In light of all the fancy new restaurants we’ve been covering in BK lately (we can’t help it; it’s just been one of those months), we decided it was high time we went back to basics: the fantastic street food stalls that are the true backbone of the city’s dining scene. But don’t just take our word for what the best finds in the city are. We spoke to four of our foodie friends and asked them to recommend the places they are most enthusiastic about. Here’s what we got:

FOODIE #1

IAN CHALERMKITTICHAI

Chef Ian may have been the first Thai ever to become the Executive Chef of a five-star hotel property, and he may have gotten his chops at places like French Laundry in Napa and El Bulli in Spain and Thai-restaurant Kittichai in New York. But his humble beginnings pushing a khao kaeng cart prepared by his mother is what makes him such an authority on Bangkok food. When he’s not busy commuting across the globe, you can find him at his newest Bangkok restaurant, Hyde and Seek (Athenee Residence, 65/1 Soi Ruam Rudee, 02-168-5152, BTS Phloen Chit).

Ko Yee

• Thai-Chinese seafood, like kao pad poo (B33)
• Soi Charoennakorn 21, 02-863-6955. Open daily 10am-10pm
Ian says: “Great crab fried rice with fresh and hand-picked crab meat. Also great are their mee hong kong, a version of the Hong Kong stir-fried noodles, but this time with a Thai-Chinese flavor.”
BK tip: Get off at BTS Saphan Taksin and cross the river to Charoennakorn Road. Make a left and walk up the street. The factory-style space is located just across from soi 21.

Sawang

• Bah mee moo daeng, bah mee crab (B50-300)
• 336/2 Rama 4 Rd. MRT Hua Lamphong. 02-236-1772. Open Tue-Sun 5-11pm
Ian says: “The noodles are made in-house and the recipe has been passed down over three generations. It’s only one noodle shop—they’ve never expanded. This is the taste, flavor and great texture of classic egg noodles, not to mention the blue swimmer crab and its very sweet flavor.”
BK tip: Just a short walk from the train station. A bowl of bah mee here can be as much as B300, so come prepared, and do watch out for the elderly uncle, who gets upset when you don’t have the exact change.

Chua Kim Heng

• Braised goose (B115-460, whole goose B920)
• 81-83 Pattanakarn Rd., 02-319-2510. Open daily 8.30am-6pm
Ian says: “One of the best braised goose in town, salty and sweet and with a deep molasses color from the braising liquid.”
BK tip: Okay, so it’s not really on the sidewalk, but we’re including it because it doesn’t have air-conditioning. And because it seems to constantly be packed with the sort of hi-so who would otherwise never deign to brace such heat. The braised goose aside, the bitter gourd soup is also fantastic. FYI, it’s across Pattanakarn Soi 6 and a 10-minute walk from the SARL Ramkhamhaeng station.

FOODIE #2

CHAWADEE NUALKHAIR

Chawadee Nualkhair got into food as a child because her mother couldn’t cook. She received a cooking diploma from L’Ecole Gregoire-Ferrandi (perhaps the toughest cooking school in Paris) and went on to cover much more serious subjects at international news agencies. Now a freelance journalist, Chawadee is also at work on her first book, about street food. Her blog is www.bangkokglutton.com

Aisa Rot Dee 

• Khao mok kai/neua (B55), beef satay (B45 for 10)
• Beginning of Tani Road, 02-282-6378.
Open daily 8am-5pm, except fourth Monday of the month
Chawadee says: “This food court-style venue benefits from the convergence of a whole bunch of stalls in one tiny little open-air courtyard. That makes it a great one-stop introduction to Thai-Muslim food. It’s also hard to find, which, of course, I love. I think people should have to work a little bit for their great food experiences.”
BK tip: The entrance to the alley through which you’ll find Aisa Rot Dee is eclipsed by sidewalk shops, and the only identifying sign is in Thai only (non-readers can identify it from the red color and the crescent and star logo). Close to the corner of Tani Road and Soi Rambuttri.

