103+ Factory

The buzz: Located just off the main drag, on Ari Soi 4 (North), this is the pet project of a tight-knit group of friends who serve up their favorite fusion dishes and desserts in a cute shophouse setting.
The décor: Sizeable windows let in plenty of natural light and accentuate the white brick walls and striped feature wall. Vintage knick-knacks (and a couple of crayfish in bowls) give the space a homey vibe, while there’s also a tiny garden out front.
The food: The all-day menu ranges from American breakfast to fusion dishes. Start off with the recommended salmon with ebiko cream sauce (B170), laab salmon (salmon with spicy herbal sauce, B140) or the green salad they grow themselves (B80). There are also pasta dishes like spaghetti with bacon, chili garlic and ebiko (B180). The desserts, like the popular red velvet cheesecake (B115) and macaroons (B45 a piece), are served on rustic wooden boards.
The drinks: Besides Twinings tea (B80), hot chocolate with marshmallow (B70) and a full range of coffees (from B50), they also serve Singha, Heineken and Asahi (from B80 per bottle). Wine is on the way.
The crowd: It’s often packed with couples getting cozy over a coffee and office workers gathering for lunch and dinner.
24/4 Ari Soi 4 (North), Paholyothin Rd., Bangkok, 081-495-1555. Open daily 11am-11pm.

Aree

The buzz: Aree opened to packed crowds thanks to the reputation of Salt, which sits across the Soi and is run by the same family and friends, headed by Antika Teparak. They wanted a place that’s more Thai, meaning cover bands, plenty of whiskey to share at big tables and a Thai glab glaem (drinking food)menu—oh and even squat toilets, too.
The décor: There’s a barn atmosphere thanks to oversized wooden stools and tables, a generous use of brick and a few weathered curios ranging from a typewriter to a creepy baby carriage.
The food: Authentic, well-executed glab glaem classics ranging from spicy soups (B180) to deep fried chicken in lemongrass (B90). Given the chef’s fusion pedigree (he heads Salt’s kitchen), this is a great back-to-basics menu.
The drinks: The bar is a countertop covered in whiskey bottles, which gives off a house party atmosphere. There, you can order cocktails (B200 for a whiskey sour), single malts (from B200) or bottles of whiskey both hi-so (Clan Gold, B800, B1,200 for 15 years old, B2,200 for 18 years old) and lo-so (Sangsom, Regency and Jack Daniels) while Heineken is B200.
The crowd: The beautiful people of Ari, with girls all dolled up and guys still in their office clothes.
Ari Soi 4, Paholyothin Rd., Bangkok, 087-511-4466. Open Tue-Sun 6pm-1am.

Oji

The buzz: Oji first started on Chan Rd. before the owners decided to relocate to Ari (it’s right opposite Aree) in order to win over the in-crowd with what they call their contemporary Japanese cuisine, drawing on their time working in a Japanese restaurant in the USA.
The décor: Oji doesn’t share the wood-heavy vibe typical of many Japanese sushi bars thanks to its stark black and white décor.
The food: The focus is also far from traditional, with fusion fare like spicy tuna salad (B179) and tuna tataki (B179). The recommended dishes are the OMG Roll (shrimp rolls topped with strawberry, B279), Beauty and The Beast (spicy tuna and grilled eel maki topped with tempura flour, B299) and Oji Roll (crabmeat and ebiko maki wrapped with tempura seaweed, B279). They also serve a range of classic dishes like salmon sashimi (B120).
The drinks: Refill green tea is B39. Bottled sake ranges from B300-B400, while beers (Carlsberg, Singha and Asahi) start from B90.
The crowd: It’s a similar crowd to Ari’s other new hotspots, typically young office workers but also some who come to check out the cute owners.
111/1 Paholyothin Soi 7, Bangkok, 080-209-0323. Open Thu-Tue 5-11pm.

Wholly Cow

The buzz: Tucked away on Ari Soi 2, Wholly Cow serves affordable, mostly Australian steaks.
The décor: An industrial-style modern glasshouse with plenty of bare brick on show. The interior is quite grown-up with formal tables throughout, a bar at the center and a small stage in one corner which plays host to live jazz bands on Fri-Sat. There’s also a walk-in wine cellar, with a soon-to-open cigar lounge called Holy Smokes in a glasshouse of its own.
The food: Expect appetizers like French onion soup (B150) and scallops wrapped in bacon (B250) alongside hearty fare like Australian rib eye (B530 for 8 oz.), Australian Angus tenderloin (B640 for 8 oz.) and Thai tenderloin (B350 for 8 oz.). Other specialties include BBQ baby back pork ribs. But if meat is not your thing, try the angel hair pasta with spicy seafood (B250) or the fish and chips (B200).
The drinks: Classic cocktails are B180. Wines, both old and new world, start from B750 per bottle. Wines by the glass start from B200. Beers are mostly Belgian, including Duvel, Tripel Karmeliet and the fruity Kasteel Rouge and start from B235.
The crowd: Middle-aged office workers from the neighborhood, and steak-lovers coming to check out the latest spot to sink their teeth into some red meat.
34/1 Ari Soi 2, Paholyothin Rd., Bangkok, 02-619-8177-8. Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm.

