Michelin Bib Gourmand Phuket Food
by Toh Daeng - Bang Kachao, Bangkok, Thailand
Toh Daeng, meaning "Read Table", is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Phuket serving upscale southern Thai home cooking. I haven't ever been to the restaurant in Phuket, which is located inside a beautiful old historic wooden Thai building, but I just happened to stumble upon a second branch the other day.
Toh Daeng also has a branch in Bang Krachao, Bangkok's "Green Lung," a large, quiet, undeveloped area of the city where elevated cycling paths wind through dense mangrove forests and fruit orchards, and wooden stilt houses sit along narrow canals, giving the feeling of having escaped the capital altogether despite just being a short ferry ride across the river.
It was lunchtime, and my wife and I were hungry and excited to try some delicious award-winning southern food, so we ordered several Phuket specialties to share.
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| mee krob, Toh Daeng's 100-year-old family secret crispy noodles |
We started with mee krob, literally "crispy noodles", a dish made from fried vermicelli noodles mixed with a sticky, sweet and sour tamarind-and-citrus-based sauce. The crispy noodles are sweet and sticky, and were mixed with sliced shallots, thinly sliced chili peppers, and fresh cilantro and were served with four big, juicy shrimp.
The dish served at Toh Daeng comes from the restaurant owner's family's 100-year-old recipe!
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| sweet and crispy tamarind sauce noodles with shrimp |
For the main course, we had moo hong and southern Thai-style roti. Moo hong is a southern Thai pork belly stew slow cooked over six hours in a blend of Thai herbs and Chinese five-spice. The pork was incredibly tender and the broth was delicious, especially when served with the soft, flaky flatbread.
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| southern Thai moo hong and roti |
The hearty stew was packed with flavor, and the meat so incredibly soft that it basically dissolved in the mouth. It was incredible, and I could definitely have eaten a second bowl.
Of course, you always have to eat your greens! We ordered a side dish of miang stir-fried with scrambled egg, fried garlic, and crispy fried shrimp. The thick, vegetal leaves of the lolot, or wild betel plant have a lot of flavor on their own but are especially delicious when cooked with garlic. The scrambled egg added extra protein and a nice soft texture to complement the leaves.
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| "6-hour" moo hong, or southern Thai braised five-spice pork belly stew |
Of course, you always have to eat your greens! We ordered a side dish of miang stir-fried with scrambled egg, fried garlic, and crispy fried shrimp. The thick, vegetal leaves of the lolot, or wild betel plant have a lot of flavor on their own but are especially delicious when cooked with garlic. The scrambled egg added extra protein and a nice soft texture to complement the leaves.
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| stir-fried miang vegetable with scrambled egg, garlic, and crispy shrimp |
Location
Toh Daeng's original location is in Phuket, but their secondary location, the one that I visited, is located at บ้านไกรเนาว์ เลขที่ 19, Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan 10130. The restaurant is in Bang Krachao, the “Green Lung of Bangkok,” a lush, man-made island formed by a sweeping bend in the Chao Phraya River and protected as a designated green conservation zone. Bang Krachao makes a fantastic day trip or easy overnight trip to get away from the chaos and bustle of Bangkok.
Toh Daeng is just a short 5–10-minute walk from Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nok Pier, where the ferry arrives after crossing the river.
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| Toh Daeng - Bang Kachao in Bangkok's Green Lung |
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