Here Hai (Original shop) — Restaurant in Khlong Tan Nuea Subdistrict

Not another “must-try” eatery as promoted by YouTubers.

Here Hai is rather popular on the internet especially in YouTube. A great many of YouTubers keep saying how good it is, which is usually the reason that drives me away from an eatery. Together with the unbearably long queue, this should have been banned by such an impatient person like me. Lucky me I somehow decided to give it a go when I was around, which turned out to the best food I had in the Bangkok trip.

First off, crab meat fried rice. Simply the best on the planet. I was referring to the fried rice itself. Don’t get me wrong, the load of tasty crab meat was super satisfying but was only second to fried rice. This was a perfect 10/10 dish.

Then fried mantis shrimps. I had high hopes for this dish. What could be better than having mantis shrimps peeled? Turned out not as good as I thought it would be. They were either overcooked or the mantis shrimps were too dry. I also did not love the seasoning. Fresh seafood is best without seasoning. Perhaps the mantis shrimps weren’t that fresh. I gave it a 5/10.

Lastly the river prawn. I love Thai river prawns, but not really much Here Hai’s. Although they grilled it just masterfully right, which appears to a difficult thing to do as river prawns are usually either overcooked or undercooked, the river prawn here did not have a lot of “prawnly” favor I hoped for. Considering it was not cheap (but much cheaper than what is offered in an average restaurant), I can only rate it 7/10.

To conclude, Here Hai got the heat it well deserves and not from excessive promotion. I would not say it is a must-try but if you want some serious fried rice, this is the place for it. You can also order from Grab which save you all the trouble...

As a four time Michelin awarded restaurant, we perhaps overhyped our visit to Here Hai.

Food was decent, but nothing spectacular nor inviting us for a second visit. Despite the crab dishes being average at best, the mantis shrimp with fried garlic was our meal’s true star. The succulent and sweet meat paired wonderfully with the crispy garlic and pepper toppings. The seafood chilli sauce that was recommended really helped to elevate all the dishes. I’d caution that it was quite spicy! Although you could taste the smokiness of the work fried rice (“Wok Hei”), the seared crab did little to add to the complexity of the taste. However, the crabs were cooked well and very tender, without being dry. More enjoyment comes from the texture and mouth satisfying feeling of sinking your teeth into the meat than flavour. A four was still given because together with the chilli, it was slightly above the average quality of similar crab dishes elsewhere.

I was very disappointed at the service today. In particular how the shop, despite the constant hour long line, brought a table of four influencers in without needing to queue. We were also chased out of our original table, and relocated to make space for them. We thought that much was still bearable, until they had their food served very promptly after seating. Despite entering much earlier, we had to wait a good half hour after their food arrived for ours to come. Others that sat before us also had their food served after the influencers.

Sigh, truly...

A not to miss eatery for those who love crabs; it's succulent meat served in a generous amount on their fried rice & omelette, ensuring satisfaction in every mouthful. The mantis shrimp also hits the spot; chewy, flavourful, complements perfectly with the previously mentioned items.

The food deserves praise, certainly living up to its Michelin namesake, no doubt securing a 5 star rating for its food.

However, securing a spot is no walk in the park. I've reached the place before its official opening hours only to be greeted by a long queue & touched the entrance about an hour+ later. The table is clean & prepared upon sitting. Waitress was attentive & made recommendations when asked. Waited about another 20+mins before all my orders were fulfilled.

During the wait, I spy the cooks and servers with masks, meaning hygiene was practised strictly from kitchen to table. The restaurant has 2 levels, non air conditioned, a noticeable smell of seafood hanging in the air.

The establishment is bustling with activity; filled with locals & tourists alike, eagerly anticipating their meal. Servers are busing the tables at a brisk pace, grab riders & customers entering & leaving with their takeaways.

Long story short, my experience with the food was nothing short of marvelous if one was willing to endure a somewhat long wait. I do not know if they accept reservations so that one can skip the queue, but it was certainly a worthwhile...