Showing 21 - 30 of 322
Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 19/09/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guideto finding something fresh to do in this big city.
More is more
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 19/09/2014
» Nestled at the front of Groove upstairs, this hunting lodge-themed restaurant is starting to garner plenty of attention in the area with some pretty stiff eating competition. To pull off the concept, they have gone all out with the decor to good effect, which is fun enough to dispel the mall feel that other venues in the precinct suffer from. It’s easily located by the iconic grizzly bear that towers over the entrance, instantly confirming the hunting tendencies of the place. The expansive premises has enough room for about 80 diners inside, which can stretch to over 100 with the outdoor area. Hang up your rifle on entry as you slink onto a bar stool after a solid morning’s hunting. The crowd is a steady stream of cool kids that all seem to know each other — friends of friends of friends, etc — Bangkok-style.
A restaurant for all seasons
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 15/08/2014
» While the main arteries of the city remain clogged with traffic and chain restaurants, it's exciting to see the emergence of back-soi venues. Settled on a quiet block of the Silom banking district, Le Du Wine Bar & Restaurant has been catering to an in-the-know clientele that likes to think outside the box, both in terms of location and menu, since opening in November. The boxy space has enough room for around 35 people in dainty surrounds that look more suited to high tea than gastro adventuring. The ornate room features a large viewing window into the kitchen, highlighting what is really on show here - the food. The night we visited was a little quiet, with a table or two of well-heeled Thais present - such is the trappings (and joy) of a destination venue.
Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 15/08/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
The allure cure
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 22/08/2014
» Currently making his way through the Kingdom is Dave Dixon, aka Allure. The well-travelled Dutchie has been around since the 90s and fills a relentless touring schedule. He will spin in Bangkok tomorrow night (Aug 23) at Ku De Ta (39/F, Sathorn Square Bldg, 98 Sathon Nua Road, fb.com/kudetabangkok) with free entry. We spoke to him on the eve of the show.
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.
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.
Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 26/09/2014
» Welcome to Guru’s Gate Crasher, your ultimate guide to finding something fresh to do in this big city.
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.
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.