Guay tiaw Lord

• Guay tiaw lord (flat rice noodles stuffed with pork, B35)
• Yaowaraj Rd. in front of the Seiko shop, next to La Scala shark fin restaurant. Open Tue-Sun 6:30pm-1am
Chawadee says: “Even though it’s fairly well-known, I wanted to make sure it’s included because it is that fantastic a dish. It’s loaded with so many flavors: pork, shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp included in the ‘fabric’ of the rice noodles.”
BK tip: They’ve been around for twenty years, and though they used to only do their signature dish, they now have a pretty fantastic kra por pla (B50-100), too.

Jay Fai

• Lad na (B260), pad see ew (B280)
• 327 Mahachai Rd., 02-223-9384. Open Mon-Sat 3pm-2am
Chadawee says: “Yes, it’s an outdoor lad na stall with Italian-restaurant prices. But I think it’s one of Bangkok’s best Thai restaurants! The specialty lad na is really, really good­ — especially the seafood one with crispy noodles prepared ‘three ways’.”
BK tip: It’s right next to another outdoor stall, so don’t get confused. This one is a shophouse with lots of outdoor seating, directly across the street from Soi Samranrat and the wet market. They seem to have gotten a lot of attention from farangs, as they now do a laminated menu with a few pictures and English descriptions but, we say, stick to the basics.

Xia Duck Noodles

• Duck noodles (B35), five-spice duck (B70-100), dim sum (B20)
• 2856 Rama IV Rd., 02-671-3279, Open daily 7:30pm-midnight
Chawadee says: “It’s not just the duck noodles—there’s duck braised in five-spice powder and ‘Chinese medicine’ meant to go with rice; their tao tung for dessert; and, on Sunday afternoons, dim sum, duck rice and jab chai. A good sign you’re at Xia: deserted at 7pm, completely packed by 7:45.”
BK tip: They’ve been around for three decades. The duck noodles are amazing, yes, but we also recommend going there on a Sunday, when they do some specials like steamed duck and Chinese herbal soups like bah mee boo pith and bitter gourd.

FOODIE #3

AUSTIN BUSH

A long-time resident who is fluent in Thai, Austin has been a regular writer and photographer for guides on Southeast Asia, most notably Lonely Planet. He maintains a serious photography and food blog where he chronicles his experience eating at street stalls around Bangkok (including helpful Googlemaps whenever possible) as well as on his travels around the region. Check it out at www.austinbushphotography.com

Khao Kruk Kapi

• Khao khruk kapi (rice with shrimp paste, sweet pork and mango, B30)
• Phra Athit Road. Open Tue-Sat 8am-2pm
Austin says: “There’s just about every flavor and texture you could ever want, and served with a bowl of hot broth, the dish is a tasty, healthy and balanced one-dish meal.”
BK tip: They only serve three dishes here, the highlight of which is the khao kruk kapi. The stall is set up on a stretch of sidewalk right in between Baan Pla Sod and a little cafe/bar called Artist, directly across the street from Baan Chao Phraya. Also, the unsung hero here is the broth accompaniment, which is super peppery and garlicky and plays no second fiddle to the main dish.

Nay Lao

• Lad na (B30) and pad see ew (B35)
• 124/8 Nang Linchi Rd., 02 678 3517. Open Tue-Sun 11am-11pm, Mon 11am-3pm
Austin says: “The best thing about the dishes is how they’re prepared. The men wielding the spatulas at Nay Lao are masters, expertly charring the pad see ew and providing the dish with a smoky flavour that remains in your mouth a good hour after you’ve eaten it.”
BK tip: A food inspector’s nightmare, but you won’t care when you put that first bite of their pad see ew in your mouth. The owner makes it order-by-order, never combining orders, making it that much more remarkable that he’s always smiling and nice. It’s right opposite Nang Linchi Soi 8. There are two other branches at Thanon Tok Rd. and Choke Chai 4 being run by his brothers.

