Thanks to Mareunbi, who has Yeonnam-dong firmly under control, we were able to hold our 2014 year-end party at Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai, a hugely popular restaurant. I never imagined you could book a big meetup of over ten people at a place that is always packed, but Mareunbi really does have the touch. Thanks to that we got to enjoy a perfect year-end party.

Tod mun goong

The best appetizer there is. Mareunbi seems to be on a roll lately; the restaurant and menu picks around Yeonnam-dong and Hongdae have reached a level of mastery. This time too I just left it all up to Mareunbi, who conferred with the manager and ordered the best of the menu for us.

Thai whisky

The bottle was SangSom. Like Captain Q (a cheap Korean whisky-flavoured spirit), it is basically alcohol with colouring added. It is cheap, but it tastes more like soju than whisky. Mixed with Thai soda water it was drinkable enough, more or less.

Or suan

The seasonal oyster omelette. I love oysters, so I ate this with great satisfaction.

Som tam and gai yang

A dish you simply cannot skip at Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai. Wolfed it down again this time.

Pad pak boong fai daeng

Stir-fried morning glory. Somehow it has a Chinese feel to it.

Goong neung manao

Lots of dishes I was trying for the first time today. The steamed shrimp came out delicious, Thai style. Seemed like a great match for drinks.

Johnnie Walker Double Black

This was the sponsored whisky for the meetup. Johnnie Walker gets sweeter as you move up the range, whereas the lower models often keep the distinctive character of single malt whisky intact. If anything, the lower models suit my palate better. Red, Green and Black are all fine, but among them Double Black seems the most intense.

Stir-fried pork

The hidden menu items kept on coming. Every dish is above par.

Thai sausage

Lightly fermented, and great as a drinking snack.

Century egg

The kind of dish you would expect at a Chinese restaurant, but maybe because the seasoning had soaked in so well, this was the best century egg I have ever had. I learned for the first time today that you can eat it stir-fried like this. The snacks were so good the drinks just kept going down.

The bourbon I brought along

Breaking & Entering from St. George Spirits, a blend of Kentucky bourbon whiskeys, and the buttery flavour was nice. The world is wide and there is plenty of booze to drink.

Tom yum goong

To finish we ordered a light soup. We had a second round coming, so we could not eat too heavily.

Rat na

A soup loaded with seafood.

I have been to Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai quite a few times now, but I can say with confidence that this was the best visit yet. Infinite thanks to Mareunbi for hosting the meetup.

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