While the majority of restaurants reviewed by the Dining Out
Team are those catering to expat style cuisines and eating, we should not lose
track of the fact that we are all living in Thailand and to explore Thai cuisine
should be part of our ambitions. With that in mind we went to the Nakhon Pathom
Kitchen on 3rd Road, which is on the left hand side coming from Pattaya Tai just
before the Thappraya Road overpass.
This
establishment has only been open for five weeks and is a family business that
originated in Nakhon Pathom, hence the name they have given the restaurant. This
is one of those places that seats over 1,200 people and has a line of small
kitchens preparing all the different food on offer. At the far end is a music
booth with an enthusiastic chap playing and singing “Look Toong” Esarn
‘melodies’. I just hope he hasn’t tossed in his day job, but it all adds
to the authenticity of this place as ‘really’ Thai.
The service staff are neatly turned out in blue shirts and
bright red aprons, and you are pounced upon by these happy folk as soon as you
set foot in the building and escorted to a table - one of the 35. It is large.
There is no menu as such, but there are signs hanging over
the various kitchens advising the public of the items and their price; however,
these are all in Thai - so take a Thai friend.
Items
on offer include Pad Thai Goong at B. 25, Tod Mun Pla (fish cakes) B. 50, Khao
Moo Daeng (red pork on rice) B. 25, a Khao Mun Gai (chicken on rice) also B. 25,
plus Suki Yaki (seafood, pork or chicken) at B. 40. There were also some a la
carte seafood items with red snapper, scallops and BBQ plachon fish. The list
went on, but you can see the price range we are talking about. Cheap!
While we were waiting we ordered soft drinks for the
Mesdames, while I asked for a beer. In true Thai style it was a choice of a
large bottle of Singha, Chang or Leo. I chose the Chang.
We began with a fried oyster with bean sprouts that came on
its own sizzling platter and the oysters were fat and juicy and it was an
excellent flavoursome dish. A good start for our local night out.
The oysters were followed by a Pad Thai Goong (stir-fried
noodles with prawns) that came with its own special sauce and ground peanut and
sliced banana flower. Our next choice was the Tod Mun Pla (fish cakes) and these
came with deep-fried basil leaves and a spicy/sweet dip. The fish cakes were
freshly cooked and not at all rubbery, as these can so easily be.
In the name of investigative journalism, we continued with a
kwiteo talay which was spicy and full of different types of seafood and then I
ordered a khao kha moo - the pork leg on rice. This had large chunks of pork and
could be considered to be a kind of Thai style German pork knuckle, without the
bone, and I enjoyed it immensely.
The Nakhon Pathom Kitchen was a great ‘ethnic’
experience, and a reminder of just how cheap it can be to live in Thailand, if
you eat where the Thai people dine. Nakhon Pathom Kitchen is one of those
places. Three of us ate and drank till we were totally satiated for B. 275 all
up - a price that would be lucky to get you one entree in many of the
restaurants we review. We enjoyed our time there - and they enjoyed having us.
Expat faces are a rarity, but do not let that stop you, we were made to feel
very welcome. The food is good, the price is very cheap and it is clean with
good hygiene standards. Take a bunch of people and experience a real Thai night
out. Well worth it.
Nakhon Pathom Kitchen, 3rd Road just before the Thappraya Road overpass,
parking beside the restaurant. Opens 9 a.m. till midnight every day
