Top Cantonese/Chiu Chow in BKK?

[Simon]

Hi. I live in BKK, and recently went to HK for the first time for a quick two-day trip, but had rather bad luck in HK food-wise.

And, it's left me with cravings for the really exquisite Cantonese or Chiu Chow i'd hoped to eat in HK. I've roamed the Yaowarat sois for street food many times, and i've been to the chains like MK and eaten dimsum all over, but what i'm looking for is a place that will serve higher-end dishes (e.g. roast goose).

I'm aware of (but have not tried) the higher-end Chinese places in the hotels (Mei Jiang, Shanghai 38), but what i'd love to find, if it exists, is a high-end, refined, and authentic place in Yaowarat, especially if its somewhere more geared to local Thai-Chinese than to tourists (or at least more geared toward visitors from HK or Shanghai than it is to farangs staying in the Oriental, Peninsula, etc). Kao-jai mai krab?

Does this restaurant exist?

[klyeoh]

Update on this old thread: some Bangkok relatives have decided that the Thai capital has finally had truly unadulterated HK-style Cantonese fare at Crystal Jade Restaurant in Siam Paragon. The tastes here are more subtle, unlike the more localised (Thai-fied?) Cantonese fare at Shangri-La Restaurant in Silom, Mayflower (Dusit Thani), or Xinn Tien Di (Gaysorn).

Another relatively authentic Chinese (not exclusively Cantonese) restaurant would be China House at the legendary Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, which serves the best Peking duck I'd ever had in Bangkok. But its dim sum offerings, although perhaps amongst the best in Bangkok) still do not measure up to those we'd get in top-flight HK & Singapore Cantonese restaurants.

I'd certainly like to hear from Bangkok-based CHs on what they think is the best Cantonese restaurant in Bangkok.

Address details
=============
Crystal Jade Restaurant
Ground Floor, Siam Paragon,
991 Rama 1 Road
Bangkok 10330
Tel: [phone]

China House
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
48 Oriental Ave
Bangkok 10500
Tel: [phone]

[klyeoh]

If you are farang, I'm not sure if local Thai-Chinese food will suit you. Most Thai-Chinese are Chiuchow (Taechew) but our cooking in Bangkok, even at the "higher-end" Chiuchow restaurants in Yaowarat, tend to be more robust than the ones you get in Hong Kong.

However, if you're still game, you can try one of these Chiuchow restaurants at Thanom Phat Sai in Yaowarat: Sin Kwang Meng, Tan Jai Yun or Jim Jim. We've been holding family birthday dinner parties or large get-togethers there for the last 3 decades.

I'm not sure if they have menus in English, but it's best if you go with locals as the restaurant staff generally only speak Thai or Taechew.

P.S. - Kwang Meng's stewed goose webs and cold mutton ham are great. And leave room for the ork-nee (sweetened yam dessert with gingko nuts).

P.P.S. - Shanghai 38, despite its name, serves Cantonese food. It's quite good, and suits farang tastes.

[Simon]

thanks!

i am farang but i do not have farang tastes....*smiles*...i'll try the three places you mentioned...i speak some Thai but do not read it yet...do those places have signs in English letters?...i'll prob go with some local Thai friends though...

[klyeoh]

Jim Jim is the only one with its sign in English besides Thai & Chinese, whilst the other two only has Thai & Chinese signage - remember, we do NOT expect any farang clientele there. Tan Jai Yun is just next door to Jim Jim, whilst Sin Kwang Meng is across the road, so you can't miss them once you find Jim Jim.

We've brought overseas visitors, i.e. Hong Kongers, also Chiuchow relatives from Singapore (like myself), Swatow (Shantou), Malaysia and even Australian-Chinese. They all enjoyed the food very much.

For Thai-Cantonese cuisine, i.e. those catering for locals, you can go to Shangri-La Restaurant in Silom (it's NOT related to the Shangri-La Hotel chain, with its genuine HK-style Cantonese cuisine at Shang Palace).

I've been going to Shangri-La restaurant in Silom since the late 1970s, and the last time was a few weeks ago - the food's still the same. Thai-style dim sum is sweeter, saltier & oilier than those HK/Singapore/Malaysia. And we love our fish sauce, which is added as a flavouring.

[Simon]

Cool. I'm excited...i prefer going to restaurants w/ zero farang. Thanks for the directions. I'm going to Isaan on vacation soon, but i shall dine at the Yaowarat places when i return.

[whiteamber]

why do you prefer going to restaurants with zero farang?????

[Simon]

if you lived here, you'd understand...*smiles*...