goat cheese. In my opinion, a glass of sweet wine would go nicely with this rich starter.

Asparagus Mousse, Monmouthshire Ham, Young Herbs & Flowers

Goat's Cheese Fondant, Beetroot, Rye, Walnuts

Trimbach Muscat Reserve 2013

Moving on to main courses, I had Huntsham Farm Suckling Pig, Potato Puree, Turnip, Beer Pickled Onion (8/10) whilst Deadly Bunny had Ryeland Lamb, Hotpot Potato, Violet Artichoke, Orache (9/10). They both were excellent but lamb dish was a bit finer. The overall picture of suckling pig was lovely and enjoyable with fresh and crisp turnip and sweet beer pickled onion that matched opulent and rich suckling pig well. Croquet was, in contrast, crisp and complex. Mashed potato alongside was wonderfully smooth and creamy. The missing point for me was a touch of over saltiness and a little bit overcooked of suckling, even though it was tender and juicy.

For lamb, it was rich and classic. It was just so tender and juicy such that meat came off easily with just a light touch of fork. The grilled artichoke and potato were great matches. Orache gave the unique flavour to the dish. To me, it felt like pak meang or gnetum gnenom which can be locally found in the southern part of Thailand. The chosen red wine for the main course was Badenhorst Family Wines Secateurs Red Blend 2012 (88/100, GBP8.75 per glass). This is a blend of Cinsault, Shiraz , Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinotage. It was fresh with layers of black fruits and spices. Secateurs 2012 is medium-full on the body and is ready for drinking now. A nice table wine, I would say.

Huntsham Farm Suckling Pig, Potato Puree, Turnip, Beer Pickled Onion

Ryeland Lamb, Hotpot Potato, Violet Artichoke, Orache

Badenhorst Family Wines Secateurs Red Blend 2012

Just before the final course, a small portion of pre-dessert was served: Velvet Parfait (10/10). It was such a highly perfumed ice-cream of violet flowers: so creamy and smooth. It was served along with elderflower meringue and rose jelly. It was another "love at first bit" for me.

For finale, two different characters of dessert were picked. One was Lemon, Apple Fizz, Elderflower Tintern Mead (9/10) and the other was Local Strawberries, Woodland Sorrel, Oats, Caramelised Almonds (9/10). The lemon mousse was almost perfect. So soft on the touch and yet creamy. Citrus note of lemon paired simultaneously with apple compote and freshness of elderflower. It was like I was walking in a spring garden on a good warm day. On the other hand, the strawberry dessert was more punchy with crunchiness of caramelised almond, smooth sorrel ice-cream, and fresh strawberry. It was more like walking in a forest during a mild shower day for this dish. Anyway, both were fabulous.

Lastly, a small bites of nettle macaron was brought to end the meal. Needless to say much, this is a place to return for me. If I have a chance to be back in the area, I would not hesitate making my journey to The Whitebrook at all. By the way, it can be a bit tedious reaching The Whitebrook. I would suggest lunch time meal rather than dinner if you are not staying around the place as you will need to drive for sure. Roads around the place are narrow and are dark in the evening.

Velvet Parfait

Lemon, Apple Fizz, Elderflower Tintern Mead

Local Strawberries, Woodland Sorrel, Oats, Caramelised Almonds


The Whitebrook Restaurant and Rooms @ Monmouthshire, Wales
Whitebrook (near Monmouth)
Monmouthshire
NP25 4TX
Wales
United Kingdom

Open Hours: daily except Monday from 12:00pm - 02:00pm for lunch and 07:00pm - 09:00pm for dinner

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Elvio Cogno Barolo DOCG Bricco Pernice 2007

Date of Tasting: 14 May 2015
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 100% Nebbiolo
Alcohol: 14.5%
Origin: Piedmont, Italy
Appellation: Barolo DOCG
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR60
Web: http://www.elviocogno.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 93/100, AG - 93/100, JS - 95/100, WS - 90/100, WE - 94/100, FS - 94/100, CT - 91/100


Appearance: Bright garnet.
Aroma: Perfume of red berries, tea, tar, spices, flowers.
Palate: Round tannins. Medium-full on the palate. Depth of rich raspberry note. Lively acidity. 

