Bangkok - Talad Rot Fai / Train Night Market at Udom Suk

We have officially found the best market in Bangkok. No, this is not the popular Chatuchak Market. This is Talad Rot Fai, or in english, Railway Train Market. Unlike Chatuchak, Talad Rodfai is only opened in the evenings, from 5pm onwards until midnight during the weekends. The absence of the sweltering heat and narrow alleys makes the shopping here at Talad Rodfai so much more enjoyable.

The Talad Rot Fai Train Night Market is around 20km away from downtown Siam, but it was definitely worth every ounce of our effort. The simplest way to get to Talad Rot Fai is to take the BTS to Udom Suk station. The BTS ride from Siam to Udom Suk took around 20 minutes, and cost THB 50. After alighting at Udom Suk, take the exit on the left and hop on to a taxi. Many taxi drivers are not aware of this night market, so the landmark to tell them is 'Seacon Square'. Seacon Square is a sprawling shopping mall and the Train Market is located right behind it. The taxi ride took another 20 minutes and cost THB 120. Follow the throngs of Thai youngsters/hipsters after you alight at Seacon Square, and you would surely find the big sign that indicates the entrance of the night market.

We fell in love with the night market the moment we stepped into Talad Rot Fai. We were greeted by totally rad and retro furnitures that filled every crack and cranny of the individual shops and even the walkways.

Talad Rot Fai is HUGE. Beyond the numerous stalls selling clothes and accessories, there is a dedicated section for vintage items. It was like a scene out of a junkyard - rusty lockers, leaking bathtubs, scratched tables - but it was this exact randomness and ruggedness that made the whole place very charming. We loved looking and peering into these shops, and wondered about the stories behind the items there.

Another section of Talad Rot Fai was like a huge car boot sale. Vendors were selling their wares straight out of their vehicles. Some were vintage sedans or SUVs, but many were the much coveted Volkswagen Kombi (to die for!). The vendors were mostly chilling by their cars like they would be chilling in their backyard- business or competition seem nowhere in their mind or written on their faces. They were talking or drinking with friends or fellow vendors, only stopping when an interested customer has a query. Totally loved the laid-back atmosphere!

There was also a gallery with a full collection of vintage items ranging from cars to bikes to musical instruments to even a confession booth. We thought it looked like it was part of the Universal Studios, or it could be the set for a hunt by Sam and Dean from Supernatural. It was totally mind-blowing to be seeing these vintage babies upclose.

Besides shopping and ogling at random vintage items, there were also many food options at Talad Rot Fai. There was a really cool bar/pub that was converted from a bus and blasting soft rock music from the 1980s. Totally chill. There were also old-school cafes selling drinks and retro knick-knacks. And of course, there were many many street food stalls here at the night market.

Talad Rot Fai is mainly frequented by the locals - we did not meet much foreigners (and that to us, was also a major plus point). There were minimal signs in English and most of the menus and boards were in Thai. However, the stallholders were able communicate in basic English so we could still find our way around.

We joined the queue at the Tom Yum Goong Noodles stall. Through charades and basic English, we ordered a bowl of mixed seafood with glass noodles. It was a huge bowl full of slices of fish, squid, clams, mussels and prawn (THB140). The seafood was fresh and the soup was very fragrant. Very hearty and comfy in the cool evening breeze.

We were attracted by the prettiness and neatness of this barbeque seafood stall. Signs were purely in Thai but the stallholder was able to tell us his offerings in basic English. Again, through charades and simple English, we got ourselves very yummy BBQ mussels and scallops.

The combination of 3 BBQ mussels and 3 BBW scallops cost THB 200. The mix of cheese, garlic and parsley on top of the shellfish were simply heavenly. The melted sauce was very savoury, and it very much complemented the freshness of the seafood. Simply lip-smacking!

Even the drink stall looked like it had been there since the 1980s. The tins of tea, ovaltine, milk, and the very brown coffee sock indicated the authenticity and passion of the drinks.

What I particularly like about drinks in Thailand is the huge heap of crushed ice that they use in their cold beverages. The tiny crystals of ice makes the drink more uniformly cold, and the coolness is able to last longer. The Thai Iced Coffee we had was a tad sweet, but hey, that's the spirit of Thai coffee right? The coffee was smooth and creamy, and left a slightly savoury aftertaste.