Coke Chuan Chim

• Yen ta fo (B35 regular, B40 special)
• Sala Daeng Soi 2. Open Tue-Fri 6-9:20am, noon-1:30pm
Austin says: “The broth is balanced out with plenty of deep-fried crispy garlic and slightly salty tao huu yii. A bowl comes with excellent-quality fish dumplings, fish cakes, shrimp balls, deep-fried tofu, par-boiled morning glory and pickled squid.”
BK tip: It’s right across from the Bangkok Christian Guest House under a big brown awning. Prepare for 15-minute waits but the owner keeps things very disciplined so that even the sneakiest aunties will be told off if they try to nab your table. Or head there at 1pm when the big rush is over.

Nay Hong

• Guay tiaw khua kai (stir-fried noodles with picked squid, chicken and egg, B30)
• Alley behind the corner of Luang Road and Phlapplachai Road. Open daily 4-9pm
Austin says: “The man who cooks the dish, almost pancake style, allows the messy mixture of chicken, eggs and noodles to crisp on one side before flipping the whole lot over en masse. This provides the dish with a crispy texture and lots of tasty singed bits.”
BK tip: It’s a few buildings before Luang Road hits Phlapplachai. Turn left into the alleyway. You’ll have to pass another guay tiaw stall, Nong Ann, to get here. Go now before the litter of street kittens grows up and aren’t as cute anymore.

Nay Mong

• Hoy thod (oyster omelet, B65)
• Corner of Plaeng Naam and Charoenkrung Road, 02-623-1980. Open daily 11am-9pm
Austin says: “Whether you order the crispy (or lua, pictured above) or soft (or suan) version, you’re getting a brilliant intersection of seafood and egg; smoky, rich and cooked to perfection. Quite possibly my favorite dish in Bangkok.”
BK tip: Get extras of the delicious dipping sauce, which may look like the stuff that goes with khai chiaw (omelet) but is runny and super vinegary and cuts wonderfully through the grease. Also, these are some of the fattest oysters we’ve ever seen.

FOODIE #4

NATEAMPHAI SARAKOSASS

A former resident of Chicago where she trained at the Cordon Bleu and at some of the city’s decorated French restaurants, Chef Nate is now back in Thailand, volunteering her time at the Royal Projects and the cause of eating local. Her Thong Lor restaurant, Triplets (6/F, Paranjit Tower, Soi Thong Lor, 02-712-8066), sources almost all food and drink, including beef and wine, from ranchers and growers in Thailand. Who better, then, to extol the virtues of Thai food made with Thai ingredients?

Joke Prince Bangrak

• Congee (B25-50)
• In front of Prince Movie Theatre at Bangrak, 089-795-2629
Nate Says: “I’ve had congee here since I was in primary school, thirty years ago. I think it’s very original—congee nowadays is very thick, but it’s supposed to be soothing when you feel sick or you want to have a light meal in the morning. This one is light, with a nice body and a smoky flavor, really unique.”
BK tip: Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and walk down Charoenkrung Road, on the way to Silom Road. The shop is a set up in a little alley across the street from soi 44 (the entrance of Shangri-la Hotel).

Kao Tom Prung

• Khao tom (B80-100)
• 1083 Sukhumvit Road (corner of Soi Thong Lor), 02-391-8433. Open daily 5pm-10pm
Nate Says: “There’s a difference between congee and rice porridge. This one keeps the shape of the rice but still has a lot of soup in it. And the ingredients: the fish, shrimp and Chinese sweet pork, they’re all fresh and hygienic.”
BK tip: This is just a single-story shophouse eatery that’s easy to miss if you’re walking by. But the kao tom here is fairly expensive, because the ingredients are very aromatic and their servings are very generous.

