Samyan Thai Street Food: A Food Stall by a Michelin-Recognized Chef
Since the beginning of the month, I’ve been writing about the Thai food spots in Poblacion (Makati), the city’s thriving food and nightlight hub prior to the pandemic (see the list here). I also featured my favorite Thai food spot in the country—Krapow MNL (read it here). Today, I’m featuring another food spot, which is Samyan Thai Street Food.
Samyan is a stall at The Grid Food Market in Power Plant Mall, Rockwell. It’s helmed by Thai chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn, who owns the Michelin-recognized Le Du (1 star) and Baan (Bib Gourmand) in Bangkok. The Thai food stall serves dishes that are inspired by the street food Chef Ton used to eat at Samyan Market.
Recently, the food stall received a Thai SELECT Casual Award from the Department of International Trade Promotion of Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce. This recognition is awarded to establishments outside Thailand that offer Thai food with authentic Thai taste. So in Samyan, you’re not just having delicious food created by a Michelin chef but also food with authentic Thai flavors!
Here are the food I tried at Samyan:
Beef Massaman Curry
Massaman Curry is a Thai dish made of protein, typically beef or chicken, stewed in coconut milk and a blend of spices. It’s said to be a fusion dish, combining Middle Eastern or South Asian spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and cumin, and local ingredients like galangal and lemongrass. I find it similar to the Malay Rendang. However, massaman has potatoes and peanuts.
Beef Massaman Curry (P360; plating mine)
Samyan’s version has ultra-tender chunks of beef swimming in a cumin-y and peanut-y gravy. There are peanuts, potatoes, and shallots, adding texture. This dish is world of flavors and textures, and it’s one of my favorite dishes for 2020 (check my list here).
Braised Pork Leg Rice
Braised Pork Leg Rice, or Khao Kha Moo in Thai, is a standard Thai street food. It’s an aromatic dish with Chinese influences, specifically Teochew (I’m reminded of the Singaporean Kway Chap).
Braised Pork Leg Rice (P359; plating mine)
Samyan’s version has an ultra-tender pork and melt-in-the-mouth fat, braised in a flavorful gravy with strong five spice aroma. The egg adds creaminess and bounce, bokchoy some crunch, and coriander some freshness. It’s served with spicy and tangy chili sauce and salty mustard greens, adding more flavors. Also, the dish is more savory than sweet; maybe it’s just the Filipino in me because I’m used to sweet Pata Tim and Pork Humba. LOL. Overall, this is a great dish!
Pork Curry Noodle Soup (Khao Soi Moo) DIY Kit
Common in Northern Thailand especially in the city of Chiang Mai, Khao Soi is a dish that consists of egg noodles (both soft and crispy) swimming in a rich coconut gravy that has Burmese flavors. It’s typically available in beef and chicken options. But in some parts of Thailand, pork (moo) is also offered.
Pork Curry Noodle Soup DIY Kit (P950)
While khao soi moo is offered freshly cooked at Samyan, I opted to try their do-it-yourself (DIY) kit. I’ll write more about my DIY kit experience next Monday.
Pork Krapao
Pad krapao (krapow or gaprao) is literally “stir fried krapao (holy basil).” It's any protein (typically minced beef, chicken, or pork) stir-fried with the herb, topped on rice, and served with fried egg.
Pork Krapao (P250; plating mine)
I made a comparison of Samyan’s version and Krapow MNL’s. Read the article here to know what I think of Samyan’s pork kaprao and which one I find better between the two.
Thai Roast Pork
Samyan’s Thai Roast Pork/crispy pork belly isn’t the best that I have ever tried. However, you can’t go wrong with roast pork with crispy skin, tender meat, and sinful fat!
Thai Roast Pork (P240; plating mine)