Sometimes when we arrive on a Thai Island, it takes us a few days to get a feel for the place, and with others it’s love at first sight. Koh Mak was definitely the latter. From the moment we stepped foot off the speedboat from Laem Ngop pier, we knew there was something special about this little traveled island off Thailand’s east coast. This feeling didn’t leave the whole time we were there, in fact, the more time we spent exploring, the more we fell in love with the place. We’ve been to eighteen different Thai islands and Koh Mak is our favourite so far.

Dwarfed by the much more visited and considerably larger, Koh Chang, Koh Mak is yet to see the large tourism numbers that its big sister island enjoys year round. Don’t get me wrong, there are resorts on this island and tourists, but a busy place this is not. Koh Mak seems to strike the right blend between being a tranquil island getaway and having enough to do to stop you getting bored stiff.

The best way to navigate the island, if you feel comfortable, is by scooter which you can rent from any resort for 200-300 baht a day. If you’ve never ridden a scooter before, Koh Mak is a great place to learn as it’s so quiet. Just make sure you wear your helmet!

Koh Mak is located in the Province of Trat, bordering Cambodia. The largest Island in the archipelago is Koh Chang followed by Koh Kood, Koh Mak and Koh Wai. Inland on the Island is mainly made up of rubber tree plantations so it lacks the dense jungle of Koh Kood or Koh Chang but more than makes up for it with the array of stunning beaches and coves scattered around the island.

A few of our favourite beaches

Ao Pra (editors choice)

The Cococape Resort boasts a wooden jetty that shoots 100m out to sea with stunning views of the tiny island, Koh Kham. There’s not too much in the way of sand around the resort it sits in the calmest bay that we have ever seen, with Ao Pra to the left and Ao Suan Yai on the right. You can canoe over to Ko Kham which is one of the most stunning beaches we’ve seen. It’s a 20 minute canoe ride from the resort. If canoeing isn’t your thing then they run a boat service to Koh Kham for 200 baht per person.

The crystal clear waters of Koh kham are just a short canoe ride away.

Further around to the west of Ao Pra beach lies the Mira Montra Beach Front Resort, a stand alone resort with beachfront rooms and a pool. This quiet, palm tree lined stretch of sand has a cut off from the world, desert Island feel to it. If you want to get away from it all, Ao Pra is your place.

The beach front rooms.

Not a bad view from the pool!

Ao Suan Yai

A long stretch of sand running northwest from Ao Pra, this is a close second favourite. The beach enjoys the same calm sea as the neighbouring Ao Pra and if you’re looking for direct access to the beach from your room, this is the one for you. The amazing boutique resort, The Seavana Resort takes up half the beach and we had the pleasure of looking around and it’s a fantastic place to stay.

Ao Suan Yai Beach

Ao Kao

If you like a bit more going on, or you don’t want to ride a scooter, then Ao Kao might be for you. It’s the busiest area of beach on the Island, well, as far as Koh Mak goes as it never really gets that busy. It’s the closest beach within walking distance to the town’s restaurants and shops on the main road.  Resorts here include Makathanee Resort, Koh Mak Cottage, Ao Kao White Sand Beach and Monkey Island. We saw a lot of people trying to get the boat from here to Koh Rayang Nok and being told it wasn’t running. The best place to catch a boat over to the island is actually at Laen Tukata.

Laem Tukata

This tiny little cove is nestled on the far southwestern tip of the Island is where you’re going to want to head if you’re looking for a cheap beach bungalow with a hammock. The laid back Maruay Beach Resort offers clean, air conditioned and fan rooms starting at just 700 baht (£16 / $22). The sand is a bit yellowish compared to the rest of the island but you do get beautiful views of Ko Rayang Nok and the resort offers a boat service to the island for 200 baht (£4.60 / $6).

Grab a hammock!

Your ‘ferry’ to the Island!

The crystal clear waters of Koh Rayong are a 10 minute boat ride away

Booking.com

Where to eat?

 

Island food in Thailand is often a huge disappointment to me compared with the mainland towns and cities. Koh Mak, however, has enough options for decent Thai and western food to keep you from going hungry.

 

Thai Food

 

The only real ‘local’ place we ate was at a legendary local place named Paew Restaurant near the crossroads going towards Ao Nid Pier. The chain smoking owner/former chef now oversees the cooking. We tried the gaeng sapparod koong – red curry with prawns and pineapple and the krapow nuea – stir fried beef with holy basil and both were excellent and extremely cheap. This place isn’t for the faint hearted and definitely not winning any awards for ambience but is known locally as having the best Thai food on the island.

 

Stir fried beef with holy basil at Paew.

 

Another spot that’s a little more tourist friendly and in the main ‘town’ is Table Tales where we had pad kee mao talay spaghetti  – drunken noodles with seafood, which was excellent and with the amount of seafood in it, the 100 baht price tag makes it an absolute bargain! They also do a great massaman curry, which is their grandmother’s recipe as well as a few solid western dishes and decent coffees.

 

The Pad Kee Mao at Table Tales.

 

There are plenty of other local shops selling standard Thai Island fare on the parade of shops in the town that runs parallel to Ao Kao beach.

 

Western Food

 

Koh Mak has a decent amount of solid western options scattered around the island, including a surprisingly good woodfired pizza. For your coffee and cake needs, we suggest heading to Ball’s Cafe where they bake their own bread daily for their fresh sandwiches. If Mexican food is your thing then head over to the excellent Bamboo Hideaway for some of the owner, Jake’s killer burritos. If after a stroll on the beach you to want to cool down with a nice cold ice cream, Island Gelato has got you covered. Don’t miss the coconut and mango flavours!

 

Don’t miss the coconut ice cream!

 

The Best Sunset on the Island

 

Okay, so this is a tough one! Cococape definitely comes close to the top of the list as its wooden jetty is the perfect place to grab an ice cold Beer Lao and watch the sunset, sitting directly over the calm waters of the bay. For our money, though, you can’t beat the aptly named Banana Sunset Bar as the ultimate spot for a sundowner. Located on the southwestern tip of the island, you can watch the sun setting over the islands of Koh Rayang Nok and Nai while sipping on what Helen described as ‘the best banana daiquiri I’ve ever had’. The bar is hard to describe; its got a backpacker feel, with low tables and cushions on the floor, without being overrun by backpackers! The cook is Cambodian so they also serve some classic Khmer food if you want to try something a little different from the standard Thai island food. Banana sunset is the ultimate island chill out bar!

