Update (13FEB23): Meu Republic is no longer in operation
When walking about the city I’m always on the lookout for a new foodie find. This was how I stumbled upon Meu Republic (official Facebook page). I was intrigued by their signage, the industrial decor of the restaurant, the beautiful food pictures on their menu, and the very reasonable prices of their dishes. For these reasons I decided to investigate them further for blog consideration. I’m glad I did, as they are now one of my favorite restaurants for authentic Thai cuisine!
If you’re a fan of “high end” Thai cuisine and no MSG, but not a fan of “high end” prices, then Meu Republic is a place for you. I am confident these food pictures and prices (all net prices) are sure to impress you.
Quality ingredients in every meal!
Senchan Pad Thai (140baht)
I brought a dear friend, Khun Nim, with me to dine at Meu Republic for lunch. This afforded me an opportunity to sample more dishes, and to better understand what I was eating. All of the dishes that we ate are suitable for 2-3 persons to share. Our first dish was this Sen Chan Phad Thai noodle dish with large shrimps (140 baht).
Meu Republic uses the finest local ingredients for all of their dishes. Rather than using cheaper noodles, they use the more expensive Sen Chan noodles for their Pad Thai dishes. These noodles are slightly wider and thicker, and do not have that “gummy” texture when fried. It’s been my experience that a shrimp Phad Thai dish normally has few small or medium sized shrimp. As you can see these shrimp are jumbo sized, and they are cooked perfectly!
Delicious Tom Yum…
Tom Yum Koong (320baht)
This large bowl of Tom Yum Koong (320 baht) was incredibly rich in flavor and creaminess. It balanced sweet, sour, and spicy perfectly. The ginormous prawn was saved for last and divvied up between my friend and I. If you’re a fan of Tom Yum, you won’t be disappointed with this dish.
Something from the grill…
Moo Klook Foon (140 baht)
I’m a fan of grilled pork neck and if I see it on the menu I’m getting it. This Moo Klook Foon (140 baht) was grilled to perfection and topped with lots of shredded kaffir lime leaves and roasted onions. Normally the dipping sauce is a spicy fish sauce dip. In this instance it was something even more savory that reminded me of hoisin sauce but with a kick. Delicious!
Super size, please!
Koong Pao Rod Sot (240 baht)
If you love river prawns, then you must order this Koong Pao Rod Sot (240 baht) made with a shrimp paste sauce. This was Khun Nim’s favorite dish, and I’d highly recommend it as well. The meat was cooked medium (just slightly rare) so that it was very juicy and not chewy. The sauce is made by mixing the shrimp “fat” with shrimp paste and spices. Wow!
My favorite dish!
Pla Krapong Tod Samun Prai (320 baht)
As you can see, all of the dishes that we ordered at Meu Republic were pretty amazing. But I wanted to save the best for last, my personal favorite, the Pla Krapong Tod Samun Prai (320 baht). This fresh sea bass is perfectly seasoned, fried, deboned, and cut up ready to eat. Amongst the mound of delicious fish are bits of fried fish skin, and fresh young green pepper pods (tender and delicious). Do not deny yourself this amazing dish at this very reasonable price!
Something from the bar…
Meu Republic has a full service bar, and a nice selection of cocktails. Since this was lunch we opted to sample the smoothies instead. The Banana Boat Smoothie (90 baht) is made with banana, peach, and mango and was my favorite. We also tried the Princess Smoothie (120 baht) which was made with mango, peach, and pineapple and was favored by Princess Nim.
Meet the Doctor!
I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with the owner, Dr. “James” Suthavee. What a fascinating story! By day, Dr. James works for the Ministry of Justice as a medical doctor to treat prisoners and guards (he also operates a small clinic near Khao San Road). But Meu Republic was created from the passion he has for authentic Thai dishes.
Dr. James and his girlfriend and co-owner, Dr. Lily, wanted to open a restaurant that could provide wholesome and authentic Thai food with quality ingredients (fresh organic veggies, choice cuts of meats, etc.) but at affordable prices. He felt that though there are options for healthy Thai food in the city, many are priced outside of the range for the average working Thai. Thus, Meu Republic was born!
A bit about the logo…
First off, what do you see? When I first saw this logo I thought it was a face with a “bandit” mask or something. My mind didn’t see that it was an owl until Dr. James informed me of this fact. The owl represents wisdom and luck. Meu Republic is a lucky place to be and guests are meant to enjoy themselves and the food. The word “Meu” is Portuguese for “mine” and a play on words for “me” and “U”. The circle around the logo is supposed to remind you of a watermark. The watermark you would see on your drink coaster when you pick up your tasty beverage and set your glass down again.
Meu Repbulic is about quality and consistency.
Some Meu Republic Crew
When you eat at Meu Republic you will always receive the same quality meal without fail. This is because behind the kitchen doors they use cooking processes that also weigh all the ingredients for each dish to ensure each dish maintains the standard of excellence expected every time. The Meu Republic team embraces this process. This reliability has earned them the catering and delivery business of many of the nearby embassies and large offices.
A hip place to dine…
Meu Republic has only been open since August 2017 and is new to the Bangkok dining scene. The interior design would be considered “industrial” and is a comfortable place to enjoy the company of friends and coworkers. During the weekdays it’s wise to make reservations (especially for large groups) as office workers often come directly from work for dinner.
I’m hungry! Where is it?
The Meu Republic is located on Asoke around the midpoint between the Petchaburi MRT station and the Sukhumvit MRT station (easily walkable from either station).
I highly recommend this restaurant for its delicious food and very reasonable prices. This is now my go to place for entertaining visitors who I want to entertain with authentic Thai cuisine. If you go, I’d love to hear your feedback! Please leave your comments below.
I always pass this and its just 2 minutes from my place. Never thought to try it cuz it looked like a hi-so thai restaurant and not even serving craft beer. Maybe will try it regardless though.
Shayan,
It is definitely worth checking out! The serving sizes are pretty generous so if you want to get a fair sampling it’s best you bring a friend. They do not have craft beers, but their local beer prices are very reasonable and they often have happy hour 2 for 1 specials. I didn’t try their cocktails but the owner seemed very proud of their cocktail library–and the photos did look pretty appealing. 🙂