Wilding Golf claim their new performance center in Thong Lor (4/F, JDI Bdg, Thong Lor Soi 18. 02-714-9777) is the largest indoor golf training center in the world. At 2,200 sq meters it offers 8 swing bays, two 3D swing simulators, a short game area, equipment performance and fitting lab, golf shops, two putting studios and a golf fitness center spread out over the four floors.

Combining the two hottest dining trends—rooftops and tapas-style food—Centara Sofitel rolls out Blue Sky (24/F, Centara Sofitel, 1695 Phaholyothin Road. 02-541-1234. Open daily 6pm-2am), overlooking the adjacent Chatuchak Park. The menu will feature small plates from Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Checking the time during those endless, boring meetings just got a little more fun. These creations from O.D.M.’s Jean-Charles de Castelbajac collection are inspired by Lego building blocks and come in four different colors. Available for B4,750 at leading department stores.

It’s not true that malls all have the same shops. With CentralWorld in limbo, we were left without access to TOPSHOP/TOPMAN (1-2/F, CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., 02-613-1660). That’s been fixed with the sprawling shopping complex’s Sep 28 reopening, just in time for the UK brand’s Autumn/Winter collections. In TOPMAN’s case, that would be stark, military looks that vaguely echo the circumstances behind the shop’s closure. Talk about making a fashion statement.

Essentials

TOPSHOP.
G/F, CentralWorld, 02-613-1660.

Steve Madden.
2/F, Siam Discovery, 02-658-0299.

Miss Selfridge.
1/F, Atrium, CentralWorld, 02-613-1703.

Daniel Hechter.
4/F Central Chidlom, 02-793-7777.

Jaspal.
2/F, Siam Center, 02-251-5918.

D&G.
M/F, Siam Paragon, 02-610-9333.

Tian Sin

Phiphat Soi 2, 086-984-1621. Open Mon-Fri 6:30am-1:30pm
Located down an alley on Phiphat 2, this khao kaeng shop is hard to find, but we’re glad the masses are unaware. Run by two adorable sisters, Tian Sin does all-vegetarian curries and larb involving tofu, mushrooms and lots of vegetables (there’s little over-processed fake meat). It costs B30-40, depending on how many sides you get with your rice. They also do daily specials, such as kwuay teaw lord on Mondays and kanom jeen on Wednesdays. Our tip: show up at noon as they tend to start running out by 1pm.

Anotai

976/17 Soi Rama 9, Rim Klong Sam Sen Rd., 02-641-5366/-70. MRT Phra Ram 9
It’s easy to dismiss Anotai from the rather bland exterior. Step inside, though, and you’ll find a zen vibe and Cordon Bleu-trained cooking by the eponymous chef. The menu has several Thai dishes, like larb taohuu, along with organic salads and textbook pastas. They also do texturized vegetable proteins here—so fake meat but the delicious kind, including pla khem. We’re also huge fans of the deep-fried Japanese tofu with tangy lemongrass dressing. Be sure to save room for the homemade desserts, like chocolate cake with sherry sauce.

Khun Churn

G/F, Bangkok Mediplex Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 42, 02-713-6599
A far cry location-wise from the original Khun Churn’s hip house and sprawling front yard, but the food may just transport you back to Chiang Mai. Besides, the atmosphere is quite classy, yet casual, with cushioned banquettes and intricate bamboo lanterns adorning the ceiling. The menu is down-to-earth and uses rare, indigenous veggies as the core ingredients. Try the crunchy kwuay teaw lord and their handful of Northern recipes.

Tham Na

175 Samsen Rd. (between soi 3 and 5), 02-282-4979
Tham Na is a family-owned operation serving delicious food in a hip, cute dining room with rustic brick walls flanked by the kitchen on one side. The menu doesn’t mess with fake meats, but performs miracles with tofu and mushrooms and throws in some inventive twists—the pomelo salad served with crispy wonton sheets and, our personal favorite, simple stir-fried lotus root slices with olive oil and herbs. The owners are warm and friendly and happy to talk to you about the dishes.

