It all started with one tiny shophouse in Siam Square a half-century ago, which the owner took over from a woman named Makong King Yee. We won’t comment on MK’s suki (we’ll leave that to the Japanese), but some of Bangkok’s best (and most affordable) roast duck (B148 for small, B290 for big) can be found here. The tender, juicy slices of meat are basked in a secret sauce that hits all the right notes—sweet, salty and umami—which has us licking our plates clean every single time.
www.mkrestaurant.com
Greyhound is always reliable: same menu, same reasonable prices and same touches of creativity that don’t take you out of your comfort zone. The classic signature dish, Complicated Noodles (B150), comes on a wood board with rice noodle sheets layered with lettuce, shredded pork and a spicy, garlic-infused green sauce that isn’t too sweet. Putting it all together is half the fun, but it also happens to taste great.
Try 3/F, Siam Center, Rama 1 Rd., 02-658-1129. Open daily 11am-10pm. Or visit www.greyhoundcafe.co.th.
All-time classic family restaurant, Seefah boasts over 70 years of history, starting with their khao naa gai (rice topped with chicken in gravy) since their first location on Ratchawong. Their khao ob nam liab (baked rice with herbs and Chinese olive, B85) is even better. The rice is baked to be moist and tender and is topped with the lovely cubes of ginger and shallot, while the overall flavors are well-balanced with the Chinese olives.
www.seefah.com
You might remember Baan Ying from its days at Siam Theatre many years ago, where it was run by a friendly uncle. Today, the chain goes for a fairly minimal, blond wood, Japanese look, but it’s the same old homemade-tasting fare on the plate. Everyone orders the omelets here, but our top pick is actually the crispy, salty, totally addictive pla muek pad prik gluea (fried calamari with chili and salt, B160).
Try 2/F, Silom Complex, Silom Rd., 02-231-3262. Open daily 11am-10pm. Or visit www.banying.com
We’re not sure that the food here really tastes like "what our mom made", as the Ootoya motto says, since mom isn’t Japanese, but we do know that their stir-fried pork with kimchi (B240 for a set) is up there with the best. The pork is very tender, while the pungent kimchi brings a bit of sourness to cut through the fattiness of the meat.
www.ootoya.co.th
We can’t say we’re huge Sizzler fans, but if we do end up there, it’s not for a big juicy steak. It’s for the bacon bits. We’re just addicted to the stuff. We ladle it onto our salad. We put some more into the corn chowder. We heap them onto our baked potato. Crispy, salty and oily, they’re simply irresistible.
www.sizzler.co.th
Ronald McDonald’s fries are a bit like Coca-Cola. We don’t know what they do to them—and maybe we’d rather not know—but they are simply the best. Salty, crispy on the outside, puffy inside, the McDonald’s fry (B27) is a heavenly reward.
www.mcthai.co.th
There are plenty of boutique bakeries out there doing their own carefully crafted, homemade egg tarts. But in a blind taste test we organized, KFC actually came in second. It’s got the silky, eggy and sweet filling, a crispy, flaky crust, and a lovely caramelized topping. The perfect sugary companion (B20) for a black coffee (ideally bought elsewhere).
www.kfc.co.th
The Chocolate Devotion (B129 for small) comes with chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, brownie and chocolate fudge. Super rich and creamy, it can cure heartbreak, depression and anxiety—we guarantee it.
Try 6/F, CentralWorld, Rama 1 Rd., 02-252-3952. Open daily 10am-10pm. Or visit www.coldstone.co.th.
Uncle Lee has been around for about 20 years now, doing single-dish Chinese food like fried-egg noodles with crabmeat, koay see mhee (fried egg noodles with chicken and bamboo shoots) and our favorite, kraprao moo (rice topped with stir-fried pork with basil and bacon, B90). Unlike the rest of the menu, the kraprao here tastes very Thai, with a solid dose of chili. The addition of bacon to this ubiquitous dish is simply genius.
Try 3/F, CentralWorld, Rama 1 Rd., 02-646-1838. Open daily 10am-10pm. Or visit www.leecafethai.com.
This global chain flew from Busan in Korea to the US before it ended up in Bangkok three years ago. The chicken (B161 for small) really does live up to the hype. It’s crunchy batter on the outside holds up marvelously against the restrained slathering of piquant, not too sweet sauce, and moist, tender and flavorful meat on the inside.
Try Silom Complex, Silom Rd., 02-231-3129. Open daily 10:30am-10pm. Or visit www.bonchonthailand.com
Little Home Bakery is the sort of diner that time has forgotten, remembered mostly by long-time expats and Thai-Chinese families who come here for their dimsum and solid American breakfast offerings. They do a very cheap American breakfast set (starts from B140) but their specialty is the pancakes. Fluffy, served with a scoop of creamy buttery and available in a ton of awesome combinations (with bacon, ham, pineapple, bananas—you name it, starting from B120), it’s a great way to start your Sunday without breaking the bank.
Try 413/10-20, Soi Thonglor, Sukhumvit Soi 55, 02-185-1485. Open Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 8am-9pm. Or visit
www.littlehome.co.th
Chabuton is the brainchild of 2002 TV Champion Award-winning Yasuji Morizumi, a former French cuisine chef who has combined his Gallic culinary background with Japanese traditional noodles. Even fans of Ramentei (four branches in Bangkok) have to admit that this mall-dwelling chain is just as good, if not better. The signature tonkatsu ramen (B175) is a big bowl of noodles in concentrated pork-bone soup that’s been cooked for more than 15 hours, topped with Japanese bunching onions and slices of a special, decadently fatty grilled pork. The soup is delicious and the pork’s grilled notes are just superb.
