The best dishes I had in 2024

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2024 was a strange year for me. While the borders had been fully-open since late 2022, I went on a self-imposed travel ban for 6 months in the middle of this year, thereby missing out on a few amazing culinary trips my friends undertook. I told everyone that I was staying in town to support Hong Kong's economy, and I hope my chef and restauranteur friends appreciated that...

As I have done each year since 2018, I have compiled a list of dishes I've enjoyed during the year which were the most emotional experiences for me. There have been no shortage of delicious dishes over hundreds of meals, and making a concise list of the best of them remains a difficult task. So here they are in chronological order:

Sweet and sour pig tails (菠蘿咕嚕豬尾), from The Chairman (大班樓) in Hong Kong - as someone who loves pig tails and who also enjoys a good sweet and sour pork this combination proved insanely delicious. The light and airy batter was especially bewitching.

Scorching Bangkok day 5: teenage memories

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It's my last day in Bangkok, and I'm too lazy to go grab breakfast this morning... especially since I'm having an early lunch. I decided to finish eating all the Thai mandarins (ส้มเขียวหวาน) I bought yesterday. But DAMN! Why do they have so many seeds?!

I checked out of my hotel and got picked up by my friend, who was taking me on a trip down memory lane. When the Parental Units lived here in the late 80s, I spent my summer and winter holidays here with them, and on many days I would come to RBSC Polo Club for lunch. My friend happens to be a member and enjoys dining here, so she was kind enough to treat me to a simple lunch. The weather was just too hot today to be hanging out by the pool, so we opted for the more comfortable surroundings of the Air Bar.

Scorching Bangkok day 4: no LV at LV

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Since my last trip to Bangkok, Indian Hairy Legs has launched a new project in collaboration with a major global fashion house. Gaggan at Louis Vuitton opened a few months ago within LV The Place Bangkok at the newly-renovated Gaysorn Amarin. The location - Amarin Plaza - holds memories for me from decades ago when the Parental Units lived in Bangkok. They used to entertain at the Heritage Club on the top floor of the building, and I had occasionally also dined at the McDonald's downstairs - which had been the first one in Thailand, where the prices were shockingly unaffordable by local standards back in the day.

These days Louis Vuitton has taken over a corner of the shopping mall, and in addition to a café on the ground floor, they've opened this restaurant inside the boutique. Now it's my turn to check this place out, and I invited a friend along. Neither of us came dressed in Vuitton like many of the other patrons. In fact, I don't think I don't own any item from them...

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To no one's surprise, the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram is everywhere... including on the display plates which, like all the ceramics in the house, were custom made in Arita (有田). By the way, that leather Vivienne napkin ring? Not a souvenir you can keep from the meal. You can probably buy it from the boutique, though...

Scorching Bangkok day 4: ice, rice, baby

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I got out of my hotel reasonably early to run an errand. I had forgotten my notebook computer at home, and a kind soul who happened to travel to Bangkok had brought it with him to his hotel, so I got myself a car and traveled to Bang Na to pick it up.

I needed some breakfast this morning, and since the fish ball noodle shop recommended by a local isn't open, I figured I'll just go back to Ta Chai Sukhothai Noodles (ตาชัยก๋วยเตี๋ยวสุโขทัย), where Indian Hairy Legs brought us to have noodles last year.

As usual, the soup with both fresh and preserved radish comes first.

I chose egg noodles for my Sukhothai noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวสุโขทัย), which I immediately regretted. This was just like the noodles in Cantonese cuisine... I do like the vinegar in the mix together with the ground pork, char siu (叉燒), bean sprouts, and diced string beans. Unfortunately, though, the noodles stuck together in my bowl.

Scorching Bangkok day 3: an Indian-Mexican romance

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I had a stop to make before arriving at my next hotel in the middle of the city. A few days ago I had a long-overdue catchup up with senpai, and he connected me with two alumni from our school. These guys were kind enough to take time out to grab a coffee with me, so we met at Roast in EmQuartier with my luggage in tow.

Moving from the riverside to Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok is meant to make it easier for me to get around the city, as it's a few minutes away from the Chitlom (ชิดลม) BTS Station. I did take the BTS after my coffee to get to the hotel, which wasn't too painful with my luggage. I needed to do some emergency shopping before dinner tonight, and as centralwOrld was not far away, I was able to get there on foot and back easily.

When my Grab driver chose to abandon my fare because he didn't want to get stuck on Sukhumvit for a short fare, I took the BTS and got off at the station nearest to the restaurant, then hopped on the back of a moto taxi to get to my dinner at Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh

I was initially slated to dine alone, but discovered that someone I had been corresponding with online happened to be in Bangkok at the same time, so I invited him to join me at my table. By the time I arrived at the restaurant, I realized that an additional place had been set for Indian Hairy Legs and he would also be joining me.

