Raan Jay Fai (Best Drunken Noodles in Bangkok?)

Pad Khee Mao from Raan Jay Fai

This is the second post in the Thailand! travel series of my eats in Bangkok. Other posts include Thip Samai, Best Pad Thai in Bangkok?

Have you ever tasted perfection?

My simple noodle plate at this simple roadside restaurant was one of my favorite bites during my entire trip in Bangkok.

This little, humble roadside open-air restaurant in the old part of Bangkok looks like it hasn't changed in over fifty years. The owner, Jay Fai, is a petite, energetic woman who has been cooking since she was eight years old in her family's street stall. Now approaching seventy, she still personally cooks virtually every single dish that comes out of the kitchen.

The open-air kitchen is simple - just a few really, really hot charcoal broilers which spit out ultra hot flames.

The flames are perfect for creating the ultimate "wok hei", that magical, caramelized, smoky flavor that results from cooking in a wok at high temperatures.

Jay Fai works quickly, skillfully maneuvering two different woks full of different ingredients at different stages. She is known as the "Mozart of the Wok" and her food, especially her Pad Khee Mao (drunken noodle) is legendary throughout Bangkok.

Her dishes costs about four to five times that of those sold around her (about 330 Baht or $11 USD for a plate of noodles), and yet her place is always packed. Lines can get long, so it's best to come during off hours, like at 4PM (opening time), which is when we arrived.

See! Empty restaurant at 4PM!

Raan Jay Fai's dishes stand out for a couple reasons. First of all, the quality of her seafood is unparalleled. The larger-than-average shrimp are juicy, succulent, and extremely flavorful. The fresh noodles have a wonderful chewy yet soft bite to them, and all the vegetables are extremely fresh.

Second, she just executes everything really, really well. This woman is famously known for her wok skills, and I believe the fame is warranted. We both loved the Pad Khee Mao, definitely something you just must try. The flavors and textures of the dish were outstanding, perfectly balanced in so many ways. Plus you just can't quite recreate that delicious wok hey at home, unless if you try cooking right over your charcoal grill.

The dishes were spicy, yet the heat was manageable (surprisingly!) and actually balanced the other flavors in the dish really well.

In fact, Bryan, who used to tell everyone he didn't like Thai food, changed his mind when he tasted these noodles. Instead of being overly sweet, he found the flavors to be perfectly balanced - spicy, salty, and just a touch of sweetness, with fragrant overtones of Thai basil, chili peppers, and that smoky wok hey.

Soooo good.

This place is hard to find if you're trying to use Google Maps. I think the addresses don't line up quite right, so we overshot the first time and had to backtrack. Eventually, we stopped using our phones and instead just looked at the address numbers until we got to the place.

I'm not sure if it helps, but I did take a screen capture of our exact location (on Google Maps) once we were sitting in the restaurant.

If you're only in Thailand for a few days, I would highly recommend making this one of your priorities! It's so worth it!
  

Thip Samai (Best Pad Thai in Bangkok?)

This is the first post in the Thailand! travel series of my eats in Bangkok. 

Even people who hardly know a thing about Thai cuisine know the national dish Pad Thai.

I know because I was one of those people. My family never ate Thai food while I was growing up, most likely because we had very little access to it in the middle of Ohio. Even after I moved to Boston, my brief exposure to Thai food usually consisted of sweet, toned down, less-spicy versions of the real thing. If you asked me to name Thai dishes, the best I could squeeze out would be the commonly known "Pad Thai,", "Drunken Noodle,", and maybe "Pad See Ew."

I was really curious whether pad Thai was actually a really a common dish in Thailand, or it was something that was ubiquitous in America, but didn't really exist in Thailand.

As it turns out, pad Thai is all over Thailand now, though it wasn't always that way.

Pad Thai derives its roots from Vietnam, created when one stir fries Vietnamese "Pho" noodles together with Chinese ingredients such as preserved radishes, Chinese chives, dried bean curd, and shrimp. The humble noodle dish became a national dish in Thailand in the 1930's and 1940's under Prime Minister Luang Phibunsongkhram, who put on a massive campaign for the dish in an effort to promote patriotism, support local rice farmers, and unify the nation.

