Unpasteurized creme fraiche with brioche
Water Library is definitely Bangkok’s boldest culinary experience since Gaggan opened last year. You have to show up on time, sit at a bar, and all the dishes are brought out for all the diners simultaneously (B6,600 for 12 courses, B8,400 with wine, B16,800 with superior wines). What food, though! Despite the modern (or “molecular”) touches, what really blew us away was a simple dish of resolutely non-local food. Unpasteurized sour cream from Normandie is flown in (that stuff spoils fast) along with unpasteurized butter. Top the butter with a slice of truffle, serve with an amazing homemade brioche (a kind of bread-like cake) and you’ve got a simply stunning mouthful of flavors. Their menus rotate often, though, so check with them to see what they’ll actually be serving on the night you visit.
Grass, 264/1 Thonglor Soi 12, Bangkok, 02-714-9292-3. Open daily 6pm-1am; dinner starts at 7:30pm sharp.
Somtam Sakon Nakorn
Somtum Der (and Thai Lao Yeh, next) are a new breed of well-designed, mid to upper-scale restaurants that actually want to outdo street food in terms of their authenticity. They claim that Bangkokian’s wimpy palates have made the Isaan food served in town too heavy on the sugar and MSG—and we tend to agree. Instead, Somtum Der doesn’t shy from potent (if pasteurized, for your stomach’s safety) pla raa (a kind of fermented fish). Its star dish would have to be the somtam Sakon Nakorn (B65) which is served with freshwater crab, cold noodles and kratin beans. The play on textures and the balance of fire (the chilis) and cool (the noodles and green papaya) is perfection.
5/5 Sala Daeng Rd., 02-632-4499. Open daily 11am-10pm
Kob Tord (Fried Frog)
Thai Lao Yeh does fiery Lao, Northern, Isaan and a few Southern dishes in an elegant boutique hotel that’s meant to evoke the home of an affluent family living somewhere in 1920s Asia. Its flavors are loud and clear, as opposed to the more rounded, five-flavor Central Thai cooking. The fried frog in lemongrass, garlic and peppercorn (B160) is one such dish, and an absolute must try in our book. It neatly balances herbal with oily, and crispy (the little bones in the frog meat, the kaffir lime leaves) with tender (the incredibly fresh peppercorn, the perfectly cooked slivers of garlic).
14/29 Sukhumvit Soi 45, Bangkok, 02-259-2871-3. Open daily 11am-2pm, 6-10:30pm
Pla Too Tord (Fried Mackerel)
The owner, Thanaruek Laoraowirodge, brings his family cooking from Khon Kaen to Bangkok. The menu is simply based on what his grandmother used to cook up at home—Thai food that borrows both from her hometown, Trat, and where the family lives, Khon Kaen. Platoo tord (B160) is definitely a humble, homey dish—the kind that creates instant flashbacks to your childhood when done well. What makes Supanniga’s particularly amazing is the fish sauce from Trat. It’s so aromatic, we kept sniffing it like some glue junkies. The texture of the fish is also very pleasant—perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Together with a plate of rice, this is one simple, nostalgic way to welcome judgement day with a calm, content outlook.
160/11 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (between Thonglor Sois 6 and 8), Bangkok, 02-714-7508. Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-11:30pm
Gaeng Kua Hoy Kong Talay Bai Som PEn Kee Maa
(Andaman abalone in curry paste served with Southern leaf)
Owned by Can Markawat, the second-generation owner of Thai restaurant Naj (on Soi Convent), The Local is dedicated to cooking up rare recipes and utilizing regional Thai ingredients. The abalone in the gaeng kua hoy kong talay bai som pan kee maa (B280) is from the South and is actually out of season right now (they currently replace it with fish). But since time is running out, you should still try this dish if only for its amazing curry. Pungent, flavorful and very rich, it coats the accompanying bai som pen kee ma (a type of green found in the South) to create this perfect combination of smoothness and slight bitterness.
