Compared to the recent explosion of more conceptual Thai venues, Boran isn’t really doing anything original: boat noodles, Yaowaraj dimsum and assorted old-school snacks. On the other hand, it’s also a refreshing change from all the overwhelming coolness (and expensive prices) to have a little spot that offers that oft longed for combination of affordable comfort food in an air-conditioned place a mere twenty steps from the BTS. The space is a throwback to traditional markets and street stalls rendered with some attention to detail: stone floors, an entire wall papered with a black and white photo of a floating market and plain, dark wood four-seater tables with stools, assorted seasonings and those long steel boxes for the cutlery. And the food is solid, familiar and consistent, which is really the best thing you can say for boat noodles and dimsum. A checklist sheet lets you pick the size, the noodle, the broth and the fixings for your bowl. A regular bowl of kway tiaw reua with the combination pork fixings will only put you out B75, and the tender pork belly contained therein is a toothsome highlight, along with the soft minced pork. The pork balls, while not rapturous, are inoffensive. What is rapturous, however, is their piping hot shrimp har gaw (B45 for three pieces) with a super sour dipping sauce. Their shrimp and pork shumai (B45 for both) are nice and fat and served hot as well. We’re also happy to see a more elevated snack on the menu: the hoy jor (deep-fried crab dumpings, B120), though the taste is a bit one-dimensional and the sweet dipping sauce doesn’t add much. Still, the portion is generous and the dumplings are well-fried and not greasy. The nature of the dishes also means that you never have to wait long. But that, along with the fact that the place closes early and its only booze is Singha beer, means that this is less a place to hang out with friends at night and more a place to grab lunch—though the portions mean you will probaly need a place to take a furtive nap at the office to sleep it all off.