Tao Tueng

• Chinese sweets (starts at B15-40)
• Near by Sapanluerng Church, close to Samyan Market
Nate Says: “They do a lot of condiments and fillings: red bean, lotus seed, water chestnut et cetera. They also have lots of flour-based dumplings in noodle and ball-shapes. And it’s all handmade by the lady who runs the store, and a lot of attention goes into the preparation, which is rare these days when you can just buy these things in bulk at the market.”
BK tip: Situated next to the famous goose noodle of Sapanluerng is the luckiest thing for us to find her. After testing tao tueng, don’t forget to try her por pia sod (B25). It will keeps you coming back to her.

Tian Sin

Phiphat Soi 2, 086-984-1621. Open Mon-Fri 6:30am-1:30pm
Located down an alley on Phiphat 2, this khao kaeng shop is hard to find, but we’re glad the masses are unaware. Run by two adorable sisters, Tian Sin does all-vegetarian curries and larb involving tofu, mushrooms and lots of vegetables (there’s little over-processed fake meat). It costs B30-40, depending on how many sides you get with your rice. They also do daily specials, such as kwuay teaw lord on Mondays and kanom jeen on Wednesdays. Our tip: show up at noon as they tend to start running out by 1pm.

Anotai

976/17 Soi Rama 9, Rim Klong Sam Sen Rd., 02-641-5366/-70. MRT Phra Ram 9
It’s easy to dismiss Anotai from the rather bland exterior. Step inside, though, and you’ll find a zen vibe and Cordon Bleu-trained cooking by the eponymous chef. The menu has several Thai dishes, like larb taohuu, along with organic salads and textbook pastas. They also do texturized vegetable proteins here—so fake meat but the delicious kind, including pla khem. We’re also huge fans of the deep-fried Japanese tofu with tangy lemongrass dressing. Be sure to save room for the homemade desserts, like chocolate cake with sherry sauce.

Khun Churn

G/F, Bangkok Mediplex Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 42, 02-713-6599
A far cry location-wise from the original Khun Churn’s hip house and sprawling front yard, but the food may just transport you back to Chiang Mai. Besides, the atmosphere is quite classy, yet casual, with cushioned banquettes and intricate bamboo lanterns adorning the ceiling. The menu is down-to-earth and uses rare, indigenous veggies as the core ingredients. Try the crunchy kwuay teaw lord and their handful of Northern recipes.

Tham Na

175 Samsen Rd. (between soi 3 and 5), 02-282-4979
Tham Na is a family-owned operation serving delicious food in a hip, cute dining room with rustic brick walls flanked by the kitchen on one side. The menu doesn’t mess with fake meats, but performs miracles with tofu and mushrooms and throws in some inventive twists—the pomelo salad served with crispy wonton sheets and, our personal favorite, simple stir-fried lotus root slices with olive oil and herbs. The owners are warm and friendly and happy to talk to you about the dishes.

May Kaidee

Between Sukhumvit soi 33 and 35, 02-662-0372. BTS Phrom Phong
This famed joint has been providing backpackers reliable meat-free meals for almost two decades. But don’t be put off if you’re the only Thais here. The menu offers over 50 vegetarian dishes along with herbal teas and smoothies. The food is MSG-free, the fish sauce replaced by soy sauce and the dishes are heavy on the coconut milk and tamarind. Go for the unpretentious Thai stuff, like the fried seaweed with peanut dip, and the banana flower salad.

Govinda

6/5 Sukhumvit Soi 22, 02-663-4970.
A long-standing old-school Italian restaurant that reminds us of where we ate with our parents when we were in school. The dining room is cozy, and the menu is so extensive, it may take you a minute to realize that you’re actually at an all-vegetarian restaurant. They do it through inventiveness and lots of cheese—especially in their risotto and gnocchi. (There’s also a small selection of soy-meat entrees, but we say skip them.) Go for their gnocchi with pumpkin and asparagus, or try their homemade egg-free pasta selection.
 