We thoroughly enjoyed the time at Talad Rodfai. The train night market exuded a charm that could not be replicated elsewhere - it takes many like-minded and creative people to put together a place that is authentic, vibrant and endearing. The Train Market will definitely be a permanent fixture on our Bangkok itinerary.

BANGKOK FOOD BLOG REVIEW BY KUMORY

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Talad Rot Fai/ Train Night Market

Soi 51 Srinakarin Srinakarin Rd

Nong Bon Prawet Bangkok

5pm to 12am (Fri to Sun)

Restaurant Standard Food at Salute Coffeeshop at Bukit Merah Lane 1

Salute Coffeeshop is definitely not your typical kopitiam. Tables are wrapped in picnic blue graham cloths; stalls have beautiful menus; and most importantly, Salute is a haberdashery of world cuisine and gourmet food. Salute Coffeeshop is proud to serve food of restaurant standards at affordable prices of below $20. We were very excited to be part of the bustling scene on a Friday evening, and we picked our favourites amidst the wide offerings here.

French - Immanuel French Kitchen

The menu of Immanuel French Kitchen is pretty, simple and focused. We were immediately drawn to the red labels and unanimously decided on the french duck leg confit. Duck confit is very much the national dish of France, if you would put away the (gruesome) foie gras aside, and is the test that every French food place has to pass with nothing short of flying colours.

Indeed, the duck confit ($14.90) at Immanuel French Kitchen put us on cloud nine. The skin was cooked to a crisp, while the meat remained tender and soft in its own oil. The meat separated from the bone very easily, and melted right away in our mouths. The mash potatoes was a creamy blend of happiness and was nicely complemented by the braised cabbage.

☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Immanuel French Kitchen

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German - Stew Küche

Stew Küche, or Stew Kitchen, is hard to miss with its sprawling signboard across two shopfronts at Salute Coffeeshop. It serves German food, and a good selection of German craft beers. It also boasts a friendly fleet of staff that would help to arrange and secure seats for you at the coffeeshop with 170 seats.

The staff from Stew Kuche recommended the half pork knuckle ($15) for the two of us to share. We were told that the whole pork knuckle was more suitable for a party of four, and we thought if they had underestimated us (hah).

Boy, we were glad to have heed their advice. Though half, the pork knuckle was HUGE. The skin was deep fried to perfection- it was crackling very loudly in our mouths. In contrast, the meat remained juicy and moist. I absolutely loved the whipped potato that came with the pork knuckle - there were huge chunks of potatoes and held together with bits of onion and black pepper. Very, very hearty. There was also an interesting twist to the national German dish- achar is also served as a side. The sour and slightly spicy preserved vegetable gave an interesting blend and texture to the pork too.

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Stew Kuche

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Fushion - Mian

Mian, which has a mobile food truck called the travelling cow selling ramen burgers, had also settled down at Salute Coffeeshop. The menu of Mian is not for the unadventurous or faint-hearted. They challenge conventions and the curious.

The seafood laksa linguine ($12) boost a spicy and creamy homemade sauce that tasted like a cross between traditional laksa gravy and tomyum soup. There were generous portions of shrimps, sotong and fishcake, and the best part was the crabmeat salad that topped it all off. This dish may get a little gelat after a while given its thick sauce, so it is best to share.

However, the truffle fries (add $1 with every main course) at Mian was nothing out of the ordinary. We would have loved the fries to be crispier, and the taste of the truffle to be stronger.

☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Mian

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Belgian - Seasalt

If you love the concept of Brussels Sprouts at Boat Quay, Seasalt tries to be the counterpart in this coffeeshop. Seasalt offers seafood in a pot, served in a variety of sauces and with french loaf as a staple.

We ordered mussels in white wine (vino, $14) but we could not fathom where the white wine went. It was neither in the sauce, nor in the mussels themselves. Perhaps we had the taste (standard) of Brussels Sprouts in mind, and Seasalt fell short of our expectations. In fact, it fell flat. The mussels were pretty small, and more thought could have been placed in the taste of the sauce. This dish was ordinary, and needed a bit more work.

☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Seasalt

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Unlike conventional kopitiams, there is no drinks stall at Salute Coffeeshop. But fret not, drinks selection include craft beers from Stew Küche or bubble tea from Eskimo. Things are really done differently here at this new age coffeeshop.

