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Cheap Appetite in Thailand Part 2—Pae Krung Kao Ayutthaya Floating Restaurant.

In Cheap Eats Thailand, Dinner, Lunch, asian cuisine, restaurants on March 15, 2010 at 12:45 am

By Tana Kosiyabong

Pae Krung Kao Green Curry Fish balls stuffed with salted eggs

After a few days in Bangkok, I decided to take a trip to Ayutthaya, an ancient capital of Thailand. Located just an hour north of Bangkok, the old city is perfect for a day trip. Ayutthaya Kingdom (sometimes spelled Ayuddhaya) existed from 1351 to 1767. According to Wikipedia, the city was once comparable to Paris in both size and wealth. Sadly, the once glorious kingdom was reduced into ruins and debris by the Burmese invasion in the last year of its existence. [...]

Cheap Appetite in Thailand Part 1—SeeFah Restaurant

In Cheap Eats Thailand, Dinner, Lunch, asian cuisine, dessert, restaurants on February 28, 2010 at 11:59 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

See Fah Khao Khai Khon Goong (Soft omelette with shrimp on rice)

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics are over. It’s time to move on. During the next two months or so, I will alternate between my Thai culinary adventure stories and Vancouver restaurant reviews. With no further ado, here’s my first installment on Cheap Appetite in Thailand.

I landed on the Suvarnabhumi Airport, the new Bangkok international airport, at 10:30 pm. It was a breeze getting through the Thai immigration and custom. So I had to wait a bit for my brothers to pick me up. By the time we got near our house, it was almost midnight but we did stop at the Sukhumvit 38 Road for some midnight snacks. [...]

The Quest for a Great Dish in Tokyo — Curry No Ryu Beef Curry with Rice

In Cheap Eats Japan, Dinner, Lunch, asian cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $10, restaurants on February 7, 2010 at 11:59 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

It was freezing when I woke up in a three-tatami-mat room at JuYoh Hotel. So I decided to go to the top floor to take a Japanese hot bath in the communal pool. Fortunately nobody was there. The bath was so relaxing I could have stayed submerged for hours, but I had a Cheap Appetite mission to complete before I left Japan at 5:30 p.m. [...]

A Special Time Calls for a Special Lunch—Samurai Japanese Restaurant Lunch Special Bento

In Lunch, asian cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $10, restaurants on January 10, 2010 at 11:59 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

Samurai Japanese Restaurant Lunch Special Bento–$7.95

I woke up around 8am on Christmas Eve, and after a short morning routine, I went off to work in Coal Harbour. Whether liked it or not, I did stay at the office until 1pm. “Thanks G-D,” I murmured to myself while heading out of the building. I was now officially on holiday for the next ten and a half days! This special time called for a special lunch. And I knew exactly where to go. [...]

An almost free pot of moules frites at Chambar Belgian Restaurant.

In Dinner, african cuisine, european cuisine, restaurants on December 27, 2009 at 11:59 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

It was the night before Christmas eve. While many shoppers still scrambled for last-minute gifts, I had no shopping left to do. So I headed to Chambar, a fancy Belgian restaurant in downtown Vancouver, to celebrate the holiday spirit. Don’t worry. I wasn’t out of my mind. I knew exactly what I was doing.

Normally Chambar was way out of my reach in terms of price. However, [...]

Spicy Chicken Teriyaki Don at Kamiya Sushi and My Pet Peeves with the Fake Sriracha Sauce

In Lunch, asian cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $10, restaurants on December 13, 2009 at 11:59 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

“Holy crap! It’s almost eleven,” I cried as I jumped out of bed in panic. I had a Cheap Appetite mission to tackle today. The plan was to survive a whole day at the Vancouver Public Library with only $10 food budget. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I sure loved the challenge. Unfortunately, by the time I had made it to the library, it was already noon. I had missed the breakfast altogether. [...]

Time travel back to my childhood—Gold Stone Bakery & Restaurant

In asian cuisine, bakery, beverages, cheap eats vancouver under $10, european cuisine, north american cuisine, restaurants on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

When I was young, authentic Western food in Thailand was hard to find. Nonetheless, some Chinese and Thai restaurants had concocted their own version of Western dishes. Most cooks/chefs had little or no training in European cuisine. They were forced to cook with locally available ingredients. Few people had ever heard of either extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany [...]