The folks: This family-owned enterprise is nearly a century old and deals exclusively in grape varietals native to the Italian island of Sardinia, Sicily’s unsung sister.

The grape: Vermentino is the emblematic white grape of this island. The varietal is versatile, depending on cultivation and vinification, but generally produces dry wines with just enough acidity—unlike, say, a good Sauvignon Blanc, which is quite acidic.

The label: This wine is awarded a Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (a regulated designation of origin). Although the label says Vermentino, the bottle may only have 85% of the grape, the remainder being any other varietal. We’re also impressed at the 13.5% alcohol content (in part due to the long, hot summers in Sardinia). Many white wines hover at around 12.5%, so this one is especially boozy and heavy-bodied, a wine with more uses than just as a aperitif.

The look: This wine isn’t built to age, so don’t be put off by the paleness. We love the faint golden, straw color and the lemon rind tinge. The big, fat legs on the glass are also drool-worthy.

The smell: A little green with citrusy notes. As it warmed up in room temperature, the nose developed satisfyingly into a more complex, tropical fruit aroma.

The sip: Not too dry, it also has fruit like sweet apple and a bit of lime, balanced by the nice surprise of minerality at the end of the sip. In the final step of vinification, they let the wine age a bit with the dead yeast (aka on its fine lees) and this smoothens the taste out a bit, making it acidic, but also slightly creamy, without feeling like a full-on Chardonnay. The high alcohol content means that the wine warms your mouth pleasantly and has a nice, long finish.

The food: A wine from this part of the world should be had with fish, of course. We happened to have it with a light Indian biriyani and found that the spiciness of the food overshadowed the acidity and made the wine more fruity—if that’s your thing.

The damage: B925 from Italasia’s retail shop (1/F, CRC Building, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Rd. 02-685-3862. Open daily 11am-8pm.
First timer? Check out our wine tasting tips at tiny.cc/stuh6

Chirayu Na Ranong

Boran (2/F, Exchange Tower. 388 Sukhumvit Rd., 088-022-4022. BTS Asok)
Previous life: Travel writer for the Bangkok Post, food writer for a few magazines. Before that I studied cinema. Maybe I’ll be an astronaut next year?
Concept: Old Thai market, hence the name Boran. Classic, everyday dishes like boat noodles from the Rangsit Market and dim sum from Chinatown.
Preparation: Being a food writer, I’ve seen a lot of what works and what doesn’t. But this is a million times harder than it looks. A humbling experience.
Worst Fear: Money and having too few customers
Kitchen Nightmare: Finding a sink in our kitchen smaller than the one at  my home—not exactly suitable for a 40-seater restaurant.

Varatt Vichit-Vadhakan

Ohana Café (50/4 Sukhumvit Soi 24, 02-661-1930)
Previous life: I was working in the marketing communication industry for various clients. I actually studied Economics in college.
Concept: I wanted to serve Western style comfort food that I wanted to eat but couldn’t find after I came back to Thailand. I searched everywhere for a good cup of coffee.
Preparation: I read a lot of cookbooks, stories of successful restaurateurs, books about restaurant operations. I bothered too many business owners for knowledge. And I was prepared to fail.
Worst Fear: Dealing with ingredient purchases, dealing with safety issues, dealing with customers and, worst of all, my own staff.
Kitchen Nightmare: Construction workers who miss deadlines and the hidden startup costs that you didn’t plan for.

Jarrett Wrisley

Soul Food Mahanakorn (56/10 Soi Thong Lor, 085-904-2691)
Previous life: Studied literature and Mandarin. Went to China to work. Settled in Shanghai, wrote about restaurants. Then moved to Bangkok with my wife. 
Concept: I wanted to do a Thai restaurant, but in a different format. It doesn’t have to be street food or a shop house. There’s room to explore, even in Bangkok.
Preparation: Traveled in Thailand for two years, worked in a restaurant kitchen in the South, learned to make sausages in Isaan, cooked with old ladies, wandered through markets. Read as many cookbooks as I could get.
Worst Fear: If you’re not worrying about money, quality, consistency, margins, covers, return customers, cleanliness, spoilage and a million other things in this business you shouldn’t be in it. Fear is a great motivator.
Kitchen Nightmare: Making an old shop house new again is a pretty exhausting process.

