Maison Tafa Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet (Paris, FRANCE) ★★☆☆☆

We tried almost every restaurant at Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet, but none of them would take us in, especially not at 8pm when they were already preparing to close. We were desperate. Very desperate. So we decided to settle for a quick meal at Maison Tafa.

Maison Tafa is an Asian catering counter on the ground floor of Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet. It runs a highly efficient food station with a diverse menu spanning Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and Japanese specialties. Most customers opt for takeaway, although a small area is set aside for dine-in service.

First to arrive was the Tom Yum Fried Rice, a bold Thai dish that was supposed to combine the fragrant flavors of traditional Tom Yum soup with classic stir-fried rice. It came with decent wok hei.

By contrast, the Pad Thai — a stir-fried rice noodle dish with shrimp, peanuts, green onions, scrambled egg, sugar and bean sprouts arrived with zero wok hei. The noodles were meant to be tossed in a sweet-savory-sour sauce, but the seasoning was way off.

Our final dish was green curry with chicken fillet and steamed rice. It looked exactly like something from a food court. For €20, I expected a little more.

In Hong Kong, we are spoiled with some of the world’s best Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. This was not authentic in the slightest, and worse still, it offered very poor value for money. On the bright side, perhaps they are simply adjusting to the Parisian palate.

Food Rating: 3.6/10

Price: €€€€

Address: G/F, 35 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France

Closest Metro Station: Havre - Caumartin / Auber

Tel: +33 (0)1 4023-5267

Website: https://gourmet.galerieslafayette.com/

Opening Hours: 9:30am - 9:30pm (Mon - Sat), 11:00am - 8:00pm (Sun)

Soi.29 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

After the promising Thai-style dai pai dong experience at Samsen last month, I was craving something similar for tonight. After meeting with my hair stylist who happened to be working on Prat Avenue, it quickly became clear that a visit to Soi 29 to relive that Thai dai pai dong experience was exactly what the doctor ordered.

I finished my haircut at around 5:50pm, so the timing was perfect. As usual, there was a small lineup of about ten people in front of the Thai restaurant, but it wasn’t enough to stop me from getting a table.

Iced Thai milk tea (泰式凍奶茶) ($38) — Very rich, just like last time. I genuinely think it might be the richest Thai milk tea in town. Be warned if you don’t have a serious sweet tooth.

Stir-fried flat noodles with chicken (泰式乾炒) ($98) — They also have a “wet” version, but I stuck with the same stir-fried flat noodles dish I had at Samsen — the one that made me so happy.

This wasn’t bad. The flat noodles had that nice, slightly chewy texture again, but there was an excess of soy sauce, which made the dish a little too salty.

Compared with the same dish at Samsen, I have to admit this one came up a little short. For one, the noodles here had less "wok hei" but more importantly, the oyster sauce used for frying at Samsen made the noodles noticeably more umami-rich and less salty.

Food Rating: 6.4/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, Po Cheong Commercial Building, 29 Prat Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 3795-3775

Opening Hours: 6:00pm - 12:00am (Mon - Sat)

Samsen Sheung Wan 泰麵 上環店 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I didn’t realize that Samsen the popular Thai noodle joint has opened a branch in Sheung Wan until a few months ago, when little nugget was having his lessons in the area on Saturdays.

Samsen is the brainchild of owner-chef Adam Cliff, an Australian chef who spent years at the highly successful Nahm in Bangkok under world-renowned chef David Thompson. Before launching Samsen, he was the head chef of Chachawan, another hugely popular Thai restaurant in Sheung Wan.

Compared to Chachawan, Samsen has a much smaller food menu focused more on its wok-fried noodles, skewers, curry and roti (both savory and sweet). 

At around 8:30pm, the crowd had thinned out a bit, so I was able to grab a seat at the counter next to the other solo diners.

Wok fried Thai watercress ($88) — These were tossed with chili, garlic and yellow beans. I figured they wouldn’t be too spicy since there was no chili 🌶️ sign next to it on the menu. I was obviously wrong. The spicy kick caught me a little off guard, but otherwise, it was pretty decent, with a nice wok hei.

Stir-fried flat noodles with chicken and baby corn ($148) — This came with even better wok hei. The flat noodles, slightly sticky (in a lovely way) was nicely tossed with baby corn, baby kale, succulent chicken fillet and egg in a light oyster sauce. I really enjoyed the texture of these flat noodles. I could probably have this everyday!

I have to come back to try their roti sometime. They make it fresh on the spot, and it comes in both sweet and savory versions.

It was raining all day, and it got worse during dinner. A black rain signal was on for a while, so I had to wait a bit before heading back out into the rain.

This was a very good meal — enough to make me wonder why I took so long to come back. That said, for the ultimate Thai dai pai dong (open-air food stall) experience, I still prefer Chachawan or Soi 29, thanks to their more extensive menu. Samsen is more of a stopgap option if you’re in the mood for a quick Thai noodle fix.