 

‘The best Banana daiquiri in the word’ according to Helen.

 

Pull up a cushion and watch the sun go down.

 

Where to Stay

 

Luxury

 

Our top pick would have to be The Seavana Boutique Resort on Ao Suan Yai. With two story villas with direct beach access (and we mean ten feet from the sea beachfront access) starting at 5,200 (£120/$160) baht a night, this boutique resort is our number one choice for a slice of Koh Mak luxury. The rooms are massive, tastefully decorated and come with an upstairs balcony overlooking the ocean complete with fixed hammocks (no swinging about!) and a downstairs seating area pretty much on the sand. There are cheaper rooms at the back of the resort, running parallel to the islands organic farm, that start at 2900 baht (£65/$90) if direct beach access isn’t a necessity. They also have a decent sized swimming pool if sea swimming isn’t your thing.

 

This is what you call beachfront

 

View from the room

 

You can check today’s best rate at the Seavana here

 

Midrange

 

The Cococape Resort boasts a wooden jetty that shoots 100m out to sea with stunning views of the tiny island, Koh Kham. There’s not too much in the way of sand around the resort it sits in the calmest bay that we have ever seen, with Ao Pra to the left and Ao Suan Yai on the right. Besides, the bar and sun lounging area at the end of the jetty more than make up for the lack of quality beach. You can grab a snorkel from behind the bar, climb down the wooden ladder and away you go! The resort also offers canoe rental for 400 baht so you can make your way over to the stunning Ko Kham which is a 20 minute canoe ride from the resort. If canoeing isn’t your thing then they run a boat service to Koh Kham for 200 baht per person.

 

I can think of worse places to sunbathe

 

The rooms here are a bit random; we stayed in two different rooms and both had a slightly odd layout but were clean and tidy and had a decent shower and English TV channels. You don’t come to Koh Mak to sit in your room, though, and the location of the hotel and the view from the pool and jetty make up for any of the resorts shortcomings. Cococape could be included as our best value option, as in low season you can pick up a room for as little as 1000 baht (£22/$30) but as we paid 2500 baht (£60/$80) in high February, it makes the midrange bracket.

 

View of the resort from the jetty.

 

You can check today’s best rate at the Cococape here

 

Best Value

 

The Bamboo Hideaway Resort has to take the crown of best value accommodation on Koh Mak as the rooms range from 1000 baht (£22/$30) to 1600 baht (£35/$50) year round. All the rooms here are made from local bamboo wood and have air conditioning. There’s no direct beach access, Ao Pai beach is a ten minute walk from the resort, but you do get a sea view from some of the rooms as well as from the hotel’s bar/restaurant. There’s a small swimming pool at the hotel and although you won’t be doing any Olympic style training in it, it’s a nice way to cool off after a day exploring the island. The Bamboo Hideaway is run by American owner, Jake, meaning that despite the low price tag, the rooms are kept to a western standard and are spotlessly clean. The Thai staff all speak good English and are extremely friendly as are the two resident dogs. Jake spent some time living and learning about the food in Mexico and has brought that knowledge back to Koh Mak to serve some solid Mexican comfort food at the resort. Don’t miss the beef burritos, the guacamole and the killer homemade sauces.

 

The sea view family room

 

You can check today’s best rate at The Bamboo Hideaway here

 

Don’t forget to watch the video from our time in Koh Mak. If you like what you see, you can subscribe to the channel to make sure you never miss another video.

 

 

Getting to Koh Mak

 

The province of Trat is just close enough from Bangkok, around 4.5 hours, to make the option of flying redundant in our opinion. Currently, only Bangkok Airways fly to Trat making it very expensive and once you factor in the time spent getting to and from the airport, you won’t save much time, if at all.

 

If you’re on a budget, we suggest taking the bus from Ekamai or Morchit to Trat and then taking a songthaew (shared open back taxi) to Laem Ngop pier for 260 baht (£6/$8). From there, it’s a 45 minute, 450 baht (£10/$14) speedboat ride to the Island.

 

We suggest breaking up the journey and spending a day exploring the charming riverside town of Chanthaburi for some awesome eastern Thai food.

 

Your other option is to rent a private taxi straight to Laem Ngop Pier in Trat. This will set you back between 4500 and 5500 baht (£100-£125/$140 – $175) and you could spit that between four people. If you need us to arrange you a taxi with a trusted driver you can contact us via our contact form or Facebook messenger.

 

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For me, there’s not too much in life that’s more comforting than good, home cooked Muslim Thai food so any time I have the opportunity to try somewhere new in Bangkok, I jump at the chance! My usual go to spot for Muslim-Thai cuisine is Muslim Restaurant on Charoen Krung in Bang Rak. That could be about to change now I’ve discovered Barakat Restaurant on Chan Road!

I came across Barakat while I was walking off a crispy pork feast I’d just devoured at Mr Joe (also on Chan Road). The thing that caught my eye was the massive posts of curry that were on display in the open kitchen. I asked the lady cooking what it was and she told me ‘kuay tieow gaeng’, or curry noodles. Now I had to come back and give it a go seeing the combination of noodles and curry does something to me that no other dish in Thailand seems to (regular readers of my blog will note my obsession with the Northern Thai curry noodle dish, Khao soi).

One of the massive pots of curry that was calling me!

 

After the kilo or so of pork I’d just consumed at Mr Joe Crispy Pork, I decided to come back another day and give Barakat Restaurant my full attention…and an empty stomach.

 

What we ordered.

 

There is a pretty lage menu at Barakat so I had to pick wisely. We ended up going for the kuay tieow gaeng nuea – curry noodles with stewed beef, the khao mok gai – Thai chicken biryani, gai tod – fried chicken and a separate plate of rice from khao mun gai that they sell there. I really wanted to try the murtabak – stuffed roti bread but they had sold out by the time we got there. Oh well, I guess that will be my excuse to go back!

 

So let’s take a look at the dishes:

 

Kuay Tieow Gaeng Neua – 50 baht

 

The beef curry with noodles was just as good as I’d hoped, the coconut based curry sauce was rich, creamy and well spiced. It was maybe a touch on the sweet side but the flavour was incredible. The chunks of beef in the sauce literally fell apart in my mouth and there was a nice texture to the soup coming from the addition of crunchy peanuts as well as crispy fried onions. There’s also half a boiled egg on top making this a very filling meal by itself. I, however, had more dishes to get through so I had to plough on. On my video review at the bottom of the page I describe it as ‘one of the best things I’ve eaten’…In hindsight, I may have got a little carried away with that statement but this is still a serious bowl of noodles!