32-32/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Bangkok, 02-664-3360-1. Opend daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30-11:30pm
Grilled Chicken
This has definitely been a year were Thai food has come to the forefront, and Chon is another one of the impressive list of new Thai restaurants. It sits in a traditional Thai house which Jim Thompson had found for a friend. Moreover, part of the most luxurious hotel opening of the year, The Siam, and the kitchen is handled by Executive Chef Blair Mathieson (formerly at the Chedi in Chiang Mai). Never mind his name, the man can definitely whip up delicious, authentic Thai food. Our favorite is the grilled chicken (B320)—nicely charred and crisp on the outside yet totally juicy and tender inside. Flavors, thanks to the corn-fed chicken and tumeric rub, are just as exciting.
The Siam Hotel, 3/2 Khao Rd., Bangkok, 02-206-6999. www.thesiamhotel.com. Open daily noon-11pm
Mien with beef in Szechuan style
The lead actor of this new mall venue might be the eight-color xiao long bao (dumpling with soup) with its recipe imported from the original restaurant in Singapore, but our heart is truly taken with their mien (noodles). The noodles with marbled beef in Szechuan style (B235) have us licking the bowl clean every time. The homemade noodles are made fresh daily with just the right amount of egg, the beef is tender and fatty and the broth is simply addictive.
4/F, Paragon, 991/1 Rama 1 Rd., Bangkok, 02-129-4411. Open daily 10am-10pm
Pot Au Feu Terrine
As much as we love tracking trends, we also love old school places like Le Beaulieu, where Chef Herve Frerard continues to cook totally traditional French food without the slightest traces of emulsification, foams or spherification. Not that he’s adverse to new techniques (he uses a lot of sous-vide cooking now) but he keeps it very discreet. One perfect illustration of his subtle inventiveness is his pot-au-feu terrine (B490). The traditional dish sees meat and vegetables boiled in a big pot, and is delicious both hot and, the day after, cold. Here, Frerard takes the pot-au-feu’s carrots and meat and layers them in a terrine. It feels like something a French grandmother would do to recycle leftovers. It’s also bursting with layers of textures and flavors. Delicieux. And if you haven’t seen Frerard’s elegant new space at the Plaza Athenee, that’s two good reasons to pay him a visit (go for lunch if you don’t drive a BMW or Ferrari).
G/F, Athenee Office Tower, 63 Witthayu (Wireless) Rd., Bangkok, 02-168-8220-3. Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30-11:30pm
Gung Mae Nam Rad Prik
(river prawn topped with chili paste)
Sala Rin Nam is a Thai buffet with touristy performances in the evening. Not the kind of place you’d be caught dead in. But the chef’s table (B2,900 for 6 courses, B3,900 for 9 courses), which launched early this year, is a different story. It sees 4-12 people seated at a table in the kitchen of Sala Rim Naam, with your food cooked by Chef Vichit Mukura, a renowned master of his craft. Most of the quality ingredients either come from his own rice field, farmers he knows personally or Or Tor Kor market. His Thai dishes bring out the natural flavors of these carefully curated ingredients, but being in contact with the chef also means you get a personalized master class in what you’re eating. Since we have to pick one dish, we’d recommend you beg the chef for the plump, wonderfully fresh river prawns in his gung mae naam rad prik. They’re from Ranong and they taste amazing; but it’s also the chili and dok kajorn (cowslip creeper flower) they’re cooked with that combine to bring out their sweet goodness without overpowering it.
Mandarin Oriental, 48 Oriental Ave., Charoen Krung Rd., Bangkok, 02-659-9000. Open for dinner only by reservation.
ReUben Sandwich
The couple behind most people’s favorite Mexican, La Monita (situated next door), Billy Bautista and Kasama Laopanich, just started El Osito a couple of months ago. The plan is to recreate the kind of food they miss from their time in San Francisco. While it might be a tapas place in the evenings, we’ve been much more taken by the choice of sandwiches at lunchtime. The huge pastrami sandwich (B250) might offer tasty pink pastrami with a lovely touch of pepper, but come the end of the universe, we’d have to plump for the monstrous Reuben (B250)—a gorgeous, truly monstrous, meaty sandwich filled to the brim with delicious homemade corned beef and served between two hearty slices of rye bread
Mahatun Plaza, 888/23-24 Ploenchit Rd., Bangkok, 02-651-4399. BTS Ploenchit. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-3pm; 5-11pm
Spaghetti with lobster
Founded in 1984 in swanky Knightsbridge, London, and now also found in Kuwait and Lebanon, this is the restaurant’s third global branch. Signor Sassi’s focus is resolutely Italian, with the food covering the classics from pasta to antipasti, and the decor offering touches like the Venetian carnival masks and elegant tableware. It might sound a bit derivative but this place has a number of things going for it, not least the impeccable service, impressive wine list, and relatively affordable prices given the spacious 37th floor outdoor terrace. What’s more, we also happen to be big fans of their global signature dish: spaghetti with lobster (B1,180). The wonderfully al dente pasta is served on the lobster shell and comes with a light sauce that really lets the fresh, succulent and meaty lobster truly shine.
