CHABUTON

CHABUTON
258, 258/1-4 Siam Square Soi 3
Rama 1 Road, Patumwan
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Tel: 02-252-9353
http://www.chabuton.com/index.html [Japanese website]

Rating: 5 / 5 stars!!!

My little cousin recommend us (my uncle, her little brother and his friend, and I) to go try ramen at CHABUTON. She said that she came here before with her friends and said that the food is really good. She also said the owner was the winner from a Japanese series called "TV Champion." So, we came here for lunch on this past Saturday and the place was pretty busy. We waited for 10 minutes to be seated. The place was average size too. I ordered the "Shio Tonkosu Ramen" in a small size for 130 Baht [about $4 US]. This ramen was oh so good! The broth is very flavorful. The ramen contains scallions, pickled bamboo shoots, pork, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. My uncle order some fried gyozas (dumplings) for us.  The gyozas came out piping HOT and they were also delicious. These gyozas had a pork & leek filing and they reminded of the dumplings that I can get from Flushing, NYC. For drinks, we all got the iced cold Japanese green tea and it's UNLIMITED REFILLS!!! I think that I drank a lot green tea here because I was so dehydrated prior to coming to the restaurant.

Overall, this places deserves 5 stars in my book. The food was very mouthwatering and delicious. The service was good as well. This place is a MUST TRY!

Coyote Bar and Grill Sukhumvit

Coyote Bar and Grill Sukhumvit
575, 577, 579 Sukhumvit Road
Klongton-nue, Wattana
Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Tel: 02-662-3838
http://www.coyotebangkok.com/home.html

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

This would be my first taste of Mexican food in Thailand! The food at Coyote Bar and Grill Sukhumvit didn't disappoint me one bit. My little cousins & their friend and I came here for dinner last Friday night. The place wasn't as packed at around 8pm. We sat on the 2nd floor of the restaurant, because I didn't want to sit at a stool table. There were a few tourists eating at this place too. The decor of the place looks very similar to the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut, USA. The food seemed to be a combination of the places that I have ate in NYC before and they are Sophie's Cuban Cuisine and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

We ordered the following:

1. Shrimp Quesadillias for 225 Baht [about $7 US]
2. Chicken Tacos for 355 Baht [about $11 US]
3. Big Burritos for 385 Baht [about $12 US]
4. Chicken Enchiladas for 385 Baht [about $12 US]
5. Four Pepsi's for 70 Baht each - NO FREE REFILLS!!! [about $2.18 US]

The portions were big and very filling. We were all stuffed by the end. The rice and beans tasted very similar to Sophie's Cuban Cuisine. The tacos reminded me of the food from Chipotle Mexican Grill and ingredients in  the tacos were very fresh. The food was full of favor and very mouth watering. I really wanted to give this place 5 stars because the food was extremely good, the decor was amazing, and the atmosphere was good [it was a little bit loud during some moments because people were watching the World Cup]. BUT...when my cousins and I asked if there was a TV upstairs so that we can watch the World Cup and they said yes and there wasn't any TV! You can't get refills for your soda. I think I haven't been to a place where you can't get refills on soda before. So, I had to give a 4.5 stars rating. Oh wells.

25 Baht meals for lunch!

Guay Jub and Pork Balls Noodle Soup [from a food stall at TOPS' supermarket food court @ Fashion Island Mall]

Rating: 5 / 5!!! [For both the guay jub and pork balls noodle soup]

