some of the best thai food in bangkok is on soi 14 at suda ...

i've been eating at suda for 19 years and never had a bad meal!

one of the only thai restaurants in downtown bkk to be listed in the lonely planet guide book is one of suda's claims to fame, and a well deserved done. considered to be thai/chinese to a degree, and not strictly that, this ope-air restaurant is packed with local office people for lunch and tourists, expats and locals at night. the fact that the locals swarm this place in the day time is the real testament to the food they prepare.

the kitchen is helmed by a chef that i have always seen through the kitchen door in all my 19 years of going there, he is family. he produces 5 or 6 plates of each dish at a time in a huge over-sized wok that never stops giving. when the place is full to capacity you may wait a bit for a dish to arrive, but you will never regret having waited. the classic thai dishes such as tom kaa gai, tom yum kung, phad krapow moo sop and gaeng keowan, to name just 4, are top shelf and suda's "secret" recipe for cashew chicken is unlike any you will find anywhere in the world, let alone thailand. i think it has red curry past in it and there is nothing but succulent white meat, cashews and this sticky sauce. no veggies to confuse or adulterate this dish.

they do another classic thai chicken dish that you will not find most everywhere. morsels of marinated chicken wrapped in toei leaves and then deep fried. the aroma of the toei leaves is infused into the caramelized chicken to create a unique flavor unobtainable in other dishes. be careful, its hot! (not spicy hot, temp hot.)

it really doesn't matter what you order here, whether you're a party of 1 or 2 or a tour group of 18+, suda restaurant always delivers. the turn over is so great that everything is fresh and depleted and restocked each day. you can see the staff endlessly prepping veggies off to the side.

the owners are always present and khun suda greets and take orders from everyone personally 99% of the time. there is only 1 suda, no branches, no need to be confused, just satisfied.

image borrowed from here.

 image borrowed from here.

 image borrowed from here.

image borrowed from here.  

follow the link to a good article about suda and some more food photos.

the person in the green blouse is khun suda the restaurant's namesake.

 image borrowed from here. 

image borrowed from here.

 click on the image above to enlarge the map.

ps - i believe if you have a very large group they will reserve a table for you: +66 2 229 4518

if you follow this link you will go to a website that has a google map with suda on it. you will see that of the 18 reviews shown on that site only 2 people say its not what it is cracked up to be and did not meet their expectations. the average rating is 4.5 out of 5. not bad by any standard.

sandwiches are life ...

i have always been into sandwiches, eating them and serving them. i once managed a deli in boston, massachusettes that served an average of 3,000 sandwiches a week to yippies in the financial district. plus all the other stuff a deli serves. like 10,000+ cups of coffee a week.

as you will see from the image, sandwiches are serious business ...

click the image for a large view

or click on this link.

full credit goes to my friend paul who drew this graphic with his AutoCAD program.

note: despite spelling copyright incorrectly on the image, it still is.

fantasy menu: tropical mediterranean, or as i like to call it, provincial rim

i have an archive of about 100 menus i have engineered over the course of my career. i have decided to punch them up and post them as an ongoing series. this is the first, i hope you like it.

this particular menu is one that i generated 10 years ago for a client in phuket, thailand. after working on it for close to 2 months, conceptualizing, compiling recipes, sourcing all the ingredients, and ordering all the kitchen equipment and place settings specifically for it ... the client decided to change the theme from tropical influenced mediterranean to thai fusion. this menu, in its entirety never made it to the table, individual dishes have shown up in other venues over the years.

click on the image to see a larger version
and if that doesn't work
click here.

niu's on silom jazz blues bar and restaurant, bkk

i have followed chef marco cammarata as he has deftly navigated his way across bangkok's restaurant scene.

i first ate marco's cuisine when he was at the sheraton grand sukhumvit hotel here in bangkok. he was there for several years and he left of his own accord, which is rare for bangkok hotel chefs. i then followed him to a new venue where he was again in charge of the cuisine at the paragon center. this last incarnation of his at niu's is by far the best, and a perfect fit.

