publisher’s letter
O
ne of our favourite aspects of Bangkok – and of being involved with this magazine – is the dazzling array of restaurants that arrive on the scene. We live in a fast-moving city and this is particularly true when it comes to eating and drinking. So this month we’ve taken that to its logical conclusion and had a chat to some of Bangkok’s foodies who are experimenting with the pop-up concept. It’s perfect for diners keen to try new things and also for restaurateurs eager to experiment in a way that minimises some of the business risks. Of course, that’s not to overlook the more traditional set-ups. As always, we’ve been eating well. We tried the newly reopened Benjarong at the Dusit Thani, the latest Thai place to be given a modern tweak. We’ve also been to Sheepshank over near the river, Dallas Steakhouse, Liu, Red Sky and The Local. We also headed back to Xuan Mai, one of Bangkok’s best and most-loved Vietnamese places. We also went to Saraburi and Bali, chatted with artist Jackkrit Anantakul about his new exhibition and took in Bangkok’s finest cigar bars. What can we say? It’s been a busy month. 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.
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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
bangkok 101 Par t ners
bangkok101.com
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Contributors
publisher
Mason Florence editor-in-chief
Dr Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher
Parinya Krit-Hat editor
Tom Sturrock editor-at-large
Joe Cummings associate 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.
Pawika Jansamakao art director
Narong Srisaiya graphic designer
Thanakrit Skulchartchai
strategists
Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers
Gaby Doman, Bill Bredesen, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Dave Stamboulis, Keith Mundy contributing photographers
Dejan Patic´, Jatuporn Rutnin, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat general manager
Jhone El’Mamuwaldi director sales and marketing
Itsareeya Chatkitwaroon
director business development
Willem Deenik 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.
AVAILABLE AT:
bangkok101.com
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.
special projects
Wasin Banjerdtanakul circulation
Pradchya Kanmanee published by
Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 54 Naradhivas Rajanagarinda Soi 4, Sathorn Tai Rd, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 T 02-286-7821 | F 02-286-7829 info@talisman-media.com © Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2014. All rights reserved. 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.
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CONTENTS 14
40
52
44
city pulse
a r t & c u lt u r e
8 metro beat
48 exhibition highlights
96 new collection:
12 hot plates:
52 interview:
the only son
benjarong
symmetry and chaos
98 jj gem:
14 out and about:
55 cheat notes
kham luang
up in smoke
52 photo feature:
99 unique boutique:
18 best of bangkok:
truth within the everyday
spoonful zakka cafe
foodies on the move
food & drink
shopping
96
s n a p s h ot s
64 food & drink news
22 tom’s two satang
66 meal deals
24 very thai
67 restaurant reviews:
25 chronicle of thailand
dallas steakhouse,
26 joe’s bangkok
sheepshank, red sky, liu,
28 bizarre thailand
xuan mai, the local
30 temples, shrines
76 in the kitchen:
and museums
luca appino
wellness
77 eat like nym
100 spa review:
78 restaurant listings
the grande spa
38 hotel review
nightlife
reference
40 up country escape:
86 nightlife news
102 getting there
the holy footprint
88 review:
104 maps
44 over the border:
shades of retro
112 my bangkok:
in search of spirits
90 nightlife listings
david jacobson
t r av e l 34 up country now
bangkok 101
july 2014 100 baht
PORTRAITS OF THAI LIFE | city pulse
Benjarong |
TRAVEL In Search of Spirits | shopping The
Only Son
Portraits of Thai Life july 2014
Prapas Krongboon finds revelations in the everyday
6/20/14 10:10 AM
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on the cover Prapas Krongboon has spent his career travelling around and taking beguiling portraits of Thailand. Check out p52
67
88
A CULINARY STAR
There’s
a new chef in town and he is working his culinary magic among the stars at Red Sky and Fifty Five at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld.
