De Lanna Boutique Hotel

44 Intawarorot Rd., T.Sriphum Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, 053-326278-9, www.delannahotel.com
Surrounded by old residential buildings and temples on Chiang Mai’s Intawarorot Rd., this boutique hotel blends seamlessly into the neighborhood. A contemporary Lanna-style runs through all 35 rooms which open onto each other, at the expense of privacy. If you happen to stay till Sunday evening, a five-minute walk from the hotel gets you to Chiang Mai’s very popular (and packed) Sunday Walking Street on Thapae Rd. Rates are from B2,340 until Oct 31.
Here comes the rain: Free WiFi and free DVD player available.

Ping Nakara Hotel and Spa

135/9 Charoenprathet Rd., T. Changklan, A. Muang, Chiang Mai 50100, 053-252999
Chiang Mai’s latest boutique accommodation references King Rama V throughout its exquisite 19 rooms housed in a stunning white three-story building. Apart from the poolside restaurant, the Nakara Spa promises treatments by Aryuvedic expert Dr. Rajeev Marvah (who, they say, also works for Mandarin Oriental Dara Dhevi Spa). Introductory rates are from B3,060.
Here comes the rain: Try their “drinking checkers game” where losers get a shot of vodka or tequila (B890/game) or the smaller tic-tac-toe (B490/game).

Baan Say-La

4-4/1 Nimmanhaemin Rd., Soi 5, A. Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, 053-894229, www.baansaylaguesthouse.com
On a budget? Check in at this tiny guesthouse on Nimmanhaemin Soi 5. A sister hotel of The Yesterday (www.yesterday.co.th), Baan Say-La adopts a vintage style much closer to the present day. (Let’s say early 80s.) Don’t expect anything fancy but the location, a very short walk to Nimmanhaemin Rd., is great. Rates are B500 (fan) to B950 (air-con).
Here comes the rain: The third floor has a chill-out alfresco balcony with a view of the quiet side of Nimmanhaemin.

The Puka Boutique Resort

17/4 Moo 6, Tambon Mae Pu Kha district, San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai 5013, 053-965326
It takes a little more effort to get to Puka, as it is located in the middle of the paddy fields in Sankampaeng, 13km from Chiang Mai town center, but once you’re there, you’ll discover a nice spot for some real relaxation. Owned by a singer who’s also an interior designer, Puka’s style is a perfect match between comfortable amenities and traditional Lanna touches. The main dual-story shophouse-style building houses six guestrooms, all decked out with different themes and styles ranging from Chinese to Zen. The two-night package is B4,500 for two persons.
Here comes the rain: Despite its location, the resort offers free roundtrip transfers to town as well as several activities, from cooking classes to Thai massage, to keep people entertained. If you’re lucky enough to run into the owner, ask him to give you a song.

MoRooms

263/1-2 Tapae Rd., Chang Klan, Muang, Chiang Mai 50100, 053-280789, www.morooms.com
You could miss this artsy accommodation altogether but it’s right on Thapae Rd., near Thapae Gate. Past the little green gate, MoRooms offers 12 rooms designed according to a Chinese zodiac theme by 12 different artists. Each room definitely has its own identity: a tiny wooden space in the Rat room, a bathroom with a snake-skin like floor in the Snake room or a one-meter-high bed in the Ox room. It’s clearly more about the experience than comfort and amenities. Rates are from B3,200 for the Rabbit, Horse, Tiger and Rat rooms until Sep 30.
Here comes the rain: Free WiFi is available, or get wet in the salt water pool.

Nespresso Pixie

This is coffee as Apple might design it. iLatte, if you like. It’s a sexy little number the Pixie, what with its six color options and satisfyingly neat loading mechanism. Crucially, the coffee it produces is actually rather good, with all kinds of interesting bean profiles available. The latest arrival is the eco-certified Dhjana “Grand Cru” ($10.70 for a ‘sleeve’ of 10 capsules) which boasts a level eight intensity rating (we did warn you coffee was a world of nerds).
$398 from Nespresso Boutique.

Nescafé Dolce Gusto Circolo

Launched here in September, this striking objet d’art produced in partnership with Krups has won numerous awards for design. Its USP is the proprietary milk capsules, dispensing with the need for a separate milk frother. And it can make cold drinks, too. The coffee ($10.90 for 16 capsules) is pretty average, and it’s a pain having to manually stop the drip, but it sure does look pretty on your desk. It’s also by far the cheapest of the three.
$269 from various stores, including Harvey Norman.

CBTL Kaldi

This one-stop system for serving espresso, brewed coffee and brewed tea manages to convincingly evoke the café experience. In terms of taste it sits somewhere between the other two (though the Nespresso really is leagues apart), and is best suited for people who aren’t completely obsessive but want a bit more variety (think Continental Espresso, Viennese Brew, French Brew and quite a few others) than you get with the Nescafé machine.
$389 from all The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf outlets. Capsules $9.10 for a box of 10.

What’s in a capsule?

It’s basically freshly roasted coffee, ground and measured very precisely. It’s more expensive than ground coffee and the capsules don’t work with every machine, but they can save a lot of mess and fuss. Plus, the result is far more consistent.

Whether there’s any truth to the rumor that certain mass market retailers intentionally over-roast their beans so that a straight-up black coffee is less appealing than its more expensive, milky cousins, we can’t be sure. But to judge from the number of alternative venues that have opened here in recent months, from the almost standing-room-only Coffeesmith to the 140-seater Brunetti, there’s clearly a growing appetite for something crafted with real care. If the language on the menu at many of these newcomers is any indication, Singapore has fallen firmly in love with “Third Wave” coffee.

How did we get here?

When Melbournian Michael Ryan first arrived in Singapore, some eight years ago, he was dismayed by what happened when he ventured into a café. “I ordered a latte,” he says, “and it came in a gigantic glass with a handle. I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to do something about this one day’.” He might not have realized it at the time, but others were already working toward the same goal, among them Highlander, which began offering barista classes as far back as 2004, and another Aussie, Ross Bright, the unofficial godfather of Singapore’s specialty coffee scene.

It was Bright, now Master Roaster for Spinelli and a host of independents, and a World Barista Championships-certified judge, who spearheaded the original Singapore Barista Championships here in 2007, to kickstart recognition for the guys behind the counter and show that coffee could be something other than what people were used to (the over-sized chainstore coffee that Ryan mockingly calls the “bucketccino”). And in the last year or so, this movement appears to have reached a tipping point. Ryan finally opened his own spot, Jimmy Monkey, back in July, and he’s learning the art of roasting from Ross Bright. His is one of more than a dozen new coffee outlets to open this year; some roasting their own beans, others making a point of using local roasters, and all talking up their shiny new machines, microlot beans and alternative credentials.

In fact, there are now so many of these artisan and (mostly) indie coffeeshops here that two locally-based fans, Erik Posthuma and Luke Norman, were moved to launch a coffee trail concept in September. The free Disloyalty Card (find them on Twitter) encourages coffee drinkers to collect stamps from eight different venues (Broers Café, 40 Hands, Jewel Coffee, Jimmy Monkey, Loysel’s Toy, Oriole, Smitten and SOHO Coffee) and claim a free coffee when they’re done. Before you get any ideas, this isn’t about saving money—you’ll spend far more on transport than you’ll save!—but is instead aimed at building appreciation for the scene; a riff on an anti-chainstore concept launched—only semi-seriously—in London two years ago by 2009 World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies.

Why now?

As for why this was the year Third Wave coffee finally went mainstream, Ross Bright explains that it has taken time to manipulate local preference away from darker-roasted, sweetened coffee. “It was difficult,” he says, “to get people to understand that sourness is actually a positive; that you lose character when you roast dark. But that’s definitely changed over the last five or six years.” He also suggests that in terms of barista talent, “Singapore has really kicked things up in the last two or three years,” and is now competitive on a global scale. (He rates Singapore’s talent as second only to Thailand in SE Asia, and the latter’s end product suffers because they can’t import raw beans.).

And if the sheer rate of openings this year came as a surprise, the folk behind the counters agree that it was bound to happen here sooner or later. Says Michael Ryan, “There’s always been an interest in real coffee here. We notice it more recently because there are more people getting in on it. Maybe it’s the fact that the trend is happening so powerfully in Australia, and it’s not that far away.”

Will it last?

Evidently, there’s never have been a better time to be a coffee drinker in Singapore. But all this talk of Third Wave is certainly no guarantee of quality. (You could buy beans hand-picked by Bono himself, but if they were roasted too far away or too long ago, or you put them through a crappy machine, the drink in the cup won’t be up to much.) Meanwhile, a movement that began as a celebration of the collective enjoyment of coffee has long since been globally co-opted by canny marketeers. That’s not to say any of the newcomers here aren’t well-intentioned; but it will inevitably be some time before we see how broad and sustainable the market for premium coffee really is, and who is truly committed to growing the scene. And that’s before you factor in a global recession, with consumers looking to spend less, not more, on premium products.

Perth native Harry Grover opened 40 Hands to instant acclaim in Tiong Bahru in October of last year. (Perhaps it really does take Aussies to convince Singaporeans that coffee can be cool.) He’s a fervent supporter of the Third Wave movement, explicitly rejecting the commoditization and commercialization of the coffee experience, and “supporting ethical organizations and roasters [to] support the growers,” and his hope is that these new spaces will “help lift the standards in Singapore, not just for the small percentage of people patronizing these kind of places, but by creating awareness of the investment that goes into making a good cup.” Nevertheless, he warns that, “If they are coming on board to ‘ride the new coffee trend’ then they will help create a bubble that will burst when the market matures.” It is vital, he says, that they “stay true to their aims.”

Ross Bright sounds an even more blunt warning. “These independent guys are running around paying high rents. The business models here and in Australia are completely different. Over there, you rent a place for five or seven years, build it up as business and flog it off. Here, after three years, the landlord’s telling you to renovate and, if you don’t renovate and aren’t prepared to pay another 20 percent, you’re out. So, if you can’t make your money back in the first two or three years, it doesn’t really work.”

Where to next?

There’s nevertheless real excitement about what a mature coffee market here might look like. Keith Loh, Managing Director of Oriole and a former Singapore Barista Champion himself, would like to see more local innovation. “I still feel that we’re not looking to ourselves to forward the understanding of coffee in a Singapore context, we’re still internalizing a lot of Western concepts, whether they work or not,” he says. “Let’s ask ourselves, ‘What makes us stand out? What is the Singaporean palate?’ It’s a lot more delicate, we have a far greater range of taste experiences.” In fact, he cautions against a headlong rush to import the Australian model wholesale. “If we keep following everyone and not developing concepts of our own, we’ll never be able to stamp our mark.”

Loh is putting his money where his mouth is, with an on-site research lab and training school at his new Oriole Coffee Roasters. And already we’re seeing innovation in terms of consumer experience, with the likes of Harry Grover opening a gourmet coffee bar inside bistro Open Door Policy, and local boys Papa Palheta stepping up their game. Their pop-up tasting space The Steeping Room ran for just three months over the summer, showcasing different varietals and methods of preparation. Coffee geeks who managed to find the space off Waterloo Street were able to compare and contrast two different coffees via the Steeping Series (with the $35-for-two price tag indicative of the quality on offer); learn more at intimate, after-hours Steeping Sessions; and enjoy brews prepared by guest baristas. More recently they launched Must.Drink.Coffee, a pilot program for a coffee subscription service, with just fifteen lucky lab rats paying $99 to receive at least five bags of beans delivered to their door over the course of three months. In a neat crossover with another geeky subculture, delivery was made by local fixed gear cycling crew Fixpatrix.

Toby Smith (another Australian!), who recently opened an outlet of his gourmet coffee brand Toby’s Estate at Robertson Quay, thinks the potential for Singapore to break new ground is very real. “Australia,” he says, “is still obsessed by the Italian way of doing things. The market there is very heavily milk-based. And they refuse to drink iced drinks, even in the heat. But here, new ways of doing things aren’t a big deal. New is nothing. People embrace it.”

This idea of Singapore as a pioneer is a popular one. Ross Bright would like to see Singapore become the model for specialty coffee in the region: “Because then what we do is take the model into Manila and Jakarta and KL and build from there.”

Nor can the trickle-down effect of all this Third Wave talk of sustainability and growers’ cooperatives be discounted. When a 20-plus outlet chain like Spinelli can run an organic month (as they did in October) and market coffee produced through youth development schemes in Colombia or under the Rainforest Alliance banner, then it’s clear not just how far we’ve come in recent years, but also how things might continue to evolve.

Victor Mah of the Singapore Coffee Association, which puts on the Barista Championships each year (the next one is scheduled for Mar 2012), notes that the scene is still new and consumers need to be educated. “Despite the interest and growth in specialty coffee, the backbone of the coffee industry is still the traditional kopi tiam kopi as it is a cultural part of Singaporean lifestyle, and the most affordable drink locally.”

But even if coffee of this sort is never going to be mass market, it’s hard not to concur with Keith Loh when he says, “It’s a great goal to have, a day when specialty coffee eventually renders itself obsolete.”

12 Great Specialty Coffee Outlets

Make your own cuppa joe with these machines.

1.) Marin Nail Trail

The rigid frame and Fox suspension keep this mountain bike smooth even on an unforgiving, narrow single track.
B52,000 at Bike Zone, 2/F, Amarin Plaza, BTS Chit Lom. 02-652-1559.

2.) Ray Ban Outdoorsman

Featuring a comfy leather brow bar and polarized lenses, these glasses feel right at home in the great outdoors.
B5,400 at Glassaholic, 3/F Digital Gateway, Siam Square, BTS Siam. 02-623-4295.

3.) Sony TX-10

Fell out of your pocket while crossing a stream? No worries. This 16.2MP camera is waterproof down to fifteen feet.
B11,540 at Sony Style, 2/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., BTS Siam. 02-610-9664 ext. 6.

4.) MGLT GUardian by Surefire

A good torch will keep you from being left in the dark. At 900 lumens, it’s a bright spark in the wilderness.
B21,400, at Tank Store, 2/F, CentralWorld, BTS Chit Lom. 02-613-1052.

5.) Lowe Zephyr Boots

Their thick soles and good ankle support will have you blazing the trails like a pro.
B6,900 at Tank Store, 2/F, Centralworld, BTS Chit Lom. 02-613-1052.

6.) OrtliEb Daypack

All your essentials will stay dry with this water-resistant pack. It’s also tiger-proof!
B4,200 at k-trade, Outdoor Zone 2/F, Amarin Plaza, BTS Chit Lom. 02-711-4700.

7.) Casio PRG-110

A compass, barometer, and thermometer strapped to your wrist. Oh, and it also tells time.
B10,625 at G-Shock Factory, 2/F, Siam Discovery, BTS Siam. 02-658-1174.

8.) Tough Jeans

Comfortable, durable and stylish.
B3,950, at Element 72, 3/F Siam Paragon, BTS Siam. 02-610-9550.

1.) Asus Eee Pad Slider

Most tablets try to avoid head-on competition with the iPad by boasting smaller, more portable 7” screens. Not the Asus, which is really a netbook cleverly disguised as a tablet. The touchscreen slides up to reveal a proper keyboard, which is a bit clunky but also really useful if you have real work to do. The one-year unlimited ASUS Web Storage is also pretty nifty for working in the “cloud.” GPS and cameras (5MP back, 1.2MP front) make this pad even more attractive.
Spec: 10.1” IPS 1280x800 screen | 960g. | 1GHz dual-core processor | 16GB | 1GB RAM | Android 3.1 Honeycomb
Price: B17,900. Try Pantip Plaza.

2.) Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

True just announced the release of the 8.9” version in the Galaxy Tab family but don’t rush out to buy it just yet. The upcoming version of the original 7-inch screen tab will be out in the US on Nov 13 and should come to our shores a few months later (we hope). The CPU is faster and runs the latest Android platform version. At 7”, you may even use it as your phone, if you don’t mind looking like a huge geek.
Spec: 7” PLS LCD 1024x600 screen | 345g. | 1.2GHz dual-core processor | 16GB, 32GB | 1GB RAM | Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Price: Starts from US$399. Thailand availability TBA.

3.) Lenovo IdeaPad A1 Tablet

Lenovo is slashing prices and looking to compete even with the budget-savvy Kindle Fire. A lot of the Kindle Fire’s draw comes from the Amazon digital store, which isn’t available in Thailand, so the Lenovo might make more sense to you. It does look better on paper thanks to the 3MP back camera and 0.3MP front camera.
Spec: 7” LED Glare 1024x600 | 400g. | 1GHz processor | 2GB, 16GB | 512MB 600MHz RAM | Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Price: US$229-249. Thailand availability TBA.

4.) Amazon Kindle Fire

It’s been a tough month for Apple with Steve Jobs dying and iPhone4s disappointment. The Kindle Fire also came out, with a color multi-touch, anti-reflective screen that’s a far-cry from the black and white Kindles of yore. Apart from the low price, the Amazon store is the big draw, though, and currently, it isn’t available in Thailand. Just like when the iPhone launched, and there was no Thai apple store, you’re going to need some American connections (or credit cards) to make this work.
Spec: 7” IPS 1024x600 | 413g. | 1GHz dual-core processor | 8GB | 512MB RAM
Price: US$199, from Amazon.com.

5.) Sony Tablet S

Another Android-based tablet, Sony’s wedge shape design offers better handling and actually slightly tilts the screen towards you when laid on a flat surface, for easier viewing. Of course, there’s a 0.3MP webcam and 5.11MP camera on the back. An added bonus is the device also comes with an infrared remote control function and is PlayStation Certified meaning you’ll be able to play a handful of games unavailable on other Android devices.
Spec: 9.4” TFT LCD 1280x800 | 598-625g. | 1GHz dual-core processor | 16GB, 32GB | 1GB RAM | Android 3.1-3.2 Honeycomb
Price: Starts from US$450 on Ebay.

6.) Huawei MediaPad

Go China! This device looks sharp with its aluminum body and tiny 0.4-inch thickness. The multi-touch HD screen also packs a punch. It runs on Android 3.2 and supports 3G and Wi-Fi. Software and apps like Huawei Office and Angry Birds are included, free of charge, and the cameras are 5MP (back) and 1.3MP (front). And best of all, it’ll be for sale in Thailand this year.
Spec: 7” IPS 1280x800 screen | 390g. | 1.2GHz dual-core processor | 8GB | 1GB RAM | Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Price: Expected to be B13,900.

Basilico

Visit www.basilicopizza.com for a full list of branches.
Our order: Salame Picante, B330 for a large (12”)
Time to deliver: 1 hour and 22 minutes
Delivery charge: An additional B100
Crust: Pretty cold by the time we got it, but it did come all the way from Ari. Decent crust, though it could’ve done with staying in the oven a bit longer.
Cheese and sauce: Pretty greasy. You’ll definitely need a couple of tissues as you eat. The tomato sauce was pretty scant, too. We like to feel a bit of tang.
Topping: A lovely presentation of enormous, thinly-sliced salami, which was nice and spicy.
Verdict: Our fave.

Pizza Mania

Call 02-261-1212. Address: Sukhumvit Soi 23 or visit www.pizzamania.co.th.
Our order: Salame Picante, B265 for a large (12”)
Time to deliver: 1 hour
Delivery charge: An additional B30
Crust: A touch undercooked, but pretty flavorful. A zip in the oven would crisp this up to perfection.
Cheese and sauce: No complaints: nice cheese and ample, flavorful sauce.
Topping: Far from sophisticated Italian stuff, these super-salty little disks reminded us of childhood-era, pleasantly chewy pepperoni.
Verdict: Although it took a while to arrive, we liked the crust, the unpretentious topping, and the low price.

Scoozi

Call 02-2715-8555 for delivery. Visit www.scoozipizza.com for a full list of branches.
Our order: Diavola, B330 for a large (13”)
Time to deliver: 22 minutes
Delivery charge: An additional B20
Crust: Pretty dreadful—pretty sticky, chewy and tiresome to eat. One of our tasters even said that it reminded them of gluten-free pizza—definitely not a good thing if you’re not gluten-free.
Cheese and sauce: A great-smelling cheese, but it was ultimately pretty dry.
Topping: The only saving grace on this pizza is the fresh-tasting, very peppery pepperoni.
Verdict: It’s not miserable, if you’re OK with a slightly frozen-tasting pizza that arrives quickly and still-warm.

