The buzz: People are calling it the best steak in town—and that means there’s a three-week wait to eat here. Part of a new wave of Bangkok butcher-slash-restaurants, this one comes from a French butcher and chef, Arnaud Carre, and his two Thai partners, Supanit Chaiyawat and Siripong Luengvarinkul. Carre buys whole carcasses and dry-ages them for at least 45 days, so he offers every cut you could wish for with no extra charge for cooking and eating in. 

 

In the plate: Here’s how it works: pick your cut at the counter, tell the chef how you want it prepared and then sit back and wait for your grilled meat. Prices start at B1,200/kg for T-bone, tomahawk and strip steak, and B1,500/kg for ribeye. To go with the beef (plus lamb chops, pork chops, chicken and some seafood), Carre also curates a list of French wines including a 2012 Ackerman Pouilly-Fume from Loire (B1,190) and a 2012 Bertrand Stehelin Gigondas from Rhone (B1,390). As a spirit lover himself, there’s plenty of stronger drinks behind the bar, including Beluga vodka at B400/shot.

 

The verdict: The dry-aged beef at this super-cheap price says it all. Would we be willing to endure another three-week wait for a table? Probably. 

 

The buzz: Thitid Tassanakajohn (owner/chef of Le Du) branched out from cooking modern, inventive Thai food to do something completely different: home-style cooking, using recipes from his and his girlfriend’s families. 

 

In the plate: Thitid retreats from the modernist cuisine he learned in New York in favor of simple dishes with real Thai flavors like tom kha gai (coconut curry soup with chicken, B220) and somtam Thai (B120), as well as creative signature dishes like the kai palo tom sap (spicy five-spice egg soup, B280). The clipboard menu tells all about the origins of the local produce: eggs from Udomchai Farm, beef from Company B and pork from Sloane’s. 

 

The verdict: Comfort food, casual vibes. The place also looks chic and grownup, and maybe it's high time Thai food be eaten in such settings.

 

The buzz: Hotel Muse replaced Thai restaurant Su Tha Ros with an Art Deco-referencing steakhouse, led by chef Tobias Schwarzendorfer(previously at Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom). 

 

In the plate: This is a steakhouse of the old school, focused on cuts from Australia (try the grain-fed Sher wagyu, from B1,950/200g tenderloin), Japan and the US, alongside other timeworn recipes like lobster thermidor (B2,900).

 

The verdict: Decent steak with an impressive view.

 

The buzz: Chef Supanut “Ann” Kanarak (previously head of Four Season’s Spice Market) has partnered with Chortip “Nhoi” Ouypornchaisakul (of the defunct Parata Diamond) and Waraphan Chanthong (who formerly worked at Nahm) to open a cooking studio which doubles as a chef’s table for six to ten people. 

 

In the plate: At B1,200 net, the chefs cook up seven courses of delicious traditional Thai food spanning amuse bouche, appetizers, three dishes to eat with rice and two desserts. Sophisticated Thai techniques are showcased in the mee grob (crispy noodles) and nam prik platoo (minced mackerel chili paste), for which the mackerel is grilled and stir-fried for extra flavor.

 

The verdict: They don’t aim at fancy but rather delectable, traditional food with solid techniques and fun local ingredients. At B1,200, this is one very reasonable chef’s table.

 

The buzz: Since its opening night, Crab and Claw has been one of the most-talked-about restaurants in Emquartier, with photos of lobsters, lobster rolls and bibs lighting up social media. It's a collaboration between Hawaiian chef Colin Stevens (former executive chef of Centara Karon Resort and All Seasons Naiharn Phuket) and restaurateur Ployparn Markawat (The Local and Naj), and specializes in the kind of seafood dishes you’d usually enjoy sitting by the shore in Maine, USA.

 

In the plate: Live lobsters are imported daily from Maine in limited quantities and presented in a range of styles: steamed and served with drawn butter, grilled with garlic and butter (both B1,900 for 700-800g; B2,800 for 1,000-1,300g), baked in organic uni (sea urchin) butter, topped with more uni and flying fish roe (B2,300 for 700-800g; B3,200 for 1,000-1,300g) and in a fresh chilled lobster roll (B950). Other picks include the pasta uni-ara (squid ink pasta with cheese, uni butter, uni sauce and fresh uni, B480) and New England clam chowder (B220). 

 

The verdict: Yes, it’s in a mall, it’s noisy, the service is patchy, but we quite enjoy the bustling nature of the place. While Crab and Claw doesn’t come cheap, it does set the bar high for premium seafood that’s fresh, organic and sustainable. 

 

The buzz: Located on the left wing of The House on Sathorn, the beautiful mansion just next to W Hotel, The Dining Room is designed for an intimate meal with only 40 seats, almost half of which sit at the long, wooden counter facing the kitchen. Turkish chef Fatih Tutak heads the kitchen, dishing out fun, Asian-inspired dishes.

 

In the plate: Hunting (B790) is symbolic of a European hunting day, with duck breast lying on splashes of red pomegranate sauce and burnt onion powder as gunpowder. The Red Parfait (B750) is equally stylish: foie gras torchon wrapped with beetroot jelly, served with brioche and aged balsamic vinegar. As for sweets, On My Way to Silom (B350) is inspired by a local grilled banana stall not far from the chef’s residence. 