The beef noodles in curry was the star of the show.

 

Khao Mok Gai – 40 baht

 

Khao mok gai, or Thai biryani, is one of my go to dishes, especially when I’m travelling in the south of Thailand and I wasn’t going to leave Barakat without trying theirs. Khao mok gai is one of those dishes, like khao mun gai, in which you don’t really get a bad one until you get a really bad one. Thankfully, Barakat’s version is on point. The rice was perfectly cooked and really well seasoned, with a really strong flavour of cumin coming through. Often, the resounding flavour from a khao mok gai in Bangkok is cinnamon, so that made a nice change. The chicken thigh fell off the bone as expected (but not always delivered) and the mint sauce was perfect for my taste; sour, spicy and not too sweet. If something is going to let me down with a biryani in Thailand, it’s usually the sweet sauce being too sweet.

The khao mok gai is a must.

 

Gai Tod with rice – 50 baht

 

The fried chicken was a little hard to judge as it was the last thing we tried, meaning it was pretty cold by the time we got around to eating it. That being said, the batter was great; really crispy and reminiscent of the batter you would find on fish and chips back home, rather than a classic southern Thai fried chicken coating. The chicken itself was moist and tender and the mound of crispy shallots on top was delicious. I would order it again but maybe eat it first next time! I’m not a sweet chilli sauce fan so I ate my half with the mint and chilli sauce from the khao mok gai which went together well.

All about the crispy shallots.

 

My conclusion

 

All in all, Barakat Restaurant is a fantastic place to try Thai-Muslim halal food in Bangkok. The staff are really friendly, the food is delicious and it’s seriously good value. Our three dishes cost 160 baht (£3.70/$5.00) with two bottles of water. I would like to go back and try the murtabak before fully switching allegiances from Muslim Restaurant, Bang Rak but for the price, Barakat will be hard to beat.

 

You can check out the full video review on my YouTube channel below:

 

 

Where is Barakat?

 

Barakat – บารอกัต is located just inside Bangkok’s Sathorn district, about a 15 minute walk from Charoen Krung Road in Bangkok. There’s no sky train or MRT stop nearby so I would suggest taking a taxi or tuk tuk from Saphan Taksin BTS station. With food this cheap, the taxi kind of pays for itself! You can always combine your trip to Barakat with stops at Mr Joe Crispy Pork and Tuang Dim Sum which are two of my personal favourites and both within walking distance of the restaurant.

 

The restaurant is located on the corner of Chan Soi 49.

Below are directions with a map to the restaurant.

As the name suggests, Chalawan Khao Man Gai – จารุวรรณข้าวมันไก่  is known locally for their excellent Hainanese chicken rice but today I’m here to try their duck noodle soup. Duck noodle soup definitely isn’t a rare dish in Bangkok, in fact, on Charoen Nakhon Road alone, I can name a few shops off the top of my head that are worth a visit when you’re in the mood for stewed duck. So what makes the version at Chalawan Khao Man Gai different from the rest? They serve a rare type of Hainanese noodle called sen Hailam. Also, the owner told me they have been open for 30 years selling the same dishes so you know they must be doing something right!

 

The Noodles

 

Hailam noodles are a fat, round rice noodle that has the same sort of shape and chewy texture as Japanese Udon noodles. Do I prefer them to the normal sen lek or sen yai rice noodles that come with most Thai noodle soups? Not necessarily but for someone who eats as much noodle soup as I do, I’m talking at least one bowl a day, it’s nice to have a break from the norm. There are only a few places I know of in Bangkok that serve these type of Southern Chinese noodles, one of which is again on Charoen Nakhon Road and the other is Jay Wa-Jay Yong in Bangkok’s Dusit area which you can read about in Bangkok Glutton’s excellent post here.

 

The Hailam noodles.

 

The meat and stock

 

The soup comes with sliced, stewed duck meat, and the customary bean sprouts, spring onion and fried garlic found in 99% of Thai noodle soups and of course, the chewy Hai Lam noodles. The duck broth was rich, salty and quite oily with a pretty strong flavour of cinnamon. A large dollop of the chilli vinegar on the table helped to balance the richness of the soup. The duck was soft and tender, well seasoned and has just the right amount of fat left on it to stop it being dry. The Hailam noodles retained their chewy texture in the hot broth, which was great but the smaller pieces of noodles at the bottom of the bowl proved too slippery for my plastic chopsticks and too big to scoop with my spoon so I had to give up and leave them where they were and move on to the khao man gai!

 

The duck noodle soup.

 

Duck noodle soup with Hailam noodles: 50 THB

 

The Chicken Rice

 

I can’t go to a shop with khao man gai in its name and not try the chicken rice so I ordered a cheeky boiled/fried chicken combo on rice. The boiled chicken came without skin, probably because I’m ‘farang’, which suits me down to the ground as I’ve never understood the fascination with the boiled, flabby chicken skin that comes with Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken was perfectly tender with not a hint of dryness in sight and the fried chicken was so ridiculously crispy and moreish that if I hadn’t already eaten the duck noodles, I’d have ordered a plate of this by itself. The rice had a good hit of garlic and was well cooked, chewy without being hard and just the right amount of oil. Chalawan serve a solid khao man gai!

 

The crispy chicken here is unbelievable.

 

The only two letdowns from the meal were the sauces for the chicken rice and the accompanying soup. The khao man gai comes with two sauces; the classic ginger sauce for the boiled and a sweet chilli sauce for the fried chicken. I was never going to like the sweet chilli sauce and it’s not my thing but the ginger sauce was a little too sweet for me. I like mine more on the savoury side but that’s just personal preference. The soup literally tasted of nothing but at least I got a piece of winter melon in it so it wasn’t all bad. Neither of these qualms is a deal breaker for me, I would happily head back to Chalawan next time I’m nearby as the food is very good, especially for the price.

 

The sauces are a little sweet for my taste.

 

Khao man gai tod: 50 THB

 

Inside The Restuarant

 

Chalawan isn’t going to win any awards for ambience, it’s a classic hole in the wall Thai eatery with metal tables and plastic chairs where you come for decent Thai food at low prices, eat your food and get on your way. The staff are friendly but speak very little English.

 

A classic Thai shophouse restaurant.

 

The shop sign.

 

Chalawan Khao Mun Gai is located on Charoen Nakhon between sois 29/2 and 31.

