Bangkok101 Magazine November 2013 by Talisman Media

november 2013 100 baht

BEHIND THE

SCENES IN

CHINATOWN YVAN COHEN PULLS BACK THE CURTAIN ON THE LIVES OF CHINESE OPERA SINGERS

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publisher’s letter

angkok has a vibrant art scene with smaller galleries – and larger ones – popping up all over the place. But sometimes Thai cinema is overlooked in the middle of all that. In light of this, we preview the World Film Festival of Bangkok, which this month brings independent films from all over the globe to the Thai capital. Among the films on display are two documentaries from Thai director Nontawat Numbenchapol, who we interview this month to discuss his latest work as well as the one that got him started. But don’t worry, we haven’t been neglecting our other mission to eat our way through this city’s best restaurants. This month, we visited Aston, DiVino, Napa on 26, Hamilton’s Steak House, Tom Yung Kung and Indus. We were reminded once again of the quality on offer in Bangkok – but also the sheer variety. We washed it all down with a cocktail masterclass at Water Library in Thong Lor – one of our most memorable drinking experiences in some time. On the travel front, we gear up for Loy Krathong but also squeezed in trips to Borneo and a more sedate trip over to Prachinburi. All this and our 101 archive and extras can be found online at bangkok101.com. A couple of clicks is all it takes to keep in touch with what’s happening. If there’s something you feel we’re not covering but should, then please drop us a line at info@talisman-media.com.

What is Bangkok 101 Independent and unbiased, Bangkok 101 caters to savvy travellers who yearn for more than what they find in guidebooks. It brings together an authoritative who’s who of city residents, writers, photographers and cultural commentators. The result is a compact and intelligent hybrid of monthly travel guide and city magazine that takes you on and off the well-worn tourist track. Bangkok 101 employs the highest editorial standards, with no fluff, and no smut. Our editorial content cannot be bought. We rigorously maintain the focus on our readers, and our ongoing mission is to ensure they enjoy this great city as much as we love living in it.

Enjoy.

Mason Florence Publisher

b a ngkok 101 Pa r t n e r s

bangkok101.com

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CMY

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Contributors

publisher

Mason Florence editor-in-chief

Dr Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher

Parinya Krit-Hat editor

Tom Sturrock group editor

Bangkok-born but internationally bred, Dr Tom Vitayakul has a background in communication and branding but now runs his family’s boutique hotel and Thai restaurant. An avid traveller and a bon vivant, he has contributed to magazines including Lips, Lips Luxe and the Bangkok Post ’s the Magazine, and has also helped edit several books on Thai subjects.

Award-winning writer joe cummings was born in New Orleans and grew up in France, California and Washington, DC. Joe became one of Lonely Planet’s first guidebook authors, creating the seminal Lonely Planet Thailand guide. Joe has also written illustrated reference books such as Buddhist Stupas in Asia; Sacred Tattoos of Thailand; Muay Thai; World Food Thailand; Buddhist Temples of Thailand; Chiang Mai Style and Lanna Renaissance.

Food and travel writer howard richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s spent years exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer. He’s contributed to publications such as GQ , the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine.

Joe Cummings editorial assistant

Pawika Jansamakao art director

Narong Srisaiya graphic designer

Watcharee Sadubsoi

strategists

Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers

Gaby Doman, Urasa Por Burapacheep, Luc Citrinot, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Dave Stamboulis, Sarah Cuiksa contributing photographers

Dejan Patic´, Jatuporn Rutnin, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat group director sales & marketing

Jhone El’Mamuwaldi

director business development

British-born writer-artist steven pettifor stopped over in Thailand 13 years ago on his way to Japan, but never left. An authority on contemporary Thai art, Steven is a commentator on the local art scene, contributing to international and domestic newspapers and journals. In 2004 he published coffeetable book Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art . When not musing, he is often found travel writing.

Native-Bangkok writer, photographer and incurable travel addict, korakot (nym) punlopruksa believes in experiencing the world through food. She can usually be found canvassing the city for the best eats. Nym has been a host for music and film programmes, a radio DJ, a creative consultant for TV and a documentary scriptwriter. Her work appears in magazines, including Elle, Elle Decoration and GM .

Very Thai author philip cornwel-smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in the areas of culture and travel. He has lived in Thailand for over a decade, editing its first listings magazine and the Time Out Bangkok guides, updating Thailand: A Traveller’s Companion, presenting Noodle Box: Bangkok on Discovery Channel, and squeezing Bangkok into the city’s first phone guide for Nokia.

Itsareeya Chatkitwaroon

director sales and marketing

Nowfel Ait Ouyahia special projects

Wasin Banjerdtanakul circulation

Pradchya Kanmanee published by

AVAILABLE AT:

bangkok101.com

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No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written, prior permission of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, which accepts no responsibility for them. NO V E M BER 2 0 1 3 | 5

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CONTENTS xx 40

city pulse

a r t & c u lt u r e

shopping

8 metro beat

48 exhibition highlights

96 new collection:

12 up in lights

52 interview:

soda

14 hot plates: aston

nontawat numbenchapol

98 jj gem: khan luang

16 out and about:

55 cheat notes

99 unique boutique:

water library

56 photo feature:

code 10

20 best of bangkok:

chinese opera

world film festival of

food & drink

bangkok

62 food & drink news

s n a p s h ot s

64 meal deals

24 tom’s two satang

65 restaurant reviews:

26 very thai

divino, tom yung kung,

28 joe’s bangkok

hamilton’s steak house,

30 sightseeing listings

napa 26, indus 72 in the kitchen:

t r av e l

dan ivarie

wellness

34 loy krathong

73 eat like nym

100 spa review:

36 up country now

74 restaurant listings

cense

bangkok sukhumvit

nightlife

reference

40 up country escape:

82 nightlife news

102 getting there

prachinburi

84 live music:

104 maps

44 over the border:

martin taylor

112 my bangkok:

borneo

86 nightlife listings

justin mills

38 hotel review: sofitel

bangkok 101

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behind THE

scenes in

chinatown Yvan cohen pulls back the curtain on the lives of chinese opera singers november 2013 000_cover.indd 4

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on the cover Yvan Cohen gets up close and personal with opera singers in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Check out p56

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metro beat

by Howard Richardson

ROCK & POP

ETC Thai poppers ETC celebrate 10 years in the business with a concert at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-5045050, impact.co.th) on November 30, complete with special guests and dancers. Tickets are B1000-B3000 at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). A mix of vocal concert and comedy, Khun Pra Chuay Sam Dang Sod 4 Ruamphandin features artists such as Toi Settha, Oopip and Nim AF5 at Aksra Theatre (8/1 Soi Rangnam, 02-677-8888, aksratheatre. com) on November 1-3. Shows are at 2.30pm and 7pm, with tickets available at Thai Ticketmajor (02262-3456, thaiticketmajor. com) for B1250-B3000. Actor-singer Apichai ‘Lek’ Trakulpadejkrai, who also runs the indie label Smallroom Records, takes his folky rock project Greasy Café to Charan Burapharat Sport Stadium (Phet Uthai Apichai Trakulpadejkrai Rd, Huay Khwang) on December 1. The show, called Until Tomorrow, starts at 8pm; tickets are B1000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). 8 | NOVEMBER 2013

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Two Door Cinema Club In his best Northern Irish brogue, guitarist Sam Halliday mispronounced the name of the local film house, ‘Tudor Cinema’, and the indie band Two Door Cinema Club found their name. The three-piece, variously described as dance-punk and synth-pop, also includes Alex Trimble (vocals, rhythm guitar, beats, synths) and Kevin Baird (bass, backing vocals). We expect airings of the new EP Changing of the Seasons and tracks like Sleep Alone and Sun from the last album, Beacon. Catch them at BITEC (km1, 88 Bangna-Trad Rd, 02-749-3939, bitec.co.th) on November 28, with support from Malaysia’s Kyoto Protocol and local band Tabasco. Thai Ticketmajor (02262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com) have tickets at B2000-B2500. Eason Chan was the ‘King of Asian Pop’ in 2012, and in the same year he became the first Chinese singer to perform at London’s O2 Arena. Now he’s in town to bang out Cantopop hits at CentralWorld Live (991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-640-7000, centralworld.co.th) on November 9. The curtain rises at 7pm; tickets are B1500-B5000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). Vocalist Rob Thomas leads US pop-rockers Matchbox Twenty in their first Thailand appearance, at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, impact.co.th) on November 6. Thomas, who co-wrote and sang on Carlos Santana’s Grammywinning hit Smooth, is joined by Kyle Cook on guitar, Brian Yale (bass) and Paul Doucette (drums). The band, who only officially reformed in 2012 after a decade’s break, will play tracks from the latest album, North, and no doubt earlier work such as Bent, Unwell and Bright Lights. Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com) have tickets at B1500-B3500. Live music party promoters Have You Heard celebrate their second birthday with a quartet of bands – US indie dream pop rockers Wild Nothing; the four-piece Veronica Falls, from the UK; Ozzie trio Last Dinosaurs, who are all of Japanese descent; and Bangkok’s very own Part Time Musicians. The party kicks off at Voice Space (197 BBD Building, Viphavadi Rangsit Rd, 02-6506000, facebook.com/Voicespace) on November 6. Tickets are B1900 in advance and B2200 at the door. After A Hard Day’s Night with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds you might need a little Help from Beatles tribute band The Betters. They play at Barsu in the Sheraton Grande Hotel (250 Sukhumvit Rd, 02-649-8353, sheratongrandesukhumvit. com) from 9pm on November 8 and 22. bangkok101.com

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metro beat

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SPORT

WMA World Muay Thai Angels Poland’s World and European champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Thailand’s Duannapha Mor Rattanabundit are among the favourites to win the WMA World Muay Thai Angels, which continues with the second qualifying round at Central Plaza Chaengwattana (99/99 MOO 2 Tambol Bangtalad, Pakkred, 02-831-5555, central.co.th) on November 7. The original 16 women boxers representing countries from China to England, Morocco to South Korea hope to reach the final four that fight for the title on December 25. For more info see facebook. com/worldmuaythaicouncil. Spare a thought ... at 2am, when most of us are searching out a final beer, runners will hear the starter’s gun for the 2013 Bangkok Marathon, which clatters around the streets of Rattanakosin on November 17. If you’re keen, head to Sanam Chai Road for a choice of the 4.5km walk or runs of 10k, half marathon and full marathon. See bkkmarathon.com.

ART The touring exhibition The German Photo Books Award 2013 is at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (939 Rama I Rd, 02-214-6632, bacc.or.th) until November 24, showcasing this year’s 22 gold and silver winners, together with over 100 nominated books. The entries come in the categories theory and history of photography; text books on photography; and books of photographs, in which the gold winners include Poppy: Trails of Afghan Heroin, Darkroom and Here Far Away: Photographs from 1964-2011. Admission is free. Archival photos by travellers, missionaries and ethnologists feature until November 17 at the Alliance Française (179 Witthayu Rd, 02-670-4231, alliance-francaise.or.th) in a show titled On The Beaten Track. The works focus on the lives of bangkok101.com

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Pom poms, micro skirts and unlikely acrobatics will light up the World Cheerleading Championship at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, impact.co.th) on November 23-24. And it’s going to be noisy.

Thailand’s northern hilltribe minorities from the 1950s to the present day. Free admission. Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm brings three series of work, collectively titled The Discipline of Subjectivity, to 100 Tonson Gallery (100 Soi Tonson, 02-684-1527, 100tonsongallery. com) from November 14-January 5. The exhibition includes pieces from One Minute Sculpture Forever, an extension of his celebrated One Minute Sculpture programme that focuses on every-day objects. One of his best known series, Cucumber, will appear, as well as a new series, Sausage, which makes its debut in Bangkok. The artist’s work appears in worldwide collections such as the Guggenheim Museum and the Pompidou Centre, but this is Wurm’s first solo exhibition in Southeast Asia. The gallery opens Thursday-Sunday, 11am7pm; admission is free. NOVEMBER 2013 | 9

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Thailand International Motor Expo

FAIRS The Thailand International Motor Expo revs up with the theme ‘Innovative Energies – World-Changing Vehicles’, highlighting the latest technologies in hybrid and electric vehicles at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, impact.co.th) from November 28-December 10. For sure, the prettiest and latest cars, motorbikes, concept vehicles and accessories will also be on display. The public days are from November 30 onwards.

DANCE & THEATRE

Khon Kumphakan Khon Kumphakan, a tale from The Ramakien, will play in matinee and evening performances at the Thailand Cultural Centre (Thiem Ruammitr Rd, 02-247-0028), almost daily November 9-December 5. Tickets are B420-B1520, available from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). 18Monkeys Dance Theatre continues its debut run of On The Tightrope, the latest work by Jitti Chompee at two venues this month, on November 1-2 at the Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts (Fl 6, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Building Phaya Thai Rd, 02-218-4870) and November 4-5 10 | NOV EMBER 2013

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at the Kukrit Institute (99/9 Soi Ngam Duphli, 02-286-5385). Jitti says his work was inspired by Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between New York’s Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in 1974, adding: “It is my belief that good artists must take risks, just as Petit did, in order to create something new.” Tightrope features Khon dancer Anucha Sumaman, contemporary dancer Krittin Kiatmetha and Moroccan dancer Abd-samad Hammadou, with original music especially composed for the traditional Arab stringed oud, drums and saxophone. For ticket information call 081-814-3304. The 11th Bangkok Theatre Festival is pencilled in with a range of art and cultural performances, traditional to contemporary, from November 2-17. It’s normally held at Santichai Prakarn Park and at venues around the city, but there were no details at press time. Check bangkoktheatrenetwork.com for the latest.

SHOPPING With Christmas on the horizon, the ThaiCraft Fair cranks into full gear this month. There are three events, on November 9 at Jasmine City Building (2 Sukhumvit Soi 23, 02-204-5885); November 16 at NIST (36 Sukhumvit Soi 15, 02-651-2065, nist.ac.th); and November 23 at International School Bangkok (39/7 Soi Nichada Thani, Pakkred, 02-963-5800, isb.ac.th). Each will sell handcrafted products from village artisans around the country. bangkok101.com

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up in lights Club Crawl Sukhumvit Soi 11 October 12

DJ Lab W Bangkok September 28

Taboo Experience Bash September 20

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up in lights

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Squire label launch Pullman G October 9

Salvatore Ferragamo Siam Paragon September 18

Fabulous Pinktober Hard Rock Cafe October 10

Keep up-to-date with all the latest events and nightlife action with Last Night In Bangkok. See facebook.com/ lastnightinbangkok. All photos by David Heischrek.

bangkok101.com

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hot plates

Aston by Howard Richardson

hip crowd of 20-something Thais gathers regularly at the end of Soi 31 to sample the food of chef-owner Zra Jiranath, who relocated his Aston Dining Room here four months ago. The three-storey concrete structure is prominent on the street as a tangle of plants climbing a giant net attached to the outside, like a jungle adventure playground. Zra says it’s an apocalyptic vision of the end of urban civilisation, when nature returns to reclaim the concrete waste. The interior has the pipes, wires and scuffed concrete requisite of modern Bangkok dining. Downstairs is a small bar with a few outside tables; there’s a space for private parties on the top floor and the dining area is sandwiched in the middle, dominated by a large central open kitchen. Chefs finish dishes at a generous presentation counter and serve directly to diners, who watch the action from bar seating along two sides. Each night has just a single five-course degustation menu (B2800) but Zra tries to accommodate if you would like to change an item. There are also a few tables to sit at; high windows surround the room and there’s a balcony for smokers. The Tuesday night we went, the place was buzzing – the quiet but up-tempo electro soundtrack matching the production line of whirring spoons and squeezy bottles splurting sauce and blobs of cream. Among the high points, a big meaty tiger prawn cooked in prawn oil comes on a slab of black slate alongside a bowl of well-flavoured capellini with mantaiko (pollock roe), tiny deep-fried shrimp and wakame (seaweed). As a little intermezzo, foie gras parfait on brioche is a good contrast against hot, clear quail soup. It comes with the instruction to save a little soup for the next course, which – being foie gras, quail and morel – is rich, rich, rich. The half quail – breast lightly pan-fried and the leg confited in its own fat – perches on a bed of barley made with morel and a little stock. For alcohol there are 12 wines by the glass from B300 and a range of bottles from B1000, including some punchy reds, which may appear in future wine pairing menus. Away from plonk, the Dutch La Trappe Tripel and Wychcraft, from England, are among several imported beers (from B300). There is some tough competition for this type of menu at this sort of price. But this is lively and fun dining. There were 25 on the night we visited and the kitchen looked at full stretch, so it might be wise to ask how many covers they have if you book.

aston

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68 Sukhumvit Soi 31 | 02-102-2323 astonbkk.com | Mon-Sat 6pm-1am

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unique mixes

The bar business is booming in Bangkok but few places deliver something truly original. We head to Water Library for a few drinks that are ahead of the curve.

n a crowded market, it becomes harder and harder to stand out, to deliver something unique. As Bangkok’s drinking scene has become more sophisticated, the competition has become increasingly fierce, with sleek, low-lit cocktail bars cropping up throughout Thong Lor, Silom and all along Sukhumvit, all claiming to employ their own master mixologists, all spruiking a selection of unmatched signature drinks. Water Library at Grass, though, makes a powerful case as the genuine article, offering a range of cocktails that breaks the mold while also delivering on the nonnegotiables, pairing innovation with a repect for the classics. The man behind the bar is Mirko Gardelliano, one of the most accomplished cocktail gurus in Bangkok. 16 | NOV EM BER 2013

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BY TOM STURROCK

Having worked around the world and won a score of competitions, Mirko understands better than most how to create a drink that stands out while also appealing to the connoisseurs. “You need to know what you want it to taste like,” he says. “Is it dry? Is it fruity? Is there something missing? It’s like a puzzle – one ingredient and then another, along with something crazy, something different. It takes me minimum three weeks to come up with a new drink. I have a library in my brain – maybe 2000 recipes. But for the other drinks, I need to try them. “My job is to try to educate customers to drink better – it’s a long process. Life is too short to drink bad spirits – why tonight do I need to drink something bad? Thailand is not like it was 10 years ago – it’s changed a lot. But I still bangkok101.com

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out & about

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What’s your poison?

Watermelon Rossi

think, although we have more quantity, we can still have more quality.” When Water Library first opened about one-and-ahalf years ago, the food was the selling point – it was a restaurant first and a bar second. But Mirko has set about changing that. “We have tried to introduce more of a bar culture with our mixology and our approach to making unique cocktails,” he says. “We try to stock every bottle that is available in Thailand. Every cocktail needs to have a kick, whether it’s a different ingredient, infusion or a garnish, as well as the way it’s presented. We also like to use it to tell a story, so that people remember.” There is, for example, the Watermelon Rossi, which pairs absinthe with watermelon, with the shot of absinthe served in a pipette alongside the glass. The name, Mirko explains, comes from Italian football manager Delio Rossi, who was sacked last year after attacking a player who disrespected him. Mirko was impressed by the coach’s willingness to deal with an upstart. bangkok101.com

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Gummy Bear

“I’m a litle bit old-fashioned but I also try to make something a little bit crazy – it seemed like the perfect name,” he says. Infusions are a major part of Mirko’s approach to cocktails, flavouring spirits in a way that effectively makes them work harder as ingredients without throwing the entire drink off-balance. It’s a delicate process, with some infusions taking a couple of hours, others taking six weeks. Either way, they require constant supervision and, presumably, constant tasting. “People are open to trying new things and that makes our job really nice,” Mirko says. “Customers who come regularly don’t look at the menu any more – they want a recommendation.” The results are impressive and create a remarkable versatility. For example, a little while back Mirko began serving a cocktail with Gummy Bears alongside, basically as a garnish. The customers liked it but it “did not look sexy, look classy”. Rather than abandon the Gummy goodness altogether, Mirko repurposed it into a new NOV EM BER 2013 | 17

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out & about

Embracing bar culture

cocktail, the Gummy Bear, a combination of Gummyinfused gin, fresh passionfruit and fresh mango. It’s still served with the Gummy Bears alongside. Other drinks epitomise Mirko’s demand that everything on the menu omes with a kick. The Wow... Guava requires three weeks of infusion as well as a homemade bitters, which, according to Mirko, is packed with aphrodisiacs. The Quentin Tarantino is a martini variation, tweaked and presented in Water Library style, fusing rosemary and chartreuse, set alight in front of customers to create a reduction, which is mixed with gin and then muddled. Although this all sounds complicated, Mirko is no fan of an over-engineered cocktail. “We can make with less but make good,” he says. “But you need to know your product – you don’t need to use three different kinds of syrups or three different liqueurs.” Indeed, while The Water Library emphasises innovation – coming up with new concoctions – the flipside is taking a classic and tweaking it. Mirko, for all his flair when it comes to design and presentation is a traditionalist when it comes to the basic building blocks of a well-made drink. Take the Long Island Iced Tea – Mirko begins by combining the different liquors in a bowl and whisking them like he’s making a cake mix, before blitzing the mixture with a blast of nitrogen, freezing it and serving it like a self-saucing pudding in a chilled glass. Sure, it’s made differently and served with an eye for the spectacular but it’s fundamentally the same drink, expertly concocted and with heightened technique. “You cannot change a classic,” Mirko says. “You cannot change a Negroni or a Whiskey Sour – you have to be respectful of what people have done before.” This approach – familiar but different – is echoed 18 | NOVEMBER 2013

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Wow... Guava elsewhere. The Rusty Nail combines 18-year-old Chivas with Drambuie, blended with Peychaud’s Bitters, cinnamon and honey. The Negroni, that great litmus test of bartenders the world over, gets rid of the Martini Rosso and uses Antica Formula, which, as Mirko explains, is the “Champions League of vermouth”. As the Water Library expands beyond Thailand to Myanmar and with a new outlet due to open next to CentralWorld, Mirko’s ongoing mission to educate and entertain promises to gather even more momentum in months to come.

water library at grass

[MAP 3/r6]

Grass Thong Lor, 264/1 Thong Lor Soi 12 | 02-714-9292 mywaterlibrary.com/thonglor | Mon-Sat 6:30pm-1am

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Neighboring Sounds

get your popcorn This year’s World Film Festival boasts an intriguing programme. BY TOM STURROCK

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he 11th World Film Festival of Bangkok opens this month, bringing an eclectic mix of movies from all over the world to the Thai capital. Festival director Victor Silakong has travelled the world compiling the programme, which features a variety of story-telling approaches and visual styles. “The aim is to showcase independent films from around the world – we selected the films from 800 submissions online,” he says. Pressed on the festival’s highlights, Silakong begins rattling through his favourites. “There’s an Australian film called The Rocket which stars one of Thailand’s greatest comedians,” he says. “It’s a very touching story of a little boy trying to help his family by building a rocket for a very big festival.” bangkok101.com

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best of bangkok

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The Rocket

Workers

He is particularly excited by a documentary film called Cambodia, After Farewell, which follows a family of Cambodian refugees who return to their homeland after 35 years living in France to confront the grim legacy of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. “Like many documentaries out of Cambodia, it is about the Killing Fields,” Silakong says. “But this is a more personal film, as these survivors come back from France and try to make sense of what happened in Cambodia.” The documentary section is just one of the categories dividing up the festival programme and is, as with many film festivals, likely to produce its share of surprises. It also includes two films by Thai filmmaker Nontawat Numbenchapol – see our feature on p52. “They can be about anything on any subject – the documentaries can often be more entertaining than the fictional films,” Silakong says. “Often, the stories are beyond anything someone would be able to invent.” There is another section devoted entirely to South bangkok101.com

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The Cleaner

American films, a region that produces its own brand of energetic, sometimes offbeat, cinema. Silakong is particularly impressed with a film called Workers. “It’s about servants in a rich woman’s house – the woman dies and leaves everything to her beloved dog, which they then have to look after,” he says. “It’s a very rich story. “There’s another film called The Cleaner, about a man who works in a factory and finds an abandoned child one day and adopts him. It’s a simple story but it’s told with a lot of style.” The great joy of film festivals, of course, is seeing a film without knowing too much about it and being surprised in a way that is now all too rare.

