Lunch was also OTT, as we took the kids to their favorite dim sum place, which is where we usually eat Christmas lunch, but one of them is away that day.
Prawn and chive dumplings
Spicy seafood dumplings
Coriander vegetable dumplings
Water chestnut and vegetable dumplings
Sweet corn soup (veg & chicken)
Crispy tofu in hot and sweet sauce
Scallion pancakes
Spring rolls
Egg fried rice
Hong Kong noodles
Crispy lotus root
Mixed vegetables in black bean sauce
Prawns in chilli garlic sauce
Lamb with scallions and ginger
Mud cake with ice cream
Toffee fritters of banana and apple with ice cream
Sent home (for sib who stayed back with mom):
Sweet corn chicken soup
Multiple orders of Har Gow
Young chow fried rice
(In case you were wondering, I ate lunch and skipped dinner. Kids and others had a snack in between of bhel, sev puri, and pani puri. So that’s how this is going .)
First time trying khao man gai/Hainanese chicken rice (the menu even said that in English!) I had it in the food court of a popular and large Thai supermarket chain “Tops” (all over Bangkok!) I ordered it with no cilantro because, as I’ve written before, I can’t abide by the taste of it (yes, it’s like soap to me).
I ordered just the chicken with rice and soup without the side of cucumbers. This cost only ฿55/$1.58 ! (adding the cucumbers would have been an extra ฿25/$0.72).
I took a small dish and put in some quite spicy vinegar and the standard SE Asian sweet chilli sauce (I intentionally used the British spelling…the Thais really do favour British English!). The spicy vinegar was too for me, but the sweet chilli sauce was necessary, if you ask me.
The chicken was fine…nothing to write home about, if you ask me. HOWEVER, the rice was INCREDIBLE! I’m very happy I tried khao man gai after hearing about it for so many years. But I have to say that I prefer gapao rice (had it for the first time on December 9th) and my favorite, pad Thai.
Inspired by @grumpyspatient, I remembered to defrost TJ’s pizza dough that was hiding in the freezer. Mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, and Black Forest ham for toppings. This meal reminded me that pizza is a delicious way to use up a little of this, a little of that.
Too bad about the soup. A Thai place in NYC that specialized in this dish had fantastic soup. I used to order a large container of just the soup sometimes.
When it comes to Hainanese chicken rice I definitely prefer Malaysian and Singaporean versions over Thai.
But in general the rice is one of the best parts and the dish is about all the elements coming together more than the chicken itself being a standout. In Singapore they offer roasted chicken rice and some people prefer that.
We had a rez for HH at one of our favorite watering holes in town, the Franklin & Mortgage Bar, during which 90s cocktails (think appletini, cosmo and the like) were on special. My PIC chose a Kamikaze, and I opted for the cosmo - a drink I’ve not had in well over a decade. Both refreshing, but… ya know. Nothing special.
For our second libation, I simply had to choose the stunning drink that seemingly everyone was getting: An Awkward Conversation - an absolutely gorgeous & delicious cocktail with a matcha stencil;
I’m a soup lover and since nearly everywhere I go here in Thailand is heavily air conditioned, the soup would have been a nice way to warm up and I would have enjoyed a more flavorful bowl of it. I’m scheduled to go to Penang, Malaysia on January 6th and I’ll try khao man gai there to see how, at least in regards to the chicken part of the dish, differs.
For me the Thai versions have always been less tender (chicken) and I like the sauces you get in Malaysian and Singaporean versions more. Never gotten soup as part of the set in those versions.
You’ll have no shortage of great soups in either Thailand or Malaysia at least!
I made japchae with shredded rotisserie chicken breast, carrot, scallion, yellow onion, garden spinach, the last of the broccolini, egg crepe, and plenty of garlic (maybe too much).
.)
British English!). The spicy vinegar was too 
for me, but the sweet chilli sauce was necessary, if you ask me.
