Showing 1 - 5 of 5
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.
Soap and spaghetti
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 20/06/2014
» What do soap and spaghetti have in common? Not a lot might be a fair answer, but actually it’s more than you may assume. The link between food and beauty products has come to the fore in Bangkok in venues such as the Karmakamet outlets. And the House of Lakshmi Mantra is the next to fall in line. Situated on a huge leafy block on a southern Sukhumvit soi, walking into Lakshmi Mantra is like entering the house of the crazy aunt you never had. It puts the itch back in kitsch, with the soapy aroma throughout the house definitely tweaking the nostrils. The quirkiness kicks off immediately with the soap and flower displays in every corner among the one-off items collected by the proud owner (one of the Supanniga partners). Take a seat at one of the mismatched tables, or, even better, head upstairs where there’s more space for bigger groups.
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.
The definite
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 07/06/2013
» Call us grammar geeks, but it's amazing the difference a single article can make when put in front of a name. We considered calling ourselves "The Guru" for this edition, in sympathy with the restaurant up for consideration here, but decided against. But while The District brazenly insists its own definite article, it has reason to be confident.
Bar for Bar
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 10/05/2013
» While the traditional Bangkok bar as considered internationally probably needs hosing down at close every night (for a number of reasons), two new venues on the scene are stretching the scope with concepts of their own.