Foodies Alert: Tennyuu Grand - Premium Japanese Restaurant

If you love Japanese food and have a soft spot for sashimi, Tenyuu Grand is definitely the place to go.  Their sashimi is the bomb! Very fresh.

The atmosphere outside is lovely.  They tried to mimic sakura (cherry blossom) trees and a Japanese garden.    Once inside on the 1st floor, the basic ambiance is just like any restaurant.  For private rooms, they are located on the 2nd floor which definitely gives more of an authentic Japanese feel.  Would have loved it they did this throughout the entire restaurant.   Each room was decorated differently with elaborate designs from Japanese wallpaper.

They also have the typical Japanese style dinning set-up available where you sit on tatami mats on the floor.

Their menu also has a diagram explaining all the different parts of tuna fish >> Meat of Maguro

On a side note, 1 piece of maguro here starts at 500THB (USD17)

Sashimi Set - Yummy but also very pricey! 

Sushi Rolls - There are lots of variety and again, very pricey.  The most expensive one is 1,200THB (USD40) for a roll.  Meanwhile the cheapest one is the eel roll below which is 390THB (USD13). 

If you don't want to pay the expensive prices of a la carte, they do have lunch sets.  Forgot to check whether it is also applicable during the weekends as I went during a weekday.

Here are just examples of what their lunch sets includes:

• Steamed Egg (there are pieces of meat inside as well)

•  Japanese Salad with Potato salad on the side

• For mains, there were several choices.  Three of them are below: 

Snow Fish grilled with soy sauce

(it looks like chicken from the picture doesn't it)

I don't know the names of this sashimi dishes but it is sashimi topped over rice.
One is assorted, while the other is only salmon sashimi.

There wasn't a lot of selection for dessert.  However, they did have complimentary Japanese melons for everyone.  If you never had Japanese melons before, they are the best.  Very sweet. :)

I actually ordered mochi ice cream and this daifuku.  Only managed to get a pic of the daifuku.
Daifuku is a Japanese sweet where there is mochi or glutinous rice cake with a sweet filling.  The most popular is red bean paste.  At Tenyuu Grand, their daifuku has both red bean paste and a whole strawberry inside.

Tenyuu Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tenyuugrand
Location:  It in on North Sathorn Road near Evergreen Hotel (Soi Pipat)

Foodie Alert: In N' Out Burger

One word: Delicious!

This was the first time ever trying In N' Out.  What better place to try it than in LA.  It is quite easy to find.  My selection: Cheeseburger with onions and chocolate milkshake.

I love how their burgers are small. The perfect size for me.

No one does milkshakes better than Americans. I've been to some places in Bangkok and its totally watered down or has way too much milk. Love my milkshakes thick and creamy. Yummy! Just 1 glass will make you full :)  No picture because its just a pic of their normal soda cups.  Can't see inside.

It was a bit difficult to find In N' Out in SF.  There aren't loads of outlets in the area.  The one closest is at Fisherman's Wharf.  Needless to say, it managed to solve my burger craving.  Overflowing goodness.

Website: http://www.in-n-out.com/

Foodies Alert: Mama's on Washington Square @ San Francisco

While planning for my 2 week vacation in SF, I spent hours going through various lists for places to eat.  One of them was this place: Mama's on Washington Square.  When I arrived in SF, my friend also recommended it as a really good place for breakfast food.

If you ever plan to come to Mama's, be sure that you aren't in a rush.  There is always a line outside.  I think I waited about 30 minutes.

Once you are inside, you place your order at the counter and then they will seat you.  There aren't many tables inside, as you as see from the pic below.  The shape of the restaurant is rectangular.  My friend and I were seated at the back corner sofa so we were able to get a view of the entire restaurant.   

There were 2 items which we ordered.  

