Features

Bangkok restaurants: Thai Treat

29 Feb 2012

Eating out in Thailand is generally a group activity, whether noshing at KFC or in a fine French restaurant. In Thai restaurants, in particular, it’s virtually mandatory, since most meals are eaten family style, with dishes placed near the centre of the table for people to help themselves. For many locals, this custom extends to other cuisines as well – if you pop into a German restaurant, for example, you may notice set plates of bratwurst, potatoes and sauerkraut, or leberkase and spatzle, being shared among all.

This means a “table for one” can border on being an embarrassing proposition – but rest assured there are many establishments with an ambience that welcomes solo visitors. Here is a selection of restaurants where you’ll not only be comfortable eating alone, but where you’ll dine very, very well.

Soul Food Mahanakorn

The subdued colours and seductive lighting at this low-key Thai bistro could easily persuade one to lose a few hours ordering kap klaem (Thai appetisers) and original cocktails, one after another. Combined with the well-prepared menu of regional Thai dishes and the suitably soothing blues and R&B on the sound system, the ambience might keep you here until closing.

The downstairs dining area of the Thonglor (also known as Sukhumvit Soi) eatery features plenty of bar seating, and there are a few smaller tables along one wall. When he’s on the premises, which seems to be most of the time, the sociable owner – food writer Jarrett Wrisley – welcomes customers personally, even introducing singles whom he senses might be kindred spirits.

Fresh fish steamed in banana leaves with lemongrass, galangal and lime arrives fragrant and perfectly cooked. Smoked duck larb, tamarind-sauce barbecue ribs and spicy roast eggplant salad also score highly.

Open daily for dinner. Two courses THB350 (US$11). 56/10 Sukhumvit Soi 55; tel +66 859 042 691; http://soulfoodmahanakorn.com

 

Sucre

Ian Kittichai’s menus seem to be popping up all over the city. His latest venture, Sucre, occupies a corner of Paragon’s cinema floor in the popular Siam Square shopping district, where many movie-goers happily dine solo. Take in the faux-circus décor from one of the long black leather sofas or colourful lounge seats.

The café offers subtle Thai twists on crêpes, tacos, pastas and classic continental desserts. Crêpes come in both savoury (Big Chilli, Florentine) and sweet (Banoffee, Mango Passion) versions. The aromatic panna cotta blends Tahitian vanilla, cream and lemon zest with the scent of mild ginger, while blue-pea flowers add hue and flavour to the blueberry and anchan yoghurt pudding. Dozens of cakes and pastries and a variety of espresso drinks round out the feast of offerings.

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Two courses THB300 (US$10). Siam Paragon, 5th floor, Rama I Road; tel +66 890 146 055

Madame Musur

Patcharin Wannawijit’s cosy bamboo-and-orchid-decorated hideaway behind Wat Chana Songkhram, near Khao San Road, serves authentic and delicious northern Thai cuisine.

Ordinarily, a place serving very traditional Thai fare would be a daunting prospect for solo diners, but since many of the clientele are foreign tourists clustering around the famed backpacker neighbourhood, the staff are quite used to one-offs. Thick kaeng hang-leh (pork curry), savoury khao soy (egg noodles in a mild chicken curry broth) and peppery sai ooah (Chiang Mai-style sausage) are made entirely from scratch.

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Two courses THB300 (US$10). 34 Soi Rambutree, Banglamphu; tel +66 891 114 305

 

Hyde and Seek Gastro Bar

Swedish mixology and catering outfit Flow and renowned Thai chef Ian Kittichai joined forces to create one of 2010’s most stellar epicurean debuts, centrally located off Ploenchit Road.

Under the leadership of Peter Pitakwong – former executive chef at Highline and Tong Thai Brasserie in New York – the kitchen pumps new life into classic dishes, serving homemade sausage with creamy quail eggs and Dijon sauce and, on my visit, blackened seabass with sage-scented cabbage and a shellfish emulsion. Reflected in the restaurant’s name and wood-and-leather décor, British cuisine also comes to the fore with traditional, hearty dishes such as Scotch eggs and bangers and mash.

