Showing 1-10 of 69 results
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Sushi supreme
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 17/10/2014
» While the arrival of another sushi restaurant in Bangkok might elicit groans instead of grins, Sushi Ichi is not your average semi-frozen fish dispenser. The Michelin-starred original incarnation exists in retail mecca Ginza in Tokyo, which conjures images of the famed Sukiyabashi Jiro restaurant of Jiro Dreams of Sushi documentary. Its basement setting is not unlike a Tokyo subway station location — a little unusual for Bangkok but completely normal in the homeland. The cosy dimensions are split into two rooms for 12 and 14 diners, with a narrow corridor connecting the two. The indirect lighting and ample use of hinoki wood (sourced locally) soften voices and light, transporting you seemingly far away from the bustling Ratchaprasong intersection just outside. An indirectly shared experience in the counter-style rooms, present during our lunch visit were well-dressed pairs of locals, execs eating alone and a Japanese couple that seemed right at home.
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Scando stylings
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 12/10/2014
» Cast aside any thoughts of amicable mass murderers when considering this bright new all-day venue in Sathon. Set in a cosy square space on an accessible soi, the style is a mishmash of cafes and restaurants you could find in any global city of style, particularly Copenhagen where the main partner spent her formative years. There are plenty of details for the aesthetics crowd to enjoy (courtesy of the other main partner) including high and low timber tables, recycled timber, a signature wall of light-bulbed letters and some arrangements that cater well to groups (book those early, particularly on weekends). The crowd is a 50-50 split between local and farang, with a stream of homesick Scandinavians getting their Euro fix. It’s good for a coffee, meal, drink, or more. There’s room for about 40 comfortably, and two narrow smoking perches outside.
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Sets to impress
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 26/09/2014
» And Bo.lan has a new home. The dynamic culinary duo behind the original incarnation over on Sukhumvit Soi 26, Duangporn "Bo" Songvisava and Dylan Jones, have transplanted themselves to Soi 53 and spread out into a more spacious (and stylish) premises not far from the Thong Lor BTS. While they had plenty of renovations to do, Dylan assures us, it seems the place has been there for decades with an already settled feel. Again, it's a house set among a well-kept garden — this time with a pool — that colour the main view and light source of the moodily-lit house. It seems they are enjoying the bigger space, particularly in the kitchen apparently, again creating a transporting effect through the portal driveway entrance to the secluded surrounds. There's enough room for 60 diners (80 at a push), with two private rooms available. They are pushing the environmental aspects of the place, (which is still largely overlooked in this city of appearances), reducing waste, installing LED lights and recycling organic matter and grey water. They are also moving towards being carbon-zero and hope to achieve this by 2018, which by then the city should have a better handle on such issues (and the real definition of words such as "farmer's" and "organic"). During our mid-week afternoon sitting, many local Thong Lor ladies were lunching with their well-dressed mums, but things get decidedly more moody in the evenings with all the mood lighting and timber, and the crowd morphs accordingly. Tunes sound like reminiscent of a molam Paradise Bangkok party, right in line with the other sensory stimulus.
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Simple sophistications
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 05/09/2014
» Time to eat? After the big successes of Supanniga Eating Room, a follow-up venue was always going to attract a lot of interest. The policy is the same — "the best ingredients we can find from the places we like, cooked the way we like," says co-owner Tatchai Nakapan. While Thong Lor almost sells itself as a dining destination, the big new variable in play at EAT is the mall location, putting the traditional flavours in a challenging new context. It's positioned upstairs at Groove in an irregular-shaped room, which affords it good vantage of the open kitchen as well as natural light from above (something that's missing at other Groove venues). Its modest dimensions mean that much of the prep work (sauces, etc) is still done in Thong Lor, but the cooking is now on show — a luring new element. There's space enough for 40 diners inside, while another 15 can fit out the front where the mall makes more of an impact and the seats are less comfy. Plenty of worker bees from nearby offices were present on the early evening we visited, as well as important-looking Thais and curious tourists from nearby hotels.
