The buzz: Italian fashion giant Diesel’s Paragon outpost has been given the once-over.

The vibe: Based on a boutique concept similar to that of their stores in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the new and improved Diesel Paragon store represents the modern attitude of the brand featuring woody interiors, dark panels and luxe touches like vintage furniture and lighting.

The goods: Fans of this noted streetwear label know that denim is the name of the game at Diesel. This season sees two new collections added to the Italian label’s staple. Dirty New Age (for men) showcases the brand’s expertise in specialty denim washes. The new collection explores the world of all things grimy and rugged (read: Mud, sand, paint). Gentleman can expect to wear their favorite traditionally cut Diesel jeans in a variety of new and old washes. From clean and shredded to baggy and skinny, you have something to choose from no matter your choice of denim. The ladies’ collection Powder of Diesel, on the other hand, blends femininity with bold sensuality. The collection is inspired by a woman’s most feminine moments (in Diesel’s books, it’s when they put on make up). So you can expect make-up and cosmetic-inspired aesthetics in fabrics, silhouettes and colors in this collection.

Why you’ll be back: Diesel’s attention to detail and innovative cuts have made this brand a firm favorite among the denim and fashion set. If you’re not a Diesel convert, perhaps its new digs might reel you in. Zaki Jufri

#02-17/18 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., 6732-3525. Open daily 10am-9pm.

It’s finally here. Two years in the making and with no less than three guerilla (or “pop up,” as the fashion folks like to put it) stores here so far in offbeat places like Haji Lane, Chinatown and Bukit Merah, the first standalone Comme des Garcons finally makes its way here in the form of a clean, minimalist 3,035 square feet space at the Hilton Shopping Gallery, taking over the previous Dolce & Gabbana Store.

Hardcore fans will be glad to know that the store carries almost the entire range of the Comme des Garcons main lines, namely Comme des Garcons Homme Plus, Comme des Garçons Shirt Girl, Comme des Garçons Shirt, Comme des Garçons Play, Comme des Garçons Black and the accessories and perfume range, sans the Ganryu and Junya Watanabe offshoots (the latter two are available at the Club 21b and Club 21 Men boutiques respectively). Having all the legendary label’s seasonal collections under one roof also means that Club 21, which operates the store, can bring in “three times more” of the collection than was previously sold at the Club 21 and Club 21 Men boutiques at Four Seasons Hotel. “We are also able to bring in more edgy pieces than before, which was edited in the previous stores due to space constraint,” says marketing manager Jean-Michel Cosny.

Indeed, the store offers the most coveted Comme des Garcons products under one roof here for the first time. As you step into the clean space, a special series of vintage Paco Rabanne metal bags set in a classy glass display greets you first. But the rest of the store is quintessentially Comme. The joyful Play collection is housed in a capsule design of sorts on your right, and just opposite is where the wallets and fragrance (including Wonderwood, Comme des Garcons White and the special Monocle collaborations incense) can be found.

But it’s the ready-to-wear that takes center stage here. Hundreds of Comme clothes, in all their thoughtful deconstructed glory (especially the gorgeous Comme des Garcons women’s line near the store entrance on the left) will bowl you over. The more affordable replica Black line is also displayed in a special enclosed black paneled area (as opposed to the simpler, white washed space elsewhere, all designed by chief designer Rei Kawakubo herself), while the Plus Homme and Deux line are located at the far right of the store. Standout pieces include the jackets and pants ($1,060 upwards) with skull motifs from the Spring/Summer collection for men, while ladies should keep an eye out for the special collaboration: Dr. Martens boots that cost only $460 and the playful and chic Shirt Girl collection. Cool basics are also available in the form of socks ($60) and simple tees ($190 upwards) which are great for everyday wear.

For clued-in fashionistas, this flagship store has been a long time coming, and is testament to the brand’s crowd appeal and staying power in a fickle industry where only the true visionaries survive. From the looks of it there’s no stopping this 30-year-old powerhouse label.

Comme des Garçons is located at #02-39/40 Hilton Shopping Gallery, 581 Orchard Rd., 6304-1362.

