PUBLISHED October 27th, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED July 12th, 2017 05:19 am
Chua Kim Huat was one of those word-of-mouth recommendations we took up when we were asking local friends for street food recommendations, especially since goose is something that’s not commonly found, even in Bangkok.
This mom and pop restaurant is a family run business with more than 80 years of heritage, and was started by the current owner’s grandfather when he came to Thailand from China.
We started off with a signature of the stall – the Spare Ribs with Bitter Gourd Soup (35/70 THB). Served in regular and large portions, it definitely gets a thumbs up from us for the tasty bouillon, the fall-off-the-bone-tender pork, and the soft and subtly bitter bitter gourd. If we had to nitpick, we would love for the flavour of the soup to be more intense – perhaps a few more hours in the steamer?
Then came the stars of the meal, the Braised Goose Meat (140/280 THB) and the Mixed Goose Offal (140/280 THB, featuring a mix of goose blood pudding, liver, intestines, wings, necks, and stomach).
Braised Goose Meat, before drizzling sauce
Sourced locally from a farm outside of Bangkok, the goose was cooked perfectly – tender and flavourful, with just the right amount of fat under the skin. But we realized the secret to Chua Kim Huat’s popularity lay in the amazing sauce that the goose is drenched in, as well as the tangy housemade chili and garlic dipping sauce served on the side. Make sure you get some Rice (10 THB) to go with your meal!
If you’re the sort that needs some kind of greens in your meal, the Chap Chye (100THB, mixed veggies with mushroom & pork belly) is here to save the day. First stir-fried then simmered for two hours with soy sauce and goose meat sauce, I don’t think I’ve tried a more flavourful version of this dish, which is definitely more Chinese than Thai.
Chua Kim Huat shopfront
Wash everything down with the restaurant’s complimentary Pandan-Leaf tea. This chilled, cooling beverage is perfect for Bangkok’s all-year summer swell.
On top of this outlet in Khlongsan, they also have another restaurant in the Pathumwan neighbourhood at 1977-1979 Banthat Thong Road, open 10am-9pm daily (call +66 2 6116946), which might be more convenient if you’re just visiting Bangkok and staying in the tourist stretch.