Thuk Thai: Our Secret Thai Restaurant

Thuk Thai menu.

I've recovered from yesterday's event.  Yuri and I are just bent on being lazy today.  I'm on the 11th episode of Hell's Kitchen Season 8 and he's been watching UFC and PSP-ing since this morning.

I left out some important things last night.  We had a few more things to celebrate about aside from our very successful gig.

I got my eyes checked yesterday right after putting in an appearance at the event.  I've been getting really pesky migraines lately, which is really unusual for me.  After weeks of suffering I figured my eyes might just be the culprit.  True enough that was exactly it.  The astigmatism in my left eye went from 250 to 150! :-)  Unbelievable.  I thought my eyesight was getting worse not better.  I had my left lens changed and now I feel a whole lot better.

The other thing to celebrate was that... um it was sort of our 3rd month anniversary as a married couple yesterday.  Oh my gosh I completely forgot!  No wonder Yuri wanted to go on a date last night.  Good thing we ended up going to one of our favorite restaurants.   But I only remembered our anniversary today.  Sheesh.  Sorry.

Yuri first discovered Thuk Thai 2 years ago when he still working in Ortigas.  It was in a dingy alley and Thuk Thai was just literally a hole-in-the-wall with a teeny tiny kitchen, a counter, and about 5 stools.  He took me and friend there for the first time and I didn't know what to expect.  I mean the alley was dirty and really cramped.  Anyway I trusted Yuri's taste so I went along with it.  I ordered Phad See Eaw and was so shocked.  The dish was really really good!

The kitchen, no matter how tiny, was a well-oiled machine. Those cooks, they got skills.  At that time, I was thinking to myself that they deserved to be working in their own restaurant and not in this alley hidden away from the world.   On our next visit they told us that they were about to move and open a new restaurant at Rockwell so we were excited about it but we didn't think it would have happened soon.

One day I asked Yuri to buy me some Phad See Eaw from Thuk Thai when he got off from work.  He calls me and tells me that they're not there anymore.  It took awhile to sink in.  We were incredibly sad, but then we remembered that they said that they would be moving to Rockwell.  We actually went a couple of times to the Rockwell area peeling our eyes for any sign of Thuk Thai, but alas no luck.

6 months back, we were driving along Ortigas Ave. and we suddenly see this small banner with "Thuk Thai" written on it right next to the new Rockwell Business Center.  Duhhhhh.  It was right there all along.  So we immediately made a detour, ecstatic about reconnecting with Thuk Thai.  We absolutely HAD to eat there.  At that time the complex was brand new.  There was still construction going on in parts of it and not all of the stores were occupied yet.  We went inside and the place was, in the words of Venus, a major major improvement from before.

Decor is on the minimalist modern side.  They have artworks on the wall to go with the feel.  It could probably seat around 30 people inside at best but they have tables outside too.  We were warmly greeted by Rey, their super friendly restaurant manager who remembered us from before.  He was happy to see us and proud of their new restaurant.  We are too.  We sit down and he rings up our usual orders. 

So anyway the rest is history and Yuri and I pop in at Thuk Thai from time to time whenever we feel the need for budget-friendly Thai food.  (Now if your working with a bigger budget I'd recommend another Thai restaurant which is No. 1 on my list but I'd like to save that for another entry)

Here's my dish.  Phad See Eaw.  I think this is their best noodle dish.  I'm crazy over flat rice noodles and they cook it really well.  Always al dente.  A really simple dish done well.  Flat Rice Noodles, Pechay, Sweet Soy Sauce and Chicken.  I also like their Bagoong Rice, and their curry dishes.  Their curries are really authentic, meaning aromatic, flavorful, and SPICY.  So beware.  It's better to order this for sharing if you're not as good at handling spicy food... like me.

This is the only thing Yuri orders.  Khao Krappao.  Steamed rice smothered in a basil chili sauce with chicken pieces.  It's super spicy and that's why Yuri likes it.  Basil is very prominent in this dish and the sauce is on the sweet side.  Yesterday though, Yuri said that it wasn't as spicy as it used to be.  That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preferences.  This dish goes really well with their Thai Iced Tea.

      
I'm a fan of this place especially since we've seen them grow.  It's inspiring.  They've got good food, personalized service, and very affordable prices.  Oh their kitchen is spotless too.  Can't go wrong there. :)


Thuk Thai is located at G/F North Tower, Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas Ave., Pasig City.  It's right next to 7/11. :)

Ramen and Rainy Days

Cold rainy days are the best kind of days to snuggle under a blanket with a good book in tow... or a Kindle (it's on my Christmas wishlist). Those are the kinds of days when a cup of steaming hot chocolate becomes extra tasty, sopas is at its' creamiest, and when ginataan becomes doubly hearty.  Well for me anyway.

Tonight I'm craving for something else.  It's been raining on and off all day and all I can think of is... ramen. :D A big steaming bowl of scrumptious ramen.  Yum-my.  One place I go to, to get my ramen fix is the Ramen Bar at Eastwood Mall.  This is the real deal.  Authentic Japanese Ramen.  They are serious about their ramen over there.  I've tried the R.B.S. (Ramen Bar Special) #1 and the Sapporo Miso Ramen as well.  They differ in the kind of toppings they use and in the degree of sweetness/saltiness of the broth.  The miso-infused broth of the Sapporo Miso Ramen is a tad sweeter.  They serve it up in a massive bowl that'll probably be enough for two.  But if your appetite is anything like mine, you wouldn't want to share. :)  I gotta tell you their ramen hits me in all the right places. 

As soon as the server places the bowl in front of you, the savory aroma of the broth hits you giving you a glimpse of what's to come.  You then notice the array of toppings and noodles that are barely visible under the milky broth.  You take your first sip of the broth and the flavors start to dance in your mouth.  The noodles bring it all together.  They make their own noodles from scratch and they are perfectly firm and chewy.  I can't help but appreciate the amount of work that was put into my bowl of ramen.  It's the broth that makes the dish.  I heard they boil it for 20 hours before they serve it.  You can't get any more authentic than that.  In an attempt to eat healthy [-ier] I usually request that they change my topping from chasyu (sliced pork) to karaage (fried chicken) which is silly since their broths use pork bones as their base anyway.   

A word of caution though.  Their ramens are a dream but their service left a bad taste in my mouth.  Also their rice toppings weren't really that good.  But really, who goes to the Ramen Bar for rice toppings anyway?  This is why I only go when I'm seized with a ramen craving-- a phenomenon that happens roughly every 3 months.

Hmmm great.  Now I really made myself hungry.  Since it's this late, a cup of instant noodles will have to suffice.  Boo. :(


~Mich :)