Destruction and reconstruction are the driving force behind this thought-provoking exhibition. From broken porcelain parts remodeled to create a disfigured vase, to paintings that embed popular American cartoon characters on traditional Korean canvases, and a haunting installation of human-sized sculptures depicting life and death, Chopping Play: Korean Art Now challenges our perceptions of the everyday.

Recognized Korean artists, Gwon Osang, Shin Kiwoun, Son Donghyun, Yee Sookyung, Chung Suejin, and Chun Sungmyung each work in different mediums and techniques but all draw inspiration from the environment and materials around them for their work. As curator Kim Inseon explains, “I try to pick artists who play with their material and their own expression. I think creativity is not simply about making something new from nothing, but it comes from each one’s reference of their experience and environment.”

“Just as different chefs transform the same ingredients into surprisingly diverse dishes,” he says, “these six artists have fully utilized the environment and the materials given to them, to unfold an artistic world, unique to each of their respective backgrounds and emotional fabric.”

For instance, Gwon Osang marries photographic and sculptural elements, changing the characteristics of both mediums in the process. In his 2008 work Bazaar, Osang embedded photographs of a woman on a plain sculpture to create a surreal 3D piece.

“I express certain parts of urban life style,” explains Osang, “so instead of using material such as bronze, stone or wood, I make sculptures by using light material, and that is how the usage of photos came about.”

If Osang’s mix-media work challenges convention, Yee Sookyung’s work finds beauty in destruction. Using broken pieces of porcelain discarded by potters, she assembles them together and paints the cracks gold to create what are aptly titled “Translated Vases.” “I hope viewers can feel the beauty of life,” she says. “The perspective of life depends on what angle you look at. I experience this when the broken porcelain becomes beautiful when recreated.”

In the act of deconstructing and reassembling physical, spatial, and temporal elements, this exhibition provides an unorthodox visual stimulus that urges viewers to identify the “ingredients” rather than the “food” itself. As Inseon explains, “The hope is that the images that our eyes are familiar with will force us to re-evaluate and reconsider the here and now. Ask not what they have cooked up for you. Instead, focus on the ingredients and the unique recipes, and how the tastes and the aromas linger and transform the conventional and the accepted.”

Chopping Play: Korean Art Now is on through Feb 27, 10am at ION Art Gallery, 4/F ION, 2 Orchard Turn, 6238-8228. Free.

Hard Rock Café Orchard
Every Tuesday at 9.30pm, bring your celebrity swagger and swinging groupies to Hard Rock Café for your big stage debut, belting out Top 40 contemporary and classic rock numbers. You won’t need a guitarist or drummer because the astounding house rock band Unified will be jamming with you. All you need is your best Bon Jovi, Steven Tyler or Paul McCartney voice and some guts.
#05-01 HPL House, 50 Cuscaden Rd., 6235-5232.

Singapore Art Café
All you bedroom musicians struggling to find that big break won’t have to look any further. Your stage is set at the Singapore Art Café where an open-mic is held every Friday from 7-9pm. Unleash your closeted musical talent through raw compositions and fresh renditions of your choice in this acoustic setting. If your tune is in Mandarin, dish your Jay Chou, Ai Mei and Jolin Tsai favorites at the monthly S-Pop Open-Mic held every last Thursday of the month. Who knows, you might be spotted by A&Rs from top labels.
#03-02 Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave., 6336-4427.

Home Club
“The early bird might catch the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” Okay, if you can come up with something better than this cheesy one-liner, the Comedy Masala is for you. Put on your Eddie Murphy game face and let rip your original funnies at this stand-up comedy open-mic night. Held weekly every Tuesday from 8-11pm at Home Club, register for a five minute slot by contacting Umar Rana at [email protected]. 
20 Upper Circular Rd., 6538-2928.

Last year marked the beginning of a reinvigorated talent on the part of chefs and restaurateurs and a new sense of adventure among diners. Whether it was fancy cocktails or modern gastronomy, we saw the hints of new ideas in dining and drinking, which raises our hopes that in 2011 these beginnings will become full-on trends, and our fair city will rise even further in the estimations of foodies everywhere.