1. Cornbeef Eggs Benedict 

I think it is a special that they don't have everyday because the 2 girls ahead of us heard our order and decided to change theirs. Hmmm.. not sure.  It is not an outstanding from this dish. No "ouuu aaaa" moment where your eyes twinkle with delight.  (If you know what I mean).  The corn beef was good.  However, the overall flavour was bland for my taste.  I needed to add a bit of pepper and salt.  

The perfect food means no extra seasoning. 

2. Monte Cristo

Now this was the highlight where I had an "ouu aaa" moment and fell in love with the dish.  I've never tried it before but it surely made an impression.  The easiest way to describe the dish is a mix between french toast and grill ham cheese sandwich.  It was divine.  I have to say I was reluctant about the strawberry or raspberry sauce at first.  Once you top off that bite with a bit of sauce, it was the perfect match.  This is the dish that everyone needs to order when you come here.  

Conclusion: Definitely will be back here again. 

Website: mamas-sf.com

Foodies Alert: Frosted Cupcakery

A cake in a cup?

If you haven't noticed, there has been a cupcake craze.  Now, it has turned to macarons.  Anyway, I was in Los Angeles a month ago and managed to drop by Frosted Cupcakery.  It isn't as popular as Sprinkles but didn't have time to make it all the way to Beverly Hills.

First impression when I walked in.... I wanted to try every flavor they had.  Luckily, I was super full from breakfast that I opted for only 1.

The flavor I got was red velvet cheesecake.  Actually wanted to try something different but decided better to stick it to the safe choice.

Sadly, I didn't eat it right away which could have changed my option of them.  My friend and I were driving back to San Francisco so I wanted to keep it for the journey back.

Although the reviews all say that its one of the best cupcakes, I feel that the cake was not moist enough.  Unless, I'm just used to the fresh cream cupcakes.  Totally had high expectations and was disappointed.  It is an "alright" cupcake... not the OMG I need to try again. 

There was an abundance of cream cheese and I realized later that the cupcake would have been better if I ate it with a spoon, instead of biting it through. Reason: 1st, at least I wouldn't have to take a huge bite and 2nd, I would get the perfect amount of cream cheese and cake in every bite.  Needless to say, my first few bites were full of cream cheese and then at the end, I was left with a lot of cake.

Amateur at eating cupcake right?  I still prefer to eat it with a spoon. :)

My friend ordered this one  From the pic, the crushed caramel and chocolate pieces looks a bit dry.

Website: http://www.frostedcupcakery.com

Foodies Alert: Grandpa & Grandma Steak (ตากะยาย)

Grandpa & Grandma Steak (ตากะยาย) is a small stall in a big shopping mall.  It is part of the Food Bazaar section in Paradise Park shopping mall.  There are many small stalls here which sell a variety of food from snacks, fruits, dessert, to noodles, korean food, and of course steak.  There is a separate food court located nearby but they are managed by different owners.

My family has eaten at ตากะยาย for several years now.  They started their business before Paradise Park was renovated when it still went by the name of Seri Center.  There was a fresh market (Seri Market) on the left wing of the ground floor and a supermarket (@ease) on the right wing.  @ease also had a food court so this was where the first ตากะยาย was located.

Their current location is probably their 4th location.  Only one downside about it is that there is no proper kitchen space so they aren't able to have as much variety as their previous locations.

Grandpa is making my steak!

I love this picture because they managed to find grandparent dolls. So cute!

Their food is made of very good quality and everything is homemade.  From the salad dressing to the pepper sauce on the steaks.  I managed to find out that the now retired Grandpa used to be a chef at the world renowned Mandarin Oriental Hotel.  No wonder everything tastes so good.

I ordered the pepper pork steak.  Basically, this is what I always order.  It comes with 2 sides which are salad and pasta.  My brother always goes with a double serving of the steak.

