Food Diary - Laem Charoen Seafood, Bangkok
This year's Easter, Hubby and I took a short trip to Bangkok (posted here) for various engagements/errands...and of course, food is always a part of the plan. Unfortunately, as we were short on free time, we didn't get to explore the street food which
Bangkok is well known for. Disappointed in this aspect, but I'm sure we will make another trip back for that!
On our first day, we had an early lunch at Laem Charoen Seafood (แหลมเจริญซีฟู้ด สาขา สยามพารากอน). And when I say "early lunch", I mean like around 11:00am. (Early flights really ruin my routine.)
One of Hubby's favourite soups is the much-loved spicy and sour tom yum goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง). So we always have it whenever we eat Thai food or whenever we visit Thailand.
Laem Charoen's tom yum goong (ต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น) was made with coconut milk. Usually we request for it to be clear but this time we forgot to make that request. In any case, I like it with coconut milk because it adds a creaminess to the intensely sour and spicy soup. The prawns were very fresh, succulent and bouncy. Not overcooked. Unfortunately for us, it was also quite lethal in spiciness levels and I accidentally chewed on a chili padi (seeds and all).
Also on the menu was mantis shrimp. Hubby and I love mantis shrimps. We first ate them at the fish market in Otaru, Hokkaido. As mentioned in my Jiro Roppongi post, these ugly but delicious stomatopod crustaceans are aggressive hunters that have powerful claws that can break glass and crush crab shells.
We initially ordered the grilled mantis shrimp but were informed that this option was not available (as well as the steamed option). Of the two remaining options (stir-fried in chill or black pepper), we chose black pepper.
The dish was tasty but I think the black pepper was somewhat too over-powering for the mantis shrimp's lightly sweet flavour. Generally, Thai cuisine is known for its bright and intense flavours, so perhaps the flavour profile of Thai cuisine may not be entirely suitable for these creatures? Perhaps the stir-fried in chili may have worked better? Well, my name isn't on the list of Le Chef or World's 50 Best, so don't take me at my word.
The mantis shrimps in the stir-fry were on the small side, and had varying freshness. Some also were packed with roe, while some others were not. Because of this, my guess is that the restaurant freezes the smaller mantis shrimps for its stir-fry dishes (available all-year-round) and only uses freshly caught, larger mantis shrimps for the grilled/steamed options, when mantis shrimps are in season. Or at least, I guess.
Hubby ordered the crab meat fried rice (ข้าวผัดปู), which was a good accompaniment to the black pepper stir-fried mantis shrimp. I am always surprised by the amount of crab meat included in the dish in Thailand. (I am fondly remembering the crab curry at Phuket's Raya House.)
The star was, hands down, the deep-fried sea bass in the signature aromatic fish sauce (ปลากะพงทอดราดน้ำปลา). According to Laem Charoen, they first introduced this dish more than 35 years ago.
Perfectly crispy and golden on the outside, moist and succulent flesh inside, aromatic fish sauce with just the right touch of saltiness. I think I could easily be satisfied with just this dish and a bowl of steamed white rice. And perhaps a simple stir-fried vegetable dish.
 |
| Tom yum goong, Laem Charoen Seafood, Siam Paragon (IG) |
One of Hubby's favourite soups is the much-loved spicy and sour tom yum goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง). So we always have it whenever we eat Thai food or whenever we visit Thailand.
Laem Charoen's tom yum goong (ต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น) was made with coconut milk. Usually we request for it to be clear but this time we forgot to make that request. In any case, I like it with coconut milk because it adds a creaminess to the intensely sour and spicy soup. The prawns were very fresh, succulent and bouncy. Not overcooked. Unfortunately for us, it was also quite lethal in spiciness levels and I accidentally chewed on a chili padi (seeds and all).
Also on the menu was mantis shrimp. Hubby and I love mantis shrimps. We first ate them at the fish market in Otaru, Hokkaido. As mentioned in my Jiro Roppongi post, these ugly but delicious stomatopod crustaceans are aggressive hunters that have powerful claws that can break glass and crush crab shells.
We initially ordered the grilled mantis shrimp but were informed that this option was not available (as well as the steamed option). Of the two remaining options (stir-fried in chill or black pepper), we chose black pepper.
 |
| Black pepper mantis shrimp, Laem Charoen Seafood, Siam Paragon |
The dish was tasty but I think the black pepper was somewhat too over-powering for the mantis shrimp's lightly sweet flavour. Generally, Thai cuisine is known for its bright and intense flavours, so perhaps the flavour profile of Thai cuisine may not be entirely suitable for these creatures? Perhaps the stir-fried in chili may have worked better? Well, my name isn't on the list of Le Chef or World's 50 Best, so don't take me at my word.
The mantis shrimps in the stir-fry were on the small side, and had varying freshness. Some also were packed with roe, while some others were not. Because of this, my guess is that the restaurant freezes the smaller mantis shrimps for its stir-fry dishes (available all-year-round) and only uses freshly caught, larger mantis shrimps for the grilled/steamed options, when mantis shrimps are in season. Or at least, I guess.
 |
| Crab meat fried rice, Laem Charoen Seafood, Siam Paragon |
Hubby ordered the crab meat fried rice (ข้าวผัดปู), which was a good accompaniment to the black pepper stir-fried mantis shrimp. I am always surprised by the amount of crab meat included in the dish in Thailand. (I am fondly remembering the crab curry at Phuket's Raya House.)
 |
| The signature deep-fried sea bass in fish sauce, Laem Charoen Seafood, Siam Paragon (IG) |
The star was, hands down, the deep-fried sea bass in the signature aromatic fish sauce (ปลากะพงทอดราดน้ำปลา). According to Laem Charoen, they first introduced this dish more than 35 years ago.
Perfectly crispy and golden on the outside, moist and succulent flesh inside, aromatic fish sauce with just the right touch of saltiness. I think I could easily be satisfied with just this dish and a bowl of steamed white rice. And perhaps a simple stir-fried vegetable dish.
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