37/F, Anantara Bangkok Sathorn, Narathiwas Rd., Bangkok, 02-210-9011. BTS Chong Nonsi. Open daily 12-2:30pm; 6-10:30pm
Ceviche a la Thai
We’ve had a crush on Julien Lavigne’s food ever since we tasted it at D’Sens. Since then he’s gone on to open Oskar, and now a second place, Gossip, which oozes Thonglor cool. The food here is influenced by his Franco-Italian roots. But really, his ability to pull off the dreaded f-word (fusion!) goes well beyond the Mediterranean. Our favorite is his hamachi ceviche a la Thai (B260). It’s the best of three worlds: tender, fatty, fresh raw fish (Japanese style) is lightly “cooked” by dousing it in lime (Peruvian style) and seasoned with a touch of lemongrass (Thai-style).
313 Thonglor Soi 15, Bangkok, 02-185-3093. Open daily 4pm-1am
Chili glazed baby back ribs
OK, we admit that this place actually opened last year, but it was in December and we’re such fans of this inventive Thai restaurant, set in a beautiful and bright old mansion, we wanted to sneak it in anyway. The hardest part was actually deciding which dishes created by celeb-chef Ian Kittichai we’d plump for: the artfully presented yum nuar (B320), the sweet, spicy and refreshing yum hua plee (heart of palm and bamboo flower salad, B260) or the exciting and tasty traditional Thai sweets. In the end we plumped for something a little more hearty, a mountainous portion of the kradook moo aob (B380), delicious chili glazed baby back ribs that are fall-off-the-bone tender and decadently sticky and sweet.
4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chue Pleong Rd., Bangkok, 02-672-9040-1. www.issaya.com. Open daily 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-midnight.
Roast baby carrots with shallot, honey, poppy seeds and thyme
After Jess Barnes left Grossi, his return to Bangkok was marked by a pork-laden dinner full of marrow, rillette, blood sausage, tripe—you name it. Ironically, now that he’s firmly ensconced at the charming space of Quince, Barnes is perhaps one of the city’s greatest masters at cooking vegetables. His roast carrots (B150), for example, are just as exciting as any chunk of cow or pig. Tender and slightly twisted, they get an added sweetness from the honey and an extra crunch from the poppy seeds. Lightly sprinkle on some of the rock sea salt and you’ve got a simple taste of heaven.
Sukhumvit Soi 45, Bangkok, 02-662-4478. Open daily 11:30-1am
This place is steering well clear of the tired wine bar trend and dubs itself a sake bar. Located in the aesthetically appealing Park Ventures building, the food isn’t miles away from classic Japanese, but why you really need to come before Dec 21st is the free-flow deal. Its costs B790 for two hours (available anytime) and covers a selection of four types of sake. We also recommend the happy hours, where B550 (available at 5-7pm) gets you a selection of three sakes (150ml each) and lovely nibbles like fried lotus chips.
G/F, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Witthayu (Wireless) Rd., Bangkok, 02-108-2255. Open Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm; Fri-Sun 11:30am-midnight
Come the end of the world, our top burger pick would probably be Firehouse on Sukhumvit Soi 11. But we would like one last sip of 25 Degree’s adults-only spiked milkshakes. The Night Owl (Kahlua, chocolate liqueur and vanilla ice cream, B250), in particular, is a decadent delight. There’s also the cream soda with Maker’s Mark (B220). The best part? They’re open 24/7, so you know where to go on Dec 21st at midnight.
G/F, Pullman G Hotel, 188 Silom Rd., Bangkok, 02-238-1991. Open 24 hrs.
Advertisement