This is a casual restaurant where the whole family is welcome, and there's no set menu. I decided to leave the choice of dishes up to Vlad - and later Indian Hairy Legs.

Golgappa : chole mousse / pomegranate panipurri - golgappa (गोलगप्पे) is Dehli-style pani puri (पानी पूरी), and inside the crispy shell we had a mouse of white beans and seafood which was nice and creamy. On the side we had a drink made with pomegranate and green mango, which was savory and acidic with spices.

Scorching Bangkok day 3: Bangkok brasserie

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Woke up to another glorious morning in Bangkok, and I was hungry! So I decided to go down and get breakfast in the hotel, which is served at Riva del Fiume Ristorante. I normally don't care for buffet breakfasts but I wanted to take things easy today. It has been a LONG time since I last took in a meal or a drink by the Chao Phraya River so I decided to get myself a table on the terrace.

I tried to pick up a few things which gave me more of a "local" flavor, but I did start with one of these very pretty butter croissants.

Scorching Bangkok day 2: Isaan with the boys

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Besides coming for the launch of Hairy Legs' new outpost in Bangkok, I'm also spending time hanging out with the Indian Hairy Legs and the boys. In addition to scheduling meals at his restaurants, he promised to take me out for some Thai food. I left the choice entirely up to him, only cautioning that my tolerance for heat is limited.

Not wanting to take me somewhere for fine dining, he chose the Sathorn branch of Baan Somtum (บ้านส้มตำ) as it's relatively close to my hotel. This would be my second Isaan meal in as many days, and I was really looking forward to it. The place was heaving when I arrived, packed with lots of people who looked like they just got off work. Vlad and Rydo made it a foursome for us tonight.

We left the ordering to the person who speaks the best Thai, which is of course Indian Hairy Legs. I am grateful that most of the dishes tonight weren't over the top in terms of fire...

Prawn coconut salad (ตำมะพร้าวอ่อนกุ้งสด) - the place is, after all, called Baan Somtum, so we would try a couple of som tum. This one with pieces of coconut flesh was nice.

Deep fried chicken wings (ปีกไก่ทอด) - who doesn't like fried chicken wings? These were pretty good, so a second order was placed by Vlad, who proceeded not to share it with anyone else.

Scorching Bangkok day 2: Thai home cooking

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I woke up this morning feeling a little hungry. I could have walked down to have my buffet-style hotel breakfast, but I wasn't sure how "local" that would be. Instead, I decided to follow the recommendation of a local I met last night. I walked out of the compound that the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Praya River sits in, crossed the road, and sat down at Lao Si (เล่าสี่ เกาเหลาเลือดหมู 黃瑞發).

The place is famous for their pork blood soup, or more accurately, pig offal soup. They have even written the words 豬雜湯 in Chinese on a cardboard stuck to the wall. So that's what I ordered... and since I was having an early lunch today, I didn't ask for a bowl of rice like other people. I also didn't have any deep-fried pork that I saw.

Pork blood soup (เกาเหลาเลือดหมู) - we've got the blood, kidney, liver, stomach, heart, as well as "regular" minced pork. Standard MSG broth. Pretty tasty.

Scorching Bangkok day 1: an evening by the river

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I checked-in to my gorgeous room at the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Praya River and took in the refreshments before deciding it was best to nap and catch up on some much-needed sleep. The resort feel of the hotel put my mind in a very relaxed mode so it was lights out for me pretty quickly.

The sun was setting when I got up, and it was time to freshen up for the event tonight. The main reason why I made the trip to Bangkok was to celebrate the rebranding of the the French brasserie within Four Seasons Bangkok as Palmier by Guillaume Galliot. Hairy Legs now takes over responsibility for the menu, and has also placed Keith Cheung from his team at Caprice in charge as chef de cuisine.

Scorching Bangkok day 1: offally Isaan

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I'm in Bangkok for a few days to hang out with two of my favorite chefs, where the priorities on my itinerary were - quelle horreur! - NOT restaurants serving Thai cuisine. After a second night where I didn't get enough sleep, I was pretty tired by the time I landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thankfully getting through immigration was a breeze today, and per SOP I took the Airport Rail Link into town, then got myself a Grab car from Phaya Thai station.

Thanks to my flight being delayed, I arrived at the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River a little later than anticipated. However, it was just a little after noon, and my room wasn't ready for check-in. I left my luggage with the hotel and headed off to lunch not too far away.

100 Mahaseth had been on my radar for a few years, but it never became a priority as other, newer spots kept popping up. Well, their Si Praya location isn't too far from the hotel, so I figured it would be a good place to grab lunch today. I don't think I've ever dined anywhere specializing in cuisine from Issan (อีสาน), as I was always under the impression that it is fairly spicy, so this would be an educational experience for me.

It didn't look like the "tasting menu" listed on their website was still available, or at least it wasn't offered for lunch. I found a few dishes I was interested in on the menu, checked with the staff on sizing, and placed my order.

Now that I'm in Bangkok, the drink I most wanted was orange juice (น้ำส้มคั้น) made with Thai tangerines (ส้มเขียวหวาน) that I love so, so much. Even though I was trying to get over the remnants of a nagging cough, I just had to gulp down a couple of glasses of this iced nectar.

At the start of the meal, the staff brought me a collection of salads and dips, which included two som tum (ส้มตำ) and three dipping sauces: jaew (แจ่ว) tamarind, jaew pla-ra (แจ่วปลาร้า), and Thai chimichurri.

The best dishes I had in 2023

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Another year of eating pretty well, now that we've been released from the shackles of the pandemic and resumed travel around the world. Revenge travel, it is called, and I've made no less than 6 trips to Taiwan just to see the Parental Units. Of course, there were other trips, too... and I finally made it outside of Asia towards the end of the year.

Once again I have compiled a list of dishes I've enjoyed during the year which drew the most emotional reactions from me. I've had many, many delicious dishes over hundreds of meals, and as always it is no easy task to pare the list down to a manageable number. The dishes were tasted in Hong Kong unless otherwise indicated.

Golden roast pigs from New Territories Farms (新界農場大金豬), from Red Seasons Aroma Restaurant (季季紅風味餐廳) - it had been four years since I was last able to taste this roast pork... where the pigs were roasted in underground ovens and the very crunchy crackling come with that beautiful smoky flavor. Just so, so happy to be able to enjoy this with friends again.

Bangkok incognito day 6: carbonara danish

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I'm flying out on a morning flight today, which meant I really didn't have any realistic options for breakfast. I had come across something curious in a package being sold at 7-11, and I figured I'd give it a shot and do that for my brekkie.

Carbonara danish sandwich is an interesting proposition. I love flaky pastry, and I LOOOOOOVE carbonara - whether the "real" ones made with egg yolk or the "fake" ones made with cream. So naturally I'm curious about this.

Bangkok incognito day 5: being assalted

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For my last dinner in Bangkok on this trip, I decided to check out a restaurant I had been hearing about for quite a few years. I have been a big fan of Gaggan Anand for a number of years, and I've had the privilege of watching his cuisine evolve. But a few years ago, a certain friend suggested that I should pay Haoma a visit. I wasn't able to do it during the long absence over the last few years, but tonight I finally got the chance.

The restaurant is also on Soi 31, just up the road from our hotel but the walk is a little longer compared to two nights ago. I was a little more sweaty by the time we got to our destination, but we were asked to wait outside the air conditioned dining room to start our experience...

We were shown a box of some of the ingredients to be used for our meal. This seems to be pretty common these days...

Bangkok incognito day 5: noodles and orange juice

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Foursheets is busy with work meetings all day, so I'm flying solo most of the day starting from breakfast. I decided to walk over to Rung Rueang Pork Noodle (รุ่งเรือง ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหมู) on Sukhumvit Soi 26 to try out this famous noodle shop.

There are, in fact, TWO noodle shops adjacent to each other - both with the same name. They are commonly referred to as the "Left Shop" and the "Right Shop". The Left Shop has been listed in the Michelin Guide for Bangkok and earned itself a Bib Gourmand distinction. The Right Shop, though, continues to do roaring business without the status.

So which shop to visit? Do I do both? I could certainly do that, but it would require consuming more calories than I really need. Fortunately, someone has already done the comparison and reached a verdict. A trio including Supercharz and Super G had hit both of these spots just days ago, and concluded that the Right Shop was the one. So... I just followed their advice.

I chose to get a small bowl of kiami noodles with everything (ทุกอย่าง เกี๋ยมอี๋). The short rice noodles have tapered sharp tips on both sides, and in the pork-based (with lots of MSG, of course!) soup were minced pork, fish balls, fish cake, and offal like liver and heart. There was plenty of pepper in the soup, and the Chinese celery was pretty strong.

Bangkok incognito day 4: noodles and home cooking

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Another morning, and another breakfast. Foursheets wanted some boat noodles for breakfast, and we wandered back to Brainwake Café for it. But first... time to get myself some cha yan (ชาเย็น).

Beef boat noodle soup (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือเนื้อน้ำ) - with an extra order of crackling (กากหมู) that is de rigueur. OK la... Craving satisfied.

Bangkok incognito day 3: why the fuck are you even here?

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Truth be told, the main reason we're back in Bangkok is to see our friend Gaggan Anand, whom we recently found is actually named Gagan, with only one 'g' in the middle. Well, actually, I've seen him in both Hong Kong and Singapore over the last year, but what we haven't done is dined at his no-longer-new Gaggan Anand Restaurant. He has announced a new menu in which he has gotten rid of the emojis, so it was our opportunity to check it out for ourselves.

The restaurant is only a short stroll up Soi 31 from our digs at the Public House, so for once we didn't have to worry about the infamous Bangkok traffic. We showed up a little early to our late seating, but they weren't quite ready for us... so we hung out just inside the entrance to the building and had a drink of water. I guess I could have had a drink from the bar, too...

I had seen pictures of this neon light for the last couple of years, and me being who I am, I've always thought it should say "Be an asshole"...

Bangkok incognito day 3: new digs for an old favorite

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Foursheets got up this morning and decided that she would like to have some cha yan (ชาเย็น), so we walked around and ended up at Brainwake Café. While someone got her fix for milk tea, I noticed a selection of gelato from Ghignoni, and they happen to have cha yan gelato. So instead of having a drink, I got myself a gelato.

Bangkok Incognito day 2: Saturday Night Fever

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For our second dinner in Bangkok, we decided to hit Baan Tepa Culinary Space, one of the places which opened and rose to fame since our last trip to the city. The "culinary space" is actually a stately home which belongs to the family of Chef "Tam" Chudaree Debhakam, and her illustrous background has certainly generated a lot of buzz (or is it hype?) This made me very curious and determined to come see for myself.

We arrived a little early as we had budgeted time for Bangkok's famous traffic jams. As our party did not arrive together, the customary tour through the gardens was put on hold for us... and then omitted altogether as we got seated at our table for dinner. Oh well.

I didn't feel like ordering wine, so we grabbed a cocktail instead.

Coconut aged negroni: The Siamese - aged for 2 weeks and poured out of a coconut.

We were invited into the kitchen for a welcome bite and drink. The booking was done by me so that should have allowed us to stay incognito, but apparently Ice had alerted Chef Tam about our arrival, so the jig was up...

Bangkok incognito day 2: Jay Fai size

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After a poor night's sleep as a result of over-caffeinating myself, for once this morning I needed caffeine more than Foursheets did. Fortunately good coffee was just around the corner, and we found ourselves back at PAGA Microroastery. Got myself a cold brew and properly caffeinated again.

You'd think that, with the huge dinner we had last night, and with out lunch starting slightly early, that I would skip breakfast altogether. But I was a little curious about the Holey Artisan Bakery, so I walked in and, after surveying the goodies, bought myself a simple croissant. This was decent, but nothing to write home about.

Taking the traffic situation into consideration, we set off for Raan Jay Fai (ร้านเจ๊ไฟ) early. The last time all of us got to eat here was back in February 2017, when there were still very few customers at night. Since then the business has exploded thanks to the place receiving a Michelin star - which instantly catapulted Sister Mole to the world stage - followed by the feature on Netflix. By the time we tried to go back in December 2018, the lines were impossibly long.

So we are grateful to have a booking for lunch today without having to line up for hours. Jay Fai is still standing over one of the cooking stations, while someone else is now also doing the cooking. Filming videos of the boss cooking, or selfies with her, are now not permitted. I do think that's necessary nowadays, given the heavy workload she now goes through daily.

For me, a meal here has to start with some orange juice (น้ำส้มคั้น). I loooove these Thai tangerines (ส้มเขียวหวาน) with the green peel, as the flavors are just so... elegant with that wonderful fragrance.

Bangkok incognito day 1: 50 (per)cent

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At or near the top of the list to visit for the Great One on this trip is Sorn (ศรณ์), the fine dining southern Thai restaurant from "Ice" Supaksorn Jongsiri and Chef Yodkwan U-Pumpruk. It is also near the top of the list for Foursheets, so it comes as no surprise that our first dinner takes place at the restaurant where we had our last dinner in Bangkok back in 2019.

It's rush hour on Friday evening, and traffic just isn't moving much along Sukhumvit... so we gave up on our plans for a Grab ride to the restaurant and walk over. After a little more than a half hour, we were all a little sweaty by the time we arrived for dinner. But the Great One was happy, and we had all worked up an appetite.

The menu tonight looked reasonably similar to the one served to me back in 2019, but this time around I asked Ice to tone down the spice levels for me... to about 50% of usual. As their pastes are sauces are made à la minute, Ice said they could accommodate as much as possible. I practically cried from the heat on my last visit, and I certainly wouldn't want to do that again.

Amuse bouche: there's a new one in addition to the two I have previously tasted.

Red guava (ฝรั่งแดง) - with a layer of red guava jelly on top, a thin wafer of crispy squid, and of course a sprinkle of crispy shallots.