20 places where BK writers eat when they’re trapped in the mall (and that they secretly love!)
Welcome to the judgement-free zone. Here are our favorite dining chains to seek relief from the zombie mall crowds.
8 years ago
Anne Jansuttipan
Features Associate
BonChon
No matter which branch, you can guarantee this Korean fried chicken chain from New York will be killing it. My favorite is the soy garlic sauce chicken with kimchi soup (just to wash down all that grease!). Don’t even think about having a quick lunch or dinner during rush hour. To be honest, even I’m sometimes not convinced queue is worth it.
Find it at: CentralWorld, Silom Complex, Siam Center, Seenspace, Mercury Ville, La Villa Aree and Esplanade Ratchada
Hachiban Ramen
Yes, this is the ramen restaurant for desperate times. But my real obsession here is the chahan (fried rice). Not too dry with pleasant aromatic notes from the eggs and roasted pork—this is a real guilty pleasure. Have it with ginger pickle to cut through the oil.
Find it at: Silom Complex, CentralWorld, countless Lotus and Big C malls
KFC
OK, I’ll admit all of the stuff here is not really fit for consumption, but I’ll forgive them everything for their invention of the Wing Zab. These tangy, spicy little wings prove that sometimes big chains can get things seriously right when trying to appeal to local tastes.
Find it at: Everywhere!
Bonnie Sananvatananont
Staff Writer
Momo Paradise
There’s not much to dislike about a place where, for less than B500, you can get unlimited, delicious hot pot, where the beef and pork keep rolling in, plate after plate, endlessly, getting refilled at a rate you probably won’t be able to keep up with. Aside from the all-you-can-eat perks, though, the meat and vegetables here actually taste really fresh and go well with both the Japanese or Thai-style choice of soups—so much so that you’ll hardly need to use the dipping sauce (even though it’s also really good). Overall, this is a fun, interactive meal that tastes delicious and will leave you absolutely stuffed every time.
Find it at: CentralWorld, Terminal 21, Central Rama 9, Central Bangna, Crystal SB Rachapruek, Crystal Design Center, The Mall Bangkapi
Seefah
My family always eats or orders from here when we want simple, quick and easy Thai food. They specialize in clay pot rice dishes but I personally always go for the kao na gai rachawong (rice with chicken and gravy). Although this is a common dish, I’ve never tasted one better than at this restaurant. Order it with an egg on top (trust me, it makes a difference) to get a great combination of the aromatic gravy sauce, runny egg yolk, tender chicken pieces and plenty of gun chieng (Chinese sausage) to go with your rice. For something on the side, get their kanom jeeb, which is also equally awesome.
Find it at: Terminal 21, The Circle Rachapruek, Esplanade Rachada, Central World, Future Park Rangsit, Fifty Fifth Tower Thonglor, Siam Square 9 and more
Find it at: Terminal 21, The Circle Rachapruek, Esplanade Rachada, Central World, Future Park Rangsit, Fifty Fifth Tower Thonglor, Siam Square 9 and more
Carl Dixon
Deputy Editor
Maisen
Straight outta Tokyo, this tonkatsu chain is definitely a bit pricy, and it also has some connection with S&P—but don’t let that deter you. I love the grab-and-go katsu pocket sandwiches: almost-too-tender pork, crusts impeccably removed, fudgy egg and a thick, barbecue-like sauce. Basically it’s a killer egg and bacon sandwich. In fact, all the sauces are amazing—enough even to elevate the free-flow cabbage into something to be excited about.
Find it at: Siam Paragon, Silom Complex, Central Embassy, CentralWorld, Emquartier, Siam Square One, J Avenue, Future Park Rangsit
Ros’ Niyom
This faux-retro Thai chain looks every inch the tourist trap, but the steaming bowls of Sukhothai tomyum noodles are not for uninitiated. With its sour, super-spicy broth swimming with pork and gooey soft-boiled egg, this is a proper meal in itself—but the pork satay and chive cakes are also decent shouts. If you’re at the Siam Paragon branch, I say take the edge off afterwards with one of the sludgy shakes at Once Upon a Milkshake.
Find it at: Siam Paragon, Silom Complex, Mega Bangna, Paradise Park, Fifty Fifth Thonglor The Avenue Ratchayothin, All Season Place, Tha Maharaj
Gregoire Glachant
Editor in Chief
Baan Ying
Their squid fried with salt and chili makes a lot of fritto misto at fine-dining Italians look like soggy disasters. This one is always perfectly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and it has a kind of oily, salty goodness not unlike McDonald’s fries. While you’re ordering things fried in generous amounts of oil, you should also get the snap peas with ground pork and Chinese olives—umami bursts of crunchy goodness.
Find it at: Siam Center, Silom Complex, CentralWorld, Terminal 21, Mega Bangna and more
Swensen’s
The yogen berry, strawberry sorbet and chocolate rain forest flavors here are just awesome. I wouldn’t trade them for all the Haagen Dazs and Movenpick in the universe. And if you think my palate is seriously messed up, I can tell you that in every blind ice cream taste test we’ve done at BK, it’s always the cheap brands that beat the fancy ones.
Find it at: Do you really need to ask?
Lily Kittisrikangwan
Senior Staff Writer
Wine I Love You
The menu is full of Western comfort dishes like soup and pasta, but I mostly go there for snacky items like the garlic chili calamari and chunky fries with dips to go with the drinks—the massive Coronita cocktail is enough to last you quite a while. The relatively upbeat atmosphere is pretty good for a last-minute meetup with your friends (if they’re not super fussy). That being said, I don’t actually go here for the wine.
