By Kalpapruek (CDC)

We decided to go shopping at CDC (Crystal Design Center) for some home furnishings.  But before shopping; we needed lunch.  CDC has tons of places to choose from for lunch but we decided to go for something good & basic...By Kalpapruek.  Everyone knows Kalpapruek's main branch on Silom which is so so good and their very large branch at the Emporium.  Now they have one at CDC.   

The space itself is nice; very high ceilings, large windows for natural light, plain white walls and lots of tables so no worries about standing in a queue.  The design is a bit particular.  I think either it was last minute decision what to do with the space or someone really did not know what they were doing.  There are umbrellas in the restaurant with spot lights.  Ummmm; no idea what its suppose to stand for; but its strange.  

The first dish we shared was Kalpapruek's famous Rotti with green beef curry (120 baht).  The rotti is always deep fried perfectly...it was very crispy & flaky on the outside but moist & chewy on the inside. The green curry stuns the palette with its striking rich flavour...spicy, sweet & sour all the same time.  The beef was a bit tough but does not ruin the dish.  The green curry spilled all over the rotti is a match made in heave.  

The next dish was shared was Bahn Xeo or Vietnamese crepe (120 baht).  As usual; I am always disappointed with the bahn xeo in Bangkok.  The crepe itself was so thin that the second the fork touched it; it fell to pieces...for sure not good.  The crepe itself is lacking of any taste so that you have to add sauce (which happens to be way too sweet).  The filling in the bahn xeo is what I can call very stingy...some bean sprouts, some small shrimps & some pieces of pork.  All these ingredients are the cheapest you can find in Bangkok and yet they are not willing to be generous with them.  Honestly; a waste of space. 

The next dish we shared was Rice baked with taro, mushrooms, chinese sausage (125 baht).  This was a lovely dish with loads of colours, textures and flavours.  The ingredients blended well together and it was a hearty dish.  At that price; this was sure a value for money.  

The next dish was shared was Som-tum with crispy pork (170 baht).  The som-tum was a great balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty.  Tons of textures and colours.  The crispy pork was on the dry side but I actually I liked it this way.  The crispy pork also had very crispy skin....yuuummmyyyyy!  

I thought this was a cute idea for the house brand water (50 baht).  The plastic bottle has a wrap with fighting fish.  This was a very nice idea and from a far it looks real.  That for sure is a way to make plain drinking water bottles more exciting.  

Overall; Kalpapruek does have very good food at very reasonable prices.  They excel at practically every dish on the menu...very few are a miss like the bahn xeo.  Due to the good food; that is why Kalpapruek does have a large and strong following.  This branch is great for the space but the atmosphere and decor are really bizarre.  The service is good; friendly and attentive.  Can't go too wrong eating at Kalpapruek.

Address: CDC at Praditmanuthum Rd. 


Telephone:  02-102-2459