Dry on the palate as in typical Barolo but gorgeous fruits still. It is pretty much accessible now, however, it should be able to age more. I would say it is about sniffing for this one. It is a fine pleasure just to sniff bouquet of this wine.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Game Over Lounge @ Liberty Plaza, Thonglor, Bangkok - เกมโอเวอร์ เลานจ์ @ ลิเบอร์ตี้ พลาซ่า ซอยทองหล่อ กรุงเทพฯ

Cuisine: Bar Food
Charged Price: THB225 per person without alcohol
Visited: 2 August 2015
Food: 6/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Value for money: 4/10
Services: n.m.
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Having heard so much about the excellent burger by food truck "Daniel Thaiger" but I personally have not got a chance to visit just yet. Nevertheless, in case queueing along street side and have you burger right there is not your kind of habit, Game Over Lounge also offers the very same burger "Nerd by Daniel Thaiger".

Game Over Lounge is an electronic playground: i.e. a place where gamers can hang around. Apart from games, the place also operates as a bar where you can grab beer, cafe food, and even burgers by Daniel Thaiger whilst playing along. The way that Game Over Lounge operates is more like self-service. You can order your food and beverage at the counter and pay right there. Cooked food will be brought to your table once done. Basically, there will be no wait staffs and in consequence there will be no added 10% service charge to your bill. If you are familiar with Thonglor, you may know exactly where Liberty Plaza is. Otherwise, Liberty Plaza, where Game Over Lounge is situated, is right at the far end of Thonglor and is right by the bridge crossing Saen Saep canal. If you drive there, Game Over Lounge can be accessed from the car park.

Game Over Lounge @ Liberty Plaza

entrance from car park

bar scene of Game Over

some game corner

over looking staffs in kitchen

look like a cosy corner

For this first time, I tried Mr. Steve Burger (6/10) which is basically bacon cheese burger. It was nice and just juicy but not exactly great. I felt that the beef patty still lacked of flavour and was overdone. I did ask for medium but turned out to be almost well done. The good part was crispy bacon and the sauce however the rich taste of bacon seemed to overwhelm the cheese bit. Bun was baked by Conkey's Bakery. It was a bit chewy. I personally preferred softer kind of brioche bun.

Grilled Tuna Melt (5/10) and Fries were also ordered to be tasted. Grilled tuna melt was just a classic tuna sandwich really but enjoyable. To me, I could say that it was a disappointment for me. I have heard a lot about Daniel Thaiger's burger. But this turned out to be pretty much standard burger that ones would expect to get. Yes, enjoyable but not memorable. My favourite one in Bangkok would still be Papa's Kitchen though. The pricing here was not high but not cheap in my view. The actual size of dishes here was smaller than I had imagined from seeing the photo really. Anyway, if you have not tried yourself, it may be a good idea to give it a go. For me, queueing for burger at food truck of Daniel Thaiger will not happen perhaps.  By the way, they also do serve Tomahawk steak at Game Over Lounge at the price of THB300 per 100 grams. Again, I have heard it is really good and it takes 4 hours to prepare so it will have to be ordered in advance. Another choice for you to try with a group of friends perhaps.

Mr. Steve Burger (THB200)

Fries (THB90)

Grilled Tuna Melt (THB120)

Game Over Lounge @ Liberty Plaza, Thonglor, Bangkok - เกมโอเวอร์ เลานจ์ @ ลิเบอร์ตี้ พลาซ่า ซอยทองหล่อ กรุงเทพฯ
Liberty Plaza
1000/39 Soi Thonglor
Sukhumvit Road
Khlong Tan Nuea, Wattana
Bangkok 10110
Thailand

Open Hours: Tue - Sun from 11:00am - 02:00am (kitchen hours: 11:30am - 11:30pm)

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Domaine de la Grange des Peres 2005

Date of Tasting: 30 April 2015
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: ~ 40% Syrah, 40% Mourvedre, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 15%
Origin: Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Appellation: IGP Pays de l'Herault
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR120
Web: n.a.
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Critics' Opinion: RP - 95/100, CT - 93/100


Appearance: Elegant ruby
Aroma: Wild forest, dark plum red berries, and spices
Palate: Sweet ripe fruit coupling with dark chocolate and tobacco. Herbs, pepper, and minerality then followed. Medium-full for the structure but came in silkily fine touch. 

