3 Days 2 Nights in Mukdahan, Thailand (Part 1)

Some of you've probably been to Thailand extensively or if the major cities, like Bangkok, Pattaya or even Hua Hin don't excite you nomore.  There are plenty other cities that you can visit in Thailand.  This post will take you to a pretty rare place for foreigners but is totally worth it for adventure takers.  If you have a few spare days in Thailand, you can do a short 3 days 2 nights trip to Northeastern Thailand, Mukdahan and surrounds, this might work well for you. You can also combine it with visiting Laos, the border city called Savannakhet and a nearby city, Xeno in a day trip as well. 

In Mukdahan itself, there are activities to do, such as visiting temples, shopping at Mukdahan Indochina walking street and enjoying some delicious snacks from Talad Ratri. 

This area in particular is very famous with its ko khun pon yang kham beef, or it's like the Kobe beef of Thailand.  We made a lunch stop at this restaurant called Farm Rak that is serving good quality of beef for BBQ and hot pot.  I totally recommend this place, especially for beef lovers.  You will forget those wagyu beef for a moment.  The meat is as tender and fatty but way cheaper in price.  We grilled them in butter, made them even tastier.  You can also cook the meat in some Thai spices broth and do like a Thai style hot pot or jaew hon.  The meat comes in very thin slices so they cook in an instant. 

Beef grilled on a hot iron pan over charcoal with some butter 

Jaew hon esan hot pot

dipping sauces

Ratri night market

This night market in Mukdahan is called Talad Ratri.  It opens every night from 4pm -9pm.  It is located just opposite Mukdahan City Hall on Song Nang Sathit road.  In Mukdahan, their cuisine gets a lot of influences from Vietnam.  This is because so many Vietnamese migrated and settled here long long time ago.  

One of the famous snacks in this market is from Pak Mor Chaideaw stall.  They are selling khanom pak mor which is kinda like a dumpling made from flour mixture and sometime comes with eggs and filled with different meat fillings, such as chicken, Vietnamese sausage or pork minced and it accompanies with some greens like lettuce, cilantro and onions.  They are all made fresh to order right in front of you.  It was really really delicious and pretty cheap as well.  They also have khao kriap, the crispy version one which is quite similar to banh xeo.

Another iconic dining spot in Mukdahan is here along the river on Samran Chai Kong Nae road near Thai-Lao Friendship bridge no.2.  I think, it could be around one kilometer long of stalls and tables there.  They all have equally nice-looking view by the river.  This place is loved by locals as well as tourists.  Mainly, they sell fried snacks and Thai style BBQ/hotpot with great range of fresh seafood, meat and vegetables to choose from.

Normally, the fresh vegetables displayed on the table are there for free and you can take as much as you like as long as you order dishes from them.  Like the store the one we had, they also have unlimited ice cream for customers to enjoy.   You can order some other cooked e-san dishes too, such as som tum (papaya salad), yam (spicy and sour salad), pla pao (salt-crusted fish cooked over hot charcoal) and many more. 

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Mukdahan:

3 Days 2 Nights in Mukdahan, Thailand (Part 2)

Auvers Dining, Darling Square

 

Auvers Dining.... Most of you Sydneysiders probably ever heard or dined in this cafe already.  They have been around since 2016, so quite a few years ago.  But I only had a chance to dine in this place last weekend.  I'm pretty slack, I know.  Many people recommended this place for their delicious food and beverages and instagrammable platings.

So, let's go and take a look of what we had that night and Octie Appetie, guys...  But before I start, my apologies for the pictures in this blog.  Some are quite dark and some maybe a bit blurry.  Because we were sitting outside and there wasn't enough lighting (just an excuse from my poor photography skills hahahha).  However, those dim lightings created a romantic atmosphere though.  

Egg noodle with edamame and grated parmesan $12

This simple egg noodle dish served with edamame and a handful of grated parmesan cheese.  Surprisingly, this dish was absolutely clean and delicious.  It is also made a great vegetarian dish.  Kids like this and adults absolutely love it too.

Karaage and chips $14

Nothing much to comment on this dish though.  The name and its look are purely justify itself.  It is what it is.  

Bone marrow with brioche and shio garlic butter $21

I am a big fan of bone marrow.  Whenever I see bone marrow in a restaurant menu, I will definitely order it.  Yet this place didn't disappoint me at all.  Rich in fat and buttery texture with a hint of garlic flavour, this roasted bone marrow paired perfectly with toasted brioche as well.  This dish is insanely satisfying. 

