30 new dishes in Bangkok you should be eating right now
Meet the hottest plates in town.
8 years ago
In no particular order, here are the best new dishes we've tried in Bangkok over the past year:
1. Sushi at Sushi Tama (B6,500 per person)
Tucked on the mezzanine floor above Karatama Robatayaki, this omakase-only joint is helmed by chef Seiji Sudo, who opened at Bangkok’s Ginza Sushi Ichi. Here, he serves up what's known as the "Sushi Sho style" (from the small and exclusive Sho family of restaurants in Japan), in which meals aren’t limited to nigiri but rather switch in delicately plated courses like conch, iwashi roll, grilled mixed rice with hairy crab meat and uni and Seiji's signature sushi soup.
M/F, Piman 49, 46/10 Sukhumvit Soi 49, 091-871-0666
2. Fried quinoa tom-yum with diced salmon at Brekkie (B285)
Inspired by classic tom-yum fried rice, this dish substitutes rice with the trending superfood quinoa but still delivers all the tom-yum flavor—an excellent go-to dish for any carb-watcher.
6/9 Sukhumvit Soi 39, 083-656-6141
3. Uni linguine at Tables Grill (B1,500)
While you might think this steak restaurant is all about heavy grilled meat, chef Kevin Kristensen actually serves up many lighter dishes, too. This particular option is a marriage of sustainable seafood produce—mussel cream, sea urchin and certified organic caviar.
M/F, Grand Hyatt Erawan, 494 Ratchadamri Rd., 02-254-6250
4. Happy Vegetables salad at Cocotte (B360)
This steak and roast specialist really can do great veggie dishes, too. The Happy Vegetables salad features no less than 12-15 kinds of Royal Project vegetables, all cooked differently with truffle and cabbage vinaigrette—fresh and cheerful.
G/F, 39 Boulevard, Sukhumvit Soi 39, 092-664-6777
5. Calamari ripieno at Sun Street Panini (B230)
This new Italian eatery on Phra Athit Road is everything a homey restaurant should be. It also does an amazing calamari ripieno, which sees squid stuffed with homemade sausage, boiled egg and parmesan cheese, cooked in tomato sauce.
Phra Athit Rd., 082-454-8884
6. Crispy skin brick chicken at Toby's (B550 for half/B850 for whole)
Thonglor’s popular breakfast cafe Toby’s has extended to dinner service. On the menu is this deboned chicken marinated with lemon zest and other seasonings and pressed flat with a brick. Even after being grilled, the meat remains perfectly juicy—even better served with a delicious gravy.
Sukhumvit Soi 38, 02-712-1774
7. Tawa lobster at Indus (Market price)
Indus’s new chef, Anil Kumar, hasn’t just revamped the look of the restaurant’s classic dishes; he’s also added some new items inspired by the coastal region where he’s from. Don’t miss the flavorful tawa lobster (B1,650), which features a whole Phuket lobster, marinated in spices, grilled, and then served in its own shell.
71 Sukhumvit Soi 26, 02-258-4900
8. Crispy suckling pig with grapefruit albedo puree at Islero (B450)
If you’re not ready to order half a piglet of Sergovian-style suckling pig, we really recommend this instead. Hidden away on the menu of Islero's adjoining wine bar, Cava, this dish lets you try that deliciously moist flesh with a side puree made from grapefruit peel to cut through the fat.
G/F, Athenee Tower, 63 Wireless Rd., 02-168-8100
9. Crispy Kinoko burger at Beef & Shake (B155)
Also called the CK burger, this meat-free handful consists of a whole portobello mushroom cap, marinated Japanese style with dried bonito, fried in batter then served with cheese and fresh veggies. OK, so it’s not strictly vegetarian due to the bonito marinade, but makes for one seriously yummy red-meat substitute.
93 Narathiwas Rd., 095-949-2646
10. Brotzeit at Suhring (part of the set menu, starting at B1,800 for sevencourses)
Literally meaning "bread time," this course showcases a part of German culture rarely seen in a restaurant of Suhring’s fine-dining stature. Soft pretzel and sourdough which they put through a long home-fermentation process get served alongside Oldenburger butter, schmalz (lard), obatzda cheese dip, pickle, Black Forest ham and dry-aged beef.
