Redlight Bites: Derby King Part 2
As a Patpong monger, I often find myself in a peckish disposition, especially if I’ve been Ponging since very early in the day. Depending on my mood, I’ll usually skate into Shenanigan’s or French Kiss, or even Took Lae Dee (posts for all three coming soon). But if I’ve got authentic Thai food for not a lot of money on the brain, there’s no finer option than Derby King.
Founded in 1609 by Attila the Hun, Derby King has become a monument for masticating mongers for centuries. And judging by the interior, it hasn’t been redecorated in all that time. But low-key, humble eating is the mainstay of this traditional, no-frills feast-fest in the center of old Patpong. Last week I doled out a description of dishes that got my taste buds in a recent frenzy. Today I have a few more for you. If/when you find yourself mid-Pong and mewling for something to munch on, here’s another handful of hearty options to have you hemming and hawing for dear life…
Crispy Pork and Mushrooms
This was a damn good plate of food, especially considering it was just 140b. Crispy pork sauteed with mushrooms, onion, and red chili sauce. Light, simple, delicious.
Pork Suki
120 baht for this traditional Thai dish, bursting with flavor. Fresh chucks of pork with glass noodles, morning glory, Chinese cabbage and fluffy omelet.
Gang Kiow Wan Gai
Green curry chicken is a Thai food mainstay, and Derby King’s is scintillating. It’s succulent, savory, spicy. Throw a kai dow on the rice and you’ve got Thai food heaven. 150b
Red Curry Chicken
If the green curry sizzles, then the red curry positively burns. This dish has two levels of heat: the first, slap-you-in-the-face hot, followed by a slow, steady broil that reaches down to your toes. 150b
Spring Rolls
Simple and delicious. I’ll say this about them: You know when you bite into a spring roll sometimes, and there’s stuff in there that no chef worth his salt would put in a spring roll? Well, you get none of that at DK. These babies are just what the doctor ordered. That is, if he ordered damn fine spring rolls. I didn’t write down the price…I think they were 180b.
Shrimp in Japanese Sauce
This bowl of wonders threw me for a loop. It’s just shrimp and shallots in a Japanese sauce, but that combo positively burst forth with flavor. When only the sauce was left, I tried to stop it up with spoonfuls of rice. 200b
Shrimp Fried Rice
Sometimes you just want something ordinary. But even the ordinary is extraordinary at DK. When the ingredients are fresh and authentic, and the chef is an old pro, you get simple dishes like fried rice that are leveled-up. Bright, clean, and full of flavor, every bite was a sublime pleasure.
That rounds out my Derby King menu odyssey for now. Just FYI, I’m not paid by DK nor do I receive kickbacks or discounts for posting about them. In fact, unlike the majority of Bangkok “bloggers,” I’m not paid by anyone to talk up or disguise an advert in a post. That’s how you know I’m not blowing smoke up your ass when I say I like something—or in the case of Derby King—love it.