One of the great pleasures of living in Bangkok is the wealth of good restaurants to choose from. I am often asked which are my favourites. This puts me in a bind as there are so many. But, without a doubt, Baan Klang Nam would be at the top of my list.
It is not easy to find. You need to go through a warren of rather dodgy looking alleyways before finding yourself in what seems to be a bustling fish market. The wooden house, where the charming restaurant resides, sits on the Chao Phraya River where it is a welcome relief from hot and humid Bangkok.
It is often heaving with noisy customers feasting on some of the best food to be found anywhere. Being by the river, its speciality is of course seafood. Go with a large crowd so that you can really sample all the variety on offer. The portion sizes are quite large so make sure you come hungry as well.
Start with grilled river lobster, extra-large size, a signature dish here – giant blue river prawns simply grilled to perfection. The shells are slightly charred with a smoky flavour and the prawns themselves are succulent and sweet – often stained with orange-yellow coral. Dip the prawns into the irresistible saucer plates of chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and minced fresh garlic.
Then proceed to Mantis Shrimp, again extra-large size. These marine crustaceans look like a cross between praying mantis and shrimp and can be seen live in the tanks as you enter the restaurant. They come fried and split in half with a shower of fried garlic. Despite being fried, there is no hint of oil or grease. The flesh is firm yet sweet and the crunch of the garlic is the right partner for this dish.
I never miss stir-fried bitter gourd shoot with oyster sauce, a simple dish of a spinach-tasting, earthy vegetable that comes with an addictive mixture of oyster sauce and fresh chillies.
Steamed whole goby with soy sauce is as delicious as any I have had in Hong Kong. This river fish has a rich earthy flavour and the skilful steaming emphasises the freshness of the fish. The soy sauce is light, not too salty and the fish is piled high with slivers of spring onions.
Everyone at my table agreed that the scallops were another favorite. These briny fresh scallops are delicately pan-fried so they are brown on the outside and their juicy, briny flavours are preserved resulting in a very savoury treat. As if to proclaim they need no other sauce, they are simply served in their shells.
If you want to experience a different type of curry, try the stir-fried crab with curry powder. The crab is moist and comes swimming in a sea of rich yellow, surprisingly not too spicy sauce. Often when the restaurant is busy, crab sells out quite quickly, but you can substitute squid.
Then order any combination of fried rice with crab, prawns or chicken. All of them are expertly stir-fried in a hot wok and are truly fragrant. Again, the portion is quite sizeable.
By this time, you will probably think you can not possibly eat another bite. Then you would miss out on another wonderful dish: sticky rice with mango. The rice is cooked slowly in sweet coconut milk and is served warm. The combination with the rich sweet mango slices is unbeatable – as is the entire meal.
By Ken Hom, Financial Times November 21, 2008
Great for families, casual setting with Thai favorites.
Baan Klang Nam 1, 288 soi 14 Rama 111 Rd, Bangkhlo, Bangkholame, Bangkok 10120, Thailand, Tel: +66 2992 0175, www.baanklangnam.net