Southeast Asia, beyond being the preferred destination for newly singles who want to live a backpacking adventure to rediscover themselves, offers a wide variety of delicious cuisines. Countries like Thailand, Indonesia or Vietnam have cuisines with centuries of history and a multitude of dishes that today can be eaten in other parts of the world. In Spain, for example, it is becoming more and more common to see Thai or Vietnamese restaurants, and preparations such as banh mi or the nasi goreng They already sound familiar to many who have not gone on a tourist-spiritual trip and have come back valuing the little things in life.
Since we have been enjoying locals that serve recipes originating from these lands in some cities for years, at El Comidista we have set out to make a list of restaurant recommendations where you can try them. Yes, we know that Southeast Asia as a geographical region encompasses more countries, but here we have focused on three cuisines: Vietnamese, Indonesian and Thai. And one last clarification: we have limited ourselves to the preferred places of the experts consulted; If you know of a place where you can eat almost better than in the historic center of Bangkok, you can leave your praise in the comments block or on social networks.
MADRID
According to Ernesto Vaca-Pereira, coordinator of the cultural relations agency VietHouse, this restaurant, open since 2013, is the oldest Vietnamese that exists today in Madrid. Among Ernesto’s recommendations are the starters, “ideal for summer, like the typical Vietnamese roll –nem vietnam-, the veal salad –nộm beither– or the crispy rice cracker with quail (cơm chien)”. “It also has one of the most original Vietnamese dishes: cánh gà, which are boneless chicken wings stuffed with minced pork, accompanied with chicken salad. We always say that this recipe is the definitive test to know if the food is homemade”, says Vaca-Pereira.
Rrestaurant vietnam: c/ de las Huertas, 4. Madrid. Phone: 917553126. Map.
“Regarding this type of gastronomy, I think there are two quite iconic places in Madrid, and the main one I would say is Kitchen154. Alexander Leftyits owner, is a fan of them and is always experimenting and innovating the menu of its premises”, says Alfonso D. Martín, our commissioner expert in the flavors of the East. “His recipes are inspired by street food, and he doesn’t cut corners to adapt them to the European palate, which I love. He makes very interesting fusions -I once tried some sausage gyozas that, well, I could eat 100-, but he respects the integrity of Southeast Asian cuisine”, declares Alfonso. “Right now they are going to withdraw -or perhaps they have already withdrawn- some knives nam prik that they are crazy”, he concludes.
Kitchen154: w/ Agreement, 3 andc/ Vallehermoso, 36. Phone: 918191695.
The other Madrid temple of Southeast Asian cuisine for Alfonso D. Martín is Krachai. “Unlike Kitchen, this place is much more restaurantized. It has an extensive menu and I think they do a great job of presenting all kinds of flavors and aromas of Thai cuisine, although the price fails me: it’s expensive, and Thai cuisine doesn’t have to be,” he says. commissioner. “But it is, without a doubt, a very good option for all those who are interested in this type of gastronomy. They have a wide variety of curries of all kinds, and their tom yum of prawns resurrects a dead person”, praises Alfonso.
Krahai: w/ of Ferdinand VI, 11. Madrid. Phone: 918336556. Map.
The aforementioned Alejandro Zurdo, owner and chef of Kitchen154 with whom we cooked a Thai green curry a few months ago, opts for Asian Army, a restaurant located in the Antón Martín market: “In this place they cook a cuisine from Southeast Asia Quite authentic, especially from Indonesia and Malaysia. They have very good dishes, like the laksa -spicy soup with noodles, coconut and prawns-, which is quite tasty, their starters or the char kwai teow (stir-fried thick rice noodles),” says Alejandro.
Asian Army: c/ de Santa Isabel, 5. Mercado Antón Martín, ground floor, stall 7-11. Madrid. Phone: 680 54 39 42. Map.
“Germán, former chef at Kitchen154, opened this place along the lines of Southeast Asian street cooking with some Indian touches, although most of the dishes are Thai and Vietnamese,” says Alejandro Zurdo. “The green chicken curry is super tasty. Also the bun chaa very traditional dish in the streets of Hanoi consisting of grilled pork with noodles, or beef salad (laab neua). They are authentic, spicy and very strong dishes,” says Zurdo.
