If you are ever in Bangkok, swing by & say hello to my dad's widow, Yupin, at her restaurant, which is called HOME COOKING. Here's a review that was just in the Bangkok Post:
Home Cooking, Peninsula Plaza, third level, Ratchadamri Road
Tel. : 02-252-3544
Open : daily (except Sun) from 11am-6pm
Price :
01/07 Aroma is one of the most important factors of home-style cooking, and that was the first thing that greeted us upon our arrival. That great smell was presumably from the blanquette de veau (300 baht), a new dish just out of the oven. The dish, considered by many culinary gurus to be an institution of French cuisine, comprises chunks of veal slowly cooked in French white wine sauce.
Here the veal stew is served with rice, smartly cooked in seasoned stock to enhance the flavour. The meat was melt-in-the-mouth tender and the sauce was memorably flavourful.
Apart from the list on the chalkboard, Home Cooking's simple looking menu features a decent variety of home-style Western dishes including soup, salad, gratin, pasta and meat dishes.
You really shouldn't miss the confit of duck (250 baht), simply because nobody else who dines here does. The deep-fried leg, served with pan-fried potato slices, was unbeatably good. The duck was crispy on the outside and moist and flavourful on the inside.
Luckily for us, we also had a chance to sample Yupin's stuffed duck (300 baht per serving) which was on the specials menu. It is perhaps the next best thing to her famous Thanksgiving turkey; in case you missed out on that particular treat. The duck, deboned and filled with delicious hearty stuffing (a mixture of liver, dried apple, ground pork, fresh sausage and whole chestnuts) was served in generously thick slices with steamed vegetables.
Our duck day at Home Cooking was to continue. The next dish, peach duck (250 baht), offered slices of breast meat - super tender and juicy - on a bed of peach sauce, accompanied by peach slices and mashed potato. The duck was perfectly prepared and the sauce was not overly sweet - there was no chance of anything other than complete satisfaction.
Yupin playfully boasted that her burgers were the most carefully prepared and certainly the most delicious in town. And so we decided to give home burger (160 baht) a try. Truly deserving of the word 'beefy', the thick patty was juicy and well seasoned and can be cooked to your preference from medium rare to well done. It arrived on a home-baked bun with nothing but a couple slices of grilled tomato. Even so, there's no need to ask for the works - everything is already there, even the bacon. They were just blended in seamlessly with the ground beef. Lamb lovers may want to try the home-made lamb burger (250 baht), although you may have to check its availability.
You can't leave Home Cooking without sampling one of the desserts. One of the sure-fire recommendations is the strawberry shortcake (100 baht), which presents a light but lavish buttery cake with scrumptious fresh strawberry syrup. As others were praising the shortcake, I tried the baked apple (70 baht). Featuring a whole apple cut in half and glazed with in a liquory syrup, the dish though unremarkable to look at was aromatic and unstoppably yummy.
Whether you are a finicky diner looking for an impeccable feast or a weary shopper in need of comfort food, Home Cooking is a place you can call home.
Originally reviewed by VANNIYA SRIANGURA