10 Yen Akat Soi 3, Yen Akat Rd., 02-287-1799
11. Earth set at Mana Cuisine (B1,800)
Tucked in Chi Ultralounge nightclub, Mana Cuisine serves dinner as four-course sets which rotate every month and come in three options: meat and poultry (dubbed Fire), seafood (Water) and vegetarian (Earth). We’re partial to the Earth set, which highlights dishes like Eastern European borscht soup made with beetroot and red cabbage.
Chi, 32/8 Sukhumvit Soi 13, 02-102-0013
12. The dips at Avra (B135-195)
Recurring in various meat and seafood mains, the simple dips like tzatziki (yogurt dip), melitzanosalata (eggplant dip), fava (yellow split peas dip) and, our particular favorite, tarama (smoked cod roe dip) really make the dishes at this Greek restaurant shine. Some of the softest pita bread (B50) in town helps things along, too.
G/F, Lotus Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 33, 02-258-2877
13. Beef tartare at Water Library (part of the set lunch, starting B890 for two courses)
Chef Mirco Keller has given some pep to a classic beef tartare by adding the refreshing tuna-based Italian sauce called tonnato into the dish. On top of the meat, you’ve also got flavors of mustard seed, capers and olives in there. Make sure you get everything altogether in one bite.
2/F, Chamchuri Square, Rama 4 Rd., 061-852-5411. MRT Sam Yan
14. Chicken ramen at Menya Takeichi (B195)
It takes 10 hours of simmering and a bunch of whole chickens to make Menya Takeichi’s soup, and it doesn’t disappoint. The rich, dense broth comes very thick and is packed with flavors, while the ramen noodles are just the right thickness.
2/F, K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26, 02-259-9300
15. White Italian pizza at Gallery Pizza (B365)
Italian-American co-owner/chef Shane Greene hopped on a flight to Italy, learned the workings of a pizza kitchen then came to Bangkok with a winning recipe for 72-hour fermented pizza dough. Our pick is the White Italian, which consists of mozzarella, baked spinach, Italian Sausage and Parmesan cheese. Best part of the story? They deliver till 4am.
404 Sathorn Soi 11, 020-411-044
16. Simply the Best Burger at Brew Beers & Ciders (from B190)
Food truck pioneer Daniel Thaiger and Thonglor drinking hole Brew Beers & Ciders teamed up and went back to burger basics, aiming to recapture the charm of old-school American fast-food burgers. The patties, though, are made from prime cuts of Aussie wagyu and angus beef, nestled between local breadmaker Conkey's steamed potato bun. These buns hold up admirably to the winning combo of gooey Cheswick cheese, garlicky Thousand Island-like sauce and juicy patty.
Brew Beers & Ciders, G/F, SeenSpace, Thonglor Soi 13, 02-185-2366
17. Rubia Gallega beef at Il Fumo (B5,400 for a 1kg prime rib)
The restaurant has rounded up some of Europe’s most prized meats. The veal is a Piedmontese breed raised on hazelnuts, the prosciutto and pork neck hail from the Ca’ Lumaco Estate (between Modena and Bologna), and the beef—well, that comes from all over the place. Our favorite however is the intensely flavored, dry-aged Rubia Gallega from Spain.
1098/2 Rama 4 Rd., 02-286-8833
18. Lobster Ravioli at Vogue Lounge (B590)
The current seasonal menu at the cocktail hot spot highlights crustacean dishes. We like the perfect play of textures and flavors in this dish, which matches sweet pumpkin gnocchi with a crunchy fried lobster ravioli and salty lobster broth.
6/F, Mahanakhon Cube, Narathiwas Rd., 02-001-0697
19. Smoked salmon and cream cheese waffles at Upstairs (B260)
The crispy waffles offered every Sunday from noon-5pm at Upstairs at Mikkeller are no afterthought. Chef Dan Bark whips them up from corn starch and coconut, then serves them with delicious toppings like smoked salmon and cream cheese with capers and pickled shallots. Don’t miss their other pickles (B50), too!
