Wattana Panich - Braised Beef Broth That's Over 50 Years! @ Bangkok in Thailand

Fans of Bangkok would no doubt chance upon the above photo on their social media feed and for me, it kept appearing so often that I told myself; fine, I should check it out, even though beef broth doesn't quite appeal to me.

Especially in Thailand, when I don't quite understand the language except for the standard sawadee, kop khun krap etc, and I am a 101% sure that the gigantic simmering pot of beef broth would contain beef organs that I don't enjoy. 

In case you don't know about this braised beef broth from Wattana Panich; it's legendary and has been brewing in the same pot since 1974, older than me! Now, the pot is cleaned daily but the day's broth is kept and used as a base for the next day; hence, the flavour was said to be intensely rich!

Well, let's get ourselves seated in the hot and humid, and did I mention frustratingly hot Bangkok weather! To be fair, we walked from Ekkamai BTS station, a short 1.8 kilometers away. 

Ordering from the menus, which came in Thai, English and Chinese but no pricing, and the items, while numbered, don't seem the same, after translation! Number 2 was bovine's tendon stewed in English, but the Chinese menu indicated goat's penis soup! 

I ordered from the Chinese menu instead, effectively using my short fingers to point at the dishes I "think" I want. So, the above was numbers 5 and 7; mixed beef broth and beef horfun.

According to the Chinese menu, number five would mean beef ball, beef sliced and braised beef. It didn't include the tendons which I can see peering out from the broth! Anyway, the first thing was to take a sip of the broth; herbal it sure was although the flavour was more smooth, not as rich and not as thick as I thought it would be. 

The selling point here was more the beef; the sliced beef was tender despite being 100% well done, and the braised beef was even better with a tastier flavour compared to the bland sliced beef. Texture of the beef balls didn't disappoint but I do prefer a beefier taste. 

Tendons were the one thing I didn't know how to enjoy.

Other than that, I literally cleaned up the rest, even the broth.

Should I return next time, how do I tell them I didn't want the beef tendons? Maybe I should actively use the Google translate app. 

p.s. Alex liked his beef horfun.

And he is a not a beef lover. 

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Address

336 & 338 Ekkamai Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, 

Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Map

As above.

Pricing

Now, I don't remember if my number 5 cost 150 baht or a total of 150 baht for our meal, including water. My bad.

SW1 Night Market near Asok BTS / Sukhumvit MRT Station @ Bangkok [Thailand]

I profess to be a fan of Bangkok but even I was surprised to chance upon SW1 Night Market! Honestly, I have never heard about it and it was located at prime location; less than 300 meters from Asok BTS station! 

With a perimeter of just about 200 meters, SW1 would be smaller than your conventional night markets in Bangkok. However, the crowd was thinner as well and I could find plenty of seatings, with a chillax atmosphere.

Some photo props to showcase Thailand! 

Not the mirrors, more the tuk tuk.

While food was said to be the main "draw", there were non-food stalls for those who were simply too full given the vast amount of dining options in the capital of Thailand. 

Nothing that particularly caught my attention to be honest. Furthermore, I was hoping for better offers and a much wider variety at Chatuchak Weekend Market.  

Given the many white walls at my small flat, I should really consider having my caricatures being drawn in foreign countries, with their landmarks, so that I can put them up! I can imagine having a good laugh every now and then, given how exaggerated the artists can be. 

The world is really going into retro mode. 

Pins are so my era, and back then; limited designs. 

Now the food; some photographs for your reference on what to expect at SW1 Night Market; nowadays, it's quite the usual but as I mentioned before; only so much I could eat with just one tummy and knowing myself, only when the reviews are superbly good or came with strong recommendations from friends. 

I so wanted seafood in the bag but due to some surgical procedures, I couldn't have any crustaceans! From a seafood lover, this was indeed torturing.

The more exotic fried insects, octopus shots and dancing shrimp; three challenges / dares to give you the Thai experience. I am no stranger to fried insects but I think I am giving the latter two the misses; like much higher risk of a stomach upset. 

Fancy barbecued crocodile skewers? Just seeing those decapitated crocodiles was a real turnoff though! Aside from crocodiles, there were also options for ostrich and deer! 

One thing that I seriously wanted to buy.

Crayon shin chan in the adorable durian costume! 

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Address

222 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Toei, 

Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Map

As above.