Here are the locations for these restaurants. Please support the places shown in this video- it could be massively impactful for keeping this unique culture alive. Nai Thong Chicken Rice: goo.gl/maps/GQrHxpVCBA2FU2Rm6 Sui Heng Chicken Rice: goo.gl/maps/2GAWYU9SpsfCUmGX9 Huahin Phochana: goo.gl/maps/Y2KHKbC1vq7VTUBg9 Chairoj Cook Shop: goo.gl/maps/Wx9KXKk4LfzVPQTq5 Tampa Cafe at the Florida Hotel: goo.gl/maps/BTdMU425QFZjzEPp6 Agave Foo Mui Kee: goo.gl/maps/w5gFi76U4rk9z8x89
And one other note- if you watched our video last week on our Top 10 things we've ever eaten on OTR, that video ended with a cliffhanger- Jaspar referencing that the actual best thing he ever ate on an OTR shoot never even made it into the show. That was actually what triggered this entire mission- this whole video came together as a result of that offhand comment from Jaspar a week ago. He was referring to Sui Heng Chicken Rice- the second one we show in this video (and the one where I'm dressed differently and it was obviously filmed at a different time). In case you were waiting for an answer!
Bangkokian native here. Thank you for all the research and dedication you put into your videos, and as a ข้างมันไก่ fan I will definitely be checking these places out.
@@OTRontheroadas a hainanese Thai myself I’m really glad our cuisine get covered! I also just learned here that some of the dish like beef tongue stew is actually hainanese American , I thought it’s just American I would actually love a video dedicated to the different Thai Chinese communities ,where they live , when and what is their influence on Thai cuisine. Would actually be pretty cool It would also be interesting if you cover some Indian influenced street food and stuff which is surprisingly common like roti with condensed milk or fried banana which many of these aren’t even found in India. These vendors are also everywhere at least where I live. I really wanna know where they are from
Another great video from your channel. As a Hainanese-Thai, I could not disagree with the facts you mentioned in this episode. I spent the first three years of my sixties above my grandfather’s cook shop restaurant on Sukhumvit road. The shop was opened in the 1930’s. The business was great especially during the Allied bombing of Bangkok in the WW2. Sukhumvit was still the suburb of BKK. For their safety, wealthy people from downtown came to eat and spend the whole day before returned back in the evening. Night bombing wasn’t that popular back then. The shop was closed in 1965 as my father didn’t want to continue running the restaurant. But we still cook the good old cook shop recipes at home and go visit those restaurants in your video. Thanks again for your great works.
Lovely bit of add on history you have contributed to the video, I also like the fact that the food still survives in your homes to this day, thank you.
Florida Hotel and its restaurant has a special place in my heart. My dad passed away from cancer last year and up until his very last few weeks he was very independent and did not want to bother others. He had to come to Rama Hospital very frequently for treatment and check-up, and he would drive (sometimes with mom, sometimes by himself) from home to stay at the Florida Hotel and walk one mile to the hospital the next morning. So our family would meet up to eat with him at this restaurant. Chairoj, which is nearby, is also his favorite since he used to work near this area 40 years ago. So when I think of him I can visit these places and eat what we used to eat when he was around.
I'm sorry for the loss of your father, but it's wonderful you can remember him with joy as you eat the food you shared with him while he was here with you.
Thank you for this. As a Chinese-Thai person who has been told "this tastes like an Asian person tried to make American food," I resonated with this episode deeply. Although we are Shanghainese, my grandparents left around the Battle of Shanghai at the start of WW2 and my mum was born in Bangkok. What is interesting to me is how pervasive food culture is. I didn't understand American food for years even though I was raised in America. My aunt ran a Thai restaurant and I mostly ate in the family palate. In school I brought lunch, sticky rice and mung beans in a banana leaf. Of course I ate some american food, but only the simple, little kid stuff you get at school events and birthday parties, like french fries or plain cheese pizza. I didn't understand proper american cuisine, things like steaks and pork chops and spaghetti that you eat at full service sit down restaurants until I was in my 20s. I wanted to cook for my various white boyfriends, but I would make mistakes like you described about not boiling the cabbage to death. I would leave it crispy for texture and fun, like I was trying to make larb in a bland European way. I laughed at the garlic smothered fish, because I once made the exact same mistake, trying to make things "plain" and "not spicy at all" for British friends. I have worked in restaurants my entire life, including high end, and I am a CMS somm, but even then, I worked in mostly "exotic" ones, like I spent much of my 20s working in a Jean-George Vongritchen place. Only now, at 40, I can finally make... sort of convincing western food. Maybe. Or my British partner is just very, very polite about the 50% extra seasoning I put on his beans and toast in the morning. :)
This was a seriously amazing show. I chanced upon it by accident, and began watching without expecting much more than a typical food-vlog episode. What unfolded had me gobsmacked. I'm really impressed, kudos!
Beef tongues and pork chops are THE signature dishes of every cook shop 😊 The ribs and bread and beef stroganoff at Florida Hotel is the best! I so miss Chairoj’s fish with garlic and chilli. Thank you sooo much for telling stories of these almost forgotten restaurants.