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Old world, new venue
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 29/08/2014
» With the arrival of two major mall-esque F&B destinations in the city this year — Groove and Central Embassy — it is safe to say that shopping centres have reclaimed some of the F&B traffic. Water Library is an interesting case in point, having gone from shopping mall (Chamchuri) to high-end independence (Thong Lor) and back again (Groove and Central Embassy). So it was always going to be interesting to see what the well-reputed brand had planned. It seems they have headed back to their European roots, not so subtly inferred with the entrance of the venue that is arched by an iconic steel arm reproduction of the Eiffel Tower. The Old World den-like interior is broken up to a lounge-style entrance area, two internal rooms (loosely divided) and a back section (yet to be opened) that will spill onto an outdoor balcony under construction; totalling enough space for around 100 diners on completion. It’s Old World Euro charm in a shiny new shopping mall, and somehow it works — welcome to Bangkok. During our afternoon visit, diners were a mix of pit-stopping shoppers, groups of well-dressed businessmen and the odd stray tourist.
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Comfort to a “T”
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 25/07/2014
» If you have made the leap of faith and moved down the nether regions of the Sukhumvit BTS line towards Bearing, your gamble is starting to pay off. The infrastructure of the area is kicking into gear, and T’s Cafe by Maison de Baguette is one such blossom, colouring in a new residential area that stood bare not long ago, and local residents must be wrapped. The space is a slither carved from an existing structure on a huge and semi-dormant family block of land. The dead-end soi gives it a neighbourhood and homely feel, with the friendly Japanese couple who own and run it already engaging the local community with leftovers and collaborations. Inside the smart conversion of the modest shoe-box-esque space, there’s enough room for around 15 diners. The interior is a calming spread of Ikea-esque neutrality, with light timbers, prerequisite industrial light fittings and cute patterned stools at the counter bench. The soothing soundtrack comes courtesy of a local jazz fan who willingly shared his collection. The crowd is majority Thai at this stage, but the Westerners will come.
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Comfort canteen
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 27/06/2014
» Almost every inner Bangkok hood has an Italian restaurant by now. Good for you if you live in Narathiwat/Sathon (Sensi/Il Bolognese) or mid-Sukhumvit (Appia/Bella Napoli). But there are still some holes to fill and La Cantina was targeted at doing just that south of Asok on Sukhumvit Soi 16. It’s a curious soi, with plenty of local office worker traffic during the day and a trickle of punters at night, but just enough to keep La Cantina afloat from both services it seems. The modest cafe-style shophouse is courtesy of local expat Luca from Piemont, Italy. He has opened in a tough climate, as have many others. Inside is a homely spread of casual dining for around 35 pax with some very recognisable Italian emblems on show. It’s fuss-free and won’t woo a first date, but mightn’t have you recognised by any social media scourers either.
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Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 13/06/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
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Teriyaki treats
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 23/05/2014
» In another good sign for the city’s maturing palate, regional variations are starting to grip. Japan is fiercely regional, after all, so to lump the bulky and noodle-lined okonomiyaki from Hiroshima with its Osakan or Okinawan counterparts, for example, would be a culinary crime. The latest instalment to widen our Japanese knowledge is Teriyaki Bar Kelly’s, a curious resto perched on a slightly mysterious empty block in the convenient pre-Thong Lor area. It feels like Beat Takeshi has walked into Bob’s Country Bunker in this competitor to the retro-rustic Imoya izakaya fave. Eclectic music selections and mis-matched light fittings complete the kooky urban barnyard mise-en-scene. Luckily it ducks the tired Sushi bar trend that has saturated Thong Lor, instead opting for a hybrid style of service with a distinct Nagoya bent. This is the second strong Nagoya representation of late following the cosy Hanakaruta sake den in Sukhumvit Soi 39. Most nighttime visitors to the soi don’t get much further than WTF or Opposite, but venture a little further in to find Kelly’s on the right. It seems that housewives take the early shift and salarymen later, true to cultural form. Inside, the timber and mish-mashed light fittings add to the charm and cosiness with space for around 35 diners.
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Med spread at Moko
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 07/05/2014
» Located in one of the burgeoning leafy sois of mid-Sathon, Moko Coffee & Eatery is a recent addition to the daytime dining scene of the city. It’s located just round the corner from some fair competition in Rocket, the Swedish-tinged brunch juggernaut. But at Moko the trajectory is of a different Euro-flavour, with an unashamed Mediterranean bent, executed with panache and poise. Modelled on (multi) shophouse proportions, the interior is an airy open-plan room of blacks and whites with plenty of natural light and an easy ambience to welcome you in off the street. The soft jazz sets the tone right, and you can almost feel the heat and bustle outside slipping away as you dip your croissant in your coffee. The crowd is a mix of Europeans trying to feel closer to home and well-heeled local residents that know their latte from their larb.
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