Longcheu Restaurant
August 24th, 2007
We all have secrets. Some might call it their “local”—it’s the little neighborhood gem where you go early in the week to indulge your cravings but would never think about taking a first date to. This small six-table restaurant, which caters to Klong Toey regulars (including elderly women and the occasional young family) is that kind of place. With the omnipresent pork bun cart parked out front, style and décor isn’t the main focus here; rather it’s the homestyle Chinese cuisine that keeps us coming back time after time. White tile flooring, white walls adorned with a few horse posters (and a Singha poster that hung upside-down for at least three months) and chairs that still have the plastic protective covering over them—the atmosphere has Grandma written all over it. But the food is tasty and cheap, just how we like it—almost everything is under B120. The menu includes a wide variety of Chinese specialties involving pig bellies and ears, along with traditional favorites and off-the-beaten-path entrees. For B10, you get all the herbal Chinese tea you can drink, which can be quite rejuvenating after a wild weekend. Fresh chilies, garlic and coriander are offered alongside the usual soy sauce and vinegar. The steamed dumplings (pork with leek, celery or cabbage for B49) are extremely addictive (we witnessed a table of four consume 48 of them). A favorite is the hot bean curd with pork (B79), soft chunks of tofu that benefits with D-I-Y sprinkling chilies, garlic and coriander. The crispy eggplant fries are a bit unusual but taste great. They are best enjoyed piping hot out of the fryer, so be sure to scarf them down before they cool and congeal (B79). Braised pork-stuffed hot peppers (B100) are fresh and rustic, something like your mother might make—that is, if your mother was Chinese. Also check out the braised string beans—they’re lightly salted with a satisfying snap in each bite (B79). The TV might be blaring, but the young couple who own the eatery is eager to please and the service is more attentive than many high-end restaurants. Longcheu isn’t fancy, trendy or cutting edge, but it’s not trying to be. It’s just a great little neighborhood restaurant.
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