Since I'm not so good at describing tastes, all I can say is that this is a must try dish if you are ever in the area.  It isn't very often that I actually come straight out saying that something is really delicious.  Usually the ... it's alright or it's good. :)

The price is not expensive at all.  This pepper pork steak was only 75baht (2.5USD).  Honestly, I would rather eat this than go to Sizzlers.  Their steaks aren't always the best quality and it has a lot of fat.

Location: Ground floor of Paradise Park, near Lock N Lock store.

Foodies Alert: Baan Ying Cafe & Meal

This is another place which I love to go for a simple and delicious meal.

Baan Ying (บ้านหญิง) takes your normal home-cooked Thai meal to another level.  It's amazing.  Some people may say that its a bit of fusion Thai food rather than traditional.  All I know is that I love their food.

There are two branches that I know of:
1. Siam Square (moved from Lido to Siamkit building)
2. Terminal 21
(I heard there is also one at MegaBangna but I haven't been or seen it yet)

This is a bit of the atmosphere of the restaurant at Siamkit building.  It is located on the basement level near the escalator.  It is a wide open space.  However, it can get very loud and crowded especially during lunch time.

I started off with a Hazelnut Latte.  It's not too sweet or bitter for me which is good.  I usually take my coffee quite sweet to have the perfect balance with the bitterness of the coffee.

One of the most basic things to order is their omelette.  It is one of their most well-known dishes.  There are actually different toppings that you can pick from.  This one is 1. Meat Sauce, 2. Mushroom, and 3. Cheese.

Also listed under the Recommended list is another dish that I always order: shrimp stir-fry with garlic and chilli.  If you can't eat very spicy food, I would suggest asking them to put in less chilli.  Trust me, a little bit of chilli changes the taste and is a lot more delicious.

Honestly, I only managed to take 2 photos of the dishes I ate.  Everything else was gone in a blink of an eye.  From all the dishes I've had their so far, no one of them have disappointed me.  You just can't go wrong.

Anyways, what meal wouldn't be complete without dessert!  There is always room for dessert.

This is their green tea cake.  I would have to say that it isn't a 100% green tea cake because it has some brownie or blueberry type filling inside.  I can't remember exactly now but its not proper green tea cake.  One of my friends said that they don't make their own desserts so I would recommend just sticking to the food.

Overall, I love this restaurant and would recommend it to anyone.  The price is not bad too.  It usually comes up to about 300THB (USD10) per person, depending on how much you eat.  Each dish is about 100-200THB.  You can order to share or have your own individual dish.

Foodies Alert: Nara Thai Cuisine

If you have a craving for authentic Thai cuisine, Nara is the place to go. 

They have several branches in Bangkok:
1. Central World
2. Eight Thonglor
3. Erawan

First item on the menu... appetizer

Larb moo tord (ลาบหมูทอด)
Description: Fried mince pork with Thai herbs and spices.
The dish itself is quite flavorful so there is no need to add any sauces.  The fresh vegetables that come along with the dish is to even out the flavor. Larb is an North Eastern Thai dish and this is an adaptation from the original by making it into patties and frying.

Then comes my main course

Sukhothai Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวสุโขทัย)
Description: Noodles in hot and spicy tom yum soup with roasted pork, shrimp balls, etc.
The restaurant is very popular for their boat noodles and Sukhothai noodles.  I've never tried the Sukhothai one.  The tom yum soup is different from the traditional one which they serve at most Thai resturants.  This one doesn't have any coconut milk or any of the herbs such as galangal and lemongrass.  The reason why we call it "tom yum" is because the soup contains vinegar, lemon juice, and chilli. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just a food lover who doesn't know how to cook.)

Then the finale... dessert :)

Nara Coconut Ice cream with assorted Thai sweet condiments (ไอศครีมนารา)
No description required :P

There was a selection between Thai milk tea or coconut ice cream.  I picked Thai milk tea instead.

And now all the Thai sweet condiments which come with it.  There are total of 8 sweet condiments which you can pick from.  Basically, take whatever your heart desires.  I don't know the English names for some of them so hope that pictures will help.... or not.

