Sunday, October 03, 2010

Krau Aun Song Thai (Hua Hin)

I had a management meeting in Hua Hin. Our car pool decided to meet early in the morning at the office so that we could have time a seafood lunch before arriving in Hua Hin. Our colleague (the driver & owner of the car) knew of a great seafood restaurant to take us to. I never heard of it and I was very excited to try something new.


The restaurant was located at Samut Sakhon, also called Mahachai, which is situated at the mouth of Tha Chin Klong River merging into the Gulf of Thailand. This province was formerly a cargo port where Chinese junks used to arrive. Samut Sakhon is 30 kilometers away from Bangkok.

The most sought out tourist destination in Samut Sakhon Province is the Pom Wichianchodok, an ancient fortress that symbolizes the history of the province. Apart from these, this province is home for Thailand’s biggest Sea Food Market, called Mahachai Market. The region also contains various Buddhist shrines and temples. Brine salt is largely produced in Samut Sakhon. Visitors can have a glimpse of brine salt farms that stretch over vast areas along the border with Samut Songkhram.

But what was fascinating about this area is the Ao Mahachai Mangrove Forest Study Center. This center is famous for its large mangrove forests that surround the Tha Chin Estuary. This area is where the fresh water from the river meets the salt water of the sea. (www.thailandbuddy.com)



The restaurant was an open restaurant (no walls or windows) overlooking the estuary. Very basic wooden tables and chairs. It was a very easy going place.


The first dish was Tom Yum Goong. The soup was a perfect combination of sour, sweet, tangy & spicy. The condiments of mushrooms, shrimp and herbs & chilies added great colour, texture and tastes to the soup. Fabulous!


The next dish was Steamed Prawns. So simple yet so amazingly good. The prawns were fresh and huge. The meat was firm and juicy. I would have loved to have a dozen more; but I did not want my colleagues to think that I am a pig.


The next dish was Steamed Crabs. The crabs were very fresh because the meat was firm & juicy. The meat had such a wonderful natural sweet taste to it. It is a messy and time consuming dish bus so so worth it.


The next dish was Fried Fish with Garlic. The fish was very fresh and deep fried to a light golden brown. The fish was crispy on the outside but so tender & moist on the inside. I love fried fish.


The next dish was Tom Yum Pla. The first soup was so good that we decided to have another one but with fish. This soup was more sour & tangy which was really good. The fish they used for the soup was not one of my favourites but I still enjoyed this soup.


The next dish was Spicy Clams. When they say spicy in this restaurant...they really mean it! WOW, we could not finish this dish because it was so damn spicy. My scalp started to sweat and itch. The spiciness was so overwhelming that we could not enjoy the full flavour of this dish. Too bad.

Overall; a very relaxed & cozy restaurant with a gorgeous view. The food was so so fresh & yummy. The price for our whole lunch was a ridiculous 1,600 baht (divided by four people). I am so happy & lucky that we can still eat beautiful, delicious and cheap seafood in Thailand.

Address: Honestly; even their name card does not have an address (it only had a map). I would have no idea how to find the place. You will need to call them for directions.
Tel.: 034-478224, 087-0315924

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