Yeca Estri Fud: Tribulete street, 10. Madrid. Phone: 638255363. Map.
BARCELONA
“The chef with Chinese-Indonesian roots Andrey Finanta prepares dishes from these countries, Thailand or Vietnam in this tiny Asian restaurant in El Raval. Such a pan-Asian hodgepodge usually ends in disaster in many places, but here you find simple, tasty delicacies, not too tacky and quite faithful to the originals,” says foodie bigwig Mikel López Iturriaga. “Another point in favor is that the place is unpretentious, and that everything is done at the moment with patience and a good hand,” says Mikel, who warns that it is essential to make a reservation given the size of the place.
MAkan Makan: c/ de la Lluna, 4. Barcelona. Phone: 930012912. Map.
Anna Duangruthai, president of the SAMMKHI Friends of Thailand Associationbased in Barcelona, advises us to eat at the Thai Erawan restaurant, specializing in cuisine from the northeast of this Asian country: “For those who like intense spice, they should go to this place and try some of their dishes. In particular stand out the salads, like the larb moo -made with pork meat-, bamboo or papaya,” recommends Duangruthai.
Thai Erawan: c/ Sant Pere d’Abanto, 16. Barcelona. Phone: 930072260. Map.
“As starters they have a lot of different rolls and very tasty chicken satay skewers (and tofu with the same marinade in a vegan version). Likewise, the salads and soups have powerful and fresh flavors, herbs and cheerful dressings”, begins the editor-in-chief commissioner Monica Escudero. As for the curries, Escudero comments that the massaman duck with vegetables “is rich and powerful”, the green “bites without fear” and the yellow “is very soft, perfect for beginners”. “They also have woks with different combinations of vegetables and sauces with which you can choose which protein you prefer and a lot of very tasty vegetarian options,” says Mònica.
Little Bangkok: w/ from Vallirana, 29; w/ from Balmes, 106and c/ of Avila, 87. Barcelona. w/ Jesus, 55. Sitge (Barcelona).
The second recommendation made to us by the SAMMKHI Friends of Thailand Association is in the Barcelona neighborhood of Sant Antoni: Lamun Cuina Thai. “It is a different Thai restaurant, with a modern touch, but that preserves the authentic and original flavor. Among all the elaborations that they offer in this place, the pad thaithe tom yum khung -spicy broth with different spices and prawns- or rice dumplings, for example”.
Lamun Cuina Thai: c/ de Viladomat, 73. Barcelona. Phone: 931066645. Map.
VALENCIA
The foodie Josep Navarro advises us to visit Thai Mongkut, a Thai man who has three stores in his hometown, Valencia: “You can enjoy some of his curries in a space that mixes the architecture of that country with the local one. Of all the ones they have on the menu, one turns me crazy: the red one with peppers, aubergine, basil, beans and red chili served with white Thai jasmine rice”. Josep points out that this place also offers a series of tasting menus that, according to his point of view, are the best option, “because that way you try the most typical dishes at a fixed price that is not at all abusive.”
Thai Mongkut: c/ Crown, 8; c/ Seville, 27, and av. Aragon, 28.
SARAGOSSA
We moved to the capital tomorrow with the recommendation of the commissioner claudia polo: “In Zaragoza there is not much on offer, although in the very center there is a small place where they only serve Vietnamese food to take away. Corner of Hanoi is a place that goes almost unnoticed unless you pass by during rush hour, since there is usually a queue of people buying one of their homemade dishes. According to Claudia, at the entrance they have a board where they write down what is there every day: “Soy noodles, Vietnamese soup, mango salad, beef and curry stews or nems. All at a very affordable price (around 6 euros)”. “It is not the best Vietnamese food in the world nor does it claim to be. It’s austere and simple, but you’re happy with a midday without the desire to cook and a quick craving for Vietnamese food,” says Polo.
Hanoi Corner: w/ of the New Tower, 17. Zaragoza. Phone: 666496289. Map.
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