Food Review - Hainan Chicken Rice

The Hainan chicken rice is a very popular menu throughout Asia, especially in Thailand. My favorite chicken rice restaurants are located in Pratunam, Saladaeng, and Charoenkrung. But today, I'm going to talk about the dish in general. It usually consists of only either steamed or fried chicken, oily rice and cucumber, and a bowl of soup. Although the combination seems simple, but the taste is perfectly complex.

Before you start eating the chicken rice, you can choose, depending on the restaurant, whether you want to accompany the chicken with blood curd, the most common, or other parts of a chicken such as the intestine, liver, and even kidney. I personally enjoy blood curd the most, it is also believed by many that eating it improves your blood flow.

Aside from the mentioned, choosing the right dipping sauce is also an important step. You may find a variety of sauces put in a big container in front of you and start to have dilemmas. All the sauces look and smell different, which one should you choose? The most popular sauce is the brownish colored one. It is filled with spices and chili. The second most popular is also brown, except this one is more gooey. It provides a sweet taste. The choice of dipping sauce depends totally on you, whether you like salty and spicy, plain sweet, or any other.

All in all, the Hainan chicken rice is not well-known for nothing. The boneless chicken, the soup, the oily rice, the side dishes, and the dipping sauce are all put together to form a miraculous combo. Since this is discovered, you should at least give it a try before you don't get the chance to. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

Food Review - Black Pepper Pork Chop

The black pepper pork chop is a brand new discovery to me. The one I had was at my faculty's canteen and I am very impressed with it. I've been eating at the canteen for months and only just found out that they had this menu too. The reason why I'm impressed with the black pepper pork chop is because of its taste, and its price.

First of all, the pork chop tastes fairly good as opposed to the ones I've had in Dream Steak and Jeffer's. It has its own flavors without the use of mustard or steak sauces. The saltiness is neither too much nor too little, I personally loved the flavor. It even had salad as a side dish to it.

Second of all, the pork chop's price is shocking. The whole thing, which had one palm-sized pork chop plus salad and free dressings, costed only 40 baht. That's not even 2 dollars. Where else can you find steak that is so cheap? The quality is the same as those that are two times the price and three times slower.

In conclusion, the black pepper pork chop I've had in my faculty's canteen is both delicious and cheap. If you have the chance, I HIGHLY recommend you to have lunch at my canteen and order this menu, it will surprise you. You can even bring your own red wine to fully upgrade and enjoy your meal.

Drink Review - Fat-Free Strawberry Yoghurt Smoothie

My new favorite drink is the fat-free strawberry yoghurt smoothie. I usually order it from Uncle Man's, the first shop from the left in my faculty's canteen. The smoothie is tasty, fat-free, and fulfills cravings. Girls who are constantly on a diet would find this as a lifesavior. 

First of all, imagine drinking frozen yoghurt, expect better. The sweetness and iciness blends in perfectly. The first sip of the smoothie is always the best, you can feel the refreshingness spread all over your body. The taste of the smoothie is exactly like the original yoghurt, the only difference is that the gooey yoghurt paste is replaced with shaved ice.

Second of all, the smoothie is fat free. It does not add extra calories as the only other ingredient added to the yoghurt is ice. This is a perfect choice for those who are watching their weight or are obesed. What could be better than enjoying something that tastes like a thousand calories but actually has only 80? 

Last of all, the smoothie fulfills cravings. It is not only a drink, it could also be a snack to some. Those who are on a seriois diet might choose to avoid junk foods such as potato chips or chocolate. This will make their body crave for snacks and sweets. The smoothie, both a drink and a snack, is able to satisfy sweet tooth and at the same time make you feel full because it is made of dairy product.

In conclusion, I believe that the fat-free strawberry yoghurt smoothie is an invincible drink as it tastes good, does not have extra fat, and satisfies you. In addition, it costs only around 20baht, which is really affordable. I highly recommend you to give this smoothie a try.

Drink Review - Jele Beautie

The Jele Beautie is a jelly type drink that is designed for those who wants to lose weight but still be able to fulfill their cravings. It has a variety of flavors, and my favorite one is BlackCurrant. It has also recently turned into my daily must-have snack. The Jele Beautie tastes good, is low in calories, and is beneficial to our health. 