Bird's eye view of all the condiments and ice cream.

Making you hungry?

Overall, I like this restaurant and will probably come again but not often.  The price is not something that I'll be able to eat everyday.  The meal came to about 500THB or 16USD.  It is not expensive in US dollars but you need to remember that in Thailand, you can get a proper full meal for as little as 3USD too.

Official Website: http://www.naracuisine.com/

Foodies Alert: Dakasi - Milk Tea with Pearl

Calling all bubble milk tea lovers...milk tea with pearls...milk tea with tapioca

Whatever it is called..... I love it!!

There are a ton of different chains out there but this is my #1 choice --> DAKASI 

 It is differentiated with its yellow star logo.  The brand is originally from Taiwan (as with a lot of other brands).

They have a lot of drinks on their menu but the most popular has to be (of course)... milk tea with pearl "Classic".  One of the reasons why I like Dakasi is that you can also pick the sweetness level.  I usually ask for 50% sweetness and with no ice.  Some brands don't have the selection of the sweetness level because of the drinks are premade.  Simply put, this is just way better :)

Lots of tapioca pearls.  Yummy!
I've just noticed recently that they have increase the amount of pearls they put in.  Otherwise, it could be that I took a long break from drinking this and now I feel like I chew a lot more than before.  Just a note:  I love the pearls so much that I usually try to drink the more milk tea and less pearls.  Now, the milk tea is all gone and I'm left with a lot of pearls.

Has anyone tried the cotton foam one?  I'm still too scared to try it.

Location: Chamchuri Square, Bangkok
Company website:  http://www.dakasi.com
It is in Mandarin and I can't read Chinese T_T

Foodies Alert: Cafe Amazon @PTT Life Station

Cafe Amazon is a coffee shop that is located is most PTT gas stations.  It is easy to find.  Although I've tried their coffee before, I will always order their Iced Cocoa.

I'm constantly searching for a coffee shop/ cafe which makes really good iced cocoa.  Seems easy right?  What I've discovered is that not many places get it right.  At least, according to my tastes.  Just like dark chocolate, cocoa already has its own sweetness so it's not necessary to add a lot of sugar.

Some cafes will call it "Iced Cocoa" but its actually "Iced Chocolate".  Can't tell the difference?  Its basically sweeter and more milky.

What is the perfect Iced Cocoa? 
- It must have a rich intense cocoa flavor (loads of cocoa powder!!)
- Not milky
- Just the right amount of sweetness

For iced cocoa, it is 50baht (less than 2USD) per glass.  It might be expensive for some people considering that you can also find it for as little as 15-20baht.  But then, you will have to gamble whether you are getting proper cocoa or chocolate. On a side note, another one of my favorite places to get iced cocoa is actually from a market stall near my office.  Only 15baht!  Sadly, they closed down a few months ago.  :(  I have yet to find a replacement.

Cafe Amazon: can be found in PTT gas stations all across Thailand

In My Footsteps: Early Morning Workout

Wakie Wakie... It's gonna be a bright sunny day :) 

It's been a long time since I've been working out of any sort and even longer since I've been to the park.  Today is a new day.  Woke up early and went for a morning stroll.  Managed to cover 4.5km which isn't bad for my first day back.  

Luckily, I was able to capture the sun rising over the lake.  Beautiful isn't it?  

What do you do after a morning stroll?  It's time for breakfast!

I love this coffee place.  It is actually in a market located in front of the park.  You get fresh roasted coffee and its inexpensive too. I'm having an iced cappuccino. 

Next is the food department.

Not exactly sure what its called but its basically fried eggs.  Healthy and filling too.  It has sausages, mince pork, carrots, corn, and other stuff that don't know what they call in English. Sorry :(

The market has lots of places where you can get breakfast along with fresh produce and other ready made dishes. 

Location: Suan Luang Rama IX Park, Bangkok, Thailand