Bangkok is a city where food is far more than just subsistence to make it through the day; food is one of the primary reasons to make it through the day. At any given moment, someone within view is either eating or talking about eating. This is a place with a deep-rooted, sensual appreciation for the culinary that manifests both in bare-bones noodle stands and glittering showcases for celebrity chefs. Whatever you crave, from whatever part of the world, chances are high that Bangkok has an exceptional version of it. Here are 15 places to eat fabulously in South-East Asia’s City of Angels.
Benjarong.
THAI DINING
Benjarong
Redefined flavours and baroque presentations are used to serve traditional Thai cuisine. Danish chef Morten Nielsen, who made a name for himself at Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, leaves his smoke and centrifuges behind for lovingly detailed renditions of recipes that belong to bygone days. Book a table outdoors, in the lovely garden, which has a waterfall as well as a pond full of koi.
Benjarong, 946 Rama IV Road, Bangkok 10500.
Nahm
After penning cookbooks on the subject and opening London’s first Michelin-starred Thai restaurant, David Thompson’s name is synonymous with Thai fine dining. It may be heavily emulated, but his sophisticated take on local cuisine still commands reverence.
Nahm, 27 South Sathorn Road, Tunga Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120.
THE JAPANESE WAVE
Isao
Purists might scoff at Isao’s maximalist take on sushi, where the over-the-top creations tend to be garnished with everything from squiggles of spicy sauce to chunks of tempura. That’s fine with us – it’s hard enough to get a table here as it is, so we’re not going to complain. And the chef’s “more is more” approach, a souvenir from his time in Chicago, may be unorthodox, but it’s also undeniably delicious. No one would fault the freshness of the fish, and the reasonable prices make this a more affordable luxury than vaunted sashimi temples such as Mugendai Penthouse.
Isao, 5 Sukhumvit 31, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110.
Jidori-Ya Kenzou
If you were to go by the clientele, the spartan interior, the countless sake bottles and the enticing aroma wafting from the grill, you might swear this izakaya that specialises in yakitori were in Kyoto rather than off Sukhumvit. Chicken, from shatteringly crisp skewers of skin to smoky thighs, finds its highest calling here above crackling embers.
Jidori-Ya Kenzou, 10/12 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110.
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon.
FINE DINING
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
From the US$1,000 custom-crafted plates to the Swarovski curtain to the counter around an open kitchen, reminiscent of a sexed-up sushi bar, every inch of this outpost of the global empire dripping in Michelin credentials screams posh. The multi-course tasting menus, riddled with truffles, caviar and other very fine things, match up to their decadent surroundings. It’s one of the most indulgent meals in town, but when you have guests to dazzle, this is the place to do it.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Fifth Floor, MahaNakhon CUBE, 96 Narathiwas Ratchanakharin Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500.
J’aime
At this tres chic number by three-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Michel Lorain, Bangkok’s financial elite feasts on Burgundy snails with parsley foam, terrine of foie gras and blush-pink breast of pigeon.
J’aime, 105/1 Soi Ngam Duphli, Thung Maha Mek, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120.
CASUAL CLASSICS
Lady Brett
The dark-wood haven offers heaping plates of grilled and barbecued meats. The Scandinavian masterminds behind it also run U.N.C.L.E., the craft cocktail lounge upstairs. On Saturday nights, it’s packed with guests sipping refined spins on tiki drinks.
Lady Brett, 149, Soi Sathon 12, Khwaeng Silom, Bangkok 10500.
Vesper
Dinner at Vesper starts and almost always ends with cocktails, either the namesake martini or a barrel-aged Negroni for a smouldering, smooth finish. It’s an intensely enjoyable creation, much like the rest of the menu here. Loosely Spanish or Italian dishes, such as lamb polpette with pecorino, octopus with smoky Spanish paprika and Sardinian-style roast suckling pig, are every bit as pleasurable.
Vesper, 10/15 Convent Road, Silom, Bangkok, 10500.
BRUNCHING WITH THE BEST
Roast
Prepare to battle for a table on Sunday afternoon at this packed eatery where single-origin coffee beans are roasted and most of the breads, pastries and English muffins are baked on-site. Everything is worth the considerable wait, but traditionalists will want to stick to the crab cake Benedict with sunshine-hued hollandaise or the Cranberry brioche French toast with house-made ice cream.
Roast, Unit #T1, The Commons 335 Thonglor Soi 17, Sukhumvit 55, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110.
Gastro 1/6
The leafy garden space is ideal for a delicious lazy weekend morning. Service is often slow, but the coffee is excellent, and the poached eggs and the tortilla Español crowned with jamón ibérico are worth the wait.
Gastro 1/6, Soi Sai Namthip 2, 238 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Bangkok.
STREET EATS
Mae-Varee
It’s hard to miss the dozens of immaculately piled mangoes at this shop in Thonglor, which are served with the salted coconut cream and toothsome black, white or pandan-infused green sticky rice from Chiang Rai. This khao niao mamuang (mango sticky rice) is one of the priciest in town, but it’s more than worth the extra baht.
Mae-Varee, 55 Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110.
Daniel Thaiger
In a city with such a deeply enriched street-food tradition, food trucks might appear superfluous. But this truck instantly achieved cult status for its cheesy, classically American burgers. Fanatics follow the truck via social media, often winding up at the popular CRAFT Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 23 for microbrews and juicy beef patties.
Daniel Thaiger, 191/, 1 Sukhumvit Road, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110.
The House on Sathorn.
TIPPLES AND TAPAS
Little Beast
Wrought iron and other masculine touches give this gastro-bar a classic speakeasy vibe and swagger, while shared small plates of creative, mostly carnivorous cuisine make for a convivial evening of boozing and nibbling. Save room at the end for the addictive homemade ice cream sandwiches that come with chewy peanut butter, snickerdoodle or chocolate chips.
Little Beast, Thong Lo 13, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110.
Hyde & Seek
While Bangkok’s original gastro-bar may no longer be the buzzy nightlife hub it once was, it remains a reliable spot for decadent entrees with some very stiff drinks. The food, which includes dishes like tamarind-glazed duck leg confit and whole roast chicken marinated in ginger beer, provides a substantial foil for cocktails like the classic St. Tropez Smash, tart with fresh passion fruit.
Hyde & Seek, 65/1 Athenee Residence, Soi Ruamrudee, Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330.
The House on Sathorn
For three years, Bangkok waited with bated breath for the rebirth of the old Soviet Union Embassy. And the bar and restaurant that eventually came up, part of the adjacent W Bangkok skyscraper, do not disappoint. Go not just to see and be seen in the exceedingly stylish interiors, but also for the whimsically-named dishes, such as Snowstorm in Istanbul 2004, made of lamb kebab, bulgur and eggplant begendi. The bar offers Asian-style snacks and a variety of Asian cocktails, along with an extensive selection of champagnes, wines and sakes.
The House on Sathorn, 106, North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangkok 10500.
This round-up has been excerpted from ’50 Meals in Bangkok’ published in the February-March 2016 issue of Conde Nast Traveller India. Read the complete article here.