Kaithong is well-known among the capital’s real foodies. Thanks to a series of tasty dishes featuring fresh ingredients, the Nonthaburi restaurant has long been praised as one of Bangkok’s best Thai-Chinese restaurants. After 18 years, Kaithong has finally branched out to another part of town: inside the brand-new shopping center, CentralFestival EastVille, where they now offer their signature dishes and time-tested favorites.
This second branch remains elegant despite being set in a suburban mall. A well-balanced combination of warm gray hues, gold details, Art Deco motifs and marble tabletops make for a posh-looking space – you’ll probably feel a bit awkward if you dress too casually. No worries, though; the staff are well-trained enough not to display a reaction to their guests’ attire and politely direct you to your seats where “The Letter from Mother,” a note from the founder, awaits on the table.
We opted for the most popular signature dish on our visit: stir-fried pork liver with garlic and pepper (B450). “Sir, pork liver is not available today,” the waiter gently informed us. Oh, poor us. We moved on to other signature dishes. Our appetizers, Hong Kong-style pork and shrimp wontons (B150), were perfectly steamed – the rice-flour skin was thin and chewy while the stuffing was juicy. The kale with oyster sauce (B300) was also well-cooked. We had rad na Hong Kong goong (Hong Kong-style wok-fried rice noodle with shrimp, gravy, and kale, B220) as our main dish. The rad na came with two large chewy shrimps, the noodles were well cooked and the gravy tasted delicious. We opted for dried sesame mochi (B165) for dessert, which looked like a dried version of bua loy nam khing (rice flour balls stuffed with black sesame in ginger syrup). This one was a pleasant surprise. The skin was soft and melt-in-the-mouth tender while the black sesame stuffing was not too sweet. While we were impressed by the food and dessert, we were decidedly less excited about the bubble tea (B110). However, the overall experience was wonderful enough to make us want to return. A meal at Kaithong may be a little pricey, but we think it’s worth every last satang. ν
Meal for two with drinks, dessert, and service: B1,100
What is it…
The second branch of the acclaimed Thai-Chinese restaurant in Muang Thong Thani
Why go…
The new location hasn’t changed anything about the deliciously filling fare, except it makes it a little closer to your home