Other international options, and even a touch of Thai, are available. Try the salad of Persian feta, greens and plum tomato confit, which is drizzled with a knockout orange-hazelnut dressing. If you arrive ravenous, dig into the chocolate-rubbed baby back ribs or Wagyu burger with cheese, caramelised shallots and shoestring fries.

There are signature cocktails as well as old classics, seasonal specials and new creations to celebrate occasions or festivals. Individual diners can sit at the long wooden bar to have a drink, or grab one of the smaller tables nearby to enjoy their meal.

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Two courses THB500 (US$16). 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee; tel +66 2168 5152; www.hydeandseek.com

 

Roast

The aroma of roasting beans may draw passers-by off the street the first time, but it’s Roast’s lengthy menu of carefully prepared comfort food that keeps them coming back. Dishes include buttermilk batter-fried chicken with mashed potatoes in truffle oil, duck hash, Canadian lobster rolls and a “brunch burrito” of scrambled eggs, bacon, avocado and salsa. Among smaller tapas-inspired dishes are fried crab cakes with tartare sauce and tomato salsa, meatballs with guacamole, and calamari with a lime-tinged garlic aioli.

You’ll find plenty of locals and expats from surrounding Thonglor seated alone. Reservations are highly recommended for the Sunday brunch. Single-origin beans imported from Africa, the Americas and Asia are roasted twice a week in huge German-made roasters – try the strong, balanced Papua New Guinea brew.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Two courses THB350 (US$11). Seen Space 13, 2nd floor, Thonglor 13; tel +66 2185 2865; www.roastbkk.com

Fat Gut’z Saloon

Ashley Sutton, an Australian ex-miner and salvage diver, who scored big in 2010 with his dungeon-like Iron Fairies bistro, has followed up with Fat Gut’z, an even more popular seafood-oriented spot no more than 60 metres away on Soi Thonglor. The short but robust menu, along with strong cocktails, attracts a high-energy, high-society crowd who contribute to an ambience reminiscent of New Orleans in the jazz age.

The signature fish and chips – which may be the best this side of New Zealand – is offered in one- and two-person buckets, accompanied by malt vinegar and pickled onions made on site. Gourmet seafood sandwiches made with crunchy French rolls come in prawn, mussel and softshell crab versions, while an avocado and seared tuna salad – served in overlapping slabs on a long, narrow plate – will satisfy those seeking lighter nibbles.

Original cocktails, designed by mixologist Joseph Boroski, are named after ships that have been lost at sea – try the Neptunia (white rum, pomegranate, molasses, mint, fresh lime and champagne) or the Lancastria (vodka, sauvignon blanc, spun lychee, lemon and Thai candy floss). If you’re still on the juice by meal’s end, go for the “Drunken Brownie” for dessert, which promises 17 per cent alcohol. Every night after 9pm, local bands play New Orleans- and Chicago-inspired jazz and blues. Reservations are recommended after that time.

Open daily for dinner (6pm-2am). Two courses THB500 (US$16). 264 Thonglor 12; tel +66 2714 9832; www.fatgutz.com

White Café

Formerly the popular Sukhumvit Soi 49 restaurant, White Café opened at the end of 2010 and aims to bring real Thai food to Thonglor, a long and prosperous dining and shopping street more typified by Japanese, Chinese and Western cuisines. Benya “Noo” Nandakwang, the woman behind the success of the original, concentrates here on creative presentation and an atmosphere where anyone will feel comfortable, from suited executives to skinny-jeans-clad rockers.

Glass walls, pale green floor-to-ceiling shelves and exposed ceiling pipes define the décor, while an open kitchen – unusual for a Thai eatery – announces a serious approach to cooking. Regular patrons favour simple one-plate rice dishes such as phat kraphao (fried rice with holy basil), offered with fresh scallops or sirloin tips. The latter is served with a bowl of beef and bitter melon broth. Pasta steamed with mussels and curry powder is another winner, as are grilled prawns marinated with lemongrass and yoghurt.

Cocktails include Lambada – a blend of cachaça and passionfruit – and Fish Tank, White Café’s take on a gin and tonic. Bookings are recommended at weekends.

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Two courses THB400 (US$13). 988/5 Noble Solo Condominium, Sukhumvit Soi 55; tel +66 2714 7623; www.facebook.com/whitecafegroup

 
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