Monday, May 01, 2006
Go Krung-krung With Thai Food
Last night my brother, sister and I decided to try out this Thai restaurant found at a corner of Marikina public market. Krung Thai is a small place, with about 10 tables capable of seating 4 per table. The prices are fairly reasonable, given their huge servings. And because it is situated beside the public market, one can assume their ingredients are as fresh as they come.
We asked the waitress for their specialties. She recommended several dishes, but we decided to just get the pad thai (flat noodles), Thai fried chicken, fried spring rolls and binagoongan rice. She recommended we get the rice that’s “good for three.” When it arrived, it looked like it could feed five! And they served the green mangoes separate from the rice, so one could mix to taste. The runaway winner was the fried chicken—crispy and tasty on the outside, juicy and succulent on the inside. It comes with a sweet-and-sour sauce, but with chicken that tasty it seems a crime to add sauce to it. The pad thai was excellent too—again, the condiments are placed separately so one can add to taste. By the time the fried spring rolls came, I was already bursting and couldn’t fully appreciate the rolls.
The décor is very Thai, with drapes and paintings that clearly show Thailand art and sceneries. On one side of the restaurant there were several Thai-looking outfits for sale, as well as some other items that looked like they were smuggled in from Thailand. I give them plus ten points for consistency of ambiance.
It surprised me that such a place could be found in a city more known for its shoes, but apparently this Thai restaurant has been here for quite some time. In fact I first heard about this from Jong, who asked me if I had already tried out this “small Thai restaurant in Marikina.” Whom he heard it from, I have no idea. But it’s a quaint little restaurant that may be Marikina’s little secret—therein lies its charm.
So if you want to know where Krung Thai is, ask me nicely and invite me along.
We asked the waitress for their specialties. She recommended several dishes, but we decided to just get the pad thai (flat noodles), Thai fried chicken, fried spring rolls and binagoongan rice. She recommended we get the rice that’s “good for three.” When it arrived, it looked like it could feed five! And they served the green mangoes separate from the rice, so one could mix to taste. The runaway winner was the fried chicken—crispy and tasty on the outside, juicy and succulent on the inside. It comes with a sweet-and-sour sauce, but with chicken that tasty it seems a crime to add sauce to it. The pad thai was excellent too—again, the condiments are placed separately so one can add to taste. By the time the fried spring rolls came, I was already bursting and couldn’t fully appreciate the rolls.
The décor is very Thai, with drapes and paintings that clearly show Thailand art and sceneries. On one side of the restaurant there were several Thai-looking outfits for sale, as well as some other items that looked like they were smuggled in from Thailand. I give them plus ten points for consistency of ambiance.
It surprised me that such a place could be found in a city more known for its shoes, but apparently this Thai restaurant has been here for quite some time. In fact I first heard about this from Jong, who asked me if I had already tried out this “small Thai restaurant in Marikina.” Whom he heard it from, I have no idea. But it’s a quaint little restaurant that may be Marikina’s little secret—therein lies its charm.
So if you want to know where Krung Thai is, ask me nicely and invite me along.
# posted by joelmcvie : 9:29 PM