Vasu Virajsilp,

owner of VaSLab Architecture

What projects do you have lined up?
I just finished RWB Thailand, a Porsche body-tuning studio. Now I’m working on the flagship store for Lenso (a car wheel manufacturer), a vacation house in Khao Yai, and a Christian cemetery in Chumphon.
What’s the latest architectural trend in Bangkok?
To be honest, I don’t follow the trends much. Trends come and go, but I believe really good architecture is timeless.
If you could design anything, what would it be?
I have always had the desire to design a museum. I once had the chance to design Noah’s Ark, a Christian museum in a park. But it didn’t get built. Hopefully, I’ll get another chance to complete the design and see it constructed.
What’s the most difficult thing about designing buildings?
To make decent architecture on a low budget. Actually, designing is not that difficult compared to dealing with people who don’t understand or respect an architect’s profession.
What do you think will be the next big thing in architectural design?
Architecture that can withstand and survive natural disasters.
What public spaces do you want to see more of in Bangkok?
More museums and parks would be nice. Bangkokians need more spirituality and less materialistic sustenance.

Boonlert Hemvijitraphan,

owner of Boon Design

What projects do you have lined up?
I’m working on an urban park restaurant in Bangkok and doing interior design for shops as part of the Venezia project in Hua Hin, and, of course, some private residential projects.
What’s the latest architectural trend in Bangkok?
We’re moving away from plain buildings with just the one surface or texture, to multi-layered buildings which play around with different shapes and dimensions.
If you could design anything, what would it be?
It would be a sacred place where people can put into practice the Buddhist teachings; these places are disappearing and being replaced by malls.
What do you think will be the next big thing in the architecture world?
That would be going green and getting back to nature. By going back to the basics, we will get rid of all the complicated designs and just try to make buildings that seem as natural as possible.
What’s the most difficult thing about architectural design?
It’s all about your mindset: if you believe that anything is possible, you’ll have no difficulty designing anything.
What changes can we expect in architectural design in the future?
The growing threat of natural disasters, like flooding, will prompt dramatic changes in architecture, both in terms of design and materials, in order to create stronger and more versatile structures.
What public spaces do you want to see more of in Bangkok?
It would be fantastic to have a community mall that’s somehow integrated with a park, to make you feel as if you’re surrounded by nature, even if you’re in a concrete urban environment.

Pitupong Chaowakul,

owner of Super Machine Studio

What projects do you have lined up?
Classrooms, a small hostel with student facilities. In addition, my office has been very lucky to work on a growing number of culture-related projects. These are very diverse but mostly fun. We are also designing the Big Mountain Music Festival, as we do every year.
What’s the latest architectural trend in Bangkok?
Perhaps buildings with expensive vertical gardens—that’s what I’m noticing many people are incorporating into their projects.
If you could design anything, what would it be?
Police stations. I think they are very interesting in terms of the complexity of the social issues they have to deal with. From what we see in the news, it’s a soap opera in a building: husbands and wives quarrelling, drug dealers and delinquent kids misbehaving. But at the moment, they look very boring. I would like to make them more transparent, friendlier, more fun, more like social facilities that people aren’t intimidated to go into and spend time in. 
What’s the most difficult thing to design?
Definitely a house! Most people who come to an architect office looking for someone to design their house are doing it for the first time. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it just adds to the process. Sometimes architects are like psychologists standing between a couple fighting over different requirements. It’s not always like that, but designing a good house is a very delicate process. It requires time, effort and understanding. I don’t purposely avoid such projects, but over the last ten years, I have only designed one villa in my hometown.
What’s the next big thing in architectural design?
Buildings made with 3D printing technology. It’s not new but it’s started to become more widely available, if only at a prototype level. The technology is already used for objects like furniture. And when it’s cheap enough to be more readily available, it will change everything. Buildings will be built directly from a computer into their physical form. 
What public spaces do you want to see more of in Bangkok?
Museums and libraries. Bangkok needs ten times more of these. It would be nice to have just as many libraries as 7-11s. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to go around the city and see people reading, chatting and learning, instead of shopping or watching soap operas?

Pok Kobkongsanti,

owner of Trop Design

What projects do you have lined up?  
We just completed several projects, including the Hilton Pattaya, Casa de La Flora, Prive' by Sansiri, Zense Gourmet Deck and Quattro by Sansiri. At the moment, we are working on projects in Thailand, China, Singapore and India. In Thailand, we’re mostly working on high-end residential projects and some design for hotels like Hotel Indigo in Phuket.
How has landscape design changed over the past few years?
Over the last 5 years, developers have started paying a lot more attention to landscape design. Now it has become one of the best marketing tools to sell to their customers, for both hotels and condominiums. 
If you could design anything, what would it be?
We would love to design a public park or a plaza.
What architectural/landscape design trend has to go?
All trends will eventually go out of date, but personally I would say those that waste natural resources for no
reason at all.
What’s the most difficult thing about landscape design?
Even the simplest task can be the most difficult if you want to create something new. At my studio, we are trying hard not to copy other designers, or even our own projects.
What’s the next big thing in landscape design?
Going green and environmentally friendly. With global warming, I think this is a matter of urgency. Over the past 20 years, we have continually destroyed the environment, without a second thought. Unfortunately, we no longer have that luxury.
What public spaces do you want to see more of in Bangkok?
Footpaths that pedestrians can actually walk on without having to worry about cars or motorcycles.

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