 

Pad Thai is without a doubt the most well known and most eaten Thai dish in the world outside of Thailand. You won’t find a Thai menu in any restaurant in the UK or Europe that doesn’t include this famous fried noodle dish. It’s just as widely available in Thailand with every hotel, guesthouse and Thai restaurant selling pad Thai. That being said, I very rarely order pad Thai in Bangkok as I think there are far better fried noodles to eat such as guay teow kua gai. Too often pad Thai in restaurants is sickly sweet and devoid of flavour…and don’t get me started on the ‘pad Thai’ sold on the Khaosan Road!

The only place I’ll eat pad Thai is from a stall that exclusively sells pad Thai or a hoy tod (mussel omelette) shop. To get the correct charred flavour into the noodles it has to be cooked over searingly high heat. There are a few places that do this well such as the famous Thip Samai, Pad Thai Sala Daeng and my personal favourite, Pad Thai Narok Taek.

So What Makes Pad Thai Narok Taek My Favourite?

The pad Thai at Narok Taek suits my taste perfectly as it isn’t overly sweet, the sauce used is quite tamarind heavy making it a little more sour than the average pad Thai. There’s also prik pao (roasted chilli paste) added to the sauce to give it a nice little chilli kick. Plus, it’s within walking distance from my apartment but even if it wasn’t, I’d still make the trip here!

The special sauce.

The pad Thai comes served in an egg basket with some extra bean sprouts, garlic chives and of course, fresh lime wedges on the side. My favourite thing about this pad Thai is its crispy topping that I’ve only seen served here. Small dried prawns, which I’m not usually massively keen on, are fried with shallots, whole dried red chillies and lime leaves to create a crunchy, salty, savoury topping that adds extra texture and flavour to the noodles. Don’t worry if you don’t like dried prawns, they end up tasting like a sort of prawn bacon once they’re fried!

The crispy prawn topping.

There’s extra dried chiili, peanuts and fish sauce in bottles on the table so you can tweak it to suit your own personal taste.

High Heat Wok Cooking

The char on the noodles is ridiculous at Narok Taek. This comes from the extremely high heat that chef Aom cooks over. The flames literally come over the sides of the pan while he’s cooking and seeing this wok master in action is worth the trip here alone. This is the difference between the pad Thai at Narok Taek and the pad Thai at an indoor restaurant or guesthouse; it’s impossible to get this kind of char on the noodles unless you’re cooking over this kind of heat.

The main man, Chef Aom!

What to order

Like I said earlier, they only sell pad Thai at Narok Taek. That being said, you have some options:

Pad Thai with the crunchy prawn topping – 40 baht (£0.90, $1.30)

Pad Thai with two large river prawns – 70 baht (£1.60, $2.25)

Special Pad Thai which is the same as the prawn version with prawn crackers and fish maw – 90 baht (£2, $2.90)

My favourite is the pad Thai with two large, shell-on, fresh, juicy prawns that are cooked to perfection. If you’re a prawn fan, it’s a no brainer to pay the extra 30 baht. The special is good value for what it is but it can be a bit much, all on one plate. When I’m really hungry, I order one with prawns and one with just the crispy topping!

Pad Thai with prawns.

If you have time, you can check out our video review on YouTube below. If you like the video, please consider subscribing to the channel.

How to get to Narok Taek

Narok Taek is located on Lat Ya Road, just by Wongwian Yai roundabout. It’s a 10 – 15 minute walk or 5 minute tuk tuk or taxi ride from Wongwian Yai BTS Station. It’s also easily accessible on foot or taxi if you’re staying at the Millenium Hilton or Peninsula Hotels on Charoen Nakhon Road.

The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from 5 – 10 p.m and we suggest you get there early as the queues get very long, very quickly!

Here is a map to the restaurant:

Khao kha moo – Thai pork leg stew on rice is one of my all time favourite Thai comfort dishes. I’d say it’s one of Thailand’s most eaten and well loved meals, in fact, you’d be hard pushed to find a street in Bangkok that doesn’t boast a shop or stall selling pork leg stew. With so many shops selling the same thing, I have to really enjoy a particular version to spend my time writing about it and that is definitely the case when I visit Kha Moo Jae Yai.

So what makes this stall so good?

Khao Moo Jae Yai has been serving hungry office workers at the ThaSri Building for the last six years. The owners tell me their mother has cooked the same recipe for 40 years! The pork stew is very well spiced here, slightly sweet and served with my favourite runny eggs, khai ma toom. Khao kha moo usually comes with hard boiled eggs which can be extremely overdone to the point of being chalky inside. When the runny yolk mixes with the pork broth here, it’s a thing of beauty. The pork is also fantastic at Jae Yai; perfectly tender without having the stringy texture that plagues a lot of pork leg stews in Bangkok.

That perfect, oozy egg yolk!

Another plus point is the homemade prik nam som (chilli vinegar) which is the perfect balance of spicy and sour making it ideal to cut through the richness of the pork broth.

The price nam som here is perfect.

They also sell some excellent moo tod (fried battered pork) so you can get a mix of fried and stewed pork in the same bowl. You can also pick up some very good southern Thai curries here like their excellent Penang and Gaeng Som curries, again made from recipes passed down from the owner’s southern Thai mother.

The gang som is bagged and ready to go.

It’s also very cheap, the khao kha moo will set you back 50 baht (£1.15/$1.60) with an egg. The moo tod is the same price and the curries start at 45 baht (£1/$1.45).

What are the negatives?

The only downside to Jae Yai is that they aren’t open weekends. Also, there’s nowhere to sit so unless, like me, you don’t mind sitting on the steps outside 7-11 while you eat, you might find this a problem. Neither of these are a problem for me whatsoever as I live nearby so can visit midweek and I eat so quickly that I don’t really need a seat! If these are things that would put you off, you can check out our 5 great places for khao kha moo post for some alternative spots to get your khao kha moo fix around Bangkok.

Khao Moo Jae Yai is located directly outside Krungthonburi BTS Station exit 2. They are open from 9 a.m – 7 p.m Monday to Friday.

Here’s a map with directions to Jae Yai:

To us, Koh Mook (Koh Muk) in the Southern Thai province of Trang is everything a Thai island should be. It boasts stunning white sand beaches, clear blue seas and is still just far enough off the mass tourist radar that it’s managed (so far) to escape the tourism boom that has plagued the popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket. Don’t get me wrong, there are resorts on Koh Mook but they have managed to strike the right balance between making it an attractive spot for tourists and keeping the island relatively unspoiled.