He disseminated the recipe for pad Thai around the country, encouraging people to sell this new national dish (renamed Pad Thai), on street carts all around the city. He encouraged Western cultures,  such as the use of forks and spoons for eating and Western clothing.

The dish became a national sensation, and people began associating the dish with Thailand itself.

To this day, pad Thai is a dish that is mostly enjoyed in casual street stalls. Many will argue that proper, formal restaurants just don't serve good enough pad Thai. It's a dish that's meant to be enjoyed on the street.

So Bryan and I made the journey to seek out the most famous pad Thai in Bangkok.

A healthy walk from Democracy Monument, this roadside unassuming restaurant called Thip Samai employs over a dozen people. It's fascinating to walk by and see all of them furiously churning out pad Thai.

The restaurant opens at 5:00 PM, so don't expect to come for lunch. You will be sorely disappointed if you try (as many tourists have).
There are seemingly workers making pad Thai everywhere, even this guy cooking pad Thai out on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant!

We sat inside, though you can see that the front of the restaurant is just open to the street. Because we came pretty early (close to 5:00 PM), we were able to easily grab a seat.

Every plate of pad Thai is served with a side of fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges, and other greens I couldn't identify.

We ordered the Original Pad Thai, which was tasty and a bargain for the quality. The above dish costs 50 baht, or about $1.67 USD and was filled with all sorts of delicious ingredients, such as dried tofu, cilantro, Chinese chives, and eggs.

Thip Samai uses Chanthaburi Noodles, rice noodles that are dried out in the sun (instead of with machines). These noodles were a bit thinner than what I see in the States, and had a nice, chewy texture. The red color comes partly from the use of shrimp oil, which is made by cooking either dried shrimp or shrimp heads in hot oil.

Pad Thai is cooked to order in steel woks on traditional charcoal stoves.

Bryan, who doesn't love sweet dishes, still found the pad Thai to be a bit sweet for his tastes, and told me he preferred other dishes in Thailand to this one. However, a few sprinkles of the chili pepper flakes made things much better for him.
We also tried the "Superb Pad Thai" (70 Baht, or $2.30 USD), a twist on the original dish because the pad Thai noodles are wrapped in an egg omelet.

Everything was quite tasty, served fast, and cost next to nothing. I thought that the pad Thai reached a nice balance between salty (from the fish sauce), sweet (from the palm sugar), and sour (from the tamarind). I liked how the noodles were nice and chewy, and overall, the dish was very good.
I'm not sure if it's the best pad Thai I had in Thailand. I took a few cooking classes while I was in Bangkok, and I would argue that some of those home cooked versions rivaled this one.

However, I do want to mention that I had just eaten at another street side restaurant prior to this, so the fact that I was already a little full may have also influenced my overall enjoyment of the meal. I bet if I were famished before coming here, I would be raving a lot more about this meal.

I still think it's totally worth coming to visit. It's a Bangkok institution, and it's fascinating just to see all these people making their crazy volumes of pad Thai the old, traditional way. Plus, the dish is really good, and it won't hurt your wallet the least bit.

Come early, to beat the lines. We came right at 5PM and had no trouble finding a seat.
Thip Samai
313 Maha Chai Road
Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon
Bangkok 10200
Thailand

Hours: 5:00 PM - 3:00 AM daily

sources: the morning news msihua

Thailand!

Is it Friday already?

Time really feels warped when one is jet-lagged. I feel like I've been moving through this week in a cloud, waking up way too early and yet still feeling tired all the time.

We just returned from a whirlwind one-week long trip to Thailand. Bryan had a work trip there so I decided to tag along on this one. Bryan had to work for most of the week, so I decided to entertain myself by signing up for several cooking classes.

We spent most of our evenings together, so we were able to explore Thai cuisine together, which was super fun.

