WHEN IT comes to the spicy burn of Thai food, Hung Sen, a popular restaurant newly relocated to Saladang Soi 1, hits just the right notes. Judging by the number of families and office workers from the neighbourhood stopping in for a quick lunch or dinner, the place is a gourmet magnet.

People who are very fond of noodles established Hung Sen, as the name suggests. “Hung” refers to cooking rice and “sen” means noodles, and in Chaozhou Chinese, “hungsen” also means noodles.

The relocated Hung Sen has a modern ambience to complement its creative approach to classic Thai dishes.

Hung Sen the restaurant is a known quantity in Bangkok, operating in its original location at CentralWorld for seven years. Though relocated, it offers the same dishes with the same winning qualities.

“The lease on the old place elapsed, so we decided to move here, and we hope our loyal customers keep coming,” say co-founder Alisa Sudasna. “We guarantee the taste is the same, and the menu has even been improved.”

The two-floor restaurant has a hip, modern style with high ceilings, their dark blue trim contrasting with the white furniture, lush green potted plants and orange brick wall decorated with tantalising photos of the dishes available. Hung Sen can accommodate up to 50 diners in cosy surroundings.

With a menu mainly about noodles, Alisa and her partner Saovaluk Siwapornchai have gone for a street style in creative recipes, high-quality ingredients and attention to detail.

Pork Tom Yum Noodles

“With noodles, the soup is very important,” says Alisa. “We cook seven to 10 kilograms of pork at a time, letting it simmer for many hours to flavour the stock. In spicy dishes like tom yum, we use palm sugar and get the sour taste from tamarind instead of vinegar.”

Sukhothai Rice Noodles with Kurobuta Pork (Bt120) is a recipe from Alisa’s grandmother, the dish delightfully sweet and (slightly) sour and scented with lime. It features the Kurobuta pork tenderloin, ground pork, pork crackling and a parboiled egg.

In Chicken Stir-Fry with Rice Noodles (Bt70), the noodles form a soft outer frame for the meat.

Chicken Khao Soi (Bt115) is yellow-curry noodle soup rich spiced and with large chunks of thigh meat.

Khao Soi Chicken

“This is one of our best-selling noodle dishes,” says Alisa. “It has an authentic northern Lanna taste. I’ve sampled chicken khao soi all over the North and this is the best recipe. We make our own chilli paste too, using fried Karen chillies and nuts, but that means you have to be careful because it’s very hot!”

For devotees of prawns, Tom Yum Kung Noodles (Bt185) and the Pad Tai (Bt125) both contain large river prawns and boast intense flavouring along with soft noodles.

Non-noodle dishes include Stir-fried Garlic Chives Spring Rolls (Bt80). The frying, as opposed to the usual steaming, makes them extra crispy and golden brown.

There are about 20 different kinds of spicy papaya salad on the menu. One highlight has to be Tum Luang Prabang (Bt80), whose unbeatable ingredients are pickled-fish sauce and shrimp paste. The papaya is also thin-sliced rather than chopped, so it has both a different look and different texture.

Garlic Chives Spring Rolls

On the rice menu is Khao Kra Prow Sam Mhoo (Bt100), featuring stir-fried basil, minced pork, bacon and pork crackling served with clear soup.

“We offer new and different dishes every month,” Alisa says. “Having grown up with my grandmother, I realise now that a lot of traditional

Thai dishes have been forgotten. But we serve them here.

“One of my favourites is mieng kham pla, with chopped lime, shallots, ginger, roasted coconut, dried shrimp and peanuts, all eaten with chaplu leaves and sweet and sour chilli sauce. I add a little twist by adding a single bite of deep-fried fish.

“Another favourite is tom som pla krapong, the sweet and sour soup with snapper fish. I use palm sugar, tamarind and spices to balance the aroma and flavour.”

The Mieng Kham Pla costs Bt180 and the Tom Som Pla Krapong Bt255.

Hung Sen also does catering and can deliver lunch boxes. Look it up on UberEats, Honest Bee or Line Man.