Ubiquitous Modern Gastronomy

Modern gastronomy (the use of high-tech, sometimes industrial food techniques in fine dining) is not new. Bangkok saw some sad attempts over the years, and it’s a tired trend just about everywhere else. But modern gastronomy was also the driving force behind the world’s best restaurant (El Bulli, in Spain), so don’t write it off just yet. 2010 brought us Sra Bua and, more recently, Gaggan—Thai and Indian restaurants respectively—both of which have gotten very positive feedback. While we doubt serious full-on molecular kitchens will bloom all over town in 2011 (too complicated, too expensive), there will soon be few restaurants left that don’t have some touch of modern gastronomy in their menus: an emulsification here, a sous-vide cooked foie-gras there.

Independent Thai Chefs

Finally, 2010 saw Bangkokians ditch hotels as the de rigueur venue for fine dining and head to standalone restaurants for their fix of haute cuisine. So sure, there’s always been Gianni and Zanotti but places like Triplets, 4 Garcons or La Table de Tee have taken the trend to a much younger (and wider) audience, while proving that local chefs can cook foreign food. What can you expect in 2011? A lot more chef-slash-restaurateurs, it seems. Chef Nicholas Reynard, formerly of La Truffe at Maduzi Hotel, is opening his own restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 39. Jesse Barnes, former chef of Grossi at the Intercontinental, is mulling over whether to open something here (he has a hit restaurant in Melbourne already). And Steve Grimes, sushi chef at KOI, has a restaurant in Aree due to open in a couple of months. But independent international chefs are only the first half of the equation: we’d also like to see a lot more Thais take center stage and cook up a name for themselves.

One-Dish Ponies

We’re no strangers to streetside restaurants that only offer one or two specialties—from bamee moo daeng to yen ta fo. But in the realm of proper roof-over-your-head dining, options are pretty limited. Iron Fairies opened on Thong Lor in February, with nothing but several types of burgers on the menu. Owner Ashley Sutton followed up this simple formula several months later, with the opening of Fat Gut’z which emphasized fish and chips. Could this be the start of something? In 2011 the trend continues with the opening of BonChon Korean Fried Chicken, which, with the exception of some salads and small sides, only serves different cuts of fried chicken slathered in a choice of two sauces. We hope many more with follow. Biriyani, maybe? Pho? Or even all-night pizza parlors that sell by the slice, like the defunct New York Style Pizza.

Pop-Ups

Kenji kicked things off early this year with a fleet of trucks doling out Korean-inspired burritos and tacos, at a parking lot near you (see Open Door, Click here). With existing trucks parked at Thong Lor Soi 13 and Lake Ratchada across from Suan Benjakitti, the business intends to expand its locations, communicating its whereabouts via Facebook and Twitter. Could this be the beginning of a pop-up restaurant trend? We certainly hope so. Pop-up restaurants are also a great way for established chefs to try something new for one night only. Besides, it’s more of an experience if it’s never to be repeated again. We know food trucks aren’t exactly the same as pop-up restaurants, but a little birdie told us that the space across from hipster haven WTF on Sukhumvit Soi 51 will soon be converted to an additional event space, including a floor devoted to pop-up restaurants.

Nightlife, Dining, Same Difference

Hyde and Seek was to expensive signature cocktails what Wine Connection was to affordable wine: the epicenter of a trend that began to swell soon after that decisive first step. In the last quarter of 2010, we saw no less than three establishments that hired mixologists to come up with their own, distinctive cocktails: Soul Food Mahanakorn, Serenade and Fat Gut’z. In 2011, Salt sublet a barman from Hyde & Seek to crafts its cocktail menu and train its staff. Joseph Boroski, a mixologist of New York fame, is also training the barmen at St. Regis in the delicate art of classic cocktails. Almost all of these cocktails cost over B200, which says something about our determination to drink them. Hip bars and restaurants opening in the coming year would be best advised to take extra special care of their drinks lists if they hope to attract followings as loyal as the ones these guys do. But the trend is also working in the other direction. Q Bar is doing wine nights, WTF is doing more and more food. With Bangkok’s late 20-somethings and early 30-somethings increasingly bored with DJs (unless that DJ is Maft Sai), we predict more wine and better eating at bars.ฃ

American Cuisine—whatever that means

Apart from the age-old debates as to who has the best burger or ribs, there hasn’t been much going on American cuisine of late. But last year saw the opening of Home Run Bar and Grill, a gastro bar that was not, for once, affiliated with the British Isles, V8 Diner, a 24-hour diner straight out of a 1950s American college student’s dreams and The Garret, which actually does dishes like salads with “autumn greens” and touts itself as “New American”—a cuisine that’s very hot in foodie cities in the US like New York and San Francisco. (The Seafood Bar has also billed itself as contemporary American for a couple years.) In 2011, we expect to see more and more chefs exploring this hearty cuisine and importing its unique combination of rustic and modern into Bangkok.