May Kaidee

Between Sukhumvit soi 33 and 35, 02-662-0372. BTS Phrom Phong
This famed joint has been providing backpackers reliable meat-free meals for almost two decades. But don’t be put off if you’re the only Thais here. The menu offers over 50 vegetarian dishes along with herbal teas and smoothies. The food is MSG-free, the fish sauce replaced by soy sauce and the dishes are heavy on the coconut milk and tamarind. Go for the unpretentious Thai stuff, like the fried seaweed with peanut dip, and the banana flower salad.

Govinda

6/5 Sukhumvit Soi 22, 02-663-4970.
A long-standing old-school Italian restaurant that reminds us of where we ate with our parents when we were in school. The dining room is cozy, and the menu is so extensive, it may take you a minute to realize that you’re actually at an all-vegetarian restaurant. They do it through inventiveness and lots of cheese—especially in their risotto and gnocchi. (There’s also a small selection of soy-meat entrees, but we say skip them.) Go for their gnocchi with pumpkin and asparagus, or try their homemade egg-free pasta selection.
 

The buzz: The story goes that one of the owners, the Foot Master, flew to Taiwan to learn the original science from the Taiwan Foot Reflexology Institute. Unlike Thai foot massage, which is primarily relaxing, Chinese foot reflexology aims to act just like acupuncture, healing the body through the nervous connections in the foot that are linked to all your organs.

The vibe: Predominantly black with wooden details, the small space of Foot Master is perfectly relaxing. Guests looking for more privacy can book a private room behind cotton blinds and bamboo trees. Small personal TV and free WiFi for those who want to counter the effects of the massage by staying connected.

The treatments: Numerous foot treatments are offered but the most popular and recommended is the 70-minute Foot Master Reflexology (B480) that starts with a foot bath in warm water mixed with more than 20 kinds of Chinese herbs while the therapists massage your back and neck, and is then followed by the reflexology. The foot bath alone is priced at B150 for 20 minutes.

Why you’ll be back: Though a bit more painful than a normal Thai foot massage,
it effectively relieved our back pain. Could the legend of the Foot Master be true? Either way, the space is cozy and the treatments are affordable.
3/F, Amarin Plaza, 02-684-1506. BTS Chit Lom.

There’s nothing quite like turning a year older to bring out all the niggly thoughts that you quickly shove aside, most days anyway. But when friends are badgering you to decide on birthday plans, it’s hard to ignore reality. In a bid to battle off such depressing thoughts, I did what any self-respecting foodie would do: I ate, a whole monster truckload. And I didn’t stop until, well, I don’t actually think I stopped. Of course, working on this week’s cover story “50 Things to Eat” was also a timely affair. A quick note, it’s just 50 random things on my 2010 personal eat list, in no order of merit. It’s unfortunate that some dishes have been overlooked, but fret not, I’ll be saving those for next year.

I kicked things off with Soht and Baay’s (#04-11/05‑01 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, 6509‑6058) new set lunch offering. From Mon through Thu, treat yourself to a three-course Thai meal ($19.90), including a seafood soup with a medley of fresh prawns, squid and seaweed. Choose between mains such as tender grilled chicken in a sweet and chunky coriander root sauce and a kaffir lime leaf-scented dry seafood curry. I thoroughly enjoyed the hormok (a steamed sea bass paste, similar to otah) and stir fried squid with salted eggs, spring onions and red chili.

I continued on my merry way to Morton’s The Steakhouse (4/F Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Marina Square, 5 Raffles Av., 6339-3740) for their latest bar bites. There are blue cheese steak fries ($17), mini crab cake BLTs ($33) and smoked salmon pizza with dill and sour cream ($32) to pair with their ever popular martinis. Just don’t ask me about the rest of my week (not right now anyway). It was a haze of parties, copious amounts of boozing and the infamous “pool incident” at Ku Dé Ta that I’ve been given strict instructions not to mention the specifics of. Ply me with enough alcohol when you see me, and I just might spill the juicy details.