Manning the stoves in the two signature restaurants of Bangkok’s only fully integrated fivestar hotel, convention centre and lifestyle complex is a Frenchman. And Hugo Coudurier is no stranger to working with the stars. After culinary school in Dijon, he worked alongside Jean-Jacques Noguier at the Michelin-starred La Ferme De L’Hospital in Bossey. His journey also took him to the Hotel des Trois Valees in Courcheval, before moving to the three-Michelin star restaurant Guy Savoy Paris as the sous chef. Las Vegas was his next stop as executive chef of Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesar’s Palace. Before making his way to Southeast Asia, Hugo was in charge of the kitchen at the boutique K108 Hotel in Doha, Qatar His signature additions to the menu at Red Sky are a combination of both classical and contemporary French dishes that are designed to wow the senses. Start of your gastronomic experience with the sublime moreish Black Truffle Artichoke Soup accompanied by a delightful toasted mushroom brioche. Then the delicate flavours that come together perfectly in his elegant Avocado & Scottish Samoked Salmon
Gnocchi served with dill, pickled onions and lemon butter, or the Novia Scotia Lobster “Vol Au Vent”, which offers a burst of light creaminess across the palate. Other standouts include Oven Roasted Halibut with Jasberry Rice, Caramelized Endives and Morel sauce and a personal favourite, the Poached Bresse “Poussin” Baby Chicken with Truffle & Foie Gras Fragrant Basmati Rice and a magnificent velvety Albufera sauce. Showcasing his classical culinary upbringing is a fork tender Wagyu Beef Tenderloin “Rossini” with foie gras, black truffle, wild mushrooms and Madeira sauce, and a another timeless dish, Warm Old-fashioned Apple Tart and a Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream. There is no doubt that this marriage of Hugo’s inspirational menu with the remarkable 300-label wine list straddling both the Old and New Worlds, jaw-dropping panoramic vistas and groovy music from the live jazz band definitely makes Red Sky the only place to impress an out-of-town guest, celebrate the close of a business deal, or even pop that question.
www.centarahotelsresorts.com
•
T: +66 (0) 2 100 6255
•
E: diningcgcw@chr.co.th
metro beat
CITY PU LSE
by Howard Richardson
Air Supply
ROCK & POP
Nantida Kaewbuasai Nantida Kaewbuasai, who is billed on promotional posters as “the real diva of the country”, returns to the stage with Nantida…The Show Must Go On, during which she will have special guests, dancers and backing singers to complete the show. It’s at the Royal Paragon Hall (Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-610-8011, siamparagon.co.th) on July 12, with tickets, available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor. com), priced from B1200-B3000. Polish Death Metal band Vader will crash onto the stage at the Rock Pub (Hollywood Street Building, Phaya Thai Rd, 081666-4359, therockpub-bangkok.com) on July 15. They are in town as part of a promo tour for their tenth album, Tibi Et Igni, released to the market earlier this year, and including the singles ‘Go To Hell’ and ‘Where Angels Weep’. The classic four-piece line-up of two guitars, bass and drums, rattling out song themes ranging from HP Lovecraft to World War II, will also perform tracks from previous albums such as Necropolis and Welcome to the Morbid Reich. Ticket prices were unavailable at press time, but they usually run around the B1000 mark for this venue. The organisers promise an “extreme party concert” on July 19, when Tattoo Colour, Tata Young, Jetset’er, Gancore Club and J-Montonn gather under the theme Dirty Dancing. It’s at the Bangkok Convention Centre (Central Plaza, Ladprao, 1695 Phaholyothin Rd, 02-541-1234) at 8pm, with tickets priced at B1200 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
Got Jakkraphan will perform traditional Thai style show tunes with a cast of 80 dancers and musicians in a concert called 20 Years Hua Kaew Hua Waen at Royal Paragon Hall (Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-610-8011, siamparagon. co.th) on August 2 and 3. The curtain rises at 7pm; tickets cost B1000-B3000 at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). Ozzie soft rockers Air Supply come to Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, impact.co.th) on August 5, with a positive love fest of their 1980s hits, including ‘The One That You Love’, ‘All Out of Love’ and ‘Lost in Love’. The original singer-guitar duo Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock will be backed by a four piece band of guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. Showtime is 8pm. Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com) have tickets at B1500-4500.
