Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [125]
SUAN LUM NIGHT BAZAAR
Map Thai $
cnr Th Withayu & Th Rama IV; mains 50-150B; 7pm-midnight; Lumphini exit 3
Find a seat (as far from the stage as possible if you value your eardrums), order a draught hefeweizen and a dish of deep-fried soft-shell crabs, and settle down for an evening of typically tasty Thai entertainment. Although the live music performances might not be to everybody’s taste, the combo of decent eats and copious beer tends to tip the scales. There has long been talk that Suan Lum is slotted for the wrecking ball, but until the bulldozers arrive, we remain sceptical.
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THANON SUKHUMVIT
Th Sukhumvit is Bangkok’s international avenue. Running through the immigrant community of Little Arabia at Soi 3/1, past the girlie bars around Nana, and skirting the well-heeled Thai and executive expat neighbourhoods further east, there’s hardly a cuisine not represented here. You wouldn’t come to Sukhumvit to eat Thai, but you do come for everything else, from hummus to burgers.
GREAT AMERICAN RIB COMPANY
Map American $$$
0 2661 3801; 32 Soi 36, Th Sukhumvit; mains 165-400B; 11am-11pm; Thong Lo exit 2
The term ‘barbecue’ often inspires images of grilled meat, but slow-cooking as it’s done in the American south is another beast altogether. Avoid the burgers at this blandly named but popular joint and stick to the fall-apart-at-the-touch Memphis-style ribs and rich pulled pork.
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top picks
AUTHENTIC IMPORTS
Boon Tong Kiat Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice Singapore’s unofficial national dish has found a home in Bangkok.
Gianni Ristorante Not necessarily the way Mama made it; Gianni's Italian cuisine is even better.
Le Bouchon You’ll be the only one speaking English at this Francophile outpost.
Mokkori Feel like an authentic Japanese sarariman as you slurp your noodles.
Ran Nam Tao Hu Yong Her One of the few places in town to get your northern Chinese on.
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CRÊPES & CO
Map French $$$
0 2653 3990; www.crepes.co.th; 18 Soi 12, Th Sukhumvit; mains 150-540B; 9am-midnight; Sukhumvit exit 3; Asok exit 2;
Want to pretend you’re part of Bangkok’s expat community? This cute cottage crêperie, another 50m down the same soi as Cabbages & Condoms, is a good place to start. The homely setting and excellent service, not to mention a menu that offers much more than the restaurant’s name suggests, keep the desperate housewives of Bangkok’s diplomatic corps coming back again and again.
BEI OTTO
Map German $$$
0 2262 0892; www.beiotto.com; 1 Soi 20, Th Sukhumvit; mains 175-480B; 11am-midnight; Sukhumvit exit 2; Asok exit 4
Claiming a Bangkok residence for nearly 20 years, Bei Otto’s major culinary bragging point is its pork knuckles, reputedly the best in town. A good selection of German beers and an attached delicatessen with brilliant breads and super sausages make it even more attractive to go Deutsch.
FACE
Map Indian/Thai $$$
0 2713 6048; www.facebars.com; 29 Soi 38, Th Sukhumvit; mains 280-1750B; 6.30-10pm Mon-Fri, to 11pm Sat & Sun; Thong Lo exit 4
Housed in several interconnected Thai-style wooden structures, this handsome dining complex is essentially three very good restaurants in one. Lan Na Thai does flawless domestic with an emphasis on regional Thai dishes, Misaki handles the Japanese end of things, while Hazara dabbles in exotic-sounding ‘North Indian frontier cuisine’.
BED SUPPERCLUB
Map International $$$
0 2651 3537; www.bedsupperclub.com; 26 Soi 11, Th Sukhuvmit; 3-course set menu Sun-Thu 1450B, 4-course set menu Fri & Sat 1850B; 8-11pm; Nana exit 3
It’s the modern equivalent of breakfast in bed, except that it’s not breakfast and your ‘bed’ is a gigantic white tube that you share with other diners. Regardless, leave your nightclothes at home and come for Aussie chef Cameron Stuart’s modern eclectic cuisine, which relies heavily on local Thai ingredients. Friday sees a surprise four-course menu.
KUPPA
Map International $$$
0 2663 0495; 39 Soi 16, Th Sukhumvit; mains 165-695B; 10am-11pm Tue-Sun; Sukhumvit