Here's just a snapshot of some of the stuff we saw. It's also a peek at the nature of the upcoming posts in this Thailand! series.

A fascinating outdoor market that's set up along an active train track!

The breathtaking view of Bangkok from the top of the Skybar, where only a short glass wall separates you from the scary edge of this 63-floor high building.

Northern style Isaan sausages and the staple accompaniment, sticky rice.

Making red curry from scratch at my first cooking class.

We learned how to make golden bags.

And Pad Thai.
Bryan and I visited the only restaurant in Thailand to make the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list. The London location of this restaurant received a Michelin star at one point.

I tried durian for the first time, in the form of dessert (durian + sticky rice).

One of my favorite parts was the abundance of fresh fruit. Every day for breakfast, I sampled various tropical fruits that I can't get easily in the US.

We visited one of the most famous pad Thai places in the city, where you can get excellent pad Thai for just a bit over $1 USD.

Just down the street is the most famous Pad Kee Mow (drunken noodle) place in the entire city.
A plate of their ethereal noodles will run you a whopping $10 USD (considered crazy expensive compared to most noodle places, which cost close to $1 - $2), but it's soooooo worth it.

We took a street food tour and tried some fantastic local dishes, such as this tom yum noodle soup which we enjoyed in an alleyway between two buildings!

or these deep fried bananas (yum!).

Ever had a deep fried egg omelet?

We visited the floating markets and I bought mango sticky rice from a boat vendor.

One of the best treats? Seeing Northern Lights from the airplane on my ride home.

I have so much to share with you from this trip. I didn't realize how little I knew about Thai culture, history, or its food before this trip. I feel like I learned so much and I can't wait to share them with you. I've got recipes and techniques I learned for some classic Thai dishes; photos from our street food adventure, and lots and lots of interesting (and tasty!) dishes from the various restaurants we visited. Yes it was only a week, yet I tried my best to pack in as much as possible.

Stay tuned for this next series on Thailand!

UPDATE: List of Posts
Eats!
Thip Samai, Best Pad Thai in Bangkok?
Raan Jay Fai, Best Drunken Noodle in Bangkok
Street Foods of Bangkok, Part I
Street Foods of Bangkok, Part II
Fun Fruits in Thailand 

Cool Experiences
Maeklong Railway Market
Floating Markets (Damnoen Saduak)

Cooking Classes + Recipes
Somphong Thai Cooking School 
Som Tam (Papaya Salad)
Thai Panaeng Curry Chicken
Bananas In Golden Syrup
BaiPai Thai Cooking School
Golden Bags
Larb Gai (Laap Gai)
Pad Thai

é by José Andrés

This is the last post in the Winter in Las Vegas series. Other posts in this series include Le Cirque and Julian Serrano.

Deep inside Jaleo, José Andrés's well-known and popular Spanish tapas restaurant, lies another almost hidden, restaurant-within-a-restaurant called simply "é." é is one of José Andrés's gastronomical "playgrounds" where he delights diners with various tastes, smells, and sights through the use of molecular gastronomy, among many other techniques.

é joins the ranks of José Andrés's other two "flagship" restaurants that serve related exploratory-type tasting meals: minibar in DC and Saam in Los Angeles. Unlike minibar, which draws from numerous different cuisines and pushes the envelope on using new, modern techniques, é is decidedly more Spanish, applying new cooking techniques to age-old Spanish ingredients and dishes.

With only eight seats and two seatings a night, reservations at this tiny little bar are infamously difficult to get. There's no online book system or phone number to call. Instead, all reservations are simply done via email.

If you're lucky enough to get a confirmed reservation, you actually get an email that begins with "Congratulations, you've made it!" To make it feel extra special, "golden tickets" for the "show" arrive in the mail a few days later.

They urge you to arrive early. After all, it's a tightly orchestrated "performance" that aims to bring you through a journey of 23 individual tastes in a little over two hours. There are two seatings a night - one at 5:30 and one at 8:30. There's no room for error. They must finish the first show by around 8:15PM.