As a neighbor down south, you nailed the hammer on the head there with the story of Hainanese immigrants to South East Asia there. Always fascinated to watch your stories about food in Thailand because it's always quite interesting how it evolved so differently compared to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
it's also interesting how hainanese in singapore also ended up doing western food with the pork chops, chicken chops, fish n chips, etc, and the variety of sauces for chicken chop
same here, what amazes me is Hainanese food in Malaysia is always have a bit hint of western to it. I never knew our version of chicken chop is not the norm outside of Malaysia
Our family use to run a restaurant like this but our door have been closed for almost 40 years. My gran dad arrived in Thailand in the 1960s. He used to be chef for East India Company in Singapore. He put 6 kids thru school and universities with his food, including my mom. Sad reality is that once you move up the social ladder running a restaurant isnt appealing anymore. I only get to taste our recipies maybe once a year during Chinese New Year, all of us get together and my aunts and uncles have time to enter the kitchen. Our recipies will likely be lost in this generation and definitely the next.
The sacrifice of the original immigrant parents is one of great meaning, it seems to breed exceptional success in the second and third generations, almost like the experience of witness to the suffering of your parents motivates a desire for a better life. I have quite a few close friends who's parents came to Australia working menial jobs long hours and all their children have gone on to be at the very top of their chosen careers, several of them even being famous figures. All of these parents are incredibly humble and modest people who pass on a work ethic that produces this success, I find it inspiring.
This is the first video I've seen from your Channel and I must say I'm absolutely blown away. I've watched most food documentaries on Netflix and I must say your videos are better in quality than most of them. Thank you for making these excellent videos about Thai food and its history. At the same time, I must say I can't help but be rather embarrassed and ashamed that we've never made videos like these ourselves.
Silom restaurant is another surviving cook shop. It is running by the 3rd generation. They kept the relic decoration of the original restaurant. I can feel the mood and tone after missing out the restaurant over 20 years.
Yeah, I feel badly that we couldn't film there- it's quite far and wouldn't have been possible with the time we had to shoot. But I can't wait to check it out off camera at the very least.
As always, impressive research into the historical context of all these dishes! As a native not living in Bangkok right now, your videos always make me nostalgic, and more importantly, quite hungry.
One of the best video's I've come across in a while.Really interesting dive into how cultures can integrate and fuse and present itself in such a unique way in cuisine. Quite reminds me of canto-western fusion, or Cha Chaan Teng food from Hong Kong where I'm from! Man, how I'd kill for a documentary on that too!
Check out our American Fried Rice video- I think you’ll like it! We explore chachaanteng food and discuss the history. I also used to live in Hong Kong and still consider it one of the greatest places on earth! Can’t wait to get the chance to film at some of my favorite places there.
This makes me really sad, because this is rare treasure. Growing up with Japanese takes on western food - tempura, tonkatsu, and kare raisu, these unique takes became treasured parts of the Japanese culinary canon. I hope that people realize that this is something different and should be saved for future generations
As an Indonesian who’s had had chicken rice across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, I have to say that the best one I’ve had was in… Vietnam 😁 Cơm Gà Hải Nam FTW! 🍚 🍗
Superb episode. Thank goodness this has been recorded and will drive more custom to these important places in the culinary history of Bangkok. Keep up the great work, by far the best insight into the history of food in a world class food city.
Love your insights on Thai restaurant scene. I almost forgot these cook shops ever existed. I guess I need to revisit some of them again. The beef tongues in tomato gravy was one of my favorites when I was a child. Lol
Glad you film this episode and keep these historic stories of how food evolved in Thailand. I used to eat these old styles' Thai/Chinese you called Cook Shop.And time went by, it started to disappeared like original Fu mui kee and Silom pad-tra-karn (which located in Silom).
I love cook shops! You hit all the right places... Chairoj, Agave (Fumuikee), Florida. Another one would be Silom Pattakarn, which now moved to Boromratchonnani road.
Yes- absolutely. I feel a bit badly that we didn't get to include them in this video, it was just really inconvenient for our filming schedule as it's quite far from anywhere else we planned to go. But I'll definitely check it out off the air as soon as I can.
Yes Silom Pattrakarn is the best in my opinion. I think they have ox's tail stew as well. As for Hinanese chicken rice, there is Guan R restaurant at the corner of Rama IV and Sathorn opposite to Lumpini park. By the way, OTR, you are the best RUclipsr on the history of Thai culture and history on food we have here. Great job! Thanks.
Ive been walking past the Florida since my first trip to Thailand 1991, so surprised it hangs in there over the years.I usually stay at the Asia just down the street when in BKK. I'm differently going to go eat there in a couple weeks when back up in BKK. Cool vlog.
Absolutely fascinating! I love it and want to go to BKK right now and try a Cook Shop, even if I'm a little bit squeamish about that style of food. I really love to learn the story of Khao Mong Gai too! It's everywhere in Thailand and it just never seemed "Thai" to me.
Huahin Pochana is a 10 minute walk from where I will be!!!! Will definitey check it out!!! So excited. Update: walked there, happy to see they are doing well and every table was taken. Bummed out that they ran out of chicken rice but that goes to show how good it is! Ended just having fried rice and ice cream and OH MY GOD best fried rice I have ever eaten, steaming hot and they weren’t stingy with the pork at all, so many huge pieces of pork.
