NARA - ONE OF MY FAVE FAVOURITES OF RESTAURANTS IN BANGKOK

OMG! How can I not blog about Nara restaurant which I have been recommending to all and sundry off blog? I have been to their branches at Central World, EM Quartier and Grand Hyatt Erawan. My suggestion is don't go to the Grand Hyatt Erawan branch because it is too cramped for my delicate state and your orders will spill over the small tables as well (see pic below).  

I have tried many of Nara's salads at different locations and they are all very, very, very good. The magic lies in the combination of various Thai spices and juices of the dressing. Throw in the wonderful and unusual ingredients like warm gooey eggplant or fried piquant seabass as well. Mel introduced me to their raw prawns with the amazing dip which you most certainly should try. 

The menu is extensive and you will have a great time deciding what you should sample. I have liked every dish we had so far and that's quite a few over the past two years (I am the type that likes to order things I have never tried). But there was once Mel and I ordered their otah cakes and we both sulked after the first bite. Only that one time, I swear. 

There is always a queue at the branch in Central World so you should make a reservation or expect to take a number and wait. It was a weekday when Pauline and I went to EM Quartier for lunch and it was practically empty. 

These were what Pauline and I had and we strongly recommend them all:

Deep fried pork neck with sesame seed (koh moo tord hgar; 150 baht) - if someone can fry my neck this way when I expire, it will be an honour. 

Racha Sukhothai (280 baht) - a noodle soup offering with lots of yummy ingredients that you'll want to take it to a corner of the room and devour them all by yourself. 

Seabass with spicy lemongrass (yum trakai pla krapong; 270 baht) - let the juices mix with the flow of yours na ka. Hmm, I am not sure if that came out right . . . 

The raw prawn dish I was hyperventilating about:

 Dinner at the Central World branch in May this year: