Backyard by Baan

This is Baan's first spin-off, plopped onto the ground floor of a suburban mall on Srinakarin Road, and keeping to a menu which aims to be just the opposite, celebrating Thai comfort food executed traditionally. Backyard by Baan uses symbolism to evoke an outdoorsy vibe with its facade’s y-shaped design padded in greenery and a row of trees. You’ll want to try all of Baan’s greatest hits: The kaprao with dry-aged beef (B290), stir-fried pork with lime and kale (B180) and the signature tom-saep-kai-palo (five spices soup, B250) hybrid that works so well it needs to be added to the canon of classic Thai dishes.

G/F, Jas Urban, Sri Nakarin Soi 46/1, 02-386-7339. Open daily 11:30am-11pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Get 10% discount on food only when spending THB 1,500 or more /sales slip. Today – 31 Mar 18

Bangkok Bold Kitchen

First opened on Phra Athit Road as a cooking school and chef’s table restaurant, Bangkok Bold has forged a name for its solid Thai offerings thanks to its team of prominent chefs Supanut “Ann” Kanarak, Chortip “Nhoi” Ouypornchaisakul and Piya "Tapooh" Chayapum. Now though, you don’t have to gather as a party of at least four people to enjoy the food as they’ve branched out to a casual restaurant with an a la carte menu. Try their stir-fried Thai mackerel with chili pepper, climbing wattle and pork cracklings or rice noodles with crab curry in a setting that's packed with Thai woven touches.

2/F, Riverside Plaza, Charoen Nakorn Rd., 096-626-4519. Open daily 11am-10pm

Baannual

It may look a little rough around the edges, but this Thai restaurant situated beneath an antique wooden house comes brimming with exciting flavors. Baannual paints a quaint picture of life in Bangkok's Old Town, offering only two tables set amid decorative flower arrangements, rattan birdcages, and a soundtrack that mixes old Thai songs of the '70s and '80s with the crowing of nearby roosters. The simple menu spotlights the likes of moo pad kapi, stir-fried pork neck with shrimp paste from Chumporn, and yum dokkajorn, a Thai-style cowslip creeper salad with minced pork and shrimp that's made with boiled coconut cream.  

372 Samsen Soi 2 (Soi Phra Sawat), 081-889-7403. Open Tue-Fri noon-9pm; Sat-Sun 4-9pm

Krua Apsorn

Despite the slightly grubby ambience and the out-of-the-way location, the dishes here are special, in part because they’re made the “old-fashioned” way and have been fine-tuned over decades. The awesome mussels with basil, yellow chili, krachai (wild ginger) and green peppercorns are so plump and sweet that chefs from other restaurants have inquired about their source. Be sure to order the kai jeow pu (crab omelet), too.

Samsen Rd., 02-668-8788. Open Mon-Sat 10:30am-7:30pm

Na Chalong Eatery & Café

The Rama V-inspired house’s high ceilings where slash with European direction with decor and grand central bar of Na Chalong promises real-deal southern Thai food made almost entirely from ingredients sourced from that region. Menu highlights include gaeng som pla gudsalard (yellow curry with red-banded grouper and catfish roe, B690), whose tangy curry paste is said to be a mix of Pangnga and Songkhla styles, gai tod kamin (fried marinated chicken thigh with turmeric, B200) and pad sam kler (stir-fried glass vermicelli with garlic, sataw and climbing wattle, B200).

45 Sukhumvit Soi 24, 02-117-2829, 091-454-6254. Open Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun 10am-11pm. BTS Phrom Phong

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Get 10% discount when spending THB 2,000 or more/sales slip. Today – 31 Aug 18

Osha Café

The chicest place to dine at Asiatique the riverfront community mall comes from the same team as Thai fine-dining restaurant Osha. Here though, things are a little more laidback, with a space that blends contemporary design quirks with an easygoing attitude. The Thai dishes might sound familiar, but the food here is anything but plain, whether it’s a beautifully presented pad Thai or rich and decadent massaman curry.

Warehouse 10, Asiatique, Charoen Krung Rd., 02-046-9441. Open daily 5-11:45pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Get 10% discount (food only) or get a complimentary “Warehouse No.10” valued THB 280 when spending THB 2,000 or more/sales slip and get 10% discount for basic cooking course at Osha Cooking Studio (limit 1 glass/card/table/sales slip). Today - 31 Oct 18

Phed Phed

This chic cafe in Ari hides its super-hot Isaan food behind a cool blue-toned decor. Phed Phed’s name says its all—spicy Thai food where an eight-chili-pepper heat level is the baseline. One of the owners has taken his own Nakhon Phanom roots to serve made-from-scratch comfort Isaan dishes. Expect tons of housemade curry pastes and fermented delights (crab, plara [fish], naem [fermented pork] and Isaan sausage). Out of more than 20 variations of somtum, try the gao lao poo dong (B100) where fermented crab som tum is served without shredded papaya, and munch on kor moo yang (BTK) or slurp the herby gaeng om kradook moo (BTK). The compact 24-seater venue is already packed during lunch and dinner hours (you’d better book in advance).

Phahon Yothin Soi 8, 097-918-1175. Open Mon-Sat 11am-8pm. BTS Ari

Saneh Jaan

This elegantly designed, contemporary space packs plenty of style. It’s a majestic setting to indulge in refined Thai cuisine drawn from ancient recipes. With the traditional Thai fine dining menu devised by local food guru Torroong Jarungidanan, who has published two cookbooks and also writes a regular newspaper column, the dishes boast powerful flavors. Take the gaeng ranjuan (shrimp-paste pork soup, B380), which is smooth yet complex owing to salty shrimp paste, sour lime, a touch of sweetness and the spicy kick of chili and the hor mok pla chon (steamed curried fish wrapped in banana leaves, B390), too, is a delicate layering of flavor that shows impeccable attention to detail.

Glasshouse at Sindhorn, 130-132 Wireless Rd., 02-650-9880. Open daily 11am-2pm, 6-10pm. BTS Ratchadamri

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Get 15% discount on food only. Today – 31 Dec 18

The Deck by The River

Blessed with the backdrop of the Chao Phraya, The Deck’s charmingly outdoor vibe is aided by the glistening Wat Arun directly across the river. The menu features some surprisingly sophisticated Thai and European dishes made with high-quality ingredients. Crisp, finger-sized prawn spring rolls and crunchy grilled mushrooms drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar are super as starters, or zest up the meal with some bright flavor of yam som o (spicy pomelo salad) and a tasty pad Thai made with real tamarind juice and woon sen.

Arun Residence, 36-38 Soi Phatu Nokyung, Maharaj Rd., 02-221-9158/9. Open Mon-Thu 11am-10pm; Fri-Sun 11am-11pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Get 10% discount on food only. Today – 31 Mar 18

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