his menus are always varied italian and always a joy to not only read, but of course to eat from. the rather extensive wine list is a perfect match as well. the surroundings, whether indoors or out are tastefully designed and well attended by his staff who are quite knowledgeable regarding what they are serving. the music is superb when it is live and the recoded music is also well chosen for this type of venue.

on my last visit i had a starter of a chilled vegetable terrine with goat cheese that included beet root, pumpkin and carrot all wrapped in a cabbage leaf. it is moistened with green apple and tomato reductions that accent it and its small side of greens perfectly. i would say it is one of the top ten things i have ever had the pleasure to eat, anywhere.

i next had a half an order of fresh oysters au gratin. again, perfectly cooked and the topping was not so heavy as to obscure the taste and freshness of the oysters themselves.

for a main dish i opted for the new zealand rack of lamb. again, simply divine and cooked to a perfect medium rare just as i like it. it is sitting in a wonderful pool of pureed potato and veggies that is indescribably delicious. i am a firm believer that certain foods must be eaten with your hands and lamb chops fall into this class for me. as i removed the meat from the bone the ever so slight char gave the meat a taste that sets niu's chef apart from the mob of italians who claim to be cooking authentic cuisine here in bangkok's plethora of italian restaurants. (Truism: just because you were born somewhere does not mean you can cook the food that comes from there.)

not only is he a chef of great acclaim, he is also one of the most gracious and generous hosts i have met in all my years of dining around the world. he makes it a point to meet and greet all guests and offer them not only his assistance in ordering, but his ego allows him to customize any dish to your taste or dietary requirement. another rare trait in chefs as far as i have experienced. his ability to match wines to the food is also great. he simply wants you to have the best experience that you can have.

rarely do i have room to make it through to ordering desert, but on the occasions that i have they have always been the perfect ending to the meal. they do all the baking and deserts on premise and all the little side dishes and garnishes are always up to the same par as the dishes themselves.

although not a cheap or inexpensive place to eat, i have to say that it is true value for money spent. a similar meal in new york or europe would cost 3 or 4 times the price, and the service would probably not be the same either.

this cuisine is not overly garnished or presented in such away as to detract from the original intent of the dishes themselves. this is what i would call nuova cucina italiana, new italian kitchen. un-muddled nor heavy handed, this food teases and caresses the willing palette with new flavors and textures. world class cuisine for sure.

as i said in the beginning, i follow this chef wherever he hangs his hat and he has never let me down.

ps - if you like risotto, try some at niu's, you will be pleased.

• 661 Floor 1-2, Baan Silom Arcade | Silom Road (between Soi 17 and Soi 19), Bangkok 10500, Thailand
• 66 2 266 5333
• www.niusonsilom.com 

originally posted here. 

here is a good example of one of marco's wine dinner menu.

i wish i had gotten some better pictures, these do not do his food justice.

schnitzel: if you like crunchy food like i do, this is an easy dish to prepare

schnit·zel

n.

A thin cutlet of veal, usually seasoned, that is dipped in batter and fried.

[German, from Middle High German snitzel, diminutive of sniz, slice, from snitzen, to carve]

(Cookery) a thin slice of meat, esp veal See also Wiener schnitzel

[German: cutlet, from schnitzen to carve, schnitzeln to whittle

i know that everyone says to avoid fired foods and breading and batters, but if eaten in moderation, and if prepared in good oil, and eaten immediately, treat yourself to some schnitzel.

you can prepare this dish in the classic way with with veal - but pork, chicken, turkey or even lamb and beef can also be used. 
 

when i was working for chef rudy hilfiker in his connecticut restaurant that specialized in swiss cuisine, this was by far the most popular item on the menu.  he had a sous chef who worked days as an instructor at the cia, that would be the culinary institute of america, not the cia in langley, va. :-o between the two of us we were hard pressed at ties to keep yup with schnitzel production during meal time. because foods that are breaded and in this manner suffer incredibly indignities if prepared in advance of frying, we were only able to pound out and tenderize the veal before hand, and never were we to bread it until it was just going into the pan.

