Showing 1 - 10 of 39
Behind the mask
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 13/03/2020
» Coronavirus -- you've been hearing about it, reading about it, but knock on wood you haven't been infected by it. The world has been sent reeling these past few months because of the virus. Everyone is in a state of panic. Masks are in short supply, sneezing in public places garners dirty looks and everyone is convinced they're living in Raccoon City and the Umbrella Corporation is behind it all (get the Resident Evil reference?). But let's all chill for a sec, which may be difficult to do given the circumstances, but we need to get our facts straight which, apparently, is hard for the Thai Ministry of Public Health to do. Let's talk about Covid-19 and how it affects us in Thailand.
Street and savoury
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 04/08/2017
» <b>The setting:</b> After being dubbed the world's street food capital for two years in a row by CNN, it seemed only proper that the first Michelin-starred street food restaurant, Hawker Chan, opened its doors to Bangkokians almost a month ago. Hailing from Singapore, this is the restaurant's second venture out of its home country, the first being Taiwan. The restaurant has opened in a pretty accessible location on the fifth floor of Terminal 21. Much like its original Singaporean location, it's not a stranger to long queues, but customer flow has definitely improved since they opened. Still, don't be surprised if all their tables are full during lunch and dinner, especially on weekends.
Let's get high
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 03/03/2017
» Many restaurants aspire to give their patrons an elevated dining experience, and in some cases, this has been taken literally. Bangkok is home to a vast array of rooftop restaurants and bars, some of which are well-known, go-to places for a dinner with a magnificent view of the city's skyline. This week, we have rounded up a number of relatively new rooftop restos for you to check out and enjoy. Protip: don't look down. Seriously.
The new gold
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 21/06/2019
» Ah, Bangkok -- the city of traffic, dangerous sidewalks, delicious street food, scammy taxi drivers and jumping-on-the-bandwagoners. Bangkokians love getting on the latest trend and craze, so when the salted egg phenomenon hit, it was only a matter of time before we were swimming with all things kai khem. Lo and behold, we are now living in the age of the salted egg. Everywhere you look, there seems to be a special salted egg dish or snack that you can try. If you're feeling overwhelmed, I get you. If you're wondering how the heck salted egg is a thing, I get you, too. I wasn't entirely sure myself. But in the spirit of top-notch investigative journalism that we are known for at Guru (wot?!), I decided to embark on a salty journey. For the sake of you, dear readers, and so that you don't have to gorge yourselves on everything salted egg, we present salted egg delicacies the city has to offer, with the real question answered: Yay, Nay or Meh.
Fish 'n chips 'n delicious to the lips
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 05/05/2017
» <b>The Setting:</b> Sukhumvit Soi 23 is not really a place well-known for good dining options and more for being the location of the infamous Soi Cowboy. Yet, a newly-opened restaurant on the premises is set to change all that. Walking into Papa's Fish 'n Chips is like walking into a rustic, industrial, chill-out place that has a banging adult rock playlist and a centre table that pops out thanks to the blue-white tiles imported all the way from Italy. It's a different atmosphere from what you'll see outside -- bars and street food. And despite having only been opened for about three weeks, Papa's Fish 'n Chips has a menu that blows us all away.
Fine (home) dining
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 15/09/2017
» There are people who like eating out at fancy restaurants helmed by Michelin-starred chefs and making it a special occasion. There are also people who prefer home-cooked meals and opt for simplicity over lavish dining. But who's to say you can't have both? Chef Pam Utharntharm is doing just that at The Table. It's not a conventional "restaurant" because she serves patrons at her home and cooks their meal in the comfort of her own kitchen. Guru talked to her about how she's bringing home-cooked Michelin quality food to Bangkokian foodies and helping them experience -- to use the words of the eternally wise Hannah Montana -- the best of both worlds.
I <3 Bangkok
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 09/03/2018
» Ah, Bangkok -- the city where road laws are more like suggestions than laws, where the traffic is horrible, the air is polluted, where that Rolex you bought stops working the next day and where a "ping pong show" isn't a game of table tennis. There are many weird and sometimes downright horrifying things we experience living in Bangkok, like being stuck in a taxi with a perverted driver. But despite the many, many things we complain about, Bloomberg's Misery Index (which is a thing, you can Google it) has named Thailand "the least miserable country". In light of that, we've compiled a few reasons why we love living in Bangkok (we are aware we're focusing on Bangkok and not Thailand. We see you rushing to troll us, haters) to remind you to look at the brighter side and forget the fact that the elections are postponed again... Oops.
Easy living
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 16/08/2019
» Living in Bangkok has its share of ups and downs. Then again, what city doesn't? We know we complain about living in the city in every issue we publish (we have plenty more) but that doesn't mean there are people who share the same grievances, but unlike us who just whine, have decided to do something about it. Sure, there are plenty of things to be improved upon or done away within Bangkok and we're pretty sure we all can write a long list. But we're sincerely glad to see that there are services like these that make not just living in Bangkok a little easier, but also living a greener, more-eco friendly life in the city more viable. And who's going to refuse a greener and easier lifestyle? Here are a few services to try out.
Just chicken dinner
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 16/03/2018
» A favourite Thai street dish everyone loves is khao man gai or Hainanese chicken rice. It's simple and easily accessible thanks to the indomitable presence of Bangkok street vendors. The dish is also popular in Singapore and widely sold in food courts over there. It's a dish we see everyday and perhaps even eat regularly, but Sergeant Kitchen promises a premium version of the dish.
Eat on. Game on.
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 08/09/2017
» <b>The setting:</b> It's a shame not a lot of people have heard about Hopeland. Within the offering of bars and restaurants at Thong Lor's 72 Courtyard, this one is at the very back on the the ground floor. At first glance, it seems to be your typical bar and restaurant. Lights in neon purple, steel tables, thumping music to get you going -- the usual. But don't judge a book by its cover. Hopeland does pride itself in its array of Korean dishes as well as its Tiki drinks, and we'll talk about that later. The thing that makes Hopeland special is its arcade games. And no, we're not just referring to those two arcade machines near the entrance and the kitchen where you can play games like Street Fighter and Tekken. There are also arcade games built into the tables. Yep, you read that right. While eating your food and nursing your drink, there's no need to get up from your seat; you can play some Pac-Man or Donkey Kong right there at your table. You can even take turns and play as two-players! You can game all you want, of course, but will you be feasting on good food as well? Or is Hopeland simply just another gimicky resto and bar? Read on.