Regional Thai Food

Up until recently, fancy Thai restaurants were for tourists, and their food was toned down beyond recognition. But with Bo.lan, Nahm and Soul Food Mahanakorn, proper Thai food, farang and air-con are finally on speaking terms. The success of these ventures makes us think that we will see much more high-quality Thai food in 2011. Still, these kitchens are headed by Westerners, something reflected in their clientele. So what kind of high-end Thai restaurant could make sense for Thais? Perhaps regionally-focused restaurants such as Phuket Town, a hugely popular cute little shophouse on Thong Lor. After all, Bangkokians have always seemed more willing to splurge on high-end somtam at Kum Poon than high-end tom yam kung.

More Wine By the Glass

Wine Connection Deli and Bistro opened at K. Village and quickly became a bustling monolith for beginner wine drinkers, enjoying cheap bottles served alongside comforting dishes like pizzas and pastas. In 2011, however, similar hype is surrounding other restaurants that are positioning themselves as wine bistros, such as Wine I Love You, a venture between Route 66 and Gulliver’s, and Wine 33, a partnership between Singha (who also own the PB Valley winery) and Pla Dib—both packing tables at the Crystal Design Center. Even on Aree, the burgeoning new foodie neighborhood, their usual house-converted-into-bars-type spaces are getting savvy and restaurants like Aree Alley are marketing themselves as places to get wine. On Sukhumvit, forgoing the need to wait for the next wine tasting event, Ekkamai just saw the opening of Sip, a wine bar that offers tastings, so you don’t have to commit to a whole glass, much less a whole bottle. What this means for the dining scene in 2011 is better wine lists in the sub-B1,500 range and more offerings by the glass, as opposed to just the generic red and white house wine.

Aree, the New Thong Lor

Last year, unless you were going to Pla Dib or unless you lived out there and were an expat government officer, there was little need to go out to Aree. The existing spots were all the usual formula of cute house, front garden, gin and tonics, beer, singer with an acoustic guitar. But that is slowly changing, with proper eateries beginning to pop up there that are neither Fuji nor Basilico, such as Tanyamama and late-December addition, Salt. We hear rumors of new Japanese finer dining restaurants in Aree scheduled for later this year, and it could very well be that Thong Lor will have, if not stiff competition, then at least a little something to keep it on its toes. We only hope restaurateurs will get it together and sign their new leases before the real estate goes through the roof.

French, Upheld by Japan

Thai chefs like those at Triplets and 4 Garcons may be bringing simple, authentic French food to a wider audience, but salvaging French haute cuisine and patisserie may end up in the hands of the Japanese. In August of last year, Ma Du Zi Restaurant by Yuya did away with La Truffe, its French restaurant, and brought in a Japanese chef to serve up French food with little Japanese touches. Over on Sukhumvit, the modest little Japananese-owned bakery, Le Blanc, has been doling out beautiful French bread and pastries for months and months. So, with our love of importing all things Japanese, and with the number of Tokyo chefs winning Michelin stars, we predict more French food prepared by Japanese chefs.