Ayusakorn Arayankoon

4 Garcons (113 Thong Lor Soi 13, 02-662-713-9547)
Previous life: Chemist at a pharmaceutical company, then logistics guy at a large warehouse.
Concept: We [the four “garcons”] can cook Chinese, Italian, Japanese and fusion, but if we went Italian, we’d just be another Italian in town. A brasserie was missing here, a place you can eat every day, not just on special occasions.
Preparation: I’ve cooked my whole life, but for this, I took a pastry class at the Cordon Bleu every Saturday for six months while still working. We also took trips to Paris and Lyon. To me, Lyon is the center of food in France.
Worst Fear: We had plans A, B, D and E! We prepared our finances so we’d be ok for quiet nights for a few months.
Kitchen Nightmare: We were two weeks behind schedule. We wanted people to come in and do food tastings, but the restaurant wasn’t ready. We borrowed the Oakwood lobby for tastings and service rehearsals.

Sure wine dinners, DJ gigs and afternoon Saturday brunches are fun, but we think mornings might also be where the good life is. Imagine waking up early (yes, early) and meeting friends in your yoga pants for coffee and a muffin at a rare spot that opens at 9am, not 11:30am. Or even grabbing a real breakfast before heading to work. Nice, right? Now set your alarm and go do it with the help of our round-up.

Ohana Cafe

50/4 Sukhumvit Soi 24, 02-661-1930. Open daily 8am-7pm
Not only is Ohana Café open bright and early, their glass-box architecture offers the tranquility of the morning sun and lots of garden foliage. It’s also good both for groups and for solo internetting or book perusing from their small, charming travel book library. And the food lives up to the décor, with a serious coffee and tea list from all over the world, lots of baked goods and dishes for any sort of appetite.
Recommended: The decadent should get their waffles (B150), which are huge and come covered in strawberries and whipped cream. For something smaller get their croissants (B45), which are legit and made exclusively for Ohana, from French flour and French butter.

Le Blanc

15 Sukhumvit Soi 39, 02-259-4353. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm
A simple, family operation run by a Japanese couple with great enthusiasm for French baking, Le Blanc reminds us of a neighborhood bakery in Paris, drawing in families from nearby condos in the area. Their baking area is behind the display, which means everything is made in-house, so you canliterally have pastries fresh out of the oven. Their small eating area has a few tables and great light from their window wall facing the street. If you get there early, you can grab the one long couch with a friend or two. While they do breads and baguettes in the afternoon, mornings are for pastries and viennoiseries like croissants, pain au chocolat, little tarte and danishes.Recommended: They do a coffee and pastry set for B100. You can’t go wrong with any of their baby tarts (B40-45), with their amazingly firm and flakey pastry. Get the poire orange which has bits of chocolate in it. If you’re really attached to eggs, on weekends, they do an egg and bacon/ham set too.

Café Tartine

Athenee Residence, 65 Wireless Rd. (entrance from Soi Ruamrudee), 02-168-5464. Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-6pm
In your frantic, nighttime beeline for Hyde and Seek, you may have overlooked this little slice of Paris morning life. Café Tartine is perfect for a solitary breakfast or a group hangout, with simple birch wood tables and chairs and floral tiles. Its endless rows of Ricard and Perrier along the walls offer a soothing, austere ambience whose counterpoint is the array of lovely baked goods fit for breakfast or lunch.
Recommended: If you’re feeling particularly Francais, go for their traditional breakfast set of croissant, café latte and orange juice (B99). Or you can amp it up further by going for the extra large bowl of hot chocolate (B105) like a countryside schoolboy. Other simple breakfast options include the pain au chocolat (B70) and the toasted baguette (with jam and butter, B60). If you while away the whole morning here, the lunchtime croques, sandwiches and platters of cheese and cold cuts are also very atmospherically French.

