Bangkok Eating [Archive] - FlyerTalk Forums

jtrader

Dec 22, 03, 8:53 pm

A subscription to the Wall Street Journal online may be required. However, I highly recommend reading their guide to Bangkok's finest restaurants (focus on casual but delicious).

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1024599623499735560,00.html?mod=article-outset-box

Suda is one of my all time favorites. I also highly recommend Rut & Lek as well as Ta Yang Grou.

In case you can't access the whole article, the recommendations are,

• Rut & Lek, at the intersection of Yaowarat and Soi Texas (Yaowarat is a one-way road through Chinatown. Soi Texas, home to the Texas parking garage, comes in from the right. Rut & Lek is on the far corner as you head in the direction of the traffic.) Tel: 01-632-2634. Open: daily, 6:30 p.m. to 2:45 a.m. Prices: Three people can stuff themselves for $25, including beer. No credit cards accepted.

Krua Rommai
• Krua Rommai, 16 Sukhumvit soi 36 (take the Skytrain to Thong Lo; soi 36 has a Shell service station on the corner and the restaurant is a short walk down the soi). Tel: 02-661-2340. Open: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Prices: Two people can eat for $10, including beer. No credit cards accepted.

Shahrazad
• Shahrazad, 6/8 Sukhumvit soi 3/1 (a narrow street between sois 3 and 5). Tel: 02-251-3666. Open: daily, 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Prices: A typical dish is $2 to $3. No credit cards accepted.

• Ta Yang Grou, 5/4 Soi Ngamdulpee (just off Rama IV, a block south of Sathorn Road, near the Pinnacle Hotel. The yellow and red sign in front is in Chinese, not Thai script). Tel: 02-679-7019. Open: daily, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Prices: Most dishes will set you back $2 or less. On my last visit, seven of us had 12 dishes and lots of beer. The bill came to $40. No credit cards.

• Royal India, 392/1 Chakrophet Road (across from the ATM Department store near Chinatown; look for the big Royal India sign on the sidewalk that directs you down a little alley). Tel: 02-221-6565. Open: daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Prices: Almost every dish is less than $2. No credit cards accepted.

• Suda, Sukhumvit soi 14 (only a short distance down the soi, near the Asok Skytrain stop). Tel: 02-229-4527. Open: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 4 p.m. to midnight. Prices: Most dishes around $1.50 to $2. No credit cards accepted.

• Biscotti, Regent Hotel, Ratchadamri Road (at the Ratchadamri Skytrain stop). Tel: 02-251-6127. Open: daily, noon-2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Prices: Pizzas and pastas around $7, main courses around $15. All major credit cards accepted.

• Pen Restaurant, 2068/4 Chan Road (just in from Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road about two kilometers south of Sathorn Road). Tel: 02-287-2907. Open: daily, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Prices: You can easily spend $30 a person, twice that if you order expensive seafood. Accepts Visa, Mastercard.

• La Boulange, 2-2/1 soi Convent (just in from Silom Road, near the Saladeng Skytrain stop). Tel: 02-631-0354. Open: daily, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (In the evening, only snacks such as quiche are served.) Prices: low almost beyond comprehension. No credit cards accepted.

• Nai So, 3/1 Maitrijitr Road (at the five-way Phlabphlaachai intersection near Chinatown, adjacent to the Wat Pub Pa Chai temple). Tel: 02-226-2578. Open: daily, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Prices: Four people can eat well for $25. No credit cards accepted

transpac

Jan 28, 04, 10:31 am

Julie, the Executive Floor Manager at the Conrad recommended:

Lan Na Thai (Classic Thai food) - Kasara (Northern Indian food) - Face Bar

No. 29 Soi 38, Sukhumvit Road (E6, Thong Lo on the BTS, Soi 38 is directly South, walk down about 500 m, on the left, in what looks to be a traditional Thai wooden house).

I went to the Indian "section" and thought that the food was quite good. Moderately expensive, ~ 1,800 (I think?) THB for two, incl a couple of drinks.

P.S. some decent hawkers at the entrance to Soi 38 off Sukhomvit as well.

R&R

Jan 28, 04, 4:29 pm

If you can find the front door to the Gabbage & Condoms place, you will be seated at a oilcloth covered table inside or out. Don't know why the signs direct you into the budget cafeteria in front and to the side of it.

After LQQKing over the menu, the majority of the choices were DEEP fried or stir fired, I got up and left, which is very unusual for me. This was after spending time trying to find the Soi from bad instructions given on some other string.
It just didn't seem clean and fresh smelling, as I expected. Too much deep fry smell! The S&P is more inviting and has NON-fried choices at bargain prices. So I guess I passed on a complimentary condom, as well! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/smile.gif

transpac

Mar 3, 04, 7:50 pm

Here is my vote for Ban Chiang (see rjh's post above). Highly recommended. Consider a reservation if you want to be seated outside. Resonably priced, and my friend who is from Issan, said that the food was excellent.

Another recommendation: Ruan Thapthim Thai Restaurant, 4 Sukhumvit 22 Klong-Toei Bangkok 10110 Tel 0-2663-5115. A small restaurant, maybe 8 tables inside and a few more outside. Everything was excellent, I was with Thai and Japanese friends, not sure what was ordered over two separate meals, but I plan to return. Reasonably priced.

I went to the Blue Elephant. It was good, but not great, and a little bit pricey.

I also went to the SEAFOOD MARKET AND RESTAURANT 89 Sukhumvit Soi 24 , Sukhumvit Rd., Bangkok 10110, Thailand. A huge and famous restaurant where you shop for fish, vegetables, fruit etc. Then the fish is cooked per your request. Quite impressive. Also expensive. Be sure to check out the kitchen which is viewable from the outside. I counted 75 cooks/preps!

Sweet Willie

Mar 4, 04, 7:37 am

Originally posted by transpac:
I also went to the SEAFOOD MARKET AND RESTAURANT 89 Sukhumvit Soi 24 , Sukhumvit Rd., Bangkok 10110, Thailand. A huge and famous restaurant where you shop for fish, vegetables, fruit etc. Then the fish is cooked per your request. Quite impressive. Also expensive. Be sure to check out the kitchen which is viewable from the outside. I counted 75 cooks/preps!

Chef Tony Bourdain ("A Cooks Tour", "Kitchen Confidential") went to this place. Looked like a HUGE Selection of seafood to choose from unless the cameraman was getting just the right shot.

transpac

Mar 4, 04, 10:23 am

Originally posted by Sweet Willie:
Chef Tony Bourdain ("A Cooks Tour", "Kitchen Confidential") went to this place. Looked like a HUGE Selection of seafood to choose from unless the cameraman was getting just the right shot. 

On the Cook's Tour show I noticed the cash register when Tony Bourdain paid for his seafood. I think it was something like 20,000 THB! I assumed he was buying for a lot of people!

There is quite a large selection of seafood. Dozens of crabs, lobsters and shrimps to choose from, along with just about anything else you can think of. Save room for some oysters displayed at the end, tasty at 35 THB ea. One cool thing is that you have an assistant who walks with you, gathering up the things you want. S/he walks you through the selections, including vegetables and fruit. For two people I spent $60 USD. There are preparation/cooking charges, maybe 100 THB per dish, plus beer/wine. In total I think we spent $90 USD for two. An equivalent dinner in the U.S., if you could find it, would probably run ~ $150 USD. I've been told there are similar establishments in Bangkok, that might be a bit smaller and less expensive?

kyushuman

Mar 15, 04, 9:19 pm

Hi Guys and Gals!
I was writing another FTer who has asked for some restaurant advice for BKK (Thai, but also Japanese and Western restaurant advice). So after writing him, I decided to post it here. If any of you have any more to add, feel free to do so. All of these places are either in walking distance from Silom Road or are adjacent to Skytrain (BTS) stations.

Italian:
"Zanotti", down Soi Saladang, just past Saladang Place serviced apartments (about 100 meters from Silom Road) Reservations are a good idea. I have always had decent food and service there. I've also had good Italian food at the restaurant in the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel.

Drinks/snacks:
The bar at the Peninsula Hotel, across the river (by river taxi)

Thai:
"Celadon", in the Sukhothai Hotel, for a lovely Thai experience--a special meal, at VERY expensive prices for BKK--but of course, about $15 per person isn't too bad, when you think about it. And amazing service, too. They also have a gorgeous brunch and a great "Chocolate Buffet" in the afternoons....

Thai:
"Just One", a very cool restaurant actually quite near to Babylon, kind of between Babylon and the Malaysia Hotel. It's got a huge menu of just about any Thai dish you could think of. Reasonable prices, lots of foreign residents of BKK eat there (meaning it's good, and good value). I don't know the exact address, but it's on the corner by Honey House (I remember that sign), and if you're going from Babylon to the Malaysia Hotel, and get to the 7-11, you can see the entrance and the kitchen just across the street from the 7-11.

Japanese:
Zen, several branches--excellent, authentic ( I lived in Japan for 5 years, so I know) Japanese food, at stunningly cheap prices (get a set meal for about $3-6, including sushi, or order a la carte). There is one branch in Siam Center, also one I think on Convent Road/Silom Road corner area?

Thai/Chinese:
I like to eat street food, but since it's hard to explain where I eat street food, I'll send you to a place with lots of "local" style Thai foods (while expensive for Thai folks, the $1-2 per person total should be affordable for you):
Go to the Emporium Department store (Phrom Phong BTS station), and go to the top floor, where there is a supermarket. Just wander around--gorgeous Thai sweets, etc--also lots of prepared foods, for sale, very cheap and high quality. I sometimes bring home to the USA little coconut cakes, cookies, etc, from the prepared foods area.
If you go kind of behind the KFC and to the right, there is a hallway leading to the local Thai/Chinese food court. Look at all the foods on offer, buy some food tickets from the people sitting at the counters near the entrance area, near the drinks stand (you can get your money back if you don't use all the tickets). Great Chinese soups, duck, chicken, also curries, noodle dishes, thai food too. Yummy and quite safe--I've eaten there several times. Get a thai iced coffee ("KA-FA-YEN") from the drinks stand, grab a table by the windows....a great view, clean, and the food is good, without the worries! It's very busy, so it doesn't sit all day--a good sign for food court/street food operations
Upstairs from there (escalators near KFC) is a great movie theater--like $2-3 for first-run movies. Check the schedule in the Bangkok Post. I have seen lots of good movies there, including all three Lord of the Rings films! A nice break from the afternoon heat, too.
Hope this helps! I'll let you know if I think of any more......
Jeff
PS--On your first or second night in BKK, take a taxi to the night flower market and just walk around there--buy lots of flowers to enjoy in your room during your stay! It's like $2 for a big bunch of roses, etc.....even if you don't buy anything, it's SO beautiful just to look at all the colors, smells, and sights of the market. One of my favorite markets in the world, and very few tourists, too. Meaning very few people bothering you too-- a very authentic local experience.
Also go to Chatuchak market if you're in BKK on a weekend. Sat/Sun they have an absolutely HUGE outdoor market that I've brought many gifts home from.....there's everything from t-shirts to furniture to housewares to incense burners to live animals (!). It's huge, like I said, so it takes some stamina. But it's also fascinating, so it's easy to go--it's not bad, just big. I like it because it's not set up for tourists-- it's for the local market, but there are also lots of tourists there, so there is really a great variety of things to look at and buy.
Enjoy!

Paladin

Mar 19, 04, 1:15 am

jtrader

Mar 21, 04, 9:08 pm

Originally posted by Paladin:
The WSJ article makes all those places sound great. Has anyone tried any of them, specifically the Rut and Lek seafood place?

Off to BKK tomorrow, well, later today! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/smile.gif

I've been to Rut& Lek, Suda (many times),
Shahrazad, Krua Rommai and Ta Yang Grou.

Suda (short walk from Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit) is the closest to a "general" Thai restaurant with a huge variety of typical Thai dishes. I've been Celadon (recommended above, at the Sukothai), the Thai restaurant at the Oriental, and the Thai restaurant at the Regent (now Four Seasons). While all those hotel restaurants were nice and good, IMHO Suda is head and shoulders above them in quality of food. I can't recommend it highly enough. However, definitely be prepared for the food to be hot.

Rut & Lek is also excellent. While Bangkok isn't known for great Chinese food, I thought Ta Yang Grou was amazing (not particularly fancy, just incredibly well executed & delicious).

While I thought Krua Rommai was good, I wasn't quite as impressed as the WSJ reviewer. I also liked Shahrazad (short walk from JW Marriott).

I've been to a number of other restuarants Sesser recommends in other cities and have found his reviews extremely reliable. Happy eating!

opushomes

Mar 25, 04, 11:01 am

"Zen....There is one branch in Siam Center". We ate at Zen three times during our last visit to BKK. It is located on the 4th floor of the Siam Center. Exit the BTS station and walk to the second set of escalators. Ride them to the fourth floor and Zen is directly in front of you as you get off the escalator. Dinner for two including one beer each will run between $15 and $22 including tempura and a full sushi set. The restaurant is always busy, but the waits are normally short. Quite acceptable for an easy and safe dinner in Bangkok.

Le Dalat: One of my favorites, but a caveat. It charges ex-patriate prices.

Central Department Store food court 7th floor-Chit Lom. For a late breakfast at a price much less than the buffet at your hotel head here after 10a.m. opening. Also good for lunch and dinner at a cost only slightly greater than on the street. And, they accept credit cards.

[This message has been edited by opushomes (edited Mar 25, 2004).]

ws8n

Apr 21, 04, 7:54 am

Are there any good Chinese restaurants in BKK Chinatown?

Also, which hotels boasts the best buffet in town? I tried Sheraton's Sunday Brunch and it blew off the rest that I've tried on my last trip.

jpatokal

Apr 21, 04, 10:31 pm

Here's a place you go for the ambience, not the food:

http://www.bedsupperclub.com

Quite simply the most jaw-droppingly decorated club on the planet. Reservations obligatory (book at least a day or two in advance) and a single serving daily, the course starts at 9 PM but you have to show up before 8.30. The food is a daily changing surprise menu, generic but very well executed international cuisine with a few Thai touches. Weekends are B1200/person for 4 courses, weekdays B1000/person for 3 courses, floor show included but drinks and service excluded.

For a nightcap, head to Vertigo / Moon Bar atop the Banyan Tree on Sathorn Rd. The drinks are overpriced and service isn't that great, but the absolutely stunning views of Bangkok are worth it. The place is aptly named, so don't go here if you have a fear of heights -- the only thing between you and a 60-floor drop to the street is a metal railing...

007

Apr 24, 04, 12:21 am

Are there any good Chinese restaurants in BKK Chinatown? .

Not sure about Chinatown but you can get really good chinese food the Grand Hyatt and "Plaza Athene???".

Also, which hotels boasts the best buffet in town? I tried Sheraton's Sunday Brunch and it blew off the rest that I've tried on my last trip.

Sunday brunch at Four Seasons is pretty good.

Trajan

Apr 29, 04, 5:01 am

Some of my Bangkok favorites so far are:

Supatra River House (absolutely fabulous :p , with shows on weekends, right on the Chao Phyra River). I had dinner there too with friends when the Royal Thai Barge Procession passed for the benefit of the 2003 APEC summit heads of states (President Bush, President Putin, Chinese President, Thai King, Canadian PM, Japanese PM and 15 other heads of state present very near riverside watching the procession). You can only imagine the security.
WEBSITE <http://www.supatrariverhouse.com/riverhouse/riverhouse.html>

Zanotti....my absolute favorite Italian place in Bangkok ^ (in my opinion, better than Angelini at Shangri-La or Biscotti at the Four Seasons (formerly the Regent). Located on a small street (called Sala Daeng or "Red Pavilion" in English) right off of SilomStreet/Patpong Area. Also Zanotti is across the street from "Anna's Cafe." which is also recommended.
WEBSITE <http://www.zanotti-ristorante.com/restaurant.html>

Mahanaga for stunning ambience and decoration (and food not bad too:)))
WEBSITE <http://www.mahanaga.com>

Sirocco (havent tried yet, but mentioning it because friends say it has good Mediterranean food and views are stunning from 64th floor!!)
<http://www.hotelthailand.com/ezine/2004/issue4/zine5.html>

Face Bar, Lanna Thai and Hazara (Indian) complex on Sukhumvit St (Soi 38) is currently talk of the town (but I have not tried yet).

jtrader

Apr 29, 04, 5:27 pm

Are there any good Chinese restaurants in BKK Chinatown?

I thought Ta Yang Grou (see my post above for further details) was superb Chinese. Not in Chinatown though.

transpac

May 2, 04, 3:34 pm

Lunchcounter at Foodland, Sukhumvit Soi 5 (opposite Amari Boulevard hotel)
This is open 24 hours and has just about everything; Thai, western. They have an American breakfast for 41 baht, until 9:00 AM. Excellent, inexpensive fare.

Pizza, Bella Napoli, Sukhumvit Soi 33 (halfway down, opposite Monet club)
Good pizza.

The Food Center (6th floor) at Mah Boon Krong (MBK) shopping center (National Stadium stop on the BTS). This is a big food court, maybe ~ 40 “stalls”. You buy coupons in 20/10/5 baht denominations at booths near the entrances, and use these to buy food/drinks at the various stalls. You redeem unused coupons before you leave. Typical dishes are 30/35 baht. Go to the stall with the longest line!

I mostly ate street food this week, great hamburger from a cart on the right of the entrance to NEP on Sukhumvit Soi 4, excellent satay from a barbeque cart just to the left of the entrance to NEP. Great Issan (barbequed pork, spicy salad, etc.) food from a cart down Soi 4 on the right, just opposite Soi 6. The sheer number of street food vendors in BKK is staggering. The same spot on a street might have three different vendors throughout the day.

Land-of-Miles

May 8, 04, 3:38 pm

Just noticed this thread. i would second the recommendations for the Blue Elephant and Celadon (at the Sukothai). It is a tough call between these 2 places for the best Thai food I have ever eaten.

For Sunday Brunch the Four Seasons does a great spread, and martinis (a variety of types) are included. I also like the Cafe Conrad for Sunday Brunch.

La Dalat (the original branch) has great vietnamese food and I thought the prices were very reasonable. For a different experience the food court at MBK is also worth a try.

The Banyan Tree does an excellent Dim Sum lunch at their chinese restaurant whose name temporarily escapes me. It is supposed to be a buffet but is served at your table, and the restaurant has awesome views (being at the top of the building, just underneath Vertigo).

For sushi/japanese I have seen the recommendations for Zen, I however much prefer Fuji which has a better menu and tastier food IMHO at very reasonable prices. On the subject of local fast food, no trip to BKK is complete without at least trying the Suki Yaki at MK. It isnt the best suki in the world, but is very popular with the locals (as the queues will show).

Last but not least Neils Tavern on Ruam Rudee serves the best steaks (and seafood) in BKK. Ruam Rudee also has many other high quality restuarants at reasonable prices.

jonhoram

May 8, 04, 4:48 pm

I will be in BKK in August with my wife during our first wedding anniversary - can anyone recommend a one-of-a-kind restaurant that will really impress her (and me)? I was thinking about the roof of the Banyan Tree hotel.... I know there is a bar there, I assume they serve food as well. Any other suggestions?

jpatokal

May 9, 04, 2:27 am

jonhoram, there is indeed a restaurant atop the Banyan Tree called Vertigo -- the bar is technically called the "Moon Bar" but everybody calls it Vertigo too. That said, I haven't heard very many good things about the food at Vertigo, it's pretentious, heavy Western cuisine (fois gras, steaks, etc) with extortionate pricing (I've heard 4000 baht per head, ie. around $100 for a meal with drinks!). You might wish to consider doing what I did last year, namely dinner at Saffron (Thai) or Bai Yun (Chinese) downstairs and then an unforgettable nightcap at Vertig... err, Moon Bar.

There's also another new rooftop bar/restaurant in BKK that's actually a bit higher up than Vertigo, namely Sirocco atop the State Tower; it opened very recently and I haven't been here yet, but I have heard good things about it. The food is still not Thai, but Mediterranean though (and it's also very expensive by Thai standards). A report by somebody who did go there: http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/state/state.shtml

adambrau

May 17, 04, 7:14 pm

Heading to BKK in a week with clients and am thinking about these restaurants. I already have a booking at Bed Supper Club and Sala Rim Naam (as we're staying at the Oriental) but I am interested in these 2 places. Just curious if anyone has been there lately, or at all.

Thanks!

Adam

YYZC2

May 24, 04, 3:58 am

Last time I was at the Siam Center there was a quiet Japanese restaurant where Zen was supposed to be... too bad since I had starved myself all day to purge on sushi and green tea ice cream.

I had no idea it was a chain! Can anyone point me towards the other locations?

Edit: only now do I realize I wrote "purge" instead of "binge"... oops!

jpatokal

May 24, 04, 10:52 am

There's at least one Zen on the top floor of the WTC shopping mall, just a stone's throw from Siam Square -- and no, I'm not confusing this with the adjacent department store of the same name.

Fuji (http://www.fuji.co.th/)'s also not bad for cheap and reasonably authentic Japanese eats, and there are a lot more of them around. Basement of Silom Complex (connected to BTS Sala Daeng), 1F of U Chu Liang Bldg on Rama IV, 2F Siam Centre, etc.

Morrissey

May 24, 04, 10:35 pm

Yes, Fuji is good if you're looking for good, cheap Japanese food. You can get a complete meal for about $3, and all you can drink iced green tea.

I also the loved the Vietnamese restaurant at the Siam Center (the name escapes me). I had some excellent pho there! ^

Bob7032

May 26, 04, 1:06 pm

I recommend MahaNaga at the corner of Sukhumvit and Soi 29. Outstanding Thai fusion!

www.mahanaga.com

miizzles

May 29, 04, 9:30 pm

Any recommendations for Thai and Italian places where a single diner wouldn't feel out-of-place or awkward? (I'm somewhat self-conscious and no, I'm not looking for friendly Thai companionship :p )

jpatokal

May 30, 04, 12:02 am

Any recommendations for Thai and Italian places where a single diner wouldn't feel out-of-place or awkward? (I'm somewhat self-conscious and no, I'm not looking for friendly Thai companionship :p )

mizzles, head for the nearest food court for a wide range of quick cheap street eats with air-con and a semblance of hygience. A few of my favorites are...

the Big C 4th floor food court on Th. Ratchaprarop (just down the street from Gaysorn), cheap (20-50B) and raucous, all Thai food (the som tam guy is pretty good)
Food Fusion atop the Robinson Silom, pricier and quieter; they have Italian & Japanese food too, but haven't tried them yet

Basically every department store will have these, although some (eg. MBK, WTC) are a little grotty and hard to use if you don't speak Thai. Note that all food courts have some variation of a coupon system. At Big C you buy a stored-value card in advance, at Food Fusion you charge your purchases to a magical stick and pay on exit.

There are also a whole bunch of essentially Thai fast food places geared for the single diner, although most of the logos are in Thai:

Yum Saap (big yellow smily logo) does yum (salads), curries etc
Kuay Tiow Something (still can't read the Thai, but their logo is an easily identifiable hungry rat armed with fork and knife) does dirt-cheap spicy noodles (~20B)
Nooddi does slightly more expensive noodles of all sorts (~50B) and good drinks too
Hachiban Ramen does good Japanese ramen soup at decent prices (50-100B)
S&P bakery-cafe-restaurants have a surprisingly extensive menu (<100B) of good Thai food, portions are tiny though

Feel free to drop me a PM if you're in town next week (Wednesday onward).

ws8n

Jun 28, 04, 12:08 am

I'm arriving past midnight in BKK. Are there any 24 hrs restaurant where I can kill time before I check in the morning?

schoflyer

Jun 28, 04, 9:03 am

Where are you staying? I believe the cafe at the Shangri-la is operates 24 hour a day. And it is not just a "cafe" but ratehr a decent riverside restaurant. You can even sit outside and get eaten by misquitoes if you like :cool:

Scho

jonhoram

Jul 10, 04, 6:47 pm

At about what time do people generally eat dinner in Thailand?

Sandal

Jul 12, 04, 3:32 am

Local Thai start their dinner at around 6:30 to 7:30. Most visitors starts at 7:30 to 8:00. For local favorite restaurant, it will be very busy from 6:30 till 8:30. If you wish to have dinner at those local favorite, it is the advice to make reservation after 8pm, you'll get a table. But for visitor's favorite restaurant, my strong recommendation is be there before 6:30 even without reservation. You're still get a table.

blueDC

Jul 15, 04, 11:07 am

Just noticed this thread. i would second the recommendations for the Blue Elephant and Celadon (at the Sukothai). It is a tough call between these 2 places for the best Thai food I have ever eaten.

I would also put in a ^ for Blue Elephant (expensive for Thai standards but very good). Service was exceptional and the owners are very convivial. With the above comment in mind (plus a few other positive reviews from posters in this thread), it looks like I must try Celadon upon my return at the end of the year.

My last trip was very Thai food-centric as I also tried Sala Rim Naam and Thiptara (new Thai restaurant at the Pen). I was unimpressed with Sala Rim Naam; the show seemed forced although the setting and the ambience were magnificent. The food was also underwhelming. Thiptara was slightly better but it wasn't very memorable (not spicy and kinda bland). For the prices they are charging, it seems to me that only tour groups (SRN) and ppl staying at the respective hotels (who don't want the hassle of leaving) would eat at these beautiful restaurants. Have they improved?

Also, does anyone have any experience with the Pen or the Oriental's New Year's Eve dinner/fireworks events? It seems like the Pen is holding their black tie thing on the Terrace (!!!) this year. I'm not quite that keen on wearing a tux in 90+ weather and 90% humidity :) although the fireworks would probably make up for it.

Chapel Hill Guy

Dec 2, 04, 3:49 pm

I would HIGHLY recommend the Blue Elephant.

In a gorgeous old house, beautiful dining room, attentive service, excellent food.

You can also take a cooking class - I took a five day cooking class with them back in July.

The chef is featured in the October (November?) Saveur magazine as one of the top three most innovative chefs in Bangkok.

The blue elephant also has a web site.

That issue of Saveur (October 2003, no. 69) also mentions chef Ian Chalermkittichai at the Regent hotel. Anyone eaten at any of the restaurants there?

The third is chef Vichit Mikura at the Oriental's Thai restaurant Sala Rim Naam. Any recent experiences there?

Thanks.

IfItAintBoeing

Dec 7, 04, 10:26 am

jpatokal

Dec 7, 04, 10:55 am

Visiting BKK in January for about 5 days with my brother. Looking for good places/good authentic food.

For example, when I think of Singapore and food, I imagine the chilli crab at No Signboard Seafood in Kallang.

When in Bangkok, is there a national/regional dish and a restaurant that is known for serving it?
Bangkok is smack dab in the middle of Thailand and the food served is hence mostly central Thai, by far the best known variety and what you'll get in any Thai restaurant in the world (or at least pale imitations thereof).

A rough listing of the central Thai classics would be...
* tom yum kung soup (probably the Thai-est dish of them all)
* tom kha gai soup (chicken, coconut, galanga)
* Thai fried noodles (phad thai)
* green curry with beef (kaeng khio-waan neua)
* red curry with duck (kaeng daeng phet)

Do a search for recommendations, this has come up over before. I usually bring visitors to Baan Khanitha, which usually does very good stuff at reasonable prices (by Western standards) and will tone down the chilis by default.

El Boocho

Aug 27, 05, 9:34 am

l'etoile

Aug 27, 05, 10:17 am

There's also another new rooftop bar/restaurant in BKK that's actually a bit higher up than Vertigo, namely Sirocco atop the State Tower; it opened very recently and I haven't been here yet, but I have heard good things about it. The food is still not Thai, but Mediterranean though (and it's also very expensive by Thai standards). A report by somebody who did go there: http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/state/state.shtml

Just ate on the 64th floor of the State Tower last week, but inside at Mezzaluna and then outside to Flutes for champagne. Mezzaluna (Italian obviously) was quite good, but again expensive by Thai standards. We spent $200 for three, but the wine is really what gets you here. They had bottles that sell for $2 in Australia for $85. Our check was mostly wine, so it's possible to eat there more reasonably. The views are amazing. Flutes, which is outside and adjacent to Sirocco, has a band out on the roof. Awesome setting.

I also find Baan Khanitha so-so, but I do enjoy the platter you start with there - I believe it's English translation is something like five chickens. My favorite place for that is Suan Thip, but it's pretty far to go from Bangkok for a meal. I'm curious jpatokal if you (or anyone else) have other recommendations for restaurants in Bangkok where that's available.

transpac

Aug 28, 05, 7:06 am

Went to Suda for the first time a few weeks ago. It was the best Thai meal we had in our 2 weeks in Thailand. Cheap and dirty (I'd put the chance of food poisoning at 25% ;) ), but it was excellent. We were there at 9:30 or 10:00 PM on Friday and it was a mix of middle aged male expats eating by themselves a few local couples or small groups and a bunch of large parties that appeared to consist of one or two locals or expats who were entertaining a bunch of friends from out of town.
Two of us ordered enough for 4 people, had a couple of big beers and the bill was slightle over 400B ($10US).

I usually take guests/visitors to Suda as it is close to my apartment, and easy for people to get to (Asoke BTS station, very close to both the Sheraton and Westin hotels). In fact I went with another FT'er last Wednesday evening (24 August). It is an open-air restaurant so no air-con.

jtrader

Aug 28, 05, 9:24 am

Went to Suda for the first time a few weeks ago. It was the best Thai meal we had in our 2 weeks in Thailand. Cheap and dirty (I'd put the chance of food poisoning at 25% ;) ), but it was excellent. We were there at 9:30 or 10:00 PM on Friday and it was a mix of middle aged male expats eating by themselves a few local couples or small groups and a bunch of large parties that appeared to consist of one or two locals or expats who were entertaining a bunch of friends from out of town.
Two of us ordered enough for 4 people, had a couple of big beers and the bill was slightle over 400B ($10US).

It's one of my favorite restaurants. I wouldn't really consider it dirty...just very informal and not at all fancy (an understatement)

Sandal

Aug 28, 05, 12:14 pm

These are my favourite Thai restaurant whenever I need to bring my visitor for lunch or dinner. Spice is in FS while Erawan Tea Room in GH.

rjh

Nov 18, 06, 10:29 am

I was looking for something or the other around Wireless road one evening and came across The Ninth Cafe (http://www.thailandsbestrestaurants.com/restaurants/theninthcafe.html) . 59/5 Soi Langsuan, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330

The place and service was very pleasant. I think I ordered "off" the menu, which I find a good attribute of decent restaurants in Asia. They'll cook up what you want, even if it's not on their menu. Some garlic shrimp, phak bung, rice. A good dousing of nam phrik pla...
(Thanks to transpac for reminding me of this thread.)

Trajan

Nov 20, 06, 11:20 am

some non-Thai food choices in Bangkok ;)

Mediterranean Food
Bed Supperclub (Sukhumvit Soi 11)
Cyan in the Metropolitan Hotel (South Sathorn Rd)
Mezzaluna on the 65th floor State Tower (Silom Rd near the river)
Sirocco on the rooftop State Tower

Italian Food
Biscotti in the Four Seasons Hotel (Rajadamri Rd)
Calderazzo (Soi Lang Suan)
Zanotti on Soi Saladaeng (off Silom Rd)

Vietnamese Food
Le Dalat (Sukhumvit Soi 23)

Japanese Food
Koi (Sukhumvit Soi 20)
Nippon Tei (Rajadamri Rd)
Nami in the JW Marriott Hotel (Sukhumvit Soi 2)

Korean Food
Kongju in the Prathumwan Hotel (attached to the MBK shopping center)

Steaks
Madison in the Four Seasons Hotel (Rajadamri Rd)
New York in the JW Marriott Hotel (Sukhumvit Soi 2)

travelinterpreters

Nov 21, 06, 10:44 am

Has anyone been to Tongue Thai? We are planning on going there in 2 weeks.

Peter4

Nov 21, 06, 12:19 pm

Went to Suda for the first time a few weeks ago. It was the best Thai meal we had in our 2 weeks in Thailand. Cheap and dirty Very difficult to believe that Suda was your best Thai meal here.
But, cheap and dirty, yes, Suda certainly is that.

I've eaten at Suda once.
Once was enough.
The food is adequate, edible, but certainly nothing worth recommending.

There must be at least 5,000 other restaurants in Bangkok; any one of them far more appetizing.
I can not understand why so many people go to eat at dingy Suda.
Did I miss something?

- Peter

Peter4

Nov 21, 06, 12:45 pm

We are looking into Bangkok for a place to Expat late in life and would love to hear what you think of living there now. Jeffrey -

Since the thread topic is "Bangkok eating" you may wish to ask that particular question on a separate thread, but a brief answer to your question here:

For a retired man, single or divorced, and Caucasian, who thrives in big cities, Bangkok is magnificent.
Not perfect -- there is intense pollution, horrendous traffic, and other disadvantages here.
But the benefits far outweigh the shortcomings, IF you enjoy city life.
Bangkok's cornucopia of food and restaurant choices is one of those benefits.

On the other hand, for a Western wife, Bangkok is not a good choice.
Whatever remains of her marriage will not last long in Bangkok.

If you open a new thread on the topic of expat living, you are welcome to move my comments there.

- Peter

happytravelling

May 4, 07, 2:41 am

I concur with the recommendation for Cabbages and Condoms. I also recommend the resort of the same name near Pattaya. Wonderful resort on the beach with the same good food as the one in Bkk. Far from the nightlife. Used to be about $60/night, but it was more last time I stayed. Pics are on their website.

garyphil

May 4, 07, 9:05 am

cabbages and condoms do serve good food, but I think they serve food that is very basic also. If you're up for it, try the street food in bangkok!

broadwayboy

May 20, 07, 9:01 pm

Going to Bangkok next week to meet up with family and I need 2 or 3 restaurant recommendations, please. We went to Bhan Khanita few years ago and enjoyed it a lot, so we're going there on the first night.

We'll be celebrating a birthday dinner on the 2nd night and am thinking of going to CELADON.

Is CELADON at Sukhothai still regarded as one of the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok? How about SPICE MARKET at Four Seasons?

Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

MegatopLover

May 21, 07, 6:43 am

My Thai friends say that most of the Thai restaurants at the 5* hotels have Westernized their food by dramatically sweetening it and making it less spicy. They said that was definitely true of Celadon. OTOH, Baan Kanitha is fairly authentic, according to Mr. Megatop at least. For my part, I have always enjoyed the Thai food from Thiptara at the Pen, though I have been getting it from room service lately.

For Thai cuisine, I am getting very into street food and other less-than-glamorous venues. Going native, you might say. When you get some of the best Thai food you've ever had, a couple bottles of water (you'll need 'em, even if they are counter-productive), and a large Singha for less than 500 baht for two people, you just can't beat that. Probably not what you're looking for if you're thinking about Celadon, but you might check the "Street Food" in Bangkok thread I started in this forum a while back. Lots of good tips in there.

Michael

May 21, 07, 11:46 am

My Thai friends say that most of the Thai restaurants at the 5* hotels have Westernized their food by dramatically sweetening it and making it less spicy. They said that was definitely true of Celadon.

I'm not Thai, but I agree with this assessment. I remember eating at Spice Market a few years ago: one of the most disappointing meals I've ever had. The place was pretty, sure, but the food was extremely mediocre. That said, the food on the street is frequently fantastic.

I haven't visited Chowhound.com for a while, but the posters there used to have pretty extensive and good recommendations for where to eat. But there, too, the consensus was that street food (or eating at basic restaurants) was the way to go.

- Michael

MegatopLover

May 21, 07, 1:07 pm

But there, too, the consensus was that street food (or eating at basic restaurants) was the way to go.

- Michael

This reminds me of a place in Siam Square that serves Issam food from Northeastern Thailand. Very basic restaurant (real restaurant, not a hawker stall) but excellent food. SCORCHING HOT stuff, many of the dishes are, mind you. I cannot recall the name of the place but it's on a soi in the cordoned-off area of Siam Square that requires you to pay for parking upon entry, kind of near the Hard Rock. It's not in one of the indoor malls. There's frequently a line or a crowd out front, but it moves fast. A good concierge would know the place; just say you want Issam food in Siam Square.

jpatokal

May 22, 07, 9:29 am

This reminds me of a place in Siam Square that serves Issam food from Northeastern Thailand. Very basic restaurant (real restaurant, not a hawker stall) but excellent food. SCORCHING HOT stuff, many of the dishes are, mind you. I cannot recall the name of the place but it's on a soi in the cordoned-off area of Siam Square that requires you to pay for parking upon entry, kind of near the Hard Rock. It's not in one of the indoor malls. There's frequently a line or a crowd out front, but it moves fast. A good concierge would know the place; just say you want Issam food in Siam Square.

There's a couple of candidates, and you're probably thinking of Cafe de Laos (which has been around forever and is kinda near HRC), but personally I much prefer this one:

Lan Som Tam Nua, also known as Som Tam Paradise, Siam Square Soi 4. If Thai food isn't spicy enough or you have yet to sample som tam (raw papaya salad), check out this trendy yet very friendly and very Thai restaurant specializing in northern Isaan food. For the full-on Isaan experience, order raw mango salad (ตำมะม่วง tam ma-muang), spicy pork salad (ลาบหมู laap muu ), grilled chicken (ไก่ทอด kai thot) and sticky rice (ข้าวเหนียว khao nio) - which will cost less than 150 baht per head. No English menu, but the staff are glad to help. Warning: This is real Isaan food and thus very spicy!

(courtesy Wikitravel (http://wikitravel.org/en/Bangkok/Sukhumvit#Thai_restaurants))

tide

May 22, 07, 9:40 am

This reminds me of a place in Siam Square that serves Issam food from Northeastern Thailand.

You might be thinking of Yum Saap - it's a franchise with restaurants all over the place (including Siam Sq).

MegatopLover

May 22, 07, 10:42 am

I'm pretty sure it's Lam Som Tam Nua. My friends gave me the impression it's a one-off place, not a chain. And I would have remembered a name like Cafe de Laos. The wikipedia article sounds spot-on, except that I think I saw some English menus.

Michael

May 23, 07, 4:12 am

Lan Som Tam Nua, also known as Som Tam Paradise, Siam Square Soi 4. If Thai food isn't spicy enough or you have yet to sample som tam (raw papaya salad), check out this trendy yet very friendly and very Thai restaurant specializing in northern Isaan food. For the full-on Isaan experience, order raw mango salad (ตำมะม่วง tam ma-muang), spicy pork salad (ลาบหมู laap muu ), grilled chicken (ไก่ทอด kai thot) and sticky rice (ข้าวเหนียว khao nio) - which will cost less than 150 baht per head. No English menu, but the staff are glad to help. Warning: This is real Isaan food and thus very spicy!

This sounds good, and I'll keep it in mind for the next trip.

I don't read Thai script, but AFAIK grilled chicken is not kai thot - that would be fried chicken, I think. Can someone who's been to the restaurant clarify which is available?

- Michael

jpatokal

May 23, 07, 10:54 am

I don't read Thai script, but AFAIK grilled chicken is not kai thot - that would be fried chicken, I think. Can someone who's been to the restaurant clarify which is available?
D'oh -- I always mix up those two (grilled is kai yaang). IIRC, the last time I went I asked for grilled, but they only had fried. It was pretty good though...

transpac

Jun 24, 07, 10:38 pm

The WSJ article makes all those places sound great. Has anyone tried any of them, specifically the Rut and Lek seafood place?

Off to BKK tomorrow, well, later today! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/smile.gif

I finally went to Rut & Lek Seafood last night and can give it a huge recommendation. This restaurant, and its competitor, T&K on the opposite corner, set up in the late afternoon on the sidewalk. It can be quite hectic, and the wait for a table lengthy; I noticed nearly 50 people waiting for seats last night. Look to one of the 40+ employees, likely attired in a color-of-the-day polo shirt, to get you into the informal seating queue.

It is located on the corner of Yaowarat Road and Soi Pha Du Dong (aka Soi Texas) in front of the Broadway Hotel. So if heading up (northwest) Yaowarat Road on the right-hand side, not too far from Hua Lamphong train station.

It's a bit like No Signboard food-wise, for those familiar with that restaurant in Singapore, with every type of fresh seafood available. We had barbequed shrimp, pork-stuffed scallops also BBQed, chinese-style stir-fried pepper crabs and fresh oysters. Everything was great.

edited, June 26, 2008: I went to Rut & Lek recently (I go ~ once per month) and it happened to be a Monday so no street-side vending. Was directed to Rut & Lek's indoor restaurant, down the soi opposite on the left. They have a dining room upstairs, with air-con so a different type of environment, which I now prefer.

robb

Oct 30, 07, 8:35 am

Bumping just because I can't believe I had to go so far back to find a dining thread in this city of great food!

transpac

Jan 9, 08, 12:37 am

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/07/travel/06bangkok.php

or

http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=9053428

transpac

Jan 9, 08, 3:22 am

Food blog referenced in above article...

http://www.realthai.blogspot.com/

Wilbur

Jan 19, 08, 4:58 pm

Just noticed this thread...

La Dalat (the original branch) has great vietnamese food and I thought the prices were very reasonable.

For a different experience the food court at MBK is also worth a try.

I agree with both of these recommendations.

My preferred food court at MBK is on the sixth floor, where you exchange Baht for coupons. I can dine alone for three dollars, five dollars covers both me and my wife and the three iced coffees we need to wash it down.

transpac

Jan 19, 08, 10:01 pm

I strongly recommend food courts to all visitors for the many benefits: clean, comfortable, wide variety of choice, inexpensive (maybe 5% more than the street vendor) and easy to find (each mall, shopping center, multi-purpose building has one, typically on an upper floor). These are extremely popular at lunch-time with nearby office workers. Check out the one at Central World (previously known as World Trade, the gigantic mall at the corner of Ratchadamri and Rama I (Sukhumvit) (Ploen Chit BTS then walk towards Siam Sq.), on the 7th floor: bright, open, airy, new, windows with a view.

In a single location you can find as much quality and variety as you'd find on two or three streets. In many cases families operating street outlets expand into the food courts so offer the exact same food.

Many food courts use pre-pay paper coupons, in 5-10-20 denominations, or an RFID card, so you pay up front, guesstimate 75-100 baht/person, then use to purchase food and drink and individual stalls. Then you obtain a redemption if you have value remaining. At Central World you get a RFID card then pay at the exit.

A-la carte items (complete single serving including rice) average 40 baht at a typical food court

There is a slightly higher class of food court (MBK: Fifth Ave; Paragon; Central) which is a bit closer to restaurant fare. You get a RFID card associated with an assigned table, then you walk around choose your food from ~ 20 stalls, then they deliver it to your table. Wider variety (international), better quality and more expensive. You pay on exit and do pay an extra fee, in some cases, for "overhead".

I know many people lamented the move of street-based (pushcart) food vending in Singapore ages ago when the government moved to the food-court system, but I much prefer the latter in Singapore. I wouldn't mind seeing that happen in Bangkok as I think it would be better for everyone, but it won't happen anytime soon.

ajc1970

Jan 21, 08, 4:54 pm

* red curry with duck (kaeng daeng phet)

I think they call this one "kaeng phet bet yang" -- roughly "hot curry BBQ duck," or something like that.

One of my favorite dishes when done well.

There's a restaurant in one of the "red-light districts" called "Love Scene" that makes a awesome red curry duck, on Sukhumvit Soi 23.

I'm usually too embarrassed to bring my Thai friends there because of the area... but I did break down and bring 2 of my Thai teachers there once, and they thought the food at the restaurant was excellent.

ajc1970

Jan 21, 08, 5:00 pm

Pizza, Bella Napoli, Sukhumvit Soi 33 (halfway down, opposite Monet club)
Good pizza.

I used to eat there frequently, until 1) it moved to Sukhumvit Soi 31, which resulted in me finding and trying Basilico on Suk soi 33 while looking for Bella Napoli, and 2) I discovered Limoncello on Sukhumvit Soi 11.

Limoncello has BKK's best pizza, I think. Even Basilico's is better than Bella Napoli's.

nkedel

Jan 21, 08, 5:43 pm

I used to eat there frequently, until 1) it moved to Sukhumvit Soi 31, which resulted in me finding and trying Basilico on Suk soi 33 while looking for Bella Napoli, and 2) I discovered Limoncello on Sukhumvit Soi 11.

Limoncello has BKK's best pizza, I think. Even Basilico's is better than Bella Napoli's.

Limoncello is the best pizza I've had in Bangkok or anywhere else in Asia. Good stuff, albeit a touch pricy for Bangkok (~500 baht/~$15 for one person: a pizza and a large mineral water, although the pizza would feed two with more modest appetites.)

Also can be a bit busy in the evenings.

transpac

Jan 21, 08, 10:59 pm

Limoncello is a great Italian restaurant which offers excellent Italian style pizza, typically ordered as part of a 3/4/5-course family-style meal. Lately I've been ordereing, for delivery, from Pia Zanotti, which also has Italian style pizza.

My pizza post quoted above is ~ 3 years old.

The current hot-spot is New York Style Pizza on Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lo) on Soi 55 directly opposite Thong Lo Soi 8).

Re: red (color) hot (spicy) roasted/bbq duck curry: gaeng=curry, daeng=red, pet=spicy, bet=duck, yang=bbq/roasted, should be easy to find if you look for the open-air restaurants which specialize in duck. So gaeng daeng bet will work, the pet/yang being inferred.

Elena

Jan 22, 08, 3:26 am

Thought I would add some of my personal suggestions to the thread:

Restaurants:

D'Sens -French Modern by Michelin-starred chefs inside Dusit Thani Hotel (Sala Daeng)

Italianate- great Italian inside the Conrad, lovely decor (Phloen Chit)

Giusto -Italian, minimalist decor; exquisite truffle soup and seasonal choices(Sukhumvit soi 23)

Sirocco - Med food on the 63rd floor of Lebua State Tower, top-rated by Conde Nast. Warm lobster salad is my favorite. Most of food over-rated IMO. Dessert buffet is very disappointing; better to order a la carte. (Saphan Taksin)

Cy'an -Mediterranean inside the Met, white & chic, staff sports Yamamoto outfits (Chong Nonsi)

Harvey- Californian, modern cuisine such as lobster spaghetti (Thong Lo)

Bacchus -Italian & wine bar, chic decor & DJ owned by a Japanese guy (Phloen Chit)

To Die For- Casual, loungey spot with daybeds in the inner courtyard. Home cooking with a twist. (Thong Lo)

Lenotre- Wonderful cafe serving great food and pastries; great purple chairs; many locations (I usually go to the one on Soi Lang Suan)

Spring- serves Thai and also has chocolate bar Summer and outside space Winter (Phrom Pong)

Biscotti- Italian inside the Four Seasons- great for lunch, good wine list and nice desserts (Ratchadamri)

Crepes & Co- Fun & cozy place for crepes with comfy loungey sofas and the cool resident cat Mr. Crepe (Sukhumvit)

Kuppa- International, great Sukhumvit lunch spot, sofas & magazines. Expat-heavy but otherwise really nice. (Asok)

There are also many great afternoon teas in Bangkok including at the Oriental and Shangri-La. Great brunches are abundant, Four Seasons has a good one and Iso inside the Swissotel is one of the best.

Cafe Kakao is great new French cafe in Phom Prong featuring French music and great variety of chocolate desserts and homemade hot chocolate.

The Food Court inside Siam Paragon is also great for a quick bite if you're in the Siam area.

Bars:

Moon Bar-Outside bar on 61st floor of the Banyan Tree
Syn Bar- Eurochic futuristic lounge & cool drinks inside Nai Lert Park Hotel
Bed Supper Club- food & club- didn't find the food to be that great but then again that's not what you come for
Narcissus- Popular club-bar, many int'l DJs
Dali- small, relaxed art-bar, nice couches in Khao San area

ajc1970

Jan 22, 08, 12:19 pm

My pizza post quoted above is ~ 3 years old.

Yeah, I went through the topic in reverse order and it took me a while to realize that most of the topic is 3+ years old.

The current hot-spot is New York Style Pizza on Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lo) on Soi 55 directly opposite Thong Lo Soi 8).

Cool, I'll check it out.

ajc1970

Jan 22, 08, 12:22 pm

There are also many great afternoon teas in Bangkok including at the Oriental and Shangri-La.

I've read about "afternoon teas" before (at places like the Peninsula in BKK and HKG) but never actually investigated it... exactly what is an afternoon tea?

I assume it's more than just drinking tea in the afternoon, or it wouldn't be a note-worthy enough event that I'd read about it so often.

Would it be worth a trip to the Shrangri-La to check out?

MegatopLover

Jan 22, 08, 1:57 pm

Afternoon tea is what most Americans (wrongly) call "high tea." It's a selection of teas with finger sandwiches, scones, canapes, chocolates, the whole schmere. Sometimes a glass of champagne might be included.

lallyr

Feb 4, 08, 7:07 am

Any recommendations for a nice place to eat for Valentines night?

I have checked on the Dome (too expensive at 38,000+++ per couple) What do they serve you??? Gold plated lobster? :p Vertigo, again a little on the expensive side at 12,000 +++ per couple set menu.

What other options do i have? Wanted to do something "out of the box" something with a view???

Bob7032

Feb 4, 08, 2:44 pm

In the past, MahaNaga (http://mahanaga.com/bangkok/index.html) has had a nice St. V's dinner ... ~3500 baht for 2, including champagne, as I recall.

lallyr

Feb 5, 08, 12:09 am

In the past, MahaNaga (http://mahanaga.com/bangkok/index.html) has had a nice St. V's dinner ... ~3500 baht for 2, including champagne, as I recall.

Looks quite nice & it's on Sukhamvit. Any others?

Bob7032

Feb 6, 08, 8:33 pm

You could try this one ...
http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/thailand/bangkok/entity_143680.html

lallyr

Feb 7, 08, 12:45 am

You could try this one ...
http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/thailand/bangkok/entity_143680.html

Sounds like a good place. thanks! Will have to dig up some more links as this one was very brief.

Bob7032

Feb 7, 08, 8:55 am

Baan Klang Nam is very, very different from MahaNaga. While the setting of BKN by the river is very nice, like most Thai restaurants it lacks in decor and overall ambiance. If you go, reserve a table by the river and NOT in the house.

BKN is also more traditional Thai (not fusion like MahaNaga) and it is significantly cheaper (2 people can easily eat here for ~1k baht).

Totally different places. Try them both! (but I'd choose MahaNaga for St. V's)

fiona

Mar 1, 08, 7:58 am

Three restaurants we keep returning to are Tongue Thai, Mango House and Lemongrass.
Tongue Thai- if you are using Nancy Chandlers map- I found it quite confusing and we spent ages finding it the first time. Decor is fairly basic but the food is fabulous.
Mango House- just past Patpong market.
Lemongrass- an old Thai house and this is probably my favourite.

transpac

Mar 1, 08, 8:46 pm

In an effort to help others locate your recommendations I found the following:

http://www.hotelthailand.com/ezine/2001/issue3/zine5.html

Tongue Thai Restaurant,
18-20 Charoen Krung 38, Bangkok 10500,
Tel (66-2) 630-9918-9, Fax (66-2) 712-5943.
Open 11am-11pm, all major credit cards accepted, reservations recommended.

It looks like it would be down Soi Charoen Krung 38 on the left. Soi Charoen Kung 38 is a sub-soi off the major road, Charoen Krung, on the left about mid-way between Silom and Surawon Roads.

I could find a Mango Tree restaurant near Patpong but not a Mango House restaurant.
Mango Tree
Tucked in a quiet soi between the busy Silom and Surawongse Roads, Mango Tree is made up of two old houses, with intriguing photos of a past Bangkok on the wall and a collection of old cameras. Although cheap, this restaurant still serves fantastic fine Thai food. The dishes are influenced from all corners of Thailand and the spicy green and red curries are particularly tasty.
37 Soi Tantawan, Surawongse Road
Tel: (02) 236 2820.
I found a Soi Than Tawan off of Surawong Road opposite the Tawana Ramada? This soi is on the left walking down Surawong, and away from Patpong. It looks like it jogs through to Silom Road where it turns into Soi Silom 6.

Lemograss, Sukhumvit Soi 24
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/bangkok/D3135.html

Maybe I should figure out how to put placemarks on a Google map, to share with readers here? Is that hard to do?

SuperCarnitas

Mar 2, 08, 2:25 am

Maybe I should figure out how to put placemarks on a Google map, to share with readers here? Is that hard to do?
It's super-easy to do, and would be really appreciated by all! ^ We can even turn on the "collaborate" feature for threads like this. Maybe a link could be turned into a sticky at one point.

In fact, Google would then use your map to help with future query results, in places without a detailed addressing system.

(As an example, I did our Tokyo vacation map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103045055861289313206.00000111c0cd33c7d261b&t=h&z=10) in maybe 20 minutes.)

fiona

Mar 2, 08, 7:09 am

oh dear
yes - I did mean Mango Tree(Mango House is India:D)Sorry about the confusion.

fiona

Mar 2, 08, 7:22 am

Tongue Thai used to be known as Witches Tavern. Its website is here (http://www.witch-tavern.com/tongue/profile.htm)

rjh

Mar 7, 08, 1:31 pm

Everyone else must be hard at work.

I didn't check to see how redundant this Google collaborative map is, but here's a start (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=104204655440792142432.000447ddc93745d8f43cd&ie=UTF8&z=15), with Tongue Thai as the first entry.

Open to all for update. Have fun.

SuperCarnitas

Mar 9, 08, 1:32 am

Everyone else must be hard at work.

I didn't check to see how redundant this Google collaborative map is, but here's a start (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=), with Tongue Thai as the first entry.

Open to all for update. Have fun.
Broken link -- can you post again? (Make sure to use the "link to this page" link on the upper right of the Google Map, and not the cut/paste of your address bar. Yeah, I too think that's an unfortunate product characteristic on Google's part.)

transpac

Mar 9, 08, 5:08 am

Khao Manh Gai, similar to Hainanese Chicken Rice, is widely available in Bangkok. Two recommended restaurants are:

Jay Wa (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=107471500308826255123.0004419ba688e5b634acb&ll=13.752839,100.499722&spn=0.007983,0.011652&source=embed) a few steps east of Victory Monument on the north side of what is there called, I think, Din Daeng Road.

Name unknown, a few steps east of Ratchadamri Road on the south side of Petchburi Road, (corner Petchburi Soi 30).

Both places are usually packed, saw a lot of Asian tourists in the 2nd place, with guide-books, evidently this place gets mentioned a lot. We helped some younger Taiwanese people with their orders.

Typically you get rice, cooked in chicken stock, topped with sliced white chicken meat and a cup of chicken broth, but there are variations. A full chicken soup and dark meat are available.

From here it is a short walk to the Pratunam Pier for the Khlong San Saeb canal boats, to head east or west and beat the traffic. Visit the Pratunam clothing market, a warren of shops, alleyways, stalls, malls behind the Amari Watergate hotel, or the Platinum Fashion Mall (directly opposite the Amari, 7 floors, aircon) or Panthip Plaza for electronics.

rjh

Mar 9, 08, 3:11 pm

Broken link -- can you post again? (Make sure to use the "link to this page" link on the upper right of the Google Map, and not the cut/paste of your address bar. Yeah, I too think that's an unfortunate product characteristic on Google's part.)
Duh, try this (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=104204655440792142432.000447ddc93745d8f43cd&ie=UTF8&z=15). I should know better.

Edited to add that the Bangkok Eats map referenced in Transpac's post has a lot of placemarks, but it's not open for collaborative editing. I not thrilled making Yet Another Redundant map, but this might be an interesting experiment.

Also, I included "Restaurant Bangkok" in each of the placemark names to make them easier to find when searching. Comments for improvement can be made here, I suppose, but might make more sense on the map's comment area.

braslvr

Mar 9, 08, 11:55 pm

FWIW, Thailand is the only place I've been that local cuisine is consistently much tastier at low to mid range restaurants including street food stalls, than at higher end places. I tend to prefer spicier Isaan type dishes so perhaps this is why, but I've been disappointed every time I get dragged to an expensive eatery.

transpac

Mar 10, 08, 1:56 am

Duh, try this (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=104204655440792142432.000447ddc93745d8f43cd&ie=UTF8&z=15). I should know better.

Edited to add that the Bangkok Eats map referenced in Transpac's post has a lot of placemarks, but it's not open for collaborative editing. I not thrilled making Yet Another Redundant map, but this might be an interesting experiment.

Also, I included "Restaurant Bangkok" in each of the placemark names to make them easier to find when searching. Comments for improvement can be made here, I suppose, but might make more sense on the map's comment area.

I moved Rut & Lek to the correct location, added my fav. restaurant: Niyom. Will add more.

MegatopLover

Mar 10, 08, 6:53 am

ddrewboy

Mar 10, 08, 7:52 am

Be sure to add "Little Chinese Boy," the stall with streetside tables that I wrote about in the Street Food thread (and maybe this one too) to the map. That name is a translation of the Thai name, which I can never remember. It's located directly across Charroennakorn Road from the Peninsula, alongside the canal (there's a Chinese temple on the opposite side of the canal) and next door to a Family Mart. If Bangkok uses the even-odd street numbering system like we use in the US (but unlike Britain), then we could safely estimate Little Chinese Boy's address as 332 Charroennakorn, since the Pen is at 333.

Very handy map, BTW. Thanks for building it.

I know which one you are talking about but dont remember the name either. If I have to literally translate it, it would be "Tee Noi" where "Tee" is chinese boy and "Noi" is small or little.

The street numbering system is also odd-even streets. Unfortunately, soi 1 is not always right across from soi 2 and vise versa. Take Sukhumvit for instance, the odd streets are more frequent than the even streets. Am I making any sense?

drew

transpac

Mar 10, 08, 8:13 am

Be sure to add "Little Chinese Boy,"

The beauty of rjh's Google map is that anyone can add to it so feel free to add. I added one restauarant and edited another, and I plan to add to it. This new Google map for Thailand is pretty incredible. Evidently a lot of people knew it was coming as I've seen several prototype websites, one naughty, one nice already developed and about to be launched. The nice one has hundreds of restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions; very impressive, and I will post a link when I am free to do so. The naughty one highlights the various adult entertainment venues.

rjh

Mar 10, 08, 9:04 am

It's now possible to move placemark names up and down in the left pane that lists placemarks, so, if you add something and it's placed at the bottom, feel free to move it to the appropriate alpha sorted position. I'll do this totry to keep some sort of order when possible.

I suggest we use the convention of the knife/fork icon for restaurants and the glass icon for bars. I've also marked a few places as geographic placemarks for orientation. (I guess we should really use a spoon/fork icon, but...)

yosithezet

Mar 10, 08, 12:12 pm

The nice one has hundreds of restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions; very impressive, and I will post a link when I am free to do so. The naughty one highlights the various adult entertainment venues.

So you'll post a link to the first when you are free to but you are keeping the second one to yourself? ;)

This map is great! The funny thing is that I hadn't heard of Suda before a flight BKK-BOM last week. Though I'd subscribed to the thread I wasn't paying enough attention because I'm not great with the BKK geography, yet. I was sitting next to a Thai-Indian woman who has lived on Sukhumvit Soi 12 her entire life. She was telling me that for 'street food' in a non-street environment I should try Suda. Saturday I was up on the Asoke BTS platform and I spotted the place though I was on my way to Mosburger. Sunday I hopped over to Suda but it was closed. I'm looking forward to trying it out next time.

The past two trips I've discovered Khao Mun Gai and Khao Mun Gai Tod and I'm hooked! I can't wait to try it at the places that transpac pointed out. Meanwhile, how does one ask for some extra meat?

ddrewboy

Mar 10, 08, 1:52 pm

So you'll post a link to the first when you are free to but you are keeping the second one to yourself? ;)

This map is great! ...

The past two trips I've discovered Khao Mun Gai and Khao Mun Gai Tod and I'm hooked! I can't wait to try it at the places that transpac pointed out. Meanwhile, how does one ask for some extra meat?

If you are at street vendors, then tell them you want "Pi-set" which means special. They'll give you more meat then. If that's still not enough, I just order an extra serving. it's only 1 USD anyway ;)

drew

UAL Traveler

Mar 10, 08, 7:35 pm

Meanwhile, how does one ask for some extra meat? As in English, this can be done in many ways, with the preferred phrase based on overall context. However, I realize that such a comment is not helpful, so...

