Showing 41 - 50 of 322
Comfort canteen
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 27/06/2014
» Almost every inner Bangkok hood has an Italian restaurant by now. Good for you if you live in Narathiwat/Sathon (Sensi/Il Bolognese) or mid-Sukhumvit (Appia/Bella Napoli). But there are still some holes to fill and La Cantina was targeted at doing just that south of Asok on Sukhumvit Soi 16. It’s a curious soi, with plenty of local office worker traffic during the day and a trickle of punters at night, but just enough to keep La Cantina afloat from both services it seems. The modest cafe-style shophouse is courtesy of local expat Luca from Piemont, Italy. He has opened in a tough climate, as have many others. Inside is a homely spread of casual dining for around 35 pax with some very recognisable Italian emblems on show. It’s fuss-free and won’t woo a first date, but mightn’t have you recognised by any social media scourers either.
Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 04/07/2014
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Namsaah rah-rah
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 04/07/2014
» Once again, Chef Ian Kittichai comes to the fore with a daring and contemporary new outing in Silom. As the country’s highest profile chef, he draws attention with whatever he does, and for good reason. This instalment is no exception, particularly with the calibre of the team on board. Situated in a 100-year-old house in the back of Silom, the restaurant makes full use of the space with its high ceilings, well-proportioned rooms full of traditional Thai colours, and on-point decor in every nook. What’s not to like? There’s even a generously over-sized bar downstairs with one of the city’s better bartenders behind it in Justin Dunne, formerly of Ku De Ta-ness and Bed among other things. It makes that part of the house for drinking, with upstairs for eating in a well-measured division. The only variable might be F&B, so let’s see?
Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 13/06/2014
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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.
Gate Crasher
Life, Richard Mcleish, Published on 23/05/2014
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Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 30/05/2014
» Strange days have indeed found us, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop enjoying ourselves in this fair city. We just need to be a little more creative about it. And while many staple venues have been closing cautiously early, certain others are bending the curfew boundaries, particularly local neighbourhood bars. Just ask around (and jump on Grab Taxi phone app if you need safe passage after hours). Still, some stoic organisers are bravely persisting. The show must go on, right? And while we definitely advise checking online before attending events to see if they are going ahead, here are some curfew-cautious tips for finding some action over the next week.
Heart and zoul
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 30/05/2014
» Just down the road from Soul Food, the still-packed Thong Lor staple, comes another spiritual culinary contender in Zoulviet. The name could easily have started with an “S” had it not been for the requisite visit to the fortune teller, who advised against it. It’s a little strange that Thailand’s neighbours are so underrepresented on the food scene, but Vietnamese gets a better showing than most and Zoulviet is the latest addition to the contemporary canon, serving Vietnamese staples in comfortable surrounds. The ensemble ownership have taken over the prime premises above popular date dessert spot After You on the corner of J Avenue. It’s a much better use of the space with enough room for around 30 pax inside and another 14 on the smoking-friendly balcony. Beyond the now-cliche industrial decor touches, a steely Vietnamese woman in uniform oversees the restaurant from the signature wall-mural artwork. You’d best finish your pho or she may disapprove. Military dictatorships aside, the mood is comfortable but with style, proving popular with the local Thais of the area, particularly during dinnertime and weekends when the place packs out.
Stylish new Silom
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 06/06/2014
» Just when we were positing the strange absence of more higher-end restaurants in the Silom area, Vesper appears on the scene right on queue. Nested among the street food stalls and Silom foot traffic, this European bistro-style eatery takes its name from a drink, a Bond girl and a Latin phrase meaning “evening ritual”, if one reference isn’t enough. The room is shaped like a square, and the low ceiling keeps things cosy (not as low as Eat Me, luckily), particularly towards the back of the room. A similar mood — perhaps a modern take on the tired Zanotti grandeur — can be experienced elsewhere in the city, such as Little Beast in Thong Lor, and we weren’t surprised to hear the co-owning couple at the helm — Choti and Debby — are also involved there. Back here, there’s enough space for 60 diners or so, with some bar stools for the more dedicated drinkers to marvel at the mixology.
Gate Crasher
Guru, Richard Mcleish, Published on 06/06/2014
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