If you like mass beach parties with thousands of backpackers, Koh Mook is not going to be your cup of tea. If you love relaxing, strolling along pristine, quiet beaches and taking in the sunset with an ice cold beer, then keep reading.

Helen and I have travelled to pretty much every Thai Island in the guidebook and if we had to pick an Island to go back to then Koh Mook would be sitting very close to the top of the list.

What’s the beach like?

As I said earlier, the beaches on Koh Mook are amazing. The sand, the water clarity (we went in February) and the choice of beachside accommodation makes it a perfect spot for all you beach bums out there. There are a few beaches on the Island; Ao Kham, which is by the village and has a rustic feel, Ao Wua Nawn (which includes Sivalai Beach) and Farang Beach on the other side. All the beaches have their plus points but we like the laid back, Ao Wua Nan to the more holiday package, sun lounger vibe on Farang Beach.

Ao Wua Nawn Beach

It doesn’t make too much of a difference where you stayon Koh Mook as it is just about small enough to navigate by foot. You can walk from one side of the island to the other in around thirty minutes so it’s not like you’re stuck on one particular beach. A motorbike taxi from one side of the island to the other will set you back 30-50 baht per person and scooters can be rented around the island for 250-300 baht a day so you have options. We rented a scooter from De Tara Beach Resort and drove to Charlie Beach for sunset most nights.

How’s the food?

I resigned myself long ago to the fact that I’m not going to get the same food on an Island that I get on the mainland. That being said, Koh Mook has some solid options.

The two standout dishes we ate on our trip were at the De Tara Resort on Ao Wua Nawn. The masaman curry at De Tara tops the list without a doubt. There is definitely something about the Trang Islands and massaman curries because I had another amazing version on a recent trip to nearby Koh Libong.

I can’t mention the De Tara without talking about the Gaeng Som Pla –  a spicy southern Thai served with a big chunk of stewed fish on the bone and pieces of cooked green papaya and pineapple; it’s spicy, sour and utterly delicious!

The Geang Som st De Tara.

The prices at the resorts are a little higher than the local places so if you’re on a budget, I’d suggest heading down a bit from De Tara to Sugar’s. Here they serve up a variety of good local dishes starting at around 80 baht (£1.80/$2.50.) I had the tom yum soup with seafood which had plenty of prawns, squid and veg thrown in. It’s different from what I’m used to in Bangkok with the use of celery and carrots but thoroughly enjoyable none the less. Helen went back a couple of times for their french toast (always a good sign if you like sweet treats) and they also serve a pretty decent coffee.

An interesting version of a classic soup.

There are a few local options around the village such as Good Luck Restaurant offering great value seafood and classic Thai dishes. Don’t miss the Pla Nueng Manao (steamed seabass in lime sauce) here.

What else can I do there?

Koh Mook has one main tourist attraction, The Emerald Cave or Morakot cave as it’s known locally. It’s a cave (obviously) that you swim through in the pitch black with a torch to get to a stunning natural lagoon. I’d say it’s worth a look but it does get extremely busy as tourist boats come from Krabi as well as Koh Mook itself. We took a private longtail boat at 8 am hoping to miss the crowds but there was already fifty odd tourists there when we got into the lagoon.

If you want to see the Emerald cave then I’d suggest doing what we did and going there as part of a private island tour of Koh Kradan or Koh Ngai (or both.)

There are plenty of long tail boats on Ao Wua Nawn that are more than happy to take you around the Islands for a reasonable price and I’d say it was one of the better boat trips we’ve been on in Thailand (and we’ve been on a lot!)

We didn’t make it to Koh Ngai but Koh Kradan is something else. The beaches on Kradan are even more spectacular than Koh Mook’s with powdery white sand and turquoise, clear waters. After walking around the island, however, it would have been a little too remote for us to stay on ourselves, however, it’s well worth checking out if you love that desert island feel.

Fresh of the boat

There is an amazing little cove on Kradan, a ten-minute walk across the island from where the boat drops you, where you can chill out for a couple of hours and have a swim in the calm, clear water.

Also, there’s an incredible viewpoint above the little bay overlooking the Andaman sea which is a must-do if you’re on the island. It’s one of the easier viewpoints to tackle that we’ve come across in Thailand!

Where should I stay?

A little slice of luxury.

The standout beachfront option on Mook is The Sivalai Beach Resort. Set on the point separating Ao Kham Beach and Ao Wua Nawn Beach. This stretch of sand is our favourite on the Island. You definitely have to pay for the privilege as a beachfront bungalow will set you back around 7000 baht (£160/$220) in high season or a bargain 3500 (£80/$110) baht in low season. The downside is that you are limited to where you can swim at low tide so if dipping in and out of the water all day is your thing, then maybe consider Charlie Beach on Farang Beach where swimming isn’t affected by the tide.

Click here for today’s best prices at The Sivalai.

A decent midrange beach option.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the Sivalai but you still want direct access to the beach then you could go for the Koh Mook De Tara a little further down Ao Wau Nawn Beach. The accommodation at De Tara ranges from 2000 baht a night ‘Tented Villas’ to 3500 baht Deluxe Ocean View rooms with a balcony overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Andaman sea. They serve a couple of excellent dishes at De Tara as well as some average resort food. The massaman here is a must try, even if you’re staying elsewhere. Oh, and they have ‘The Words Best Margherita’….allegedly.

Click here for today’s best prices at De Tara.

Sea view room at De Tara.

A wallet-friendly jungle stay.

If you’re not too bothered about being in a resort and you like a more local, rustic vibe then you could check out Koh Mook Coco Lodge, a short walk from the pier. They have classic Thai Bamboo huts for 900 baht (£20/$28) with a fan and air conditioned concrete bungalows for 1500 baht (£33/$47) a night. You still get beach access here, albeit the beach here isn’t quite as picturesque as the Sivalai or Charlie Beaches but if you’re watching the pennies, Coco Lodge is a solid option.

Getting to Koh Mook

The easiest way to get to Koh Libong is to fly from Bangkok to Trang with either Nok Air, Lion Thai or Air Asia. From there you can head straight to Khuan Tung Ku Pier by minibus or private taxi, or you can take our advice and spend a night in Trang town to sample the fantastic local dim sum and roast pork there.

Once in Trang, you can pick up a combined minibus and ferry ticket for 250 baht per person from any travel agent in town.  the bus Once you arrive at Koh Mook, you can take a tuk-tuk to your accommodation for 50 baht per person.

