Essence of Suki

It's a slow news day, so here are some pictures from one of my favorite restaurants - Ruen Petch Suki. As far as I know, it's the original Thai Suki restaurant in Bangkok. It has that old Thai look and feel to it - the walls have never been painted, the tables wobble, all the staff appear to be related, and there's in old lady with big hair that sits in the corner and does nothing but collect money.


Suki is a Japanese import and is, basically, boiled meat and vegetables. The fun part about Suki is that you cook it yourself. Here's a picture of one of the pots.

Here's the menu. I passed on the Pig heart, small intestines, and bladder.


Since boiling meat and vegetables is fairly standard, the secret to any successful Suki restaurant is the sauce - with the recipe being a carefully guarded secret.


However, I have to give Ruen Petch some credit. Their raw egg and brown flavor enhancers, served on top of the raw meat, are unique among Suki restaurants. I'm not sure what makes up the brown stuff, and followed the first rule Thai cuisine - as long as it's good, don't ask what it is.

Dessert comes after you've finished your meal and the broth has boiled away, leaving a brown sludge-like substance that can only be described as Essence of Suki.

It can also be used in place of motor oil.