A simple, very polite way to ask for more of something (usually food in a restaurant) would be: "kor (xxxxx) perm, noi khrup" (note I assumed a male is making the request... if female, substitute ka for khrup). Just insert the thai noun for xxxxx. For example, asking for more meat, you'd substitute "neu-a." A woman asking for more rice would be "kor kow perm, noi ka"

If you're dealing with a street vendor, you might try something simple like "oww eek.... dai, mai khrup?" which means "I want some more... is that possible?" Such phraseology would rarely be used by native Thai speakers, but in practice would certainly suffice to get your point across. :)

rjh

Mar 10, 08, 9:15 pm

transpac

Mar 10, 08, 10:35 pm

SI was on my way to Mosburger.

New Mosburger outlets in Central Chiltlom (open), and Paragon (open 15 March), and more on the way. Incredibly popular here.

ddrewboy

Mar 10, 08, 11:15 pm

As ...

A simple, very polite way to ask for more of something (usually food in a restaurant) would be: "kor (xxxxx) perm, noi khrup" (note I assumed a male is making the request... if female, substitute ka for khrup). Just insert the thai noun for xxxxx. For example, asking for more meat, you'd substitute "neu-a." A woman asking for more rice would be "kor kow perm, noi ka"

If you're dealing with a street vendor, you might try something simple like "oww eek.... dai, mai khrup?" which means "I want some more... is that possible?" Such phraseology would rarely be used by native Thai speakers, but in practice would certainly suffice to get your point across. :)

Very polite indeed. AFAIR, I have never really ask as nicely as you have. I have always just order another serving. By the way, your Thai is very good.^

drew

yosithezet

Mar 10, 08, 11:29 pm

If you are at street vendors, then tell them you want "Pi-set" which means special. They'll give you more meat then. If that's still not enough, I just order an extra serving. it's only 1 USD anyway ;)

drew

I had read Pi-set somewhere, but the context made it sound like Pi-set was the name of the 5 baht coin like "nickel" is used in the US.

A simple, very polite way to ask for more of something (usually food in a restaurant) would be: "kor (xxxxx) perm, noi khrup" (note I assumed a male is making the request... if female, substitute ka for khrup). Just insert the thai noun for xxxxx. For example, asking for more meat, you'd substitute "neu-a." A woman asking for more rice would be "kor kow perm, noi ka"

For the next few trips I think I'll stick with "Pi-set" as I'm having enough trouble just remembering basic terms from trip to trip for the xxxx's. For the past week I've been under the assumption that moo is beef until the taxi driver corrected me on the way to the airport. :(

ddrewboy

Mar 10, 08, 11:46 pm

I had read Pi-set somewhere, but the context made it sound like Pi-set was the name of the 5 baht coin like "nickel" is used in the US.

Not coincidentally, to get the special, you will normally pay 5 baht more. I should edit Pi-set to Pi-sed. The i is a short ee.

So Kao mun gai would be kao mun gai pi sed

drew

UAL Traveler

Mar 11, 08, 9:30 am

I had read Pi-set For the past week I've been under the assumption that moo is beef until the taxi driver corrected me on the way to the airport. :(

:) Early on, I did find it ironic that moo is pork.

Actually, FWIW, neu-a, while technically meaning beef, is sometimes used generically to differentiate 'meat' from chicken (gai) and fish (plaa).

MegatopLover

Mar 11, 08, 12:12 pm

Well, I put a placemark on the map for this, but I'll leave it to someone else to move it appropriately.

I'm new to this. I don't know how to move the placement. :confused:

UAL Traveler

Mar 11, 08, 12:34 pm

I'm new to this. I don't know how to move the placement. :confused:

Click on edit at the top of the Bangkok Restaurants list window on the left. You should be able to then move the placemarks. Right click to add, move and label a placemark.

Nice map.

BKKROP

Mar 11, 08, 4:51 pm

rjh, you are a legend, I used to spend hours finding obsure restaurants that transpac, ddrewboy, megatoplover and ual would talk about, now all I need do is print off a map and say go there!!!! Everyone asks why I love Bangkok, but I think finding new and exciting food places has to be one of the main reasons. I am kept so busy catching up on the places recommended, that I never get to be a trail blazer and find anything new myself. thanks bkkrop

UAL Traveler

Mar 11, 08, 5:30 pm

rjh, you are a legend... <snip> Everyone asks why I love Bangkok, but I think finding new and exciting food places has to be one of the main reasons.

Agree! The map is a great collaborative tool, and there's not too much better to collaborate on than Thai food:) Just one question: is there any way to periodically back up the restaurant database? I ask this in case things gets messed up, which seems to me to be possible if a bunch of people are (with good intentions) working on the map, and inadvertently drag placeholders, delete entries, etc.

ddrewboy

Mar 12, 08, 12:02 am

transpac

Mar 12, 08, 6:05 am

I will shamelessly plug a restaurant.

Pla dib (raw fish) restaurant at the top of Soi Ari Samphan 7 or 8. It's about 10 baht motorcycle ride from Ari BTS station. It's a fusion restaurant (Japanese, Thai, and Italian) which uses top notch ingredients. They have a brick/cement pizza oven outside but it was not used the last time I was there.

The owner is like a brother to me and I used to be the guinea pig when he "experimented" with food back in high school.

If anyone want some more info, let me know.

By the way, was there ever a BKK DO?

drew

You should this to the Google map. You can add information in the detail box. Judging from your description it sounds like it might be on Rama VI Soi 30?

rjh

Mar 12, 08, 9:09 am

I will shamelessly plug a restaurant.

Pla dib (raw fish) restaurant at the top of Soi Ari Samphan 7 or 8. It's about 10 baht motorcycle ride from Ari BTS station. It's a fusion restaurant (Japanese, Thai, and Italian) which uses top notch ingredients. They have a brick/cement pizza oven outside but it was not used the last time I was there.

The owner is like a brother to me and I used to be the guinea pig when he "experimented" with food back in high school.

If anyone want some more info, let me know.

By the way, was there ever a BKK DO?

drew
Here's how I added a tentaive placemark for this restaurant. Once you know the method, you'll see how easy it is to add to the map.

I brought up the Bangkok Eating map and entered "pla dib" in the search box. Two previous placemarks came up, more or less in the same place, and near where Drew indicated the restaurant was. Then, I just saved to the map, changed the icon and name approproately, and entered his caption info.

rjh

Mar 12, 08, 9:11 am

Agree! The map is a great collaborative tool, and there's not too much better to collaborate on than Thai food:) Just one question: is there any way to periodically back up the restaurant database? I ask this in case things gets messed up, which seems to me to be possible if a bunch of people are (with good intentions) working on the map, and inadvertently drag placeholders, delete entries, etc.
Yeah, I've been a bit worried about both inadvertent changes/deletions and, frankly, vandalism. I considered having it open to editing by invitation only, but decided to let sanuk take precedence.

About all one could do is create a separate map and save the placemarks to it, one by one, I believe.

ddrewboy

Mar 12, 08, 10:02 am

Does any one know when the last time BKK map was updated by google? My childhood home location is now conveniently covered by clouds :mad:

I guess it really doesnt matter much since it has burned down 5 yrs ago. It was still present in the map last year :rolleyes:

drew

transpac

Mar 12, 08, 10:42 am

Here's how I added a tentaive placemark for this restaurant. Once you know the method, you'll see how easy it is to add to the map.

I brought up the Bangkok Eating map and entered "pla dib" in the search box. Two previous placemarks came up, more or less in the same place, and near where Drew indicated the restaurant was. Then, I just saved to the map, changed the icon and name approproately, and entered his caption info.

OK, color me perplexed. Did one or more people, other than someone reading this FT thread, add "pla dib", before we did?

I am on now on a mission to discover/re-discover old haunts...TbC

ddrewboy

Mar 12, 08, 11:40 am

OK, color me perplexed. Did one or more people, other than someone reading this FT thread, add "pla dib", before we did?

I am on now on a mission to discover/re-discover old haunts...TbC

I think so. I saw it last night before I posted Pla Dib. That's why I didnt mark it on the map.

drew

yosithezet

Mar 12, 08, 1:07 pm

When trying to figure out what Pla Dib means (Fresh Fish) I came across this mixed review (http://www.bkmagazine.com/review/so-fresh-you-can-slap-it).

rjh

Mar 12, 08, 1:20 pm

I ran across a recommendation "one of our greatest new finds" for a Thai place called Ruen Urai at Nancy Chandler's site.

In the Rose Hotel, 02-266-8268-72.
http://www.rosehotelbkk.com/location.html

yosithezet

Mar 20, 08, 2:49 pm

Yeah, I've been a bit worried about both inadvertent changes/deletions and, frankly, vandalism. I considered having it open to editing by invitation only, but decided to let sanuk take precedence.

About all one could do is create a separate map and save the placemarks to it, one by one, I believe.

I thought I found a solution. You can click on the "View in Google Earth" link in Google Maps. This will import the map into your Google Earth. Then you can right click on the "Bangkok Restaurants" map and Save As... into either KML or KMZ. (I'm not sure what the difference is.)

But this doesn't help as it is just links to the map you created on Google Maps. :(

However, I found this because I was trying to find a way to access the map from within Google Maps for Mobile on my BB. If you are using GMM you can run a "Search" for http://www.guild.net/~yosi/gmm/bkkeats.kml and it will bring up the map with all the placemarks!

rjh

Mar 21, 08, 4:42 pm

Somewhat off topic, but here (http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/148095/an/0/page/1#148095)'s an explanation of the differences between KML and KMZ placemark formats

KosraeTV

May 11, 08, 2:18 pm

Vegetarian Restaurants???

I am going to have a fitness freak with me who's a vegetarian on a few work trips with me. I know BKK and I know what I like... and it's not vegetarian so I've got no clue. I know one steakhouse that has a little salad bar but that is about it.

Anyone have any suggestions for locations with good salad's, salad bars, vegetables, etc.... I know thai food and he can get by at most places, but this guy is a handful and his idea of fun would be to source out full blown vegan capable places and I'd rather spend my time doing other things then looking for vegan food.

He's the type of person who would travel to five or six places to look at the place and menu and then decide which one to go back too.... And I'm the type of guy who would eat vendor food and I know my own places I like to eat at so I don't care to waste all day long looking for a meal.

