Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food: A Culinary Oasis in the Heart of Bangkok

This review explores Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food, a hidden gem nestled near the BTS Saphan Kwai station. With its focus on clean eating and a variety of enticing dishes, this bistro caters to both health-conscious individuals and those seeking a satisfying culinary experience.

A Haven for Clean Food Enthusiasts

Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food stands out for its commitment to clean eating. The menu boasts an array of dishes crafted with fresh, wholesome ingredients, free from artificial additives and processed sugars. This dedication to healthy cuisine makes it an ideal destination for those seeking nutritious and delicious meals.

A Culinary Journey for All Palates

Beyond its focus on clean eating, Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food offers a diverse menu that caters to a wide range of tastes. From classic Thai dishes to innovative fusion creations, the bistro presents a culinary journey that tantalizes the senses. Whether you crave a comforting Pad Thai or a contemporary salad with a unique twist, Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food has something to satisfy every craving.

A Convenient Escape for Busy Professionals

Located conveniently near the BTS Saphan Kwai station, Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food provides a welcome respite for busy professionals seeking a quick and healthy lunch or dinner. The bistro's inviting atmosphere and efficient service make it an ideal spot to unwind and refuel during a hectic workday.

A Must-Try for Food Lovers and Health Aficionados Alike

Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food is a culinary gem that deserves a visit from both food lovers and health enthusiasts. With its commitment to clean eating, diverse menu, and convenient location, the bistro offers a unique and satisfying dining experience that is sure to leave a lasting impression.

The Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food, also known as Brown Sugar Bistro, is located in the Community Mall of the Ideo Mix condominium on Phaholyothin Road. (The actual project name is as follows, but I think it's easier to understand and find if you call it Ideo Mix Saphan Kwai.) For those arriving by BTS, get off at Saphan Kwai station and take exit 4. Walk towards Chatuchak Park for about 30-40 meters and you will reach the restaurant. The restaurant is very close to the BTS station. For those driving, if you are coming from Chatuchak Park, drive along Phaholyothin Road and you will see the Ideo Mix condominium on your left, just before the Saphan Kwai BTS station.

For those who drive, it is necessary to exchange your card according to the regulations of entering the condo area. Please inform the security guard that you are here to dine. They will then direct you to park your car behind the building. If you have your parking card stamped by the restaurant, you can park for free for 3 hours. However, if you prefer convenience and want to park in front of the condo, you can only park for 30 minutes. If you exceed this time limit, you will have to pay a rather expensive parking fee. T__T

Upon reaching the Community Mall of Ideo Mix Saphan Khwai, with Max Value located below, ascend the stairs to the second floor. Brown Sugar Bistro will be visible at the corner. Brown Sugar Bistro is a small establishment with approximately 6-7 tables inside, accommodating around 25-30 patrons. Additionally, there are 3-4 outdoor tables that can seat approximately 15 individuals. The outdoor seating area is ideal for pleasant weather days or evenings when the sun is not too intense, creating a relaxing ambiance.

The interior design of Brown Sugar Bistro is characterized by its simplicity and calming color palette. The absence of excessive ornamentation creates a serene atmosphere. Some tables offer glimpses of lush greenery outside, further enhancing the visual appeal.

The restaurant's menu is extensive, offering a wide variety of dishes, from appetizers like spring rolls, french fries, nuggets, and chicken wings to main courses, rice dishes, salads, vegetarian options, desserts, and beverages. With over 100 items on the menu, you could dine here every day for a month without repeating a dish. The restaurant's signature dishes feature sea bass, which occupies an entire page of the menu.

The restaurant also offers a Clean Food menu, which is primarily available for delivery in the form of lunch boxes. The Clean Food menu features a variety of dishes, but I will discuss it in more detail later. The restaurant kindly provided me with some Clean Food to sample at home. For my dine-in experience, I ordered some of the restaurant's signature dishes, which I will describe below.

