Ko-Aun Dimsum - Tasty Breakfast Dimsum By the Sea
Dozens of baskets of different varieties of dim sum piled high.
Delicious Breakfast Dimsum by the Sea
@feastography Cheap and delicious breakfast dimsum blog: feastographyblog.com #fyp #dimsum #foryoupage ♬ Sunshine On The Beach 海滩阳光 - 朱蟒 Zhu Mang
Strolling around the vibrant seaside town of Chonburi, you’ll probably wont’t expect to find a bustling restaurant serving up, not seafood, but dimsum, such as the case of Ko-Aun Dimsum in Angsila.
When in Thailand, you might not think much about dimsum, especially when you are in one of its thousands of luscious tropical beaches, but Chinese culture has deep roots here and dimsum is often enjoyed as a breakfast in many Thai households.
Ko-Aun is one such place that is very popular among the locals. Located in Angsila in the Chonburi region, Ko-Aun has been serving up numerous varieties of dimsum and other such breakfast foods that are common in south east Asia.
Dimsum is very popular here due to its variety and social nature and what better way to start the day than to enjoy a few baskets of dimsum with your family and friends?
The Waiting Game
You can’t miss the awesome giant teapot sitting out in front of the restaurant.
The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive at Ko-Aun isn’t the spectacular giant teapot fountain… It’s the long queue.
The restaurant is big with plenty of seating. However, it is also very popular.
The first time I went to Ko-Aun I arrived at the restaurant at around 10am in the morning. That is pretty early already, however, my queue was number 238. The current queue was around 70. I had to wait over 150 queues before I got my seat.
Seeing this place is very popular and determined to try some of their delicious food myself… I left.
And then came back the next day at 8:30am in the morning, at that time I still had to wait a bit but instead of 150 people in front of me, now there was only 10 or so.
Don’t make the same mistake that I did, go there early.
How to Order?
Everything at Ko-Aun is self service. You pick the dishes you want and then pay at the counter.
When you first enter you will be given a table with a number, remember this number as you will have to tell it to the staff when you pay so that they can deliver your food to your table.
Almost everything at Ko-Aun is self service. You pick the dish you want and then pay for your food at the counter.
Drinks and Sauces
First let’s start off with the drinks and sauces. There are 2 options here (more are available at the counter) water and tea.
The tea comes in a nice little set of a teapot and 3 cups.
The sauces are your typical soy sauce, chili vinegar, etc…
All of these things are located behind the dimsum closet and are all free.
The Dimsum Closet
There is no better word for me to describe it, the dimsum closet is the most suitable name. Positioned opposite the counter, the dimsum closet(s) are a set of see-through fridges that housed the various types of dimsum dishes that you can try.
You can grab a tray that is located next to the drinks and sauces and then start piling it on with dishes.
There are many things to choose from with classics such as Har gow and Shumai, and even some fun creative ones like: salmon and pork dim sum, shrimp with seafood sauce, pork and tofu. etc…
If you’d asked me to count, I would say there are many 2 dozen options for you to try. And that’s not even all of it.
The Counter
Once you picked out your dimsum from the dim sum closet. You’ll have to pay for then at the counter. Here the chef will take your tray and then steam the dishes for you (this is the part where you’ll have to tell them your table number).
But that is not all… For at the counter are more dishes that you can order.
Here you can find all sorts of goodies from deep fried Chinese barbecue pork buns to savory congees.
In addition, more drinks like soy milk, and Vietnamese coffee are also present.
I would recommend you atleast get their deep fried Chinese barbecue pork bun. The shell is coated with a layer of crystalized sugar that gives it a really pleasant crunch and sweetness.
Various food items at the counter!
My recommendations are:
Fried Barbecue Pork Bun
Vietnamese Coffee
Patong go (Chinese donut)
Pricing, It’s Really Cheap
The pricing is cheap and fair. Each dimsum basket will have a price attached and you pay according to how much you eat.
Each basket ranges anywhere from 20 THB to 40 THB (around 1 USD).
I happen to eat a lot so my bill comes to around 400 THB (or 11 USD) which is a pretty fair price.
How Does the Dim Sum Taste?
Honestly, the food here won’t blow your taste buds away, but that wasn’t the point anyway. The point of Ko-Aun is to serve good delicious food at a fair price and they certainly achieved that.
The food is tasty, some items were questionable in taste and freshness (avoid anything with cabbage) but the majority of it was good.
There are so many dimsum dishes to review so I’ll just pick out some of my favorites below.
The Dimsum Themselves
Crunchy Tofu Skin Wrapped in Rice Noodle
This one is a real treat, minced shrimp wrapped around a crunchy tofu skin and rice noodle.
Drizzled with a sweet soy sauce and fried garlic.
The taste was sweet, umami, and very garlic-y and the shrimp was very nice and bouncy.
The fried tofu skin added a nice crunch.
Shrimp Har Gow
You can judge a dimsum place a lot by how their har gow tastes. Although Ko-Aun’s version isn’t anything to write home about, they serve a pretty good standard version of it.
Nice bouncy and flavorful shrimp with a thing wrapper.
Stewed Chicken Feet
Some people may be grossed out by chicken feet but don’t knock it till you try it.
Ko-Aun’s version is stewed in a sweet soy sauce glaze and the chicken feet is nice and tender.
Eating it is annoying of course, with all the bones, but it’s very tasty.
Shrimp and Crab Shumai with a Red Wrapper
This tastes pretty much like a regular shumai, except that it has a bright red wrapper. The shrimp is tender and bouncy and the crab adds another bit of flavor.
Other Items From the Counter
Patong Go (Chinese Donut) with Pandan Dip
I wholeheartedly recommend the Patong go here. It is extremely good, a crunchy shell with the softest and most fluffiest interior.
And paired with that rich pandan dip.
It is divine.
Fried Barbecue Pork and Salted Egg Yolk Bun
Extremely unhealthy but extremely good, the barbecue pork is nice and meaty while the egg yolk adds a bit of richness and salty-ness.
The fried bun is where it’s at though, crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
Vietnamese Phin Coffee with Condensed Milk
You guys know I love coffee, so you know I had to get myself a cup of Vietnamese coffee considering it’s also quite difficult to find in Thailand.
Once you mix the condensed milk together with the coffee it creates this really rich and almost chocolatey brew.
It’s very tasty and it’s the perfect drink to accompany all the meaty dimsums and the oily patong go.
Conclusion
Pros
Majority of dishes are tasty.
Many dishes and options to choose from, always something new to try in each visit.
Cheap and fair pricing.
Free water, tea, and sauces.
Cons
Wait times will be extremely long if you go there later in the morning.
The environment can be quite crowded.
Some dimsum dishes can be a hit or miss.
Overall, if you like dim sum I would recommend you take a visit to Ko-Aun Dimsum in Angsila. This place is popular for a reason, the pricing is fair and cheap, the food is tasty and the options are plentiful and with free water and tea, you can’t go wrong. What brings the ratings down a bit, and can be a huge turn off for some, is the extremely long wait times if you happen to arrive at the restaurant later in the day.
I personally take the pilgrimage from Bangkok to Chonburi once or twice a month, just to eat here and I say for me, it is definitely worth it take wake up at 7am in the morning so that I can arrive before the rest of the crowd.
Ko-Aun Dimsum | 7 / 10
Phone: Could not find a phone number…
Location: Chon Buri District, Chon Buri 20000
Pricing: 20 - 80 THB (or 0.5 - 2.15 USD) per dish
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