The buzz: Brought to you by the brains behind some of Bangkok’s greatest hits—Oskar Bistro, Quince, Sing Sing, Gigi—Lily Fu’s is starting to see the benefits of a resurrected Bangkok.

The vibe: It may look design forward and classy, but don’t be fooled: Lily Fu’s can party. DJs bring the heat and there’s plenty of floor space to mingle by the busy bar. With a photogenic abacus wall, the atmosphere is sharp, well-lit, and sweet—literally; there’s a vintage-style candy room that’s selfie central for the Thai kids.

The food: Now, this is where things get interesting: classic Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes made with inventive flair. On the dim sum menu, Lily’s Purse (B160) is a three-flavor dumpling of shrimp, black truffle, and spinach; for the purist, grab the ha gao (B125) and shoo mai (B125). The bao, numbered one through six, run the gamut—Hong Kong, Hainan, Indonesia—but we highly recommend the Bao #5 (B250), Vietnamese-style beef with onion, ginger, and a “Sriracha-Hoisin” dark bean chili sauce on a fluffy white bao. For a starter, the must try is the poached “larb style” sea bass (B240) or heartier chow mein (B170), and for something properly Thai, share the extra creamy khao soi (B260). If you’re a party of proper carnivores, the absolute must-try is the tomahawk (B260/100g) of grilled Australian black angus with three sides. Speaking of, don’t forget your greens; you get some proper “wok hay” on your veggies here. For dessert, there's a chocolate tart (B250) with chocolate chili ganache, sour cream cheese, and salted caramel, but for something a little less sweet and more creative there’s Lily’s Mango Sticky Rice, featuring mango, sticky rice berry, and coconut cream with a mango sorbet (B250). 

The drinks: You’ll find classic but creative cocktails. The Thai negroni (B280) sticks out as a favorite, mixing Saneha gin with Campari, Chinese five spice, and 1757 rosso; the refreshingly tart Chaophraya (B260) is Phraya rum, agave, lime, chili, and ginger. But there are also delightfully simple drinks to be had, like the Coconut Mojito (B230) and the Mekhong Ice Coffee (B240). Bottles of red start at B1180 (B200/glass).

The crowd: Open opposite Sugar and Juicy, expect sharp-dressed 20s and 30s getting their carbs in before the club, but this is also a great spot for a date or just to eat and mingle by the bar. 

Why we’d come back: Soi 11 needed this—plain and simple. It’s a late-open, stylish hang with some of the best high-end bites on the soi. When we’re back, we’ll work our way through the entire dim sum and bao list before staggering to Juicy for some hip-hop.

Photos: Lily Fu's menu and venue / BK Magazine