The buzz: The people behind Bangkok’s favorite burger truck, Daniel Thaiger, have opened a proper sit-down spin-off. Taking over the intimate wedge of space formerly belonging to Opposite Mess Hall on Sukhumvit Soi 51, the restaurant’s menu goes beyond burgers to include more protein-packed comfort food—the hint is in the name, Crying Thaiger, which is a reference to the famous Thai dish of grilled steak and jim jaew.

The decor: Fans of Opposite will be familiar with the bare-bones second-floor setup that’s little more than hard wooden communal seating and a long bar in front of the narrow kitchen. Co-founders Honey and Mark Falcioni have added more color with a large wall mural that tells Crying Thaiger’s backstory, from origins in L.A. to food truck on Sukhumvit Soi 38 to right here, right now. Head up the narrow staircase a couple of floors for the rooftop, a low-key space with views of the BTS line, where they plan to host barbecues and Taco Tuesday nights (starting October or November).

The food: Kitted out with a big flat-top griddle and a charcoal grill, the open kitchen serves up burgers, hotdogs and steaks. While Daniel Thaiger set the bar high for burgers, you won't find the familiar beefy, buttery flavors of the Mr Steve here. Instead you can expect some all-new exciting combos starring mostly pork and lamb. The Mediterranean Lamb burger (B420 with fries) is firming as our new favorite, comprising a heavily seasoned lamb patty (black pepper, cumin, coriander seed) with tzatziki, feta cheese, mint and roast tomatoes stuffed between a soft Conkey’s bun. As for hotdogs, lamb also features in the spicy merguez (12-inch sausage with caramelized onion and dijon mustard, B290). The real highlight looms as the tomahawk steak (B250/100g, pre-order only), from which the restaurant takes its name (seau rong hai, or crying tiger beef): a juicy slab of Australian grilled beef served with spicy jim jaew sauce. This no-frills signature dish is also available as lamb (B580) or pork chop (B420), or you can choose to have your pork chop doused in a rich gorgonzola sauce with grilled asparagus (B450). Aside from a pared-back Caesar salad (without any of the fancy bits, B190), side dishes go for full-on comforting flavors: cheesy garlic bread (B120), mac and cheese (B180), and the glorious truffle fries (B195).

The drinks: Eventually there will be a full selection of craft beers and wine, but for now you can content yourself with house cocktails like the potent Thaiger’s Mezgroni (a twist on the negroni featuring mezcal) or the refreshing Thaiger’s Michelada (chilled sangrita with beer plus a shot of mezcal).

Why you should care: Arguably Bangkok’s best burgers, along with some killer steaks and cocktails, all in a proven party-friendly space—what’s not to love? Carl Dixon

 

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Sep 1, 2016 at 6:43am PDT