See also: BK's Phloen Chit neighborhood guide

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Early Morning Caffeine Fix

Casa Lapin x Ploen Chit

One of the first niche coffee specialists in Bangkok, Casa Lapin, has gone full restaurant. On top of Casa's familiar focus on seriously good coffee, you'll now also find a menu of all-day-dining favorites. Dishes like Croque Madame with Parisian ham and spinach, fruit pancakes or waffles and granola highlight the morning menu--with a convenient grab-and-go window for busy office workers. Decor-wise, you'll find the familiar Casa Lapin hallmarks of unrendered walls, neon signage, cutesily positioned dried plants and acres of naturally treated wood. But since they were doing it first, we can hardly complain. 

Mahatun Plaza, 888/59 Phloen Chit Rd. Open daily 7am-10pm. BTS Phloen Chit

 

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Local Leatherware

Zettino

This new men’s accessories shop is located opposite La Monita restaurant in Mahatun Plaza. The brand first began last year as an online leatherware store offering affordable items like messenger bags (B5,900), cross body brief cases (B5,100) and passport wallets (B1,790), as well as non-leather items like money clips (B1,290). It has now also introduced its first women’s handbag (available in two colors, B4,900). Online shopping is still available at www.zettino.com. 

Mahatun Plaza, 888 Phloen Chit Rd. BTS Phloen Chit

 

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Grab and Go

New York! New York!

The owner of New York-style hot dogs specialist Superbdog has extended his range of products to more Big Apple-evoking deli items. Alongside the best-sellers like Yankee Dog (chili, Wisconsin cheese, mustard and diced onion, B120), the new menu includes deli sandwiches like pastrami on rye, corned beef on rye and Reuben, using house-made pastrami and corned beef, as well as mac casseroles (B120) and Burgundy stew (B160). 

G/F, Park Ventures Ecoplex, Phloen Chit Rd. Open daily 10am-8pm. BTS Phloen Chit

 

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Seafood Stop

Kang Ban Phe

One of Rayong's, and indeed Thailand’s, best-known seafood sources, Kang Ban Phe has brought its signature mantis shrimp to town. The accessible eatery offers a wide range of seafood dishes at affordable prices starting from just B85. The highlights include the hot and sour creamy prawn fat tom yam mantis shrimp, seafood and crabmeat noodles (B225), dried tom yam mantis shrimp and seafood noodles (B175) and spicy pork with garcinia cowa leaves (B145). To drink there's Thai tea with grass jelly (B90), plus to finish there's homemade ice-cream (from B75), in flavors such as durian and dried banana. 

20-20/1 Ruamrudee Village, Soi Ruam Rudi, Phloen Chit Rd. Opening daily 11am-10pm. BTS Phloen Chit

Spanish Revival

Osito

La Monita’s next-door neighbor El Osito has had a revamp. Reopened as Osito, the new kitchen is helmed by German chef Daniel Bucher, who offers a more serious take on Spanish food, using as much local and organic produce as possible. Thankfully, the much-loved Reuben and pastrami sandwiches (both B320/150g, B460/250g) remain on the lunch and dinner menus, joined by Spanish staples like Iberico ham (starting at B550/40g), Iberico ham croquettes (B170), seafood paella (B760) and highlighted charcoal-smoked dishes like dry-aged tomahawk steak (B3,000/1kg), clams (B180) and octopus (B460).Opening from 7:30am as an all-day diner, the breakfast menu features the Shooter’s Sandwich (dry-aged beef steak, mushroom, smoked cheese, onion confit, B220) and duck eggs skillet with toppings like ham, bacon, sun-dried tomatoes and fried potatoes (B320) and beef pastrami, sauerkraut, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes and fried potatoes (B350). The bar has been slightly downsized, but serves up a list of fun cocktails made with the house-pour Martin Miller’s Gin and some great beers on tap. Teaming up with La Monita, it has also launched the Latin Weekend Brunch from 10am-3pm every weekend, serving Mexican- and Spanish-inspired eggy dishes like eggs Benedict with Spanish and Mexican chorizo and chipotle cream.

Mahatun Plaza, 888/23-24 Phloen Chit Rd., 02-651-4399. Open daily 7:30am-11pm. BTS Phloen Chit

Drinks O'Clock

Jubei Izakaya

There's a new minimal-looking izakaya in Mahatun Plaza. On top of drinking food like karaage, tempura, bao buns, gyoza and yakitori, Jubei Izakaya also serves tonkotsu (B220), chashu shoyu (B220) and garlic miso (B190) varieties of ramen during the day. To drink, shochu and sake is the main focus, with cocktails like Jubei Stormy (sake, ginger beer and lime espuma, B220), Shoshlet (shochu, gin, lime juice and syrup, B220) and sake punch (sake, sugar cane syrup and lime juice, B220) on top of Kuro Kirishima imo shochu (B240), Manotsuru Junmai sake (B490/300ml) and another 10 labels. Check their Facebook for news on happy hours (one-for-one on cocktails, home-infused shot flights) and their so-called Samurai Nights with live music.

888/28-29 Mahatun Plaza, Phloen Chit Rd. Opening daily 11am-11pm. BTS Phloen Chit

Hair of the Dog

Run by a former tap master at Mikkeller Bangkok, this tiny bare concrete room provides an intimate drinking hole, while surgical lighting above the bar and hospital beds doubling as tables give off a haunted hospital vibe. Here, they select a rotating batch of 13 beers on tap, supplied by all the familiar faces (Beervana, Brewdog and Hopsession). Happy hour on Mon-Thu (5-8pm) gets you buy two-get-one-free on all draft beer. 

2/F, Mahatun Plaza, 888/26 Phloen Chit Rd., 02-650-7589. Open daily 5pm-midnight. BTS Phloen Chit