CT Side-B – Unexpected greatness on the other side of the culinary world

by : Reiko Other, Rice/Grains, Soup/Stew

Buddha Bowl & Beer with Calamansi

Many of our meals are served in one bowl or one plate because our dining table is small and also to have the fewest dishes to wash.

So we eat this type of rice bowl or Buddha bowl often.

I don’t post every bowl I make, but this, I felt, was worth posting because it turned out to be so pretty and also exceptionally flavorful.

I love everything you see in this bowl, but the golden berries really took it to the next level.

They were perfectly sweet and tangy, and added this great freshness.

I have to add, however, that recently I like to have a cup of miso soup with my meal especially when we have rice.

The Haccho (very dark) miso really makes the soup so tasty and makes me feel home.

I’ve never been a big drinker, but recently my alcohol consumption has been close to zero.

My husband doesn’t drink much either, but he does enjoy an occasional glass of beer.

We had a lot of beautiful calamansi (citrus fruit), and he wanted to add it to his beer, which I thought was a brilliant idea.

You know, just like the Mexican beer, Corona with a lime wedge.

Only his beer was Asahi, though (lol).

(He likes this Japanese beer.)

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March 15, 2025

by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Restaurants

Dinner at Earth House ~ Farm to Table ~

This was our second time to visit this beautiful restaurant (100% plant-based).

I feel so lucky to have a restaurant like this in our walking distance.

Last time we had brunch, so this time I wanted to come here for dinner, but an early dinner (so that I could take nice pictures (lol)).

I also like to have an early dinner because it’s quiet, and I feel staff are more relaxed and attentive.

This time we had a table in a different section from the last time, and I really enjoyed this table with a comfortable seating and the cozy corner.

One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that they offer a tapas menu.

This Mushroom Hummus and the next three dishes were from the tapas menu.

Patatas Bravas.

Chimichurri Eggplant.

This was so good!

My husband is not a big fan of eggplant, so I hesitated to order it, but he actually liked it too.

(In choosing tapas dishes my husband and I agreed on Mushroom Hummus, and then I picked this eggplant dish, and he picked the potato dish.)

Fried Lotus.

We went there on Wednesday, and they had “Buy 2 Get 1 Free Tapas”.

Initially we ordered three dishes, but we were so curious about this, so we ended up ordering this one too.

From their tapas menu, my favorites so far are Chimichurri Eggplant, Stuffed Figs, and Tomato Bruschetta.

(We tried Stuffed Figs and Tomato Bruschetta last time we were here.)

For the main dish we shared this Spicy Gnocchi (pan-fried).

It was delicious!

The gnocchi and the sauce were perfectly cooked and flavored.

I will definitely order it again (although there are so many other dishes I want to try, too though).

We almost skipped a dessert because we were pretty full.

But I’m so glad that we didn’t.

This cheesecake was absolutely amazing!!

A lot of reviewers on Google recommended it, and I agree with them 100% it’s a must.

The pineapple flavor was just too good.

Even though we went there in the (early) evening, it was still quite warm, so we chose a table inside.

But I’m hoping to dine in this beautiful patio one day when we have a comfortable weather.

Here is the link to my previous post about this restaurant when we had brunch.

Check it out.

You can see pictures of Tomato Bruschetta and Stuffed Figs there.

Here is a link to the restaurant’s website.

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March 12, 2025

by : Reiko Noodles/Pasta, Tofu

White Asparagus & Butter Pasta with Ginger

I had never cooked white asparagus before.

Actually, I don’t think I had ever eaten white asparagus either.

So when my farmer box delivered from fruitfarmfolks (you can find them on Instagram) included these beautiful fresh white asparagus, I got so excited.

I did a little research to learn how to prepare and cook it.

I had no idea that I had to trim them first to remove the outer hard part.

It was simply prepared because I wanted to really appreciate the natural taste of this beautiful vegetable.

After boiled, it was served with homemade vegan butter and crunchy panko (with garlic, parsley, and lemon zest).

It was delicious!

On the plate you will also find butter pasta with ginger “tsukudani (braised in soy sauce based sweet sauce)”.

And my tofu “bacon”.

Have you ever tried white asparagus?

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March 11, 2025

by : Reiko Bread, Potatoes/Squash, Sandwiches

Kabocha Salad BLT & Haccho Miso Dip

This was what I made for lunch today.

I toasted my homemade soft buns.

Got all the veggies ready.

Now I got my BLT.

The “bacon” was made of “atsuage” tofu.

I slice it thinly, marinate, and then cook it in the oven until firm and crispy.

I used the braised Kabocha (that I had prepared the night before) to make Kabocha salad.

Because it had already absorbed tasty sauce, I simply added some sliced onion and Dijon mustard dressing.

Looking pretty good, aren’t they?

The vegan mayo was homemade too.

I always use this recipe.

(It’s very forgiving. I don’t measure everything, but it always turns out great.)

Lunch was served!

I always like to have my sandwich with some kind of vegetables (I should say “additional” because the sandwich does already contain a lot of veggies).

The veggie sticks were served with this Haccho Miso butter.

Haccho miso is the darkest and strongest miso in Japana, and it’s my favorite type of miso.

I just mixed Haccho miso, my homemade vegan butter, and sugar.