Pizza Patio

Visit www.patiofood.com for a full list of branches.
Our order: Salami & Salsiccia, B250 for a small (9”)
Time to deliver: 33 minutes
Delivery charge: An additional B30
Crust: We were encouraged by the crust, which was pretty crisp, even though it lacked any real flavor.
Cheese and sauce: A scary yellow color with a film of grease. The sauce lacked complexity, tasting just salty and sour.
Topping: Pretty bizarre and gross. More like gun-chiang Chinese sausage than pepperoni.
Verdict: Two words: never again.

Pizzazo

Call 02-259-1234 for delivery. 188 Sukhumvit Soi 16, www.pizzazobistro.com.
Our order: Diavola, B320 for a large (13”)
Time to deliver: 1 hour and 4 minutes
Delivery charge: An additional B100
Crust: Tastes homemade. A crunchy crust with lots of body (even the slow delivery wasn’t enough to make the bread soggy), and yummy char marks on the bottom.
Cheese and sauce: Lovely, tart tomato sauce and silky cheese. Not too greasy.
Topping: The grease came from the pepperoni, but it wasn’t overwhelming. We actually liked the mild porky flavor with a touch of pepper. Beautiful, large, thin slices of meat.
Verdict: They’re a standalone store, so we’re willing to excuse the long delivery time and the obscene delivery charge, especially when this pizza is pretty yummy. Still, we’d rather to just go to their beautiful, leafy restaurant, if you live in the neighborhood.

Those in the know have always loved Tiong Bahru for its white-washed art deco architecture and some of the best local food around. Yet over the past year, so many funky cafés and stores have opened their doors that it now vies with Duxton Hill and the Arab Quarter for the title of Singapore’s trendiest neighborhood. Here’s 13 good reasons to spend your weekend there.

1. Open Door Policy

A newbie from chef-owner Ryan Clift of the Tippling Club, partnering with Spa Esprit and Harry Grover of 40 Hands, this casual bistro is already drawing the crowds.

2. Books Actually

Embrace your inner bookworm at this delightful indie store. They stock the widest collection of Singapore literary publications including some out-of-print titles. And they host the fortnightly Babette’s Feast literary get-together.

3. Strangelets

Having moved from Amoy Street, Strangelets is still one of the best spots in town for cool lamps, accessories, bags, notebooks and other unusual objets d’art.

4. Bhutan Shop

Dedicated to all things Bhutan, this space carries a small selection of contemporary works by Bhutanese artists (with 20 percent of sales donated to transport children books to Bhutan’s rural schools), organic teas, handmade bags and other lifestyle products. They also organize specially curated tours of the country.

5. 40 Hands

Unbeatable coffee and a convivial vibe (they’re packed every weekend) continue to make this year-old joint the place to see and be seen in.

6. Nana & Bird

What started out as a pop-up concept store is now a staple among trendy young things. Highlights here include accessories by local brand By Invite Only and ready to wear by emerging Guangzhou label aijek. It only opens on weekends, 11am-7pm.

7. White Canvas

Setting the tone here since 2009, this truly indie gallery is a friendly and welcoming space showcasing emerging local and regional artists. Currently on show through November are the watercolor works of Ong Kim Seng.

8. Thrive

Not just a regular fitness center, newbie Thrive specializes in workouts that focus on natural human movement patterns, with personal trainers watching over your every move (in a good way). Rates start at $96 for an introductory session.

9. Flea & Trees

Opened just last month, this is a treasure trove of eclectic vintage furniture, clothes, accessories, books, ceramics, homeware and magazines, mostly one-of-a-kind, founded by designer Terence Yeung and his wife Bella Koh.

10. Nostalgia Hotel

Quaint and charming (even if the rooms are incredibly small), we often come here to watch football at the alfresco bar Potion out front. You should, too.

11. The Orange Thimble

A great place for brunch or an espresso. Highlights include its Breakfast Burger and the BBC (bacon, brie and cranberry), with artworks adorning its wall and a nice open space out back.

12. Drips

This old-school-styled café and bakery is one of the newer additions here, dedicated to whipping up sweet and savory treats as well as coffee standards.