For other caffeine junkies like myself, you’ll be pleased to know a new gourmet coffee joint is opening up in the Tiong Bahru neighborhood. 40 Hands (#01-12, 78 Yong Siak St.) is slated to open very soon. It’s not too far from the office, so I’m looking forward to popping by for a cuppa. Expect sustainably produced specialty coffee, and even a drive through! These folks take coffee very seriously.

Café Kaldi

3/F, Esplanade, Ratchadapisek Rd., 02-660-9256. Open daily 10am-10pm.
This Japanese-style café offers a comfy setting along with free electric supply to keep your laptop charged while you browse the net.

Coffee Society

Silom Rd., 02-235-9784. Open 24 hours.
Silom’s favorite free WiFi joint. The three-story shophouse has plenty of little corners for you to hide behind your laptop and the added benefit of 24-hour opening. The food isn’t that great, though, so stick to the drinks.

Cup B

2/F, Lido Theatre, Siam Square Soi 3, 02-558-4700. Open daily 11am-9pm.
This artsy café decked out with cute colorful details is a teen favorite for afternoon chilling and people watching. Just be warned that the food is not particularly awesome.

Kiosk

6/F, The Emporium, 02-664-8702. BTS Phrom Phong. Open Tue-Sun, 10:30am-9pm.
The cozy cafe by the TCDC library offers unlimited free WiFi to customers spending over B120 on their food (we’ll pass) and beverages (great coffee). Well-designed furniture and sweeping views of Benjakitti Park draw in a crowd of laptop-equipped farang while design students usually stick to the members-only library.

SCG Experience

Open daily 10:30am-9pm. Pradit manutham Rd., 02-101-9922
This futuristic architecture that showcases the Siam Cement Group’s products also offers free WiFi for four hours to visitors; you need only register at the counter. If you think plan to work their all day, apply for a two-year membership at B600, and get unlimited wifi plus access to a sizeable library of design and architecture books.

The Third Place

137-137/1 Thonglor Soi 10, 02-714-7929. Open daily 9am-10pm.
www.thirdplacebangkok.com
A peaceful building in the middle of bustling Thonglor it’s perhaps the ideal spot for out-of-office work and meetings. WiFi here is not actually free but if you pay B120 you’ll get a B100 voucher, a B25 discount coupon for food and two hours of free WiFi as well as access to their meeting rooms. Or pay the B699 monthly fee and get a B250 gift voucher, B500 discount coupon and unlimited WiFi.

Official
www.official.fm
This no-fuss music storage website lets you upload and share your music anywhere. The functions are a no-brainer; you can choose to allow public downloads, create links to sell your music on other sites like iTunes and Amazon, or protect your tunes for selected listeners by making them private. With basic profile creation, track statistics and even a widget that lets up-coming producers send you their tracks; Official is the ultimate storage and sharing tool for music makers and lovers alike. The best part? There are no upload limits.
 

Dropbox
www.dropbox.com
Store, share and sync; this is a cloud storage user’s dream come true. Announcing their four millionth user earlier this year, the online storage system has surpassed even Google Docs with its intuitive features and offerings. How does it work? Download the free application and simply drag any files into the desktop interface. Share your folders with other Dropbox users with a simple email entry. You can even upload files directly through your online account to
save space on your computer and work collaboratively on a project since Dropbox syncs all the changes users make. Limited to 2GB for free and upgradable to 100GB for US$199 a year.
 

YouSendIt
www.yousendit.com
Forget about sending large files through emails; that’s so passé. YouSendIt works by creating a simple URL link to troublesome big files. In its most basic version, you don’t even have to sign up; just enter the email of the person you want to send the file to (up to 100MB), your own email and send. The receiver will get an email with a link to the file and all they have to do is to click
and download. Simple! Signing up allows you to send and store files up to 2GB on the Lite plan. The Business Plan allows 6GB of storage, unlimited downloads and a controlled expiration date per file for US$329.78 per year.