They might have recently moved to a new location but the legendary Suan Sone (previously on Ploenchit) has thankfully retained its ability to whip up amazing Hainanese food. Despite (or perhaps because) it’s been around for so long, this place remains packed with loyal customers who flock here for the comforting, authentic and often difficult-to-find dishes. They certainly don’t come for the ambience, set as it is in a sizeable shophouse: get ready to overhear every word of the next table’s conversation and the owners’ passionate conversations about food. But you won’t care once you start sampling the menu of dishes on the wall, classics like the kanom jeen Hailum (B40). The dish has an excellent broth and the high quality kapi (shrimp paste) that comes with the noodles is insanely delicious—pungent but so well-balanced. Indeed everything works together in perfect harmony. The ‘dry’ version comes with a rich gravy sauce derived from the beef stock and properly-cleaned and fresh pakee riw (cow’s intestine) to provide the crunchy texture. Another must-order dish is the jab chai pad haeng (stir-fried vegetables, B100) . The woonsen (rice vermicelli) is cooked with small pieces of perfectly cooked liver, aromatic gung haeng (dried baby shrimps), pork stomach and tofu skin—it all blends together into an addictively fatty treat. It has a rich flavor and a wonderful fragrance thanks to use of ingredients like the sesame oil. In fact, perfect seasoning, quality ingredients and a superb understanding of flavors are what make all the dishes at Suan Sone so special, from the naturally sweet and juicy beef in the nuea pad nammun hoy (stir-fried beef with oyster sauce) to the delicate use of pepper in the hearty stir-fried goat meat (B200) to tone down the very rich and thick texture of the goat. It’s also all resolutely authentic, refusing to kow tow to Bangkokian tastes and trends. Take the most classic dish of all, khao mun gai (B40), as an example. This is the real deal Hainanese version so don’t expect to be served very fatty chicken like at the typical stalls. Instead, the chicken is drier and the rice is blessed with a grainy exterior but wonderfully tender and fluffy interior. Suan Sone might have no frills and little fanfare but if we find ourselves craving the very best Hainanese food in town, then this is where we will definitely head.
