Seafood Market Restaurant In Bangkok, Thailand

“If It Swims, We Have It” reads the brightly-lit neon sign over the 50 meter long seafood counter at the Seafood Market on Sukhumvit, Soi 24, and upon inspecting the selection, it appears to be true. Just about every type of local fish, shellfish and crustacean is on display here in this unique market/restaurant, and more are on the way.

The innovative creation of Rungson Vichayavilas and Vichien Boonmapajohn, among several other principals, the Seafood Market has thrived in Bangkok for 38 years now, the last 14 at the present, massive space (6,000 square meters of interior space). With seating for 1500 people, parking for 300 cars and 400 employees on the payroll, the restaurant is definitely set up for a high volume of business. And that’s exactly what they do every night as an average of 1100 people pass through their doors to eat the freshest seafood and produce available anywhere in the city.

The uniqueness of the restaurant lies in the fact that diners “purchase” the food they want to eat at the food counters and then pay a small “cooking charge” to have it cooked the way they like, be it barbecued, steamed, fried, deep-fried, grilled or whatever else they may come up with. You can actually take a shopping cart up to the shopping areas, which are made up of a bakery, wine and spirits shop, fish counter, vegetable and fruit counters and a Japanese section serving sushi, sashimi, tempura and other delicacies.

You then go back to your table, wait for your server to come over, and give your cooking instructions. A short time later, your food appears, having been prepared by one of the 55 chefs on duty at any given time.

The above estimate of the seafood counter may be somewhat inflated, but it must be close to 50 meters and every bit of it is filled with mounds of seafood purchased that day at the seafood markets of Bangkok. Not all of the varieties will be mentioned here, but we saw mussels, cockles, clams, fresh water prawns, various sizes of shrimp, rock and Phuket Lobster, halibut, sole, snapper, perch, mud and blue crabs, crab claws and more. The produce section contained any number of vegetables and fruits to accompany the seafood.

Our own selections were ordered for us by Khun Rungson, who picked a wide spectrum for us to sample. We started with a delicious assortment of tempura that included fish, prawns and even some chicken that sneaked in the door somehow. The fish especially was to our liking and the dipping sauce was great. Next came a barbecued fresh water prawn that was large and succulent and cooked just right. Mud crab in a light curry sauce was next and provided just the right amount of spice without overpowering the taste of the crab. Mixed vegetables consisting of pea pods, baby corn and asparagus appeared also along with a spicy pile of small sandfish pieces that was seasoned just rig ht and were slightly crunchy. The whole meal was accom-panied by a California Chardonnay from Mirasou Vineyards that was crisp and tangy enough to match the seafood preparations.

It was a tremendously satisfying meal and at a price that is comparable or lower than many other restaurants in town. The seafood is priced similarly to what you would find in any good market and the cooking costs range from only 30 to 100 baht per dish. The surroundings were conducive to the dining experience as well. The huge room did not provide the type of supermarket atmosphere you might expect and the noise level was surprisingly low. The art deco, neon-lit ceilings were hung with dozens of model fish that were realistic looking and fun at the same time and the entire decor spoke of a well-integrated plan.

You’ll feel at home here, too, because English is spoken well by the majority of the staff and about 70% of the clientele are travelers. And, in the near future, according to Khun Rungson, the Seafood Market will be importing seafood from around the world, with items such as Tasmanian scallops, Washington State clams and Alaskan King Crab Legs joining the local catch and the Norwegian salmon and yellowtail tuna that is already being imported.

It’s all part of the plan that has the Seafood Market keeping ahead of it’s customers’ wants and providing the best seafood experience in Bangkok and probably all of Thailand, and certainly the best selection, which lets them say truly that “If It Swims, We Have It.”

See http://bangkokdining.ning.com/profiles/blog/list for info on Bangkok restaurants.