 

The verdict: While keeping its style very strong, W’s The House on Sathorn is not a bit short on substance. 

 

The buzz: This project by chef-couple Duangporn Songvisava and Dylan Jones drops the formalities of their flagship Thai restaurant, Bo.lan, in favor of Thai-style tapas. Expect the same attention to sustainable and seasonal Thai produce. 

 

In the plate: The small plates highlight good ingredients and slow-food techniques aimed at lessening the restaurant’s environmental impact:  chicken satay with brioche (B195), naem (Northern-style garlic and sticky rice cured pork, B195) and Chicken Movie (deep-fried whole-chicken skin with homemade Sriracha sauce, B150).

 

The verdict: If you still haven’t checked out Bo.lan (#10 in our Top Tables 2015) for fear of fine-dining haughtiness (and prices), here’s a much more relaxed setting to try Bo and Dylan’s creations. 

 

The buzz: The first restaurant officially affiliated with the Iron Chef TV program sees celebrity chefs offer up various cuisines to the public.

 

In the plate: Like on the show, dishes are categorized around eight ingredients: lobster/prawn, wagyu beef, bluefin tuna, foie gras, black grouper, pork, duck and eggs. Chef Prasopchok “Art” Trakulphat helms the kitchen, hence why his dishes dominate the oversized menu, along with many from chef Ian Kittichai. Still, there are contributions from other Iron Chefs, including Thai chef Chumpol Jangprai’s long srong (lobster or prawn with Chinese morning glory and curried peanut sauce, B1,900). Dessert chef Thanunya “Gai” Kaikaew's funkily-presented sweets include the orange-shaped Grand Marnier parfait (B390), balanced out by caviar and wrapped in yuzu jelly. 

 

The verdict: This is one of the fanciest in Thailand, and there’s a whole lot of technique on display. It's a rare treat to actually judge the celebrity chefs for yourselves. 

 

The buzz: Restaurateur Fred Meyer (Issaya Siamese Club, Namsaah Bottling Trust, Pizza Massilia) jumped onto the Suan Phlu bandwagon in his signature, tastefully kitsch style. Though Kom-Ba-Wa deals in the same kind of fancy Japanese import ingredients taking over Bangkok dining, here they’re used in a way that dares to be different, with dainty, European-influenced plating matching with authentic yet creative flavors. 

 

In the plate: On top of premium sushi like scallops (B790) and sea urchin (B960), appetizers include the "Rosebeef" (Black Angus with yuzu ponzu dressing, B390) and black cod miso gyoza with chili soy sauce (B410). Main dishes showcase even more of the chef’s creativity. The squid ink ramen with fresh Maine lobster and Japanese sea urchin sauce (B1,850) is not to be missed, boasting a surprising yet satisfying pasta-like quality, and neither is the flavor-packed 60-day aged Tajima wagyu steak served with ponzu jelly (B1,750).

 

The verdict: We love Kom-Ba-Wa. Not only does it add something new, but does so with creative, grown-up flair—with flavors on the plate to match.  

 

The buzz: This steak-frite-specializing restaurant from the mind behind Crepes & Co. lifts its entire concept from Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote, a 50-year-old Parisian restaurant where the wait for steak in a classic “Cafe de Paris” green sauce served with bottomless fries can take more than an hour. 

 

In the plate: Perrot claims he’s got the original green sauce recipe from the Cafe de Paris in Geneva, which popularized L’Entrecote’s sauce some 20 years before the Parisian restaurant opened. What tastes like a potent mix of dijon mustard and garlic laced with an unholy amount of butter makes for a powerful accompaniment to the entrecote steak, also served with a walnut green salad and unlimited fries (B680). Unlike other famous L’Entrecote restaurants, you’ll also find lamb (B720) and salmon (B880) for the beef-weary. Finish up with your choice of 12 classic bistro desserts veering towards the heavy and chocolate-y.

 

The verdict: Don’t go expecting the most tender beef in town, but powerful flavors and those deliciously crisp, never-ending French fries make this a great contender for best affordable steak in town. 

 

The buzz: This glamorous Mahanakhon Cube opening serves a modernized take on Chinese cuisine. The private dining experience sees the food plated up the French way, as individual courses for each diner. Tables must be reserved at least one day in advance, with prices from B2,800 for six courses to 8,000 for 10 courses at lunch, and B8,000-12,000 at dinner. 

 

In the plate: Some dishes go beyond typical Chinese ingredients, as in the sauteed Pacific scallop on deep-fried, finely-sliced bread with mango mayonnaise and caviar. Others stick closer to home, such as the delectable chrysanthemum tofu in almond syrup, in which the chef showcases his knife skills by finely cutting the tofu into hair-like strips. Desserts are largely French-influenced but with Chinese flavors. 

 

The verdict: We’ve seen attempts to serve elevated Thai cuisine in Western-style arrangements, but that hasn’t been the case with Chinese food. And there’s certainly no lack of class or artistry here.