If you’re looking for a clean, budget-friendly option for Trang town, then we suggest you check out Ban Ao Thong next to the Night Market. Rooms start at 800 baht a night with airconditioning and a hot shower. They have just opened a wine café downstairs serving pretty good Thai food and Western pasta dishes.

This post contains affiliate links from which we make a very small commission if you choose to book your hotel through them. This helps pay for the day to day running of our site so we can keep giving you the best tips for Thailand.

If your idea of the perfect getaway is long strolls on a deserted beach, reading a book and generally doing nothing, then Koh Libong in Trang might just be your ideal Thai Island.

I love a quiet island; I really do, the popular tourist islands of Koh Samui and Phuket couldn’t be further down my list of ideal Thai beach destinations. Now Libong, however, takes quiet to another level; there is literally nothing to do here. I would usually find this quite challenging, I have a very short attention span, so I’m always on the go. When we’re on an Island, we’ll be off on a rented scooter trying to find restaurants or hidden beaches. We attempted that on Libong…still nothing.

There is a viewpoint that is meant to be amazing, but we tried to climb it in our flip flops and failed miserably! You can also go Dugong spotting, but I don’t like the thought of chasing around those big gentle giants in a long tail boat with a massive engine. Scaring them to death isn’t my idea of a good day out.

So I must have had a terrible time right?

Well no, actually, Koh Libong has a way of forcing you to relax, which is just what I needed after a hectic end to 2017. There’s something magical about this sleepy beach which made it impossible for me not to merely accept my fate and recharge my batteries. We’d been pretty much non stop moving every other day since we started our little trip of the Andaman coast in Khao Sok National Park ten days previously. The three days of pure relaxation on Libong were just what the doctor ordered. Reading books, writing and strolling up and down the long stretch of beach by our hotel was pretty much all our days consisted of here.

You can’t beat a stroll on an empty beach.

What about the food?

Eating in resort restaurants is not something I usually make a habit of; I find the food is more often than not, overpriced and bland, which is not my favourite combo. This is clearly not the case when it comes to the Thai cuisine at the Andalay Beach Resort, where we stayed, the food was out of this world. In fact, everything I ate there during our stay was top quality.

The massaman curry was incredible, one of the best I’ve eaten anywhere in Thailand. It must be something about Trang Island resorts because the last memorable massaman I had was at the De Tara Resort on Koh Mak. All of the curries at the Andalay are top class, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve never eaten Thai food of this standard consistently in a mid-range resort before. The prices here are certainly a little higher than on the mainland, but at 160-200 baht for a curry, you’re not exactly breaking the bank.

The massaman at Andalay is incredible.

Another interesting dish I tried was the choo chee curry with prawns; it’s very similar to a Panang curry. The prawns are served peeled but with the removed heads cooked in with the sauce. This resulted in all the lovely prawn juices ending up in the curry, plus, I got to suck the heads!

The choo chee prawn curry

There is also a little shack restaurant in the ‘village’ serving up quick, simple Thai food that’s half the price of the food in the resorts. I tried the fried yellow noodles with seafood and stir-fried squid in curry powder, and both are more than OK. If you’re on a budget, then this could be the place for you. The little restaurant is located before the mini-mart, just after the road taking you up to The Andalay Beach Resort and Libong Beach Resort.

Here’s a video review of the amazing massaman curry. Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel!

So how’s the beach?

The beach itself is a little rocky with stones in the sand. This isn’t the powdery white sand of nearby Koh Mook or Koh Kradan, but you will forget all about the sand when you witness the sun set behind the mini desert island 200 meters offshore; it makes for one of the best sunsets we’ve come across anywhere on our travels. It’s very quiet on Libong, with a few resorts such as the Libong beach resort and a handful of fishing boats. Perfect for an afternoon stroll.

The sunset here is amazing!

Would I come back?

Probably not unless I was in the area. It’s a little too remote for me but would definitely suit couples seeking a romantic beach holiday away from the hustle and bustle. There were also a few families with young children in our resort and they all got along fine.

I would suggest combining Koh Libong with a trip to Koh Mook, Koh Kradan and maybe Koh Ngai as a little Trang island tour.

Where should I stay?

A little slice of luxury

If I were to return to Libong, I would definitely stay at the Andalay Beach Resort again. Although it is a resort, the Andalay still feels like a family run place. It’s small and quaint, and the staff are really welcoming. The service is painfully slow at times, but hey, this is Thailand! We were at the Andalay for Christmas, and they put on a gala dinner for free with traditional Thai dancing and games which I wasn’t expecting to like nearly as much as I did. They even had a Thai Santa turn up on a quad bike from the beach so who wouldn’t enjoy that? Coupled with the fact that the Thai food is top-notch and there’s just enough to keep you busy for a few days.

A decent budget beach option

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the Andalay, but you still want direct access to the beach, then you could try the ever popular Libong Beach Resort next door. They have simple bungalows with both aircon and fan options for a fraction of the price of The Andalay. They also have a very popular restaurant, serving a large variety of Thai dishes. But, as it was more expensive than The Andalay’s restaurant we didn’t actually eat there.

You can grab a fan room here for as little as 500 baht in low season with an aircon room in the high season running to 2000 baht. This may not be the most luxurious resort in Thailand, but if you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful bungalow with direct access to the beach, then this could be your spot.

A wallet-friendly jungle stay

The most budget-friendly option we found was a place called Libong Sea Breeze. It’s set back in the jungle and a solid 10-15 minute walk to the beach so if you like to wake up and have direct access to the sea and sand this may not be the best place for you. The air-conditioned bungalows start at (a cheap for Koh Libong) 1200 baht a night. They also claim to make the world’s best pizza here!

Getting to Koh Libong

The easiest way to get to Koh Libong is to fly from Bangkok to Trang with either Nok Air, Lion Thai or Air Asia. From there you can head straight to Had Yao Pier by minibus or private taxi, or you can take our advice and spend a night in Trang town to sample the fantastic local dim sum and roast pork there.

Once in Trang, you can pick up a minibus to the pier for 100 baht per person from any travel agent in town. Don’t make the mistake of going to the bus terminal to get the minivan, it will drive back to town to pick up people from the travel agents so you’re just adding extra time on your journey. Once at Had Yao Pier you can hop on a long tail boat to Koh Libong for 100 baht each which takes around 20 minutes to reach the island. At the Pier in Koh Libong there will be Tuk Tuks waiting to take you to your accommodation. It cost us 150 baht each for the tuk tuk to the Andalay Beach Resort.