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best of bangkok festival highlights

Rock The Casbah (below) Israel | 2012 In 1989 during the First Intifada, Israeli soldiers are sent to Gaza to oversee the Arab population. During a routine patrol, one of them gets killed by a washing machine thrown from one of the villageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s houses. Four young soldiers are then stationed on the roof top of a Palestinian home to keep a close watch on the neighbourood and find those responsible.

The Last Shepherd (below) Italy | 2012 Renato Zucchelli is the last travelling shepherd left in Milan. And he has a dream: leading his sheep to the inaccessible centre of the city to meet the children who have never seen him. His idea is that, if a shepherd can conquer a city with only his sheep, then dreams and freedom can always endure. It is a touching study of the power of fantasy.

A Place On Earth France | 2013 Antoine is a joyful but disenchanted photographer. His only true friend, Mateo, is seven years old and the son of his neighbour, who is often absent. One day, he hears a piano sonata coming from the building across the courtyard. Mesmerised by the music, he becomes obsessed by Elena, the beautiful but mysterious pianist, and starts to photograph her at every opportunity.

Tangwong Thailand, Hong Kong | 2013 Tang Wong is a comedic drama that centres around four high school boys who pray for different things before the Luang Poo idol at a spirit house. When their wishes come true they must repay the debt by performing a traditional Thai dance. This is easier said than done and they must enlist the help of Nut, a transvestite dancer who lives in their block.

Neighboring Sounds Brazil | 2012 A palpable sense of unease hangs over a single city block in the coastal town of Recife, Brazil. Home to prosperous families and their servants, the area is ruled by an ageing patriarch and his sons. When a private security firm is reluctantly brought in to protect the residents from a recent spate of petty crime, it unleashes the fears and resentments of a divided society.

Storyteller Turkey | 2012 Aziz was once a famous actor but now lives in a hotel, barely earning a living working as a storyteller in the local shopping malls and coffee houses. His impetuous life has worn out his heart, although when he hears that his manager is taking the theatre on tour, he insists on joining them. His last tour is a chance to confront his past, his regrets and his sins.

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just say ‘Sawasdee’ and smile

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ToTwmo ’Ssatang

Join Bangkok-born but internationally bred aesthete Dr Tom Vitayakul as he gives his own unique take on Thailand and its capital. Each month he tackles a different aspect of the local culture – from art and festivals to 21stcentury trends – in a lighthearted yet learned manner

On greetings

Artwork: Thai Wallpaper, 2005 by Sutee Kunavichayanont

ave you eaten yet? Where have you been? Don’t these questions make the persons who ask them sound nosy? Perhaps not. The requesters are concerned about the repliers’ well-being and their whereabouts. Before the word sawasdee, these phrases were possibly how Tai people – pre-dating Thailand as a country – used to greet one another in the olden days. Why is that? From historical assumption, Tais were semi-nomadic and migrated to newer places for agricultural and survival purposes. What they ate and when and where they consumed their meals were of utmost importance. As Napoleon said, an army marches on its stomach. Also, as one of many ethnic groups from southern China, Tai languages were likely influenced by Chinese culture. Asking about food equates to inquiring about health. However, for centuries, Thais didn’t have any greeting words or phrases but gestures. These signals were devised from Indian manners and beliefs. The wai gesture is called phanom mue, which means putting your hands together to look like a mountain. The mountain in question is Mount Meru or Sumeru, an equivalent of Mount Olympus in Hindu mythology. This symbolises paying respect to someone with the highest peak of the Heavens. Some may say that the wai signifies a lotus bud, which is a sacred and auspicious flower in Buddhism. Having both palms clasped at the chest also implies that the sentiment comes from the heart. Through history, Thais didn’t sit around on a chair but spent most of their time on the floor, so the gesture of wai wasn’t done standing up. It started as kraab, prostrate motions done as low as the floor, at the equal height or much lower than the one on the receiving end. This gentle and dutiful gesture actually comes in many levels and guises. To kraab an adult or a monk, one must sit side-saddle on the floor, prostrate, and then give the wai gesture on the floor or on the lap of the respected person. The adult would extend an open palm to receive it and might say wai phra thoe loog, which means: “Just pay respect to the Lord Buddha.” To kraab or wai a Buddha image, an elegant procedure called benjangka pradit, signifying five points of one’s

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body on the ground — two knees, two unfolded hands, and one forehead, is methodically performed. To pay respect to their Majesties and other royals of high ranks in person, one would behave as similarly as greeting an adult but one’s palms have to be at the forehead level with the thumbs between eyebrows. After the kraab, one has to prostrate and remain in that gesture. When it comes to wai, the levels of one’s thumbs indicate the hierarchy of reverence. To greet one’s friend or a stranger, a wai gesture will be at the chest. For an adult or parents, one’s thumbs will be at the chin. For a Buddha image or a monk, place the thumbs right on the nose and slightly bow one’s head. When greeting their Majesties standing up, men have to bow their heads and women have to curtsy with a gentle bow as well. The bowing and curtsy have only started about a century ago. So what about sawasdee? The word sawasdee was invented by Phraya Upakitsilpasarn or Nim Kanchanacheeva, an important Thai and Oriental language professor. Its origin comes from sothi in Pali or sawasti in Sanskrit and means good, beautiful, and easy. Therefore, sawasdee means: “May good and beautiful things happen to you.” It works as a greeting and wishing at the same time – like “Have a nice day!” It was used for the first time at the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, where he taught. Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Prime Minister then, thought that it was a fine greeting word. So sawasdee was officially used on January 22, 1943 during his administration. For 70 years, sawasdee has represented Thais’ warmth and hospitality. Like aloha, sawasdee can be said at both meeting and bidding farewell. To be formal, one can say arunsawas for good morning, thivasawas for good afternoon, sayansawas for good evening and ratreesawas for good night. However, only the first and the last ones are often heard used these days, especially on broadcast media. These days, in social media, Thais’ old ways of greetings can obviously be seen via photographs of their meals and their check-ins on the map. Among friends, good food and exotic locations have never gone out of fashion when it comes to greeting one another. NOVEMBER 2013 | 25

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S N A P S H OT S

very thai

art

hits the

road

the road becomes an art gallery

hai traffic is notoriously slow. All the better to view how wittily Thais customise their vehicles. Not often does a lorry lift the spirits but Thai drivers overcome grimness through frivolity. Bus, truck, tuk-tuk, e-taen tractor and songthaew (pick-up minibus) beguile the eye with grace, colour and creativity. Their handmade coachwork spans the range of Thai illustration. Some aspire to high art, most show vernacular stylisation, and others interpret cartoon graphics. Treat each jam as a gallery. Beauty may be important, but meaning matters as much. With spirits underwriting any accident, drivers pay extra premiums for divine protection through décor. Chassis metalwork plays shrine, cabins act as altar, talisman-shaped bolts physically hold the trailer together. Like temple trimmings, lacquer cabinets and fruit carvings, truck art displays lai thai, a visual language of traditional patterns. As ingenious a discovery as Classical Greek proportion or the paisley shapes-withinshapes of fractal imagery, lai thai likewise withstands extreme manipulation with ease. Drawn from plants and animals, it scales up to intricate oceans of texture, or scales down to the core motifs. Interleaving the kranok (flame) are leaf and shoot, feather and fish scale.

> Very Thai

Artwork: John Goss and Philip Cornwel-Smith

River Books | with photos by John Goss & Philip CornwelSmith | B 995

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Very Thai – Everyday Popular Culture is a book that almost every foreigner living in Bangkok has on their bookshelf, a virtual bible on Thailand’s pop culture. For page after colourful page, city resident and author Philip Cornwel-Smith guides readers on an unconventional tour of the quirky everyday things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 60-plus minichapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and snap up a copy of Very Thai now at any good book shop. bangkok101.com

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chronicle of thailand

S N A P S H OT S

february 9, 1972:

Queen elizabeth makes historic thailand visit

lavish banquets accompany trips DRUG to temples and chao praya river

OUST

armed fo

ueen Elizabeth II arrived with Prince Philip, Duke of from Edinburgh, and Princess Anne for a six-day tour, the Chiang Rai Thai forces first visit by a reigning British monarch. They were against drug lord Khun greeted across the country with pageantry rarely witnessed his 200-mule opium ca for visiting officials, and their tour dominated local headlines. Several thousand The three British royals arrived at U-Tapao military airbase by planes and helicopte before transferring to the Royal Yacht Britannia at Suthathip stronghold at Ban Hin T so they could enter Bangkok’s port in true grandeur, escorted by the HMS Cleopatra and HMS Swan. Docking at the(SUA). ChaoAt least 1,000 re as fierce fighting flared Phraya River’s Rajvoradit landing to meet King Adulyadej, After Thai and SUA Queen Sirikit and Princess Sirindhorn, Queen Elizabeth shed her full length fur coat to enjoy Thailand’s warm winter.a truce proposal put for Tinsulanond stated: “A Highlights of their trip included a number of lavish banquets narcotics plus visits to Chulalongkorn University, Buddhist temples and trafficking, fac continue its drive again the Christ Church on Convent Road. Thai officials, including destroyed.” It was estim Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorm and army chief Gen of the region’s heroin. T Praphas Charusatien, also turned out to greet them. The extensive royals then flew to Chiang Mai, where they met minority Meo, headquarters and equipment as casu or Hmong, hilltribes who performed a cultural show. They also In July, Khun Sa’s saw dozens of elephants working near the Mae Sa waterfalls. troops, fought against t As a finale, the rumps of two baby elephants, each painted side of Doi Lang mount with the word ‘Bye’, were shown to the royals.

Chronicle of Thailand is the story of Thailand during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Beginning on the day he was crowned, 9 June 1946, the book presents a vivide eye-witnessaccount of Thailand’s development through the major news events of the last 64 years. Alongside a grandstand view of events and quirky aspects of daily life that just happened to make the news, the book features thousands of rare and fascinating pictures and illustrations, representing one of the most comprehensive photo collections of Thailand ever produced.

> Chronicle of Thailand

EDM Books | editor-in-chief

21 January Nicholas1982 Grossman | B1,450

no escape from ads

ou can’t escape advertising in Bangkok. It bombards you everywhere you go. Banners hang three-story high signs announcing sales, presenters in malls scream into microphones to promote new products, and the skytrain has monitors that show commercials non-stop. Now, you can’t even avoid advertising when you’re in Bangkok taxis. Lately, TVs showing only commercials have sprung up on headrests in some cabs. Regardless of the type of ads they show, this in-your-face tactic is annoying.

> Chronicle of Thailand EDM Books | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | B1,450

Chiang Rai provinces. T displaced hundreds of v Border Patrol Police. In Sa’s new base on Doi L constructed 200 buildin

Chronicle of Thailand is the story o Adulyadej. Beginning on the day h presents a vivid eye-witness accou major news events of the last 64 y as they unfolded and quirky aspec the news, the book features thous illustrations, representing one of t Thailand ever produced.

still life in moving vehicles

CiTy vS. COUNTRy This cabby literally wears two hats. He dons a baseball cap when he’s driving his cab and puts on this straw hat when he’s farming. This is not uncommon in Bangkok as many cabbies here come from the countryside to drive a taxi between rice plantings and harvests, or when extra income is desperately needed. I asked the driver of this taxi which job he prefers and he told me that he would much rather do farming than drive in this city full of traffic jams and crazy people. Visual artist and academic, Dale Konstanz snaps photos of the sacred decorations and other bits and bobs he finds in Bangkok taxis, then writes about them on his blog, Still Life in Moving Vehicles (http://lifeinmovingvehicle.blogspot.com). Published by River Books, the spin-off book, Thai Taxi Talismans, is available at bookstores around town for B995. NOVEMBER 2013 | 27

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highlight

Joean’sgkok B

Award-winning writer Joe Cummings was born in New Orleans but became one of Lonely Planet’s first guidebook authors, creating the seminal Lonely Planet Thailand guide, as well as several other titles and updates for the region. Each month, he picks out his favourite cultural gems throughout Bangkok.

wat ratchanatdaram

pposite Mahakan Fort, surrounded by thick, immaculate white walls at the intersection of Mahachai and Ratchadamnoen roads, stands one of the capital’s most historic and well preserved 19thcentury Buddhist monastery complexes. Though many will have caught glimpses of Wat Ratchanatdaram (sometimes spelt Wat Rajanaddaram) in passing, my general impression is that few foreigners, even among long-time residents, can claim to have passed through its massive gates. The name means ‘Monastery of the Royal Niece’ and is so named because King Rama III ordered the temple built in 1846 to honour his beloved niece Sommanas Wattanavadi, who he took into the Grand Palace after the death of her father, Prince Lakkhananukul. What seems to be less common knowledge is the fact Rama III’s successor, King Mongkut, married Princess Sommanas when he ascended the throne. Like her father, Sommanas suffered an untimely death when, in 1851, at the age of 18, she died after giving birth to a boy, who also died within hours. The wat is most well-known for Loha Prasat, a huge tiered stupa which for much of the 20th century lay hidden behind the Chalerm Thai, a large Thai Art Deco cinema

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on Ratchadamnoen Road. In an effort to improve scenery along Ratchadamnoen Road and to preserve the temple, and much to the chagrin of vintage cinema buffs, the theatre was demolished in 1989. Loha Prasat consists of an imposing system of huge laterite columns which support five concentric square towers that diminish in size as they ascend. These columns and towers collectively form an interior labyrinth that were once used for meditation. The outer, middle and centre towers, 37 altogether, are crowned by iron spires. During the day the labyrinth is open to the public. A spiral stairway leads to the top of the central tower, which offers impressive views of the surrounding cityscape, including the glittering Golden Mount and Wat Saket. Night-time views are particularly striking, but unfortunately nowadays the building is closed to visitors after 5pm. Numerologically the 37 towers represent the 37 factors of enlightenment cultivated by bodhisattvas (Buddhist saints or Buddhas-to-be). Thai myth says that Loha Prasat means ‘Iron Castle’ in Sanskrit (it actually means Iron Temple), and claims the monument was modelled after pre-existing examples in India and/or Sri Lanka. In fact, the ruins of these similarly named buildings, which were bangkok101.com

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Photos: Anandajoti Bhikkhu; photodharma.net

highlight

“in the maze of cabinets casks and tables, you’ll come across legions of khon masks” rectangular rather than square, bear little relation to the structure at Wat Ratchanatda other than the name and the fact that parts of the structures may have been made of metal. Anuradhapura’s Lohaprasada, for example, was a typical vihara with a copper roof, not a stupa. A closer resemblance can be found in the larger, 14th-century Thanboddhay Stupa in Monywa, Myanmar, northwest of Mandalay, which comprises a similar grouping of ascending, hollow towers arranged on concentric square floor plans. Some written Thai sources do note Burmese influence on Loha Prasat. Thanboddhay was said to have been inspired by stilllarger Borobudur Stupa, a ninth-century Tantric Buddhist monument in central Java. In fact, the list of 37 factors of enlightenment is more at home in the Tantric Buddhist (Vajrayana) school of Buddhism than the Theravada school, a fact that may or may not have been known to bangkok101.com

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the Thai temple architects who built Loha Prasat. Loha Prasat is smaller than Thanboddhay, which is in turn much smaller than Borobudur. The monastery’s ubosatha (ordination hall), standing parallel to Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, was added by King Rama III in 1864 and contains a highly revered copper Buddha image called Phra Setthamuni. Behind the temple complex, a tented area of vendor stalls offers an unusual collection of occult objects for sale. Although often referred to as an amulet market, Buddhist amulets in fact make up only a small proportion of the items on display here. If you wander through the maze of cabinets, cases and tables you’ll come across legions of khon masks – particularly those of Pho Kae Ta Fai (FireEye Old Father, mythical forest sage who is believed to be the wellspring of Thai occult systems) – Brahamnist deities for office building shrines, full-size Buddha images for the home and tiny plastic deities for Thai spirit houses.

Wat Ratchanatdaram

[MAP 8/e12]

Cnr Mahachai and Ratchadamnoen Rds 02-224-8807 | 9am-5pm

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listings

HISTORIC HOMES ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Throne Hall [map 8/F8] Uthong Nai Rd, opp Dusit Zoo Tue -Sun 10am-6pm | B150 Located at the tail-end of Dusit district’s stately ceremonial boulevard, Ratchadam noen, this stately parliamentary palace was built during the reign of Rama V and completed by Rama VI. Cast in white Carrara marble, it is still used for the ceremonial opening of the first parliamentary session. Influenced by Renaissance architecture, the interior is decorated with detailed frescoes by Italian Galileo Chini of royal ceremonies and festivities. Out front stands a statue of King Rama V still worshipped today.

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE [map 4/A3]

M.r. KUKRIT’S HOUSE [map 5/H8] 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | 02-286-8185 Sat-Sun 10 am-5pm, Mon-Fri by appt B 50 / B 20 kids Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s mostloved statesmen of the 20th century. A natural all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and even served as prime minister. His peaceful abode with its lovely gardens is a terrific example of Thai architecture.

VIMANMEK MANSION [map 8/F8] 139 / 2 Ratchawithi Rd | 02-281-1569 9:30 am-4pm | B100 The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868, and then moved to Bangkok for use by King Rama V. Its 81 rooms spread over three floors overlook a beautiful garden.

SUAN PAKKAD palace [MAP 8/K11]

Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 suanpakkad.com | 9am-4pm | B100 jimthompsonhouse.com | 9am-5pm B100 / B 50 A former market garden that was converted into a residence and garden by Princess students American Jim Thompson was the Princeton Chumbot. Consisting of five reconstructed graduate and former spook who revived Thai wooden houses, Wang Suan Pakkard the hand-woven Thai silk industry before pays testament to her dedication to disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s collecting Thai artefacts and antiques. Cameron Highlands in 1967. One of the things ERAWAN SHRINE [map 4/G5] to do in Bangkok is visit his tropical garden Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan home beside a pungent canal: six traditional BTS Chit Lom teak houses from around the country kept Don’t expect serenity here. This is one exactly as he left them.

of Bangkok’s busiest intersections: the crowded shrine to the Hindu creation god Brahma and his elephant Erawan is filled with worshippers lighting incense, buying lottery tickets and watching the traditional dancing group.

GANESHA SHRINE [map 4/G3] Outside CentralWorld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd A prayer in front of this pot-bellied gold elephant – the son of Shiva and Parvati – is said to help get the creative juices flowing, as well as protect you from harm. Aside from marigold garlands, bring bananas, ripe mango or sticky rice-flour Thai desserts – Ganesha has an eternal appetite.

TRIMURTI SHRINE [map 4/G3] Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd If your love life is in the doldrums then this shrine is for you: at 9:30 pm each Thursday it’s rumoured that Lord Trimurti descends from the heavens to answer prayers of the heart. To maximise your chances you should offer nine-red incense sticks, red candles, red roses and fruit.

SHRINES THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW [map 7/D10] Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang Tha Chang Pier | 02-222-0094 8:30am-4:30pm | B 400 Bangkok’s most beloved temple and top tourist site is a fantastical, mini-city sized royal complex enclosed by quaintly crenulated whitewalls. Building began in 1782, the year Bangkok was founded, and every monarch subsequent to King Rama I has expanded or enhanced it. Today, despite being able to visit many sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. The Chakri Mahaprasat Hall – the “Westerner in

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a Thai hat” – is worth seeing, and there are some state halls and rooms open to visitors.

WAT ARUN [map 7/B13] Temple of Dawn, Arun Amarin Rd 02-465-5640 | watarun.org 8am-5pm | B 20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The five-towered structure is covered in colourful porcelain and designed as a representation of the Khmer home of the gods.

WAT PO (reclining buddha) [map 7/D12]

Chetuphon, Thai Wang Rd 02-226-0369 | watpho.com 8am-noon, 1pm-9pm | B100 The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok. Originating in the 16th century, it houses the largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand as well as the greatest number of Buddha images.

WAT MAHATHAT [map 7/C8] Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Maharat Rd 02-221-5999 | 9am-5pm | Free An amulet market is situated near this 18th century centre of the Mahanikai monastic sect and an important university of Buddhist teaching. On weekends, market stalls are

set up on the grounds to complement the vendors of traditional medicines.

WAT RATCHANATDA [map 7/K8] Mahachai Rd | 02-224-8807 9am-5pm | free This striking temple on the corner of Ratchadamnoen and Mahachai Road features the bizarre Loha Prasat, a multitiered castle-like structure with 36 steel spires. Climb the spiral staircase to the top for good views of the Old City and its many temples.

WAT SAKET [map 7/L8] Chakkraphatdiphong Rd 02-233-4561 | 7:30am-5:30pm | B10 Referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat on a small hillock is worth the hike up 318 steps for the views of Chinatown to the south and the Old City to the north. The hill is all that is left of the fortifications for a large chedi that Rama III planned to construct on the site that gave way under the weight. Rama V later built a smaller chedi on top.

WAT SUTHAT & the GIANT SWING [map 7/H9] Bamrung Muang Rd | 02-222-9632 9am-5pm | B 20 Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to excellent examples of bronze sculpture. The city’s iconic Giant Swing, where brave men used to swing up to great heights to

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catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth during annual harvest ceremonies, sits out front.

WAT TRAIMIT [map 6/L3] 661 Mittaphap Thai-China Rd, Charoen Krung Rd | 02-623-1226 | 8am-5pm | B 20 Housed safely in this unassuming Chinatown temple is the world’s largest solid gold Buddha. Its worth has been estimated at over US$10 million.

MUSEUMS – IN TOWN BANGKOK DOLL MUSEUM [map 8/L11, 12]

85 Soi Ratchataphan (Soi Mo Leng). Ratchaprarop Rd 02-245-3008 | bangkokdolls.com Mon-Sat 8am-5pm | free Since opening in 1956 the Bangkok Doll Museum has continually attracted tourists, students and aficionados alike with its remarkable collection of hand-made Thai dolls. Founded by Khunying Tongkorn Chandavimol after she completed a doll making course in Japan, it showcases collections of dolls produced by a small team of artisans in the atelier out back, and clad in traditional costumes based on designs lifted from museum originals, temple murals and illustrations from antique books.

bangkokian MUSEUM [MAP 5/E3] 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43, Si Phraya Pier | 02-233-7027 Sat-Sun 10am-4pm | free Smack in the middle of Bangrak, one of the most traditional districts of the city, find this oasis of four traditional Thai houses, one of them lovingly converted into a private museum by the compound’s charming owner, Ms Waraporn Surawadee. She decided to dedicate the place to the memory of her family and bygone daily life of Bangkok everymen – and open it to the public. While visitors shouldn’t expect breathtaking

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revelations here, the displays are nevertheless surprisingly fascinating. They include antiques and ceremonial items.

Madame tussauds [map 4/C4] 6th F, Siam Discovery Centre Rama 1, Phaya Thai Rd BTS National Stadium | 02-658-0060 madametussauds.com/Bangkok 10am -9pm | B 800 / B 600 kids Probably the best thing about Bangkok’s version of Europe's famous waxwork museum is the line-up – it’s clearly designed to keep tourists and locals alike snappy happy. About as common as international sporting legends, world leaders in sharp suits, pouting Hollywood A-listers, and sequined global pop stars here are wax likenesses of Thai and regional musicians, soap stars, sportsmen and women.

MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS [MAP 2/E12] Supalai Grand Tower Bldg Rama III Rd 02-653-5555 | tillekeandgibbins.com Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ( App required for textile and computer collections) In 1989, Thailand’s oldest international law firm, Tilleke & Gibbins, decided to convert their evidence of counterfeit goods into educational tools for law students. To help spread the word about the perils of buying fake it's open to Joe Public too. Over 3,500 items – from Ferrero Rocher chocolates to antimalarial tablets and a fake Ferrari motorbike – are neatly laid out, forgeries next to the originals.

Museum of Siam [map 7/D13] 4 Samachai Rd | Rajini Pier 02-622-2599 | ndmi.or.th Tue-Sun 10am-6pm | Free A truncated history of Thailand unfurls through this down-with-the-kids discovery museum, located in a beautifully restored former government building that dates back to the 1920s. Design company Story Inc! delivered the conceptual design with 32 | NOV EM BER 2013

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pop graphics and interactive games galore. Entertaining highlights include dressing up as a 20th-century nobleman, blowing up Burmese soldiers on elephant-back with a canon and mapping out the borders of your own Siam using a touch screen.

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM [map 7/C6] 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang 02-224-1333 | thailandmuseum.com Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B 200 | no photo Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artifacts from all of Old Siam's main historical periods, encompassing the Lanna, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms up to the present day. Thai culture is well documented in sections on dance, music and drama. The first example of Thai literature and the Thai alphabet, inscribed by King Ramkhamhaeng on a black stone during the Sukhothai period, is also displayed.

RATTANAKOSIN EXHIBITION HALL [map 7/K7] 100 Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd, next to Wat Ratchanatda | 02-621-0044 nitasrattanakosin.com | Tue-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm | B100 This multimedia museum a short walk from Khao San Road offers a skillfully abbreviated introduction to an area that many admire, but few truly understand: Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok’s glittering birthplace. Wandering its eleven rooms – free of relics but rich in models, dioramas, interactive videos, text and audio clips in Thai and English – brings the area’s hardto-fathom history, arts, architecture and traditions into much clearer focus.

ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM [map 7/B4] 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd | Thonburi Railway Pier 02-424-0004 | 9am-5pm B 30 / B100 photo / B 200 video This collection of ornate royal barges,

some of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near the Pinklao Bridge. The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya where the colourful crews can number up to 64, including rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and various musicians.

MUSEUMS – OUT OF TOWN ANCIENT SIAM (MUANG BORAN) [map 1/F6] 296/1 Sukhumvit Rd, Samut Prakan province | 02-709-1644 | ancientcity.com B 500 / B 250 kids / B1500 private guide in English for two hours Samut Prakan province’s Ancient Siam crams reproductions of over a hundred of the Kingdom’s most venerable palaces, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses into a huge map-of-Siam shaped plot of land only an hour’s drive from the capital. Don’t come expecting a tacky themepark. Its late founder, eccentric culture preservationist Prapai Viriyahbhun, demanded that every replica look and feel like the real thing.

THAI FILM MUSEUM [MAP 1/E5] 94 Moo 3 Bhuddhamonton Sai 5, Salaya Nakorn Pathom province nfat.org 02-482-2013-15 | Sat-Sun tours: 10am, noon, 3pm; MonFri: by appointment | Free The good folk at the National Film Archive of Thailand are fighting to preserve the country’s meagre film heritage, whether it be by restoring ragged reels of 16mm film to their former glory, screening rare films in its cinematheque, or guiding anyone interested around their museum. Film fiends will love inching around this space, modelled after the old Sri Krung film studio and filled with old cameras, props and costumes. bangkok101.com

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loy kratong

sukhothai T

hailand’s original full moon party, Loy Krathong is an annual propitiation of the water spirits of Thai culture in which small lotus-shaped floats – krathong in Thai – made of banana-trunk rounds decorated with banana leaves, containing flowers, incense, candles and a coin, are floated on Thai rivers, lakes and canals. The traditional belief is that in addition to giving thanks to the water spirits for one’s use of water throughout the year, a person’s troubles from the past year will float away with the krathong. Add thousands of rapt participants, food, the obligatory Miss Loy Krathong beauty pageant and you have Thailand’s most beguiling festival. This unique Thai event is said to have originated in Sukhothai and one of the best places to celebrate is along the ponds in Sukhothai Historical Park, where the festivities include an impressive sound-and-light show among the majestic ruins of Wat Mahathat. Loy Krathong is even bigger in Chiang Mai, where thousands of krathong are launched into the square moat around the old city, and along the Ping River to the east. Meanwhile, in remote Tak province, locals favour coconut shells over banana trucks for their krathong. Northern Thailand celebrates a peculiarly Lanna festival called Yee Peng at the same night, although instead of coinciding with the full moon of the Thai lunar calendar’s 11th month, it occurs in Lanna’s second month. For Yee Peng, instead of floating krathong the locals send khom loy (floating lanterns) into the sky by the hundreds. In Chiang Mai the sky may become so thick with khom loy that the airport has to be closed temporarily. Throughout the north, candlelit lanterns may also be hung from bamboo poles in Buddhist monasteries. In Bangkok, the festival is relatively low-key, since so many Bangkokians travel to Ayuthaya or northern Thailand to celebrate. The most atmospheric Bangkok locale to participate in the festival is along the banks of Lumpini Park’s artificial lake.

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T R AV E L

up country now

Phi Mai Festival

November 6-10 Phi Mai Festival The well-preserved Khmer ruins of northeast Thailand’s Prasat Hin Phimai Historical Park pre-date Cambodia’s world-famous Angkor Wat and may, some scholars believe, actually have served as a model for its construction. The highlights of the event are the traditional long-boat races on the river and light and sound presentation at Phimai Historical Park.

Lopburi Monkey Banquet

November 25-December 25 River Kwai Bridge Week This event takes you going back in time to World War II through the River Kwai Bridge built by Allied prisoners of war. This event features a remembrance ceremony held at the Allied War Cemetery, light and sound presentations in which the audience will see a more exciting battle scene with simulated effects such as lifelike explosions and flying bomber planes.

November 16-17 Surin Elephant Round-Up The northeastern province is very well-known to both Thai people and international tourists as the Land of Elephants. It has been presenting the Elephant Round-Up for more than 50 years. Now, as an internationally recognised event, the Elephant Round-Up begins with a wonderful elephant parade through the streets.

November 24 Lopburi Monkey Banquet The townsfolk of Lopburi town say thanks to their 3000-strong long-tailed macaque population for all the tourist dollars they attract with a vegetarian banquet that attracts, you guessed it, lots of tourist dollars. Resembling the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, this free-for-all takes place around the spectacular Prang Sam Yot temple and usually attracts about 10,000 people.

Silk and Phuk Siaw Festival

November 29-December 10 Silk and Phuk Siaw Festival Phuk Siaw or Friendship-Tying, is an ancient rite that has been practised in Isan and in Laos for centuries. Participants pledge friendship while tying consecrated white cotton strings around one another’s wrists. In Khon Kaen the custom is combined with a celebration of weaving and sericulture each year. You will also be able to purchase silk goods and join in the ritual.

LOOKING AHEAD: December 7-8 Thailand International Balloon Festival Tens of thousands flock to this annual festival to see hot air balloons drift up and away over some pretty corner of the country. It’s a travelling festival and each new venue has different themes and activities. This year’s hopes to attract the crowds to Chiang Mai with three days of paper balloon-building workshops, kite-flying, fire shows and live music. 36 | NOV EM BER 2013

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hotel review

T R AV E L

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit

ravellers who have stayed at a Sofitel before will know exactly what to expect from this tasteful, luxuriously appointed hotel on one of the busiest parts of Sukhumvit. Throughout, there is a commitment to excellence that never appears overbearing. The design is modern, relying heavily on natural light and a low-key palette. Standards are high – as one expects of a five-star hotel – while retaining an overall warmth and friendliness. Staff are efficient without being robotic. On the ground floor, the slick Le Bar De L’Hotel sets the tone, offering an innovative selection of cocktails and an extensive list of wines, as well as tapas and adapted Thai street food staples. It is a wining introduction to Sofitel’s outlets – further above, there is Voila, a buffet dining room that caters to all tastes. These kinds of areas are wildly popular in hotels throughout Bangkok and there is a familiar formula but Voila exceeds expectations in the quality and presentation of the food. Choose from the piles of delicate sushi, the open grill or the stand-alone pizza kitchen. And, for those who desperately miss good cheese – it’s not really part of the Thai food experience – Voila’s special cheese room is bulging with flavour. It’s entirely possible to enjoy a meal exclusively of cheese. 38 | NOVEMBER 2013

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The greatest feather in Sofitel’s culinary cap, though, is L’Appart, the brilliant French restaurant on the 32nd floor – it’s a gorgeous space, modelled on a Parisian French apartment and while chef Jeremy Tourret executes the classics, he is adventurous enough to add his own twists. The hotel’s executive chef, Spencer Kells, has only recently arrived from Pattaya and will likely be keen to make his own mark here but when it comes to food and drink, they’re already doing plenty right. The rooms are all about understated comfort. The beds are exceptionally comfortable, providing just enough give without feeling like a beanbag. The bathrooms are spacious, with generously sized baths and walkin showers. And the in-room entertainment system is particularly nifty. All in all, the Sofitel offers the combination of style, service and facilities that make for a seriously enjoyable stay, no matter the length.

sofitel bangkok sukhumvit

[MAP 8/n14]

189 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-126-9999 | sofitel-sukhumvit.com Rates: Luxury room B12,750; luxury park view room B13,770; luxury Club Millesime room B16,830; prestige suite B21,250; opera suite B43,350; imperial suite B93,330

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country vibes

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up country escape

T R AV E L

Wild swimming, salty cured quail and a taste of Thai river culture await visitors to bucolic Prachinburi, just 80 kilometres northeast from Bangkok BY FLORA BAGENAL

t’s a cool, damp, post-thunderstorm morning and the river stretches out wide, flat and still. Green fields and trees reach to the horizon across the water. The sky is mottled with grey and white clouds, suggesting another storm is on its way. There’s a low hum of traffic passing on the nearby road. The birds are hushed and respectful. Diving into fresh water within minutes of waking is one of the best feelings in the world. The water is tepid and clear and deep enough that I don’t touch the bottom. The current is strong and after several, laboured minutes pounding upstream, the only option is to let go and float star-shaped back to the bank. Wild swimming, whether in lakes, rivers, rock pools or the sea has developed a cult following in north America and Europe, where few dangerous creatures lurk beneath the surface to ruin your dip. In Asia, it’s unusual to find somewhere clean enough or safe enough for a freshwater plunge. But in Prachinburi, just 80km northeast of Bangkok, we have the perfect spot. Cambodia lies to the east and the sea to the south; in the north, the foothills of the Sankamphaeng Mountains. Its central and southern areas are low-lying and dotted with rice fields and grasslands split by the Prachinburi river. Despite its proximity to the capital, Prachinburi province attracts few tourists and is known to many Thais mostly for its links to an on off-border dispute with Cambodia that turned violent in 2008. In terms of accommodation, the grandest option is Arthit-Tara, a boutique lodge run by a stylish Thai couple and set on the banks of the river, hosting only a handful of guests at any one time. Its owners, Art and his girlfriend Kob have created an idiosyncratic, stylistically impeccable, rural weekend retreat. There are three houses built facing a wooden jetty on the river. The first has two double bedrooms and large glass windows looking over the water. The second is a tiny, double bed hut with an old 80s Jacuzzi installed on the deck and an outdoor bathroom for hot showers under the stars. The last building is a two-storey house with a large wooden veranda. “We’re not a resort or a hotel,” says Art, who designed and built the place, first as personal retreat and now for paying visitors. “There are a lot of people who wouldn’t get it. We definitely don’t offer karaoke.” When we set off on our first walk, the main road is busy and trucks thunder past with little warning, but dozens of dirt tracks lead in different directions through green fields and copses of trees. We break off and follow one that leads to a small, colourful temple and groups of men sitting under a shelter watching us out-of-towners walk past in the rain with a wry smile. As the rain gets heavier, NOVEMBER 2013 | 41

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up country escape

Life on the river

Hunting for a bargain

we take cover and watch tiny, yellow-headed weaverbirds, darting in and out of their extraordinary funnel-bottomed nests, which hang from the trees like modern art sculptures. Alongside the river, we see local men and women pass by on canoes and small motorised dingys that can be hired hire for a small price, especially if you don’t mind sharing your ride with the catch of the day. Later, at dusk, our hosts at Arthit-Tara take us out in a boat well-stocked with beer and cut a deep foaming path through the water as thunderclouds roll in overhead. When we stop, Kob produces locally made khao kreab pak mor – traditional Thai sweet dumplings filled with nuts and chillis and wrapped in green, blue and purple petals from wild flowers. It turns out to be the most delicious thing we eat all weekend, although there’s plenty of competition. At Arthit-Tara, the other highlights include mushrooms soaked in garlic and basil, snow flower buds cooked in Thai kapi source and deep-fried quail, which tastes a bit like posh pork scratching. Inspired by the local cuisine, we head to the local fish and vegetable market on the Sunday. En route, we stop for bowls of simple noodle and vegetable soup, spiced with dry chillies and sprinkled with lime and sugar. Fish is a key ingredient in most of Prachinburi’s menus: local specialties include garlic-fried river prawns – juicy and soft – and panfried red fish, which is salty and succulent. In Bangkok, markets are all about pushing through 42 | NOVEMBER 2013

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Local Thai snacks

throngs of people and picking up bags of slightly wilted and possibly chemical-infused lettuce that sit and rot in the bottom of the fridge for a week until thrown out. In the undercover market we visit in Prachinburi, the stalls are piled high with lush, colourful produce, prices are low and we seem to be the only visitors of the day. In the fish section a woman is scooping bloody entrails into a plastic bucket next to several large tubs of live toads. Art and Kob buy some fish to release in the river as a Buddhist ritual and we all head off together to a nearby temple, carrying our purchases flapping and gasping in plastic bags. “They always look back and say thank you before they disappear,” Kob explains. She’s right: my fish appears especially grateful, splashing triumphantly before disappearing back into the depths. Getting There: Trains leave regularly from Hua Lumphong while buses 58, 59 and 920 leave from Mo Chit 2.

Stay: Arthit-Tara (78-78/1 Moo 2 Amphor Bangyang; 0816-137-515; arthit-tara.com) is an ultra-hip homestay where you go to live in luxury in the wild, kick off your shoes and be hosted as though you’re a hand-picked guests. There are three lodges to choose from, with rates between B1800-B3200 depending on your needs. There are chefs on-site and Thai breakfasts, picnics and barbeques are on the menu. bangkok101.com

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The Headhunters of

borneo A trip up the Batang Ai river brings travellers into contact with a range of locals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some friendly, some terrifying BY DAVE STAMBOULIS

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over the border

ur motorised canoe makes its way up the snaking Batang Ai River into the island’s dense jungle, bearing us ever closer to the longhouses of the Iban tribe, the formerly notorious headhunters of the Sarawak jungles. The only sound coming from the surrounding undergrowth is the occasional hoot of a gibbon from somewhere high up in the trees. Not so long ago, most of this dense tropical rainforest was ruled by ethnic tribes and Borneo went mostly unexplored by westerners until World War II. “They say that orangutans used to be able to swing from branch to branch all the way across Borneo,” says Gendup, my Iban guide. These days, while the forest may not seem as menacing, the wilds of Sarawak still offer plenty of surprises. We creep deeper into the jungle where the river becomes shallower and the bends in it more pronounced. Our boatman, a tall and sinewy Iban with large scorpion and tiger tattoos on his torso, has to shut down the motor and make progress by poling with a large wooden stick. Soon the river is so narrow and rocky that the boat can’t even be poled, and it isn’t long before we are scraping bottom and needing to get out and portage. Borneo, full of impenetrable jungles and vast river systems, remains one of the most unique places on earth. It contains the oldest rainforest in the world, 130 million years old to be precise, and has the most biodiversity to be found anywhere on the planet, with more than 15,000 species of plants and 3000 species of trees. Gandup leaves the boatman to maneuver the craft upriver and leads us away from the water, up a steep ravine and into the jungle. The canopy is dense here, there is no sunlight whatsoever, and the relief at standing up and moving a bit soon turns to terror when something looking like a pig that badly needs a shave appears, standing just metres from us. “Bearded pig, the largest mammal in Borneo. Don’t worry, it’s harmless,” Gandup explains. Gandup strides ahead, only to come to an abrupt halt and take several steps back, motioning for me to be still. He points ahead to what looks like a piece of phosphorescent wood, glowing in the forest. Further scrutiny reveals a lime green pit viper curled around a branch in the jungle. The snake is the only poisonous creature to be found in Batang Ai, and is one that you don’t want to mess with, as its venom can paralyse the nervous system within minutes, leading to all sorts of wonderful complications such as intense pain, vomiting, respiratory failure and death. Gandup whispers to me the story of a Chinese visitor who thought that a viper seen near the longhouse was a rubber fake, planted there by the Iban to impress tourists. It didn’t end well. We go around the snake and continue over a small ridge where the trail continues back toward the river. The silence under the forest canopy is suddenly broken by loud honking sounds coming from the trees above, and my renewed fear is soon replaced by amazement, when several large monkeys with the largest noses since Jimmy Durante come swinging toward us. It is a rare glimpse of the endangered proboscis monkey. “The males’ noses grow up to seven inches,” Gandup

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T R AV E L

A harmless bearded pig

A lethally poisonous pit viper

A female proboscis monkey

says. “Bigger than your average pornstar. And yes, they are there only for one reason, to attract a mate. You see my friend, size really does matter.” There are only about 7000 proboscis monkeys left in the wild. Indigenous to Borneo, the monkeys are famed for their bizarre body make-ups, which feature the enormous pensile noses and equally enormous potbellies, which make up more than 20 percent of the proboscis’ weight. They are also known as orang belanda, which is Malay for ‘Dutchman’, as Indonesians see a resemblance in the bellies and noses of their early Dutch colonisers. The proboscis swing past overhead, seemingly taunting us as we make our way down out of the trees and back to the canoe, where our boatman stands staring intently into the river, heaving a large fishing net into the deeper current, almost immediately hauling out a catch of more than 30 small fish. While many of the Iban have migrated to Kuching, becoming some of Sarawak’s leading business NOVEMBER 2013 | 45

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over the border

The daily catch

Ceremonial Iban outfits and political leaders, back up-river traditions and survival in nature survive. We paddle on and soon approach the longhouse and Gendup chuckles and says he hopes that I won’t behave like the last tourist they welcomed here, a Japanese woman whom he says had probably watched a too few many horror movies and read too many accounts of headhunting prior to arrival. When they reached the longhouse, she took one look at the two village elders who came out to greet the boat, saw their elongated throat tattoos – which signify they’ve taken a head – and plunged into the water, screaming as she made for the opposite bank. Back when Borneo was a lawless land and ruled by territorial clans, intertribal warfare was common and the Iban made raids into rival territory, where the practice of taking an enemy’s head served both as a way of ensuring that his spirit would be captured for good, as well as a riteof-passage into manhood for young warriors. The practice of headhunting pretty much died out during the reign of the British Rajah of Sarawak James Brooke. We arrive at the longhouse and the chief comes out to meet us – a spry old man who has a daunting warrior tattoo on his throat but a shy disarming smile, who happily takes time off from mending his fishing nets to inspect the packets of chips and biscuits we have brought as a gift. With Gendup translating, he tells of how much the times have changed. He remembers when, during WWII, the Japanese arrived and he and his brothers took up spears 46 | NOVEMBER 2013

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Life in the longhouse to defend themselves, whereas now it is friendly tourists arriving bearing gifts. He nods in assent when asked about his taking of a head, but doesn’t say much more, other than to say that his tattoo, representing bravery and manhood, was extremely painful to receive. Another man who has been listening to us chimes in: “There is an old Iban proverb that says ‘A man without tattoos is invisible to the Gods’.” Invited into the ruai, the long internal corridor that serves as the common room of the longhouse, we are seated in a circle and introductions are made all around. This is where the Iban women spend the day weaving and men work on their fishing, hunting, and rubber tapping tools. The headman beckons all of us for a round of tuak, the potent local rice wine, and soon the entire longhouse is toasting our safe arrival. Getting There: Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines have several daily flights to Kuching via Kuala Lumpur. From Kuching, it is a four-hour drive and then a three-hour boat ride upriver to the longhouses. You can no longer just show up at the longhouses up the Batang Ai River, which has nothing to do with keeping one’s head intact. Getting to the longhouses does take a bit of advance planning. Borneo Adventure, Sarawak’s most established operator, has been running sustainable tourism and community involvement programs for more than 30 years. They run the gamut of other tours around Borneo as well. See borneoadventure.com. bangkok101.com

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a r t

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master of porcelain

Japanese artist Shin Koyama draws heavily on the traditional imagery of his homeland, fusing them with his own offbeat sensibility to create a unique hybrid aesthetic known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ero Guro Kawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. His work blends eroticism, the grotesque and the cute in ways that often strike comic, absurd notes. His solo exhibition Ero Guro Kawaii runs November 16-December 21 at La Lanta Fine Art (245/14 Sukhumvit Soi 31, 02-204-0583; lalanta.com). Koyama moved to Australia in 1983 and still operates a printmakers gallery in Sydney. He has carved out a niche for himself by using manga-themed motifs together with porcelain. Indeed, he further entrenched his connection with that material when he established his own studio in Arita, the Japanese town most associated with porcelain. The work in this collection has all been produced in collaboration with the local artisans of Arita.

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A R T & C u lt u r e

exhibitions

Tradition or Change

Me My Mind

ME MY MIND

NUMBER 1 GALLERY [MAP 8/g17] 401-402 Silom Galleria, 919/1 Silom Soi 9 | 02-630-2523 Mon-Sat 10am-7pm | number1gallery.com

Until November 9 Following last year’s exhibition Beyond Desire, painter Manit Srisuwan returns to Number 1 on his creative quest to achieve spiritual balance in contemporary existence. Tethered to Buddhist notions of suffering and desire, Manit’s tempered compositions languish in repression as he strives for control.

Oscillation

Currency Crisis

currency crisis

whitespace gallery [MAP 5/m6] 1 Sala Daeng Soi 1 Rama 4 Rd | 081-699-5298 whitespacegallery.com | Noon-6pm

November 2–December 29 In the hands of six artists from Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar, the ‘currency crisis’ can only get deeper, more eerie and funny too. Money – as both image and object – is reimagined. Each artist questions what money stands for and, through radical action, alters its representations.

once upon a time on bugis street kathmandu gallery [MAP 8/h17] 87 Pan Rd | 02-234-6700 Open | kathmandu-bkk.com

November 16–December 27 When French photographer Alain Soldeville arrived in Singapore as a 23-year-old back in 1980, he befriended the transvestite street walkers of Bugis St. The area was bulldozed and turned into strip malls shortly after, making his collection of images a very different kind of time capsule.

oscillation

Speedy Grandma [MAP 8/d13] 672/50-52 Charoen Krung Soi 28 | 0895-083-859 Tues-Sun 11am-9pm | speedygrandma.com

Until November 24 This group exhibition featuring Makha Sanewong, Sina Wittayawiroj, Soichiro Shimizu and Ugo Li gives broad interpretation to the idea of oscillating as both a dynamic movement and as creative momentum in the process of artistic realisation. 50 | NOVEMBER 2013

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Once Upon a Time on Bugis Street

TRADITION OR CHANGE

thavibu gallery [MAP 8/h17] 433 Silom Galleria, 919/1 Silom Rd | 02-266-5454 Mon-Sat 11am-7pm | thavibu.com

November 16–December 14 Four of Myanmar’s most important contemporary artists examine the shifting changes that may erode preserved traditions and values. Representing three generations of artists, San Minn, Aye Ko, Phyoe Kyi and Nge Lay comment on the experiences of the past in different ways. bangkok101.com

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Versions of the Truth Thai filmmaker Nontawat Numbenchapol continues to ask unsettling questions. BY URASA POR BURAPACHEEP

n 2011, at the height of the Thai-Cambodian feud over the Heritage-listed Preah Vihear Temple, a documentary project began with a 60,000-baht budget, a couple of DSLR cameras and a crew of four. Having since enjoyed screenings in Berlin, Japan, and Milan, the film only rose from domestic obscurity when it was banned as “a threat to national security and international relations” – only for that ban to be lifted two days later. The film, Boundary, directed by Nontawat Numbenchapol, follows Aod—one of Thailand’s many military draftees—as he returns to his hometown of Sisaket. Aod arrives in the midst of hearty celebrations for the Thai New Year, only to be plunged into a dreamscape of cratered and bulletscarred villages. Nontawat was in a small border town to record its inhabitants’ views on the previous year’s crackdown of red-shirt protestors when the clashes erupted. Unable to cross into Cambodia by land, he first flew into Phnom Penh and worked his way back to the border, where he obtained his footage under the guise of a New York-based Chinese-American. Much of the film is told through intelligent juxtaposition. 52 | NOV EM BER 2013

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As children festively splash water on to car windows, we learn of the hostility Aod encounters while serving in the country’s turbulent south. As he opens up about his role in 2010’s deadly crackdown, we see the catching of frogs, a regional delicacy. Meanwhile, a chicken doggedly pecking its way out of its coop reinforces the motif of ‘boundaries’. “I’m interested in the boundary between truth and what we believe to be true,” Nontawat says. “I will present many sets of truth, which cancel each other, for the audience to scrutinise, relying on who they are and their experiences. “Someone once said that since our birth, humans exist in one of two things: birth and death, man and woman, rich and poor, happiness and sorrow. As I grew older I understood this wasn’t true. In between this dichotomy is a myriad of other things. Between black and white, we have grey. And within that, there are a million different shades of grey.” A middle-class boy from a family of cineastes, as a toddler Nontawat sat up late nights to watch movies and cried out for a camera each time he saw one. In his late teens, he submitted his manga comics into contests and constantly took photographs. His artistic influences range from Dragon Ball creator Toriyama Akira and ‘Godfather of Anime’ Osamu Tezuka to Steven Spielberg and Thailand’s own Apichatpong bangkok101.com

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interview

Weerasethakul. But ask the most articulate filmmakers why they choose to make films and their answers will likely be vague or off point. Nontawat is similarly opaque. “I like travelling and going on journeys to new places,” he says. “In the end, all my documentaries could be seen as travel documentaries.” Nontawat began his journey as a documentary filmmaker nearly a decade ago, while studying graphic design. After meeting a team of travelling skateboarders whose ambition was to form Thailand’s national team, Nontawat took it upon himself to edit their footage into Weirdrosopher World. “What I saw in the footage was a life I never had. I was thrilled by the freedom of stepping out into the world, even if it was only through this footage,” he says. “I had no idea what I was doing, but I was intensely happy. I was in front of my screen day and night. There were many discarded attempts. It was countless cut after cut.” Fast forward to this year and Nontawat’s latest offering, By The River, has just won a Special Mention at the Locarno International Film Festival, where it made its world premiere. The film focuses on a lead-contaminated creek coursing through the deep woods on the Thai-Burmese border. Some Karen inhabitants of Klity, a small village in Kanchanaburi, are suffering side effects and a young man who brings his lover to fish in the area each day goes missing. bangkok101.com

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A R T & C u lt u r e

In its long silences, the film invites us to wallow in intimate moments. When words are uttered, they are naïve and unromanticised and all the more heartbreaking. Nontawat manages to make us care about people who say very little and only engage in mundane tasks — chopping up vegetables, staring into greenery. Stripped of its specifics, his director’s statement for the film may hold the key to the question he has failed to answer. In it, he expresses his wish for the feature to “inspire us to start thinking about our own actions that might affect other people in the society... to try to understand the people and to start changing our behaviours — both on the individual level and on the societal level — in order to relieve the trouble... that we might have caused.” Nontawat calls 2013 “a golden year” for Thai filmmaking, with four documentaries making it into theatres and an exciting new crop of emerging filmmakers, audience interest and organisational support. What needs to change, he insists, is the government’s attitude towardw film. He cites South Korea, where government support has catapulted the film industry on to the world stage, pointing out how Busan International Film Festival has become one of Asia’s best. “We have a lot to gain from a cinematic culture,” Nontawat says. “Thailand, with its contrasts and chaos, is rife with material, just waiting to be cherry-picked.” NOVEMBER 2013 | 53

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cheat notes

Siamese Memoirs: The Life & Times of Pimsai Svasti Ping Amranand | B550

Three decades following his mother MR Pimsai Svasti’s tragic death, Ping Amranand has finally helped complete her unfinished autobiography. As the first female Thai Oxford graduate, as well as an ardent writer and avid gardener, Svasti paved the way for modern Thai women in many ways. With close ties to the King (she had royal lineage), her personal accounts vividly capture Buddhist philosophy, culture, and the Thai way of life during the mid-20th century. However, more than merely sharing her personal accounts, Svasti’s flashbacks to the past give us raw and insightful glimpses into the political and social events that changed Thailand as a nation. Reflecting the turbulent upheavals of the 20th century, her life stories take us through the landmark 1932 coup, which led to Siam becoming Thailand, the abdication of King Rama VI, World War II, and ultimately, her own tragic murder in 1977.

In No Sense: a Journey of Love Nick Langat | B990

Pictures speak louder than words. It’s this sentiment that InNoSense is counting on. It tells the story of photographer Nick Langat and a Thai friend traversing the globe together, visiting 48 countries from Argentina to Vietnam. Spread across 196 pages, the 241 photos are accompanied by lines of the author’s melancholy if optimistic poetry. On a journey of new experiences, they discover hope, love, beauty and. ultimately, in the case of his companion, death – from what exactly, the book remains unclear. Throughout, Langat’s photographs are exquisite, showcasing the beauty of the lands they pass through – their architecture, people, and scenery – seemingly searching for one eternal moment. InNoSense is a highly personal project the author has chosen to share with a wider audience; perhaps to make us understand his pain, as a tribute to his lost friend.

A R T & C u lt u r e

harvest season Chris Taylor | B595

Set in a small town in Southern China, this gripping first-person novel is a cunning and beautifully composed meditation on the demise of independent travel and, to some extent, the publishing industry that surrounds it. Taylor, a former Lonely Planet author and former Bangkok resident, is more interested in what really happened to the long-term travel scene and its attendant culture, since pummelled into conformity by the War on Terror, economic uncertainty and the iron grip of the ‘nanny state’ in the West. Harvest Season – the title refers to the marijuana which grows wild in Yunnan Province – is a dark book, and a narrative so universal that it could have been set anywhere on the pancake trench in Southeast Asia. It’s all seen through the reflections of the book’s dysfunctional protagonist, a former travel writer who has returned to his favourite destination to see it being destroyed by those following in the footsteps he took a decade earlier.

the ADVENTURE OF IRON PUSSY (HUA JAI TOR RA NONG) Ittisoontorn Vichailak | 2004 More a film-length piece of performance art than a film, Iron Pussy is a bizarrely funny homage to 1970s spa dramas and the power of white go-go boots. Mild-mannered convenience-store clerk by day, fabulous drag spy by night, Iron Pussy is played with serious zeal by visual performance artist Michael Shaowanasai – despite her formidable ass-kicking powers, the girl is also a sucker for love. Musical numbers erupt in an explosion of costumes and assorted political figures and high-society ladies get their skewering, and Iron Pussy even dispatches a foaming madman in a mock don’t-dodrugs public-service announcement. bangkok101.com

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boards OF

CHINATOWN The humble surroundings of Chinese opera mask a world that is rich in colour and experiences. PHOTOS BY YVAN COHEN WORDS BY TOM STURROCK

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A R T & C u lt u r e

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pera may be more commonly associated with grand venues – opulent concert halls with vast interiors and soaring ceilings – and its worldfamous stars travelling the world to perform. Chinese opera, performed throughout Bangkok’s Chinatown is a departure from this – often hosted in pop-up venues by a troupe of nomadic singers – but is no less colourful for its smaller scale. Photographer Yvan Cohen has spent years taking pictures behind the scenes, building a collection of images that lift the curtain on lives spent in this peculiar vocation. “All the photos were taken in Bangkok at many different locations over a number of years,” he says. “These images are part of a broader collection I’ve been building that documents the Chinatown district of Bangkok and the lives of the people that live there.” For a photographer, Chinese opera is a thrilling subject but Yvan was determined to deliver a different take. He also got to know the performers, discovering that many are in fact from Isan rather than China.

“Entire families live and travel with the opera. It’s very much a way of life,” Cohen says. “Despite their glamorous appearance on stage, the actors are very down-toearth and matter-of-fact about their work – a sign of true professionalism perhaps. A lot of the performers are from poor backgrounds and come from the northeast. “Many cast members don’t even speak Chinese – so they have to learn their lines by rote. Some of the actors have spent so much of their lives living with troupes that they’ve missed out on their education entirely. “One manager of a troupe I met was a brilliant performer but was unable to read or write. There was a nice scene I saw where he was reading a voice-off part – except that he wasn’t reading the text at all, he had one of his actors whisper the text into his ear which he would then repeat out loud.”

Yvan Cohen is co-founder of LightRocket, a new online service by photographers for photographers to create websites and sell directly. See lightrocket.com.

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10/18/13 11:34 AM

A signature pasta with boston lobster at divino p68 6 2 | M AY 2 0 1 3

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bangkok101.com

10/18/13 1:58 PM

AROy new arrivals at firehouse

Anyone who spent a few late nights in Sukhumvit Soi 11 will be familiar with the restorative powers of one of the burgers at Firehouse (3/26 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 02-651-3643; firehousethailand.com). The good news is that they’ve expanded their menu with three new items. There’s a Sloppy Joe (B250) combining beef, cheddar and a beer-battered onion ring; the Meatball Mayhem (B250) with beef and pork and spices topped with a signature tomato sauce and cheese; as well as PickleOs (B90), Firehouse’s original beer-battered fried pickles.

good things come in threes

The folks at Distil (64F Tower Club at Lebua, State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd; 02624-9555; lebua.com/distil) are pretty serious about the quality of what they drink so it will be fascinating to sample their new series of cocktails. In their ‘Aged’ series, Distil uses house-aged bourbon to make different drinks. In their ‘Art’ series, it’s all about innovation and creating interesting combinations. Lastly, the G&T series uses Bulldog gin with a variety of unusual infusions.

all eyes on Ku De Ta

One of Bangkok’s most ambitious new projects launched when Ku De Ta (39F Sathorn Square Building, 98 North Sathorn Rd; 02-108-2000; kudeta.com) finally arrived last month. As an all-encompassing eating and drinking hotspot, Ku De Ta have gone big with their concept and it will be interesting to watch the various venues get rolled out. There’s a couple of clubs confirmed as well as several dining areas. It looks set to make some waves.

long live oktoberfest

Oktoberfest may have come and gone but The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel (199 Sukhumvit Soi 22; 02-261-9000; imperialhotels.com/imperialqueenspark) is extending the party until the end of the year, launching a new menu of boutique European beer and food pairings at their Sundowner’s Bar. Whether it’s Black Forest ham, Weisswrust sausage or fried pork knuckle, there’s a beer to match. And a live band on Fridays.

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meal deals

INTERNATIONAL LUNCH BUFFET THE CONTINENT HOTEL 413 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-686-7000 | thecontinenthotel.com Medinii is the hotel’s lofty Italian with Asian-themed restaurant and offers the feeling of intimate dining with an inspiring setting. Enjoy you buffet with many of must-try items, including spaghetti carbonara, crab meat in white wine sauce, and an assortment of pizzas. The buffet is only B499, available 11.30am-2.30pm. Buy one drink and get one free as a special offer.

ASIAN HERBAL AND FLOWER SET GALLERIA 10 21 Sukhumvit Soi 10 | 02-615-0999 | galleriatenbangkok.com Leapfrog Rooftop Bar and Grill is introducing the Asian Herbal and Flower Set (B590), available November 1-30. The three-course set dinner menu starts with galleria flower salad or crab and prawn wonton in clear soup, entroe (seared scallop served with Asian herbal sauce) or grilled chicken with boesenbergia sauce and butterfly pea cheesecake for dessert.

CLASSIC and DELECTABLE GRILLS THE SUKHOTHAI BANGKOK 3 South Sathorn Rd | 02-344-8888 | sukhothai.com Start your meal with various mouth-watering appetisers then select your favourite main course from premium choices of meat and fresh seafood such as Australian pasture-fed beef fillet and whole sea bass, salmon fillet served with choices of sauce. The promotion is available until the end of March next year. B900 for two courses and B1100 for three courses.

STAY IMPRESSED HOLIDAY INN BANGKOK 971 Ploen Chit Rd | 02-656-1555 | ihg.com/holidayinn Drop by at Café G, Holiday Inn Bangkok to enjoy the best-value lunch and dinner buffet featuring contemporary Thai cuisine, while pasta and noodles are also available. End your meal with a variety of freshly baked cakes, ice cream and Thai desserts. It’s only B299 including soft drinks, coffee and tea or add another B299 for free-flow Singha draught beer.

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT RANG MAHAL REMBRANDT HOTEL BANGKOK Sukhumvit Soi 18 | 02-261-7100 | rembrandtbkk.com Rang Mahal, Thailand’s best Indian restaurant, presents Sunday Brunch. An Indian buffet offers a variety of authentic Indian dishes including kebabs, traditional curries and delicious Indian desserts. Come for a taste of Indian cuisine. It happens every Sunday from 11am-2.30pm for only B850 per person.

OYSTERS ARE BACK THE OYSTER BAR BANGKOK Narathiwas Soi 24 | 02-212-4809 | theoysterbarbangkok.com It’s open every night for dinner and there are a couple of special offers, giving you a chance to enjoy sustainable seafood produce, particularly the fresh oysters in American style. The bar is open from Monday to Sunday for the largest oyster selection in Bangkok. Come in on Sunday for lunch and enjoy 50 percent off all oysters and 20 percent off all chefs’ specials noon-2:30pm.

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review

FOOD & DRIN K

napa on 26

- A long way from California Napa 26 has developed a reputation as a tricky place to find and it certainly pays to know where you’re going – otherwise you risk totally overlooking this place, one out among a swathe of lit-up Japanese restaurants. Inside, Napa 26 makes a brilliant first impression: low-lit with a soothing soundtrack and a crispness that foreshadows high standards without over-the-top formality. The concept is Californian cuisine and, if there’s a criticism of Napa 26, it’s that it doesn’t quite convey what that means. Certainly, there are some top-notch wine selections from that part of the world but the food could generally be categorised as modern European or international – it’s not that sorting food into genres is the point of dining out but concepts only carry their own weight if restaurants commit to them. Still, it’s unlikely to bother most diners, for whom the taste is what truly matters. And the appetisers get the ball rolling in style, the Hamachi ceviche (B670), with pomelo, alfalfa sprouts and and wasabi sherbet striking that perfect balance between lightness and flavour. Equally, the Hokkaido scallops (B990) are a richer option, coming with foie gras, red prunes and a vanilla-anis emulsion. Napa 26 sets the bar high for itself with its prices – it also makes ordering a high-stakes affair. If you choose well, the food is absolutely worth the price tag but a misstep may leave you disappointed. For example, among the soups, the black and white truffle duck cream with thai spices and goose liver (B600) is a show-stopper, while the sweet corn with parma bangkok101.com

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ham and chorizo (B350) is slightly bland by comparison. The angel hair pasta with prawn, scallop, garlic and lobster oil (B420) also lacks complexity and is a prime example of Californian cuisine feeling a little indistinct. The whole experience is elevated by the main courses, though, the grain-fed beef tenderloin (B1600; above) comes bathed in red wine sauce with onion puree and spinach. It’s a gorgeous dish, the sauce working wonders alongside the prime cut. The rack of lamb (B1600), with gremolata, eggplant caviar and butternut, is also a triumph, a reminder that Napa 26’s peaks are truly impressive, even if those heights are hard to maintain throughout.

name on napa [MAP 26x/xx] [MAP 3/O12] 2F Nihonmachi, add | phone 115 Sukhumvit Soi 26 | 02-258-2622 web | open napaon26.com | Tues-Sat 6pm-10pm, Sun 11.30am-10pm

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review

tom yung kung - Big flavour, casual setting The bustling streets around Khao San hum with various dining options, many of them sprawling, ramshackle bars where tables and chairs spill on to the pavement. In among the racks of bargain-priced clothing and mobile stalls, though, Tom Yung Kung has carved out a niche for itself as one of the area’s best-known and most enduringly popular Thai restaurants. There’s not a great deal of space in this part of Bangkok, meaning diners may feel like they’ve been sandwiched in to the point they can barely cut their meat without bumping elbows. But if you manage to find Tom Yung Kung – through a snug little tunnel that takes you off the main drag – you’ll find yourself in wide open cul de sac with an undercover bar and dining set-up that is surprisingly cute – almost quaint – given the area’s reputation for all-night shenanigans. Tom Yung Kung is still cheap and cheerful – it’s still likely to attract plenty of backpackers or, at least, travellers on a budget, but its long tables and informal atmosphere are perfect for groups looking for a big, buzzy Thai meal where the food comes out all at once and everyone just pinches a bit of everyone else’s food. There is also a traditional khon dance (right) show every Monday, Friday and Saturday from 7pm. If there’s a signature dish, it’s probably the tom yung kung (B350), a hot and sour soup served with a couple of heavyweight prawns in a broth of fresh lemongrass, galangal, kaffir limes leaves, chilli, mushrooms and coriander (main, 66 | NOVEMBER 2013

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bottom right). There will be more delicate, updated versions of this Thai staple but Tom Yung Kung gets the flavour profile right, delivering an intense burst, an initial punch of spice, before the milder seasonings kick in. Elsewhere, the massaman curry (B159) also hits the right notes, a slow-cooked, stewed chicken drumstick spiced with cassia bark, cardamom and star anise, served with potatoes, ground peanuts and onions. Again, Tom Yung Kung doesn’t deviate very far from the formula but will satisfy those who can’t say no to the sweeter, milkier taste of this dish, which contrasts sharply with the spikier tom yung kung. Another highlight is the spicy seafood salad (B150), combining shrimp, squid and oyster in a familiar lime and chilli dressing (main, top right). Again, it’s nothing out of the box but it’s on the money for the price.

tom yung kung

[MAP 8/c10]

9 Khao San Rd | 02-629-1818 tomyumkungkhaosan.com | noon-1.30am

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review

FOOD & DRIN K

indus - Inspired Indian Indian restaurants sometimes run the risk of being slightly same-same – from the decor to the flavours, there seems to be a formula that works and plenty of places are happy to march to the same tune. The most gratifying thing about Indus is that it makes certain well-judged departures – there’s a decidedly modern, well-lit interior with sweeping views of their garden dining area, as well as a lighter menu that still delivers the punch people expect from Indian food while dialling down the stodge and oiliness that sometimes accompany it. Furthermore, most Indian restaurants hew rigidly to northern-style food and although those notes are present in most of Indus’s curries, they all riff more broadly on IndianChinese – or Himalayan – combinations. All in all, it’s quite an ambitious venture in modern Indian cuisine. Still, it begins traditionally enough, with a tandoori platter, including a creamy broccoli (B190), chicken in yoghurt and Shahi Jeera (B320) and tiger prawns in Kashmiri chilli paste, garlic, ginger and coriander. It all comes out with that slightly charred goodness that is the hallmark of Tandoori, with that smokey goodness that, done well, heightens rather than overwhelms the other flavours. Among the curries, the old favourites are also the standouts – it’s hard to fault a Kashmiri rogan josh (B490) with mutton when smothered liberally over a chunk of garlic naan. Equally, the chicken tikka (B320) and Goan prawn curry (490) bangkok101.com

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operate at different ends of the spice spectrum but both work in the mouth. If there’s a signature dish, though – and one not seen so commonly – it’s the raan (above). It’s part of an inspired selection of kebabs and requires 24 hours’ advance notice as they soak a whole leg of lamb overnight in dark rum, papaya and yogurt before adding spices and grilling it on the coals. It’s B2900 but that serves six people so is hard to overlook if you’re planning an Indian feast any time soon. The kebab-emalai (B320) is another signature, tender chicken marinated in yoghurt, cream, cheese, and herbs. Indeed, these kebas are the high point of Indus’s menu, offering the most complexity and rewarding any diners willing to branch out. That is, after all, what sets Indus apart from many less ambitious Indian places.

indus

[MAP 3/p12]

71 Sukhumvit Soi 26 | 02-258-4900 indusbangkok.com | 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-11pm

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review

divino

- Irresistibly Italian Italian food abounds all over the world, particularly in the West, so many expats may have come to take it for granted before coming to Thailand. After a little while in the Kingdom, though, Italian food, along with French, comes to represent much of what Thai food misses out – the great sauces, the crusty bread, the punchy cheese, the bold, rich flavours. Proper Italian food suddenly rockets to the top of the wish list and DiVino delivers a passionately authentic, immensely satisfying experience. It’s a curious little set-up, the restaurant split between three rooms that share one corner of Penny’s Corner up in Thong Lor. One section is for private dining, another is filled with stools and high tables, while the newish wine room is a sit-down affair, the walls lined with bottles of gorgeous Italian vino. One of the great joys of DiVino is the staff, Roberto out the front and Armando running the kitchen. From the way their eyes light up when talking about their food, you know you’re in good hands. To get the balling rolling, DiVino offers a selection of cheese (B790 for six different pieces) or imported cold cuts (B700 for the most generous serving). As appetisers, they do precisely what they’re meant to, getting the stomach gurgling away in 68 | NOVEMBER 2013

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anticipation for what’s to follow. Also be sure to try the grilled homemade Italian sausage (B290), served with mustard and exploding with a peppery finish. So there’s enough variety there to keep customers happy if they just fancy a bottle of wine over a few shared platters but the main courses raise the stakes in a way that fancier, more concept-heavy places don’t always manage. It’s hard to recall pasta being this exciting. The linguine with Alaskan crab meat (B420; main, middle left) is a lighter affair – let’s not go too far and call it delicate – while the linguine all’astice (B580) is their signature dish containing half a Boston lobster, dripping in one of those bolshy Italian sauces that looks simple but isn’t. Among the prime cuts of meat, the Australian beef tenderloin with a porcini mushroom sauce (B850) is impressive enough but DiVino’s lamb (B640 for a loin, B850 for a whole rack) is the winner, due mostly to a remarkable herb crust that sets off the milder meat spectacularly.

divino

[MAP 3/r6]

Penny’s Balcony, Thong Lor Soi 16 | 02-714-8723 divinobkk.com | 5pm-midnight, Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm

bangkok101.com

10/18/13 1:59 PM

On the joyous occasion of “Dipawali” – the Indian New Year also popularly referred to as the festival of lights, SARAS chain of Restaurants brings you the exclusive DIWALI BOOTH again, offering Exclusive range of sweets-n-savories !!! New Arrivals: Rose Ball | Dry Fruits Taco’s | Harabhara Ladoo | Nutkhat Chikki | Khajoor Pak | Kalinger | more..

READY FOR THE TEMPTING SURPRISES?? Note : Special Gift/Corporate packaging and Dry Fruit Boxes available.

Wishing you all “Happy Diwali!!” Visit and Explore more : call us @ 087 001 0056 or 082 209 7060 Bangkok Outlet: Sukhumvit Soi 20 (Near Windsor Hotel) Bangkok 10110 Tel: 02 401 8484

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PATTAYA Outlet: 557, Sun City Hotel, Pratumnak Rd. Pattaya Tai (South) Tel: 038 424 769

Email/Web:

www.saras.co.th

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SarasVegFood

10/9/13 10:28 AM

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CUISINE ART

Introducing Mieng Bussabong Every October our newly created dishes and inspired menu debut. Influenced by Loy Krathong Festival and the use of water lilies in cooking, Mieng Bussabong combines lotus petals, lotus seeds, salmon and all the mieng condiments and sauce. Experience fine Thai culinary art in the elegant ambience and the secret oasis of Ruen Urai, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the House of Goldâ&#x20AC;?. Casual dining and bar from noon to 11 pm. Ruen Urai at the Rose Hotel 118 Soi Na Wat Hualumphong, Surawongse Road Tel: 66 (0) 2266-8268-72 Fax: 66 (0) 2266-8096 www.rosehotelbkk.com www.ruen-urai.com

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review

FOOD & DRIN K

hamilton’s steak house

- Prime cuts with effortless style Hamilton’s expansive windows overlook the Dusit Thani’s swimming pool and while the unruly mass of jungle ferns offer some pleasant greenery, they do little to present natural light flooding into the interior. It’s an undeniably pleasant spot to sit down for a few glasses of wine over lunch: clean lines and comfort, straightforward without feeling routine, low-key without feeling empty. Of course, the interior counts for little if the food doesn’t stack up but Hamilton’s passes with flying colours on that score. For a steak house, Hamilton’s puts together a surprisingly interesting seafood selection – you can go all out with a combined platter of lobster, oysters, crab legs and prawns (B220 for four; B3300 for six). Or, if your appetite is a little more modest, try the crab cakes (main, middle left) served with spicy dressing and pickled vegetables (B550) or the red snapper tiradito (B415) rinsed with chilli, lime, sea salt, coriander and cucumber. Tiradito, by the way, is a kind of Peruvian carpaccio that also reflects the Japanese influence. So it’s already pretty clear that Hamilton’s isn’t satisfied being the kind of steak house that just piles your plate up with red meat and the selection of wines reinforces that. The emphasis appears to be on the new world – malbecs bangkok101.com

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from Argentina and chardonnays from California’s Redwood Vineyards. The expert pairing of wine with food ensures diners are likely to be won over early on, making the rest of the meal a celebration of a basic concept executed with panache. The butternut squash soup with charred Hokkaido scallops (B440) is a more surprising combination, especially when served with Spanish sausage, corn and avocado. There’s a lot going on but the scallops retain their pop among it all. And finally, the steaks: there’s American prime beef, Australian T-bones and Black Angus, as well as French Charolais and two kinds of Wagyu (B1285-B3505). The presentation is uncomplicated – although there is a selection of flavoured butters for those who like to mix it up. But the cuts and the tecnhnique are refined enough that these steaks are perhaps best enjoyed on their own. Indeed, Hamilton’s, despite doing many other things very well, still delivers with complete assurance on its signature.

hamilton’s steak house

[MAP 8/k16]

Dusit Thani Bangkok, 946 Rama 4 Rd | 02-200-9000 dusit.com | 6.30pm-10.30pm, Mon-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm

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in the kitchen

Dan ivarie talks to Howard Richardson

American chef Dan Ivarie was a pioneer in Bangkok. His menu at Jester’s in 1999 was the city’s first successful modern European cuisine and he followed with more of the same, opening the kitchens at Bed Supperclub. So it was a surprise when he launched Long Table with a Thai menu. “Well, Thai cooking is fun,” he says. “But apart from that, in Bangkok you can be more easily progressive with Thai cuisine, because you’re working with dishes your kitchen staff already know. So, at Long Table, we have basically traditional Thai recipes, but often with classic European presentation or cooking techniques. It’s a melding of cultures.” A good example is the green curry, where the chicken forms a traditional French ballotine, wrapped around spicy sausage meat. Another is the signature dish: the steamed seabass with ginger, mushrooms and herb jus (right). He fillets the seabass, removes the skin and wraps it French style around a centimetre-thick piece of royal oyster mushroom, chosen because it will cook at the same rate as the fish. It’s secured with a cocktail stick. Then it goes for six minutes into a large, heavy-doored computerised steamer. Asparagus spears complete the sculpture, which sits on a small base of pumpkin purée. The lake of jus made from a raft of ingredients including sautéed ginger, garlic, chicken stock, 72 | NOVEMBER 2013

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soy sauce, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar, is flecked with fresh coriander. Low on calories, the delicate, moist fish and light sauce are a perfect choice for the health-conscious. Dan also cooks a special from next month’s Christmas menu: seared foie gras with green mango salad. As it cooks, he mixes green mango, coriander, shallots, ground prawns and ground peanuts into a bowl with sweet and sour sauce, and then pops the mix into ring moulds to make perfect circles. “This is an imitation of exploded catfish salad,” he says. “I only want it warm all the way through. The moulds are great for volume. They make it quick and easy to control the salad and it looks really nice.” The foie gras goes on top, and the tiny prawns traditional to Thai salads are ground into prawn powder and sprinkled on the surface. Dan drops a blob of salted, duck egg curry sauce on the plate and, with the back of a spoon, turns it into an arty smear. Then the lemongrass – mangled and fried, like exploded catfish – goes on the crown like an unruly haircut. There are so many flavours – creamy liver, gamey duck egg, the sweet and sour, hits of coriander – they form constantly surprising combinations in the mouth. It’s just very good food.

long table

[MAP 8/o15]

F25 Column Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 16 | 02-302-2557 longtablebangkok.com | 5pm-2am

bangkok101.com

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street eats

ealtike

Nym

FOOD & DRIN K

Our roving eater Nym knows her local grub inside-out and thrives on the stories behind the dishes. Each month, she takes an offbeat tour in search of the city’s next delectable morsel

Tuan Chai’s Roast Duck

t has been such a long time since I had last been back to my old neighbourhood, Ramkhamhaeng. But even though my life these days is spent elsewhere, I don’t forget its best restaurants. This area is full of students from Ramkhamhaeng University and ABAC and it offers endless options and styles of food to feed all those hungry mouths. My uncle, a lifelong lover of roast duck, is always asking me to bring one home to eat with the whole family and one old Thai-Chinese restaurant in Ramkhamhaeng, called Tuan Chai, is famous for this dish. It has always looked pretty much the same – the green tiles on the wall and the bright neon light as well as the ducks hanging inside the window cabinet. The best thing about their roast duck is the crispiness of the skin and the tenderness of the meat – without too much fat between the skin and the meat. Some might even say the meat is too tender but my whole family loves this combination. Besides their roast duck, they do a freshly made homemade salapao, a steamed bun with various stuffings. The moo sab (minced pork with pepper and coriander roots) is my favourite, along with the red bean (dark-coloured toua daeng). While I wait for my order, I notice the serious tea

drinking sessions among the shop owners. Tea boxes, cute tea cups and pots and all sorts of tea-making equipment surround one end of the counter. When a seat at the main round table opens up, I grab it and am quickly treated to the fragrant Oo Long tea. The owner always tells me that drinking the tea keeps cholesterol levels low – and it’s also delicious! Address: Soi Ramkhamhaeng 24. Tuan Chai is on the right-hand side, about eight or nine shops down from the mouth of the soi. Open 8am-8pm.

LOY KRATHONG ON THE RIVER SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2013

Experience the beautiful festival of Loy Krathong on the River of Kings at Flow, Millennium Hilton Bangkok. Indulge in an extensive buffet featuring international cuisine, be entertained by Thai performances from 19.00 - 22.00hrs. and fireworks at 22.15hrs. Or choose to celebrate at Yuan, Prime or ThreeSixty where Guests can view a striking display of fireworks. Flow Opens Daily 6.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. Millennium Hilton Bangkok, 123 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok 10600 T: +66 (0) 2442 2000 E: bkkhi.informations@hilton.com, hilton.com, hilton.co.th HiltonBangkok

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listings

Basil

THAI basil [MAP 3/h10] 1F Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit | 02-649-8366 | basilbangkok.com Sun-Fri noon-2.30pm, daily 6pm-10.30pm Basil, in the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, presents a glittering array of Thai favourites – it’s not over-the-top in terms of innovation but nor is there a single false note. Among the appetisers, the soft-shelled crab (right), or poo nim clook nga thord (B390), sets the bar high early on. Served with sesame seeds and tamarind sauce, there’s the full gamut of salty, spicy and sweet, encapsulating in one mouthful why people the world over can’t get enough of Thai food. The chef’s recommendations include the grilled scallops in coconut milk, or tom kha hoy shell yang (B400). Normally the best seafood dishes go easy on seasoning to retain the seafood flavour, but the coconut milk is mild enough that it doesn’t dominate but still introduces a delicate aftertaste. Tom yum gai is essentially a spicy chicken soup (B290 or B540) but when you throw in the mushrooms, lemongrass, a stack of Thai herbs and more than a pinch of spice, it is elevated way beyond the realms of comfort

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food. Soup might seem like the most basic aspect of any restaurant’s menu but it is, as with all the familiar dishes at Basil, right on the money. There’s also a cracking yellow curry with snowfish, or gaeng garee pla hima (B460 or B660), again served in coconut milk but without veering all the way to a massaman flavour. Along with the soft-shell crab, it’s the stand-out.

PASTE [MAP 3/P6] 120/6 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 02-392-4313 pastebangkok.com | Tues-Sun noon-2.30pm, 6pm-late One of the most talked about and innovative new Thai restaurants of 2013 is tucked to one side of soi 49 in the backstreets of Thong Lor. But if the entrance is easily overlooked, the modern Thai food inside is unlikely to be forgotten. For entrees, the dry-spiced chilli squid, topped with vinegar and tomato relish (B240) is a winner. Among the mains, the prime cuts of Australian red meat stand out invitingly from the local produce – the braised beef ribs with ginger rice, tamarind leaves and mushroom soy (B380) are perfect if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty. The roast duck salad with lychee and Vietnamese mint (B380) packs an immediate punch but it is the hint of banana blossom that delivers a surprising, sensational finish. And then there is the tamarind and caramel pork belly with moonflower, red okra and green chilli pickle (400). It’s an inspired combination, the pork belly coming apart effortlessly while its outer layer retains a rainbow of flavours, its richness lightened perfectly by the moonflower and okra.

Paste Overall, Paste is a triumph, fusing tradition and innovation with a confidence and craft that never veers into showiness. Good food is often described as “tasty” or “delicious” but these descriptions are fleeting – the best meals go a step further and stay with us long after the plates are cleared. And, on that score, Paste delivers with exceptional panache, serving food that is not just instantly gratifying but truly memorable.

Taling Pling [Map 3/Q12] 25 Sukhumvit Soi 34 | 11am-10pm 02-258-5308 On entering the new branch of Taling Pling, an old-timer whose main Pan Road branch we were a big fan of until it was demolished, we had to pinch ourselves to test that we hadn’t walked into the Mad Hatter’s Tea party. A black and white checkered floor covers its floor, providing a stark contrast to the fuchsia-pink, faux-rattan chairs. Seating options vary from a private, secluded area at the back of the restaurant to the well-lit dining area with a view of the garden – lending you a landscape for your eyes to feast on. The menu varies from curries to neighborhood nosh such as beef noodles.

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We started off with a gaeng kiew waan moo (green pork curry) that has been stewed to a succulent, buttery texture that melts in your mouth. It has a fiery flavour that’s sure to set your palette a jittering; but no worries, as the accompanying side dish of crispy fried rotis is enough to extinguish the heat. For the fried options, we opted for another signature dish of theirs: ma karm gai yarng (fried chicken with tammarind) with strips of moist chicken thigh lathered with sweep of tamarind sauce, and topped off with crushed peanuts and fried thin onion slices to give extra crunch and texture. Another spectacular dish was the yum plaa salid taling pling, a fried fish salad that was at once simple yet sophisticated, showcasing Thai cuisine’s five essential flavors and featuring the restaurant’s namesake sour fruit, Taling Pling, under a handful of crispy basil leaves, giving it an aromatic twist.

french L’appart [MAP 3/g9] 32/F, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Soi | 085-924-1565 | sofitel.com 7pm-midnight L’Appart has one of the most gorgeous,

interesting spaces in Bangkok, embracing the aesthetic of a Parisian apartment. The cliches of restaurant decor have been thrown overboard – a meal here feels like you’ve been invited for a fabulous dinner party at a successful friend’s immaculately furnished penthouse with amazing views of the skyline. There’s a library and a dining room and one of the snazziest open kitchens around. Most importantly, the food delivers with bells on. Chef Jeremy Tourret may be every inch the French master cook but that hasn’t prevented him taking some intriguing chances, adapting a traditional cuisine to create an adventurous menu. The absolute staples are still represented – frog legs with leek and truffle (B480) and a spectacular bouillabaisse (onion soup) with rock fish, puff Japanese pearl and rouille sauce (B550; right).Tourret has dialled down the salt for the Asian palate, with the added benefit of making room for the more complex flavours he has included. He takes it to the next step in the mains. His pan-fried snow fish comes with cauliflower mousseline and Madras curry (B1300) – that’s right, curry. In a French restaurant. It seems risky and may outrage traditionalists but it is testament to Tourret’s technique and imagination that it works – the cauliflower balances the curry so the delicate taste of the snow fish – among the best – is never overwhelmed. And while people might be unexcited by the prospect of roast chicken, it’s a different dish when it comes stuffed with goat cheese, comfit zucchini and organic tomatoes (B900), each mouthful an opportunity to unpick and savour the winning combination.

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Crepes & Co.

international CREPES & Co. [Map 8/L14] 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, Ploenchit Rd, (also 88 Thonglor Soi 8 and CentralWorld) 02-652-0208 | crepesnco.com | 9am-11pm The business itself is a uniquely Bangkokian success story. It was founded nearly 20 years ago as a family business which quickly expanded and became more ambitious. The crepe may be French in origin, but the flavours and ingredients here take in the entire sweep of the Mediterranean, borrowing heavily from Morocco and Greece, in particular. The menu bulges with savoury options – try the eggplant caviar – but it’s the desserts that attract a loyal after-dinner following. You can keep it simple by going for the Crepe Josephine (B170), which is a straightforward combination of sugar and lemon zest. But if you’ve got a major sweet tooth, you’ll likely move on to the serious stuff, like the Crepe Framboise (B290), served bulging with vanilla ice cream and lathered in rich, tangy raspberry sauce. These creations are big enough to share – or you can have one all to yourself if you have a real craving. Going down the list reveals some eye-popping desserts – try the Crepe

49 Sukhumvit soi 49 - Terrace 49 Building 2nd floor - reservation +6622041731

OTTEGA

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Hemingway’s Mango Coconut (B195), which somehow works despite the unusual pairing of fresh mango and coconut slices, or the Coupe de Fraises (B170), with strawberry, vanilla and chantilly. The real show-stopper, though, is the Flambe Calvados (B290), which comes out rinsed in apple liqueur and filled with sautee apple and rum raisin ice cream. And then they set that baby on fire.

HEMINGWAY’S [MAP 3/J10] Sukhumvit Soi 14 | 02-653 3900 hemingwaysbangkok.com | 11:30am-late (kitchen closes 10:45pm) Choosing Ernest Hemingway as a concept for your bar-restaurant may not be the most original idea but the archetypal He-Man is associated with so many locations – from the Spanish Civil War to hunting rhinos in the Serengeti – that he gives you plenty to play with. It’s ideal fodder to fill this sprawling 1920s-style golden teak house. Arriving from the soi, you enter the Spanish Garden with its own fountain and lanterns in the trees, and proceed through various rooms themed according to episodes from the author’s life. The Havana Bar dispenses Hemingway’s favourite spirits in generous 45ml pours; the Key West Café is a large dining area with waxed teak floors, lots of

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plants and period lampshades styled after oil lamps. We chose (very) dirty Tanqueray martinis from a long drink list (B195), including special cocktails (B220) and beers from their own system served at a reliable minus-two degree. There are 20 or so wines (B1000-B2400 a bottle), including eight by the glass (B150-B350). The food menu moves from bar snacks – try the tasty and tender chilli salt-fried squid with Hemingway’s own tartar sauce (B165) – through soups, entrées and New York pizzas. Among the short list of mains are sea bass with Hemingway’s oyster and absinthe broth, steamed mussels and braised lettuce (B450) and grass-fed lava coal Australia grilled sirloin with sautéed kale, hand-cut chunky fries with a choice of sauce. Finish with a very more-ish butterscotch pot au cream with hazelnut praline (B200). This is a classy venue with good drinks and upperend pub grub.

Quince [MAP 3/P10] Sukhumvit Soi 45 | 02-662-4478 quincebangkok.com | 11.30am-late New Quince chef Wilfrid Hocquet has worked with Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud and the Pourcel brothers, while his last gig – the countrified, Michelin-starred La Bastide de Moustiers – chimes with the concept at his new Bangkok home. He serves straightahead food: farmhouse presentation, not too many flavours, focusing on good product and letting it fly. They have a new supplier near Pattaya for these meats and now work with Bill Marinelli, of the Oyster Bar to bring line-caught fish from Indonesia. Not local, but sustainable.

Quince It’s also, by its nature, unpredictable, so you may get coral trout, sea bream, white sea bass, all depending on the catch. It arrives on Thursdays, so good days to visit are Friday to Sunday. The fish goes on the specials menu, alongside the new a la carte that Wilfrid launches fully this month. Look out for a bunch of fresh salads such as blueberry beetroot with feta cheese and rocket and substantial mains like roast chicken tagine-style with lemon and chickpeas. Beautiful Kurobuta pork, cooked sous vide and served with its own jus (B1500 for a sharing portion), is sourced in Prachinburi and also used in deliciously moist, slightly peppery pork terrine (B280). But there’s so much more to Quince than just the food. It has a buzzy, pub-like atmosphere, a generous-sized bar, unvarnished floorboards and chunky wooden tables that feel as conducive to quaffing beers as the arty cocktails developed by ‘mixsultant’ Joseph Boroski. They have 13 gins (all B280), which you can have with old Englishstyle tonic syrup mixed with soda, plus a comprehensive and delightfully adventurous wine list (B1200-B46,000), including toooften-neglected Spanish labels and an impressive range of dessert wines.

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italian ENOTECA ITALIANA BANGKOK [MAP 3/K8]

indian gaggan [MAP 8/l14] 68/1 Soi Langsuan | 02-652-1700 eatatgaggan.com | 11.30am-3pm, 6pm11.30pm Indian cuisine, perhaps more than any other, has been pigeonholed, locked into a narrow idea of heavy curries and spicy tandooris. It’s an inadequate concept, of course, and Gaggan Anand, through his stunningly unique restaurant in Langsuan, makes one of the most urgent cases for these definitions to be reconsidered. Perhaps the most interesting way to experience Gaggan’s always delicious, often offbeat repertoire is through one of the tasting menus (B1600, B2600 or B4000). One of the more surprising combinations comes out relatively early – it’s called Viagra, freshly shucked French oysters served with kokam nectar and Indian mustard ice cream, and somehow works despite ingredients that don’t intuitively go together. The Egyptian Secret uses foie gras, red onion chutney and raspberry powder to equally stunning effect, the flavours so well-judged that your taste buds are pulled in different directions in one mouthful. There’s the truffle mousse with a pepper infusion and king prawns with fennel Kachumber and charcoal oil. Each dish is wildly imaginative and often hard to process initially. It’s challenging food but, one after another, they prove unerringly delicious. In a nod to those who might have reservations about this kind of experimental food, there’s the Fusion Called Confusion, which combines Atlantic lobster with a coastal curry. On paper, that sounds like the lobster taste doesn’t stand a chance but, sure enough, in the mouth, they’re both there, distinctly present on different parts of the tongue. For those who just want a damn fine curry, Gaggan has that covered as well. The apparently simple Who You Calling Chicken (B390) in fact has outstandingly refined flavour and a heart-starting pepper aftertaste. bangkok101.com

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39 Sukhumvit Soi 27 | 02-258-4386 enotecabangkok.com | 6pm-midnight Cosy Enoteca is unashamed traditional Italian, rustic from its barn-like roof, to the homemade breads, cured meats and salamis on the countertop, and shelves of storage tins and kitchen bits. The building materials are new, but the arches and brickwork lend an old cellar atmosphere. Wines line the walls. Which is apt, as an Enoteca back home is mainly an outlet where people go to sample wines with accompanying snacks. Consequently, there’s a long list of grape – all Italian – with three reds and four whites by the glass from B300 and bottles from B1350. Settle into a comfortable and curvaceous wicker armchair at one of nine unfussy tables and choose from the à la carte or several degustation menus – four and five courses (B1500 and B1800 respectively) or the eightcourse Gran Gourmet (B2600), all available for the whole table only. A tasty dish on the five-course is golden onion cooked in salt and filled with shredded braised quail (B590). It’s accompanied by lightly pan fried cubes of bread topped with cheese, which gives light crunch and saltiness to offset the sweetly smooth onion and fowl. It’s a regional dish, and apparently so rare outside its native Piedmont you may otherwise have to come all the way to Bangkok to find it. Another comes as small pieces of pigeon breast, each mounted with tortelloni filled with pigeon gravy (B690++). You eat each combo in one spoonful – a clever way to serve it, as the liquid entirely fills your mouth and its flavours against the meat develop in a long complex finish across your tongue. To locate the restaurant follow Soi 27 right to the end, turn right, and it’s 30 metres on the left.

La Bottega di Luca [MAP 3/P8] The 49 Terrace, Sukhumvit 49 | 02-260-2258 the49terrace.com | 10.30am-11.30pm Nestled in a smallish mall on soi 49, La Bottega di Luca is an immediately welcoming space, effortlessly combining indoor-outdoor seating and cultivating a relaxed vibe that makes it a neighbourhood favourite with real panache. Luca, who runs the show, updates the parts of the menu regularly and orders produce in from Italy fortnightly. The antipasti start at B290 and the grilled scamorza (B390) – that’s smoked mozzarella – wrapped in speck ham with mushrooms

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Indulge your appetite on our inspired new menu

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listings japanese Above eleven [MAP 3/C4]

La Bottega di Luca and red wine sauce is a delight. It’s a simple idea but the evident care taken in preparation elevates this to a gorgeous starter, reminding diners just how much they’ve come to miss cheese in Bangkok. And that sauce – you’ll be tempted to lick the plate clean. There’s a sizeable menu and it can be tricky to know which direction to take. The most eye-catching salad is the seafood combination (B220) with steamed prawns, baby squid, mussels and clams seasoned with garlic. But who are we kidding? We’re here for the rustic, filling, flavoursome Italian cooking, delivered with real passion. That means it’s hard to go past the homemade pasta that gets freshly made every day – the dishes are reasonably priced at B240-490, although you’ll be shelling out B1790 if you go for the lobster. The paccheri with saute Italian sausage and fennel seeds certainly doesn’t disappoint. There’s a rich, full flavour, meaty enough to eat with a glass of red wine but with a complexity of seasoning and ticklish spice at the end of each mouthful. Pasta dishes can sometimes become a bit of a slog halfway through but there’s enough going on here that the portion disappears pretty damn quickly.

33rd Fl Frasers Suite Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-207-9300 aboveeleven.com | 6pm-2am Chef Omar Frank Maruy brings Bangkok’s first taste of Nikkei cuisine, a Peruvian-Japanese fusion developed over 140 years of Japanese immigration. The outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls for maximum view has a central bar, dining tables, lounge areas and huge daybeds for parties to slumber on. Tip: choose a seat on the north side – it gets windy to the south. Start with a pre-dinner Peruvian cocktail – maybe a pisco sour, made with Peruvian grappa, lime, egg white and angostura (B350) – before checking out the menu, which also has some Japanese dishes. Starters include Cebiche Above Eleven (B550), in which the crunch of deep fried calamari contrasts well with raw seabass marinated in “Tiger’s Milk”, a blend including shallots, lemon and chilli with flavours similar to Thai, although much more restrained. Five skewers of cubed charcoal grilled beef heart (B240) are served with three Peruvian dips of increasing fieriness, and Kani Causa (B300) is three mounds of yellow coloured mashed potato topped with crab meat, avocado, quail egg and mayo. Plates are served centrally to share and portions are generous, particularly on main courses such as Seco de Cordero (B950), a slow-cooked lamb shank seasoned with beer, cilantro, cumin and aji Amarillo. Aji is chilli, which, for cooking, Peruvians use deseeded and pre-boiled, which retains flavour and aroma but removes the spiciness.

Shintori There’s a great view, an electro soundtrack with special DJ nights on Wednesday (Latin), Friday (Hip Hop) and Saturday (House), and this is Bangkok’s only Peruvian, a cuisine with a bit of worldwide buzz. It will suit the adventurous.

SHINTORI [MAP 4/G4] Level 18, Zen World, Zen Department Stores | 02-100-9000 | shintoribangkok.com 5.30pm-late It’s a fresh, high-ceilinged space where polished concrete is offset by simple black furniture, overhead spotlights contrast with shadow, and the sushi bar, kitchen and cocktail bar get a wall each. But it is to the fourth wall, with its floor-to-ceiling window stretching its entire length, that your eye is drawn. The view – of the lawns of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club framed by a skyscraperfilled skyline – is epic. If Shintori is starting to sound like a pricey spot, here’s the bad news: it is. However, if you’re looking for a dinner that impresses on all fronts it could be worth forking out for, as the combination of a thrilling setting and exciting food is still hard to find in this town. Like the décor, most of the food here is a far cry from what you find in the usual mall joints, with a strong lean towards western-

reﬁnement complexity intrigue www.pastebangkok.com

info@pastebangkok.com PHONE +66 2 392 4313 120/6 Sukhumvit Soi 49 (Across from Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital) Su

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Toro Sushi style Japanese cooking. Starters that prove the point include the avocado tuna paste cocktail, with hints of wasabi and Japanese spirit shochu (B320), and the dainty Peking duck crispy spring rolls served with tender beef cubes and Pollock-like drizzles of eel sauce (B450). Both the above are tasty, but neither is a patch on the codfish monomiso (B650), a Shintori signature. Marinated for five days, it’s flaky, soft and packed full of miso flavour – a joy. For those who like their Japanese food more mainstream, there are sashimi platters, the biggest one just about justifying its price tag with its fresh, fat-sliced otoro tuna, yellow tail, red snapper and flounder (B1590). As good as the food is, Shintori could, if word gets out, work just as well as an uberstylish cocktail bar. Given the size of the bar stretching along the back wall, it’s clear that the tipples (B350) are meant to be another highlight.

Toro Sushi [MAP 3/R8] No.88 in soi connecting Thong Lor 5 to 9, Sukhumvit 55 | 02-712-8447 | facebook.com/ torofreshsushi | Mon-Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm Rather old-fashioned looking, with slats of light wood and bare bulb lighting like the one used in Japanese markets, there’s nothing at all fancy about it – and in a city where style too often strong-arms substance, that’s part of its charm. The same old-school approach extends to the food. There’s lots of sushi on the menu, but little in the way of the fancy sushi creations you find at your heaving chain equivalents. Starters include chawanmushi (B80), steamed egg custard served warm. Another light opener is the Engkawa sushi (B120 per piece). Though it looks a little oily, the lightly grilled flatfish, rice and accompanying sour ponzu sauce add up to very moreish mouthfuls. A decent side perfect for chomping on in between sips of your hot or cold sake (which starts from B300 per 300ml) is the shiraou karaage (B190), which are little fish deep fried and lightly salted. As well as sides and sushi, fresh sashimi boats are also served, the most expensive being the Sashimi Moriawase 7 (B1900), bangkok101.com

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featuring seven different kinds: otoro, akami, hamachi, salmon, mandai, Saba and Japanese scallops. The meat is fresh, the wasabi sauce reeks of quality, and the rice has a mild smooth taste. But what really stands out over and above all of them is the melt-inyour-mouth Otoro sashimi. Reservations are recommended if you want to sit at a table, not the sushi bar.

YTSB [MAP 8/J12] VIE Hotel, 117/39-40 Phaya Thai Road 02-309-3939 | viehotelbangkok.com 6pm-11pm The odd-looking name is an abbreviation for Yellow Tail Sushi Bar, which provides a pretty decent indication of what this place has to offer. The fish has different names according to size and stage but is known as yellowtail once it reaches maturity and is ready to eat. Upon a first glance, the restaurant is decked out with chic Japanese-themed décor rather than authentic Japanese style. The soft yellow lighting creates a low-key ambience likely to draw you in. It’s also on the fourth floor of VIE Hotel – so before you settle in, head downstairs to the outdoor terrace on the third floor, where you can still order food and drinks from the well-stocked bar. The name of the venue might suggest that the menu is all about yellowtail, but there’s real variety. If you’re in a group, it’s hard to ignore the set of appetisers (B1180) composed of dried stingray fin, dried shrimps, fried salmon and salted ginkgo. It arrives on a long bamboo platter, emphasising YTSB’s fusion influences, as opposed to taking the strictly traditional route. If you want to branch out beyond the raw fish, there are alternatives with wagyu and chicken. Maybe try the kagoshima wagyu namban yaki (B2500), cooked with Japanese seasoning and topped with sesame, mushroom, and asparagus. Each bite is tender, and the Japanese seasoning is exquisite. But the spotlight still comes back to the sashimi, especially the aburi Hamachi jalapeno, which includes five pieces for B600.

LATIN El Osito [MAP3/C10] 888/23-24 Mahatun Plaza, Ploenchit Rd 02-650-9581 | Mon-Sat 11am-11:30pm New York meets Madrid at Billy Bautista’s new place El Osito, less than a minute’s walk from Ploenchit Skytrain station. San Franciscan Billy and his wife Oh also run Bangkok’s go-to Mexican, La Monita, which is right next-door. NOVEMBER 2013 | 79

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El Osito El Osito is decked out with photos of their families, including a full-wall shot of Uncle Pablo in his full matador outfit, and the Spanish recipes largely come from Billy’s dad, a native of Madrid. The polished concrete walls, exposed wires and bare bulbs hung from the ceiling hold to the prevailing warehouse/factory ambiance of modern Bangkok diners, but they did most of the work themselves, and so avoided the cookie-cutter predictability, and managed a homier vibe than many. The toilets have a pastiche of Picasso’s Guernica, painted by Billy, Oh and friends over a few inspirational beers. A neighbourhood Dean & DeLuca during the day with its own smoker and churro machine and deli stalwart sandwiches such as Reuben and home-made pastrami (B190-B250), El Osito morphs into a Spanish tapas bar-cum-restaurant at night. The menu runs from pinchos (light drinking snacks like shredded duck with crispy skin, and a vinaigrette with minced tomato, onion and jalapeno, served on toast, B80/ two pieces) that wash down perfectly with a sangria, a sparkling mojito (B350) or one of several American craft beers, which, to the delight of anyone who’s read tales of the Prohibition, are served in Mason jars.

Among the tapas are several tortillas, slightly undercooked, so they have a good, light creamy texture (from B75 a slice), and plates like gambas al ajillo (B175) with fried parsley, lots of olive oil and garlic, and a crispy crust, light French stick to mop up the juices. At the end is a four dish selection of Platos, including a rib-eye, cooked medium rare (B550) with a mushroom, cream and chipotle sauce that throws good smoky flavour and medium spice.

PANORAMA [MAP 5/K4] Crowne Plaza Lumpini Park | Rama IV Rd 02-632-9000 crowneplazabkk.com Noon-2pm, 6pm-10.30pm The Crowne Plaza’s signature restaurant Panorama launched a new dining concept last month tagged ‘Inspiring By Day, Latin By Night’, in which not only the food but also the music is Latin-themed, with DJs and live bands scheduled for special events. And it’s not all the inevitable Mexican. The menu ranges from Mex to Spain, to Brazil and Argentina, with snippets of Cuba, Chile and Peru. The selection opens with snacky items and moves through a wide range of styles, ending with large plated mains designed to share. The ceviche sampler (B320) is a good starter of four styles, arriving in separate chunky glasses, including the delicious, mildly spicy yellowfin tuna with mango and pineapple. You might then advance to wafer-thin flat breads (from B240) with a variety of toppings; quesadillas with chilli braised duck, cheddar and salsa (B260) or smoky, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs (B340), which are rubbed with adobo spices, marinated overnight, slow-smoked over coconut husk, then topped with tamarind sauce and grilled.

Panorama Drinks include the expected sangrias (B450 a litre), mojitos and caipirinhas (both B220), and a good selection of custom cocktails designed by restaurant manager Vitor Goncalo Santiago (from B180). There’s also a comprehensive wine list that impoverished journalists love for wines by the glass, starting at a mucho friendly B98 (ten each of red and white, plus a few rosés and sparklers). And if you prefer a good claret, they stock the ’97 Haut Brion at B16,800 a bottle. Panorama is a good size for birthdays or an after-work blow out, with party packages including food and drink for four, six, eight and ten people (B2899 to B7999). And the infectious music breeds a convivial atmosphere – someone at our table even took to the aisle and wiggled her hips to the salsa rhythm between courses.

middle eastern Arabesque [MAP 3/B7] 68/1 Sukhumvit Soi 2, Sukhumvit Rd (500m from JW Marriott) | 02-656-9440 | facebook. com/arabesquerestaurantbangkokthailand 11am-2am The hostess in traditional garb that greets you on the street is the first indicator that

Colin says -

“You’re SPECIAL Mate!” Scan Colin’s QR code or visit our website at

www.snapper-bangkok.com to print off our unbelievable in-store specials and you’ll be loving Snapper even more!

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Snapper

snapper [MAP 3/f8]

Arabesque Arabesque wants to make a good impression. The ‘Arabesque’ motifs – the Egyptian-made wood and seashell doors, window frames and pillars – that give the restaurant its name and accent the sandy orange dining room are another. It’s all very tasteful and classy, with, to our delight, not a tacky model Sphinx, pyramid or Tutankhamun’s mummy in sight. Enjoy a toke on a shisha pipe?For that, there’s a leafy front patio. Unlike most of its competitors, the menu is as pure Egyptian as the fixtures (and the imported goodies sold in the on-site bazaar, which occupies the other half of the curtained off interior). As well as dishes that fans of Middle Eastern cuisine will know well, such as hummus, mousaka and tajine (claypot stews), it includes some they probably won’t. Koushary, for example, is an Egyptian staple of lentil, macaroni, rice, fried onions and chili tomato sauce that we’ve never seen on the menu anywhere else. There are lenty of grilled meats (shish kebab, kofta, etc) are offered but we gravitated towards Egypt’s hearty, ovenbaked dishes. One was fattah, a stodgy yet satisfying rice dish that’s similar to tajine expect for the scraps of bread that are mixed into it. That might not sound appealing, but it definitely works.

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1/20-22 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-1098 snapper-bangkok.com Mon-Fri 5pm midnight, Sat-Sun noon-midnight New Zealand cuisine is hard to define precisely but it emphasises quality produce, and allows it to speak for itself with uncomplicated presentation. This works particularly well when it comes to seafood and, although Snapper has a low-key, laidback atmosphere, owners Mark and Craig take their produce very seriously, importing it all the way from the chilly waters of the Tasman. The Nelson Bay scallops, sauteed in white wine, butter and chives (B790) epitomise the approach of not masking the natural goodness of the product with a stack of heavy sauces and extra ingredients. That seafood taste is there in spades, along with a perfectly firm yet tender texture that identifies top-drawer seafood. They’ve got some stiff competition from the mussels, though, served as starters (B200-B300) or in a more substantial sharing platter (B480), topped with spiced tomato that offsets the ocean-infused tang without overwhelming it. Snapper has done its darnedest to set itself apart as serving the best fish and chips in Bangkok and it’s pretty hard to argue with the orange roughie (B480) that just comes apart effortlessly on the plate and, with a squirt of lemon, works spectacularly on the tongue. There’s a vast selection: from red gurnard to flounder to kingfish and plenty more besides. But if you think the Kiwis are keen on their seafood – they are, with good cause – they’re pretty jazzed about New Zealand lamb and beef as well.

vegetarian Rasa yana Raw Food Café [MAP 3/M3]

57 Sukhumvit Soi 39 (Soi Prommitr), Sukhumvit Rd | 02-662-4803 rasayanaretreat.com | 10am-8pm daily Veganism is still a fresh concept in Bangkok’s food scene, with just one raw food joint in the city – Rasayana Raw Cafe on Sukhumvit Soi 39. The eatery is part of a colon-cleansing spa retreat so you know these chefs are serious. The all-vegan menu is rooted in the idea that cooked food loses all the important enzymes and nutrients that thrive in uncooked food. Although it may be daunting for meat lovers and those with a soft spot for deep-fried delicacies, one meal at this health food haven proves how easy it is to consume food that’s totally good for you. We’ve tried a good number of Rasayana’s dishes, in all their uncooked glory, but we normally start with a freshly squeezed juice such as the Rasayana combo (B85): a blend of carrot, beet, celery and apple juice. It’s so tasty that you forget there are veggies in it! If you’re looking for something that will give you the strength of the Incredible Hulk, then try the green and mean Rejuvenator (B85), made of spinach, lettuce, parsley and carrot juice.

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Nightlife happy birthday apoteka

There have been some comings and goings along Sukhumvit Soi 11 over the past year but Apoteka (33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 0837-205-586; apotekabkk.com) has definitely made an impact in its one year, reinvigorating that stretch along the top with live bands every night of the week. They’re celebrating their first birthday on the weekend November 16-17. The Saturday night promises to be a rip-roaring affair with a rotating cast of Bangkok blues men, before a Sunday afternoon barbecue with more tunes the following day.

blues scene expanding

The resurgence of live blues and jazz continues with the Medici Kitchen & Bar at Hotel Muse (55/555 Soi Langsuan; 02-630-4000; hotelmusebangkok.com) refashioning itself as an upscale live music venue. The plan is to bring in topdrawer talent from around the world, introducing them to a Bangkok audience that is eager for more live music. Oklahoma showman Derrick Walker will be the regular headliner and it will be fascinating to watch this live music space develop.

Claptone hits levels

Business is booming for Levels (6F 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 0823-083-246; levelsclub.com) and another bumper crowd is expected on November 14 when Berlin DJ/producer Claptone arrives to play one of his banging house sets. The pointed mask he wears during sets has become a trademark but it’s his upbeat, Detroit-influenced grooves that have made him such a big hit internationally. Promises to be another big night at Levels.

heaven for ladies

Since opening its doors a couple of months ago Heaven (F20, Zen @ Central World, 4/5 Rajadamri Rd; 02-100-9000; heaven-on-zen.com) has quickly emerged as one of the most glamorous nightspots in Bangkok, offering sweeping views of the cityscape is an upscale, open-air bar environment. They now have a designated Ladies’ Night every Thursday, featuring DJ Popsy and DJ Tong as well as guest dancers and specials on Heineken, 42 Below Vodka and Bacardi Rum.