I have just came a cross your channel,so I have been married to a Thai for 37 years,just to let you know I have been around a while,your videos are just plain brilliant,I travel for food and so far have been to 154 countries,I was recently in Algeria and got some croissants 0.08 usd each,I will slow go all you videos and try and visit all the videos you gracefully show us,thank you for all your hard work
i recently subscribed to the channel and i was gonna suggest u to do an episode about this dish. In thailand, early 2000s they had a pop song about this dish.
Nai Thong's a local legend. Their pickled lime soup balances out the oilyness of the chicken and rice. I am surprised they haven't got Michelin recognition or even a bib gourmand yet. Consistent quality, great rice and well cooked chicken.
There is a reason I haunt RUclips. It is because if you look hard enough, there is just the occasional video that extends you insight and understanding of the world and its history. This piece is one of them. Thank you. My life is a little richer for stumbling across this video. Dr M
This story has me reminiscing about how even within American families, the memories attached to food and family run deep and as the matriarchs and patriarchs die the food of our childhood generally dies too. Food carries so much history and joy within countries and families. Thank you for the memories!
You should look up "Kyung Yang Sik" (경양식 in Korean characters). It translates to "Light Western Cuisine" and it is Japanese adaptation of Western cuisine from the Meiji era of Japan. Koreans have their own take due to our former Colonial history. It is one of the most beloved food categories in Korea - It is very much a part of Korean soul food
Very Interesting! An eye-opening slice of BKK and Thai deep history. We will check some of these out next time we're back in town. Keep up the great work at OTR! Cheers!
This is the first of your VDO that I didn’t want to watch because of the title and the thump nail. Unfortunately I was wrong! This is one of the most interesting episode because of it information and history about the cook shop. I’m still looking forward to see the episode about Kao Mun Kai (chicken rice) of where are to find the best. Chicken are separated into 3-4 styles and it’s going to be an interesting subject from a foreigner point of view.
Ahh the great foolery of the chicken rice insults of 2009. Those were some shameful days for us M'sians. Anyway as always, love your thorough research into the topic.
Bro! Can't describe how much I love your videos, I rode past some of these cook shops every day and have no idea what they serve😂, I hope I can stop and say hello to you again! thank you for sharing.
Hah- sounds good. If we're at one of those places while you pass by, pop in and say hey. Odds are I'll have over-ordered (again- it's not "light" stuff) so feel free to join.
Beautiful work as usual, but I can't help but feel you're beginning to run out of topics in Bangkok. Time to hit the road to Northern Thailand, Isaan and the Southern provinces, perhaps?
On the contrary, have barely scratched the surface of what we've planned to cover here. However when time and budget allows, we're looking forward to getting out. My priority is filming overseas, but there are other places in Thailand we've earmarked as well.
Very insightful video! I can’t help but notice that the food at the Tampa cafe looks quite similar to the western menu items found in Took Lae Dee, the restaurants found in the supermarket chain Foodland. I can imagine those menu items are inspired from the original cook shops
This episode hit me hard... again. Wat Suthi School is my alumni. Back in the day, I ate at Suiheng like once a week. Now, Tampa Coffee Shop. That is probably my no.1 comfort food in Bangkok. Anyway, I think the situation of cookshop is better than...say 10 years ago. More Thai people know about them than ever thank to the internet. There are even new cookshop and cookshop inspired restaurant open. Finally, salute to the Hainanese diaspora in Thailand. The story of cookshop is not just the story of a food genre but the story of Hainanese in Thailand.
That's an interesting point- I hope you're right. And yes, we didn't mention it in the video as I wanted to keep the focus on the surviving places, but there are a couple of newer restaurants (Ang Morr is one in our general area) that are reviving old cook shop dishes into a modern context. Fun to see.
@@OTRontheroad I hope that some of the originals might have their own successor. Look like Silom Bhattakan might have one. But if it's not happen, at least now people know about them and will continue the tradition. Cuz, at least for me, cookshop is not just a subculture. It's the epitome of Hainanese-Thai's resilience and adaptability even though they are not as famous and prosperous as Teochew and Hokkien in Thailand.
This style of "cook shop" that you mention in Bangkok. Like Chairoj Cook Shop. Is actually much alive in Singapore even in 2024. But in Singapore this genre is named 煮炒 literally Cook + Fry. The cook can serve you a big variety of dishes as per your customized order.
I'm just lost in this video is like : Hmmmm Hinanese chicken look good and then BOOM!! beef tongue and pork chop It happen so fast from no where But all look delicious though
You are absolutely right about the Hainan chicken rice the original was from China I only teen years old fist times Tested. And I love with it.the sauce that comes with does it.
Hah thanks! And you got it. Actually, when Daria and I first met, she was sales director for Boxing Cat. I knew the brand well from my time on 永福路 in Shanghai and ordered a few kegs.
