• LIFE

  Sweet-tooth Sundays

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 08/12/2017

  » Right on the corner of Thong Lor 21 you'll find Viva Market Thong Lor, a delightful restaurant and grocery store to walk past in the very least, and sit in at the very most. You can dine in with their delicious gourmet menu, or you can peruse the shelves and counters to get your fix of cheese, baked goods, organic fruit and veg, sausages, ham and oysters even!

• LIFE

  It's an organic party at Patom

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 06/10/2017

  » <b>The setting:</b> Off the main street of Thong Lor (down Thong Lor 25 if you're coming from the BTS) is what can only be described as a jaw-dropping, high-ceilinged glass house and oasis with a garden. Patom, which in Thai means beginning, also recalls the area of Nakhon Pathom from which all its organic produce and raw materials come from. The family behind the renowned tourist destination of Sampran Riverside (more often known as The Rose Garden) bought the land alongside the Tha Chin River some 53 years ago and across from that property lies Patom's organic farm which is certified in accordance with IFOAM, EU and Canadian standards. Here, fruits herbs and vegetables are grown. Patom also gets its organic produce from other local farmers in Nakhon Pathom that are supported by BLISS, a foundation set up by Patom's founders. Alongside fresh organic produce and lunch boxes prepared daily, one can also head to the store to stock up on cold-pressed juices, drink hand-picked Chiang Dao coffee while sitting outside in the serene back garden and purchase a number of different natural body care and skin products. All products are either 100% organic or made using natural and local ingredients, with as much of the components being as organic as possible (from 30% upwards).

• LIFE

  Are those abs you're cooking?

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 07/04/2017

  » We were really excited when we heard about Energy Kitchen, a brand new lunch delivery service offering nutritious alternative meals for all of Bangkok's health freaks. Don't you just get tired of all the MSG, sugar, oil and additives that you are ingesting into your body every lunchtime, or any meal time, during the week? Yeah, those meals taste so darn good, but they leave you feeling so darn awful. And, the better they taste, the more suspicious you should be we reckon, especially when it comes to a lot of the Thai food being served out there. #msgcentral

• LIFE

  A very veggie delight

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 10/11/2017

  » <b>The setting:</b> Alright, this doesn't really bring to mind a fancy wine and dine joint and it certainly isn't gourmet. But given that it was just vegetarian festival, we thought we'd represent a bit. Veggie Chef is what you're more likely to call street food; except, it's in an air-conditioned shophouse; it's MSG free and it's also completely vegan friendly. It's a bit of a way out of central Bangkok as it's quite close to Don Mueang Airport, yet we'll have you know that people with some hours to kill before their next flight will actually leave the airport to come to this joint, just because it's that good. Think of it as a no-frills vegan joint giving off a street food vibe, serving the most authentic tasting Thai food that's actually better than your regular Thai food because it's super healthy.

• LIFE

  Out with the old, in with the bold

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 01/09/2017

  » <b>The setting:</b> Next to Thong Lor Soi 5 is a rather pleasing-to-the-eye establishment that opened its doors to the public about five months ago. You won't miss the beautiful wooden double French doors that certainly do add a new kind of character to the saturated-with-enough-restaurants area of Thong Lor. Perhaps Canvas will stand the test of time and tough competition. Inside is dimly lit, warm and you'll immediately notice the kitchen and its chefs, most of whom are western. You can grab a table on the ground floor, either right by the open-plan kitchen which is surrounded by a copper-esque counter for guests to sit at or slightly further from the kitchen at a table; wherever you sit on the ground floor, unless you're sitting with your back turned, you'll be able to see the chefs in full swing. Head upstairs if you want something more private.

• LIFE

  Our home's on Goethe

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 23/06/2017

  » <b>The setting:</b> Meandering through Soi Goethe from Sathon's side, you'll pass a bend before you find the alley in which La Casa Nostra resides. The name, La Casa Nostra, is Italian for "our home". A home it does feel like, not surprising as it once was someone's stately abode. The outside courtyard is picture perfect for a European summer day. In Bangkok, the weather is either too hot, or too wet; on the day we visited it was the latter. This is why we reckon the courtyard is best experienced by night; think candlelight, intimacy, copious amounts of wine and last but never least, live jazz -- if your visiting on a Tuesday. We love the feel of the inside. Cosy and charming. Perfect for a rendez-vous of the Italian sort, be it for the sake of friends, family or a romantic one-on-one.

• LIFE

  For regal palates

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 03/02/2017

  » <b>The setting:</b> There's a sacred ruby of a restaurant tucked away in the deep depths of Sukhumvit Soi 13, officially housed within the Radisson Suites but, on approach, it looks grand enough to be a stand-alone. A royal blue awning, pressed with the golden crest of Punjab Grill's internationally recognised lion covers the arched wooden doors. When you step through, a world of class and elegance cascades over you; the interior exudes a warm and contemporary atmosphere that somehow mixes in a "British India" colonial feel; warm wooden floors, red tints, high ceilings, long golden curtains and of course, a Chesterfield sofa form parts of the magnificent whole. You won't feel cooped up in here, that's for sure. There's an open kitchen featuring three authentic copper and clay tandoor ovens.

• LIFE

  The game changer

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 09/12/2016

  » <b>The setting:</b> When we heard that The Reflexions had recently taken on its first lady head chef, Dutch national Roxanne Lange, we headed on right over to the Plaza Athénée. After all, this marks a new chapter in the restaurant's storied history. And, what a way to put a fresh interpretation on modern French cuisine -- by adding some warmly welcomed feminine and Dutch flavours to the mix. Chef Lange, having previously worked under Michelin Star guidance at the Savelberg, brings with her a wealth of knowledge in French cuisine as well as her training from Rotterdam too. The restaurant itself, tucked away on the third floor of the hotel, has dim and intimate lighting. The notes of a live piano, played by Jean Francois, The Reflexions resident French pianist, grace the space with sounds of jazz tunes interwoven haphazardly with classical and romantic all-time greats.

• LIFE

  Toro, today and tomorrow!

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 14/10/2016

  » <b>The Setting</b>: With a name like Toro, you might expect medieval looking (and smelling) walls draped with bull heads, men boasting bare tattooed arms, floors covered in hay, waiters dressed in red running for their lives and other bits of evidence pointing towards man's obsession with the blood sport of bull fighting. Or maybe we got a bit carried away there, whoops. Toro Bangkok is far from all that, thankfully. Being the last of the restaurants we'll have visited in the upper floor of the courtyard, we certainly mean what we say when we declare it to be our favourite.

• LIFE

  Freshly baked and beefy!

  Guru, Catherine Faulder, Published on 09/09/2016

  » A quick 5 minute walk from Asoke BTS, past Sukhumvit soi 18, and we'll admit some pretty dank and dirty bars, you'll find a modest joint serving some meat filled brioche buns that we all need more of in our lives. More of these and we all would be a lot more happy for sure!

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