Rabieng weekend dim sum brunch

by Biscuit Boy

Rabeing, the country-style Thai restaurant that is owned by the Duangrats, is our favorite weekend lunch place. They have a Thai street food dim sum brunch on the weekends, featuring small plates patterned after the snacks served from stands and carts on the streets of Bangkok. We went last weekend and found that they had added some new dishes to their menu, modified some dishes, and moved some off of the "dim sum" menu although they are still on the regular menu (an example is the green papaya salad).

We tried many of the new dishes. All were good, and some were great. I've ranked them below, although I'm sure Biscuit Girl will disagree about some of the rankings. (No, actually I do agree, surprise, aren't ya)

Pulled Chili-Lime Chicken and Carrot Salad
I think this was the strongest of the new dishes. It was strips of julienned carrot and young ginger, shredded chicken, dressed with a lime and fish sauce. The flavors were amazing, and it was an excellent palate-cleanser for the other fried dishes we had.

Oyster "Hush Puppies"
Four or five oysters, dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried, served with a sour orange sauce. They were perfectly fried and not greasy. They were very tasty, even to Biscuit Girl who doesn't like oysters.

Fried Rice Cakes with Beef in Green Curry
These were the same rice cakes that are served with the appetizer "Tidbit", but with a beef and green curry sauce. This dish reminded me why I think Rabieng's versions of classic Thai food are the bar to judge other restaurants by. However, I didn't think the combination isn't as good as the Tidbit.

Fried Chili Garlic Shrimp
We liked these shrimp, breaded and seasoned with chili sauce, green onions. They were a little greasy, an anomaly compared to other fried dishes we've had there like the oysters and the tempura.

Sriracha Chicken Wings
These were OK, but not great. They were two pieces of wing, with a sauce that was more sweet than spicy, and very messy to eat. I like wings, but I'll probably skip these next time.

Old favorites such as the Peking duck roll, the tempura dishes, the pork and garlic noodles, and the sticky rice dishes remain on the menu. One tempting new one is the combination of Esan sausage and sticky rice (called lemongrass pork sausage on this menu). Other new ones are grilled taro and sticky rice, and sticky rice and banana paddy.