Any suggestions would be appreciated...

transpac

May 11, 08, 10:52 pm

Vegetarian Restaurants???
Any suggestions would be appreciated...

Is your colleague incapable of finding his preferred food?

I'd just Google "Bangkok Vegetarian Restaurants", or maybe he could do that? Lots of choices:

http://www.bangkokeguide.com/vegetarian.php

http://www.dininginthailand.com/restaurant18.asp

http://www.happycow.net/asia/thailand/bangkok/

Just about any restaurant will have vegetarian choices, including most open-air Thai places. There are many Indian restaurants here, some strictly vegetarian. This really shouldn't be that big of a challenge.

KosraeTV

May 12, 08, 1:01 am

Is your colleague incapable of finding his preferred food?

I'd just Google "Bangkok Vegetarian Restaurants", or maybe he could do that? Lots of choices:

http://www.bangkokeguide.com/vegetarian.php

http://www.dininginthailand.com/restaurant18.asp

http://www.happycow.net/asia/thailand/bangkok/

Just about any restaurant will have vegetarian choices, including most open-air Thai places. There are many Indian restaurants here, some strictly vegetarian. This really shouldn't be that big of a challenge.

Gee thanks.... I was hoping for personal recommendations... but guess I just assumed folks would understand that since everyone is giving their recommendations here in this thread.

And yes the guy is pretty much a brick and clueless in many things... unfortunately he signs many large checks over to me and lets me travel 95% of the time without him.

And as I said.. I know thai food as I said I know BKK, he can get by in many locations but he will not be happy. I assume he wants more of a true vegan place like Tamarind over on Suk Soi 20. But I have never been there personally so don't know if anyone here can recommend places personally....

yosithezet

May 12, 08, 1:53 am

Assuming your colleague wants to avoid the "I ordered vegetarian" "This is just oyster sauce, no meat!" cycle, they may want to find out how to say "Buddhist Vegetarian".

There appears to be some information in this thread at another site:
Vegetarian in Bangkok/Thailand (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/message.jspa?messageID=13069998) including this list of Vegetarian restaurants from The Bangkok Post:

Anotai -
behind Phra Ram 9 Hospital, Rama IX Rd.
Tel: 02 641 5366/70
Open daily except Wed. 10 am - 9pm
Contemporary vegetarian cuisine in an appealing Zen-style setting guarantees to make you come back whether you are a vegan or a meat-eater. Highly-recommended are the chef's salad, deep-fried tofu with lemongrass or wasabi mayonnaise dressing, any cream sauce spaghetti dishes, fig pudding and homemade sorbet.

Govinda
Sukhumvit Soi 22
Tel. 02 663 4970 Open daily 11:30 am-3 pm and 6-11 pm
This beautiful tiny Italian restaurant is hidden in a small arcade near the mouth of Soi 22. It is a place where you can have, out of a a hundred or so meat-free dishes, the most delicious Italian risotto, think crust pizza and "chicken stead: - all prepared without meat. For dessert, the gelatin-free panna cotta with warm raspberry sauce is recommended.

Kwuan Imm Je
Sukhumvit Soi 24/1
Tel. 02 259 6466
Open daily 11 am-2pm and 5-10 pm
Kwuan Imm Je serves up a decent variation of Thai-Chinese style vegetarian dishes such as sukiyaki, fried rice, and stir fries. The restaurant occupies a small shophouse in a narrow subsoi. The interior setting is like that of a non-descript, air-conditioned noodle shop and the atmosphere is casual.

Ob Oon
1519 Rama IV Road
Tel. 02 215 2374 and 02 215 4395
Open daily 8am-6pm
One of the most respected vegetarian restaurants in town, Ob Oon has been cherished among Bangkok's vegans for more than 20 years. The restaurant in a two-unit shophouse offers a wide variety of traditional Thai-Chinese vegetarian dishes such as fried gai see mee noodles, tord mun (fish cake), fried rise and "smoked pork."

Baan Suan Pai Sukaparp
304 Phahon Yothin Road, near Ari BTS station
Tel. 02 615 1583
Open daily 9am to 7pm
Head straight to
Baan Suan Pai Sukaparpis you are in search of a vegetarian food centre with pleasant surroundings and more than a hundred vegetarian options. Simply set in a nice old house with a spacious backyard terrace, the restaurant is a place where you can find anything from vegetarian classics, like a wide variety of rice with side items and soup and salad, to more sophisticated choices such as fish maw soup, Chinese-style por pia sod, larb, "duck" noodle soup and herbal and fruit ice cream.

Tamarind Cafe
Sukhumvit Soi 20
Tel. 02 663 7421
Open 3pm-11pm weekdays, 10am-11pm weekends
This smart looking restaurant-cum-art gallery possesses a modern and bright atmosphere and serves up modern European cuisine that has been cleverly prepared without meat. A good proportion of the menu confirms to vegan standards, with an all-day brunch menu offered at weekends. There are plenty of tea varieties from China, India, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam as well as freshly-made fruit juices, smoothies and the like.

Vegetarian Cottage
41/19 Veibhavadi Soi 16 (Chokechai Ruam Mit Yaek 7)
Tel. 02 691 5083
Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-9:30pm
A fine dining restaurant situated at the end of a quiet residential soi in Sutthisan district, Vegetarian Cottage has for more than 17 years offered European fare prepared with imitation meat. Here you can find fake prawns, beef, chicken, salmon, pork and even bacon. Some of the best sellers include chicken fillet with lemon sauce, chicken cordon bleu, grilled chicken nam tok, deep-fried hotdogs wrapped with bacon and chicken nuggets.

Also there is a link to this travel menu which your colleague may find valuable:
Useful phrases for a Vegetarian in Thailand (http://www.enjoythaifood.com/learnthai/vegetarian.php).

transpac

May 12, 08, 2:59 am

Gee thanks....

You're welcome. The holycow link I provided lists 72 restaurants, most with multiple reviews. Any decent open-air Thai restauarant will have multiple good vegetarian options. Any Food Court will have stalls offering vegetarian fare, some exclusively so. Any of the post-paid Food Courts (MBK/5th Ave; Paragon, Central Chit Lom) will have good vegetarian options.

Tamarind is OK; I've only been there for events and parties, where food was provided, but the menu looked OK. I've eaten at some vegetarian Indian restauarants, all have been good, but who knows if your colleague likes Indian cuisine?

The Bug & Bee in Silom also has a lot of vegetarian choices on the menu.

Again, as I said, your task doesn't seem that challenging.

Whatever you do, do not take him to Khlongtoei Wet Market.

rjh

May 17, 08, 2:04 pm

See post #100 in this thread regarding the Google Map of Bangkok Restaurants. Someone has been removing restaurants and even renamed the map, presumably inadvertently. I added Suda and May Kaidee's back in (and reverted the map name to Bangkok Restaurants).

As far as I know, there's no wiki-like list of revisions, so it's hard to pin this on anyone. Of course, the editing isn't limited to FTers, too.

If anyone notices others missing and can remind me where they are, I'll add them (or you can do it yourself with a little care).

yosithezet

May 19, 08, 5:00 am

Went to Khao Mahn Gai using Google Maps to locate it today. It was great! Thanks for the tip!

mario33

May 28, 08, 12:17 pm

rjh

May 28, 08, 3:22 pm

Over at Starwood forum, someone suggested "Cafe Gallery" near the Royal Orchid Sheraton. Any other suggestion ?

I am looking for simple (i.e. not too touristy) but clean restaurants with good thai food near the Royal Orchid Sheraton.

Thanks
How about Harmonique (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/bangkok/D43484.html)?

I haven't been there in a while, though. It's walking distance from the Sheraton. I added it to the Bangkok Restaurants map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104204655440792142432.000447ddc93745d8f43cd&ll=13.72789,100.515064&spn=0.004117,0.009516&z=17)along with the Sheraton.

mario33

May 29, 08, 5:06 am

How about Harmonique (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/bangkok/D43484.html)?

I haven't been there in a while, though. It's walking distance from the Sheraton. I added it to the Bangkok Restaurants map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104204655440792142432.000447ddc93745d8f43cd&ll=13.72789,100.515064&spn=0.004117,0.009516&z=17)along with the Sheraton.

Thanks rjh, for a moment I thought you were going to suggest your favourite stall outside River City ;)

Harmonique seems to be a long walk from ROS (15min ?), has anyone tried the big restaurants across the river or any of the dinner cruises departing from ROS (dont think I want to go through the photo sessions before the cruise though, I just want to eat)

rjh

May 29, 08, 9:00 am

Gallery Cafe looks very convenient to the Sheraton and, from the reviews, worth trying. I added it to the map.

In the Bang Rak area, besides Harmonique, I generally eat/snack at one of the Indian/Halal places more toward Silom, but these are even a farther walk (and you asked about Thai).

jkof

Jun 23, 08, 8:18 pm

A lot has been typed about the great food scene in Bangkok. I just returned from a few days there and will add my support for the following restaurants:

Little Chinese Boy - or whatever its called, the one across the road from The Peninsula. Really wonderful meal. Morning Glory was very good, the squid with chili & basil was great, the squid yum (they were out of beef, our first choice) was very flavorful, and the highlight of the meal was steamed sea bass with lime. It also had a number of chilis in the broth as well as lots of garlic and greens. One of the best dishes I've had in Thailand. It was great eating.

Cholte Chitr - like many others we enjoyed a meal with sublime flavors. Their tom yum nam khon is now my new standard for how this soup should taste. Other dishes were also done well.

Krua Noppharat on Th Phra Athit a few doors down from Roti Mataba (also very good, esp for breakfast) served up a quality lunch - - especially the spring rolls - - in a clean, air conditioned room. A good place to escape the heat and bustle in Banglamphu.

Perhaps the best meal of the trip was at Je Ngor Restaurant on what looks like Naratin Rd and Rajanakin Rd (trying to read my hotel concierge's English writing). The place was recommended by a frequent BKK visitor and when I asked the concierge to write out the address in Thai he said "this is a very good local restaurant." After devouring heaps of crab curry, boiled shrimp, sea bass with garlic & pepper, and other dishes I can only agree. We were the only farang table in the place but they had a menu in English.