Because we arrive early (as they requested), they bring us to the bar at Jaleo to relax for a few minutes while they finish setting up.

A little after 5:30, we are whisked away to the deep interior of the restaurant, where we find another glass door.

Welcome to the show. Your journey is about to begin.

The seating at é is quite intimate. Eights seats wrap around a semi-circular bar, where every single diner gets up-front and personal front row seats facing the kitchen. Rows of old-school card catalogs line a wall, and whimsical art and odd knick knacks decorate the walls and shelves.

Sous chef Cody Jeffs kicks off the show with a dramatic flair, pouring liquid nitrogen into a flask full of orange blossom water. A pool of smoke arises, spilling all over the table.

This liquid nitrogen-chilled water is mixed with Mazanilla sherry to create our first "course", a Rebujito Cocktail which is absolutely refreshing and delicious.
 Chef Cody and another sous chef soon lay out eight molds in the shape of José Andrés's hands.
They gently lay out whimsical balls of Truffle Cotton Candy, our second course, each topped with edible gold flakes. This is paired alongside Idiazabal "Macaron", an tense, cheesy cookie that pairs beautifully with the cottom candy.

It's as if José Andrés is personally serving us all cotton candy.

I sincerely love both. The truffle cotton candy is intoxicating with strong truffle flavor, and the salty, intensely cheesy "macarons" are a perfect match.

Next, the chefs begin laying out perfectly formed hemispheres that look just like egg shells, have the consistency of chocolate, and taste like almonds.

These cold shells, presumably made with the use of liquid nitrogen (?) are called Nitro Almond Cups, and are filled with various almond flavored elements (such as foam) as well as a generous portion of caviar. The champagne with which this course is paired nicely bring out the nuttiness of the almonds.

The next course, called Apple "Brazo de Gitano", reminds me of a similar course I had at Samm in Los Angeles. Airy, almost like styrofoam, this savory bite beautifully pairs together the flavors of apple and a strong blue cheese.

Next we enjoy another bite that looks like it should be sweet, but is actually savory. Barquillo is a traditional Spanish rolled wafer cookie.

Here, the barquillos contain a rich and savory truffle and anchovy filling that has the consistency of whipped cream. The flavors are absolutely fantastic, and our one little bite leaves me wishing for more.
The playful name "Almejas al Natural" literally means "natural clams", though in fact it's anything but.  These unassuming "clams" are actually filled with spherified balls of reconstituted clam juice. The resulting bite is gorgeously flavorful with intense clam flavors, and pairs well with the sherry with which it is paired.

The next course, Bocata de Bacalao, again reminds me of Chef Andres's "Bahn Mi" that I had at Samm. Although the fried bread is similar from both places, this é version is more Spanish, made from salt cod, aioli, and caramelize onions. It's deeply savory and quite rich.

Crispy Chicken Skin in Escabeche consists of a paper thin, flattened crispy chicken skin topped with chicken oysters and a foam inspired by "Escabeche" flavors, an acidic marinade traditionally used in Mediterranean cuisine. I find this dish to be tasty, though I am not particularly blown away by the flavors like I was for previous courses.

As a palate cleanser of sorts, we take a break from savory bites to enjoy a huge spherified ball of Cava Sangria. This is fun, and I am surprised at how much it really taste like cava. Knowing from experience, sometimes it's not that trivial to make your spherified liquid taste the same as it is in its liquid form, especially when it comes to complex wines.
I've lost count at this point, but I can tell the dishes are getting more substantial and less like little "bites."

Our next course is Artichoke "Puree" with Vanilla. Three perfectly formed artichoke hearts sit at the center of this dish, served with a rich, artichoke flavored sauce and vanilla foam. It's wonderfully flavorful, though I don't find any groundbreaking new flavors.
It's hard to take notes for this meal, as things happen so quickly you might miss something if you're head is buried in your notebook or phone. For example, during the preparation of the next course, Lobster with Citrus & Jasmine, the chefs draw a little "é" into the sauce of each plate (see middle picture above).

