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Published on October 14, 2007

Hundreds of upmarket residential developments have been built, along with trendy shopping centres and walking streets like J-Avenue, which boast a selection of restaurants, boutiques and gourmet supermarkets including Villa, where I always shop for the ingredients for my cooking show.

Just a stone's throw away from the entrance to J- Avenue, on Soi Thonglor itself, is a Chinese restaurant that's completely at odds with the upscale neighbourhood. Unremarkable from the outside and unstylish on the inside, An An Lao is a Thonglor stalwart, one that's been serving up delicious food to patrons for more than 20 years at very reasonable prices.

While An An Lao serves traditional Chinese food, their speciality is Chinese food from Betong district in Yala province. Betong, in the deep South of Thailand, borders Malaysia and despite the outbreak of violence in the southernmost provinces remains a popular spot for Malaysian-Chinese business people and tourists travelling to Had Yai district to relax and enjoy the excellent local Chinese delicacies.

Betong is known for its chicken, which Hainanese chefs use in their traditional chicken and rice recipes. It also grows lots of watercress, which is cooked up and served in a delicious stir-fry.

An An Lao serves all these delicacies, as well as many other Chinese items that are more familiar to Bangkok diners, such as Peking duck and noodles.

I have been going to An An Lao since recording TV shows in Betong a few years back, during the early days of the troubles. At the time, I asked if there were any restaurants in Bangkok that served these wonderful dishes and they recommended An An Lao. I've have been hooked on their Betong Chicken ever since. 

You will need to go with friends to this restaurant if you want to take full advantage of the menu. I usually order the appetiser of barbecue pork wrapped in Chinese flat noodle, served with a seasoned sauce and a range of other starters, but always avoid the steamed rice, as it's too filling.

The Betong chicken has a characteristic crispy skin, even though it is steamed and has very little fat. The meat is moist and the sauce adds even more flavour. I also have a soft spot for the dipping sauce, which is made from chilli oil and fermented bean paste.

Two other dishes not to be missed are, in fact, variations of the same recipe: both the braised pork belly with pickle cabbage and braised pork belly with taro take hours to make. Despite coming from the underside of the pig, they're not at all fatty. They are ideal dishes for cooler days, as the flavour and texture have a very warming quality.

The watercress, which we now can get from the Royal Project in Chiang Mai, is stir-fried in oil with oyster sauce. The greens remain delightful crispy and acquire a peppery taste that goes well with the sauce.

For a robust soup, try the steamboat of fish-head soup with chunks of taro. This could easily be a meal in itself if you are dining alone but it's great shared, and very healthy.

We always finish our meal at An An Lao with sweet sesame dumplings. Most Chinese restaurants serve them in ginger broth. Here they come dry and coated with toasted sesame seeds, which give a crunch to their sticky texture.

If you happen to be on Thonglor and fancy a Chinese meal, give An An Lao a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed - and you won't break the bank.