JAZZ & BLUES
Randy Cannon Group There are a couple of new additions to the jazz programme at the Living Room (Sheraton Grande hotel, 250 Sukhumvit Rd, 02-649-8353, sheratongrandesukhumvit.com) starting with Saksi Vongdharadon, who takes over the early evening piano stool. He plays Monday to Saturday, from 6.15pm to 9pm. The excellent Randy Cannon Group takes the stage from 9.15pm to midnight, Tuesday to Saturday. The venue has also recently introduced Wine Flights with three glasses of different wines priced at B640++ per flight. You can choose either red or white. bangkok101.com
metro beat
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FESTIVALS
Robyn North The French cultural festival La Fête continues with several events at various venues around the city. Until July 11, the Alliance Française (179 Witthayu Rd, 02-670-4231, alliance-francaise. or.th) is presenting the works of Chaiwat Wiansantia and Laura Caillaux, who are the students involved in the 2014 exchange programme between Silpakorn University Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts and the Paris School of Fine Arts. Admission is free. Meanwhile, contemporary artworks will also hang in various locations around Bangkok in Galleries Night from 7pm on July 5. The night will be studded with cocktail parties and “happenings” to encourage people on an “art tour, which is meant to make neophytes and art-lovers uncover the emerging creative scene of Bangkok”. Admission is free to all events. And on July 6 stars of London’s West End gather to collaborate with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Roderick Dunk,
FOOD & DRINK
Kristen Kish bangkok101.com
in A Night At The Movies, a concert of songs and music taken from classic films. The 90-minute performance, which will feature guest soloists Robyn North and David Shannon, is at the Thailand Cultural Centre (Thiem Ruammitr Rd, 02-247-0028). The show starts at 8pm; tickets are B500-B2500 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). For full programme details see lafete-bangkok.com. The City of Angels goes crazy for geeks this month with the arrival of Bangkok Comic Con, a festival for comic enthusiasts at Royal Paragon Hall (Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-610-8011, siamparagon.co.th) running from July 4-6. Along with wall-to-wall limited editions, games and robot models, expect music, dancing, comic inspired fashion and cos play competitions. See facebook. com/bangkokcomiccon for the full story.
FILMS Kristen Kish, winner of the US TV show Top Chef 2012, is in town for a stint as guest chef at Elements (Okura Prestige, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Rd, 02-6879000, okurabangkok. com). She will present lunch and dinner menus from July 29-August 2, including dishes such as poached black kingfish with spring onion soubise, marcona almond and pickled summer beans. Service is from noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm.
This month’s Cinema Diverse: Director’s Choice at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (939 Rama I Rd, 02-214-6632, bacc.or.th) on July 19 is the 2001 Czech film Autumn Spring, directed by Vladimir Michalek, which will be showing with Thai and English subtitles. This bi-monthly event highlights a selection of films chosen by prominent Thai directors, on this occasion Jira Maligool (The Tin Mine, Mekhong Full Moon Party and Seven Something). Following the screening Jira and Vladimir Michalek will talk about the film. The show starts at 5.30pm. Entry is free.
SPORT Competitors from around the world will gather for Thailand Open Karate-do Championship 2014 at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium (2088 Ramkhamhaeng Rd, 02-318-0940) from July 16-20. There will be male and female categories in several weight groups and ages from 12 years-old. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 9
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ART to “flit sprite-like between classes and cliques in Thai society” have not brought fulfillment or happiness and the stated aim of these works is to find peace and heal personal wounds. The installation consists of a traditional vinyl shop filled with 100 paintings of imaginary record covers that act as a memoir of Pongsuang’s life. The gallery opens Tuesday to Sunday, from 4pm to 10pm. Admission is free.
WTF The multi-talented Pongsuang Kunprasop, illustrator, graphic designer, columnist and driving force behind the indie club night outfit Dudesweet, has an exhibition titled Ungrateful Records at WTF Café & Gallery (7 Sukhumvit Soi 51, 02-662-6246, wtfbangkok.com) until July 30. The artist’s success and ability
THEATRE
A cross fertilisation between Thai and British artists Monologue Dialogue 3: Fragility and Monumentality is one of a number of exhibitions to have happened in Bangkok and London. This year’s curator Andrew Stahl has gathered 12 artists showing at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (939 Rama I Rd, 02214-6632, bacc.or.th) until August 24. Calling the project an “unpredictable dialogue”, he says, “This show illustrates nothing. It is not an illustration of a theory or concept; it embraces the poetic, and uncertainty will sometimes surface. Monumentality is about presence, and can be about the awkwardness of being.” The artists are Andrew Stahl, Tuksina Pipitkul, Atsuko Nakamura, Eric Bainbridge, Tintin Cooper and Be Takerng Pattanopas. Entrance is free.