There’s a few more places that serve stuff like this that you should give a try; one is O.V. Kitchen not too far from Chairoj, it’s the alumni association of Vajiravudh College and they serve a fantastic tongue stew and pork chop along with other classics like steak salad (similar to what you had at Fumuikee), another one that’s very convenient and a legend is Pong Lee, by Victory Monument; they also serve more traditional Thai and Chinese fare but their Pork Chop is distinct since they mix tomato paste with their sauce, giving it a very unique blend between a Chinese style brown gravy and…something else. A new-ish restaurant tried to revitalize cook shop food, it’s called Ang Morr but it’s hideously overpriced so I’m not a fan. There’s definitely something comforting about these places, might be because my grandparents used to go to them all the time and passed down the love of it, as one of the few Thais who could go overseas to study in those days it was the closest thing they had to the food they ate in the UK and France
Would you ever consider going back anytime soon to any of these Cook Shops? Your blog makes it interesting, but none of the food seems appealing to me though.
That's a very good question. Yes- I would, but I'm also an American who grew up long enough ago that this triggers some awesome nostalgia. I'd go back to show friends from the US who are over here or come to visit, and every once in a while I'd swing through for that hit of childhood. I love this stuff and find it fascinating how slightly-off it is, too. But in a vacuum- if it didn't trigger that kind of emotion- do I think this style of food is up there with the best stuff in Thailand? Probably not.
Talking about Bangkok's Hainan restaurants. Have you tried Hainan Noodle? That menu is almost as rare as Cook Shop nowadays. My favorite place is Go-Ang Pochana Suansone (โกอ่างโภชนา สวนสน) currently located at Bang Pho. My family have been their customer for almost 50 years now, although they changed location a couple times throughout the years. There are two version of Hainan noodle - with soup (น้ำ) and dry (without soup)(แห้ง). The soup is similar to normal clear soup noodle. But if you order dry noodle, it will come with thick stew sauce, very distinctive. Their Hainan chicken rice also second to none.
I recognise that beef tongue dish. A very old Chinese place on Suk soi 8 used to sell it and the other dishes you had at that old Hainanese place. It closed 20 years ago.
I recommended you to come to Khrua Chuan Chom Restaurant (ครัวชวนชม) is some like cook shop and Thai restaurant. The food make by prisoner, it delicious and feeling the nostalgic too.
Love you content! Bless you bub! Btw, I'm Malaysian, and even I don't know why we war on with Singapore about stuff. I think Malaysians are just bitter that Singapore's smarter than us in marketing themselves, cuisine included. But FACTS, Malaysia has beer food! Ask any Singaporean for confirmation on that!
![Yeat & Summrs - GO2WORK [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NEFEwfPcXRA/mqdefault.jpg)
Here are the locations for these restaurants. Please support the places shown in this video- it could be massively impactful for keeping this unique culture alive.
Nai Thong Chicken Rice: goo.gl/maps/GQrHxpVCBA2FU2Rm6
Sui Heng Chicken Rice: goo.gl/maps/2GAWYU9SpsfCUmGX9
Huahin Phochana: goo.gl/maps/Y2KHKbC1vq7VTUBg9
Chairoj Cook Shop: goo.gl/maps/Wx9KXKk4LfzVPQTq5
Tampa Cafe at the Florida Hotel: goo.gl/maps/BTdMU425QFZjzEPp6
Agave Foo Mui Kee: goo.gl/maps/w5gFi76U4rk9z8x89
And one other note- if you watched our video last week on our Top 10 things we've ever eaten on OTR, that video ended with a cliffhanger- Jaspar referencing that the actual best thing he ever ate on an OTR shoot never even made it into the show. That was actually what triggered this entire mission- this whole video came together as a result of that offhand comment from Jaspar a week ago. He was referring to Sui Heng Chicken Rice- the second one we show in this video (and the one where I'm dressed differently and it was obviously filmed at a different time). In case you were waiting for an answer!
Bangkokian native here. Thank you for all the research and dedication you put into your videos, and as a ข้างมันไก่ fan I will definitely be checking these places out.
@@OTRontheroadas a hainanese Thai myself I’m really glad our cuisine get covered! I also just learned here that some of the dish like beef tongue stew is actually hainanese American , I thought it’s just American
I would actually love a video dedicated to the different Thai Chinese communities ,where they live , when and what is their influence on Thai cuisine. Would actually be pretty cool
It would also be interesting if you cover some Indian influenced street food and stuff which is surprisingly common like roti with condensed milk or fried banana which many of these aren’t even found in India. These vendors are also everywhere at least where I live. I really wanna know where they are from
We be very useful if you created a seperate google map and link it off your website with every place from all your videos
muah
Another great video from your channel. As a Hainanese-Thai, I could not disagree with the facts you mentioned in this episode. I spent the first three years of my sixties above my grandfather’s cook shop restaurant on Sukhumvit road. The shop was opened in the 1930’s. The business was great especially during the Allied bombing of Bangkok in the WW2. Sukhumvit was still the suburb of BKK. For their safety, wealthy people from downtown came to eat and spend the whole day before returned back in the evening. Night bombing wasn’t that popular back then. The shop was closed in 1965 as my father didn’t want to continue running the restaurant. But we still cook the good old cook shop recipes at home and go visit those restaurants in your video. Thanks again for your great works.
Wow- what an incredible story. Thanks for sharing it here!
Thank you for sharing your family history kha.
Lovely bit of add on history you have contributed to the video, I also like the fact that the food still survives in your homes to this day, thank you.
