The buzz: A portmanteau of octopus and chicken, Ocken is part of the beloved Thonglor originated F&B family tree of Roast Cafe and Roots Coffee. After its successful launch in 2018, the restaurant underwent a brief closing and recently reopened its doors in late October—ready to impress diners with a revolving menu of casual fine dining. 

 

The vibe: The restaurant’s interior design is a mixture of warm and cool tones, and the walls are painted with sunset hues and paved with navy and russet tiles. Situated amongst the skyscrapers of Sathon, the hi-so Ocken draws love birds, the afterwork crowd, and the trust fund university students.

 

The food: For the apps, Ocken has brought back their famous Barron Point Oysters imported from Washington. The shellfish are marinated in a secret sauce before being deep fried and served in a puddle of cilantro remoulade; the result is a fun texture reminiscent of a warm hashbrown (B400 for two, B1,100 for six). Follow that up with the Ocken Salad (B420) palate cleanser with a curious blend of kiwi, rosemary almond, watercress, Asian pear, and burrata cheese—a healthy, but surprisingly addictive concoction. The Octopus dish (B680) is braised, seared, and splashed with sour tangerine salsa verde. It’s a fun snack with Instagram-ready plating. When you arrive at the main course, go for the filling Truffle Cavatelli (B650) served with norcina sausage and caramelized girolle mushroom. If you’re entertaining a bigger crowd, opt for the Piri Piri Chicken (B1,250) which is brought to heat by the restaurant’s very own state of the art rotisserie. The dish is topped with marinated tomato, charred shishito peppers, and drizzled with slow roasted tomato sauce. To elevate the dining experience, add a side of Charcoal Grilled Maitake Mushroom (B340) and Broccolini (B240) in chipotle smoked yogurt. Finish off with some out of the box Bacon Bourbon Ice Cream (B140) or the Brown Sugar Sesame Ice Cream (B140). 

 

The drinks: Apart from its homey cuisine, Ocken has an open bar that offers a generous selection of classic cocktails, mocktails, wine, and signature sips. Those who favor savory and acidic notes, order the Réunion (B450) for a cocktail that tastes like raw mangoes dunked in Thai prik-klue (sugar and chili flakes). 

 

Why we’d come back: Ocken subverts the idea of fine dining restaurants as a stuffy spot for unusual dishes. This spot uses ingredients synonymous with this high-end cuisine but curates a taste and atmosphere that feels as comforting as home cooked meals.