Little Home Bakery

413/10-20, Soi Thonglor, Sukhumvit Soi 55, 02-185-1485. Open Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 8am-9pm
If being hip before noon is too much for you to handle, we suggest this modest little place on Thong Lor. Little Home Bakery is the sort of diner that time has forgotten, remembered mostly by long-time residents and expats who come here for their solid American breakfast offerings, including strong coffee, bakery goods and standard Thai dishes for lunch and dinner as well.
Recommended: They do a very cheap American breakfast set (B165) that includes two eggs, bacon, coffee, orange juice and pancakes. But since pancakes are their specialty, got for a whole plate of them (B90). They also do nice waffles with strawberries at B90.

Kanom Fashion Bakery

122 Sukhumvit Soi 49 (Soi Klang), 02-391-2428. Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-8:30pm, Sun 9:30am-6pm
The branch on Sukhumvit 49 is a great (and slightly rare) combination of mostly Thai dessert treats and savory pies, a beautiful, contemporary space and parking. The fashion theme suggested in the name is far from overwhelming, too, so no early-morning self-loathing. Instead, enjoy their enormous, bright windows and perhaps even their outdoor garden, where you can demolish their giant stack of fashion magazines with endless cups of coffee and pie.
Recommended: Their specialty is egg tarts, which they supply citywide. Mini ones are B35 for two, and the regular ones are B40 a piece. Also try their croissants which come plain, with ham and cheese, sausage and with spinach (B20-40). The mushroom pies (B35) are generously stuffed.

What was your most memorable food experience from childhood?
Because she was off from work only on Sunday, my mother would prepare a meal for us. She would cook all kinds of dishes, such as kaeng jued woon sen soup with minced pork, stir fried morning glory, steamed fish with ginger, ped palo, steamed crab with chilli sauce, koong ob woonsen, fried rice with seafood. The thing that made her food memorable was the chance for me to help her in the kitchen. It was also a chance for all seven of us to eat together as a family.

How do you balance your Microsoft office job in Copenhagen with your restaurant responsibilities? 
Every day is different, but normally I get up at 8 am, then go to work at Microsoft from 9 am to 5p m (or sometimes work from home). Then in the evening, I will drop by my restaurants in Copenhagen, greet all the staff and see if there are any problems. I eat dinner at one of the restaurants to check the quality, taste and freshness of the food. I can achieve so many things in one day because there are no traffic problems here in Denmark. I drive around from place to place. It only takes 5-20 minutes. To be honest Chef Henrik [Yde-Andersen] and I do pretty much almost everything by ourselves. I want to understand all the tasks in the restaurant so that I can give advice to staff effectively. And I can understand their pain, too.
What do you think it is about Kiin Kiin that earned it a Michelin star?
One big factor is Henrik. He is very creative and he interprets Thai food in a different way than I do. This is why I think we are a good team—not totally biased to the Thai or European side.

Why was it important for you to have a restaurant in Bangkok?
Because I just think that there are some Thai people who like Thai food the way I do. Normally, people tend to look at food like something that they have to eat so that they can survive. But for me, I sometimes look at food as art which can be enjoyed both visually and in terms of flavor. You can be entertained by food just like you can be entertained by a show, music or a movie.

In your cuisine, are you aiming for authenticity, or something else?
We are aiming for an authentic taste with a modern look and a twist.

What are some dishes that we can expect at Sra Bua?
Frozen red curry with baby lobster, the harvest with green curry (which will involve freshly harvested vegetables with the tops still on, served covered with edible soil so that guests can harvest their own food by pulling it out of the soil), spicy salad with orchids and sankaya ice cream.