Tawaraya

Tawaraya

74 Sukumvit Soi 26 (near 4Wings Hotel),
Bangkok

Tel : 02-261-0561
Open daily : 11.30 - 14.00 / 17.30 - 23.00

It's quite hard to find the first photo for this blog, as i did not take one that completely express the atmosphere of this place. It is kind of feel-like-being-at-home place. The first floor is the sofa seats while the second floor is the private section. We choose second floor. (You can notice if you choose the second floor that most of other customers are Japanese, and they use this place as the drinking place.

Sneak peak!

Tawaraya is the Nagoya shop. According to wikipedia, some famous Nagoya food are misokatsu (pork cutlet with miso sauce), tebasaki (chicken wings marinated in a sweet sauce with sesame seeds - a type of yakitori), kishimen (flat udon noodles), and misonikomi udon (noodles in thick miso soup).You will find stack of bowls and a box of chopsticks on your table, so you are able to use as many bowl as you want for your meal! (i do around 2 as you will find below.)

Give you the appetizer first, Kusikatsu miso - deep fried pork with miso sauce (Baht 90).

Let you see after the first few bites.

Miso was soooo great and that's the important part of this dish (as you can see above, Nagoya is the specialist for miso). the pork part is just normal.

Another interesting dish to order (as recommend by the staff that it's their famous dish) is tebasaki - chicken wings marinated in a sweet sauce with sesame seeds (Baht 90). From the menu, it also looked interesting. gonna order at the next visit for sure!

A stove coming!

We ordered Shioton - slices of pork marinated with salt mixed with vegetable - cabbage & beansproute (Baht 190)

We also ordered another addition Udon (Baht 50) to add to this dish. Show you how to make it: first, fry the pork and vegetable. Then, put udon and continue stir-frying until everything is cooked.

We can eat now!

Even it looked tasteless, from its pale color, the real taste is much different.

After finishing the dish. think it can show you how good it is, lol.

More thing to order from Yakiniku part (as i went there once before this blog but did not take photos as i was too excite!) are misoton - pork with miso sauce and chicken with garlic (sorry that i can't give you the japanese name for this one). Highly recommend the chicken with garlic one, really..really good! (but you will smell like chicken and garlic after that, said from my own experience, lol)

Another stove coming! can you guess what it is.

Show you the ingredient. Tako - octopus, ginger, spring onion, and fried tempura batter, with seaweed and Katsuo bushi - dry fish, to.

Give you another hint, the batter.

Yes, it is do-it-yourself Takoyaki (Baht 150). you can ask the back kitchen to do it for you (so you can sure that you will get perfect takoyaki) or make it yourself (or ask their staff to do for you) at the table.

Show you how to make takoyaki, start from the bottom left photo: pour in batter first. Then, add tako. After that, mix other ingredients

The complete takoyaki!

While waiting for the next dish, i did this :)

And also this!

With seaweed and dryfish, can't see the hearts right now, lol

Another dish coming! Unagino Isiyakihitumabusi - Grilled Eel on Rice (Baht 330).

They served this with spring onion, seaweed, wasabi, and o-chazuke soup.

You can choose to have it dry or with soup. To have it in the dry version, you can choose to top it with spring onion, seaweed, and wasabi. but to my choice (you can notice that this is not my plate for sure), i choose to have it with no topping.

Or, you can have it with the soup. Start pouring!

More..more..

Stir it a bit

Done.

For me, I preferred the soup one, the crispy with a bit burned rice (as they served this rice in the hot stone bowl) meets with the soup made the good combination and the soup supported the flavor, taste, and smell of the rice. Quite a comfort food for me.

For dessert, I tried Kurogoma Purin - Black Sesame Pudding (Baht 100) (sorry for no picture). Creamy and tender pudding with black sesame paste at the bottom. I rarely felt black sesame on my first few bite. But the taste increased more and more...and complete the meal!

La Truffe, Ma Du Zi Hotel Bangkok-Afternoon Tea

Ma Du Zi Hotel Bangkok

9/1 Ratchadaphisek, Klongtoey Sub-district,

Klongtoey District, Bangkok 10110
Tel : 02-615-6400

http://www.maduzihotel.com

Afternoon Tea period: 2.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.

If you drive pass this building, you will not notice that there is a great place escaping in the middle of Bangkok (MaDuZi locates on Asoke Junction, Sukhumvit and Ratchadapisek, on the corner of Sukhumvit 16). and i'm so lucky that someone introduce this place to me!

Before coming to this place, first of all, highly recommend that you should call to make a reservation! not because of this place is so packed, but because it's so private so that if you don't call first, you might end up being at the gate and can't come in, for the gate is always closed and no one's there to open the gate for you.

After coming in, it's quite another world to me. peaceful and serene. great place for escaping.

They have 2 choice of afternoon tea set: one is the normal tea set which includes tea, savory, and sweet, plus macarons (Baht 650). the other is the same but with the additional wine (Baht 850). Some might know that i don't good at drinking, so i go for the former one. Please note that the savory and sweet changes everyday, depends on the ingredient the chef get on that day.

Time to order tea! They have choice of white tea, red tea, green tea, and black tea. with the choice of flowers: Lavender, Chamomile, Mary Gold (but in my opinion, i think it's Chrysanthemum), and Carnation. and the choice of sweet addition: white sugar, brown sugar, rock sugar, and honey.My choice! White tea with rose. Quite ok, but not that much rose scent.

Savoury. From right to left, Omelette on Baguette, Toast Ham and Cheese Sandwich, and Mushroom Tart.

Give you another picture!

Awesome! i have to think carefully of what to eat first. end up with omelette, then sandwich, then mushroom tart. all is fantastic, but my most favorite is the sandwich. perfectly toasted with not too much, not too little ham&cheese. if it's a bit more or less than this, it won't be this perfect!

