Bangkok

Complete with cracking of course. So when I saw this among recommendations of food haunts in Bangkok I’m like mmhmm that has my name written all over it. By its namesake I’d think Kuay Jab Mr Joe to be famous for its Thai take on kway chap, which comes in a peppery broth very dissimilar to our local herbal one; but walk in and you’d realise the real reason everyone’s there is their insanely crispy roast pork. It’s everything you could want in crispy pork belly: the layer of meat is salted and flavorful, interlaced with a good proportion of juicy melt-in-your-mouth fat, and finally the crowing jewel, that impossibly crispy skin at the top. If I had to explain onomatopoeia to anyone with a dish, it’d be this.

I’ve always been a fan of Sarnies here in Singapore, so when I heard of their new Bangkok venture I had it penned down on my itinerary right away (yes I actually make travel itineraries lel). If you’re going there for food, a story for another day, Sarnies Bangkok has a very interesting menu that sets it apart from other established cafés. The coffee though, I found surprisingly lacklustre. At first glance it’s clear the crema ain’t the perfect even hue of orange you’d expect of a good flat white. Taking a sip, the first thing that hit me was how bitter and burnt it tasted — and this is coming from someone who drinks her coffee black and adores darker roasts. There was a total absence of sweetness from the milk, no velvety/creamy mouthfeel, and just an overwhelming hit of flat bitterness. I’m no pro so I can’t say for sure, but it seemed like the beans were way over roasted. I’m hoping this is a one-off cause the vibes and food are so good I really do wanna love this place.

Conveniently located at the open atrium of Siam Square One, Mister Lobster offers lobster rolls starting from SGD19 which is a greeeeat steal. We had the Jumbo roll (525BHT/SGD24), which came with lots of lobster claw and huge chunks of meat, just lightly tossed in some butter and a touch of mayo. To be completely honest it’s a far cry from the best: Boston rolls were over-toasted and no longer held that lovely soft crumb on the insides, not buttered enough, and the lobster, though fresh, lacked that delectable sweetness we look for in crustaceans. I’d have also liked a wedge of lemon on the side to keep things fresh and tangy. But still, for its price and the generous amount of lobster this holds, it’s definitely a bang for your buck and worth a try!

Ashamed to say this is the first kakigori I’ve ever tried (sorry I catch onto trends slow sometimes) and I’m pleased to say I actually pretty liked it — a big statement I feel seeing my utter confusion about the bingsu craze. Matcha Ten’s apparently quite known for their kakigoris, and with a fairly extensive menu with interesting creations like Blueberry and Tiramisu (pictured above) it’s not hard to see why. I’ve got nothing else to compare this to so I’m no expert, but I liked how the flavours of a classic tiramisu came through in this fine shaved ice dessert!

I have to say though, of all the deconstructed coffees I’ve ever tried ROAST’s was the most balanced, delicious, and memorable one. What I especially liked was how they added a generous dollop of microfoam to the espresso cubes, lending that touch of creaminess to the drink when you pour in the barely warmed milk. The drink itself: slightly nutty, smooth, and so so rich. It may look fancy and pretentious, but this drink is definitely worth a try if you’re making a trip by ROAST.

We went to Matcha Ten for their (duh) matcha creations and kakigori, but couldn’t resist trying their Sho Baos. Honestly I don’t even know what sho bao means, but we guessed it’s basically fried bao sandwiches. We tried the one stuffed with Korean-style Pork Belly, and mmmm so so soooo good. Nice 🌶 punch, tender pork belly, and a cooling pickled slaw to pull it all together. Not the cheapest chow in BKK at THB155/SGD6.40, but it is very yummy and comforting and I’d actually consider returning for this!

I literally went "These are my pancakes?" when they were served. Essentially teeny rounded pancakes topped with frozen whipped coffee cream, some meringue, and your choice of maple syrup or chocolate sauce, this dish was more visually intriguing than it was delicious. The coffee cream was amazing, lovely paired with the meringue. However cutting the pancakes off with a mold meant they had to be fully cooked, thus resulting in dry and unpleasant 'pancakes'. The flavours also fell felt, being merely sweet and nothing more.

Banana Pancakes @ Roast BKK (cause I can't geotag no more!)

The pancakes were good: fluffy and soft, though not nearly the best I've had. Bananas were fresh and firm, and 'butterscotch' sauce had a wonderful caramel-ly burnt finish; but the game changer here was the homemade pb ice cream. So intense it was like eating the spread straight outta the jar. For me, this made the pancakes.

Scratch that. Excellent coffee in all. I especially like how D'ARK gives credit to the coffee farmers by stating exactly where the beans come from. This Kenya AB I had, for example, hails from the Kisumu farm in South West Kenya.

It didn't look that huge on the menu, but don't be deceived. This stack of 3 flapjacks is much more filling that it looks. The pancakes were fluffy and soft, perfect to soak up the creamy butterscotch - more like caramel - sauce. Topped with firm and fresh sliced bananas, and a scoop of the most intense homemade peanut butter ice cream, this makes one of the best pancakes I've tried.

We came here for the coffee, but found the food far more impressive. We had flat whites, which were a little too strong. Not that it wasn't a good cuppa, just a bad flat white. The food on the other hand was stunning. Besides an extensive all-day breakfast menu which we ate from, Roast offers an amazing variety of pastas, meats and seafoods.

I can't say I wasn't highly skeptical about this Sabx2 Wanton Mee after reading all the madly positive reviews, so much that I almost gave it a miss. But I'm glad I didn't. The seasoning condiments were different, yet so so delicious. Perfectly cooked, springy noodles, tossed in a fragrant mixture of condiments that I swear has sesame oil. Cheap and stunning.