Food Rating: 6.7/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 23 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 2234-0080

Website: http://www.samsen-hk.com/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (Mon - Sun), 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Mon - Thu), 6:00pm - 11:00pm (Fri - Sun)

TamKoKo Shenzhen Bay MixC 泰柯茶園 深圳灣萬象城店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Shenzhen Bay Mixc (深圳灣萬象城) in Nanshan has quietly become the favorite landing spot for some of the city’s hottest newcomers in the food scene. Not long ago, Chun Tian Tea Company (椿田熟成茶行) utilized its prime location as a launchpad for its successful debut in Shenzhen. Now, the latest buzz on social media belongs to TamKoKo (泰柯茶園) — another new member of Pink Street (粉紅大街), a fresh extension at Shenzhen Bay Mixc bringing together some of the city’s trendiest cafés, restaurants, and boutiques under one roof.

TamKoKo is a popular Thai tea brand in China, celebrated for its deep, flavorful Thai tea base and standout toppings like salted cheese and durian. Since I’m not a fan of durian, I went with the drink named “Thai Milk Snow Top” (泰奶雪頂) — an English name I made up on the spot. 😆😆

"Thai Milk Snow Top" (泰奶雪頂) (¥24) — A rich Thai milk tea topped with salted cheese, plus a generous swirl of Thai tea milk-cream soft serve. It’s been one of the most popular — and most Instagrammable — drinks in Shenzhen these days.

With Pink Street gaining momentum, it could be the next destination for some of Shenzhen’s most exciting new openings in the months ahead. Stay tuned.

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop B1-30, Pink Street, Shenzhen Bay MixC, 3213 Keyuan South Road, Nanshan district, Guangzhou, China

深圳市南山区深圳湾万象城B区粉红大街B1层B1-30号铺

Closest Metro Station: Houhai (后海)

Tel: +86 18138225060

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/e9/yDkM

 

Cha Thai 茶泰 Metroplaza (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

It had been a while since I last dined at Metroplaza, so when my good colleague recommended a lunch venue, I didn't hesitate to say yes.

Our destination was Cha Thai (茶泰), a casual Thai restaurant with five locations across Hong Kong.

The iced Thai milk tea passed with flying colors, so we quickly turned our attention to the main course.

My main event was Pad Thai in Tom Yum Goong style. It wasn’t the best Pad Thai I’ve had in Hong Kong but for $69 including a drink, it felt like a dream. The noodles were decent, and it came with a generous amount of ingredients like river prawns to keep me happy.

And yes, I’ll definitely be coming back for more soon.

Food Rating: 5.2/10

Price: $$

Address: Shop 501-510, 5/F, Metroplaza, 223 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Fong, NT, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Kwai Fong

Tel: +852 2349-3211

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 9:30pm daily

Black Tree Thai Tea & Coffee 泰茶 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★☆☆☆

For the second straight week, we found ourselves strolling around Shenzhen Bay MixC (深圳灣萬象城) after lunch. While some of us decided to head over to the nearby Talent Park (人才公園) for a leisurely walk, I had a bucket list item to check off myself.

Black Tree Thai Tea & Coffee (泰茶) had been on my to-do list since our last visit to the mall, and I wasn’t about to let the chance slip away this afternoon.

Judging by the number of orders in the queue, it seems to be a pretty popular spot for Thai milk tea and coffee these days.

The daily special was banana-infused Thai milk tea (😒😒), but as adventurous as I felt today, I wasn’t about to let my stomach take that obvious beating. Instead, I went for the original Thai milk tea. Honestly speaking this was pretty watery, and that usually strong tea flavor just didn’t come through at all.

We also tried a small cup of Thai milk tea ice cream. That was definitely better — but then again, it’s not hard to find good Thai milk tea ice cream in Hong Kong.

All in all, not a great experience. I left wondering why there was such a long line for such a mediocre drink.

Food Rating: 4.1/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Zone A, Level B1 Shenzhen Bay MixC, 3213 Keyuan South Road, Nanshan, Guangzhou, China

深圳市南山区粤海街道海珠社区科苑南路3213号深圳湾万象城B1层A区

Closest Metro Station: Houhai (后海)

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/93/nL2k

Chachawan (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Little nugget had another rehearsal in Sheung Wan this afternoon, giving us the perfect excuse to dive back into the neighborhood’s ever-evolving food scene. Instead of chasing something new, we found ourselves gravitating back to a tried-and-true favorite — Chachawan, the beloved Isaan Thai eatery that’s long been a staple in our good books.

As expected, the restaurant was buzzing with life on a Sunday, but luck was on our side. We scored a cozy table on the mezzanine floor, a little away from the action.

It's been a while since we last indulged a satisfying Thai meal together and today’s lunch should more than make up for lost time.

Iced Thai milk tea ($50) – Very rich in tea flavor and not overly sweet. Probably the second best Thai milk tea I've tried this year. A close second behind the one from Soi.29 Chef Key. 

Kai Jiaw ($168) – This Thai-style crab omelette, dotted with spring onions, instantly reminded me of the ones at Samsen. While I usually like mine spiked with a healthy dosage of Sriracha sauce (Thai chili sauce), I had to skip the heat this time as I'm having a presentation next week and it's a good idea that I'd spare my voice.

