Poj Sapa Kar (Cook Somdej)

The former owner-chef of Poj Karn once worked for the royal family, and it’s said that his recipes harken from the kitchens of our crowned heads of state—hence its nickname, Cook Somdej (“the Prince’s Chef”). But don’t expect Poj Karn to be fancy or sophisticated—homey and tasty, yes, but not royal. Situated at the end of Tanao Rd., it’s hard to miss this 82-year-old establishment thanks to a big sign out front. Once you step inside, it’s plastic overload: plastic tablecloths, plastic chairs, plasticplates and plastic fruit posters. This family-run restaurant is a tiny place, with only six tables that are so small that two people can barely fit on the same side. Dining here is more like a visit to your cousin’s than a palace, and it seems the owners might possibly live there, too: TV blares soap operas from a corner of the small air-conditioning room, and once we noticed a little girl coming out of a bathroom covered only in a towel. The laminated one-page menu doesn’t offer anything out of the ordinary—it’s only once the food reaches your table that you notice a few tasty twists have been thrown into these classic recipes. The only low point of a recent visit was a bland rendition of yum pla duk fu (deep-fried minced catfish salad); otherwise, the dishes more than lived up to expectations—especially at these prices. Fluffy khai jiaw (omelet) was spruced up with chopped lemongrass, while the recommended mee krob (sweet crispy rice noodles) had a crisp texture and a nicely balanced sweet and sour sauce. If you are used to ordering tom yam simply out of habit, the rare kaeng jeut luuk rok (egg balls wrapped with pork intestine soup) is a nice change. Or try the terrific kaeng som cha-om khai, which combines a pungent broth with delicious chunks of cha-om omelet. The most “expensive” dish we tried was a very reasonable B150: phong varee thee la kham, bite-size deep-fried sea bass topped with crisp deep-fried Chinese kale, mayonnaise and slices of lime. They offer no dessert, but just head over to nearby Kor Panich to get khaoniew mamuang. Closed on the third Sat of every month.