Hong Kong cuisine specialist Golden Bowl takes over from where the now-defunct King's Palace left off. HK native chefs Chi Kit Kong and Cheng Kai Chi whip up all the familiar staples, from barbecue pork and roast goose to fried rice and steamed rice noodles. Other house specialties include the four-hour-simmered smooth rice congee with thick-cut pig liver and stir-fried flat noodles with beef slices. There are also set lunch menus available from Mon-Fri.

 

Here a group of Los Angeles alumni bring one of America’s hottest food trends to Bangkok. This restaurant specializes in poke, an Hawaiian raw fish salad, which is a big deal in New York and the US West Coast right now. Poke bowls see raw fish salad perched atop Japanese rice, kind of like a sushi rice bowl. Here, they offer their own signature options to suit Thai tastes, like “Bangkok Dangerous” (barramundi, cucumber, guava, Asian pear, fried whitebait, fried shallots and Thai seafood sauce). You can also build you own bowl. To complete the American health-conscious trend, they also offer acai and pitaya smoothie bowls and cold-pressed juices.

Outlaw

Nestled down a small alley connecting Charoenkrung Soi 43 and 45 is this absolute hidden gem—and another reason this hip neighborhood is finally firming as a foodie favorite. French chef-owner Romain Guiot offers comforting dishes elevated by quality ingredients, many of which are imported. Watch him in action in the very open kitchen, with just a tiny wooden bar between it and the diners. There he whips up everything from goat cheese salad and pasta to Argentinian tenderloin steak with truffle mash potato. Guiot also works with local producers like Holey Bakery for his bread, made into tartine (open-faced sandwiches), and Charun 13 Brewery for craft beer. We also like that the honest good food is matched by a creative yet cozy interior that features reused materials like old window frames and school desks.

Siam Tea Room

The newly renovated and relaunched Marriott Marquis boasts over ten food and beverage outlets. One of the first to open, Siam Tea Room blends Thai and Western cuisines in a deli-inspired space. Chef Anukul Poolpipat (previously of JW Marriott) leads the kitchen to serve mostly classic Thai cuisine with nostalgic flavors, drawing from his own family recipes and produce sourced from across the country. His grandma’s yum som chun (spicy salad) combines the tanginess of pomelo, green mango and som sa (Thai bitter orange) with the spicy kick of chili, sweet and salty flavor of braised pork belly and crispy texture of fried fish. Pastries like croissants are worth grabbing on your way out, too.

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