If you’re looking for a clean, budget-friendly option for Trang town, then we suggest you check out Ban Ao Thong next to the Night Market. Rooms start at 800 baht a night with air conditioning and a hot shower. They have just opened a wine café downstairs serving pretty good Thai food and Western pasta dishes.

This post contains affiliate links from which we make a very small commission if you choose to book your hotel through them. This helps pay for the day to day running of our site so we can keep giving you the best tips for Thailand.

The Southern Thai Province of Trang Is home to some of the country’s best Island getaways, but Trang Town itself is often looked upon as no more than a stopover town on the way to Koh Mook, Koh Kradan and Koh Libong. I’m here to let you know that as a food lover, Trang ‘City’ is so much more than that!

Trang’s population is largely made up of Muslims and ethnic Chinese; this is reflected heavily in the local cuisine. There is no shortage of roti stalls, fried chicken and other delicious Islamic food here but today I’ll be preaching about the fantastic Chinese influenced dim sum and moo yang (Trang roast pork) at a famous restaurant called Ruan Thai Dim Sum.

Ruan Thai is located around 3 km out from the main railway station in the town centre and can be easily reached by Tuk Tuk for 80 baht. You can pick up a Tuk Tuk at the Train station at any time of the day and every driver knows the restaurant. It’s a ten minute drive at most. The restaurant is only open in the mornings between the hours of 6 and 11 and it gets extremely busy so get there early. There are loads of dim sum restaurants in Trang but Ruan Thai is the most popular by far and for my money is the best I’ve tried.

As you enter the restaurant, you’re greeted by dozens of bamboo baskets full of different dim sum and you just choose the ones you want, hand them over and wait for them to be brought to your table. Don’t worry if you don’t speak any Thai, the staff know the basics so you’ll at least be able to ask what’s in the dumplings!

There’s too much to choose from!

So what did we order?

We ordered six dim sum dishes between two of us:

Ha Gow – Shrimp wrapped in translucent ‘crystal paper.’ Always a winner at any dim sum restaurant, the har gow here is no exception. Plump pieces of whole prawns wrapped in a delicate wheat based wrapper and perfectly seasoned. We were off to a good start.

Pork Sui Mai – The pork filling at Ruan Thai is reminiscent of a well seasoned English sausage, which is why I probably love it so much! The large amounts of fat in the pork mince allows the dumpling to stay moist and juicy after cooking.

Crab Sui Mai – The same filling as the pork version but topped with a spoon full of white crab meat. The sweet crab compliments the salty fatty pork perfectly – order these!

Vegetable dumplings – Chinese spinach and garlic wrapped in the same see-through paper as the har gow and seasoned with soy sauce and pepper. These make a for a nice break from the fatty pork. I love the irony taste of the spinach leaves with the punchy garlic.

 

 

 

Bao Moo Daeng – Chinese BBQ steamed pork buns. These are far too sweet for my taste, but that’s not a slight on the restaurant itself, just an indictment of these type of buns in general. I’ve eaten them all over the world, and they’ve never been to my taste. Helen enjoyed hers, though, as she’s got a sweet tooth! If you’re a pork bun fan, then you’ll probably love these too.

 

 

Bao Custard – Chinese steamed custard buns – Now as the pork buns were too sweet, I wasn’t expecting to be a fan of the custard ones! How wrong could I be? As it turns out, ironically, the custard variety is less sweet than the pork ones. Lightly sweetened custard in a fluffy steamed bun; what’s not to like? They are rich, creamy and utterly delicious. A must try when you come here!

 

 

Not just dim sum…

 

The other dish you shouldn’t miss on a trip to Trang is moo yang; roast / grilled pork, it’s native to Trang and I haven’t had it anywhere else in Thailand. A whole pig is marinated for eight to ten hours and cooked for four. The result is the softest my juiciest, fattiest pork imaginable with a crispy skin that bursts in your mouth like popcorn! The pork is sweet, flavoured with five spice and reminiscent of Chinese Char Sui. You don’t order the pork with the dim sum, a server brings it around on plates with spring rolls, and you just take what you want.

 

Maybe the best pork in Thailand!

 

 

 

 

And If you’re still hungry…

 

If you still have room, or you just can’t resist a sweet treat, then make sure you order a portion of the pa thong ko, sometimes referred to as Thai doughnuts. The freshly made dough is stretched and cut right in front of you and then deep fried to perfection. Crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside, the pa thong ko at Ruan Thai is some of the best we’ve had. The green sauce that comes with the doughnuts is called sangkaya, and it’s made up of coconut cream and pandan and is the perfect sweet accompaniment to these crunchy, fluffy treats.

 

Crispy, fluffy Thai doughnuts

 

How much will this feast set you back?

 

Ok, let’s talk prices; the whole meal including water cost us 260 baht. Yes, you read correctly. The six baskets of dim sum, the roast pork, the doughnuts and a traditional Southern Thai coffee (kopi) set us back  £6 or $8, U.S!

 

Don’t believe what you’re reading and need some video evidence?

 

No problem, here’s our full video review on YouTube. If you like what you see, don’t forget to like and subscribe to the channel!

 

 

How to get to Ruan Thai Dim Sum…

 

Like I said before, the easiest way to get to Ruan Thai is to jump in a Tuk Tuk but just in case you are making your own way there, here’s a map with directions to the restaurant:

 

 

]]> http://theroamingcook.com/amazing-thai-dim-sum-and-roast-pork-at-ruan-thai-trang-town/feed/ 0 2036 http://theroamingcook.com/my-favourite-thai-noodles-at-ann-guay-tiew-kua-gai/ http://theroamingcook.com/my-favourite-thai-noodles-at-ann-guay-tiew-kua-gai/#comments Thu, 21 Dec 2017 11:53:23 +0000 http://theroamingcook.com/?p=2023

Guay Teow Kua Gai wasn’t always my favourite fried Thai noodle dish. In fact, I didn’t even know what they were until I came to Bangkok. I, like most people, only knew about pad Thai and pad see-ew. Both of those dishes are mainstays on any Western Thai restaurants menu, and neither of which would be something I would go out of my way to order.

It wasn’t until moved to Bangkok that I discovered Guay teow Kua Gai, and now that I have, I literally can’t get enough of these simple, yet incredibly satisfying fried noodles.

There’s only one place I had to to get my fix, and that is Luang road in Bangkok’s Chinatown. There is a small alleyway dedicated to these fantastic noodles with a number of different stalls all selling their own versions. There are some amazing outdoor spots like Nai Hong, but for today I’ll be focusing on Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai.