Salted egg calamari $18

Crispy calamari enveloped in the house's salted egg seasoning and lemon curd.  It was a good dish.  The calamari meat was chewy yet tender at the same time.

XO crab meat $20

Another great dish here, XO crab meat served with ikura or salmon roe and some puff balls.  That balls were like we normally get from Indian restaurant, called pani puri dish.  The XO sauce is just right, not overpowering at all.  With those crispy balls, it was surely the best way to enjoy this luxurious crab meat.

Salmon and watermelon salad $23

This smoked salmon served with fresh watermelon and other healthy goodies, like radish, cherry tomatoes, mixed greens, goat curd, lemon curd and salmon roe.  This salad came with sesame dressing.  So many things on one plate but all flavours complement each other.  The crispy wonton gave an extra crispiness in the sense of texture.

Burn miso duck $42

Burn miso duck came with butternut puree, red wine jus and lentil crust served with a generous block of potato gratin cooked with duck fat.  The flavour combination was spot on.  Especially, that potato gratin, it was amazing and not soggy at all.  I haven't had any potato gratin this good until tonight.   However, the duck itself was quite a let down.  The meat was too chewy to my liking. 

XO molluscs spaghetti $38

Beautiful colored dish, nicely presented.  This squid ink al dente spaghetti served with different type of seafood.  It got some pipis, clams and tobiko or flying fish roe.  With crunchy bits on the top that made from typhoon shelter garlic crumb.  Typhoon shelter is actually a style of cooking that featuring tossing oil with garlic and panko breadcrumb until they all become golden and crispy.  This menu was brilliantly delicious.

Sousvide sirloin steak $38

The medium rare sirloin steak served with charcoal celeriac puree and mustard jus.

Auvers pancake $26

Their matcha pancakes were soft and fluffy covered with matcha glaze, not too sweet which is great and it also came with red bean paste and raspberry sorbet.  I'm not so sure whether raspberry flavour is the right partner to this pancake dish, however its sweetness counteract the bitterness from matcha pancake itself. 

Pandan brulee $12

We finished our dinner on a high note and thanks to this pandan brulee dish.  I can strongly taste a Southeast Asian flavour in this dessert.  Pandan custard on the bottom was smooth and creamy.  The sugar crust on top, they used palm sugar instead of white sugar.  My tongue was doing a happy dance from this delight.  By the way, we went for a second brulee.  One was obviously not enough. 

 

Hot chocolate

The Queen in red $9

It is a mocktail drink that made of strawberry, pomegranate, passionfruit, pineapple, lemon Juice and tonic water.

Yuzu x Sakura $23

Yulli's brew Amanda mandarin IPA NSW $14

#They are opening up another dining in Rhodes Waterside location next Thursday, 21 September 2023. If you were in the area, why not give them a shot.

Auvers Dining, Darling Square

Shop No.04, 12 Nicolle Walk, Haymarket

Ph: 02 9188 2392

They open for brunch daily from 8am-3pm (on weekend, opens at 9am)

For dinner, Sunday - Wednesday from 5pm-8pm, Thu until 8:30pm

On Friday and Saturday dinner, they close later at night.

Urban Jungle Cafe, Rhodes

 

Another hype cafe for Sydneysiders is this Urban Jungle Cafe.  They have a few branches around Sydney like in Rhodes, Parramatta and one shop in Southern Sydney, Hurstville.  This place is decorated with green leaves and flowers that kinda give the impression of you were in the jungle, a friendly jungle though. 

 

Hazelnut latte

Fresh orange juice $8

Southern chicken burger $19

This Southern fried chicken fillet was juicy and tender, came with maple chipotle BBQ glaze, homemade slaw, American cheddar, pickles, and served with fries too. 

Wagyu cheeseburger $21

A thick slab of grilled wagyu beef patty served with some kind of special sauce on a brioche bun.  It had some caramelised onions, pickles and cheese in the burger and also came with fries on the side.

This time of the year, they serve seasonal truffle menus in the house.  So, we gave it a go for 2 items on this special menu.  Truffle congee and truffle parmesan fries.  Although I really wanted to try their churros as well but we're too full after those main meals.  So, probably I'll give it a go next time. 

Truffle congee $25

This truffle congee, I didn't realise when I ordered, it is actually a vegetarian dish.  So, it comes with black fungus, spiced tofu, deep fried wonton sheet, fried egg and of course the hero of the dish, truffle.  You can add some extra meats from the options like chorizo, bacon, etc.  It was a good congee dish, though the truffle flavour was too subtle and light or it could also be the condiments just too strong in flavour.  Am I going to order this dish again next time? Hmmmm..... probably not. 