FAIRS There will be discounts of 30-80 percent at the Bangkok Furniture Sale at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (60 Ratchadaphisek Rd, 02-229-3000, qsncc.co.th) running from July 26-August 2. Along with a wide range of items for home and office, the sale also includes electrical appliances, household safety equipment and handicrafts. It’s open daily from 10am-8pm. See unionpan.com for more details.
Sam Yak Pak Wan There’s a superhero theme for Episode 3 of the musical comedy Sam Yak Pak Wan appearing at the Royal Paragon Hall (Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-610-8011, siamparagon.co.th) on July 13. Tickets are B1200-B3000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). See Phan Din the Musical takes a theatrical interpretation of early 20th century Thai historical events based on the literary work of MR Kukrit Pramoj. It’s at the Muangthai Ratchadalai Theatre (99 Esplanade Shopping Centre Ratchadapisek Rd, 02-262-3456) from July 17-August 3, running from Wednesday to Sunday at 7.30pm, with weekend matinees at 1.30pm. Performances have English subtitles on July 20, 23, 24, 27, 30, and 31 and August 3. Tickets are B500-B3000 at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). Throughout the month, Sala Chalermkrung (66 Charoen Krung Rd, 02-25-8757) continues its productions of khon classical masked dance theatre with Hanuman, one of the stories from the epic Thai fable The Ramakien. The shows are on every Thursday and Friday. Tickets (B800 and B1200) are available from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). 1 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
CLASSICAL Dennis Lee and Toh Chee Hung play a recital for two pianos on July 19, in the first of a pair of concerts this month at Sala Sudasiri Sobha (158/20 Ladprao 41, Yaek 7-2, 02-5418662, salasudasirisobha.com). It’s followed on July 23 with a performance by Yada Lee (violin), Zexun Shen (cello), Pinnaree Yontararak (piano) and Kant Lormsomboon (piano). The music, which starts at 7.30pm, will be preceded by a reception at 6.30pm. The ticket price of B500 includes free parking and a light meal served with drinks. The organisers also welcome donations to help the Gift of Life Foundation.
Dennis Lee and Toh Chee Hung bangkok101.com
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hot plates
Benjarong by Howard Richardson
S
tomachs began to rumble with rumours late last year that the Dusit Thani had hired Morten Bojstrup Nielsen to update the food at Benjarong, its signature Thai restaurant. Morten was head chef at the molecular-esque Sra Bua; the Dusit Thani has always been a bastion of the establishment. Was the old guard ready for liquid nitrogen? It opened last month and although the menu has been thoroughly modernised, perhaps sensibly, there are few chemical theatrics – and they’ve kept the Royal Thai-themed interior of the original restaurant. The wide, ornately decorated pillars, traditional floor tiles and carved wood ceiling will comfort the regulars. On the other side of the giant windows, the garden trees and an eight-tiered fountain bathe under spotlights. Morten, who also worked at Nahm, in London and Copenhagen’s Kiin Kiin, offers a pair of tasting menus. The Aromatic Journey (B1100) and the Benjarong Signature Tasting Menu (B1700) can both can be paired with wines for an extra B800 and B1300, respectively. We took the latter, a five-course delight that opened with sparkling wine and three well-balanced tapas bites – bitter notes in deepfried cuttlefish with turmeric; sweet spicy scallop in a little light coconut milk; and shredded roast pork leg with smoky sweet, mildly spiced chilli jam. Next came two dishes together. The tom yum goong, prettified with pickling onions and delicate balls of giant prawn, is silkily sour and mildly spiced, but traditionally flavoured; and deconstructed yam pla duk foo, which arrives in an upside-down cone-shaped glass bowl that you tip over tom yum custard with crabmeat. It’s pudding-like, creamy sweet and smooth, with occasional prickles of chilli and textural variants of catfish and fresh herbs. The pronounced passionfruit and guava nose of Astrolabe sauvignon blanc is a well-chosen pairing. A good pinot noir from the same label then partners yam neua, made with wagyu beef cubes from flat iron steak, a cut near the shoulder that has more bite than more expensive steaks. The slightly spicy, sour and salty sauce, set with agar agar for a jammy consistency, balances well with pieces of sweet melon. And then a glass of Cave La Suzienne, Cote du Rhone for the final savoury course. The duck breast sous vide, finished with a crispy, caramelised surface, is enhanced by a deeply rich and intense oyster sauce pumped with basil, stir-fried Chinese chives and a crispy wanton filled with duck leg. End with basil ice cream, which is a riot of flavours from cookie crumbles, preserved pineapple, salty meringue and pineapple foam. It’s a lively, inventive finish to the meal that makes good use of Thai flavours. Morten says they’re aiming for a relaxed, rather than formal, restaurant, and they’ve largely succeeded, serving food that’s new wave but not too scary in an unstuffy environment. It’s very enjoyable.