 

‘Guay Teow Alley’

 

The high heat cooking is what gives guay teow Kua Gai it’s flavour, this is a street food dish after all, who wants to be burning charcoal inside their kitchen all night? ‘Ann’ Is unique in this respect as it’s actually a small air-conditioned restaurant on the main road that back’s onto the alleyway. Here they cook the noodles street style and serve it to their customers in an icy cold air con setting, giving you the best of both worlds. If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I hate paying for substandard food just so I can enjoy air conditioning but when I’m offered street food prices, and I don’t have to sweat, I’ll take that all day long!

 

Inside the restaurant.

 

So What is Guay Teow Kua Gai?

 

Guay Teow means noodles in Thai, Kua is to fry in a wok until dry and Gai is chicken so the name literally translates to dry fried chicken noodles and that pretty much sums them up. Unlike their more famous cousins, pad Thai and pad see-ew, there is no sauce used in guay teow Kua Gai. All their flavour comes from being cooked over coals at an insanely high heat in pork fat with a little soy sauce and finished with spring onions and egg. The flat. Wide rice noodles char and blister and you end up with something resembling a noodle omelette.

 

 

The Guay Teow Kua Gai.

 

At Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai you have a few options to choose from:

 

Chicken, which is the most common, chicken and ham, seafood or a mix of everything. Next, you pick your egg; You can have the egg cooked omelette style, or just cracked on top fresh, which kind of cooks itself from the heat of the noodles.

I usually just order the chicken as I’m not a huge fan of the preserved squid they use in the seafood bowl. I love the fact that they use chicken thigh here which is much less likely to dry out when frying as breast does. The chicken pieces come simply marinated in soy and pepper and fried until charred and crispy. The noodles are soft and chewy and blistered to perfection, and my personal preference is the cooked egg, although I do sometimes roll the dice and order the ‘raw’ egg! The only other things in the bowl are spring onion and lettuce; Guay teow Kua Gai is always served with lettuce.

Condiments wise, you have the usual suspects; chilli vinegar, dried chilli flakes, white pepper and sugar. You also get some soy sauce at ‘Ann’ in case you like it a little saltier. I never touch the sugar, but a big drizzle of sour vinegar is a must to cut through the richness of the fatty noodles. My bowl is complete when I’ve covered my noodles with red-hot chilli flakes ( I put chilli on everything) and some white pepper!

There is an argument to be made that Nai Hong’s noodles are actually tastier and if you love the whole street vibe, then this might be a better bet. If you’re bringing guests and they don’t like sitting outside in the Bangkok heat (like my wife Helen), then Ann Guay Teow Kua Gai is the perfect spot to get them acquainted with their new favoured Thai noodles.

The menu here is in English and Thai so ordering couldn’t be easier. A bowl of Chicken Guay Teow will set you back 50 THB (£1.10 / $1.50), while the mixed bowl with set you back 80 THB (£1.80 / $2.40) like I said street food prices!

Why don’t you take a trip down to Luang alley, try all the noodles and make your own mind up as to which are best? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

Feel free to check out my youtube channel for a full video review:

 

How do I get there?

 

Luang road is situated a 5-10 minute walk from Bangkok’s main parts of Chinatown, Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road.

 

The old Rot Dee Det shop was a no-frills, classic, old-school Thai eatery, the kind of place I eat in on a daily basis. With Jeib Rot Dee Det, they have gone with a more modern, industrial space, with everything kitted out in black.

The new sign.

There is still no aircon downstairs, but the shop is very open, and there are lots of fans, so I’ve never felt unusually hot in there.

The new interior

Jeib Rod Dee Det is the place for you in Siam if, like me, eating in overpriced shopping mall food courts fill you with dread!

I’ve been to Rod Dee Det five times now and have found the food there to be very consistent. On this particular day, I took friend of the blog, Mick from BKK JUNK so we could sample a few different dishes.

We ordered four dishes:

Guay Teow Neua – Beef noodle soup – 50 baht.

The beef noodles are why I come to this place. We ordered two bowls, one with wide rice noodles (sen yai), and one with rice vermicelli (sen mee.) Personally, I prefer the wide rice noodles, they just have an amazingly soft, chewy texture and are my noodle of choice in and beef noodle soup in Thailand. The soup here is very salty but does have an intense, beefy flavour. Like with all noodle soups in Thailand, you have to tweak it with the condiments on the table to get the right balance of tastes for your palate. I find that a big dollop of the homemade chilli vinegar (prik nam som) and a spoon full of chilli flakes (prik bon) gives the noodles the right salty, sour, spicy combination. Mick added a little sugar to his soup to find the right mix, so just play around until you determine what’s right for you.

Meatwise, the soup comes with tender stewed beef, blanched fresh slices of beef and a beef meatball, the latter I can personally do without. The winner is undoubtedly the stewed, Chinese spiced beef (nuea pueay), it literally disintegrates your mouth. I could eat a whole bowl of the beef by itself!

Khao Na Gai – Chinese style chicken stew on rice – 50 baht.

The Chinese chicken stew here is very interesting to me as it reminds me of an Asian version of a stew we would get in the UK. It consists of tender pieces of chicken in a thickened soy sauce based sauce. The stew comes with fresh slices of green chilli on the side to give a little heat and freshness to the dish. I could imagine eating this while wrapped up in a duvet on a cold winter’s day in London!

Khao Stew Neua – Chinese style beef stew on rice – 50 baht.

The beef stew is darker than the chicken stew but has the same salty soy-based sauce. The difference is that it also has a lovely hint of Chinese five spice which complements the tender beef perfectly. I’d say that I prefer the chicken but at 50 baht a plate you can order both and make up your own minds!

Khao Moo Waan – Sweet pork on rice – 50 baht.

The khao moo waan was my least favourite dish out of the four dishes we ordered, it was far too sweet for my taste, but that’s because I don’t have a very sweet tooth. It’s not terrible by any means, it carries ample flavour with plenty of garlic, soy sauce, tender pork strips and it has a sweet and salty thing going on that some may find perfect for their Palate. But like I say, just a little on the sugary side for my taste.

If you have time, you can check out my video of Jeib Rod Dee Det Here:

All in all, Jeib Rod Dee Det is a solid choice for authentic Thai food around Siam, which can be a little hard to come by in the world of shiny malls and dessert cafes that line the streets here. It’s not my absolute favourite beef noodle shop in Bangkok, that would have to go to Talat Phlu Ocha on Lat Ya, but It’s definitely making my top five!

Directions to the restaurant below: