BANGKOK RESTAURANT

Cafe & Etc. by Kloset

3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

The buzz: Local boutique and clothing label Kloset has now branched out into the restaurant business. Owner Mollika Ruangkritya says that she wants to extend the brand for her stylish clientele. We’re just happy that Ekkamai, which has kind of been ignored in favor of Thong Lor recently, has a new, hip place.

The decor: The two-story sky blue building just off Sukhumvit Soi 63 can’t be missed. Large windows from floor to ceiling light up quaint, homey diner-style chairs and paintings of wooden pantry shelves that are reminiscent of a British country cottage. Both floors are full of lively, warm colors perfect for a prolonged lunch or relaxing dinner.

The food: Staff joke that some of the menu was thought up in response to drunken munchies and improvising with ingredients that they had in their fridge at the time. That means lots of greasy, spicy comfort food with both Thai and Western options. From the homemade cheeseburger with French fries (B230) to noodles in creamy tom yam broth (B180), Kloset’s menu is familiar. The hot seller at the moment is their spaghetti with Thai Northern style spicy sausage and basil (B220)—an example of one of their more inventive dishes.

The drinks: It’s happy hour every day, from 5-8pm you can get two of theirclassic cocktails like mojitos and pineapple malibus (B180) for the price of one. They also have Singha (B90) and Heineken (B110) and Illy espresso drinks.

The crowd: Trendy media types, fashionistas and their boyfriends. Clae Sea

Cafe & Etc. by Kloset is going for an eccentric, English country cottage vibe with its sky blue walls and quirky illustrations ranging from faux pantry shelves to mock palace gardens. It is after all an off-shoot of fashion label Kloset, whose owner Mollika Ruangkritya likes to blend eccentric and vintage themes. The overall effect is lovely, with the two-story building offering a very cozy and welcoming ambience. The menu has some hearty, comforting international dishes like the cottage pie alongside some Thai and fusion dishes. Unfortunately the inter dishes don’t work quite as well as the décor. The “super tender” beef stew with rice (B280), while OK, isn’t quite as tender as the name claims and the actual stew, while well seasoned, isn’t quite as thick as we’d expect. We’d also really rather have some more traditional mash than steamed rice to sop up the sauce. Though it seems like a very popular dish, the spaghetti sai-oa rod nua (spaghetti with Northern style spicy sausage and basil, B220) is also slightly disappointing. The spaghetti is bland and salty while the sai-oa is spicy, and the whole thing is way too dry. The good news is that their yam and laab (Thai-style salads and minced meat dishes) work much better: the laab pan-fried salmon (B220) is full-flavored and aromatic and the yam kana Hong Kong goong fu (spicy Chinese kale salad with crispy shrimp, B170) comes with a delicious sauce that manages to be perfectly sweet, sour and salty. The highlight for us has to be their chicken massaman curry served with rice (B200)—despite the price tag—thanks to the well-balanced curry sauce and the large but super tender chicken pieces that melt in your mouth. We also love the crunchy peanuts in the thick coconut sauce. So while the inter dishes may fail to match the quaint décor, and the price might be a little on the high side (though it is on Ekkamai after all), good service and a charming atmosphere make this a lovely spot for a long lunch or a relaxing, lazy dinner.

Venue Details
Address: Cafe & Etc. by Kloset, 171 Ekkamai Soi 5, Bangkok, Thailand
Phone: 02-711-6019
Cuisine: International, Thai
Price Range: BB
Opening hours: daily 10am-10pm
Parking available
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