benjarong
[MAP 5/l6]
Dusit Thani Bangkok, 946 Rama IV Rd | 02-200-9000 dusit.com | 6pm-10pm, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm
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bangkok101.com
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UP IN SMOKE More venues offering premium cigars and whiskeys is a mark of the city’s increasing sophistication. So grab your jacket and settle on to a Chesterfield.
O
ne of the most distinctive places along Lang Suan is undoubtedly the Hotel Muse (55/555 Langsuan Rd; 02-630-4000; hotelmusebangkok. com), an opulent, design-driven place that really made a splash when it arrived in Bangkok. And, among its many highlights is its open-air bar, Speakeasy, which has a builtin cigar lounge, The Blind Pig (main image). This place doesn’t cater only to afficionados – although they’re decidedly well looked after too. Rather, The Blind Pig offers an education in the enjoyment of cigars. You’ll learn that the origin of the word ‘cigar’ comes from the native language of the ancient Mayans, who called the cigar a “ciq-Sigan”, which the Spaniards adapted into “cigarro”. Structurally, a cigar is divided into a ‘cap’, a ‘body’ and a ‘foot’. The cap is the loose piece of tobacco attached 1 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
BY TOM STURROCK
to the end you put in your mouth with a natural glue to prevent the whole thing from unravelling. The body is the main trunk of the cigar and the foot is the end that gets lit. There are three other parts that go into the construction. The ‘filler’ refers to the leaves that go into the cigar – these usually come from the top of the plant and are called ligero. The way a cigar looks and feels depends on the ‘wrapper’, which is a silky leaf that burns well – it comes from the bottom of a tobacco plant and is called volado. Finally, the ‘binder’ is a coarse leaf that holds everything together. These come from the middle of the tobacco plant and are called seco. They tend to be lighter in colour and flavour than the ligero. Now that you know the basics, head out to one of these plush cigar lounges and find yourself a Cuban that suits your tastes. bangkok101.com
out & about
CITY PU LSE
The ChindAsia Club It was previously the Perdomo Club tucked down a quiet Sukhumvit Soi but the ChindAsia Club now advertises itself as Bangkok’s most exlcusive locale. Women may apply, and the club encourages men to bring their wives to the club. But, at the end of the day, this is a private gentlemen’s club. 3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 28 | 02-661-3220 | chindasiaclub.com
HUmidor By day, visitors can enjoy specialty teas. But, by night, Humidor transforms into a live jazz venue with wine flights, cocktails and malt whiskeys, where cigar aficionados can retreat into the Humidor to savor the world’s best cigars. They take their product very seriously here. InterContinental Bangkok, 973 Phloen Chit Rd | 02-656-0444 Facebook: Balcony Lounge & Humidor Cigar Bar
bangkok101.com
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out & about
the p&l club With over 80 selections of finest single malt whiskeys from around the world, the P&L Club ensures a clientele with a taste for the finer things in life. And that’s reinforced by a range of more than 240 Cuban cigars. This place has been importing Habanos for more than 20 years. Grand Hyatt Erawan, 494 Ratchadamri Rd | 02-254-1234 facebook.com/PacificCigarThailand
whisgars This premier whisky and cigar bar in the heart of Bangkok has adapated the traditional decor into something more modern. But the selling point remains the same: more than 40 quality cigars, all premium hand-rolled. There are plans to open 50 Whisgars venues throughout Asia. 16 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | 02-664-4252 | whisgars.com
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best of bangkok
foodies on the move In Bangkok’s fast-moving dining scene, pop-up restaurants are the ultimate in eating on the run – we meet some of the foodies taking their mark.
