When in Thailand: Krabi Island (Day 4 and 5)

Time sure flies fast when you're on a vacation. It felt like days went by as quick as a blink of an eye. Before we even realized it, we were about to leave Krabi and we were just not ready yet. But we tried to maximize our last full day with another island tour and checking out one of the highly rated restaurants in the island. 

Day 4 and 5 at Krabi Island

We decided to spend our last full day at Krabi checking out 4 Islands which is the tour recommended for those who prefer snorkeling over relaxing by the shore. 

When in Thailand: Krabi Island (Day 1)

This 2018 has been a busy year for both R and I. Most, if not all, of our trips were work related. Though we get to manage to get a few days as "vacation", it was far from enough to be considered a relaxing trip. But this time around, we decided to extend our Thailand trip for 9 more days for us to visit Krabi. 

Hello, Krabi!

This island is the less popular counterpart of Phuket. A home to beautiful and unique limestone karsts with some ideal for rock climbing, Krabi is the perfect alternative for those who want a relaxing vacation. 

Love at First Bite: Ninak

I used to always pass by Ninak whenever I explore Kapitolyo. However, I never had a chance to drop by because of the restaurant's lack of ample parking space for customers. I've actually heard and read good reviews about the place but I always end up dining somewhere where we could park. Thankfully, this Asian restaurant joint transferred to the lower ground of the newly opened Ayala Malls the 30th and I now do not have any reason of not visiting it. 

Hello, Ninak!

I was invited by everyone's "beshie" (bestfriend) Yourfoodtographer to have lunch here one Saturday. Despite being sick and still recovering from my first Canton Fair, I decided to go as I've been eying this place for years! Following the only direction I got, I looked for "Bon Chon" and easily spotted Ninak near it. 

First Bite: Mango Tree

I always get so giddy whenever I see an email from Peanut. It always mean great news and by great news, I mean yummy treats! This time, the email was all about a rendezvoos in Mango Tree. We were advised to wear something a bit more formal. But given the humidity of Manila, I simply could not sport a blazer. 

Hello, Mango Tree!

It does have a fancy feel to it with its dim lighting and dark colored interiors. No wonder we were told to dress nicely. We would get so out of place if we dine here wearing shorts and flip flops. But they do not enforce any dress code so you're okay to wear whatever you want. (Actually, I have been here before for a shoot with the late OK! Magazine staff for our annual editorial shoot but we only had a few drinks then which I vaguely remembered to be strong.)

The group was already pigging out together as early as 3 p.m. in Makati for another event but we left a huge tummy space for the feast that was prepared for us. It was perfect too as I was craving for some Thai dishes. 

While waiting for the feast, I ordered Hennessy Mango Lemonade (PHP350) and it was served in less than 5 minutes. 

The taste of Hennessy was evident but it was complemented by the sweet taste of mango juice. Abe pointed though that the mango taste reminded him of canned juice. But I liked it! 

The appetizer Miang Kham (PHP380) was served next and it looked like a feast for vegetarians. True enough, this dish is loved by veggie lovers. It also means everything in one bite and I will tell you why in a bit. One order comes with dried coconuts, lemon, chili, ginger, peanuts, onions, sesame leaves and chutney sauce which is a combination of shrimp paste, ginger and palm sugar. 

The wait staff showed us how to stuff every ingredient inside the sesame leaf and I failed when I tried as I put too much in my leafy cone. Taste-wise, it was a lovely harmony of flavors. It was refreshing because of the sesame leaves (though a tad rough in terms of texture) and lemon bits. I sparingly put ginger and skipped the chili as I am not fond of spicy food. I stuffed a lot of peanuts though for added crunch. 

Tom Kha Gai (PHP480) was served next and I was worried that it'll be spicy. I was so happy that it was mild. 

Nav Modern Thai Cuisine Revisited!

For some reason, I had this strong craving for vodka last Saturday. I thought that I hit jackpot when I saw several bottles of chocolate vodka in our pantry only to discover that it was long overdue to be thrown out. Since I was too lazy to go down, I decided to read a book instead. Yes, that did kill my craving… not. So come Sunday, when my friends and I decided to have dinner at Nav, I asked them if we could order at least one drink… and we did. [Note: I am not an alcoholic. I just needed a drink that weekend.]

Hello again NAV!

Nothing seemed to have changed since I last visited the restaurant way back July 2011. It still has the predominant green walls and the quirky clock which I now know came from Dimensione. The menu is still the same as well.

We decided to order the following dishes: Son-In-Law Eggs (PHP180), Shrimp rolls (PHP250), Crisped Catfish with Green Mangoes (PHP245), NAV’s Pad Thai (PHP280), and some NAV Kickers—Phuket (PHP220) for A, Bangkok (PHP220) for L, and Patpong (PHP220) for me.