It’s so good that I can endlessly eat veggie sticks (lol).

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March 9, 2025

by : Reiko Bread, Breakfast

Yuzu Azuki Butter Toast

I had been having craving for Azuki butter toast (in Japan we call it An Butter Toast; “an” means sweet Azuki paste) for a while.

I had just made black sesame sourdough bread, and it was perfect for it.

It’s already good with just Azuki and butter, but this time I thought it would be fun to add this dried yuzu peels.

I also sprinkled some Kinako (roasted soybean powder) and drizzled Matcha syrup.

Luckily, I had some organic fruit delivered in the morning, so they were added to our dining table, too.

Scrumptious!

I really liked the Yuzu peel which brought a bright fresh taste.

It’s always a great day when locally grown organic produce is delivered. 🙂

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March 6, 2025

by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Restaurants

Began Vegan, Walks, and Flower Market

A Thai friend suggested that I should check out Pak Khlong Talat (flower market).

When we were figuring out how to get there, we found out that there was a popular vegan restaurant near the market.

So we made a plan to get to the restaurant for lunch first before visiting the flower market.

It was easy to get to.

Any place within a walking distance from a train station works well for us.

We probably walked for about 10 minutes from Sanam Chai metro station.

It’s on a small alley but easy to find.

We got there a little after 1:00 on Saterday, and it was quite busy.

First, we ordered Thai tea with pistachio milk.

I took a lot of pictures of their menu.

So here they are.

Based on the Google reviews and what other people were eating at the restaurant, Pad Thai, Burger, and Thai Curry seem like the popular dishes.

But we went for something different.

My husband had Full Breakfast Plate.

The plate was so pretty!

Look at the salad!

It was so fresh.

This croissant sandwich was delicious.

I’ve had vegan but very dry croissants before, and they were not like that at all.

There were thick slices of vegan “ham” and some vegan cheese inside.

I had Pumpkin soup.

(I didn’t feel 100% that day, so I went with something light.)

It was not only beautiful but also delicious.

We spotted their cake case, and we couldn’t leave without trying at least one.

We had Vanila Strawberry Cake, and it was so good!

Everything was so good, and before we left the restaurant, we were already talking about coming back.

Once we left the restaurant, full and happy, and turned to the right, this was the view we saw!

It was a nice surprise to see Wat Arun on the other side of the river.

First I didn’t realize, but the restaurant is in a very touristy neighborhood because there were some popular spots like Wat Pho and Grand Palace.

There were a lot of cute shops and cafes, and we enjoyed walking around.

After walking on the main street and small alleys, we were ready to head to the flower market.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many flowers in one spot!

I was looking at the same flowers for a while, and my husband bought some for me :).

They look so good in my kitchen.

And in the bedroom.

(I keep empty jars and use them as a vase :).)

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March 2, 2025

by : Reiko Sweets

Whole (Phu Rue) Orange Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes.

You can really enjoy the orange flavor, and it’s perfect for orange lovers like us.

But to make this cake, I wanted to use organic oranges.

So when I got these in the package from fruitfarmfolks (you can find them on Instagram), I knew it was time.

I didn’t know what kind of orange, so I asked them.

They said these are “Phu Rue” orange, originally from Loei province (I love learning about the food I eat!).

As the name suggests, you use everything, including the peel.

Interestingly, you use almond meal and no flour for this cake, which results in a uniquely moist cake.

This was sooo good!

The orange flavor bursts in your mouth.

I used this recipe.

I’ve made the same cake before using a different pan – take a look here.

This time because the oranges I used had thinner (small amount) peel and there was more moisture compared to the navel orange I used (and the recipe calls for), I had to bake the cake much longer.

The look and the texture of the final result was a little different from my previous one, but it was nonetheless scrumptious.

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February 27, 2025

by : Reiko Noodles/Pasta, Salad

Tomato Berry Salad & Vegan Bolognese Pasta

Eating out in Thailand is cheaper than in the U.S. in general.

But if you want “western type” food, not so much.

So I make “western” food probably more often at home.

Nothing complicated, something simple, like pasta, salad, that kind of things.

This was the last delivery from fruitfarmfolks (you can find them on Instagram).

All organic and locally grown.

I usually get their small package, so I don’t know what I will get until it arrives.

In my last package tofu was included, which was bit of a surprise.

I also received beautiful berries (strawberries, blueberries, golden berries, raspberries), so I created this salad for lunch.

The “cheese” spread beneath the berries/tomatoes was made with the tofu that came in the package.

Sweet balsamic glaze and fresh herbs completed the plate.

For the main dish I made vegan Bolognese pasta.

If you eat out, two delicious bowls of Asian noodle soup cost $5, whereas a meal for two like this could cost over $30.

And, you probably wouldn’t get this many or organic berries.

In Bangkok some people eat out close to 100%, but I don’t think I can ever do that, mainly because I’m particular about what I eat, and more than anything I enjoy the whole process of cooking (from getting the right ingredients to cooking, and to plating) in my kitchen.

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February 25, 2025

by : Reiko Other

Ginger Lemongrass Tea

I had a very good lemongrass tea at a vegan cafe when we were traveling in Malaysia last year.

The memory was vivid because the tea was the best thing we ordered at the particular restaurant (unfortunately, the rest of the items were not great).