Less than six months old, owner/chef Katherine Aphaivongs’s no-frills American diner in Asoke has struck such a nerve it has already spawned a second branch in Thonglor. We stress the “no-frills” part. City Skyline’s main plus is its lack of pretension; aside from one eye-catching neon sign outside, this poky, over-lit space is almost completely hipster reference-free. (Even the full-blown country soundtrack on our last visit was strangely refreshing.) The hearty, all-American comfort food sticks to theme, too, though there are ups and downs.

On offer from as early as 7am, breakfast is arguably where the restaurant shines brightest. More than just novelty value, the biscuits are lumps of flaky, buttery goodness that come swimming in a milky sausage gravy (B155), while the syrupy, six-inch pancake stacks (B115) are just that, and not one of those crazy, creamy concoctions Bangkok’s cafe set is fixated on.

But there’s a strange sweetness to many of the staple dishes that’s slightly off-putting, from the coleslaw (B85) to the ribs (starting from B355 for a quarter rack). These ribs feature meat that comes clean off the bone, but the sticky-sweet sauce masks a lack of smokiness for us. Burgers are a fairly barebones affair (no pickles and you’ll have to add cheese to most), yet the homemade barbecue sauce and pineapple on the Phuket Burger (B315) make an unlikely but excellent combo. The less said about the bone-dry beef patty, the better (no one’s asking how you want your meat done, here). The mac n’ cheese can be ordered “loaded” (B395), which means piled high with pulled pork, though we feel both are better ordered alone. In all, this is ordinary food done well enough, though we’d like less of the frozen pre-cut fries and more of the home-style touches like in the heavily breaded and crunchy onion rings. 

Of course, booze could make the situation better (there’s none, despite a picture of beer on the menu), as could extended opening times (it closes at 2pm on weekends). To be fair, these issues have already been addressed at the new Thonglor branch, which operates as a counter at a Commons-like food court called The Society Fair (Thonglor Soi 10), where there’s a craft beer wall and a midnight closing time. Aside from the breakfast plates, late night is when we see City Skyline’s carb-heavy food working best. That said, your afternoon will be instantly better with a frosty chocolate milkshake (B145) and a slice of apple pie (B125).

This review took place in February 2017 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.