Essentials

4 Garcons. 1/F, Oakwood Residence, 113 Thong Lor 13, 02-713-9547.
Aree Alley. 2/1 Areesamphan Soi 4, 02-278-5325. www.areealley.com.
BonChon Fried Chicken. 2/F, Seenspace 13, 251/1 Thong Lor Soi 13, 02-185-2361.
Le Blanc. 15 Sukhumvit Soi 39, 02-259-4353.
Bo.Lan. 2/F, Exchange Tower, 388 Sukhumvit Rd., 088-022-4022.
Fat Gut’z. 1/F, Grass Thonglor, 264 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor), 02-714-9832.
Gaggan. 68/1 Soi Lang Suan, 02-652-1700.
The Garret. Rooftop, Mini Showroom, 99/99 Ekamai Soi 7, 02-711-6999.
Gianni. 34/1 Soi Tonson, Ploen Chit Rd., 02-252-1619. www.giannibkk.com.
Grossi. G/F, InterContinental, 973 Ploen Chit Rd., 02-656-0444.
Home Run Bar & Grill. 253/2 Sukhumvit 31, 02-258-6250. www.homerunbangkok.com.
Hyde and Seek. Athenee Residence, 65/1 Soi Ruam Rudi, 02-168-5152
Iron Fairies. 394 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor), 084-520-2301.
Kenji. 02-162-9000, www.kenji-bkk.com.
Kum Poon. 7/F, CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., 02-646-1044
Ma Du Zi Restaurant by Yuya. 9/1 New Ratchadapisek Rd., corner of Sukhumvit Soi 16, 02-615-6400.
Nahm. G/F, Metropolitan, Sathon Rd., 02-625-3333.
Phuket Town. 160/8 Thong Lor Soi 6, 02-714-9402.
Pla Dib. 1/1 Areesamphan Soi 7, 02-279-8185.
Salt. Arisamphan Soi 4, 02-619-6886.
The Seafood Bar. Somerset Lake Place, 41 Sukhumvit Soi 16, 02-663-8863. www.theseafoodbar.info
Serenade. 1/F, Grass Thong Lor, 264/1 Thong Lor 10, 02-713-8409.
Sip. 33/32 Sukhumvit 63 (Ekkamai) 02-714-2223
Soul Food Mahanakorn. 56/10 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor), 02-714-7708.
Sra Bua. Siam Kempinski, 991/9 Rama 1 Rd., 02-162-9000.
Tanyamama. 10/27 Phahon Yothin Soi 5, 02-617-3950.
La Table de Tee. 69/5 Sala Daeng Rd., 02-636-3220. www.latabledetee.com.
Triplets. 6/F, Parnjit Tower, Sukhumvit 55 (Thong Lor), 02-712-8066.
V8 Diner. 284 Sukhumvit Rd., 02-229-4453.
Wine 33. Crystal Design Center, 02-102-2233.
Wine Connection Deli & Bistro. G/F, K.Village, 93-95 Sukhumvit Soi 26, 02-661-3940.
Wine I Love You. Building E/F, Crystal Design Center, 02-102-2166.
Wine 33. Crystal Design Center, 02-102-2233.
WTF. 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51, 02-662-6246. www.wtfbangkok.com.
Zanotti. 1/F, Sala Daeng Colonnade Condominium, 921/1 Silom Rd., 02-636-0002. www.zanotti-ristorante.com.

Q&A: Pavita Saechao

Modern gastro techniques explained

TIRED TRENDS: What We’ve Had Enough Of

Crystal Design Centre (CDC) has finally understood that not all of us can buy a posh designer chair every time we go to the mall. Unlike the big furniture brand stores that opened in the community mall’s first phase, this latest crop of openings offers a lot more variety—and a little something for everyone, including those with smaller wallets. Spread over two floors and divided into 11 sections, each store comes with its own mood. So in comparison to the stern modern look of CDC part one, this extension brings a touch of fantasy, almost like the vibe you get at faux-Tuscan mall Palio in Khaoyai.

There have been some serious food and wine additions, too (as you know, if you’ve been reading our Flavors section). But tired shoppers seeking a smaller pick-me-up can also swing by the new Kuay Tiew Khai Yon Yook (L4-111) for old-style noodles topped with boiled egg, or London-style café Cuppi Coffee (K3-114) for a cake and some free Wi-Fi. There are also a few fashion stores, now, another novelty for the design-focused mall. You can even find tech products such as the high-end audio shop, Bose by Asavasopon (L1-107) and instruments—Music Acumen (K106) has guitars or ukuleles starting from B1,800. But more than the variety, what we love most about the place is that all of the shops’ interior designs are creative and exciting, making return visits a must, despite the location. n
Crystal Design Center. 1420/1 Praditmanutham Rd., 02-101-5999. Open Mon-Thu 10am-8pm, Fri-Sun and national holidays 10am-9pm.