O
riginally inspired by those terrifically tanned Californians and their need for very short-term retail spaces came the pop-up shop. It was only a matter of time before this concept was adapted to dining, the ‘flash and feast’ craze taking hold in America, Europe and Australia. And now, it’s well and truly found a foothold in Bangkok. The idea is to hijack an existing space for less than 24 hours. Marketing is usually kept to a minimum to filter out those not in the know, transmitting last-minute electronic and online messages or through good old-fashioned word of mouth. Yet it takes a certain amount of gall, skill and imagination to execute successful pop-up dining events in this city. Here are some of the local artisan players moonlighting as pop-up pioneers. 1 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
BY SAMANTHA PROYRUNGTONG
SEA TRUFFLES by Dan Koh
Dan Koh is one of Bangkok’s favourite and jolly, yet highly cultivated seafood purveyor. An Asian-American from Hawaii, Dan was raised among foodies in his family’s restaurant, with an insatiable thirst for the finer and fishier things in life. He has since gone beyond working as an independent importer/distributor of organic uni (sea urchin) and Irish oysters to developing his boutique distributorship ‘Sea Truffles’. Over the past few months he has held pop-up events at various locations. He started at Apoteka in Sukhumvit Soi 11 and was more recently at the Accidental Butcher garden for a twilight picnic featuring his signature oysters. “Revenue wise they are a limited success, lots of work,” he says. “However, the PR and branding is working and bangkok101.com
best of bangkok
calls are coming in for orders outside the events and restaurants hear good things about your product. “Social media, word of mouth – we call it the the som tum telegraph – are great ways to get the word out.”
Restaurant Kidnap by AHMS
Organised by AHMS, a select group of boutique hotels and resorts, The Restaurant Kidnap begins with one of the head chef from the resorts being sent to Bangkok along with his key staff. They then swoop down upon a popular Bangkok restaurant to overhaul the décor and re-invent the menu. The night is full of culinary mayhem and mystery albeit meticulously thought out on site. All funds raised bangkok101.com
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through the event are donated directly to the Pure Blue Foundation. “The Pure Blue Foundation is the corporate social responsibility [CSR] arm of AHMS,” brands and communications director Eugene Oelofse explains. “We host and run fundraising events to support the foundation, with its main focus on marine conservation and education. “Events are extremely successful, perhaps more so in terms of PR exposure and highlighting our CSR to the market, as it is only a one night offering the revenue source is limited.” The AHMS uses their business prowess to create a full digital campaign, targeting existing networks, database J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 1 9
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and media relations. “The foodie industry in Bangkok is so diverse and interesting that any event or new foodie destination has to be extremely special,” Eugene says. “That’s why our chefs look at the Kidnap as an opportunity to really show off their skills and display different techniques.”
The Artisan Trinity by VIVIN, Chef Bar and the Accidental Butcher
Three of Bangkok’s gourmet artisans have merged for one high and mighty dining experience. Vivin Gourmandises Maison produces fine food products, particularly locally cooked amd prepared duck foie gras and dry duck magret. Nicolas Vivin, founder of Vivin, has long believed in pop-up collaborations, such as the mobile gourmet burger truck he rolled out with Daniel Thaiger. “We thought it was a great way to do something edgy and out of the normal path for high-end products, to create a foie gras burger together, which was a hit among both Thai and foreigners,” Nicolas says. This event will be held in mid-July at The Accidental Butcher, where Steve the Australian butcher will prepare and offer his premium cuts of meat to make up (spoiler alert) the Rossini steak, ably assisted by Roland Graham from Chef Bar. The dinner date is set for mid July, limited to less than 30 people and will be communicated privately via each own network and via gourmet gospel. If you don’t want to miss out on the Artisan’s Trinity first supper, check out their premises and try a slice of heaven for yourself.