It is only there for a fleeting second, and soon a succulent piece of lobster tail is laid over the pretty letter that was just carefully drawn moments before.

This juicy piece of lobster tail is served with jasmine foam and tiny bits of  fruit. The dish is paired with either a Spanish beer or a sparkling white wine (depending on whether guests opt for the normal pairing or grand pairing).

The next dish is one of my favorites of the entire meal. Chickpea Stew with Iberico Ham may sound simple, but the actual preparation that goes into this soup is astounding. Jamon iberico fat is first clarified and then emulsified together with three different stocks made with different types of bones. The "chickpeas" that you see in the photo are actually spherified balls with an intense, creamy essence that is much more than just chick pea. Finally, little bits of actual jamon iberico "bacon" dot the plate, rounding out the wonderful tastes and textures of this complex soup.

We were scraping the bottom of the bowl, trying to get every last drop of this flavorful elixir into our mouths.

Bryan loves bone marrow, and therefore loves the next course, Turbot with Bone Marrow. The simply prepared turbot (probably prepared sous vide) is topped with its skin fried and served with deep fried capers. Bryan loves the breaded and deep fried bone marrow "tater tots" served on the side. I personally find it to be way to rich and fatty, but Bryan loves it.

Chef Cody then brings out an entire lobe of foie gras covered in salt and herbs, appropriately named Whole Lobe of Foie Gras Baked in Salt.

It is served with tiny cubes of confit grapefruit, a paint-stroke of chocolate, and a light, clementine soup. The balance of the slightly salty foie gras and the sweetness from the other components works quite well.

Chef Cody explains to us the meaning behind the next dish, Secreto of Iberico Pork with Squid. The "secreto" is a particular "secret" part of the pig that butchers used to love keeping for themselves because it was so tasty.
 This lovely piece of jamon iberico shoulder secreto is served with a squid jus sauce, made from squid a la plancha (on the grill).

Finally, it's time for dessert. We are quite stuffed at this point, and hardly realize there is still so much more to come . . . .
Orange Pith Puree La Serena is almost like a transitional cheese course, savory and sweet at the same time. La Serena is a 60-day aged Spanish raw sheep's milk cheese, strong, creamy and salty. It is topped with a fun, flat foamy sheet and whimsical flowers.

Flan is a traditional Spanish custard. Here, we enjoy tiny little cups of flan alongside crushed fruity ice.

The dramatic show continues as Chef Cody begins to cook  "pirate-spiced" rum (lemon zest, vanilla, and cinnamon) and coffee together with this electrifying blue flame.

It's almost hypnotizing to watch the blue flame as Chef Cody repeatedly raises and lowers his spoon.

The resultant coffee rum drink is served in a tiny espresso glass alongside Pan Con Chocolate, literally "bread with chocolate". Here, bread baked in simple syrup is covered with a chocolate powder which tastes like shaved frozen chocolate mousse served with saffron olive oil. The flavor combination works surprisingly well.

"Arroz Con Leche", a traditional Spanish tapioca pudding, comes inside a tiny candied cone as a single, delicious bite.

And the desserts keep coming!

Chef Cody begins to make "25 second Bizcocho", an almond cone-shaped cake that is "baked" in the microwave for 25 seconds.

The cake is moist, not too sweet, and filled with a light cream. This is served with "Air" Chocolate, a fantastic bite of salt-topped chocolate with air holes all throughout the inside. It sort of reminds me of the British chocolate called "Aero."

And finally, a delightfully fun final dessert that is visually huge, but takes up virtually no stomach space. The Cocoa Paper with Dried Strawberry is extremely delicate. I believe it's made mainly from sugar, but this paper-thin sculpture crumbles and quickly disintegrates in your mouth as you eat it.

I love it, and finish my entire piece.

We finish this off with José Andrés's signature drink - his awesome gin and tonic. I first had this drink at Jaleo in Washington DC. It's there that I realized that I love gin & tonic. Andrés's version uses Hendrick's gin, Fever Tree tonic, kaffir lime, lemon, and juniper.

