Photos: Richard Marks
COCONUTS HOTSPOT – With a name like Sun Moon, you would be correct in assuming that this shophouse has its roots in the Middle Kingdom. Upon entering the establishment, the abrasive attitude of the service staff confirms that suspicion.
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The waiters and waitresses seemed genuinely bitter to have to take my order, so I’d recommend you do what I did – be quick. I went for the dumplings, the mabo tofu, and the sweet and sour pork. I also made sure to get my order for a Tsingtao in before the waitress stormed off across the room to belt out my order to the kitchen.
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Sun Moon is always crowded so it’s best to call ahead and give them a heads up. That said, prior notice won’t safeguard you against getting seated upstairs. To get there you walk through the kitchen and up a narrow staircase, the base of which appeared to be the watercooler area for the cooks whose grim looks suggested they were a triad gang guarding a gambling den.
Sitting in Sun Moon you’d think you were on the wrong side of the tracks in Beijing.
But there’s a reward for putting up with the service—the dumplings here might be the best in Bangkok. There’s simply no other reason Sun Moon would gain such a following. The boiled variety has a chewy and slightly moist dough shell, and the dumpling are sealed properly so no stray water gets into the pork and chive filling. The fried version doesn’t suffer from being cooked only on one side since the restaurant uses the proper technique of flash frying and only after letting them simmer for a bit. The joy of a proper dumpling isn’t lost on non-meat eaters, either. The cabbage dumplings at Sun Moon are equally as impressive.
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Sun Moon Restaurant
5/4 Soi Ngam Duphli
Sathon, Bangkok 10120
Located next to The Pinnacle Hotel