 

The buzz: A French-Thai couple with more than 10 years’ experience operating a fine-dining restaurant in Paris operate this casual Sathorn bistro which blurs the line between restaurant and bar.

 

In the plate: Though you can happily stop by just for a drink, the food here is taken way more seriously than bar snacks. Expect easy yet delicious French dishes like the egg parmesan (B280), a poached egg served with bell pepper cream, mushroom and parmesan foam, which has us asking for more and more baguette to soak up the flavor; and salmon wasabi pea puree, cauliflower and baby carrots served with raw fennel salad (B580).

 

The verdict: Without a big Michelin-star chef backing it, Marcel amassed a dedicated following of its own.

 

The buzz: Gion’s longstanding teppanyaki (iron griddle cooking) specialist, known for its expert selection and preparation of premium beef, has branched out of Kyoto for the first time. And the third-generation owner, Kenji Mita, chose to open this three-counter outlet right on Thonglor. 

 

In the plate: Though the prices are not cheap (starting at B3,500/100g set), this might very well be some of the most special teppanyaki beef in town. There are four set menus on offer, each differing in how the beef is cooked: steak (tenderloin or sirloin) at your preferred level of doneness, melt-in-your-mouth oilyaki (3-5mm thinly sliced tenderloin, served piece by piece), shabu-yaki (grilled super-thin sirloin) and sukiyaki (soft-boiled super-thin sirloin). The sets are served along with an appetizer, soup of the day, green salad, garlic fried rice, Japanese pickles, clear soup and dessert. 

 

The verdict: This teppanyaki place lives up to its 80-year-old name, steep prices and big reputation.

 

The buzz: Mizu aims to be right up there with the top sushi restaurants in town, such as the Michelin-affiliated Ginza Sushi Ichi or the equally impressive Sushi Hinata. Everything from the beautiful crockery and traditional sushiya uniforms to the splendid fish knives seem to gently whisper, “We’re using only the best stuff, here.” 

 

In the plate: The end results are on par with the hypnotic knife-work and service: rice at the perfect sourness and temperature, chunks of raw fish impeccably carved, slices of bitter cucumber leaves and sea grapes thrown in where cheaper places might use chopped chives. But stick to the omakase sets (B2,000 for three courses/nine pieces of sushi or B3,500 for five courses/12 pieces) if you want the young Thai chef’s full attention. 

 

The verdict: On our last visit, the chef said, “There are maybe 9-10 restaurants at our level in Bangkok.” That’s not entirely false, but Mizu still needs to become more consistent at delivering on its ambitions.

 

The buzz: Water Library bistros tend to go for 1900s-30s big city airs, making Seed's faux-barn looks a surprising departure. The food, too, is  more rustic than their other ventures—another big change for their star fine-dining chef, Singaporean Haikal Johari.

 

In the plate: Prettily-presented, French-inspired dishes with some Asian touches. This might seem a step down for the kitchen team previously behind the exclusive Water Library Thonglor, but there’s no lack of expertise in the generously-portioned salads, soups, pastas, fish and meat dishes. The Salmon Belly (B320) sees salmon mousse sit atop salmon apple tartare served with savory white wine ice cream; while Thai flavors lead in the whole sea crab spaghetti (B1,390, for 2-3 people): peppery, mildly spicy and reminiscent of pu ob woonsen (crab casserole with glass noodles).

 

The verdict: Being Water Library, it can’t help being a bit pricy and delicate. But it's super yummy.

 

The buzz: Taking over the former spot of Grossi Trattoria & Wine Bar, Theo Mio is the first outpost outside of the UK for British celebrity chef Theo Randall, who runs his eponymous restaurant at InterContinental London Park Lane and also stars in BBC Two’s culinary competition The Chef’s Protege.    

 

In the plate: Randall dishes out comforting Italian fares. Among all the classics spanning from appetizers, salads, pizza to meat dishes, don’t miss Randall’s signature cappelletti di vitello (cappelletti pasta stuffed with slow-cooked veal and topped with porcini mushroom, butter and parsley sauce, B420) which won Best Dish at the Tatler Food awards last year. 

 

The verdict: Simple food at the finest level.

 

The buzz: Craft beer house Mikkeller has opened up its second floor to fine dining. The kitchen is helmed by Korean-born chef Dan Bark, who previously worked as a sous chef at Chicago’s Grace, a bona-fide three-Michelin-star restaurant currently touted as one of the most expensive in America.

 

In the plate:  As you might expect, Upstairs steers well clear of pub grub (though that’s still available downstairs). Diners pay B4,900/person and enjoy whatever the chef cooks in a nine-course tasting menu paired with beers. Bark describes his food as progressive American, meaning a mix-and-match approach to techniques and ingredients unbound by geography. Though not too crazily presented, the food plays around with different flavors and textures, with the occasional fancy flourish in the form of cream, foam, faux caviar and siphoning. Each dinner comes paired with six generously-poured craft beers, mostly from the Mikkeller brewery.

 

The verdict: The delicate food, unlikely location and amazing beers make this an experience unlike any other in town.