this restaurant sat 70 people at capacity, and we did 2 fully sold out seatings a night, 7 nights a week. with out fail, 140 pax a day, guaranteed. despite knowing that this would happen, rudy forbid use to bread schnitzel until the orders came in. but then, that is one very big reason that we were at capacity 365 nights a year. among all the other great dishes he had on his menu.

besides these great items that we prepared, every guest also had their choice of all they could eat of his fantastic (fresh) authentic rosti potatoes, buttered carrots, green beans almondine, spinach souffle and braised romaine lettuce (a simply elegant side veg).

we served so much food at this place that i had to peel and HAND cut no less than 50 pounds of carrots a day and snap no less than a bushel of string beans, too. and the day before we would steam, and then peel while hot, 100 pounds of potatoes (the linked image is 50 lbs. only) for rosti, but this is why they came in droves from as far away as nyc.

You will need:

• a meat mallet or tenderizing mallet as some call it (use the pebbled side and try to swing it level so as not to hit the meat with the edge only!)
• the meat, as portions as you see fit
• all purpose flour for dredging
• eggs, beaten
• bread crumbs, either traditional (home made or store bought) or the japanese panko crumbs that seem to be all the rage the last few years
• demi-glace, gravy or brown sauce, what ever you have on hand (you could use a cream or supreme sauce too if that is what you like, but it is in no way traditional)
• the garnishes shown in the picture below as well as a starch and veg of choice

How you do it:

1. as always, do the best shopping as you can, and gather everything together.
2. if you have not had the local butcher/grocer prepare your meat or poultry for you then thinly slice your veal or pork into escalopes. if using chicken breast and they are rather large and thick, filet them in to tow pieces each, the same goes for turkey. i like to use a boneless skinless chicken leg and thigh piece (one of my favorite cuts of poultry). this is not so easy to do and you can easily cut yourself trying. so if you wish to use this cut have buy it already prepared like this. (i happen to think that this is the most flavorful choice of them all if veal is off the menu. chicken prepared this way is actually called bachandle.)
3. sandwich the thin pieces between sheets of saran, bakers paper or recycled plastic shopping bags (my favorite). 
4. using a meat tenderizing mallet gently pound the pieces on both sides. if only on one side the pieces will have a tendency to retract back and also cup when they are cooked. if you are using chicken breasts that tend to be thicker at one end, pound that area a bit more. the object is to achieve a nice consistently thin (.05 cm) piece so it will fry quickly and evenly. the meat must be fully cooked when the bread crumbs are or you will not like what you are putting into your mouth, either raw meat, or burnt breading.
5. once the pieces are all pounded spread them out on so that they are all just touching edges. season with salt and pepper and also a bit of powdered mustard. you could also use a good paprika if you want.
6. IMPORTANT: prepare everything else that you will need and set aside to keep warm. the starch, the veggies, the sauce and the garnishes. once you start cooking the meat you will have no time for ANYTHING else.
7. then dredge each piece in the flour. Note: i use a plastic bag for this. it gets the job doe well and doesn't get flour all over the kitchen. eliminates cleaning a bowl and recycles a plastic grocery bag ta-boot.)
8. next wash the floured pieces in the well beaten eggs. if you use a bowl large enough you can get more than a few pieces into the egg at a time, this allows the flour to absorb the egg quite well and thus make the final step of breading a more complete one.
9. i then take a large bowl or pan (or another plastic bag) which i have previously filled with the desired style of bread crumbs and put one piece at a time into the crumbs. i then make certain that the crumbs have fully covered the piece of meat, press the crumbs ever so lightly into the egg wash to make certain it has adhered. and then repeat until all the pieces are breaded. you really do not want to do this any more than 5 or 10 minutes before frying. IMPORTANT NOTE: how you perform the breading is a major part of your success with this dish. 100% coverage is mandatory to avoid any of the oil getting under the breading and making the pieces greasy and soggy, YUCK! if you press to hard on the pieces the breading will not be able to puff up and away from the meat creating a casing rather than a coating. which will all effect the texture, the taste and the appearance of the finished dish.
10. using a heavy bottomed deep pan (not one with a non-stick finish PLEASE), or one of those nifty counter top fryers that are available for home use these days, and the best oil you can buy (typically not olive oil, but you can if you feel you must) is a quick and easy way to prepare this dish. however, the traditional method, and the tastiest method is to use butter ( or butter with a bit of oil added to up the flash point a bit) in a thin bottomed non-stick fry pan.  this second method requires expertise, a fast hand and if you are making more than 1 or 2 portions, a bit of a hassle. but the taste will be oh so much richer.
11. bring whatever shortening you are using up to a temperature that when tested with some loose breadcrumbs tells you that you are hot enough to fry, but not so hot as to burn your food.
12. fry the pieces of meat until they are golden brown, remove them to a wire rack or plate and repeat until all the pieces are done.
13. next put an amount of the sauce onto the plate, place the prepared meat on top of that, and then add whatever else you will be serving with the dish.
14. serve and enjoy!