CLASSY SPOT FOR CLASSICS

>> Hung Sen is on Saladang Soi 1 near the U Chu Liang Building, where there’s free parking for up to 90 minutes.

>> It’s open weekdays from 11am to 9.30pm and weekends from 11.30.

>> Book a table at (02) 2337455 or Facebook.com/hungsen.noodle.

From February 21 to 25, Kazuo will be offering a special sushi and sashimi menu and buffet lunch at Bt1,800-plus weekdays and Bt2,500-plus at weekends. on Saturday and Sunday. For dinner, he will present extraordinary 5-course menus at Bt3,200-plus and 7-course degustation menus at Bt3,900.

A renowned master of the super-refined Kyoto style of Japanese cuisine known as ‘Kyo-ryori’, Kazuo is committed to serving authentic Japanese delicacies.

His cuisine reflects the seasons and tells cultural tales. His mouth-watering soups are symbolic of his cooking style: composed, delicate and illustrative. He believes the taste and aroma of a soup characterises one’s culinary style and defines a restaurant’s personality.

Book your table at (02) 659 9000 extension 7390 or email mobkk-restaurants@mohg.com.

Its coffee beans have a unique aroma, balanced acidity, and low caffeine content, and it is accredited as a World Class Speciality Coffee through various certifications, including USDA Organic, EU Organic Farming, EU Geographical Indication, and the Specialty Coffee Association that have guaranteed its premium quality.

With the concept “From Earth to Cup”, the brand is driven by Phitsanuchai Kaewphichai, co-founder and business adviser, who uses his wine production knowledge to make the brand different from the others on a market.

The process starts with selecting excellent coffee varieties and follows on through planting, selective hand picking to wet fermentation to generate the unique flavour.

“Coffee growers choose to harvest red, ripe coffee cherries through selective hand picking. Freshly harvested coffee cherries will be placed in water tanks to sort out unripe, overripe, and inferior cherries. Then, they will start pulping cherries immediately within the first 24 hours in order to maintain quality and freshness,” Phitsanuchai said.

“After that they will start the 7-8-4 process which means seven days of natural sun drying after the fermentation process, eight months of storing dry beans in clean ventilated sacks under a high altitude weather controlled warehouse, and four rounds of bean sorting – a sifter, high speed electronic sorter, ensure optimal grading, and final stage of hand sorting. After these processes, the coffee beans will be ready for roasting and further distribution.”

With such a delicate and meticulous production process, coffee lovers can ensure that they will get the finest delicious brew in the final cup. Doi Chaang Coffee is also a pride of Hill Tribes Thai coffee growers as their coffee is the first Thai Arabica coffee to find a place on the world coffee map and is equivalent to other famous coffee countries.

“Unlike Brazil and Colombia, Thailand is not really known for its coffee. Previously, people did not believe that Thailand could grow premium Arabica coffee. That scepticism then became our challenge since we know that Baan Doi Chang is one of the prime areas in the world for growing high quality Arabica coffee,” Phitsanuchai added.

“Today, Doi Chaang Coffee has become one of the world’s finest coffees made from the village of Doi Chang, Thailand. We sell both domestically and to international market, which includes Canada, USA, England, Romania, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Lao, Cambodia, and Myanmar.”

Find out more at DoiChaangCoffee.co.th.

The offer, which runs through March, features a choice of two starters and two main dishes, each featuring lobster as the star and prepared to recipes that highlight Trader Vic’s exotic Polynesian flavours. Guests can start their meal with a fresh and crispy Lobster Tempura Salad of lobster tail roll, claw in tempura, potato salad, mango basil salsa, potato crisps and baby leaves, or opt for a juicy Grilled Lobster Salad with fennel, pineapple and guacamole.

Sumptuous mains include a creamy Lobster Gratin served with tempura courgette, sweet potato fries and pineapple bearnaise sauce, and a whole grilled lobster with corn on the cob, marinated aubergine, peppers, asparagus and courgettes, and garlic ginger butter.

Diners ordering both a lobster starter and main course will receive a Classic White Wine Spritzer or a Watermelon Wine Spritzer on the house. The prices start from Bt550plus.