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live music

martin taylor by Joe Cummings

- UK guitar virtuoso joins Australian Tommy Emmanuel in Bangkok -

e has been called “arguably the most accomplished solo jazz guitarist in the world” by Guitar Player magazine, and was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his musical contributions. Yet Martin Taylor goes relatively unrecognised outside his home country, especially in Thailand, where he performed last week with more famous Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. “I met Tommy about 20 years ago while I was on a solo tour of Australia,” says the 57-year-old guitarist. “I played on a local TV show while I was there and Tommy saw it and got hold of me by phone afterwards. “We arranged to meet and play together in Oz, and later when Tommy moved to the UK he called me up. He wasn’t known there at the time, but my son, who’s been managing me for a long time, was able to arrange tour dates for Tommy in the UK and Europe.” Emmanuel, who is a year younger than Taylor and like his colleague mostly performs solo, is best known for his complex finger-style technique and high-energy performances. The material he performs and records tends to come from folk, rock, country and pop. Although the two have been in the music business roughly the same length of time. Taylor’s approach to guitar, by contrast, is strongly founded in jazz. His knowledge of harmony, chord structure and alternative scales arguably resides at a higher level than his Australian colleague’s. “Yes, our backgrounds are quite different,” Taylor says. “But over the years both of us have expanded our repertoires to the point where they overlap more than you might think.” Taylor and Emmanuel have been touring in support of The Colonel & The Governor, their 2013 collaboration, which was recently nominated for an Aria in Australia for best jazz album. “We each made up lists of possible tunes and then we got together at my house, ran thorough the lists and eliminated ones we didn’t think would work,” Taylor recalls. “We went through the same process again at Tommy’s house – when we finally had the list, we rehearsed and then performed a bunch of dates in the US northwest for about a week to get the material tight. “After that we went straight into the studio in Nashville and recorded the album in four days,” Taylor recalls. “In many ways it feels like a live album because of that.” When it comes to planning live shows, Taylor says: “It’s very much a 50-50 collaboration in terms of solos versus comping [playing chords]. Also, to keep the show varied, we alternate between solo and duo performance. “Some of the old 1930s jazz tunes I brought out Tommy

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didn’t know before, so it’s great to hear his completely different take on them. He doesn’t play jazz licks as such, so he brings his own thing to the tunes. “As for me, I just play the way I play, more jazz than anything else. Playing the guitar is the only thing in my life that’s ever come easy to me. “In school, I never knew what they were talking about. But show me a chord chart, or play a record and tell me to copy the guitar part, and I can do it.” bangkok101.com

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listings more posh than funky. Some of Bangkok’s gilded youth chill on sofas and knock pool balls around in the front room; but most hit the fridge-cool dancehall to boogie away the week’s woes to live bands and hip-hop DJs. Forget about edgy sounds – here it’s all about getting down with the CEOs of tomorrow.

MIXX DISCOTHEQUE [MAP 4/H4] Bash

Nightclubs BASH [ma p 3/F8] 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (entrance next to the Australian Pub | bashbangkok.com Midnight-very late Open till “very late”, Bash is brash. American owner Daryl Scott, a well-known club scene figure, has spliced strands of global clubbing DNA with the usually sleazy after-hours club concept. There are burlesque dancers ranging from midgets and robots on stilts to cross-dressing whacker Pan Pan (the shows bring to mind risqué superclub Manumission at times); the fixtures and furniture are of the very glam sort (gleaming Louis IX furniture, etc); and the DJs are often big names. Head up the stairs lined with misshapen mirrors and you’ll find three floors of fun, two of them taken up by the main room and the mezzanine which overlooks it.

DEMO [map 3/R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) 02-711-6970 | 8pm-1am Easily the grittiest discoteca in the swish Thong Lor area is Demo: a squat former tenement building turned graffiti daubed brick warehouse. Featuring a terrace and bar outside, and lots of dark corners inside, not only does it look like a venue you’d find in East London or some other hipsterville; it sounds like one, too: instead of the usual mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast zeitgeisty nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system.

Funky Villa [MAP 3/R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 | 08-5253-2000 | 6pm-2am The name Funky Villa conjures images of roller-blading babes in bikinis, all partying at a Hugh Hefner-owned villa in the Med. The reality’s different. Steer your way through the fairground-sized car park, past the BMWs and chic lounge-deck area, and you’ll hit a swish one-storey house, 86 | NOVEMBER 2013

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President Tower Arcade 973 Ploenchit Rd mixxdiscotheque.com | B350 | 10pm-late Located in basement annex of the Intercontinental Hotel, Mixx is classier than most of Bangkok’s after-hour clubs, but only slightly. It’s a two-room affair decked out with chandeliers and paintings and billowing sheets on the ceiling lending a desert tent feel. The main room plays commercial R&B and hip hop, the other banging techno and house. Expect a flirty, up-for-it crowd made up of colourful characters from across the late-night party spectrum. The entry price: B350 for guys, B300 for girls. That includes a drink and, as long as things go smoothly, the chance to party until nearly sunrise.

ROUTE 66 [Map 8/Q12] 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue | route66club.com B200 foreigners incl. drink / free for Thais Rammed with hordes of dressed-to-kill young Thais on most nights of the week, ‘Route’, as it is affectionately known, is RCA’s longest surviving superclub. There are three zones to explore (four if you count the toilets – probably the ritziest in town), each with its own bar, unique look and music policy. ‘The Level’ is the huge, alllasers-blazing hip-hop room; ‘The Classic’ spins house and techno; and Thai bands bang out hits in ‘The Novel’. Route is not a good place to lose your friends but can be a blast if you all get crazy around a table, be it inside or out on the big outdoors area. One sore point: unlike the locals, foreigners are charged a B200 entry fee (but get a free drink).

THE CLUB [Map 7/F 5] 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod | 02-629-1010 theclubkhaosan.com | 6pm-2am B 100 (incl. one drink) The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers must surely be amazed to find they’ve entered a techno castle on Khao San Road. The sky-high windows and raised central DJ turret lend a fairytale vibe, while the lasers, visuals and UV lighting hark back to mid 1990s psy-trance raves. Music-wise, it’s a loud, banging

Q Bar house serving up the full range of 4/4 beats, usually cranium-rattling electro house and techno. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free.

Q BAR [Map 3/C4] 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-252-3274 qbarbangkok.com | 8pm-1am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with big name international DJs appearing regularly. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife twelve years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and a recent top-to-bottom renovation giving the venue a maximalist style injection. Now, there’s more room to dance and more lounge space, especially at QUP, the more downtempo upstairs area. Also, out the back of the venue, through a revolving door from the dance floor, you can find your way into Le Derriere, Q Bar’s very own Parisianstyle absinthe bar that is perfect for chilling out and chasing the green fairy.

hotel bars & clubs BARSU [map 3/F6] 1st F, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250, Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 barsubangkok.com | 6pm-2am The informal yet sleek BarSu features the tagline ‘eat, play, dance,’ and appeals to the over-30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city’s current nightlife offerings. To this end, there are five live bands for each night of the week. Comprised of students from Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Jazz, Tenon Round’ are a gifted young quartet who perform every Tuesday from 8.30 to 10.30pm. The other bands, JazzPlayground, P.O.8, Rhythm Nation and Hot Gossip, play from Wednesday to Saturday respectively. In bangkok101.com

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listings spasso [MAP 8/l13]

CM2 between sets, tuck into their ‘Goong goong goong’ menu, combining fresh prawns with a variety of international flavours.

CM2 [map 4/D5] Novotel Siam Square, 392/44 Siam Square Soi 6 02-209-8888 | cm2bkk. com | 10pm-2am The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s subterranean party cave still packs them in sixteen years after it first opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and nocturnal beauties. The big and quite 1980s disco looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) complex has lots of lounging space facing the dance floor, plus a sports bar with pool tables, smoking room, and an Absolut Vodka Lounge. It’s mainstream all the way. DJs play what the crowd wants, when they want it, usually the latest electro, funky house or hip-grinding R&B tune, while the live bands from Canada, Europe and Asia perform as if every song is a potentially life-changing audition. Currently that includes the impressive Crush Crew, who perform their renditions of modern hip-hop, R&B and other charting hits.

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Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajadamri Road | 02-254-1234 | bangkok.grand.hyatt. com 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-2.30am There’s no shortage of hotel bars in Bangkok but Spasso, on the ground floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan has been around for 21 years and remains a favourite among visitors and expats looking to let their hair down. By day, it presents as a sedate Italian restaurant but after hours, after it transforms into a club and cocktail bar, it really hits its stride, revelling in its energetic, uninhibited atmosphere. The lay-out is unconventional – an open-plan foyer and dining area narrows into a dancefloor, flanked by two horseshoeshaped bars. Spasso’s selling point is that it’s slightly wild and the live band does its best to whip partygoers into even higher spirits.

ST REGIS BAR [map 4/G 7] St Regis Bangkok Hotel, 159 Ratchadamri Rd 02-207-7777 | stregis.com | Mon-Fri 10am1am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am At 6:30pm each day a butler struts out on to the terrace of the St Regis Bar, a saber in one hand, a bottle of Moet & Chandon in the other. He then flicks at the collar until ‘pop!’, the cork flies off and bubbly spurts gently out on to the terrace. Come for this, stay for the view. Stretching along a plate glass window, the rectangle venue – with its suave masculine vibe, long bar, clubby sofas and high-ceilings – eyeballs the city’s Royal Bangkok Sports Club. It’s a lovely spot at sunset, even better on every second Sunday afternoon, when you can spy on the horseracing with a fine malt whiskey in hand.

St Regis Bar

Bars with views Above Eleven [MAP 3/C4] 33rd Fl Fraser Suites Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-207-9300 aboveeleven.com | 6pm-2am A west-facing 33rd floor rooftop bar with beautiful sunsets, Above Eleven is a winning combination. The outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls for maximum view has a central bar, dining tables, lounge areas and huge daybeds for parties to slumber on. Tip: choose a seat on the north side – it gets windy to the south. There’s a great view, an impressive cocktail list and an electro soundtrack.

AMOROSA [Map 7/C12] 4th F, Arun Residence Hotel, 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Rd 02-221-9158 | arunresidence.com | 6pm-1am Amorosa is a sultry, Moroccan-style balcony bar offering balmy river breezes, sour-sweet cocktails and a so-so wine list. The showstopper, though, is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, guests gaze out from its

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Heaven

underused ingredients in cocktails and it sets off the others in a way that’s refreshing but still carries a kick.

octave [MAP 3/s10]

balcony terrace on to the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn, on the banks beyond. Go before sundown and enjoy watching the sun sink slowly behind it. Or come later, when amber floodlights make it glow against the night sky.

heaven [MAP 8/k13] F20, Zen @ Central World, 4/5 Ratchadamri Rd | 02-100-9000 | heaven-on-zen.com Mon-Sun 5.30pm-1am It’s heavily dependent on the weather as the design offers precious little protection but on a warm Bangkok night, when the golden backdrop of its feature bar lights up like a metal sun, it feels like one of the most glamorous places in the capital. Crucially, they’ve got the cocktails (all B280-B320) right, using a well-chosen blend of spirits without going overboard and trying to cram every drink with one too many flavours. The Surreal Seduction – slightly cheesey name but we’ll forgive it because it tastes good – combines vodka, apple liqueur, elderflower syrup and pear puree. It’s super fruity but apple liqueur is one of the more versatile,

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45/F, Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57 | 02-797-0000 facebook.com/OctaveMarriott | 6pm-1am Rows of plush seating along the edge of the open-air balcony offer a perfect spot to plot Bangkok’s geography from above while knocking back some of Octave’s punchy, refreshing cocktails. The Thai Mojito (B320) starts things off in a way that’s familiar enough but well-executed, combining the standards of white rum, basil and lime with spicy mango, adding a zingy twist to the established mojito formula. More innovative still is the Bloom Over The Roof (B320), which fuses Red Berry Tea-flavoured vodka with fresh mint leaves and elderflower syrup. It might seem a little flowery but the overall effect is a seriously drinkable concoction that cuts right through the humidity. The winner, though, is probably the Golden Tai (B390) which pairs two kinds of rum – one light, one dark – finished with Grand Marnier and almond syrup.

NEST [Map 3/C4] 9th F, Le Fenix, 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 02-305-4000 | lefenixsukhumvit.com 5pm-2am An all-white and urbane open-air oasis on the ninth floor of the sleek Le Fenix Hotel, Nest is a loungey and laid-back spot on weekdays and early evenings, with couples enjoying signature martinis and upmarket nibbles from the comfort of Thai-style swing beds and Nest-shaped rattan chairs.

Red Sky But on weekends, a more up-for-it crowd ascends, especially during special party nights. These include Mode, a shindig every second Saturday of the month that pumps hip-hop and house beats rather than the usual smooth Balearic sounds. What are the views alike? With buildings looming above you, not below you, here you feel part of the cityscape.

RED SKY [Map 4/F 3] 56th F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | 02-100-1234 centarahotelresorts.com | 5pm-1am Encircling the 56th floor turret of CentralWorld’s adjoining Centara Grand Hotel, the al fresco Red Sky offers panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the time to come – plonk yourself down on a rattan chair or oversized daybed and wait for the lightshow to begin. When daylight fades and the city lights up like a circuit-board, a live jazz band kicks in and Bangkok takes on a glam cosmopolitan aura. Upscale bar snacks like slowcooked baby back pork ribs and martinis, cocktails and wines are on hand to keep

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(from B290) include home-made vodka infusions.

threeSixty [map 5/b2]

you company while your eyes explore the scenery. It’s not cheap, but the daily happy hours (buy one get one drink on selected wine, beer and cocktails from 5pm-7pm).

The Speakeasy [MAP 4/J6] Hotel Muse, 55/555 Lang Suan Rd 02-630-4000 | hotelmusebangkok.com 6pm-1am One of the snazzier al fresco rooftop bars, The Speakeasy has several sections, all radiating from the Long Bar, which you enter from the elevator. As the name suggests, the complex evokes the glamour of Prohibition Era USA, with fusion Deco details, mirrored wall panels and carved wood screens. Everything’s distressed, the parquet floors unvarnished – it’s a well-oiled joint with a warm, lived-in feel. On the wooden deck Terrace Bar people fill the lounge areas and tall tables that hug the classical balustrades overlooking Lang Suan. A long international snack menu stands out for decent portions at reasonable prices; spirits (from B270) include luxury cognacs and malts; wines are B300-B600 a glass, while cocktails

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Millennium Hilton, 123 Charoennakorn Rd 02-442-2000 | hilton.com | 5pm-1am High above the glittering lights of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, ThreeSixty is the only Bangkok venue to enjoy unhindered views over the entire, dazzling metropolis. It also hosts live jazz musicians every day, all year round. A private glass lift takes guests all the way up to the 32nd floor which boasts panoramic vistas from its 130m tall, circular lounge. Guests can feast on a range of miniature culinary experiences, from foie gras to caviar or risotto, or sip on fine wines and cocktails as the sun sets in a blaze of colour behind Wat Arun. Just as gently, the soft lounge lights come on to create an atmosphere of casual intimacy. As the first stars appear, the city’s coolest jazz sounds will set the mood which true aficionados will not be able to resist.

woo bar [map 5/g7] W Bangkok, 106 North Sathorn Road 02-344-4131 | whotels.com/Bangkok Sun-Wed 9am-1am, Thurs-Sat 9am-2am Located on the ground floor of the W Hotel, Woo Bar has all of the flair and emphasis on design that has come to characterise the hotel franchise. It’s chic and low-lit without being cold or inaccessible, spacious enough to find a seat without being echoey and without atmosphere. And, most importantly, the cocktails pass with flying colours, some inventive signature drinks rubbing shoulders with well-executed standard

Three Sixty tipples. The Bliss (B325), which comes from the bartenders at W Hotel in New York, combines Ciroc vodka, elderflower liqueur, lime, mint and fresh ginger. You might struggle to stop at just one.

BARS THE ALCHEMIST [map 3/e8] 1/19 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 083-549-2055 Facebook: thealchemistbkk | Tue-Sun 5pmmidnight Fitting somewhere between Soi 11’s swank cocktail bars and the rickety dive bar aesthetic of the legendary Cheap Charlie’s, which it neighbours, The Alchemist is a stylishly stripped down drinking hole. Nothing more, nothing less. We approve, and so too, it seems, do the punters. Not only does it attract the spill-over from Cheap Charlie’s, it also draws a loyal crowd of its own, who savour the intimate atmosphere, occasional live music, proper his and her toilets (Cheap Charlie’s are infamous for their dinginess) and, above all, drinks prices. Currently rocking the drinks

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listings

Apoteka

and custom cocktails cost you B230. Keep your eyes peeled for the whisky and cigar lounge: a room hidden off to the side of the staircase. With muted green brocade on the walls, low leather couches, and Johnnie Walker in glass cases, this space is available for private parties or just chill sessions.

CHEAP CHARLIE’S [map 3/D6]

list are assorted martinis (dry, passionfruit and espresso), classic cocktails, random shooters, and some of the best mojitos you’ll find on this end of Sukhumvit.

Apoteka [map 3/e8] 33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 090-626-7655 apotekabkk.com | Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 3pm-midnight As you may have guessed, the name is based on an outdated word for pharmacist and the place is meant to emulate a 19th century apothecary. Unsurprisingly, it has an old-school feel. There are high ceilings, red brick walls and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde being projected onto the wall. Indoor seating is a mix of tall tables with studded chairs, and long tables for larger groups along the main wall. Large cases filled with vintage-coloured bottles of medicine flank the bar. The outdoor seating is mellow – a wooden patio with some cozy furniture that could be a nice place to curl up on a date or meet some friends for a smoke and a beer. Drink selection includes a nice selection of beer (the Framboise Ale at B250 is delightful), Heineken for just B135,

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Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-4648 Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight This joint is a Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety hole-in-the-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest Sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and tourists in-the-know to fill up on B 70 beers and pocket-change G&Ts before heading off to eat and party – though don’t be surprised if you end up here all night. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little sub-soi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from many other hallowed nightspots.

HYDE & SEEK [Map 4/L5] 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee 02-168-5152 | 11am-1am | hydeandseek.com This stylish downtown gastro bar is a deadringer for those chic London haunts that draw the after-work crowd for pickmeup cocktails and good food that doesn’t break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian Kittichai, the brains behind the successful Kittichai restaurant in New York, while the bar is helmed by the boys behind Flow, the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The sleek,

Cheap Charlie’s Georgian-influenced décor has paneled walls, clubby chairs and a large central bar, where snacks like beer battered popcorn shrimps and baby back ribs glazed with chocolate and chilli go well with fancy, custom-made cocktails or Belgian ales.

maggie choo’s [MAP 5/c5] Hotel Novotel Fenix, 320 Silom Rd 02-635-6055 | facebook.com/maggiechoos Tues-Sun 6pm-2am From the Victorian steam-punk of Iron Fairies to the eco-futurism of Clouds, Aussie entrepreneur Ashley Sutton has already proved himself as the Terry Gilliam of Bangkok’s bar world, conjuring up drinking hole after drinking hole shot through with a magical realist quality. Clomp down the staircase and you find yourself in a noodle bar. One that could pass for an old Shaw Brothers movie set. The main decoration – and they are just decoration – are the leggy cabaret girls. Every evening at about 9pm about half a dozen walk out from behind a velvet curtain and proceed to fan themselves while rocking back and forth on swings, or sprawled atop the bar.

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listings by the cocktail designers behind popular gastrobar Hyde and Seek. Their ‘Rough Cut’ Signatures, many of them underpinned with rum come in slightly cheaper than over at Hyde & Seek, B250.

Water Library @ Grass [map 3/r6]

Viva Aviv

OSKAR BISTRO [map 3/D5] 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-255 3377 4pm-2am; kitchen open until 11:30pm Lively Oskar has the electro music and low-ceiling cellar dimensions to qualify as clubby; and, with a dominant central bar, it’s perhaps more brasserie than bistro. The food choice includes sandwiches, the Oskar burger (wagyu beef – what else?), pizzas and a section of cocottes. Almost all are under B300, which for food of this surprising quality is a steal. Most people come here though not for the food but for a pre-club libation: be it glass of wine (from B145 a glass), imported beer, or reasonably priced cocktail.

TUBA [Map 8/S14] 34 Room 11-12A, Ekkamai Soi 21 | 02-711-5500 design-athome.com | 11am-2am Owned by the same hoarders behind furniture warehouse Papaya, Tuba is a Bangkok classic: room upon room of haphazardly arranged kitsch, all of which you’re free to skulk through at your leisure. Some come here to snag a comfy sofa, retro sign or goofy tchotchke. Others come for the big menu of Italian and Thai dishes tweaked for the local palate. But for us, it works best as a bar, as the setting and generous happy hours (buy one get one free between 5-8pm daily) mean there really are few cooler places to kick back with a sweet cocktail in hand.

VIVA AVIV [map 5/C2] River City-Unit 118, 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung Soi 30 | 02-639-6305 vivaaviv.com | 11am-midnight, later on weekends Viva Aviv reminds us of one of the hipper bars along Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Not only does it have the bar tables and stools jutting across a riverside promenade, inside there’s also a hip designer interior in full effect. Think tropical maritime chic meets dashes of outright whimsy. While the owner, Khun Ae, is responsible for this rustic look, the bar was initially looked after 94 | NOVEMBER 2013

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Grass Thong Lor, 264/1 Thong Lor Soi 12 02-714-9292 | Mon-Sat 6:30pm-1am Aside from its upmarket, inventive set menu dining on the first floor restaurant, The Water Library also has three lounge and wine bar areas downstairs with funky food, cocktails and live music at not audacious prices. A set menu of three cocktails paired with tapas bites at B790 is a pleasant surprise to many, and their wine list starts at a mere B900 a bottle. Water Library is one-to-watch on the regional drinking and dining scene. The very talented mixologist Mirko Gardelliano was Germany’s cocktail champion in 2003, while the wine bar chef Urs Lustenberger worked with Michelin three star chef Juan Amador.

LIVE MUSIC ADHERE the 13TH [Map 7/G3] 13 Samsen Rd (opposite Soi 2) 089-769-4613 | 5pm-midnight Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except forthe Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), this down-to-earth, bohemian hang-out packs ’em in nightly. On weekends, young Thais, expats and tourists spill out on the sidewalk when the joint is jumpin’. The resident band churns out cool blues, Motown and Janis Joplin.

Brown Sugar

Jazz clubs BAMBOO BAR [Map 5/B4] The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave 02-659-9000 | mandarinoriental.com Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in one of the city’s most sophisticated hotels, the 50-year-old bar oozes class, sophistication and style. Reminiscent of a tropical film noir-setting, it features a jungle theme – bamboo, palm fronds and furry patterns. Small and busy, it’s never theless romantic and intimate – balanced by the legendary Russian jazz band that’s been on the stage here for ages.

Brown Sugar [Map 7/J5]

[MAP 2/E11]

469 Phrasumen Road | 089-499-1378 brownsugarbangkok.com | 6pm-1am Little over a month after it closed down, one of Bangkok’s oldest cosiest jazz venue was back with a new, bigger location near Khao San. Now a restaurant and coffee house by day, it morphs into a world-class, jazz café-style haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw an audience of locals and visitors by night. Its exterior is impressive, resembling a ritzy old cinema house. And inside, it’s huge, with a daytime coffeeshop up front, a versatile 200-seater ‘Playhouse’ upstairs, and the big, open-plan jazz pub and restaurant out back.