The Usual Afterthoughts and Pointers: in the photos below you will see 2 versions. classic schnitzel ala holstein is garnished with a sunny side up egg and a slice of lemon topped with anchovy and capers. just sublime. the other picture shows a version i made one night because i just happen to love hollandaise sauce and there was some sitting on the counter in front of me and i could not resist.

no need to put sauce on top, this will ruin the crispy effect. if you like a lot of sauce either put it under the meat or in a side dish for dipping. 

rosti potatoes are perfect with this as is spaetzle. mash would be second choice and i would not be adverse to broad egg noodles either.  carrots is the classic side, but any veg will do. in the photo here i have sauteed the spaetzle noodles in butter with shallots, diced carrots, green peas and chopped parsley.

holstein in the traditional style with a side of veggie spaetzle
ratatouille and mash

fried egg and the lemon, anchovy and caper garnish
heavenly!

here it is with a bit of hollandaise and a strip of 'chovey.

we use a lot of lime in thailand as good lemons are not always available.

the beatles: as far as i am concerned, the greatest band there ever was, bar none ...

a friend sent me a list of links today that were compiled by a guy who is a beatles fan. this fanatic has taken the time and effort to find a video online to every beatles song every released (more or less), 214 titles in all. he has also gone so far as to include historical quotes, lyrics links and trivia about each song. here is the link to his home page, and here is the link to the complete list.

without the beatles, and their incredible talent and diversity, the music scene today would not be what it is. it might be safe to say that not a day goes by when you will not hear one of their songs, whether played by them, as a cover tune by another artist, background for a movie sound track or tv commercial, and even as muzak in an elevator.

i find the "about" for each song to be great. a perfect example is paul's quote about his song i'll follow the sun.

PAUL 1988: "I wrote that in my front parlour in Forthlin Road. I was about 16. There was a few from then-- 'Thinking Of Linking,' ever heard of that one? So 'I'll Follow The Sun' was one of those very early ones. I seem to remember writing it just after I'd had the flu... I remember standing in the parlour looking out through lace curtains of the window and writing that one. We had this hard R&B image in Liverpool, so I think songs like 'I'll Follow The Sun,' ballads like that, got pushed back to later."

right, he wrote that when he was 16 years old.

there is also a beatles radio station for those who want some streaming beatles.

this is another one of the sites where you find yourself still browsing an hour or two later.

since 1887: swiss chocolates by frey

i have always been a fanatic for anything chocolate and i tend to not spare the expense when i see something that looks to be of high quality. recently while cruising the aisles of the emporium market at sukhumvit 24 i spied frey's saveur du chili. this is a bar of outstandingly smooth dark chocolate that has been infused with the kick of red chili. i have yet to try cooking with this unique product, but simply nibbling away at it is a treat.
if you are someone who doesn't mind a bit of zip, and tries to not eat too much chocolate when it is within grasp, then possibly this chocolate bar from frey is what you seek. i say this because i find it a bit over bearing to eat an entire bar at once. instead i chip away at it slowly over a period time. a little goes a long way.

i think if melted it would make a great dip for strawberries and bananas, and when incorporated into a mousse or cake frosting would add a layer of unexpected taste.

i recommend that you also browse the frey website as it is designed well and the flash presentation is quite good and interactive. it is in english, german and french, and there is also a good section of recipes too.

their bar with cinnamon and orange is also great.