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other pop-up highlights Other pop-able leaders worth mentioning are Opposite Mess Hall in Sukhumvit Soi 51, who host on-thefly gourmet dinners and regularly join forces with neighbour WTF Bar & Gallery for some hipster-friendly and arty street festivals. And if you’re really looking for an exclusive lead, Roots BKK, the little sister to the highly successful Roast Coffee & Eatery in Seen Space Thong Lor Soi 13, will be launching their upcoming “taste lab”, a space catered specifically to testing Roast dishes and pop-up events. We certainly couldn’t end without mentioning popup markets. The growing presence of artisanal and craft orientated markets such as the Bangkok Farmers Market, the Spring Epicurean Market and the Sansiri Winter Market Fest are a delicious indication that popups are popping up all over this city. bangkok101.com
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monks observe 227 different rules – known as vinayas
insight
ToTwmo ’Ssatang
S N A P S H OT S
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 monks
Artwork: Wat Bang Oy Chang , Nonthaburi
R
ight after Asalaha Bucha Day, the full moon day in July, is the beginning of Khao Phansa, the Buddhist Lent. It lasts for a phansa or a vassa, the rainy threemonth period, until the full moon day in October. This is the time when the Lord Buddha declared that monks and nuns should not travel from the monasteries unless necessary. In the middle of the monsoon season when the weather is torrential and wet, travel can be hazardous. He was also afraid that monks may traipse through the paddy fields, damaging young crops. Among all religious holidays, this may not be the most significant but it is the longest period of abstinence from all vices and many Thai men enter monkhood during this time. Thais have freedom to choose one’s own religion but more than 90 percent are Buddhists. Buddhism has three main components or ‘three jewels’: Buddha (the Enlightened One), Dhamma (the Truth and His teachings), and Sangha (His association or company). As the third part of the jewels, Sangha or monks have many duties and one of them is to spread Buddhist teachings. The first five monks that listened to the Lord Buddha’s first sermon and were ordained by Him are called Panjavakkiya – they were Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama and Assaji. All of them became Arhats, who attained Nirvana. However, the Lord Buddha had many disciples. The two chief noble ones are Sariputra and Mahamoggallana, often depicted sitting or standing on each side of a Buddha statue. Upon reaching the age of 20, most Thai men are eligible to be ordained as a Bhikkhu, a Pali word for “beggar” or “one who lives by alms”. It also means “the person who sees danger in samsara or the cycle of rebirth.” Thais call monks “Phra”, which means ‘the perfect one’. If they are younger than 20, they can become novices or ‘Nane’ or ‘Samanera’. Almost devoid of possessions, monks are only allowed four items other than their robes: a razor, a needle, an alms bowl and a liquid strainer. A day in a monastic life starts very early. At 5am, they wake up and perform morning chants. About 6am, they walk to receive the morning alms. If a temple is on the canal, they may row a boat and collect them. In a remote temple in the northern Thailand, monks have to ride horses to town to receive the alms. After breakfast,
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they will have a brief chant or prayer. They have lunch before noon because they are not allowed to consume any solid food after that. However, some beverages and juices without pulps are allowed. In the afternoon, they may study or teach Dhamma, meditate, or conduct some ceremonies, rituals or blessings such as chanting at a wake. These rites are mainly Brahman mixed with Buddhist practices. In the olden days and even now, some monks also teach students in the temple schools, which are attached to the monasteries. After the evening prayers, they retire to bed. Monks’ robes are often described as saffron. Actually, they are dyed from the natural pigments of flowers, fruits, leaves, tree barks or roots, mainly from jackfruit trees. Originally, they were made in patchworks from discarded cloth and modelled after Indian corpses’ shroud to convey the samsara. A set of robes contain three pieces: sabong (a sarong piece), jeevorn (a big tube to twist and wear), sanghati (a shoulder sash), and sometimes a cloth belt for formal occasions. In Thai Theravada Buddhism, there are different shades of these robes, from yellowish orange to dark brown. The darker ones in browns or even black are for forest monks. The muted orange or ochre ones are called Phra Raja Niyom – or the royal style. As a Buddhist layperson, I try to conduct my life within the Five Precepts. But for monks, they have to observe 227 rules and disciplines or vinayas. For example, if they are very strict like the monks from Thammayut Nikaya, they are not allowed to even touch money or receive donations directly from the patrons. So once they commit these misdemeanours, they can avow them by asking a senior monk to perform some prayers to dispense their offences. However, if these sins are critical, they will be expelled from the monkhood. Far from being perfect, some monks have had misconduct exposed by the media. Some minor ones include making predictions and telling fortunes, practising astrology and performing shamanistic rituals or giving out talismans. Others include gambling, either official lotto or underground ones. More serious transgressions include sexual acts with either women or men, going out in disguise to nightclubs and participating in illegal gambling or money laundering. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 2 3