Florida Hotel and its restaurant has a special place in my heart. My dad passed away from cancer last year and up until his very last few weeks he was very independent and did not want to bother others. He had to come to Rama Hospital very frequently for treatment and check-up, and he would drive (sometimes with mom, sometimes by himself) from home to stay at the Florida Hotel and walk one mile to the hospital the next morning. So our family would meet up to eat with him at this restaurant. Chairoj, which is nearby, is also his favorite since he used to work near this area 40 years ago.
So when I think of him I can visit these places and eat what we used to eat when he was around.
Thanks for sharing your story. Amazing how personal these old places are for so many people. It's so much bigger than food.
I'm sorry for the loss of your father, but it's wonderful you can remember him with joy as you eat the food you shared with him while he was here with you.
Thank you for this. As a Chinese-Thai person who has been told "this tastes like an Asian person tried to make American food," I resonated with this episode deeply. Although we are Shanghainese, my grandparents left around the Battle of Shanghai at the start of WW2 and my mum was born in Bangkok.
What is interesting to me is how pervasive food culture is. I didn't understand American food for years even though I was raised in America. My aunt ran a Thai restaurant and I mostly ate in the family palate. In school I brought lunch, sticky rice and mung beans in a banana leaf. Of course I ate some american food, but only the simple, little kid stuff you get at school events and birthday parties, like french fries or plain cheese pizza. I didn't understand proper american cuisine, things like steaks and pork chops and spaghetti that you eat at full service sit down restaurants until I was in my 20s. I wanted to cook for my various white boyfriends, but I would make mistakes like you described about not boiling the cabbage to death. I would leave it crispy for texture and fun, like I was trying to make larb in a bland European way. I laughed at the garlic smothered fish, because I once made the exact same mistake, trying to make things "plain" and "not spicy at all" for British friends.
I have worked in restaurants my entire life, including high end, and I am a CMS somm, but even then, I worked in mostly "exotic" ones, like I spent much of my 20s working in a Jean-George Vongritchen place. Only now, at 40, I can finally make... sort of convincing western food. Maybe. Or my British partner is just very, very polite about the 50% extra seasoning I put on his beans and toast in the morning. :)
Waow, this channel is criminally underrated! Food, history and culture is the best and entertaining combination!👍
Thanks so much!
Watched from start to finish, absolutely fascinating. Gastronomic anthropology at its finest.
Thank you!
Gastronomy anthropology at its finest!! 👍
This was a seriously amazing show. I chanced upon it by accident, and began watching without expecting much more than a typical food-vlog episode. What unfolded had me gobsmacked. I'm really impressed, kudos!
thanks a lot!
Beef tongues and pork chops are THE signature dishes of every cook shop 😊
The ribs and bread and beef stroganoff at Florida Hotel is the best!
I so miss Chairoj’s fish with garlic and chilli.
Thank you sooo much for telling stories of these almost forgotten restaurants.
Yes, their stroganoff is the best.
As a neighbor down south, you nailed the hammer on the head there with the story of Hainanese immigrants to South East Asia there. Always fascinated to watch your stories about food in Thailand because it's always quite interesting how it evolved so differently compared to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
it's also interesting how hainanese in singapore also ended up doing western food with the pork chops, chicken chops, fish n chips, etc, and the variety of sauces for chicken chop
same here, what amazes me is Hainanese food in Malaysia is always have a bit hint of western to it. I never knew our version of chicken chop is not the norm outside of Malaysia
Our family use to run a restaurant like this but our door have been closed for almost 40 years.
My gran dad arrived in Thailand in the 1960s. He used to be chef for East India Company in Singapore. He put 6 kids thru school and universities with his food, including my mom.
Sad reality is that once you move up the social ladder running a restaurant isnt appealing anymore. I only get to taste our recipies maybe once a year during Chinese New Year, all of us get together and my aunts and uncles have time to enter the kitchen. Our recipies will likely be lost in this generation and definitely the next.
I am a Hainanese Singaporean and my family still makes those dishes on special occasions like Chinese New Year. Very blessed.
The sacrifice of the original immigrant parents is one of great meaning, it seems to breed exceptional success in the second and third generations, almost like the experience of witness to the suffering of your parents motivates a desire for a better life.
I have quite a few close friends who's parents came to Australia working menial jobs long hours and all their children have gone on to be at the very top of their chosen careers, several of them even being famous figures.
All of these parents are incredibly humble and modest people who pass on a work ethic that produces this success, I find it inspiring.
Make a family recipe book. Ask each family member for a recipe and put it in the book.
This is the first video I've seen from your Channel and I must say I'm absolutely blown away. I've watched most food documentaries on Netflix and I must say your videos are better in quality than most of them.
Thank you for making these excellent videos about Thai food and its history. At the same time, I must say I can't help but be rather embarrassed and ashamed that we've never made videos like these ourselves.
Very kind message and thanks so much! Hope you enjoy exploring our videos a bit. Really appreciate the nice words.
Silom restaurant is another surviving cook shop. It is running by the 3rd generation. They kept the relic decoration of the original restaurant. I can feel the mood and tone after missing out the restaurant over 20 years.
Yeah, I feel badly that we couldn't film there- it's quite far and wouldn't have been possible with the time we had to shoot. But I can't wait to check it out off camera at the very least.