462/61 Rama III Rd | 02- 678-1114 tawandang.co.th The one place that every taxi driver seems to know, this vast, barrel-shaped beer hall packs in the revelers nightly. They come for the towers of micro-brewed beer, the Thai, Chinese and German grub (especially the deep-fried pork knuckle and sausage), and, not least, the famous Fong Nam houseband. It’s laidback early on, but by 10pm, when the Thai/Western pop, luk krung and mor lam songs are at full pelt, everybody is on their feet and the place going bananas.

2nd F, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 niusonsilom.com | 5pm-1am This New York-style lounge – with its hot jazz, old leather armchairs and roses on candlelit tables – has a house band with some of Bangkok’s better local talent. They provide the backbone for various international acts who perform regularly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring established overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfortable for beers or brandy.

TAWANDANG GERMAN BREWERY

Niu’s on Silom [Map 5/E5]

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soda By Gaby Doman

W x

xxxxx e’rexxxxxx always xxxxx pleased when Thai brands don’t xxx succumb to the usual ‘shove frills and lace and xxx pictures of cute animals on everything’ mentality that seems xxx to blight many labels here, which is why Soda’s spring summer collection is a breath of fresh air. Pieces designed to be layered up and worn together make available up the bulk of theat collection : – sheer chiffon dresses, cream broderie anglaise skirts and pretty lace skulls on white delicate tops. xxx xxx While all these layers and cream may make you think Soda has xxx come over all soft, the infusion of a little Mexican Day of the Dead influence helps to balance the collection. It’s not the xxxweb first time we’ve seen the colourful fringing, skull detailing and beautification of somewhat scary iconography in Thailand’s fashion collections of late – a quick wander around Siam Square or Terminal 21 will reveal plenty more – but perhaps it’s never looked so polished. A full-length navy floral halter dress with an oversized crossbones image around the hemline? Yes please. But Soda haven’t managed to stay away from the cute animal print formula all-together. You’ll find panda print maxi dresses and a dress printed with quirky stork image. It’s these details throughout the collection that make it such a fun one. It seems influences are thrown together randomly to create a bricolage of Navajo fringing and beading, skull prints, animal prints, Victorian-style broderie anglaise on slim-fit column dresses. There’s no cohesion at all within the collection, with each piece looking as though it belongs to an entirely different designer to the last. While fashionistas may find this off-putting, we’re inclined to think that, as long as each piece works well individually, why does it matter? It’s a total hotchpotch of influences, but it somehow works. Somehow that’s its charm. But, get it while you can – the winter collection will be in the shops very soon.

available at: 2F Emporium (622 Sukhumvit Rd; 02-664-8464) 3F Siam Centre (989 Rama 1 Rd; 02-251-4995) 1F CentralWorld Plaza (494 Rajdamri Rd 02-252-7868) sodabkk.com

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SHOPPING

jj gem

kham luang Located in section 25, opposite the Bangkok Bank, this ramshackle two storey shop is a poster child for recycling. For the last 17 years, Khun Aree and her brother have transformed all manner of waste into an incredible array of environmentally-conscious home décor items. These include flowers made from recycled paper, tribal-looking masks that were once toilet rolls, and used seeds converted into musical wind chimes. Remarkably, every single item on sale was handmade by the pair. Prices vary, with nothing costing over B500.

kham luang Section 25 Soi 3/1 Room 182-183 | 02-735-1325

Jatujak Market

Forget designer malls. Jatujak weekend market is Bangkok’s true paragon of retail. This is shopping as survival of the fittest: only those with finely tuned consumer instincts shall persevere. The rest can go and get lost – literally aking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which thousands descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, Jatujak (also spelled as Chatuchak) quickly outgrew the confines of the insect world to become much more than the sum of its disparate parts. These days, young Thai designers take advantage of the low onsite rent to punt their creative wares; if you so desire, you can peruse piles of customised Zippos that once belonged to American GIs; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section particularly supports the theory that Jatujak has evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for obviously illegal activites). All this can be a bit overwhelming at first, but persevere and a semblance of order should begin to crystallise from the chaos. Go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Or come for a leisurely browse on Friday before the real deluge hits; although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fully blown, unadulterated Jatujak fix. 98 | NOVEMBER 2013

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> The Jatujak market of Bangkok Amber House Books | hardcover | B1,950

The Jatujak Market of Bangkok presents photographer Simon Bonython’s visual inter pretation of Bangkok’s world-famous weekend market, giving particular emphasis on candid snaps of the general public and the characters who work there. In spite of the dark alleys and typically poorly lit stalls, Simon avoided using a tripod or flash, making for spontaneous, natural shots that capture the heat, buzz and colour of this labyrinthine treasure trove. bangkok101.com

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unique boutique

SHOPPING

Code 10

hen you step foot into this 200 sqm fashion store located on Siam Paragon’s glittering first floor, the words that spring to mind are glamour, luxury, and decadence. Code 10 is a labyrinth of dresses for the rich and famous looking for evening and party wear that’s full of drama – in a good way. Not only will you find a show stopping dress at this fancy boutique, you can also get your hands on some matching jewelry by labels such as Aztique, or even a stylish headdress to complete your look for the night. Since its opening in 2008, Code 10 has become the go-to store for fashion-forward members of high society and Thailand’s hottest celebs, such as drag queen extraordinaire Gene Kasidit who is a famous patron of Chai Gold Label. Some of the pieces are made exclusively for Code 10, so you can avoid appearing under the “Who wore it better” section of the fashion tabloids.

Riechers Marescot pour Carven 78184.1/90 pétrole

come share with us the joy of buying fabrics ... With all the glam parties going on in this city, Code 10 is definitely filling a niche, serving socialites who want to dress to impress. The entire store features evening wear from sought-after local designers including Pichita, Sanshai, T-RA and Nagara, a label known to offer some of the most exhilarating dresses known to women. It’s the first store of its kind to feature a handful of top local designers within the same walls, the end result being that customers can pick from a wide range of dresses and accessories, all with one common thread running through them – the Code 10 style factor. Although the dresses are created by different labels and designers, one thing is certain – when you’re wearing one of these numbers, heads will turn. Think bold metallics, classic black and white, and floor sweeping gowns in the deepest hues. Other rising designers exhibited at Code 10 include Tippayapong Poosanaphong, who turns casual crochet normally found in beachwear into ravishing statement dresses that can easily be worn in the most formal settings. Whatever your heart’s desire for the next big social event, Code 10 has something that will make your big evening unforgettable.

code 10

be it for a glamorous wedding occasion, a celebratory evening dinner or cocktail party or for a stylish everyday wear ... ----- new arrivals - every 2 weeks! ----find us at: gandhiplus c025 2nd fl china world bangkok cynosure a002 g fl china world bangkok 0900-1830 mon-sun tel: 02-2252002 02-2224962 gandhi 326 phahurat road bangkok 0900-1800 mon-sun tel: 02-2255997 02-2255503 www.gandhi.co.th

[MAP 4/d4]

1F Siam Paragon, Rama I Rd | 02-610 8312 siamparagon.co.th | 10am-10pm

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WELLN ESS

treatment Harnn Heritage Spa

Ba-Ya Spa

BA-YA SPA [map 5/G7] 23 Sukhumvit Soi 87 | 02-311-4772 bayaspa.com | 10.30am-9pm

Lying a bit beyond the usual tourist track, Ba-Ya spa is popular with native Thais and Asian tourists, who like the affordable prices and down-to-earth spa menu. The spa is set in a cute house, giving it a cozy, comfortable feel. Spa offerings are well-priced and avoid gimmicks, and are focused more on massages and other kinds of bodywork rather than high-frill aesthetic services. Massages are fairly standard – therapists follow the usual circuit quite well, but don’t seek out and destroy problem areas the way a true tailor-made rubdown might encourage. Service is also a bit on the sweet but informal side – the front may not have change, but they’ll run and get it for you. A potential choice for those staying on the outskirts of the city, perhaps, or those wanting a spa experience at a more affordable price.

HARNN HERITAGE SPA [map 4/D 4] 4F Siam Paragon | 02-610-9715 10am-9pm

Before you drop from shopping at the monster mall that is the Paragon,

Lavana

Royal Natural Spa stop in here for a spot of soothing. An extension of the high-end Harnn beauty product line, this tiny spa is all Thai, all the time, and offers excellent, traditional therapies. Done up entirely in black stone, the rooms are small but high-ceilinged to compensate for tight quarters. Despite the excellent layout, however, rooms can feel cramped and crypt-like. Once a treatment begins, any claustrophobia melts away – the signature package, which includes a thorough sesame scrub, a very relaxing oil massage, and a hot sesame compress applied to key meridians on the body, is a very complete pampering session. Staffs are wonderfully professional and personable.

LAVANA [map 3/H11] 4 Sukhumvit Soi 12 | 02-229-4510 9am-11:30 pm

Lavana does its treatments right. Spa options are refreshingly clear-cut, and primarily focused on massage. Scrubs and facials are also available, along with the unusual and intriguing Shirodhara oil treatment, in which warm oil is drizzled along the “third eye” in the forehead and massaged into the head and neck. Those seeking a tidier signature

option should choose the herbal ball oil massage – Lavana’s dedicated therapists manage to pack a restful eternity into a well-priced 90 minutes. Masseuses combine long Swedish and sports-massage strokes with very detailed work on problem areas – they take computer-knotted shoulders and other ailments as a matter of personal concern, and banish those tweaks and twinges with wonderfully intense kneading and muscle release work.

ROYAL NATURAL SPA [map 5/J4] 878 Rama 4 Rd | 02-637-1032 royalnaturalspa.com | 10.30am-8pm

Hmm…opulent or over the top? Royal Natural Spa takes its moniker seriously, which results in Thai décor with an ornate, “royal European” touch – brocade, jacquard, chandeliers, you name it. The spa is expansive, with huge, luxurious rooms –once you start steaming away in your own gilded birdcage of a shower-sauna, you may decide…opulent, indeed. Services make good use of the natural part of the name, drawing on Thai herbs and fruits – you may get scrubbed down with plai, lemongrass, and ginger, and then basted with a tamarind paste. Packages are creative, well-conceived and change on a monthly basis, so there’s always something new for the spa fanatic. Therapists are expertly thorough and communicate clearly, ensuring that the whole experience is luxurious and polished without being snobbish in the least. Royal and natural – why aren’t more spas like this? Spa costs $ :: under B600 $$ :: B600-B1000 $$$ :: B1000-B2000 $$$$ :: B2000+

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treatment

WELLN ESS

cense

and sensibility

angkok is positively brimming with spa treatments that, although, unbelievably luxuriant, also put a serious dent in your purse or wallet. Lavender and seaweed body scrubs are all very well – they’re wonderfully relaxing but the price tag sometimes isn’t. The good news is that Cense at Centara Watergate offers a more reasonably priced experience without losing any of the technical expertise. The rooms are more basically appointed than you might encounter in a five-star hotel but there’s still an expansive sit-down shower with all the extra products and soaps and gels that are such a vital part of any spa-going experience. Then, it’s on to the signature de-stressing head and shoulder massage (B650), which goes for one hour. It starts with some of the most vigorous elbow work around, crushing tension out from either side of the spine and under the shoulderblade. This kind of deep-tissue massage isn’t necessarily relaxing at the time – on the contrary, it feels slightly awkward, but the benefits can be felt for days afterward. The rest of this treatment, though, is far more relaxing, working the forearms and hands and all the way along both legs. The real highlight comes right at the end, in the form of a head and neck message that is both energising and likely to leave you in a hazy, dream-like state for hours afterward.

cense

[MAP 8/j11]

Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok | 02-625-1234 spacenvaree.com | 10am-11pm

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getting there

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wat phra kaew

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RAIL

Chatuchak Park / BTS Mo Chit stations. Subway fares range from about B15 to B 39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th

SKYTRAIN (BTS)

Airport Rail Link

The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6 am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B 15 to B 55; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) are available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th

SUBWAY (MRT) Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20 kms from Hualamphong (near the central

railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6 am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5 – 7 minutes. The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom / BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit / BTS Asok and MRT

RIVER

EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s vast network of inter-city waterways offer a quick and colourful alternative for getting around the city. Express boats ply the Chao Phraya River from the Saphan Taksin Bridge up to Nonthaburi, stopping at some 30 main piers altogether. Fares range from B 9 to B 32 depending on the distance, while tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier, depending on how much time you have. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5:30 am and 6 pm. Crossriver services operate throughout the day from each pier for just B 3.

CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Phan Fa Leelard bridge, on the edge of the Old City, and zip east to Ramkhamhaeng University. However, you have to be quick to board them as they don’t usually wait around. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B 9 to B19. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find.

ROAD BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B 5 and B 7.50 – B 23. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops).

MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their colourful vests, bangkok101.com

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A 28 km long monorail links the city’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, with three stops in downtown Bangktok and four stops in the eastern suburbs. Trains run from 6am to midnight every day and follow two lines along the same route. The City Line stops at all stations (journey time: 30 minutes) and costs B15-45 per journey. The Express Line stops at downtown stations Makkasan (journey time: 13-14 minutes, trains leave every 40 minutes) or Phayathai (journey time: 17 minutes, trains leave every 30 minutes), the only one that intersects with the Skytrain. One-way Express Line tickets cost B90 while roundtrip tickets are available at the promotional fare of B150.

motorbike taxi drivers gather in groups. Fares should be negotiated beforehand.

TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered,

air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B 35 (for the first 2 kms) and the fare climbs in B 2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the meter on. No tipping, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B 5 or B 10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to and from the airport, passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the queue outside the terminal, an additional B 50 surcharge is added.

TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines. A 10-minute ride should cost around B 40. NOV EMBER 2013 | 103

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Map 1 Greater Bangkok A

Greater Bangkok & the Chao Phraya Map 2 >

L MYANMAR

Uthai Thani

UTHAI THANI

CHAI NAT

Chiang Mai

LOP BURI

Nakhon Ratchasima c

Nakhon Ratchasima

Pattaya CAMBODIA Koh Samet Koh Chang

NAKHON RATCHASIM A

SARABURI

Andaman Sea

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Koh Samui

AYUTTHAYA

Phuket

PATHUM THANI 5

1 2

MALAYSIA

PRACHIN BURI

f c

RATCHABURI

VIETNAM

Gulf of Thailand

Krabi

NAKHON NAYOK

NAKHON PATHOM

Ubon

Bangkok

ANG THONG

KANCHANABURI

Udon Thani

Lop Buri

Kanchanaburi

LAOS

THAILAND

SING BURI

SUPHAN BURI

SA KAEO

BANGKOK f a

SAMUT SAKHON

CHACHOENGSAO

SAMUT

1 PRAKAN

SAMUT SONGKHRAM

CA M BODI A CHON BURI

Phetchaburi

Ko Sichang

PHETCHABURI 8

Pattaya RAYONG

Cha-am

CHANTHABURI

Rayong Hua Hin

Ko Samet

Muang Chantaburi

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN 10

Trat

Gulf of Thailand

M YA N M A R

Ko Chang

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Ko Kut

20 km 20 miles Country Border Boarder Crossing Province Border

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Sightseeing a

Bang Krachao b Rose Garden Riverside c Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo d Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) e Safari World f Rama IX Royal Park

floating Markets Damnoen Saduak 2 Amphawa 1

Museums 1

Erawan Museum 2 House of Museum 3 Thai Film Museum 4 Museum of Counterfeit Goods

night bazaar 1

Asiatique The Riverfront [free shuttle boat from Sathorn pier everyday 4.00-11.30 pm.]

Nightlife 1 2

Parking Toys Tawandang German

Hotels 1 Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa

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Nâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;

Tanya Tanee

PAK KRET

Don Mueng

Don Mueng Int. Airport

Ko Kret

Sai Mai

Royal Irrigation Dept.

Lak Si

Rajpruek

The Legacy

Northpark

Khlong Sam wa

Royal Thai Army Sport Center

Thanont

Chatuchak Bang Sue

Bang Phlat

Bueng Kum

Huai Khwang

Saphan Sung

Bang Kapi

Pathumwan

Bangkok Yai Wongwian Yai

Bang Rak

Khlong San *

Thon Buri 1

Chom Thong

Bang Kholaem

Lat Krabang

Suan Luang

Khlong Toei

Sathorn

60th Anniversary Queen Sirikit Park

Krungthep Unico Kreetha Grande

Watthana

Lumpini

Wang Thong lang

DinDaeng Ratchathewi

Mini Buri

Navatanee

Phayathai

Taling Chan

Khan na Yao

Mo Chit

Dusit

Bangkok Noi

Panya Indra

Lat Phrao

Chatuchak

Bang Sue

Bang Bon

Bang Khen

MUENG NONTHABURI

Phasi Charoen

Prawet Yan 2 Nawa

Rat Burana

Phra Khanong 4

Phra Pradaeng

Suan Luang Rama IX

Suvarnabhumi Int. Airport

Bang Na

Summit Windmill

Bearing

Bang Khun Thian

Mueang Kaew

Thung Khru

Green Valley

PHRA SAMUT CHEDI

SAMUT PRAKAN

Bangpoo

Gulf of Thailand

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Map 3 Sukhumvit Road A

Phra Ram 9

Ram

a IX

Roya

m9 Prara ital Hosp

l Cit

y Ave

RC A ange R ing

Driv

Din

kam

phae

ng P

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Makkasan

tcha

Stat

2nd

Phetchaburi

buri

road (Toll Expy

38/1

het

Prasanmit

So i4 9

Su 9/1 3

hro m Ph on g

Soi

Subway Line Railway

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Arts & Culture 1

Japan Foundation 2 Koi Art Gallery

Sukhumvit

malls 1 2

Robinsons Terminal 21 bangkok101.com

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Sukhum

BTS Sukhumvit Line

Emporium

Soi 24

BTS Silom Line

Markets

Sukhumwit

Tai

ana

s re

Canal Boat

Conrad Bangkok Sheraton Grande 3 Seven 4 JW Marriot 5 Rembrandt 6 Four Points 7 Aloft Sukhumvit 11 8 Ramada Encore 9 Imperial Queen’s Park 10 Westin Grande Sukhumvit

Marriott Executive 3 Attic Studios 4 La Lanta Sukhumvit Park 12 Grande Centre Point 5 TCDC (Thailand Terminal 21 Creative & Design 13 Sofitel Bangkok Centre 6 Nang Kwak Sukhumvit 14 Le Fenix 7 WTF 15 Radisson Sukhumvit 8 The Pikture Gallery 15 Marriott Bangkok 9 We*Do Gallery 10 RMA Sukhumvit

i 39

wit

h ko

300 m 1 328 ft

it So

umw

wit

Benjasiri Park

Phrom Phong

Benjakiti Park

Hotels

Phro

Sukh

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15 13

Soi 35

it So

Soi

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Sukh

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ale

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14 35 31 38 39 26 2 15 7 32 29

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kasa

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Thong

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The Royal Oak The Londoner 16 Black Swan 15

Nightlife 4

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Map 4 Siam / Chit Lom A

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108 | NOV EMBER 2013

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Map 6 Yaowarat / Pahurat (Chinatown & Little India ) A

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Arts & Culture 1

Chalermkrung Theatre Samphanthawong Museum 3 Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Centre 2

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Map 7 Rattanakosin (Oldtown) A

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10/16/13 6:12 PM

M Y B A N G KO K

Justin Mills Justin Mills is a DJ and painter from the UK who has been living in Thailand since 1996. At 49, he’s one of Bangkok’s oldest DJs and one of the most eclectic. He was a resident DJ at Bed Supperclub for nine years and is currently playing at Long Table, Hyde & Seek, Maggie Choo’s and Grease. He’ll be exhibiting his new paintings at Philip Blenkinsop’s extraordinary 2Snakestudio in Chinatown in December.

How would you describe Bangkok to people who’ve never been here? Bangkok is a vast, torrid, reckless, concrete and teak Buddhist megatropolis filled with all kinds of crooked demons and gentle angels; an intense city with a warm, expansive energy that has made me want to live here for the last 17 years. Where do you like to take outof-town visitors to make a great first impression? I live in Chinatown so a walk around the neighborhood is a good start. Then perhaps take a little ferry across the river and walk along the riverside path and small alleys to the Guan Un Geng Chinese shrine and on to the huge Buddha in gorgeous Wat Kanlayanamit. At night the flower market near Saphan Phut is always a delight for a first time visitor.

Bed Supperclub. I generally prefer the smaller, more intimate venues such as Adhere Blues Bar in Samsen, Bar 23 on Sukh Soi 16, Apoteka on Sukh Soi 11, WTF on Sukh Soi 51 and Cosmic Café on RCA. Some of my favourite live acts are Stylish Nonsense, Gene Kasidit, Jul & Co, and the multi-instrumentalist musician Tony Fenech. The outstanding sound system and the low ceiling and walls covered with LED lights at Grease on Sukh Soi 49 make it a great place to check out a good DJ. There are many good house and techno DJs here but generally I prefer to hear an eclectic set, the more range of styles the better. So I enjoy DJs such as Mike Allin, Maft Sai, Scott Hess, Dragon, Delorean, Orawan and my turntablist compatriots Octo and Tech 12.

What do you like to do on an evening when you are free? I might check out a visiting DJ, but usually I like to take it easy at home watching films with my wife, Moni, or painting in the studio.

What's your favourite restaurant in Bangkok? What do you order? There are so many! Yoo Ee is a fantastic little vegetarian place on Trok Praya Singseni near Hualomphong Station. Everything on the menu is excellent but I highly recommend kai pad prik king, namtok moo yang and hor mok talae in a coconut.

What are your favourite venues for music and your favourite local artists? It’s going to be difficult to surpass

Where do you like to shop? The ‘thieves market’ on Charoen Krung Road parallel to Yaowarat from Suepa intersection to Yak Mor

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Mee. Here you can find all kinds of weird stuff, great for little unusual gifts. Another great place to find the unexpected is the Saturday night second-hand market around the Klang Hospital area. Do you have any favourite architecture? Wat Ratchabophit near the Grand Palace. Moni and I were married there and it has a very unusual combination of Thai and Sri Lankan styles with a European gothic influence and a unique layout with a circular courtyard. You're a Tom Waits fan. Where in Bangkok do you think Waits would live if he moved here? You’re right, when I’m painting in the studio I guess I Iisten to him more than anyone else. I like to think he would stay at the sleazy, seedy Taipei Hotel in Chinatown near our place. The old Rain Dogs would have been the perfect hang out for him in his younger days. Where do you go when you want to escape from the city? Baan Khun Phra, an old wooden house by the Pasak Riverin Ayuthaya. Further afield we stay at Good Feeling guest house on Koh Wai – it's our favourite island getaway. bangkok101.com

10/17/13 11:40 AM