COCONUTS HOT SPOT — The Shrimp Lover’s famous Cajun seafood is served minus plates on a table lined with just a sheet of plastic, encouraging diners to dig in with their bare hands — and the resultant feast is absolutely “finger-licking” good.
Say goodbye to steak knives and forks and the trouble of trying to peel shrimps with them — because eating with your bare hands is the standard at the American-style seafood joint that first made its name on Los Angeles.
The Cajun restaurant has brought its messy eating style to its Bangkok branch at Gateway Ekamai, where the only tools available are a little plastic apron and a pair of simple plastic gloves — and you still have to ask for them.
The Louisiana-style sauce is the key to the signature dishes at The Shrimp Lover, including the Combo Mixed Seafood Bucket (THB399), Shrimp Bucket (THB379), New Zealand Mussel Bucket (THB249), and Baby Squid Bucket (THB199).
Combo Mixed Seafood Bucket
These seafood buckets are seasoned to perfection, with a mix of tasty spices most local palates, including mine, may be quite unfamiliar with.
Although unusual to Thais, the Cajun-style spices can still satisfy locals in Bangkok. The bright orange juice is buttery, spicy, intense, but also sweet and savory. This magic concoction must contain a fair bit of butter, garlic, pepper, lemon, Cajun seasoning, and definitely some sort of Louisiana’s secret solution.
Combo Mixed Seafood Bucket (THB399) is definitely a far first to recommend. It contains just enough from the earth (potatoes, corn), and just enough from the sea (shrimps, mussels, and baby squid). All together, the bucket is enough to fill up one fairly hungry stomach. If I can convince you to eat with your bare hands, then there is nothing else to stop you now.
Scallop Set
Bring your friends and make this a feast for the party. Order one of the combo bucket to share, and order some other side dishes to snack on. Squid Pop Basket (THB150) and Cajun Fries (THB150) are both easy choices, but if you fancy something more fancy, the restaurant also offers more premium choices from the sea: Lobsters? Crabs? Scallops? You can name it.
Thais cannot enjoy a seafood feast without spicy sauces, and The Shrimp Lover is first-class in this department. The list of sauces available is as follows: Garlic Butter, Lemon Pepper, Indian Spice, Medley Mix, and last but not least, Thais’ all-time favorite Spicy Seafood Sauce.
On top of that, you can also play with how spicy you want your sauces to be: mild, medium, or fire.
When you realize just how yummy the food here is, you will find it practically impossible to not take all your friends here. My second visit was sooner than expected, and still, I managed to find more to discover on the menu, and more to be impressed by. The delicious meal is completely worth all the mess.
FIND IT:
Hours: 10am – 10pm
Gateway Ekamai, G Floor
BTS Ekamai
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