Through Nov 24, La Scala (The Sukhothai, Sathorn Rd., Bangkok, 02-344-8888) welcomes two-Michelin-star Chef Andrew Fairlie of the eponymous restaurant in Scotland. Well known for its use of the best local produce, such as handdived scallops and Scottish lobsters, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie was just named the best restaurant in Britain by the Sunday Times Food List. Lunch is B3,500 or B5,700 with booze and dinner at B5,500 or B8,700 with booze.
Michelin-star chef Igor Macchia from La Credenza in Piedmont, Italy, is back in Bangkok for a stint at Italian restaurant La Tavola (Renaissance Bangkok, 518/8 Ploenchit Rd., Bangkok, 02-125-5000. www.renaissancebangkok.com), through Nov 24. It’s B3,800 for a 6-course dinner with booze, with dishes including marinated lamb in coffee, sweet corn ragout and cress or lobster carpaccio with lemon and tomato confit paired with wines from Italy’s Frescobaldi family.
The tea house trend that recently gave us TWG at Emporium and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has now delivered Twinings Tea Boutique (1/F, Atrium Zone, CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., Bangkok, 02-613-1230-1. www.twiningsmoment.com). Spot the big Twinings sign right after you come in from Ratchadamri entrance, then plop yourself down on their blue sofa for an afternoon tea set (B450) or signature iced tea such as the wild berry tea (B140) and Diamond Jubilee (blended tea of Assam and Yunnan, B180).
Khao Soi Chiang MaiIt’s not easy to find the perfect khao soi, but khao soi Soi Haa (as it’s also known) has a really rich, hearty soup due to the homemade paste the owners have been concocting for more than 20 years. The fried noodles are really nice, too, and don’t carry the odd smell you sometimes find elsewhere, while the boiled egg noodles are well cooked. Just take a sniff of the highly aromatic, homemade dry chili paste, and you know you’re guaranteed a flavorful bowl (B30-B40).
Our favorite places to sample delectable khao soi (noodles in Northern-style curry).
Sukhumvit Soi 36’s very romantic In The Mood For Love just opened In The Mood For Love One (69 Ekkamai Soi 1, Bangkok, 02-392-8477), a brand new location in a beautiful two-story house with a spacious terrace. All the sushi and sashimi faves are present, along with new additions like spicy shrimp rolls topped with crab stick (B360). Meanwhile, their other venture, 2046 at Rain Hill (Sukhumvit Soi 47), is currently closed for renovations.
Drip coffee is all the rage; so it’s about time that hip restaurant Pla Dib got in on the act. They’ve just launched sister branch Coffee Roasting (1/1 Soi Ari Samphan 7, Paholyothin Soi 5, Bangkok, 02-279-8185), as evidenced by a big shiny coffee roaster sitting in the glass room. Try their drip coffee hot or cold (both B80) along with breakfast selections like waffles and double eggs (B100) from 8am till 4pm.
French bistro Le Petit Zinc (110/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Bangkok, 02-259-3033. www.lepetitzinc.com) is adding new dishes to its menu, such as egg cocotte with bell pepper, tomato and bacon (B130) and Tournedos Rossini (B990). Call ahead and reserve a table on a Monday with the code “Crazy Monday” for a 25% discount.
The Seafood Bar (Somerset Lake Point, 41, Sukhumvit Soi 16, Bangkok, 02-663-8863) currently has a special deal on North Atlantic lobsters, which can be ordered with linguini in roasted garlic crème sauce and caviar (B750) or surf and turf (grilled lobster, rib eye steak with sauce entrecote and French fries, B950), through this month only.
Bangkok is really breaking free of the old stigma regarding Thai food, with locals finally accepting to pay more for Thai food in swanky restaurants, as long as it’s authentic. It started with Bo.lan, Nahm and Soul Food Mahanakorn, but new openings like Supanniga, Issaya and Thai Lao Yeh have shown this acceptance is here to stay. Thai desserts, on the other hand, haven’t quite surfed the trend. Although served at the aforementioned venues, we’re definitely not seeing Thai-centric kanom venues attract the kind of queues that the honey toast at After You garners.
Can kanom Thai ever create the same queues as cupcakes and macarons?
From the bright red faux European building to the faux chandeliers, canopy and terrace, the decorative aspects of I’m Wine Club & Restaurant (387/21-387/29, Thonglor Soi 21, Bangkok, 02-712-5747-9) are precisely what you would expect from the new breed of wine bars. The menu also fits the bill, with dishes like spaghetti carbonara (B200), gung chae nampla (raw shrimp