Book a table at (02) 476 0022 extension 1416 or email riversidedining@anantara.com.

The Manor restaurant engages in luxurious celebrations with its New Year Treasures Set Dinner, representing six benevolent wishes. A plate of Hamachi sashimi in spicy orange oil and pork and prawn dumplings with truffle XO sauce will offer good luck and prosperity.

Harmony, good luck and longevity are provided by Grilled Scottish Scallops with sealettuce butter, honey, Soyglazed Roasted Cod Fillet with champagne sauce, and Kobe Wagyu Beef Sirloin with truffle mash and French tarragonbutter emulsion. The dinner concludes with a fluffy Threemilk Cake with pistachio and raspberry for peace.

The hotel also presents Exceptional Poon Choi, a private menu for families and friends. The large casserole of extraordinary ingredients will give the New Year a luxurious start.

Priced at 1,088 Macao pounds (Bt4,317) for two, Poon Choi offers traditional delicacies such as South African abalone, sea cucumber, dried scallops, dried oysters with mushrooms and sea moss, and braised pig’s tongue.

Those seeking special gifts for loved ones can purchase the Prosperous Hamper and Gift Set, featuring traditional new year cakes, dried longan, homemade sauce, dried scallops, canned South African abalone and Japanese sake for 2,988 pounds. The hampers are available until February 15.

 The celebration proper starts on Friday, February 16, 2018 with a traditional lion dance ceremony. The God of Wealth will visit all the hotel’s riverside restaurants, sharing lucky Lai See packets as he goes.

Iconic and sophisticated, The China House has long been recognised as Bangkok’s most exclusive destination during Chinese New Year and is once again offering special Yu Sheng festive set menus. They include Golden Dog,-Ha-ha- ha Lo Hei, Superior Prosperity and Superior Abalone and Jelly Fish. Prices start at Bt1,838-plus  for  2-4 persons or Bt1,988-plus for 5-8 persons. A selection of a la carte delights and Golden Fatt Choi Dim Sum is also available from February 15-18, 2018.

Book now at (02) 659 9000 ext 7390 or visit www.MandarinOriental.com/bangkok.

The tempting international buffet celebrates the last day of the working week in style with premium imported meats and scrumptious seafood, along with steamed and fried seafood and meat dishes from live-cooking stations.

The new selections include Canadian Lobster and Bacon Slider – Squid Ink Brioche Bun, Roasted Lobster, Tomato Relish, Bacon, Tomato and Cos Lettuce Hearts; and Seared A La Minute Wagyu Steaks and River Prawn served in small bamboo baskets with Herb Butter. The buffet is priced at Bt2,200 net per person.

Book your table at (02) 236 7777, (02) 236 9952 or visit http://www.Shangrila.com/bangkok/shangrila/dining/restaurants/next2/book-a-table/.

You’ll find a great selection at Mandarin Oriental shops and all of them spell out a message of love.

Among the new delights are Red Rose, White Chocolate Liquid Heart and Chocolate Trio Cake, Heart Chocolate Lollipops, Pink Chocolate Truffles, Heart-Shaped Macaroons and Shortbread Dipped Chocolates and they’re all available at the Mandarin Oriental shops in Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom, The Emporium, Gaysorn Village and the hotel’s Lobby Corner.

Find out more at ()2) 659 9000 or email mobkk-bakery@mohg.com.

The Bib Gourmand list highlights more affordable restaurant options than those typically recognised with the Michelin Star. It was initiated back in 1954, when the Michelin Guide took the first step to indicate restaurants serving “good cuisine at a reasonable price,” reinforcing its commitment to quality for everyone. This recognition gained high popularity, and later became the ‘Bib Gourmand’ distinction, which has been presented annually since 1997.

The symbol of Bib Gourmand, featuring the famed Bibendum or Michelin Man licking his lips, serves as a label for an authentic cuisine carefully prepared and inexpensively priced. The maximum price point that identifies affordability is determined by local economic standards. In the case of Bangkok, the Bib Gourmand recognises eateries that offer quality cuisine at a maximum price of Bt1,000 (The price is for a threecourse meal; starter, main course, and dessert – exclusive of beverage).