Truffle parmesan fries $13 with added fresh grated truffle for $12

Everyone loves these fries.  It was a pretty big portion of fries and they topped with truffle flavoured mayo and grated parmesan cheese and we also added extra grated truffle on top.  We definitely could not get enough of those truffles.  They all went well together.  Very happy with this dish.

Urban Jungle Cafe, Rhodes

Rhodes Waterside, 43/1 River Boulevard, Rhodes

Open: Monday - Friday from 7am - 4:30pm, 

           Weekend from 8am - 5pm

Ph: 0450 452 138

Cho Dumpling King, Haymarket

 

Lu rou fan or braised pork rice small (left) and large (right)

This Taiwanese shop has been here for ages.  Located in the Haymarket near UTS.  Back then they served a bento box of lu rou fan (braised pork rice) that comes with one side dish.  It costed less than $8 at that time for a rice set and $1 extra for a glass of cold black tea. Great for Uni students with a tight budget especially like me.   

I could just have a bowl of this rice and minced pork without condiments. They are already amazing on its own.  But don't quote me wrong their side dishes are very delectable as well.

We ordered the Taiwanese set meal which you will get one lu rou fan and one selection of side dishes.  The rice comes in a small or large size for $16 or $17 respectively.  With the set meal, you can get a choice of soup of the day or black/green tea or wintermelon tea for only $2 extra.  Of course, we never can get enough of their snack dishes, so we got more of them for $13 each. 

Deep fired pork chop

Deep fried chicken pieces

Taiwanese sausage

Soup of the day - Cho special sour soup

Braised pork knuckles

Chili sauce

They won't give you this chili sauce right away, you need to request for it.  I think the first one comes for free but if you want to get more, it will cost extra.  This chili is a must, it is not that spicy but all that black bean and taoco, they definitely lift up the flavour of your rice meal.  

 

Shaken ice black tea

Don't mistakenly take the name of restaurant which is Cho Dumpling King, you actually won't find any dumpling dishes here.  They serve authentic Taiwanese dishes instead.  Their price is pretty reasonable as well.  Also, their service is absolutely quick and spot on.  Totally recommend this place. 

Cho Dumpling King

Shop TG6, 8 Quay Street, Haymarket

Ph: 02 9281 2760

Opens: daily from 10am - 8pm

Little Spoon Fusion Cafe, Chippendale

Chippendale has turned themself into one of the trendiest and hottest suburbs compared to a few years back.  Nowadays, some are even calling it "Hippendale".  There are numbers of funky and creative cafes in the area.  And we definitely needed to go there to try them.  So, one fine weekend morning, we visited Little Spoon fusion cafe, located right behind Central Park.  This cafe serves Japanese fusion food and drinks.  I did check on the internet before coming here and I saw this grilled Angus beef with some sort of green soba and it looks absolutely gorgeous.  I was so sure that I have to try this dish.

 

The place was already packed when we arrived and luckily, we just got their last spot without even have to wait at all.  Good sign..

Turmeric latte

They did a really nice milk froth but for me, the turmeric here was way too strong.  Anyway, it still was a good drink.

I can't really remember the name of this juice but it was super refreshing and delicious too.  I'm sure that it has some mixture of berry juice in there.

Ham cheese burger for my kiddos

Soft shell crab tempura udon

At first from reading their menu, we thought this dish would be a soupy udon dish, udon with a clear soup base like we normally get in any Japanese restaurants.  When it arrived in front of us, we were pretty surprised with the look.  I mean in a good way though.  Although to be honest, before we tasted it, we presumed that it would be a boring dish.  However, after I took my first bite, it completely blew my mind.  I can taste slightly tanginess in it and those furikake and shrimp roes lifted up the whole flavour.  It was surprisingly enjoyable and delicious. 

Angus beef soba

This dish looks exactly like what I imagined.  The beef was perfectly cooked, medium-rare.  There was some kind of spices around the edges of those beef slices and texture wise, it was crispy on the outside and tender inside.  They gave plenty of meat there, it could be for 2 persons, but I can definitely have it for myself too.  For the noodle itself, to be honest, I like the taste from udon dish much better.

Well spent weekend morning with these delicious foods.  My tummy was surely happy.  And we will certainly come back here again.  Octie Appetie.. 

Little Spoon Fusion Cafe

81 O'Connor Street, Chippendale

Ph: 0426 571 179

Open: 7 days a week, 8am-3pm and until 3:30pm on the weekends