Gorilla Food Thai Fresh Wraps—Tasty Raw Food for Veggie Lovers; An Acquired Taste for the Rest of Us.

In Lunch, Vegetarian Cuisine/Raw Food, cheap eats vancouver under $10, cheap eats vancouver under $5, restaurants on November 29, 2009 at 11:59 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

I love meat. It’s a staple in my diet as far as I could remember. Veggies, however, aren’t always my buddies. As a kid, I was a picky eater. I had all the patience in the world to pick out even the tiny pieces of veggies on the plate. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), my perseverance had diminished [...]

A Square Foot Full of Food — Dae-Ji Pork Cutlet

In Dinner, Lunch, asian cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $10, restaurants on November 23, 2009 at 8:05 am

By Tana Kosiyabong

Daeji Pork Cutlet

I have had a hard time classifying Dae-Ji. It is definitely Korean by name. However, most dishes are either Japanese or Western inspired. Only few dishes, like Kimchi fried rice, are traditional Korean cuisine. Dae-Ji is pretty much like a teenager suffering from an identity crisis. Because of this, the restaurant is rarely on the top [...]

Breakfast at Yummy Sushi.

In asian cuisine, breakfast, cheap eats vancouver under $5, north american cuisine, restaurants on October 18, 2009 at 6:05 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

yummy sushi breakfast special

I first heard about Yummy Sushi when I posted my Bon’s off Broadway breakfast link on the Chowhound.com forum a while back. Grayelf, a fellow food lover, had suggested Yummy Sushi as an alternative to Bon’s. I jotted down the name in my notebook along with many other suggestions for cheap breakfast joints in Vancouver. Unfortunately, I hadn’t had a chance to check any of them out yet. [...]

Sushi Mart. Great sushi especially for cold and rainy days.

In asian cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $10, cheap eats vancouver under $5, fast food, restaurants on October 4, 2009 at 6:40 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

sushimart BC roll & Tamago roll (2nd visit)

It was the lunch hour on a cold and rainy afternoon. My stomach was growling. I was desperately searching through my drawers and locker for any sign of edible items so that I could stay inside. Unfortunately, I got nothing to fill my empty stomach. It was do or die time. I must defy the spine chilling rain to grab something to eat. [...]

The Tacos showdown in Downtown Vancouver — La Taqueria vs. Don Guacamoles

In central american cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $10, cheap eats vancouver under $5, fast food, restaurants on September 13, 2009 at 5:03 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

tacoshowdown

My love for Mexican food started in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was the combination of cheap prices and great tastes that had won me over. The most delicious fish burrito from D’ Leons was priced less than $5. Or an awesome “Big Nacho” chicken at Oso was $6.50 with a free drink on a certain day of the week. They are so good, I still miss them to this day. [...]

The most important cheap meal of the day – Bon’s off Broadway breakfast special.

In breakfast, cheap eats vancouver under $5, north american cuisine, restaurants on August 16, 2009 at 9:20 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

bonsbreakfast

I’m not a morning person. And I normally don’t have time for breakfast. I just drink a glass of milk or soymilk and run out the door. On the weekends, I wake up around 10 am to let my pet parrotlet “Giant” out of his cage for a couple of hours or until he gets on my nerves. It takes me at least an hour to collect myself and be more social. I prefer not to [...]

Best Thai dish on this side of the Atlantic. And some of the Pacific – Pad Krapow at Vancouver’s Thai Basil Restaurant

In asian cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $10, restaurants on August 2, 2009 at 10:37 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

pad krapow nua

I was born and raised in Thailand, so I’m well aware of the authenticity of Thai cuisine. More often than not, Thai food in North America tastes remotely like the authentic siblings. Sometimes I don’t even recognize them, especially those frozen dinners at the grocery stores. Thai chicken this. Thai noodle that. I had tried [...]

Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup and Veggie Spring Roll at East Fusion Food

In asian cuisine, cheap eats vancouver under $5, food promotion, restaurants on July 1, 2009 at 7:39 pm

By Tana Kosiyabong

Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup and Veggie Egg Roll

When I first saw the promo sign – $2.99 Shrimp Wonton Noodle Special – at the International Village, I did a double take (actually triple). It sounds like a great case of the Cheap Appetite. So, I walked into the East Fusion Food and ordered myself a hot bowl of shrimp wonton noodle soup, and a veggie spring roll. Fifteen minutes later, [...]