 

First served was the Son-In-Law Eggs, hard boiled eggs in tamarind sauce. It sure was good. The soft eggs (ironic since it’s “hard” boiled eggs but anyway) went really well with the sauce.

Weekend Restaurant Love: Simply Thai

Food Warrior Eating Challenge training day 2 (training day 1 was held at Sambo Kojin)

I needed to train my stomach to eat more these days for an eating contest I will be participating in this coming Saturday.  Since I hardly go out during the weekdays (as I lead a life of home-office-home from Monday to Friday), I try to maximize my weekends by checking out restaurants I have never been to or haven’t had the chance to blog about. This time, I have my eyes on Simply Thai and I decided to visit it last Sunday with a friend.

We went there around 1pm and there were only a few diners. I guess it was because it was already past lunch time.

I tried to recall what Executive Chef Cecille Chang Ysmael made us try during the intimate dinner she held a few months ago. The dish I remembered was the Crispy Catfish (PHP320) and the Caramelized Squid (PHP295). Since the two were pretty similar, we decided to stick to the Crispy Catfish.  

We thoroughly read the menu and looked for non-spicy dishes and we finally ordered Mieng Kham (PHP220), Silom Shrimps (PHP325), Phad Thai (PHP320) and an order of Thai Green Milk Tea and Thai Milk Tea (PHP120 each). My friend and I agreed not to order desserts as we plan to check its neighbor Max Brenner that same afternoon but we came across Simply Thai’s Nest (PHP240) and the description said that it is a MUST TRY sooooo (you already know what we did). Yes, we are easy to convince as long as it is food-related.

The drinks arrived fast and we were excited to try it.

The Thai Green Milk Tea was too sweet for me. It had a subtle avocado taste (was that the reason why it was green?) mixed with condense milk and jasmine. I wasn’t able to (or should I say couldn’t?) finish it. Tsk.

I prefer the Thai Milk Tea as it had a stronger tea flavor (yet was still undeniably “milk” tea). Also, it wasn’t as sweet as the other one. I didn’t order it because of the color as it looked like curry to me. But I hoped that I ordered that instead. (To be honest, I was waiting for my friend to swap drinks with me but it didn’t happen.)

Finally, the dishes arrived.

The first one to arrive was the Mieng Kham. We were quite clueless as to how to eat it. Since there were leaves, we assumed that we had to wrap the prawns, lemongrass, coconut, chili and peanuts in Thai betel leaves.

I removed the chili before eating it as I saw my friend cry because the chili was too spicy.

It was zesty. It was definitely different from those I have tried before. I checked betel leaves out and I found out that it is often used as palate cleanser. I’d say it truly is a must order as a starter.

The next dish served was the Phad Thai.

It was cutely wrapped in an egg net (which made me think if it really has a purpose or if it was just for aesthetic purposes only). What I loved about it was that it was not the salty, oily type. It was just right. The noodles were cooked well and the small side dishes (peanuts, bean sprouts, and lime) brought out the rich flavor of it. It was love.

The Silom Shrimps on the other hand was a bit of a disappointment if you’re after authentic Thai food.

It was your typical pan seared prawns. The lemongrass and tamarind taste as very very subtle.

Now for the Crispy Catfish…

It was the crispy catfish that I remember. It was neither oily nor salty. It was well-seasoned. However, it seemed to be a bit dry this time. It needed to be eaten with the green mango-apple salad to make it easier to swallow (well, water or any beverage works too). Nonetheless, I still love it and will definitely order it again when I visit Simply Thai.

We were still enjoying the four dishes when our dessert arrived. We felt that the servers were in a hurry. I was not really sure why. The server approached us and asked if there was something else that we would like to order as they were about to close their kitchen. (Ehhhh?) One server also started to sweep the floor. (Uhm, can’t you wait till we’re done?)

Anyway, back to the dessert…

The dessert was adorable. The ice cream really looked like an egg. My friend and I just had to have our photos taken with it. As for the taste, it was truly coconut ice cream resting on shredded sweet potato and taro. The sweet potato taste was stronger though (but you could see the bits of taro if you look closely). The coconut ice cream was rich in flavor and the “nest” and caramel (yes, the brown liquid on the plate was caramel) went well together. It was a bit heavy though (probably because of the “nest”).

Nice ambiance, good food, fairly priced items…  I just hope that the servers will let me take my time to enjoy my meal on my next visit.

Simply Thai is located at the Ground floor of Greenbelt 5, Makati City.