The people behind Bangkok’s favorite burger truck, Daniel Thaiger, have opened a proper sit-down spin-off. Taking over the intimate wedge of space formerly belonging to Opposite Mess Hall on Sukhumvit Soi 51, the restaurant’s menu goes beyond burgers to include more protein-packed comfort food. The real highlight looms as the tomahawk steak from which the restaurant takes its name (seau rong hai, or crying tiger beef): a juicy slab of Australian grilled beef served with spicy jim jaew sauce.
Did you know Thailand has a national culinary team? Well, it does. And this casual new restaurant comes from a group of its former members, headed by the Dusit Thani College-trained Eakkachai Saengkardsanee. The house-made brioche buns take center stage, appearing in, of course, burgers and also breakfast dishes. Go full-on comforting with the all-American Chunky beef burger, made with Australian beef patty, a house-made mayo-based “secret” sauce, cheddar cheese, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, tomato, shallots and some greens. Brunch dishes, served daily from 11am-4pm, also play with the burger concept, like the croque madame-derived “holy cheese burger” and Benedict burger.
This brainchild of Kenichi Nagata, the man behind Sukhumvit Soi 26’s Jidori-ya Ken (previously Jidori-ya Kenzou, arguably the best yakitori in town), stands out as the only Japanese-style house in Ekkamai’s Acmen complex. Gen goes well beyond its grilled chicken-specializing sister to serve up a wider variety of meat grilled on binchotan charcoal. While the free-range chicken still stands as one of the stars (try the slightly-roasted breast with yuzu kosho paste), Nagata also does some fine Japanese wagyu, pork and seafood in addition to sashimi and other appetizers. Don’t miss the dashi rolled egg and matcha white chocolate fondue.
Acmen Complex, 267/31 Sukhumvit Soi 63 (Ekkamai), 02-048-0008. Open Mon-Sat 5:30pm-midnight
Casual Old Town eatery Chomp has launched a nearby sister project not far from the original spot. At the homey Chomp Deli, owner-chef Gili Back is still all about comforting food, with a focus on housemade and local community products. On top of deli items like roast beef, bread from Konnichipan and meat products from Uncle Cameron’s, Back also puts together ham and pea soup, old-fashioned potato salad and sandwiches like BLT+Feta (smoked bacon and herb-infused feta cheese on French baguette). Note that menu changes daily. There are also plenty of vegetarian and vegan offerings.
133 Samsen Rd., 064-228-6220. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm
Nestled down the surprisingly peaceful Thonglor Soi 7, The Missing Burro serves Mexican food amid a friendly garden setting. From a converted shipping container, the Mexican owners roll out traditional easy eats like corn tortilla tacos al pastor (spiced marinated pork with pineapple), carnitas (braised pork), choriqueso (housemade chorizo mixed with melted cheese) and sopecitos (fried lime-soaked ground maize topped with refried beans, meat, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes), with delightful sauces made with imported Mexican chilies. Don’t miss the comforting chicken enchiladas, too. Wash it all down with Day of the Dead beer or margarita.
145 Thonglor Soi 7, 090-913-2131. Open Wed-Sun 5-11pm; Mon 5-11pm
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