This wasn't bad. A little more crab meat would make me a even happier camper.

Phad Thai ($158) – A textbook example of wok hei in action as the noodles arrived hot and fragrant straight out of the kitchen.

The noodles were beautifully tossed with juicy prawns, tofu, chives, egg, and beansprout in a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce. There was a really nice balance of sweetness and acidity in the dish. Love this~

Look at the size of these river prawns! Fat, juicy, and perfectly curled from the heat of the wok.

Khor Moo Yung ($168) – Marinated in garlic, coriander root and pepper, the pork collar arrived glistening with just the right amount of char. Succulent, tender, and boasting that slightly chewy bite that pork collar lovers crave.

The meat were sliced and served with a flavorful Nam Jim Jaew sauce. This alone is worth a return trip.

I had just enough room for one dessert and their Kanom dtom, warm coconut rice dumplings served in salted coconut cream, had been on my radar screen forever. But just when I was about to place the order, we got a call from little one's teacher telling us that the rehearsal had finished early. That was all the time we had, time to settle the bill and walk our way back to pick the little guy up.

Food Rating: 7.1/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 206 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 2549-0020

Website: http://www.chachawan.hk/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 11:00pm daily

Thai-ger (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

It took me almost a year but I finally managed to drop by Thai-ger, the neighborhood Thai restaurant that used to be tucked away on the first floor of D2 Place Phase 1. Since their move to a street-level space last year, I’ve been looking to swing by — just never quite found the time.

With today being a public holiday, it was no surprise the place was packed. (the photo was taken when we were about to leave at 2).

Thai milk tea – I was curious how this stacked up against the nearly-perfect one at Soi.29. This turned out to be reasonably good but a little more condensed milk would likely strike a better balance. 

Green curry with pork's neck – Pork's neck was all over the menu so I figured it must be one of their signatures. They were certainly not bad. The curry itself was creamy and aromatic, though it didn’t quite hit the same depth of flavor I’ve had elsewhere.

Pad Thai – Packed with tangy flavors, savory, acidic and spicy but maybe a little too intense for my liking. I prefer my Pad Thai on the simpler side: clean, balanced, and unfussy.

This seems to be a decent option for Thai food around here but then, their food menu could use a bit more options to warrant a second visit.

Food Rating: 5.3/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop G03, G/F, D2 Place ONE, 9 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Lai Chi Kok

Tel: +852 2702-0228

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 9:00pm (Sun - Thu), 11:30am - 11:30pm (Fri - Sat)

Twinkle Elephant Maritime Square 泰作 青衣城 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Super Typhoon Ragasa (颱風樺加沙) is expected to make its presence felt in Hong Kong within a few hours. With the storm approaching fast, we were all released early from work. After giving it some thoughts, my family had decided that it would be safer to retreat to a secure location rather than ride it out at home.

But first, a quick lunch at Twinkle Elephant (泰作) in Maritime Square (青衣城). The calm before the storm. It was business as usual here.

Thai milk tea – Silky smooth and packed with sweetness.

Pad thai – This was better than I thought. The thin noodles were nicely tossed in the tangy sauce with just the right kick of heat. Not bad.

Of course, this guy doesn't care as long as he has arcade games to play.

We were supposed to get started on our typhoon prep but I still have an online meeting to attend. The chaos can wait (just a little longer).

Food Rating: 6.3/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 302, 3/F, Maritime Square 1, 31-33 Tsing King Road, Tsing Yi, NT, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsing Yi

Tel: +852 3488-8352

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 9:30pm daily

Soi.29 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Soi.29 on Prat Avenue has been one of Tsim Sha Tsui’s best-kept secrets for a while now. Every time I visited my hair stylist nearby, I couldn’t help but notice the long queues outside this famed Thai-style dai pai dong (大排檔). Naturally, I’ve been curious to find out just how good their Thai dishes really are.

Tonight, I finally got the chance.

At around 9pm, I noticed for the first time that there was no line outside. Seizing the opportunity that presented itself, I decided to head straight in for a look.

Iced Thai milk tea ($38) – I’ve had my fair share of Thai milk tea in Hong Kong, but this one was hands down the best I’ve tried so far. It was rich with aromatic tea flavor and perfectly balanced with creamy condensed milk. Absolutely divine. 👍🏻👍🏻

Just the milk tea alone is worth coming back for!

Crab meat omelette ($108) – I have originally placed an order for their Thai-style fried rice with crab meat but my server mistakenly got me a crab meat omelette instead.

But honestly? No regrets.

I’m a sucker for Thai omelettes and this one was beautifully fluffy and flavorful — just the way it should be. Yeah, I welcomed the mix-up with open arms. Yum!

My hair stylist, who knows a thing or two about this place, has been raving about their signature roasted beef (燒牛肉). I didn’t get to try it this time but that’s just one more reason to come back soon.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, Po Cheong Commercial Building, 29 Prat Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 3795-3775

Opening Hours: 6:00pm - 12:00am (Mon - Sat)