The BlackCurrant Jele Beautie contains not only the juice itself, but also small pieces of blackcurrant-flavored jellies. When you drink the Jele, you have something to chew on besides from drinking plain juice. The flavor itself is not bad at all compared to the calories it has. There’s even a tint of sourness, which adds more taste to it.

Different flavors of Jele Beautie have a different amount of energy. The BlackCurrant one has the least. It contains only 30 calories while others have 40, 45, and 50. The energy is reduced by 50%. The lesser calories you consume, the more weight you will lose. I highly recommend weightwatchers to try this jelly drink, it will satisfy your cravings and keep you full.

The BlackCurrant Jele Beautie drink claims that it has vitamin C, B1, B2, B6, and B12. In just a palm-sized drinking container, so many nutrients can be packed inside. This means that this drink is not only tasty, but it is also healthy.

All in all, the Jele Beautie drink is delicious, non-fattening, and is good for our body. It can be found in any 7-Elevens around the country and costs only 10 Baht. I guarantee that you wont regret giving it a try.

Snack Review - Daifuku

Daifuku is a japanese dessert snack made with mochi in a bun-shaped form with fillings of different flavors, mostly sweet. I've recently come across a sesame flavored daifuku bun in 7-Eleven and decided to try it. It costs 15thb per bun and has three flavors to pick from. My favorite one, is sesame. The reason why I like the daifuku is because of its texture and taste.

A daifuku's skin is really chewy. Because its made of rice paste, the texture is  sticky and stretchy. When you take the first bite, you can feel the skin sticking to your teeth. It might sound messy and annoying, but it actually adds more pleasure in consuming the daifuku.

A daifuku is tasty all the way from its skin to the inside. The fillings are usually sweet and creamy. The skin, too, is tasty. It gives a perfect amount of slight sweetness. The combination of mochi and, in my case, sesame paste is marvelous. The taste mixes in with eachother like Romeo and Juliet.

In conclusion, I like daifuku because of the texture and taste it offers. The price is affordable and it can be found in any 7-Eleven around the country. It is satifsying and delicious.

Shop Review - Coffee Assist The2

My new favorite go-to coffee shop at the moment is Coffee Assist The2 at Samyan area. It is a cozy little place to spend your time in. The reason why I like Coffee Assist The2 is because its decorations are really unique, it has not only drinks, but also foods, and it is a great place for studying. The prices of their menus aren't cheap it but isn't that expensive either.

Firstly, most coffee shops you see (Starbucks, True Coffee, etc.) are designed to be really simple and modern. But in Coffee Assist The2, all furnishings and adornments give a vintage look. When you sit down on the flower-patterned sofa, it feels like you are at home in your own living room, comforted and relaxed. 

Secondly, Coffee Assist The2 allows you to drink and eat at the same time. It has a variety of menus, from Italian food all the way to Thai. Let alone cuisines, it even has desserts such as cupcakes, brownies, crepe cake and etc. This place has everything you need in order to fill your stomach.

Lastly, because Coffee Assist The2 is a really comfortable shop, it is the perfect place to read, work, and revise for exams and quizes. The lighting is just enough to support your eyes, and the surroundings are ideal; not too noisy or crowdy. You could just sit down, turn on your laptop, open your book, and get started with your first step in getting an A for your assignment.

In conclusion, I highly recommend you to give Coffee Assist The2 a try, you won't regret. It provides you extraordinary decorations, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it is a place where you can focus on what you're doing. 

Food Review - Onigiri

Onigiri is a Japanese food that is (normally) a triangular-shaped riceball wrapped with seaweed. There are a variety of fillings, my favorite one is salmon. Salmon onigiri is one of my top on-the-go foods as it is convenient and appretizing.

Onigiris contains nothings else besides the riceball itself and a layer of plastic to cover it up. It can be consumed instantly after removing the plastic. For me it is considered as one of the easiet "grab and go" meals, it is not messy and will not leave stains on your clothes in case you drop some. 

Onigiris might contain only around three ingredients, but the taste is a lot richer than what it sounds. The slight bit of crunchiness of the seaweed combines flawlessly with the tint of sweetness from the rice. It's like eating a sushi, except it is bigger, and is wrapped with seaweed.

In conclusion, onigiris are a great menu to have when you're in a hurry due to how simple it is to consume, and it doesn't taste bad at all. Onigiris could be found at almost anywhere, 7-eleven, commarts' canteen, and u-center for instance. 