13. Foodie Market Place

A great alternative to Cold Storage, with friendlier service to boot. Cheese, ice cream, yogurt and coffee grounds are well-stocked at this new spot—great if you’re passing through on your way home.

Index

Dining Retail Art Hotel Fitness

If you’re a bit of a daredevil and like to get your kicks from a little pain, then you might want to try these spicy numbers. We hunted down some of the hottest dishes in town, just to see if they’re really as dangerous as they claim.

1. Level 35 Buffalo Wings from Sunset Grill & Pub

Hands down, the spiciest (and most expensive) of the lot. The wings come in 35 different levels; we cut to the chase and went right for the highest—dunked in a sauce made from the fires of Hades, conceived and made in Hell’s Kitchen by a woman scorned no doubt. As if that’s not enough, these weapons of mass destruction are also sprinkled with dried chili flakes. They look like they’ve been ejected from a volcano; and taste like it too. The smell alone is enough to make your eyes water and three bites is all it takes to shut you up for ten full minutes. As much as we love getting our kicks from spicy food, our idea of hell would be eating wing after torturous wing for an eternity. Consider yourselves warned: Don’t try this at home, kids.
Spice level:
Damage to your wallet: $35 for half a dozen
Damage to your body: Prepare for total, utter annihilation and lots of pain. Your mouth will be scarred for life, your stomach and intestines stabbed with shards of broken glass and your body’s not going to thank you after. We’re just glad we survived.

2. Chongqing Diced Chicken from Peach Garden Sichuan @ Miramar

Imagine deep-fried golden pieces of chicken peeking out from a bed of dried chili. Before you’re tempted to dismiss it, we’ll have you know that there’s real muscle behind it. Pop a piece in your mouth, and once you start chewing, the heat starts to spread. It’s not just the immediate effect of the chili powder and dried chilies though; what really gets you is the combined action with the ma la (mouth-numbing) Sichuan peppers. Your tongue tingles, your nose waters, and yet it’s so delicious it’s actually addictive.
Spice level:
Damage to your wallet: $20
Damage to your body: It’s a fierce competitor, and delivers a real punch to your mouth and gut that’s mostly worth it. Rookies need not apply.

3. Kung Chae Nam Pla from Nana Thai restaurant

This rendition of kung chae nam pla (prawns marinated in fish sauce) is a winner; a Thai ceviche if you will. Take fresh, raw prawns, butterfly them, then marinate in fish sauce, a touch of lime juice, slices of garlic and pile on heaps of chopped chilli padi, seeds and all. Tear some mint leaves and sprinkle over, then douse with more chilli sauce. What you get is a very tasty and tangy bite, coupled with an assertive attack on your tongue. You could easily eat four or five of these beauties before you start to feel the chili do its work.
Spice level:
Damage to your wallet: $10
Damage to your body: We resisted the urge to drink any water till after, and it was still completely bearable. Guess the years of eating chili padi with our mee pok finally paid off.

4. Level Six Treadfin Fish Curry from Lagnaa Barefoot Dining

At Lagnaa, they pride themselves on producing some of the most potent curries; they do them up to level 10 here. Despite our begging and pleading, the highest we could try was a six (you have to wait till their full moon party once a month to attempt level seven or higher; next one’s on Nov 10, 7pm). So we ordered one of the chef’s signatures: A thick red-brown fish curry that’s easily the most flavorful and fragrant dish of any of its competitors. The first spoonful is very enjoyable, and after at least six, a slow pleasant burn starts to build up in your mouth. Even after consuming the whole thing, you can leave feeling still comfortable. It’s the most spiced, but certainly not the most spicy.
Spice level:
Damage to your wallet: $15
Damage to your body: Fairly minimal, although if you’re hoping for a mango lassi to help you out, you’re fresh out of luck. Lagnaa has a strict no yogurt-based items policy.