Where is Silom restaurant these days? I thought they all closed.
@@Kwippy They've moved to Soi Borommaratchachonnani 59 (ซ. บรมราชชนนี ๕๙)
As always, impressive research into the historical context of all these dishes! As a native not living in Bangkok right now, your videos always make me nostalgic, and more importantly, quite hungry.
The best one of this style might be Si Lom Restuarant at Talingchan district. They even make their own butter which is soooo good!
One of the best video's I've come across in a while.Really interesting dive into how cultures can integrate and fuse and present itself in such a unique way in cuisine. Quite reminds me of canto-western fusion, or Cha Chaan Teng food from Hong Kong where I'm from! Man, how I'd kill for a documentary on that too!
Check out our American Fried Rice video- I think you’ll like it! We explore chachaanteng food and discuss the history. I also used to live in Hong Kong and still consider it one of the greatest places on earth! Can’t wait to get the chance to film at some of my favorite places there.
This makes me really sad, because this is rare treasure. Growing up with Japanese takes on western food - tempura, tonkatsu, and kare raisu, these unique takes became treasured parts of the Japanese culinary canon. I hope that people realize that this is something different and should be saved for future generations
Your channel is invaluable for Thai Chinese food history. Thanks for doing this.
As an Indonesian who’s had had chicken rice across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, I have to say that the best one I’ve had was in… Vietnam 😁 Cơm Gà Hải Nam FTW! 🍚 🍗
That's bullahit
Yes, it's pretty good. Especially the burnt rice at the bottom. But maybe that's another Vietnamese Chicken Rice dish. 😁
The waiters are hair style and dress reminded me of the first time I'd been to the cook shop restaurant.
Nostalgia's kicking so hard right now.
I'm Malaysian Hainanese! Thanks for bringing this great reviews of Thai-Hainanese food! ❤
Superb episode. Thank goodness this has been recorded and will drive more custom to these important places in the culinary history of Bangkok. Keep up the great work, by far the best insight into the history of food in a world class food city.
Your research, storytelling, narrative, editing is always world class. Your videos are so interesting that you really deserve a much higher following.
Nornally, i never put comment here before but your guys did great job !
Keep continue what you have done. Cheer !
this video deserves millions of views from foodies around the world.
I grew up with The Fu Mui Kee Restaurant original place at suriwong road. This video bring back my childhood days 😢.
Finally Thai Chicken rise here with the great content!! Thank you so much 🙏
Love your insights on Thai restaurant scene. I almost forgot these cook shops ever existed. I guess I need to revisit some of them again. The beef tongues in tomato gravy was one of my favorites when I was a child. Lol
What a beautiful video that captures this part of food history.
Omg. I'm so glad you pick this up. We have been scouring cook shops for a while now.
I'm 42 yrs old Thai citizen and I have no idea the rich history and culture we got at all, thank you for your awesome job! Bravo team!
This is so well made it’s like something I enjoy watching on PBS.
Great episode with 2 of my favorite foods, at my favorite shops, Sui Heng and Fu Mui Kee.
the old Fu Mui Kee at Wat Khaek was much better, though
Dude - you and your gal are AWESOME. 16 years in Asia and a truth seeker of cuisine for 25. Well Done both of you!
Bro, I love your documentaries. They are well done and deserve lots of credits.
Nostalgia on steroids!
Great work again from the OTR team.
Such an amazing episode, very few channels tend to follow the rabbit hole so this was great.
Such an awesome story! Amazing how you uncovered this little known piece of history.
Glad you film this episode and keep these historic stories of how food evolved in Thailand. I used to eat these old styles' Thai/Chinese you called Cook Shop.And time went by, it started to disappeared like original Fu mui kee and Silom pad-tra-karn (which located in Silom).
When I was young, lots of chinese pastries in Bangkok, no doubt, Hainan Shop! 👍
Great job 👍
Another wonderful, intriguing, fascinating, poignant (for me) episode ..... thank you!
Your curiosity is out of this world.....kudos
I grew up in Bangkok. My grandparents took me to this kind of place since I was young. Your video makes me miss Thailand even more.
Great story!!! Big thanks.
Amazing video. Even though I am Thai and have been eating all these food i didn't know the history and the significance of these foods. Great Job!!!
I love cook shops! You hit all the right places... Chairoj, Agave (Fumuikee), Florida. Another one would be Silom Pattakarn, which now moved to Boromratchonnani road.
Yes- absolutely. I feel a bit badly that we didn't get to include them in this video, it was just really inconvenient for our filming schedule as it's quite far from anywhere else we planned to go. But I'll definitely check it out off the air as soon as I can.
Yes Silom Pattrakarn is the best in my opinion. I think they have ox's tail stew as well.
As for Hinanese chicken rice, there is Guan R restaurant at the corner of Rama IV and Sathorn opposite to Lumpini park.
By the way, OTR, you are the best RUclipsr on the history of Thai culture and history on food we have here. Great job! Thanks.
2nd video. An official fan. Thank you for your work.
Ive been walking past the Florida since my first trip to Thailand 1991, so surprised it hangs in there over the years.I usually stay at the Asia just down the street when in BKK. I'm differently going to go eat there in a couple weeks when back up in BKK. Cool vlog.