Try Siam Square, next to Lido Theatre, 02-252-9353. Open Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-10pm.
Maybe Pala or Limoncello keep you up at night, but in a pinch, you can always count on Scoozi. The tangy sauce, blistered, smoky crust, and rich cheese are top-notch. But when money is no object, we like to top it all off with parma ham and arugula (B425). Delicioso.
www.scoozipizza.com
Last year was all about the gourmet burger trend (think Escapade, Burger Factory), but we’re still partial to a good old Whopper (B175 for set) at Burger King. The juicy “flame-grilled” ground patties are big on size and flavor. As far as junk food goes, we still love the Big Mac, but when we’re in the mood for a burger that actually tastes like cow, Burger King rules.
www.facebook.com/burgerkingthailand
It’s not easy to even find a half-decent hot dog in this town. So when Japan’s Mos landed in Bangkok with its weird burgers, we felt their spicy chili dog (B89) was their best kept secret. It has a similar tomato sauce, that slightly sweet, almost Bolognese like stuff, and crunchy pickled chili slices on top. The sausage is made with beef. And chicken. And seemingly a whole lot of love.
www.facebook.com/mosburger.thailand
This well-regarded seafood establishment is among the best. The decor is a bit aged, but you don’t go to Je Ngor for the atmosphere. Their mee pad krached (stir-fried noodles with water mimosa, B100 for small) is cooked to perfection. The water mimosa is lovingly sorted so that you’ll never find any sticky old greens.
Try 68/2 Sukhumvit Soi 20, 02-258-8008-9. Open daily 11:30am-2pm, 5:30-10pm. Or visit www.jengor-seafoods.com
Famous for its egg noodles, Hong Kong Noodles started off as a small street stall some 30 years ago in Yaowarat. The chewy and eggy noodles are delightful. Top them with the recommended khao moo (braised pig trotter, B79) and you’ve got a match made in heaven. The pork is braised to near perfection, making for deeply flavored meat chunks. They also offer delivery on orders above B250.
Try Siam Square Soi 10, Rama 1 Rd., 02-658-4154. Open daily 9am-10pm. Or visit www.hkndgroup.com
Set in a beautiful house on Sathorn Road., the flagship restaurant started about seven years ago before Secret Garden spread to all over town. Our favorite is the crepe cake (B125). The cream is rich and smooth, the crepes fluffy, it’s not overly sweet, and it comes with this very natural tasting, slightly acidic, strawberry coulis. The combination is heavenly. The only question is, peel it apart layer by layer or cut right through it? Your call.
Try Sathorn Rd., 02-286-2464. Open daily 11am-10pm
We quite like the soups at Au Bon Pain, but their patisserie masterpiece has to be their chocolate muffin. Bitter and sweet, it actually tastes like real chocolate (an incredibly rare thing for chocolate muffins in Bangkok). It’s also decadently dense and rich.
Try www.aubonpainthailland.com
Despite it being a pretty big chain, Waraporn is always consistent with its salapao (Chinese bun) even though (or perhaps because) they’re made in an industrial kitchen before delivery to the chains.. The salapao (B22) has that most wonderful spongy mouth-feel and tastes incredibly homemade, given that it’s anything butt. The stuffing, too, are fresh and tasty. Do try the pork with garlic and taro with gingko.
Try www.warapornsalapao.com
Probably the most popular dish at this family restaurant, Kalapapruek’s authentic gaeng kiew wan nuea (green curry with beef, B85) comes with crispy fried roti—a voluptuous combination. (Do end your meal with their chocolate fudge cake that is equally impressive.)
Try 27 Soi Pramual, Silom Rd., 02-238-4002
Chester’s Grill is our kind of fast food joint. There’s cutlery, the staff almost always carry the tray to your table for you. They serve rice. It’s as if it had been designed as a transitional experience for uncles and aunties not quite ready to make the jump to McDonald’s yet. They also have a delicious spicy grilled chicken (B79). Sure the flesh is a bit waterlogged—free range gai baan this ain’t—but that spicy MSG marinade is certainly finger licking good.
www.chestersgrill.co.th
Ice cream is another food we’ve actually put through blind taste tests. You’d be surprised at how cheap brands can outperform Haagen-Dazs and Movenpick. In particular, we can’t get enough of Rocky Road’s crunchy, chocolatey goodness (B50 for a scoop). Richy, sticky, and packed with almonds and marshmallows, Swensen’s Rocky Road is everything ice cream should be. And their revamped venue at the ground floor of Paragon looks pretty swanky, too.
Try G/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., 02-610-7527. Or visit www.swensensicecream.com
Worldwide chain restaurant Tony Roma’s has a laidback family vibe. And serious rib enthusiasts in town would probably prefer standalones like Roadhouse Barbeque. But we just love Tony Roma’s platter of babyback ribs with the original barbecue glaze (B395 for half). It’s fall-off-the bone tender, which can be a sign of boiled meat, but Tony Roma’s claim they don’t do that—and the flavor is intact so we believe them. The sauce is not too sweet and nicely caramelized in places.
Try G/F, Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd., 02-610-9311. Open daily 11am-11pm. Or visit www.tonyromas.com
The flagship restaurant recently relocated to Baan Silom, and they have branches at Sukhumvit Soi 38 and CentralWorld. In case you’re getting all nostalgic, the new place has a similar décor and, of course, all the favorite dishes including the delicious klua gling moo gradook on (Southern style stir-fried baby back ribs with herbs, B150), a perfect combination of salty and mildly spicy.
Try 60 Silom Soi 19, Bangkok, 02-236-4829-30. www.talingpling.com
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