5. Level Five Thin-sliced Boiled Beef Curry from CoCoICHIBANYA Curry House

At just over a month old, this curry house from Japan is one of the newest additions to the scene. Level five is the highest you can go here, but despite its description to be “crazy hot” with 24 times the chili, this really is for the amateur; although it is spicier than the average Japanese curry, it’s still a bit wimpy. We reckon even a four-year-old could finish it (we did without so much as blinking). It wasn’t just the lack of heat that disappointed us; the stingy portion of beef (we counted no more than ten thin slivers) didn’t impress either.
Spice level:
Damage to your wallet: $12.50
Damage to your body: Next to none, which incidentally is also the level of satisfaction to be had.

Celebrate the return of smooth grooves at the Velvet Underground’s 3rd Party with Tiger & Woods, Darker Than Wax & Jeremy Boon on November 4.

Ruggers, it's your time to shine at the 64th SCC International Rugby 7s (November 4-6)—great location too, we think.

Get your invites ASAP to a special show, Mixtape + Confessions feat. The Analog Girl on November 5.

Don't miss The National's gig in Singapore—let's hope nothing shatters their plans this time.

Make a trip to Singapore’s only floating club Avalon on November 16 for Holyf*ck & Klaxons.

Check out the eclection collection of artworks at this year's Affordable Art Fair (November 18-20) for great investments that won't break the bank.

You have to see New Wave—a showcase of some of the world’s best street art, including works by Seen, also known as the Godfather of Graffiti, November 11-27.

See Hollywood star Kevin Spacey play the tyrannic Richard III, King of England in another Sam Mendes masterpiece opening November 17.

Really, there’s more to the man than just “Candles in the Wind”. Go see what else at his one-night only concert, Elton John—The Greatest Hits Tour on November 20.

Musical genius David Foster once climbed the Swissotel—all 55 floors of it—see more brave souls at The 2011 Swissôtel Vertical Marathon on November 20.
 

Monday

Start your week with Mojito Monday at Nest Rooftop Lounge (Le Fenix Hotel 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11) with buy-one-get-one-free on mojitos from 5-10pm. Or head to another nearby hotel for Monday Men’s Night for 35% off all imported beer all night at Beer Vault (Four Points by Sheraton, Sukhumvit Soi 15).

Tue

Ladies’ Night at Ambar (8/F, Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 15. BTS Nana). Get 50% off all drinks and all night. Or get a special price on Asahi (B120/pint) from 7pm-closing at O’Reillys (62/1-4, Silom Rd., 02-632-7515. BTS Sala Daeng).

Wed

Hump day calls for buy-one-get-one-free on cocktails and home brewed beers at the sporty and festive Londoner Brew Pub (B/F UBC II Bldg., Sukhumvit Soi 33. BTS Phrom Phong). Or catch the ladies night at Q Bar (34 Sukhumvit Soi 11. BTS Nana) for free entry with two complimentary drinks.

Thu

Wine Pub’s Thursday deal is five cheeses plus five cold cuts and one bottle of house wine for B990 (Pullman bangkok King Power, 8/2 Rangnam Rd., 02-680-9999). Or, for something way more low-key, partake in Paulaner for B150/pint from 6pm-12am at Duke of Wellington (323, Silom Rd., 02-234-2875)

Daily

Einstein Café (2/F, The Nine, 999, 999/1-4 Inthramara): Buy-2-get-1-free on Heineken or buy two pints and get one half pint free for Hoegaarden and Stella Artois.
Aston Gastro Bar (Crystal Design Center, 1420/1 Praditmanoontham Rd., 02-102-2323): Get 3 pints of draught beer for B320 from 9-11pm.
Witch’s Oyster Bar and Restaurant (20/20-21 Ruamrudee Village, Ploenchit Rd., 02-255-5354) has a buy-one-get-one-free on draught beer, cocktails and house wine by the glass, daily from 2-8pm.
Big-A-Byte (Sivatel Bangkok, 53 Wireless Rd): Buy-one-get-one-free on any size of draught Heineken (glass, pint and tower) everyday from 6-8pm.
Mellow (Penny’s Balcony, Between Thonglor Soi 16-18, Sukhumvit Soi 55, 02-382-0065): Buy-one-get-one-free on draught beer, Sun-Thu only from 5-8pm.
The Laundrette Garden. (Sukhumvit Soi 36 081-751-0447). Buy-one-get-one-free cocktails on Mon-Tue and Sangsom buffet on Wed-Thu only from 6-9pm.