The buzz: Proof that the Nanglinchee neighborhood is well and truly on the up comes in the form of this tiny but classy diner doling out juicy fried chicken, doughnuts and other comfort-food staples. Singaporean Cong Wen (former head chef at Prelude) and his partner handle the whole operation, from food prep to washing the dishes.

The vibe: With its tasteful facade blending dark woods and gold signage, Brassica immediately stands out from its old-school shop-house surrounds. Inside gives off a vintage Parisian cafe vibe with its off-white walls, marble-top tables and burgundy furnishings. There are only six tables in total, plus a few seats at the long wooden bar counter which get you up close to all the deep-frying and doughnut-filling of the open kitchen.

The food: Cong marinates his free-range birds in a spicy yogurt mixture before giving them a 10-minute hot oil bath and tossing in a blend of 17 spices. The resulting fried chicken (B260 for a quarter chicken with one side and a sauce; B1,050 for the “Whole Freakin’ Bird Combo” with two sides and two sauces) bursts with flavor. Just as impressive are the five house-made sauces: the pungent green herbs, tomato chutney, garlic butter, fermented chili and garlicky mayonnaise. Sides include mac ‘n cheese, thick-cut fries and zucchini salad with bacon. We can also only recommend the Big Chicken sandwich (B260), layered with made-to-order coleslaw and thinly sliced pickles. Sharing top billing are the doughnuts (B75, currently limited to only 30 per day) whose 12-hour-rested dough makes for a dense yet springy texture. Have yours filled with toddy palm sugar custard, chocolate ganache, vanilla cream, caramel coffee or strawberry compote (B75). If chicken and doughnuts aren’t doing it for you, the chalkboard menu out front is scribbled with daily-changing specials like pan-seared seabass with lemon caper butter and baby potatoes (B280) and roasted pork belly with cream celeriac, beetroot mustard and fennel (B390).

The drinks: What better to go with fried chicken than a few craft beers? Brassica rolls out local labels like Fullmoon and Chalawan for B250/bottle and Stone Head Smiling Evil Pale Ale at B260/bottle. Teetotalers can enjoy Bangkok Soda (B120-130) in flavors like lime and mandarin or passion fruit, while there’s also coffee from B60 in which to dunk your doughnut.  

Why we’d come back: This is unpretentious comfort food done well, served up in a fun, low-key space. It's no surprise the doughnuts are already hot property—get your orders in early! Kankanok Wichiantanon