• Stir-fried Sea Bass with Chili Paste (149 Baht)

• Braised Grouper with Taro in Clay Pot (189 Baht)

• Stir-fried tofu with chili and salt (115 baht)

• Minced pork stir-fried with fermented soybean paste (129 baht)

• Deep-fried Sea Bass with Fish Sauce (320 Baht)

• Deep-fried Minced Pork Salad (99 Baht)

• Shrimp fritters (159 baht)

• Stir-fried Tom Yum with Mixed Seafood in a Hot Pan (199 Baht)

• Riceberry rice (20 baht)

• BSB Brownie and Ice Cream (125 Baht)

How about that? Judging from the list of each item, it looks delicious, doesn't it? And I must say that it's not just the names that look delicious, because the actual appearance of the food is just as delicious as the names. > <

Our first dish was the "Stir-fried Sea Bass with Curry Paste," which lived up to its billing as a signature dish. All three of us on the entertainment-focused dining team agreed that this dish was exceptional. The fish was fresh, firm, and cut into large pieces, and the flavor was well-balanced with a generous amount of spices, especially galangal. This dish is a must-try for fans of stir-fried curry and spicy food. However, due to the large size of each fish piece, the dish does not contain a large number of pieces. This is a trade-off, as larger pieces mean fewer pieces overall. If you are dining with a group and find that the number of pieces is insufficient, you can try sharing or ordering a larger size. The dish I had was the small size.

The second dish, "Steamed Grouper with Taro in Hot Pot," features fried grouper. It's best to eat this dish as soon as it's served, as the fish will become softer over time. If you don't enjoy fried fish in soup, you can request a different option without fried fish. The overall taste is good, and the highlight for me was the delicious taro in the hot pot.

This menu item is also available in a smaller portion for those with a smaller appetite or dining in a group of 2-3 people.

Moving on to the third dish, "Salt and Pepper Fried Tofu," this dish was unanimously voted the best dish of the meal. I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't absolutely hate egg tofu. The tofu is fried to perfection, with a golden-yellow exterior and a slight crispness. The interior remains soft, and most importantly, not a single piece of tofu is cracked. Finally, the combination of the tofu and the chili peppers on the plate is simply delicious.

The fourth dish, "Minced Pork Stir-Fried with Fermented Mustard Greens," was the least impressive dish of the meal. Not that it wasn't delicious, but it wasn't quite like the Minced Pork Stir-Fried with Fermented Mustard Greens I've had before. The way I've had it since childhood, it's more of a dry stir-fry with lots of fermented mustard greens and a salty flavor. You can't eat it plain; you have to eat it with a lot of rice porridge or plain rice to balance it out. But the Minced Pork Stir-Fried with Fermented Mustard Greens at Brown Sugar Bistro is more of a saucy dish with a fair amount of pork to fermented mustard greens. As a result, the flavor isn't as salty, and you can eat it plain without needing rice.

Consider your preferences when choosing a style. If you enjoy a generous amount of pork, a mild saltiness, and a fatty texture, this dish will likely appeal to you. However, if you are accustomed to the style I grew up with, you may find it somewhat unusual.

The next menu item is "Sea Bass Fried in Fish Sauce." The fish is medium-sized, not too big. The fish is fried well, crispy and fluffy throughout. Even if left for a long time, it does not become tough. You can eat almost the whole fish, from head to tail. I am sure that anyone who likes fried sea bass will definitely like this menu. And the fish that is fried will not be wasted because it can be eaten in almost every part.

The accompanying dipping sauce is a spicy, tangy concoction, similar to a Thai-style "yam" salad dressing. Unlike many other restaurants that use a sweet sauce with mango, this one is refreshingly savory.

Next up is the "deep-fried minced pork salad," which comes with a generous portion of around 20 pieces. This is another dish that the restaurant excels at. The pork is fried to perfection, with a crispy exterior and a tender interior, avoiding the pitfall of being overly crunchy throughout. The minced pork salad is also generously seasoned with spices, making it a delightful accompaniment to both rice and alcoholic beverages.

The seventh menu item, "Fried Shrimp Cakes," consists of four large pieces. The shrimp content is generous, and children and those who dislike spicy food will likely enjoy it. However, I found the pieces to be a bit thin. If they were thicker, it would be much better. Because they are thin, when you bite into them, you can easily taste the flour on the outside, making the shrimp seem less abundant than it actually is. I believe that if the restaurant could adjust the shape of the pieces, it would be more appealing to many customers.

The final savory dish is the "Stir-fried Tom Yum with Mixed Seafood in a Hot Pot." This menu is available in both hot pot and regular versions. The hot pot version is 40 baht more expensive, but I recommend it if your budget allows, as it looks much more appetizing. The broth is bubbling hot and the ingredients look fresh and delicious.

The sizzling hot pan was generously filled with shrimp, shellfish, and squid, all of which were of a decent size and lived up to the price. The shrimp and squid were particularly large, but the shellfish were a bit disappointing. Despite their large shells, they shrunk considerably after being cooked. The overall flavor was excellent, with a spicy and fragrant tom yum broth that paired perfectly with the steaming rice.