Another thing, don't think that they gave you too little. for me, i think it's quite perfect portion. if they give you more than this, it will be too much.
Strawberry tart!

Top view.After a bite.

Even it's a bit too early for strawberries, the chef can manage to make this tart great. i think the base is super creamy almond paste, but not so sure.

Honestly, i can't remember what this one call, but there is cherry inside, so i gonna call it the Cherry Dome!
Top view. can you notice it's so shine and you can even use it as a mirror! (already tried, lol)

After a cut, to show you the inside. (see the light bulb on the cutting part? quite shine!)

i don't know how to explain this one. bitter chocolate and cherry...creamy smooth chocolate moose with cherry in the middle. I quite melt using a knife to cut through it and the taste is like a daydream.

Macarons!!! i got strawberry cream cheese (i think, lol), chocolate, and blueberry. my favorite is chocolate, feel like eating brownie!

Just a sentence for conclusion, i gonna come back for sure!

Kinniku Gyudon

Kinniku Gyudon

Room 307, 3rd Floor, La Villa,

356 Phaholyothin Road, Bangkok

Tel: 02-613-0516

Open daily: 11.30 a.m.-10.00 p.m.

First of all, I have to tell you that i'm the big fan of Yoshinoya, the famous japanese gyudon(beef bowl) brand which has branches in many countries, e.g. Singapore. When I go to Singapore, I have to visit their shop for at least 2 times, for the 3 days trip :)

I found this place by accident as my iphone's headset got some problems, so i needed to go to istudio to get the new one after work. After reaching La Villa, I walked around to find the place for dinner and found this!!!

Kinnikuman!!! (Sorry for the bad photo quality but i really like their name card holder.) For Manga lovers, you must know Kinnikuman better than me for sure. I just know that he's a wrestler who loves gyudon. You will find Kinnikuman models around this shop!

I ordered Ice Green Tea (Baht 45).

Here they come! Gyudon Set (Baht 165 for Gyudon and you can order as a set and they will also provide you miso soup and salad with the extra charge of Baht 40). For your information, they also do the pork version and have other menu, such as Curry Rice , Tempura, Salmon Teriyaki and Hamberg Steak, not just Gyudon.

Top view of the beef bowl. From what they told us, they use Karubi (beef short rib) beef and slice the beef at 1.5 mm thickness.

Zoom! Such a very big bowl! I can't finish all rice (but definately finish all beef as i'm a carnivore, lol.)

Got the professional photo from my friend's camera, much better than mine :)

I don't know how to describe all the taste. so tender, so soft, not too much seasoning so you can taste the real taste of the beef. Have to tell you that my brother and my mom opined that it gonna be better if it is more tasty but in my opinion, i love it as it is. (still believe that if you get really good ingredient, you don't have to season it much, just cook it properly and go for the real taste!)

Hamberg steak. From my opinion, I think they still keep high quality of the meat using in this dish. Good actually, but Gyudon is the best!

Dessert time!!! Green tea ice-cream with red bean paste (Baht 80). Look great but too sweet green tea ice-cream to my like (i love the bitter green tea ice-cream with loads of greentea flavor), so my mom helped me finish it :)

This week, i went there twice now (Gyudon in both visits). Think it already proved how much i love it. Really recommend you to go there and give it a try!

Ohana Cafe

Ohana Cafe

50/4 Sukhumvit Soi 24,

Bangkok 10110

Tel 02 661 1930

Fax 01 661 1931

http://www.ohana.co.th/

Open daily 9 a.m.-9p.m.

(Parking at Sakura Restaurant available 9 a.m.-6 p.m.)

I heard several persons talked about this place (including my dad), so I asked my dad to bring me here.

Opening hours.

Menu outside the shop. Cute, isn't it?

The place. I like that they keep the big trees which growing at the venue by building this glass house with the hole for them. and the glass makes you be able to sit in the sunlight (while we need to be in the office on weekdays and can't relax in this atmosphere; sunshine and blue sky) while being in air conditioner room.

My cafe latte and croissant (Baht 120). Look at the latte! i don't have latte served with beautiful latte art like this for at least 6 months...with silky, creamy froth...another favorite cafe found!

My dad's Matcha Latte (Baht 90)

After stirring and adding syrup.

As we went there for lunch, my parents ordered the Set Menu (Baht 200) which consists of Soup, Pasta, Salad, and Dessert.

Their soup came! I can't remember what they ordered as I was busy photos taking, running around the shop to check out things, and read one interesting coffee book and cookbooks provide, lol. Think they ordered Carrot Soup and Spinach Soup.

Pasta! My dad's was Fettucini Alfredo.

My mom's was Spaghetti Bolognese.

The dessert on the set today is Brownie. I i stole one bite from my mom, yum!

My lunch coming! I ordered Vanilla Waffle with Strawberry, Fresh Cream, and Vanilla Ice Cream (Baht 150). As you may know that i'm sweet tooth, i can have sweets as a meal, lol.

Show you the filling. I think the stew inside is rhubarb and strawberry.

My dad's Ice Espresso Latte (Baht 90). Made with Espresso ice and cold milk with milk froth, so the more the ice melts, the more coffee flavor.

My dad drank it too fast, so i can show you the ice.

Highlight of the day! After i talked with the owner of the shop and know that he had Jamaica Blue Mountain, I can't resist to ask him to if i can order some and he said yes :)

Show you the coffee.

Crema!!!!!

This is the second time of the year i tried Jamaica Blue Mountain. (one of my friends told me that it tastes different each year.) Surprisingly good with French press (as recommend by the owner that it's better than espresso).

Overall, Ohana is much better than i expected. so it becomes my new favorite place :)