Another stall worth mentioning at Salute Coffeeshop is Two Wings. The recipe of the chicken wings served at Two Wings is claimed to be the same as the once famous Carona Chicken Rice that was at one point in all major foodcourts around the island. We would be back at Salute soon, and would definitely give Two Wings a try the next time round.

It is heartening to see these young entrepreneurs putting their passion and heart into the F&B industry, and to have them all come together at a single location that exudes such vibrancy and energy. You have to experience Salute Coffeeshop for yourself - now.

SINGAPORE FOOD BLOG REVIEW BY KUMORY

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Salute Coffeeshop

Blk 119 Bukit Merah Lane 1

Opening times vary from stall to stall

21 on Rajah Days Hotel Halal Buffet Dinner

21 on Rajah at Days Hotel Zhongshan Park has recently attained Halal certification from MUIS. It was delightful news for us as we were looking for a seafood buffet dinner for a gathering. We had initially wanted the renown Carousel and popular Aquamarine but both were fully booked for the weekend. We decided to give this new contender to the halal buffet circle a try, and we were so glad we made the choice.

The interior of 21 on Rajah was spacious and well-lit with the full glass window. A cute mascot sits in the middle of the restaurant and the joy on her face was contagious- I felt my spirits uplifted just by looking at her.

The seats towards the inside of the restaurant were decked out in blue and white, quite like the Santorini (arh, I'll love to be there right now). The buffet pricing of 21 on Rajah was clearly spelt out on a menu on every table. And indeed, the buffet pricing at 21 on Rajah are very, very reasonable.We were there on a Saturday night, and it was priced at S$35.00++ per person.

At $35.00++ per person, we were very pleased to find that the seafood on ice included tiger prawn, green mussels, snow crab and scallop. My favourite was the tiger prawn and snow crab that were so fresh and sweet. The seafood was replenished very often.

Appetizers include a fresh salad bar which offered rocket leaves that our companion absolutely adored (which I personally would classify as 'acquired taste'). The cold salad bar scored for me. The potato salad was both creamy and crunchy- thanks to the almond that was added to the mix. The yoghurt honey mustard sauce in the chicken salad was very special and the chicken well marinated. The smoked salmon was also another of my favourite here.

If the western cold appetizers do not appeal to you, there is also a local appetizer in stall. You could mix up your own rojak with the selection of fruits, vegetables and of course fried dough. The rojak sauce was very fragrant, and the pounded roasted peanuts added an extra omph to the local salad.

The cooked food counter at 21 on Rajah also did not disappoint. Our favourite dishes included the black pepper crayfish. The black pepper sauce had the wok hei and the crayfish was very fresh. Another noteworthy dish was the roast beef. The beef was juicy and tender, and the mushroom sauce went absolutely well with the red meat.

There was also a live cooking station where the local delight laksa is cooked and served to you upon request. We liked the laksa gravy that was rich and creamy, but not too overpowering. The big tiger prawns that you see here was from the seafood on ice. Now, buffet is all about mixing and matching and finding something that you like right? There, I did it and created the most hearty laksa that I have had in a long while.

Drinks at 21 on Rajah are also included in the buffet pricing. You could have apple juice, rose syrup and lime juice to go with your food. There was also freshly brewed coffee and tea.

The desserts at 21 on Rajah included both international and local selections that were exploding in such vibrant colours. We particularly liked the ondeh ondeh that was so soft and oozed rich gula melaka. The chocolate fondue was a lovely velvet fountain. The chocolate was not too sweet, and just perfect for the condiments.

Our companions and us truly enjoyed our buffet dinner at 21 on Rajah at Days Hotel. The buffet dinner was of great value, the selection of high quality, and the service impeccable. Furthermore, the fact that this buffet is halal certified will certainly greatly enhance it as a choice pick for a gathering.

Singapore Food Blog Review by Kumory

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21 on Rajah Days Hotel Zhongshan Park

1 Jalan Rajah

Days Hotel Zhongshan Park

6am to 1030am (Breakfast); 12pm-230pm (Lunch); 6pm-1030pm (dinner); 12pm-3pm (Sunday Brunch)

http://www.dayshotelsingapore.com/en/days-hotel-singapore/dining