It possesses power but yet exhibit fine elegant. I experienced this bottle first time a few years back and this was my last bottle, sadly (T_T). It is such a fine red blend from a fine producer from Languedoc-Roussillon. I wish I could have many more bottles in stock. If you are lucky to find ones, do not hesitate to pack them back.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

2 Different Charming Afternoon Tea in Lake District

It was a trip to Lake District in the north of England and yes, it is England where you can find a place for a short pause with tea and cake. We did pull over at 2 destinations: one was a small bakery in the village of Hawkshead and the other one was an afternoon tea at a cosy hotel in Ambleside.

Sun Cottage Cafe and Bakery @ Hawkshead, Cumbria

Charged Price: GBP5.60 per person for a piece of cake and tea
Visited: 25 June 2015
Food: 6/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 7/10
Services: 5/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

As we walked around Hawkshead village, we were attracted by large pieces of cakes on the window display of a small bakery called "Sun Cottage Cafe and Bakery". We knew in our heart right there that we had to stop by. Without much hesitation, we did pop ourselves into this bakery. The Sun Cottage may be just a small bakery (near Hawkshead Grammar School) but the size of its cakes is enormous.

Walking into the place, you can feel it is a cosy little place that can somewhat make you feel like at home. The lady running the place on the day was really friendly too. If you happen to stop over during lunch, you will find that Sun Cottage also serves hot food.

Sun Cottage Cafe and Bakery @ Hawkshead, Cumbria

cosy and friendly atmosphere

large cakes on window display

At the time of our visit, there were only 4 types of cake left: raspberry sponge cake, carrot cake, banana cake, and strawberry chocolate cake. A slice of cake is priced at GBP3.65 which is pretty reasonable in our opinion. We went for raspberry sponge cake and carrot cake. I personally enjoy carrot cake a lot. Cream cheese frosting was lovely. The cake itself was soft and rich. With a pot of earl grey, I was done for the day honestly. Believe me, a slice of cake here is big enough to make you full unless you are a big eater which is not the case for me. As for raspberry sponge cake, it was more or less similar to carrot cake in term of texture. Instead of carrot, it was vanilla based cake with whipped cream and raspberry jam filling.

I do recommend those who are visiting Hawkshead to stop by this place. It is an enjoyable place indeed. You won't find much about information of Sun Cottage on websites. It is not hard to find. If you see Hawkshead Grammar School, Sun Cottage is just a few buildings from the school.

cake (GBP3.65 per slice), tea (1.95 per pot)

raspberry sponge cake

carrot cake

banana cake

strawberry chocolate cake

Sun Cottage Cafe and Bakery @ Hawkshead, Cumbria
Main Street
Hawkshead
Ambleside
Cumbria, LA22 0NT
United Kingdom

Open Hours: daily from morning to 04:00pm
Tel: +44 (0) 1539 436 123


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Rothay Manor Hotel @ Ambleside, Cumbria

Charged Price: GBP15.00 per person for afternoon tea
Visited: 23 June 2015
Food: 5/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 6/10
Services: 7/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

As mentioned above, Sun Cottage is a lovely little place for tea. On the other hand, if you fancy something a little more cosy and comes in buffet style, an afternoon tea at Rothay Manor Hotel may be an answer for you. Rothay Manor Hotel is a nice comfy hotel by River Rothay in Ambleside and can be dated back to early 19th century. Of course, the place is decorated in something between country style and contemporary. There is a nice garden at the front of the hotel too. Afternoon tea here is served in 2 areas: dining room and living room. For us, we chose to be seated in living where it is more relax. During our visit, the weather was splendid in Ambleside and we wished we could have our tea in the garden. Did not ask for that though but it would be tremendous for any visitors if al fresco tea could be done on a fine summer day.

entrance to Rothay Manor

nice and comfortable hotel in lake district

tea is served in living room

a fine afternoon in lake district

Tea is served between 03:30pm and 05:00pm here. Things here are arranged in self-service buffet style with plenty of choices of both savoury and sweet. The overall impression was enjoyable but not great. The only thing that kind of annoyed me was there was no clotted cream to go with scones but whipped cream instead. For tea and coffee, there will be staffs taking order from you and serve at your table.

Overall, it is not the must-go place for me. But it is a lovely enough place to visit if you have time and enjoy buffet style afternoon tea.

buffet style afternoon tea

sweet range

savoury range

Rothay Manor Hotel @ Ambleside, Cumbria
Rothay Road
Ambleside
Cumbria, LA22 0EH
United Kingdom

Open Hours: daily from 03:30pm - 05:00pm
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