This dish might not be suitable for those who are not particularly fond of tom yum soup. However, for those who enjoy tom yum flavors, this dish is likely to be a hit. The accompanying brown rice, cooked to perfection by the restaurant, is both soft and delicious, making for a truly enjoyable dining experience.

Okay, the main savory dishes are done, but we still have drinks, snacks, and desserts to go. Let's start with drinks without further ado.

The Brown Sugar Bistro offers a wide variety of beverages, including tea, coffee, fruit juice, Italian soda, soft drinks, beer, and cocktails. This selection caters to a diverse clientele, including children, adults, teenagers, women, and men. For today's visit, our group of three opted for the following drinks:

• Watermelon juice (65 baht)

• Lemonade (65 Baht)

• Iced Milk Tea with Toppings (75 Baht)

The watermelon juice was served in a small, aesthetically pleasing jug-shaped container. The taste was sweet, refreshing, and met the standards of good watermelon juice. The lemonade, served in a tall glass, was also delicious.

The iced milk tea with toppings is arguably the most peculiar drink on the menu. The tea itself, brewed from an espresso machine, boasts a pleasant flavor and a rich, milky aroma. The sweetness is subtle, and the tea lacks excessive bitterness, making it a commendable milk tea option. However, the toppings, which include cornflakes, basil seeds, and chia seeds, are not to my personal preference. I believe that substituting them with grass jelly or simply enjoying the plain milk tea would better suit my palate. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that many individuals may appreciate the unique combination of toppings offered.

Dessert Delights at Brown Sugar Bistro

Moving on to the dessert section, Brown Sugar Bistro offers a diverse selection of sweet treats, including traditional Thai favorites like tri-colored bua loy (sweet dumplings) and kluay buad chee (banana in coconut milk). However, due to our already full stomachs, we opted for a single dessert: the BSB Brownie and Ice Cream. This choice was driven by the fact that the brownies are homemade by the owner, leading us to believe they would be exceptional.

The BSB brownie and ice cream menu item takes a bit of time to prepare, as the restaurant needs to warm the brownie and decorate the plate. The vanilla ice cream is average in taste, but the brownie is delicious. The Brown Sugar Bistro brownie is dry with a slightly crispy top and chocolate chip toppings. When warmed, the chocolate chips melt slightly, making it even more appealing. The whipped cream on the day I visited was sweet, which I personally found a bit unbalanced. However, the restaurant informed me that they will be switching to unsweetened whipped cream in the future, which should make the dessert more balanced in flavor.

Summary of the Menu:

This review highlights the deliciousness of the brownie, particularly for those who enjoy brownies but not ice cream. The reviewer recommends ordering the brownie alone, priced at 50 baht, as it offers a satisfying experience while saving money.

After the savory dishes, drinks, and desserts, everyone must have noticed that almost all the dishes I ate were far from being Clean Food, right? Therefore, to be consistent with the name of the restaurant, what we will talk about next is the Clean Food menu. The restaurant's Clean Food menu is very diverse, with almost 20 items. Some items, I was a bit confused about how they could be Clean, but with the chef's skills, they were able to make them. @_@

Brown Sugar Bistro's Clean Food: A Delivery-Focused Option for Health-Conscious Individuals

Brown Sugar Bistro's Clean Food primarily focuses on delivery, catering to health-conscious individuals with affordable meal options priced at 89 baht per box. Customers can purchase multiple boxes in a package for a discounted price, allowing them to stock up on healthy meals. Delivery covers the entire Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR), but specific delivery fees may vary and should be confirmed with the restaurant. During my visit, I had the opportunity to sample three different meal boxes:

• Brown rice stir-fry + grilled mackerel

• Chicken and tofu stir-fry with mixed vegetables

• Chicken curry rice

The overall taste is what I would call "clean food." It is lightly seasoned and focuses on boiling and steaming. However, the overall taste is still good and I would say it is tastier than many other clean food restaurants I have been to. However, those who prefer strong, sweet flavors may not enjoy it as much. In terms of price, I have to be honest and say that clean food is generally more expensive than regular food. However, it is in line with the prices of many other clean food restaurants. There may be some restaurants that are slightly cheaper, but the portions are also smaller.

The chicken curry rice menu, after I tried it, I think it's more like chicken curry stir-fry.