It's a perfect, refreshing way to end the evening.

As you would expect at the end of any show, the "characters" come out for a bow as we applaud their hard work.

It is only about 8:05PM, plenty of time before the next show. Most guests leave, but we hang around a bit, savoring the space, chatting with the staff.

I've got a huge smile on my face, because I've had so much fun the entire evening.

The food was absolutely phenomenal. I loved José Andrés's creative intepretations of traditional Spanish classics. Even though he does some similar dishes at Samm in Los Angeles, I much prefer this meal over that one, possibly because I didn't like the French-inspired dishes as much at Samm.

This could very well become one of my favorite meals I've ever had in Las Vegas.

Seriously, it's up there with Joel Robuchon and L'Atelier.

I like it when I'm surprised by new and innovative flavor combinations, and é does not disappoint. Even though José Andrés says it's more Spanish and more conservative, I still find it to be refreshingly different from the traditional French-inspired tasting menus that you typically find. Plus, his use and command of molecular gastronomy still sets his food apart from most high-end meals around.

Of course, it's also possible I just like the bold flavors of Spanish cuisine more.

Whatever the reason, I had a wonderfully memorable time at é and I would highly recommend trying to get a reservation if you can. It's become one of my favorite meals in Vegas, and I can't wait to try it again when I return. I know they change the menu quarterly, so you can go back and (hopefully) try a  range of a totally new set of surprising flavors.

The Details
Reservations are only done by emailing reserve@ebyjoseandres.com up to three months before your date of dining. If they indicate availability, you must fill out and sign a form (more like a contract, really) where you give them your credit card number and agree to a few terms. Any cancellation made less than 14 days before dining date results in a 50% cancellation fee. A no-show results in a 100% cancellation fee.

The tasting menu is $195 and does not include alcohol or gratuity. There are two pairings: the standard pairing costs $130 and the premium pairing costs $300 (see below for both full lists). You can also order off of the extensive wine list (given to you in the form of a tablet!), which is shared with Jaleo.

Definitely put your name on the waiting list, as cancellations do happen. I called less than two weeks before my dinner and was  able to secure seats for four due to a cancellation that happened a few days later.

Cheers!

Want to read more Vegas posts? Check out the Las Vegas Eating Guide which includes links to all Las Vegas area restaurant posts I've written.

WINE PAIRINGS
Standard Pairing
2008 Agusti Torello Mata Reserva Cava 
La Gitana “En Rama” Jerez; Hidalgo, Manzanilla (Sherry)
Alvear “Carlos VII” Amontillado; Montilla-Morales (Sherry)
Estrella Damm Inedit (Beer)
2002 R. Lopez De Heredia “Vina Gravonia”; Rioja (Crianza Blanco)
East India Solera Jerez NV; E. Lustau (Sherry)
2000 Alejandro Fernandez “Dehesa La Granja”; Zamora (Tempranillo)
2008 Jorge Ordonez & Co. “Victoria”; Malaga (Moscatel)
2004 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Trockenbeerenauslese; (Riesling)
Ron Cremant (Warm rum and coffee cocktail)
Jose’s Gin & Tonic

Premium Pairing
Krug Grand Cuvee Brut NV; Reims
 Pasada Pastrana Jerez; Hidalgo, Manzanilla (Sherry)
Bodegas Tradicion V.O.R.S. Jerez; Oloroso (Sherry)
2009 Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli; Getariao Txakolina
2000 R. Lopez De Heredia “Vina Tondonia” Gran Reserva; Rioja (Rosé)
East India Solera Jerez NV; E. Lustau (Sherry) 
2003 Vega-Sicilia Valbuena 5° Año; Ribera del Duero
2004 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Trockenbeerenauslese; (Riesling)
Ron Cremant (Warm rum and coffee cocktail)
Jose’s Gin & Tonic

e by Jose Andres
The Cosmopolitan (inside Jaleo)
3708 Las Vegas Blvd
S Las Vegas, NV 89109