Crammed inside a former shop-house along Convent Road, Mash was the first proper craft beer-focused bar to call Silom home when it opened in mid-2017. Despite its confined surroundings, the venue feels open and spacious thanks to tiny wood stools and slim tables carefully placed along the main floor. You’ll find lots of typical beer bric-a-brac here, like diagrams of brewing equipment and mason jars filled with malt, which plays well with the after-work expats and Thai hipsters that wander in each night.

 

Pull up a seat in front of the white-brick counter to soak up some beer knowledge from the helpful bartenders who happily guide guests through Mash’s selection of craft brews. It might not be the abyss of fridges and taps you’ll find at places like Mikkeller or Bottles of Beer, but Mash’s well-curated range is arguably this neighborhood’s best.

 

The Devanom IPA (B210/300ml), the sole Thai offering, is a must-try (well-balanced and very clean tasting considering its 6.5% ABV). Another smash-hit is the Thornbridge Wild Raven Black IPA, blessed with a velvety beige head and a light caramel taste. If you like your beer sweet, try the Lost Coast Raspberry Brown (B220/300ml) with big fruity notes and soft carbonation.

 

You’ll need to pair all that beer with high-carb, heavy food, and to this end Mash dishes out a modest range of American classics. However, there were food disappointments on our last visit. The pulled pork nachos (B185) are so sweet you can’t even taste the pickled chilies or cheese piled on the paper-thin crisps. The spicy wings (B185) with tom yum glaze are bland and forgettable. As is the potato salad (B125), an American staple that any self-respecting burger-barbecue restaurant should have mastered, which amounts to nothing more than a sloppy pile of finely cubed potatoes, mayonnaise and mustard. The pork spare ribs (B395), slow-cooked for 20 hours, are juicy and tender but lack any of the smoky depth that rib purists crave.

 

But despite these culinary slip-ups, the menu does have its homeruns. The American burger (B295), with sharp cheddar cheese, fresh-ground patty and thick brioche bun, is a worthy adversary to the area’s more established burger temples. Philly die-hards might balk at the tiny size of the ribeye cheesesteak (B295), but it’s pure melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Add these hits to Mash’s relaxed atmosphere and delightful beer selection and you have a place that offers real value as a beer-lover’s alcove. Corkage B500