9 hot new restaurants to check out in Bangkok this December
Argentinian fire-cooked meat, French haute cuisine and Kyoto-style kaiseki.
Helmed by Dutch national Roxanne Lange—one of the Marriott International’s youngest chefs de cuisine—this modern European opening replaces The Reflexions as part of The Athenee Hotel’s recent revamp. With a background working under Henk Savelberg in Holland and later as chef de cuisine at Savelberg Bangkok, chef Roxanne artfully prepares French haute cuisine in set menus, ranging from plant-based options (from B1,800 for six courses) and the seven-course Le Petit (B2,480) to the 10-course Memoirs of Home (B3,280). Dishes chart a colorful Chiang Mai tomato salad bursting with piquant flavor; creamy Thai mudcrab atop crunchy cucumber spaghetti; and rich French Moulard duck liver countered with sweet apple and crunchy nut crumble.
3/F, The Athenee Hotel, 61 Wireless Rd. See full details here
4 Napha Sap Soi 2. See full details here
237 Yen Akart Soi 2. See full details here
Following a year-long renovation, the Mandarin Oriental’s seafood joint Lord Jim’s reopened with an unusual twist: it now shares space with a high-end, dinner-only Japanese restaurant. Kinu by Takagi is the latest project from chef Takagi Kazuo, the affable architect of two-Michelin-starred Kyoto Cuisine Takagi in Ashiya, Japan, who specializes in Kyoto-style kaiseki, or Kyo-ryori—elaborate, multi-course menus fueled by seasonality, premium ingredients and masterfully composed dishes. Ten-course dinners (B7,500/person) here always start with zensai, an appetizer featuring whatever is fresh—charcoal-grilled wagyu wrapped around spring onion, roasted Thai eggplant topped with uni, sesame tofu stuffed with Japanese persimmon and topped with ikura. Then expect sashimi (yellowtail, fatty tuna belly), a grilled dish, a steamed dish and more, plus whatever the chef chooses, like fresh oysters served with a ponzu sauce made with four kinds of citrus, including hand-squeezed kaffir lime juice.
2/F, 72 Courtyard, Sukhumvit Soi 55. See full details here
After a short hiatus, chef Prin Polsuk has returned full force with this all-new private dining kitchen. Tucked away quietly in the back of Charoenkrung hotspot, 100 Mahaseth, the welcoming omakase-style kitchen is overlooked by an exclusive 10 seats. The monthly-changing tasting menus are packed with neoclassical Thai dishes, recipes dating back to the Rama VI period and hints of Chinese influence. Across the nine-courses (B3,200-B4,500), five are served sharing-style. Currently, you'll find Tenfold Fish Dumplings made with snakehead fish and topped with crispy garlic and mustard leaf; deep fried tofu sheet generously stuffed with pork, prawn and chicken; and fiery curry made with sweet banana, catfish, green peppercorn and sand ginger. Dessert features a soothing fresh-made ginger ice cream, served with patongo (fried dough) and coconut honey. For cocktails and drinks, you can rely on 100 Mahaseth’s trusty menu for the time being.
100 Mahaseth, 100 Mahaset Rd. See full details here
Former Robuchon chef Jay Sangsingkaew is behind Ekkamai’s new French and global-inspired restaurant. There are three choices for tasting menus: four-course (B1,900), six-course (B2,900) and the “Stage Experience” at eight courses (B3,900). The chefs will change the menu every two months according to the seasons. At the moment, the menus feature signatures like otoro sashimi with sesame paste and buttermilk curd; melt-in-your-mouth lobster served with a decadent beurre blanc and charred sucrine (cos lettuce); and a delicious pork sausage hot dog topped with fresh black truffle shavings and served with pickled winter melon. Desserts offer playful takes on nostalgic classics like baba au rhum, but the pièce de résistance might be the dessert trolley, which offers all sorts of sweet treats.
1/F, 359/2-3 Sukhumvit Soi 63. See full details here
Formerly at The Commons, Stax now has a permanent home just up the road in Thonglor’s new street food community mall, Saphan 55. With their thin, perfectly seared beef sandwiched in lightly toasted square buns, burgers here are more like sliders and are reminiscent of White Castle. Go for the best-selling Stax cheeseburger (B109), which comes with beef or pork, topped with grilled onions, dill pickles, mustard, ketchup and cheese. Their super affordable combos are surefire winners—Set A (B200) includes two classic burgers and fries. You’ll also find jalapeno poppers (B145/eight pieces) and crispy chicken nuggets (B50/four pieces) on the menu.
759 Sukhumvit Soi 55. See full details here
Run by the same team behind Lang Suan's (now closed) All Six to Twelve Cafe & Social Bar and Ari’s Baby Bar, Wander conjures a hip vibe with its low lighting, graffiti-covered accent wall and dark metal touches. Nightly live music draws a boisterous crowd of after-workers who dine on elevated, well-executed Thai dishes paired with cocktails that span the flavor spectrum—from fruity and floral, like the lychee- and elderflower-fueled Wanderer (B320) to spirit-forward, like the whiskey-, cocoa- and fernet branca-laced Hunter (B320).
64 Pan Rd. See full details here
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