its chinese food promotion month at siam paragon, how fekkin' great is that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

last month was italian food and everyone went absolutely bat shit eating cheese, cured hams and every other italian delicacy, now it is chinese food month. leave it up to the siam paragon folks to hit balls out of the park one right after another.

i was on my way to doing some of that great sunday banking they have at paragon mall when i spied the peking duck stand. i have always been a big fan of duck, prepared any way at all, and to have it peking style is always a treat.

when i was the food and beverage manager at siam city hotels in pattaya a few years back each of the two sister hotels on beach road had fantastic chinese kitchens that served peking duck. whenever i was on duty, and i saw an order come in, i would run and stand in the kitchen and wait for it to be served so i could scarf the carcass and all the great tidbits that cling to it. i also got a rush when the gas was fired up in the duck ovens that put that great glaze and crispness to the skin. the amount of pressure and the loud whooshing sound makes it seem like you are at an airport right on the tarmac when a jet is revving its engines.

did you know that the skin is always cut int he exact same pattern, the exact same number of pieces and its done with a big ass clever, not a small little knife as one might think? some chefs are so adept at carving ducks that they can perform the entire procedure wearing white cloth gloves that remain spotless form beginning to end.

i was in such a hurry to eat my serving that, again, i forgot to take a picture, but then i bought 4 more portions for take away to give to my friends that i would be meeting shortly thereafter. so here are some shots of the booth, the assorted foods, and some peking duck fast food style. price: 150 baht or $4.47 usd per serving. right, under 5 dollars and there are 10 pancakes with all the trimmings.

portions on display.

chinese style kao-kaa-moo, braised anise scented pork leg.
these were some of the largest i have ever seen.
and they looked just great.
but alas,
no room for moo today we will be stuffing our face with duck.

simmering soup, is that cooker big enough for ya?

fried bean curd items.

i had an assortment plate and it was great.
not greasy at all, and meatless, too.

steamed pork buns and duck roll ups in rice pancakes.

this lady was great.
she loved that i loved her duck so much
that i came back and bought 4 more orders for my friends.

this is peking duck take away style.

and again, lid open.



ready to nosh.



what the inside looks like.

my friend khun ice enjoying a box of peking duck.
she was amazed that anyone would have thought to bring some for others to enjoy.
she ate an entire box by herself, and she had just eaten an entire meal of thai food.

i just love to watch girls eat with their hands, don't you?

sharazade, one more time this week, cannot get enough of that lamb leg ...

i looked up at the sign over the door this visit and it says sharazade, not sherazade, i apologize for the misspellings before. funny, after eating there for 16 years, i finally learned how they spell it. the place has been there for 26 years, hmmmmmmmmmmmm, must be an ok restaurant, nah?

this visit i took the pictures before i ate the lamb. i also had some more of their great egyptian feta cheese with olive oil, and also the babaganoush.

just as i arrived a group of 18 came in. no reservation and half of them were children in strollers. they were driving the staff nuts with their demands. it was all taken in stride, even by the customers that were politely asked to give up their tables and relocate so that a table for 18 could be morphed into place.

i have spent 30 years working in restaurants and it never amazes me how some folks just do not think it sensible, in their best interests, polite or proper to call ahead for a reservation, especially for a table of 18, and, upon arrival, they think that moses should be parting the sea for them. lucky for these folks the people at sharazade are true restaurateurs who never show their disdain or mention there dismay at the utter lack or sensibility and etiquette.

a closer shot of this perfectly toasted lamb leg.

very busy day today too, look at how full the grill is.

i always finish my meal with one of these lighter-than-air custards
with ground almonds and coconut, and a not-to-sweet turkish coffee.



i have had to forgo my coffee of late
because they are currently not serving hot beverages after 6:00 pm
in accordance with islamic belief.

another 15 days and i can get my fix.
they offered to make me one,
but i said that although it was appreciated,
no need to break with custom.
i got big face and big smiles of appreciation for that decision.
maybe it was a test.

the owner approached me while i was taking the grill pic and he told me
his wife had mentioned that i wanted a turkish coffee pot so i could make turkish coffee at home.
he promised to pick one up in dubai on his next trip through.
his wife then said she will also get me a bag or two of beans.
how awesome is that?

someone once told me the pots are shaped as they are
so when there is no wood to be found in the dessert
you can simply draw the hot sand up around the sides of the pot,
and the sun will boil it for you.
i do not know if that is true, but its a nifty little anecdote any ways.