Find it at: Groove @ CentralWorld, Crystal Design Center, The EmQuartier, Mega Bangna
MK Restaurant
You can never really go wrong with this Thai sukiyaki chain that has been around since forever. Lots of people go for the roasted duck, but since I’m a pescetarian I just order the good-for-value vegetable set, plus some tofu. There are so many more interesting choices around the city now for shabu buffets and whatnot, but that will probably cost you a lot more. And I secretly believe the dipping sauce here is the highlight. Stick to the standard MK, not Gold.
Find it at: Anywhere really.
Sushi Hiro
Though it’s no longer a standalone sushi place, it’s been able to maintain the same level of hype—meaning long queues at most branches, even despite the scandal at the end of last year (and mediocre service). That’s because of the super-fatty, chunky pieces of salmon sashimi and the 60-percent-off promos that always seem to come up on LINE just when you’re starting to feel hungry. It’s no fancy pants sushi bar, but I say give the engawa nigiri and the salmon kabutoni (boiled in teriyaki sauce) a try.
Find it at: Ramintra, Belle Grand Rama 9, The Up Rama 3, Crystal Ratchapreuk, The Eight Thonglor, The Season Phahonyothin, Promenade and opening soon at The Crystal Park Veranda, The Sense Pinklao
Natcha Sanguankiattichai
Staff Writer
Sizzler
I’m not arguing that this chain does the best steak in town. But there are several reasons why friend gatherings usually end up here: they always have space for a big table (without reservations), they’re friendly with vegos, pescetarians and carnivores alike, and they allow the first arriver to start nibbling away at the salad bar while waiting for late-comers. That works for me! At the end of a food writer’s day, all you need is some crisp, fresh veggies—some branches also provide grilled pumpkins! Note: not all Sizzler branches are created equal.
Find it at: Siam Square One, Siam Center, CentralWorld and more
All Coco
Words are not enough to describe how glad I am to have found this Thai ice-cream chain. I’ve always been a fan of coconut ice cream (that’s not coconut milk ice cream) and it was so hard to find. And this is a good one—real coconut, no artificial fragrance, refreshing enough to bring you a one-fine-day-on-the-beach feeling. I can hardly resist grabbing a treat every time I walk past its counter!
Find it at: Emquartier, Paragon, Central Rama 2, Central Westgate, Central Eastville
Ning Janyapat
Branded Content Associate
Shabu 101 Degree
Yes, we are talking all-you-can-eat here. Shabu 101 can't compare with Sunday brunch at The St. Regis or a dinner buffet at Mandarin Oriental, but you definitely get your money’s worth. The B420 package has it all, from seafood, lamb and other sliced meats to ice cream—plus you can pick one of their special menu items: kurobuta pork, Japanese wagyu or premium seafood. It’s a great place to goof around with your colleagues when youre tired of mundane lunches. The various choices of soup and dipping sauces don’t disappoint.
Find it at: Silom Complex, Plearnary Mall Watcharapol
McDonald’s
We have all been there. Forget the calorie count and the money you have invested in your gym membership every once in a while. Their all-time-classic Filet-O-Fish and chocolate sundae won’t let you down. Forget “being healthy” by ordering a salad and indulge your craving for a cheeseburger every once in a while.
Find it at: Everybody knows where to find one.
Oliver Irvine
Managing Editor
Credit: Jetalone via Wikimedia
Coco Ichibanya
I’m from the UK where Japanese curry doesn’t exist—or at least it doesn’t in the bit where I come from—so the first time I tried it at was at Coco Ichibanya in Ari. It was a revelation. I don’t know what it is about their curry sauce and pork cutlet, which by any discerning standards have nothing going for them, but they’ve got me hooked. Now I basically plan my shopping around malls where I know there’s a Coco. I love everything about it. It’s my happy place.
Find it at: K Village, Silom Complex, Siam Paragon, MBK, CentralWorld, The Esplanade and many, many more
Scoozi
This one’s actually quite depressing to think about because they changed something. The base used to have this slightly wheaty, slightly chewy quality but now it tastes flat, crisp and lifeless. Anyway, you can get around this by ordering the wholeweat crust, which puts some of the comforting sparkle back into their otherwise perfectly fine pizzas. The tomatoes have some acidity, the cheese is generous, the salami has a spicy kick. You’re a long way from pizza perfection, but you can also do a lot, lot worse than one of Scoozi’s pies straight from the stone oven.
Find it at: Siam Paragon, The Crystal, MegaBangna, The Circle Ratchapruek, Esplanade, The Nine and more
Vasachol Quadri
Senior Staff Writer
Greyhound Cafe
I don’t normally eat out and my meals rarely consist of anything other than pad krapao near the office to lab tod at some chill bar. Spending a day in the mall is not my thing either, but let’s face it, everyone has times when a group of friends says “let’s meet up at Siam Paragon for dinner” (meaning a real 5pm dinner with no alcohol involved). In that case, most of the time I end up at Greyhound. It’s the safest choice, like ordering gin and tonic at a shitty bar. Wait, that doesn’t mean it’s bad; I love their Italian-style clam and mussels soup and homemade pate with cognac and green peppercorns so much. The salmon saab is also another dish that’s a real crowd-pleaser.
Find it at: Siam Paragon, Siam Center and J-Avenue
Ootoya
Now, Japanese food is not my thing, either. But the only Japanese restaurant—mall version—that I say yes to is Ootoya. This is easygoing home cooking that’s not at all pretentious and pretty tasty, too. The charcoal-grilled chicken with basil sauce is so good and you can have it with rice or keep it healthy by ordering as salad, too.
Find it at: Anywhere really.
Like that? Check out more places where BK’s writers really eat
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