26 Ekkamai Soi 10 Yaek 2, 02-381-9891
20. Crab meat pad Thai at Baan Phadthai (B280)
Issaya Group executive chef Sujira Pongmorn makes a “secret” sauce from 18 ingredients for her pad Thai, which also features Chanthaburi noodles, house-dried shrimps, duck egg and crab fat. The crab meat pad Thai features an outstanding flavor combo in which the crab stock, fat and meat perform powerful work.
21-23 Charoenkrung Soi 44, 02-060-5553
21. Osha Noodles at Osha Cafe (B190)
The classic pad prik khing (a stir-fry with red chili paste) gets given the noodle treatment by chef Poorida Theeraphong at the new casual dining venue of Osha. She stir fries the noodles with chili paste, gives the dish some crunch from pla foo (crispy fried fish flakes), then tops it off with a fillet of fried fish.
Warehouse 10, Asiatique, Charoen Krung Rd., 02-046-9441
22. Sushi at Sushi Masato (B4,000 per person)
The fact that over six months’ advance booking is right now required to get a seat is proof of how much this city loves the omakase offering of this Tokyo-hailing sushi master. When working in New York, Masato was also the city’s youngest chef ever to win his restaurant a Michelin star.
3/22 Soi Sawasdee 1, Sukhumvit Soi 31, 02-040-0015
23. Wagyu short ribs at Bunker (B950)
At one of Bangkok’s best recent openings, they serve a decadently fatty plate of smoky wagyu short ribs so tender that they melt as soon as they hit your mouth. When paired with super-creamy mashed potato and their herby side salad, it’s perfection.
118/2 Sathorn Soi 12, 092-563-9991
24. Gai baan kua bai jan at Saneh Jaan (B550)
Saneh Jaan provides fine-dining Thai cuisine that highlights regional and old recipes. The Northern-style gai baan kua bai jan sees free-range chicken stir-fried with wild basil to result in bold, spicy flavors with some delicious herbal notes.
Glasshouse at Sindhorn, 130-132 Wireless Rd., 02-650-9880
25. Pork chop at 80/20 (B380)
The 12-hour-brined pork chop from Joe Sloane is charcoal-grilled for charry finishing notes, while the tender meat comes well complemented by the house-made hot sauce, pearl onion jam, charred cauliflowers and killer taro gnocchi.
1052-1054 Charoenkrung Rd., 087-593-1936
26. Ropa vieja at Azul (B220)
Instead of using beef like a traditional ropa vieja stew, chef Kip Oxman makes the dish lighter by using duck. The flavors are still there though, perfect for slathering on a to-die-for grilled corn cake along with an unctuous runny poached egg.
16 Sukhumvit Soi 49, 02-662-6117
27. Fried Chicken Bao at The Courtyard (B500)
These Taiwanese bao come with a Japanese twist in the form of mild ginger notes to the fried chicken and an okonomiyaki sauce to go with the hand-cut fries.
The House on Sathorn, 106 Sathorn Rd., 02-344-4000
28. Tortilla Royale at Clandestino Cantina (B190)
This deconstructed take on classic Spanish tortilla (fried egg with potatoes) features a small jar of potato foam, sweet onion confit and fried egg yolk that’s crispy on the outside but still runny inside.
2/F, Revolucion Cocktails, 50 Sathorn Soi 10, 02-235-4823
29. Popeye and Olive at Seed (B210)
Among all the brunchy dishes on Seed’s new daytime menu, this stuffed French toast with spinach and cheese is a real hit—crispy on the outside, while rich and comforting on the inside. Cut through all that fat with a sharp side of olives.
Sukhumvit Soi 39, 099-283-6363
30. Asado de huesos at Toro (B450)
Bone marrow oxtail marmalade tastes just as awesome as bone marrow oxtail marmalade sounds. Go try it at this Boston-hailing tapas bar along with radish citrus salad and cocoa nib.
2/F, 72 Courtyard, 72 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thonglor), 02-392-7790
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