Thank you OTR Crew!
Absolutely fascinating! I love it and want to go to BKK right now and try a Cook Shop, even if I'm a little bit squeamish about that style of food. I really love to learn the story of Khao Mong Gai too! It's everywhere in Thailand and it just never seemed "Thai" to me.
Thank You for your invaluable contribution to the Thai Food History👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Very interesting channel. Love the Thai, Chinese and South East Asian food content.
Much appreciated.
Thank you for preserving the history that most Thai people never even seen ❤
I just love that Adam ate three pork chops in a day.
Huahin Pochana is a 10 minute walk from where I will be!!!! Will definitey check it out!!! So excited.
Update: walked there, happy to see they are doing well and every table was taken. Bummed out that they ran out of chicken rice but that goes to show how good it is! Ended just having fried rice and ice cream and OH MY GOD best fried rice I have ever eaten, steaming hot and they weren’t stingy with the pork at all, so many huge pieces of pork.
I visit the MOT office very frequent. And for some reason, I've never get to tried the chicken. I believe it's usually sold out before noon.
I have just came a cross your channel,so I have been married to a Thai for 37 years,just to let you know I have been around a while,your videos are just plain brilliant,I travel for food and so far have been to 154 countries,I was recently in Algeria and got some croissants 0.08 usd each,I will slow go all you videos and try and visit all the videos you gracefully show us,thank you for all your hard work
i recently subscribed to the channel and i was gonna suggest u to do an episode about this dish. In thailand, early 2000s they had a pop song about this dish.
Nai Thong's a local legend.
Their pickled lime soup balances out the oilyness of the chicken and rice. I am surprised they haven't got Michelin recognition or even a bib gourmand yet.
Consistent quality, great rice and well cooked chicken.
There is a reason I haunt RUclips. It is because if you look hard enough, there is just the occasional video that extends you insight and understanding of the world and its history. This piece is one of them.
Thank you. My life is a little richer for stumbling across this video.
Dr M
Thanks for the kind comment. Glad you enjoyed the video and hope you find other videos of ours that hit you the same way.
This story has me reminiscing about how even within American families, the memories attached to food and family run deep and as the matriarchs and patriarchs die the food of our childhood generally dies too. Food carries so much history and joy within countries and families. Thank you for the memories!
So much food history and so clearly details
You should look up "Kyung Yang Sik" (경양식 in Korean characters). It translates to "Light Western Cuisine" and it is Japanese adaptation of Western cuisine from the Meiji era of Japan. Koreans have their own take due to our former Colonial history. It is one of the most beloved food categories in Korea - It is very much a part of Korean soul food
Very Interesting! An eye-opening slice of BKK and Thai deep history. We will check some of these out next time we're back in town. Keep up the great work at OTR! Cheers!
Very interesting, love this dish did not know the history
This is the first of your VDO that I didn’t want to watch because of the title and the thump nail. Unfortunately I was wrong! This is one of the most interesting episode because of it information and history about the cook shop.
I’m still looking forward to see the episode about Kao Mun Kai (chicken rice) of where are to find the best. Chicken are separated into 3-4 styles and it’s going to be an interesting subject from a foreigner point of view.
This channel is criminally undersubscribed.
Ahh the great foolery of the chicken rice insults of 2009.
Those were some shameful days for us M'sians.
Anyway as always, love your thorough research into the topic.
I find it hillarious whenever us ASEAN has a pillow fight lol.
I love your channel, and I would love it even more if you make an episode about Red Braised Pork.
I learn so much!! So cool. Thank you!
Bro! Can't describe how much I love your videos, I rode past some of these cook shops every day and have no idea what they serve😂, I hope I can stop and say hello to you again!
thank you for sharing.
Hah- sounds good. If we're at one of those places while you pass by, pop in and say hey. Odds are I'll have over-ordered (again- it's not "light" stuff) so feel free to join.
Thank you for the comprehensive video description section. Is there a reason you chose not to list the restaurants and addresses?
Check the comment pinned at the top.
Brilliant video. You have a new sub!
¨Thank you OTR for your work you put in this video, fascinating content and delicious food✌
Beautiful work as usual, but I can't help but feel you're beginning to run out of topics in Bangkok. Time to hit the road to Northern Thailand, Isaan and the Southern provinces, perhaps?
On the contrary, have barely scratched the surface of what we've planned to cover here. However when time and budget allows, we're looking forward to getting out. My priority is filming overseas, but there are other places in Thailand we've earmarked as well.
You did a great job.
Very insightful video! I can’t help but notice that the food at the Tampa cafe looks quite similar to the western menu items found in Took Lae Dee, the restaurants found in the supermarket chain Foodland. I can imagine those menu items are inspired from the original cook shops
This episode hit me hard... again. Wat Suthi School is my alumni. Back in the day, I ate at Suiheng like once a week.
Now, Tampa Coffee Shop. That is probably my no.1 comfort food in Bangkok.
Anyway, I think the situation of cookshop is better than...say 10 years ago. More Thai people know about them than ever thank to the internet. There are even new cookshop and cookshop inspired restaurant open.
