FabbieFoodie: VIP meal in Bangkok

Several months before our trip to SE Asia, Carl and I watched every Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern episode filmed in SE Asia that we could catch on out DVR. On the "Bizarre Foods" episode filmed in Bangkok, Andrew Zimmern visits a remote restaurant hidden deep in the annals of Bangkok's Chinatown called Jok's kitchen. Zimmern mentioned how Jok's Kitchen is one of the hardest tables to get in town, with reservations often made months in advance. The restaurant has two tables, and the chef, Jok, speaks only Thai. He prepares for his patrons whatever dishes he feels like cooking up on any given day. Carl was determined to go to Jok's Kitchen, and I laughed at his aspirations knowing that two non Thai speaking Americans would likely not be able to secure two seats at this remote restaurant in faraway Bangkok. Much to both of our surprise, our hotel called the restaurant on a whim and was able to fit us in that evening! After sketching a hand drawn map, complete with instructions from the hotel in Thai, our taxi cab dropped us off as close the restaurant as he could, and we were greeted by a young gentleman who escorted us down several tiny alleyways leading to a small room with two large round tables. As soon as Carl and I were seated, the waitresses began bringing out the food.

The first dish we received was a plate of Gingko nuts. They were absolutely divine. Yellowish in color, they had a soft consistency with a semi-sweet flavor. They were each about the size of a small acorn and they were served with crispy onion strings that complimented the slight sweetness of the nut with an even balance. As we were ogling over the Gingko nuts, the waitress brought out a heaping portion of shrimp dumplings accompanied with dark vinegar. Luckily for us, a chipper English speaking Thai woman was dining at the second table with her family and was happy to help us decipher what each dish was, and how to properly eat each dish. She told us that we were meant to dip the dumplings in the vinegar. The vinegar was not strong in flavor and when the dumplings were dipped with the vinegar, the flavor danced on our tongues! In China we had several dumplings, and somehow Jok figured out how to make a dumpling like none other! Trying to save space for an unannounced number of entrees to follow was nearly impossible as each dumpling just whet my appetite for another! Luckily for me, the next dish was just as appetizing as the dumplings. The servers brought out huge chunks of a white fish which our Thai friend told us was called Snow fish. The fish was slightly firm in texture, but easily flaked off with the flick of a chopstick. It was apparent upon first bite that this fish was as fresh as could be and as Carl and I had never eaten this particular fish before it tasted as if Jok had experimented with it enough to know the absolute best way to prepare it. Following the Snow Fish was my favorite dish of the entire evening, crab! A rather healthy portion of crab meat was delivered to our table with two giant crab claws containing juicy white crabmeat that tasted as if it was swimming in the waters of Thailand that morning. Alongside the crabmeat was a unique sauce prepared specifically for the crabmeat. The sauce had more of a Mexican flavor to it rather than Chinese or Thai. The most dominant flavor in the dipping sauce was what tasted like a spicy fresh jalapeno married to fresh cilantro. Providing just enough heat, the sauce enhanced the freshness of the crabmeat without overpowering it. After the crab, the pace with which the food came out began to slow. We were brought a plate of Morning Glory, a green vegetable that I can best describe as resembling broccolini, as well as a heaping serving of duck fried rice- complete with slices of duck.

After the vegetables and rice, we watched the waitress bring a steaming bowl of soup out to the Thai family sitting at the other table and anxiously awaited our soup. After several minutes the soup never came, which prompted our outspoken Thai friend to proclaim that the soup has too many "strange" tastes and since we were American we would not like it so therefore they were ot bringing us any soup! Carl and I immediately knew this was something we had to try! It just wasn't a possibility to be left out of the soup experience so Carl told our friend to tell the waitress that we wanted soup! Sure enough, about ten minutes later a hot pot of soup was brought to our table. We didn't hesitate before digging in, and we were glad we got to sample it because it was divine! The soup was a ginger flavored broth with very little complexity. Besides the ginger flavored broth there was not much more to the soup other than some chicken and a few vegetables, but it was a perfect end note to a giant meal. The soup seemed to calm our full stomachs and leave us with even larger smiles on our faces.

Our Chinese meal in the heart of Bangkok at Jok's Kitchen was definitely a highlight of our trip. The complexity of his dishes and the intricate pairing of flavors was top notch, and we felt like VIP superstars sitting in the tiny restaurant tasting dishes made with intelligence and love. All for 30 US Dollars per person, it was an overall steal of a deal and the memory if sitting deep inside of Thailand's Chinatown in a two table restaurant will last forever!