Kungthong Seafood: Deep-Fried Seabass In Fish Sauce & Other Fresh Thai Seafood Dishes Along Rama 4 In Bangkok

The joy of discovering a Thai-style zi char restaurant serving fresh seafood in the heart of Bangkok is an absolute thrill. Tucked away along busy Rama 4, Kungthong Seafood offers ample parking and you can choose to sit in an alfresco area or in air-conditioned comfort as you dine.

The restaurant is unpretentious, clean and comfortable. The owner comes from a family that is one of the biggest seafood suppliers in Bangkok – the freshest ingredients are regularly sourced, and he goes to the wet market every weekend to look for what he cannot obtain through his normal channels.

He is very passionate about food and aims to wow customers with drool-worthy dishes at pocket-friendly prices.

Zi char restaurants don’t usually serve rice as the first dish but after one mouthful of Kungthong’s Fried Rice with Crab Meat (THB160/ THB300), I can understand why that’s the practice here.

The owner wants everyone to be able to enjoy the fried rice that is just as good on its own. Every grain was pillowy soft and well-coated with egg, stir-fried in an aromatic mixture of garlic and crab chunks.

More commonly known to Singaporeans as petai or stinky beans, the restaurant’s take on Stir-fried Kidney Beans with Shrimps (THB270) is basically petai with a spicy and fragrant sambal belacan paste that had a slight tang.

Lime was used to bring out the sweetness of the petai and shrimps, yet at the same time, seemed to downplay either the well-loved or much-hated stinky characteristic of the beans.

The next dish we tried was the Prawns with Yellow Curry (THB350). Don’t be taken aback by its vibrant red appearance as it was actually not very spicy.

The fresh, succulent prawns were teeming with undertones of spices and herbs. There was also a subtle sweetness that came from the addition of a dash of coconut sugar, creating another layer of flavour.

Instead of the usual tom yam soup that every other tourist would go for, we decided to go for something off the beaten path and tried the Traditional Spicy Sour Soup with Mullet (THB260).

While I am not usually a fan of river fish, the mullet in this soup hit all the right notes. With no muddy (or rather, earthy) taste, the mullet was tender and every slice was delicious when soaked in the tangy spicy broth.

The soup was tart and dynamic; a great balance of spicy, sweet, sour and salty all in one spoonful. However, this was definitely a really spicy soup, so not recommended for the faint-hearted.

A popular dish amongst many, this Deep Fried Seabass with 3 Flavour Chilli Sauce (THB490) was truly a huge hit with us. The t3-flavour chilli sauce refers to “sweet, spicy and sour”, which is common in many Thai dishes.

The fish was fried to perfection – golden brown and crispy with a moist, tender interior, adding the sauce and some mango slices accentuated the dish to another level.

The sweetness of the palm sugar brought out the flavour of the fish, the spiciness of the chilli teased the senses and the tanginess of the mango slices worked up an appetite in us.

The Deep Fried Seabass with Aromatic Fish Sauce (THB450) was a very simple fried fish served with a crispy medley of fried garlic, shallots and kaffir lime leaves in fish sauce.

Once again, the fish was absolutely crispy and still juicy. It even remained crispy despite the generous toppings and was such a delightful medley of flavours dancing in our mouths with every bite.

The owner revealed that he succeeded in achieving this perfectly fried fish only after trying out the recipe with more than 300 seabass in different woks at different temperatures.

Not common and definitely one not to be missed is the Deep Fried Sillago Fish with Traditional Chilli Paste (THB220). This dish looks intimidating and if you cannot take the heat, be forewarned.

Sillago, which is also known as Sheatfish, is a river fish with a dwindling population. This wild-caught Sillago is served with an extremely aromatic chilli paste and hit all the right notes of what authentic Thai food should be.

The smokiness in the secret-recipe paste enhanced the sweetness of the fish while creating an alchemistic depth that is often described but hardly encountered in Thai cuisine anymore.

Similar to the Sri Lankan Crab, the Thai local mud crab is slightly smaller yet sweet and succulent. The Stir Fried Mud Crab with Bird Chilli (THB160/ THB190) is another must-order dish.

With a moderately-sized crab covered in shades of green from the bird’s eye chillies, peppercorns and kaffir lime leaves, this dish was simple-looking but packed layers of taste. The small number of ingredients truly let the natural flavours of the crab shine.

Even if you over-order, don’t leave without having some dessert. The Coconut Ice Cream (THB50) was a very simple no-frills coconut ice-cream with some chendol and jackfruit bits.

Mildly sweet with a subtle jackfruit fragrance that blended well with the silky coconut ice-cream, this was a lovely way to conclude a hearty meal.

Kungthong Seafood is definitely a place to add to your Bangkok must-try list. With such a convenient location, super fresh ingredients and reasonable prices, it’s a great place to bring your whole family and friends for a satisfying Thai meal.

Expected Damage: THB300 – THB600 per pax