Finally, salute to the Hainanese diaspora in Thailand. The story of cookshop is not just the story of a food genre but the story of Hainanese in Thailand.
That's an interesting point- I hope you're right. And yes, we didn't mention it in the video as I wanted to keep the focus on the surviving places, but there are a couple of newer restaurants (Ang Morr is one in our general area) that are reviving old cook shop dishes into a modern context. Fun to see.
@@OTRontheroad I hope that some of the originals might have their own successor. Look like Silom Bhattakan might have one. But if it's not happen, at least now people know about them and will continue the tradition. Cuz, at least for me, cookshop is not just a subculture. It's the epitome of Hainanese-Thai's resilience and adaptability even though they are not as famous and prosperous as Teochew and Hokkien in Thailand.
Superb job.
Where is the new Foo Mui Kee location is?
goo.gl/maps/KAMxEipGvLXaLEDP7
As an Iowan I can confirm three pork chops and a bratwurst is a typical Tuesday, great story and editing.
This is such a fun and yummy adventure to witness!
Nice videos!
love this episode I love senior generation.
Legit brings back great memories. Kid teung mak tee rak😢
This style of "cook shop" that you mention in Bangkok. Like Chairoj Cook Shop. Is actually much alive in Singapore even in 2024. But in Singapore this genre is named 煮炒 literally Cook + Fry. The cook can serve you a big variety of dishes as per your customized order.
I really like the music in this episode!
Great research
I'm just lost in this video is like : Hmmmm Hinanese chicken look good and then BOOM!! beef tongue and pork chop
It happen so fast from no where
But all look delicious though
You are absolutely right about the Hainan chicken rice the original was from China I only teen years old fist times
Tested. And I love with it.the sauce that comes with does it.
Awesome video! And in a Shanghai Boxing Cat Tee shirt ?
Hah thanks! And you got it. Actually, when Daria and I first met, she was sales director for Boxing Cat. I knew the brand well from my time on 永福路 in Shanghai and ordered a few kegs.
@@OTRontheroad nice. If ever back in shanghai let’s hook up.
Best food history documentaries
There’s a few more places that serve stuff like this that you should give a try; one is O.V. Kitchen not too far from Chairoj, it’s the alumni association of Vajiravudh College and they serve a fantastic tongue stew and pork chop along with other classics like steak salad (similar to what you had at Fumuikee), another one that’s very convenient and a legend is Pong Lee, by Victory Monument; they also serve more traditional Thai and Chinese fare but their Pork Chop is distinct since they mix tomato paste with their sauce, giving it a very unique blend between a Chinese style brown gravy and…something else. A new-ish restaurant tried to revitalize cook shop food, it’s called Ang Morr but it’s hideously overpriced so I’m not a fan. There’s definitely something comforting about these places, might be because my grandparents used to go to them all the time and passed down the love of it, as one of the few Thais who could go overseas to study in those days it was the closest thing they had to the food they ate in the UK and France
You have to appreciate the delicious sauce that comes with the chicken! Hainanese with some Thai finesse.
I stayed in The Atlanta Hotel and Florida Hotel on my first visits to Bangkok many years ago.
Would you ever consider going back anytime soon to any of these Cook Shops? Your blog makes it interesting, but none of the food seems appealing to me though.
That's a very good question. Yes- I would, but I'm also an American who grew up long enough ago that this triggers some awesome nostalgia. I'd go back to show friends from the US who are over here or come to visit, and every once in a while I'd swing through for that hit of childhood. I love this stuff and find it fascinating how slightly-off it is, too. But in a vacuum- if it didn't trigger that kind of emotion- do I think this style of food is up there with the best stuff in Thailand? Probably not.
@@OTRontheroad Anything that can bring back childhood memories is priceless. Thanks for sharing
Love the authentic tofu skin on top of the soup
Talking about Bangkok's Hainan restaurants. Have you tried Hainan Noodle? That menu is almost as rare as Cook Shop nowadays. My favorite place is Go-Ang Pochana Suansone (โกอ่างโภชนา สวนสน) currently located at Bang Pho. My family have been their customer for almost 50 years now, although they changed location a couple times throughout the years. There are two version of Hainan noodle - with soup (น้ำ) and dry (without soup)(แห้ง). The soup is similar to normal clear soup noodle. But if you order dry noodle, it will come with thick stew sauce, very distinctive. Their Hainan chicken rice also second to none.
I recognise that beef tongue dish. A very old Chinese place on Suk soi 8 used to sell it and the other dishes you had at that old Hainanese place. It closed 20 years ago.
and here we are again, Thai people learn about thai food history from farang - but this time it is the whole category we never knew existed.
I recommended you to come to Khrua Chuan Chom Restaurant (ครัวชวนชม) is some like cook shop and Thai restaurant. The food make by prisoner, it delicious and feeling the nostalgic too.
Some of the menu items listed on the wall of Tampa Coffee Shop caught my eye... I wonder what "Orlando soup" and "Orlando hors d'oeuvre" are.
Love you content! Bless you bub! Btw, I'm Malaysian, and even I don't know why we war on with Singapore about stuff. I think Malaysians are just bitter that Singapore's smarter than us in marketing themselves, cuisine included. But FACTS, Malaysia has beer food! Ask any Singaporean for confirmation on that!