We should never forget we are living in Thailand, and Thai
food is one of the world’s favorite cuisines. Unfortunately, as foreigners, we
tend to eat our own particular style of food that we are used to, and the Thai
food we occasionally eat will be ‘side of the road’ cuisine, which very quickly
becomes boring. This week we have the answer. Krua Maprang or Maprang’s Kitchen.
This restaurant is one we have probably all driven past many times, but there
was nothing to make us stop. There is no English sign outside and it looks like
the many small Thai eateries, with a few tables, open at the sides and a roof
overhead. The difference between Maprang’s Kitchen and the other eateries is the
food.
Meow
and Maprang
Firstly, the restaurant is on the left side of North Pattaya Road going towards
the Sukhumvit T-Junction. It is well after the bus station and a large hardware
depot and 50 meters before the Sukhumvit traffic lights and opposite Handmade
Glasswares Factory Outlet. The restaurant has been there for six years, and
there is a young lady called Maprang - but Maprang is only eight years old! Her
mother ‘Meow’, the cook and owner, started the restaurant but did not know what
to call it, so named it after her daughter. Maprang helps these days and is
training to be the cashier.
The welcome we received was friendly and there is a small printed menu in both
Thai and English, while there is a whiteboard with the daily specials (but this
is only in Thai). As is the case with all good restaurants, Meow visits the
markets every morning, and the items offered depend upon the freshness and
availability in the market.
The menu is small, and be prepared to find that some items are not ‘on’ that
day. The items are also not the usual either, such as spicy coconut palm tip
with shrimps (B. 80), steamed prawns with bean vermicelli (B. 70) or how about
Filopaludina Doliaris curry soup (B. 80)?
Thai spicy salads are B.60-80, and Thai spicy soups are B. 80-100. There are
pages of fried items, all between B. 50-100, including chicken with salt, tod
mun crab, sun dried pork and shrimp with garlic and pepper.
We had a selection to try and began with pla tu choo chee, a plate that came
with four pla tu fish which had been cooked and covered with the choo chee
curry. Gently scoop the flesh from the backbone, and it was wonderful. We also
had four tod mun cakes, which were lovely and the cucumber sauce not too spicy.
By the way, the rice was also very light and fluffy and came in a covered
container to keep the heat. Next up was a huge bowl of ‘soup’ with crab stuffed
with pork (lhon poo), plus various vegetables on the side. I was worried that
this could be very spicy, but it was not. Great flavors.
We were simply delighted with the food from Maprang’s Kitchen. It was so
different from the run-of-the-mill Thai restaurants in Pattaya. Meow is a very
accomplished cook, and the pla tu choo chee was superb. The pork stuffed crab
was another delightful dish and even the tod mun cakes were not the usual oily
and bitter items one gets in most Thai restaurants. The prices are also
extremely reasonable.
We can heartily recommend Maprang’s Kitchen. This is not the ‘standard’ Thai
food, and has its origins in Central Thai with some influences from the Eastern
region. It is a very pleasant Thai experience, and after two minutes you no
longer appreciate the fact that you are sitting very close to a major road. Do
try this restaurant. There is plenty of street parking, and parking for about
four cars at the side and rear of the restaurant. With only six tables, that is
enough.
Krua Maprang (Maprang’s Kitchen), North Pattaya Road (50 meters from Sukhumvit
Road T-Junction), telephone 086 140 1851, limited parking, open seven days 9
a.m. until 10 p.m. (though I believe if you come late, the menu will be even
more limited, as all food ingredients have to be fresh).
Chicken Satays
Satays are the ideal BBQ food. Nicely speared on a stick
or skewer, you can eat single-handed while holding a drink in the other! To
make the best satays is simple. Marinade, marinade, marinade! To make these
chicken satays memorable, marinate the meat in a Ziplok bag overnight and
prepare the skewers the next day. It is messier, but the result is better.
By the way, use the commercially available satay sauce you can buy in the
local supermarkets. A lot easier!
Cooking Method:
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the
garlic, onion, coriander, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and vegetable
oil. Now place the chicken meat into the bowl and thoroughly mix each piece
in the marinade. Pour the meat and marinade into a Ziplok bag and leave in
the refrigerator overnight.
Before cooking, thread the meat on to ten 12 inch skewers that have been
soaked in water for 30 minutes and cook over a hot BBQ or on the griller. Do
not overcook chicken. Serve the satays with the peanut sauce.
Ingredients
Makes ten 12 inch skewers
Chicken thigh fillet
500 gm
Garlic, minced
3 cloves
Onion, minced
½ large onion
Coriander (fresh) minced 2 tspns
Brown sugar
1 tbspn
Lime juice from one lime
Fish sauce
1 tbspn
Vegetable oil
1 tbspn
