After moving around several times since being kicked out of their original spot on Rama 3 Road, Moo Hun Song Pee Nong has finally found a real home on Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Road. The atmosphere is pretty typical of an old shophouse, with an open-air dining area filled with red plastic chairs, and a bright green accent wall serving as the lone decor effort. But people love this place for its famous barbecued suckling-pig, considered a real delicacy.
So it’s a pity that the other dishes here aren’t really up to scratch. The mee pad kached (stir fried rice noodles with water mimosa, B200) is just too soggy and comes with an overpowering sweet chili paste. The por pia Hong Tay (spring roll with chicken, B160) isn’t as elegant looking as its Chinese emperor-evoking name. The rolls are nice and crispy, but the big chunk of chicken inside is too dry, while the taro and salted egg make for a one-dimensional flavor.
On our last visit, their hot appetizer platter (B300) did not resemble the pictures in the menu, in fact coming with some completely different components. Of the four, only the stir-fried fish maw with eggs and crispy chicken with cashew nut hit the spot; the stir-fried vegetables with shitake mushroom was far too overcooked and the sausages tasted of flour.
Despite these missteps, it’s worth a visit for the popular barbecued sucklingpig. They offer two options: B1,350 for Hong Kong style and B1,250 for normal grilled. With the latter, the skin is thin and crispy, perfectly grilled to remove all the fat. It goes delightfully with their warm Chinese bun (B20 per piece). After eating the skin, you pay another B60 for them to cook the meat in a style of your choice, ranging from stir-fried with black peppers, or with chili and herbs or just deep-fried with garlic. The latter is particularly crunchy and satisfying.
For a bit of spice, the yam sam saeb (B140) is decent, with a super tangy dressing of lime and chili over fresh oyster and half-boiled squid. Really, though, there’s only one reason to visit: the cheap, tasty pork.