My parents and I go to Fashion Island Mall a lot [almost every week] for the past few months. It's a gigantic mall with many shops, restaurants, a movie theater, a bowling alley, and even karaoke!!! So, when my parents and I went grocery shopping at TOPS' we noticed a food stall that sold food for 25 Baht! Before we usually eat lunch at the food court on the 3rd floor near the movie theater, where some meals cost 30-40 Baht [about $1 to $1.25 US]. We decided to try the guay jub and the pork ball noodle soup for 25 Baht each [about .70 cents US] which is a PRETTY GOOD DEAL. For those who are unfamiliar with "Guay Jub" it's a broad square noodle in a pork soup. I requested to only have crispy pork, fried tofu, egg, and vegetables in my soup. If you wanted all the fixings, there would also be liver and pig blood. If you ordered the "Guay Jub" to go, it would cost you 30 Baht [about $1 US]. The pork ball noodle soup is your standard typical noodle dish. Both of these dishes were very good and it's also probably loaded with MSG. Anyway, I have tried these noodle dishes quiet a few times already but I haven't had a chance to write about it until now [partly because I didn't have time. :P] I wouldn't be full from eating one bowl of guay jub or one bowl of pork ball noodle soup though. I would have to buy dessert afterwards or eat two bowls of either noodle soup just to be full.

Viet Cuisine Restaurant

Viet Cuisine Restaurant [@ Fashion Island Mall]

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

I haven't had Vietnamese food in Thailand in years! I think the last time I had Vietnamese food in Thailand was almost 10 years ago. haha...But, I grew up in NYC pretty much most of my life and ate Vietnamese food very often that I know the flavors for this type of cuisine. So, yesterday my parents and I tried some Vietnamese food for lunch at Viet Cuisine Restaurant. It's a small restaurant with nine tables and the place was kinda empty when we got there at around 12:30pm. The decor was modern. The staff was very friendly too.

My parents and I each ordered bento box style meals for 99 Baht each [about $3 US]. I ordered the honey chicken bento box and it came with rice, summer rolls, cantaloupe, and soup on the side. Everything was tasty and filling. The only complaint that I had was that the sauce on top of the summer rolls was spicy. I ate only two pieces of the summer rolls and gave the rest to my dad to finish. :(

I would come back to this place again to try a bowl of Pho noodle soup and other entrées. I'm curious if their Pho is good or not. And I'll write an updated review.

[NOTE: Pictures taken with my NOKIA E63]

Yentafo

A bowl of Yentafo noodle soup [from a food stall at TOPS' supermarket food court in Fashion Island Mall]

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

I bet that many of you may have never heard of Yentafo before. What is Yentafo? Well, it's a very well known Thai noodle dish with the pink sauce. The sauce is usually made from fermented bean paste, salt, and vinegar. You can also buy the Yentafo sauce from any Asian supermarket. So, the other day I ordered a bowl of Yentafo noodle soup from a food stall at TOPS' supermarket food court for 35 Baht (about $1 US). There were a variety of fishballs, fried tofu, and morning glory vegetable in the noodle soup. However, I requested not to put in pig's blood or octopus. Overall, this noodle soup was good and filling.

You can make Yentafo at home. Just buy the basic ingredients such as rice noodles, fishball, fried tofu, the Yentafo sauce, and any soup base (seafood or vegetable). You can also put in morning glory vegetable or spinach, white fungus mushrooms, pig's blood, and octopus. You can buy the instant noodle soup Yentafo flavor as well. Sometimes I buy the MAMA Instant Noodle Yentafo flavor when I don't feel like buying a jar of the Yentafo sauce. Then, you can add in the basic ingredients into the instant noodle soup.

If you are too lazy to make Yentafo, you can try to order it some Thai restaurants. Definitely give Yentafo a try!

[NOTE: Picture taken from my NOKIA E63].

Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake Mix

Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake Mix [Yellow]

Rating: 4.5 / 5

I have been using the Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake Mix for quite sometime. I have tried both the yellow and chocolate cake mixes before this review. I haven't been disappointed yet. Last week, I used the yellow cake mix and made Funfetti cupcakes. I followed the baking directions on the Betty Crocker box and I also added in some rainbow sprinkles into my cupcakes. The cupcakes turned out to be moist and delicious. I was  able to make 24 cupcakes with just one box of the cake mix. I shared my cupcakes with my parents, aunts, and cousins to try. They all enjoyed it! :)