Besides offering Clean Food, Brown Sugar Bistro also provides lunch sets featuring 3-4 of the restaurant's signature dishes, such as minced pork stir-fried with fermented soybean paste, stir-fried holy basil with northern Thai sausage, shrimp cakes, and deep-fried minced pork salad. These sets are served with either white rice or brown rice and are priced at 300 baht per set. The portion size for this price is undoubtedly larger than ordering individual dishes. From my visual estimation, I believe the quantity is suitable for 2 people or 3 people if they are not heavy eaters.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to sample the stir-fried minced pork with northern Thai sausage. It was absolutely delicious and quickly became my favorite dish. It's no surprise that this item is a top seller alongside the stir-fried tofu with chili and salt. However, I was incredibly disappointed that this dish wasn't offered to me earlier, as I enjoyed it far more than some of the other items I had already tried.

Note: The restaurant's sai oua sausage is said to be sourced from the province of Phrae. It has a mild flavor, making it versatile for various culinary applications and further flavor enhancements. For those who enjoy trying new and unique dishes, this sai oua is definitely worth a try.

Okay, let's move on to the conclusion of the Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food review. I will continue to separate the review into different sections as before.

Date of consumption: Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Time: 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Number: 3 people

Taste of the food: Overall, the taste of the food was to my liking and that of my companions. It was delicious and passed the test. Especially the stir-fried tofu with chili and salt, the stir-fried sea bass with chili paste, the sea bass fried with fish sauce, and the brownie for dessert. I must admit that most of the dishes made with sea bass were excellent. It is no wonder that the restaurant is proud to present and use meat from sea bass weighing more than 10 kilograms. The meat is firm, delicious, and can be used in a variety of dishes. As for the Clean Food, I think the taste is good. I must confess that before eating, I secretly thought to myself, "How can food that isn't heavily seasoned be delicious?" But after eating it, I felt good about these dishes.

Culinary Diversity: One of the highlights of the restaurant is its wide variety of dishes. Despite its relatively small size, the menu boasts an impressive selection of options. Notably, the sheer number of dishes featuring sea bass is particularly noteworthy, making it a haven for sea bass enthusiasts.

Shop Cleanliness: The cleanliness and tidiness are average, which may be partly due to the limited space. However, the overall aesthetics are well-executed for the available space.

Employee service: When I visited, there were only 1-2 tables occupied in the entire restaurant, as it was not a typical mealtime. Therefore, I did not observe any issues in this regard. However, based on my observations when other customers entered the restaurant, the owner personally assisted them. As a result, I believe there should be no problems in this area.

Accessibility and Visibility:

Accessibility: The location of the shop is convenient, being close to the Saphan Khwai BTS station, only a few tens of meters away. For those who drive, there is parking available in the condo, eliminating the hassle of finding parking. (A stamp from the shop allows for 3 hours of parking.)

Visibility: However, the shop and condo are not very noticeable. From the outside, it is almost impossible to see or know that there is a shop there. This may not be a major issue for regular customers who are already familiar with the shop, but it could be difficult for new customers to find. The shop should consider putting up a prominent sign with bright colors to attract attention.

Is there anything else I can help you with?

Value for Money:

Clean Food: For someone who doesn't regularly eat Clean Food, the prices might seem a bit high. You could easily find similar, non-Clean Food options at a lower price. However, for those who frequently consume Clean Food, the prices are likely within the expected range for this type of cuisine.

General Menu: Considering the restaurant's location near a train station and the quality of the food, the prices are reasonable. Most dishes fall within the 100-200 baht range, which may seem expensive or affordable depending on the specific dish and individual preferences. To attract more customers, especially those working nearby, offering a 5-10% discount during certain periods could be beneficial.

Summary:

This restaurant offers a convenient and healthy option for those who enjoy clean food but lack the time or motivation to cook. The menu features unique dishes not typically found at standard food stalls, and the use of safe containers and special pricing for bulk orders are additional benefits. Brown Sugar Bistro & Clean Food is also suitable for individuals who appreciate delicious and unusual dishes, particularly those featuring sea bass. The outdoor seating area provides a pleasant atmosphere for enjoying the evening breeze and scenery. However, it may not be ideal for those with limited time due to the longer preparation times for some of the signature dishes.

This concludes my review. If there are any omissions or errors, I apologize. This review is based solely on my personal experience on the day of my visit. Each individual's experience may vary in terms of service and taste.

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See you in the next review. Goodbye.