Showing 1-10 of 61 results
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Gate crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 07/11/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
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Small talk
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 31/10/2014
» While the little venue has been gaining a reputation for being a nifty neighbourhood bar, we think its kitchen is worthy of some attention too. It’s the latest chapter of regional proprietor stalwart David Jacobson, who first came to the region in the early 90s to open the pioneering Q Bar in Saigon. The New Yorker is a gracious host, often on hand to decipher the nuances of his cocktail list and jazz collection, with plenty of juicy anecdotes in between for good measure. This latest local pad, Smalls, is just that, quietly occupying a corner on the leafy Suan Phlu (where Chez Pepin formerly stood). It’s three levels of kooky stylings, with DJs and live acts downstairs in the ornate parlour room, a kitchen and balcony on the middle floor and a rooftop upstairs for open-air action amid upholstered chairs and cosy tables. All corners of the adult cubbyhouse have something to offer, in a feast of textures (brick, recycled timber, corrugated iron, padded stairwell) and details (Jim Thompson photo outside, a caged Barbie, ceiling mirrors). The crowd ranges through the week (and night), attracting everyone from locals having knock-off drinks to dining daters to a dedicated bar crowd into the smaller hours.
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Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 12/09/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
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Electro fest
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 03/10/2014
» Plenty of live music again this week in more good signs for the city. Tonight (Oct 3) sees the hosting of the 1st International Live Looping Festival, presented by The Wet Carpet-Studio (fb.com/thewetcarpet). It will go on for both nights of the weekend and involve a showcase of music geeks from around the region who will loop their sounds live. Entry is an easy B100. Venue is Zoo (goo.gl/47zGcD). Open your ears and your minds.
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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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Peek-a-boo
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 08/08/2014
» The team that delivered the ever-popular Hyde & Seek gastro bar on Ruam Rudee in 2010 has dropped the long-awaited follow-up venue in Peek-a-Boo. And, as suggested by the name (which is known as ja-ay in Thai), they are in a particularly playful mood. The interior (courtesy of the fresh-faced 10 x 10 Design Studio) is in fact a forest of trees, three to be exact, with the bar positioned in the biggest trunk. There’s plenty of dark timber and greenery draped around the airy space that extends to two outdoor areas and room for 150 people. Groove as a food district is still finding its feet (and taste buds), and might need to rely more on nearby hotel patronage, but it has loads of potential with its breezy layout and solid spread of options, in what should be perfect for the indecisive who can just opt for Groove and decide the specific cuisine on arrival.
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Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 08/08/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
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Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 25/07/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
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Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 18/07/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
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