“The Bib Gourmand plays a role as significant as the Michelin Star, in promoting Bangkok as the city of diverse and dynamic culinary scene with finedining restaurants, casual eateries, and moderatelypriced street food establishments. The Bib Gourmand not only offers local and foreign food enthusiasts to experience a Michelinrated restaurant at an affordable, valueformoney price; but also serves as a testament that a highquality, delicious meal is not always expensive,” Segsarn TraiUkos, the country director of Michelin Siam, explains.

In the debut edition of 2018 Michelin Guide Bangkok, there are 35 restaurants taking the spotlight as Bib Gourmand honourees. Among them are 18 streetfood establishments including Polo Fried Chicken (Soi Polo), a restaurant that’s been operating for 50 years and is famous for its garlic fried chicken with perfectly crispy skin on the outside and flavourful tender meat on the inside. Others are Jok Prince, a famous food stall hidden in a narrow alley offering smooth and savoury rice porridge with a smoky aroma, topped with either a raw egg or a century egg; and Yentafo Convent, a stall serving pink noodle soup, made with tomatoes and sweet potatoes, for more than 40 years.

The remaining 17 are restaurants such as Baan, where the husbandry and provenance of the ingredients is paramount: beef used in the Massaman curry is from an Islamic farm in Pak Chong, and sustainable seafood is sourced from southern Thailand; and The Local, an authentic Thai restaurant in a colonialstyle building where dishes are crafted from secret family recipes and represent all regions of Thailand.

“In the first edition of MICHELIN Guide Bangkok, the number of Bib Gourmand restaurants doubles the number of Michelinstarred restaurants. In addition, around half of the Bib Gourmand honourees are street food establishments. This signifies the charms of Bangkok as the city of good value and reasonably priced restaurants, as well as a top destination for street food,” said Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“The Bib Gourmand basically provides an opportunity for small but excellent eateries to earn recognition and fame – thus encouraging the enhancement of culinary excellence for Thailand and the growth of the local economy. Both distinctions, Bib Gourmand and Michelin Star, will serve as a magnet drawing tourists and food enthusiasts from around the world to experience the remarkable diversity of Bangkok’s dining scene themselves.”

View the full selection of the Michelin Guide Bangkok 2018 at http://www.Guide.michelin.com in English and Thai.

Dinner in the Sky, which is located behind Dinosaur Planet near The Emporium on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road, features a dinner table suspended 50 metres above the ground by a 200tonne European telescopic boom crane.  At unique dinners in Bangkok, 22 guests will be secured in German TUVapproved safety harnesses and raised into the sky to enjoy the hotel’s executive chef Gaetano’s sublime menu and incredible city views.

Dinner in the Sky has been enjoyed by diners in more than 50 countries including China, Denmark, France, Holland, Japan, Macau, and Taiwan.

“We have a talented catering team at the site led by chef Gaetano. He has designed a fabulous menu that will perfectly complement this oneofakind dining experience,” said Robert Wittebrood, executive assistant manager of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit.

The dinner menu includes an appetiser of Angus beef carpaccio with a healthy salad, lemon dressing and Parmesan cheese foam followed by tomato gazpacho chilli soup with crab meat and cucumber. Diners will be offered a choice of main course dishes including pan fried butterfish with saffron potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomato and beetroot reduction or braised Australian short ribs beef with barbecue sauce and roasted vegetables or roasted New Zealand lamb loin with hazelnuts, baby turnip and purple potatoes pur?e. The exclusive dinner will end with passion fruit mascarpone cream cheese cake with raspberry coulis and green tea ice cream.

Reservations are available for sunset at 6pm or night dining at 7.30pm. The flight duration is 60 minutes. Ticket are available now. The fourcourse dinner is Bt4,990 on weekdays (Monday – Friday), and Bt5,390 on weekends.

For further information or bookings, call (02) 007 5165, email info@dinnerinthesky.co.th or visit http://www.DinnerInTheSky.co.th.