Snack Review - Craisins

Ocean Spray's Craisins, dried cranberries, has recently became a must have snack to keep in my bag. It tastes good, it is healthy, and most important of all, it is fat-free. This is a much option to snack on than potato chips, chocolates, icecream, and etc. 

Firstly, this snack might look like raisins, but it is not. In my opinion, I think it tastes alot better. The tint of sweetness combined with the sour taste gives a confused deliciousness. Normally when you think of healthy snacks, it will remind you of foods that wont fulfill your cravings. This healthy snack is an exception. 

Secondly, what's the first thing that pops up to your head when you hear the word "snack"? For me, it is nothing but junk food that tastes amazing. It will normally be bad for you, but because Craisins is made from pure cranberries, it is actually a good snack.

Lastly, this snack does not make you gain weight. In moderation, the snack is not fattening. It is really hard to find finger foods that wont add inches to your waist, and this is one of the rare ones. For those who are watching their weight, this is the perfect option.

In conclusion, this could be a goto snack for a lot of people. It is appetizing, it is good for your body, and it does not make you put on weight. I would recommend everyone to try it, it's one of a kind.

Dessert Review - O Volcano

Today's blog is going to be about a dessert menu called O Volcano. It costs 129 thb. This menu could be found at Snooze, a dessert shop located in U Center, Sam Yan. It consists of chocolate icecream, chocolate powder, coco crunch, chocolate sauce, and I've also personally requested for brownies to add even more magic to the chocolate combo.

Firstly, I'm going to elaborate the icecream. The texture of it is marvelous. It melts in your mouth perfectly. It is not too creamy or icy, guess that's why they call it "icecream". The savor of chocolate is really rich, not is not too sweet or tasteless. It doesn't taste like it will give you diabetes like you would normally feel when you eat icecream.

Secondly, I really enjoy the addition of the chocolate powder, coco crunch, brownies, and chocolate sauce. It defines the icecream even better. Just imagine yourself eating the icecream along with the crispyness of coco crunch, the taste of hot chocolate from the chocolate powder, the softness and moistness of the brownies, and lastly, the taste of more chocolate from the chocolate sauce, it's paradise.

On the other hand, it would be nice if there were other things besides from chocolate to balance it out. A waffle would be good. Because this dish is quite big and takes quite some time to finish, I eventually got a bit bored of all the chocolates. Just like everything in life, too much of something is never good.

In conclusion, I would give this O Volcano a 9 out of 10. I would highly recommend chocolate lovers to try this, this could be their next favorite dessert. For those who are not too fond of chocolate, this menu is not for you. But I will look for other desserts and write a review about it, so stay tuned!

(Picture from my snapchat)

Food Review - Salmon Chirashi

Today I'm going to write a review about one of my favorite menus ever, salmon chirashi, or salmon don. Salmon chirashi is a type of Japanese food with sushi meshi (sushi rice) in a bowl and salmon sashimi layered on top. I've tried this dish in at least three restaurants, and today I'm going to compare the same menu from three different places, which are Sushi Den, Aoi, and Skip.

In Sushi Den, the salmon chirashi comes with fish o roes (salmon eggs). I think that it's the perfect addition to the salmon sashimi, it completes the whole thing. I personally like mine with a little bit of shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and wasabi. Imagine the taste of salmon combining perfectly with the small explosion of salmon eggs on your tongue, it's literally paradise in your mouth.

The second restaurant that I'm going to talk about is Aoi. In Aoi, the salmon chirashi also comes with fish o roes but in a smaller amount as those of Sushi Den's. Aoi focuses more on the salmon, it is splendid. As compared to Sushi Den's, it is still arguable but it might not be as fresh.

The final restaurant that I'm going to review about is Skip. Skip is a small shop located inside U-Centre in Sam Yan area. It might not be as well known as Sushi Den and Aoi but it is still quite popular among Chula students. To be honest, I think Skip's salmon chirashi is incomparable to those of the previous two restaurants I've talked about. The salmon isn't fresh, the rice isn't vinegared enough, and there is nothing to accompany the salmon. But considering the price of the menu, it is still acceptable and understandable.

In conclusion, I prefer Sushi Den's salmon chirashi best. It gives the most heavenly taste out of the three. It leaves you longing for more. I highly recommend you to try it, you won't regret. My second favorite is Aoi. It might not be as marvelous Sushi Den's, but it is still pretty good. My least favorite is Skip. I don't think it compliments my taste senses good enough.