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very thai
Y
songs for
life
The soundtrack to seventies rebellion
ou can instantly spot fans of pleng peua cheewit, or ‘Songs For Life’. Part of the left-leaning Art For Life movement, this 1970s-style blues-countryrock remains the soundtrack of disaffected middle-aged Thais with a penchant for radical chic. Growing old grungily, these anti-dictatorship veterans sport wispy beards, straggly long hair and rumpled khaki fatigues. Yet the sacrifice of which they sing was for real. Unlike the cute peaceniks of corporate T-Pop, the For Lifers actually fought. Hence their respect among a general public who’d otherwise consider their behaviour déclassé. The enduring giant of Songs For Life has been Aed Carabao (left, middle). He rode the 1980s shift from niche appeal to widespread recognition. Add, named after his band Carabao (‘buffalo’ in the Philippines, where the band formed in refuge in 1976), resembles an Asian Willie Nelson. He dons a bandana emblazoned with the buffalo-skull logo that brands his own lines of merchandise. “But for the language disconnect, he’d be an international superstar,” says music executive Tim Carr. “The most prolific, prodigious and, possibly, profligate musician/artist/personality in Thailand... Aed channels not only Nelson and Santana, but Dylan, Springsteen and 1000 years of Thai folk.”
> Very Thai
Photos: Philip Cornwel-Smith & Aed Carabao
River Books by Philip Cornwel-Smith with photos by John Goss and Philip CornwelSmith | B 995
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Now out in an expanded, updated 2nd edition, ‘Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture’ is a book that almost every foreign resident has on their reading table, a virtual bible on Thai pop culture. Now with four extra chapters, 64 more pages and a third of the 590 photographs being new, it guides you on a unconventional Technicolor tour of the quirky things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 70 chapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and buy a copy of the new edition at any good bookshop. bangkok101.com
chronicle of thailand
S N A P S H OT S
MAY 13 1982
communist defections gather momentum
Rebels weakened as amnesty offer and DRUG counter-insurgency takes its toll on CPT
OUS
arm
L
t Gen Prayoon Boonnak claimed the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) was in its death throes and his words proved prophetic when a week later Chiang Rai Thai nearly 500 insurgents surrendered in the area between Loei, Phitsanulok, against drug lor and Phetchabun. Insurgency leaders said government operations had inflicted heavy casualties on the CPT and hundreds more would surrender soon.his By200-mule op Several tho mid-June, 3000 people had surrendered in the north and northeast. planes and h Two months later, 7,400 Hmong hill-tribe fighters marched down frombythe stronghold at Ba mountain in Phetchabun province to defect en masse after a long fight against (SUA). At the government. The military built houses in a new settlement for the Hmong. In least 1 fierce September, one of the founding members of the CPT, Udom Srisuwan, as and his fighting wife, ‘Comrade’ Maitri, surrendered to authorities in Bangkok. Udom was theAfter Thai a truce proposa highest-ranking CPT member to surrender yet. He had attended the MarxistTinsulanond Leninist Institute in Moscow and was the only member of the Thai politburo who sta narcotics traffick could speak Russian fluently. Later in the year, the government scored a huge psychological victorycontinue when its driv destroyed.” It wa nearly 5000 insurgents and sympathisers in Mukdahan and Tak provinces of the region’s h defected en masse on the 40th anniversary of founding of the CPT. A veteran extensive jungle fighter who led the surrender said they decided to give up because the headq and equipment government agreed to treat them with honour and dignity. The government’s successes came following a succession of directives In July, Kh troops, under the Prem administration that sought to offer amnesties to rebels who laidfought a side of Doi Lang down their arms and to tackle the insurgency from its root causes.
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 vivid 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
more is better
I
n Thailand, there’s no such thing as having too much of a good thing. The general attitude here is that more is better. Even the driver of this taxi keeps adding and adding to his collection of amulets and statuettes of the Buddha, Hindu gods, and other icons. He believes the more sacred images he stockpiles, the more he will be protected from accidents, vile passengers, the police, and other evil spirits. The cabby is also convinced that his assemblage of talismans will attract more customers, and consequently more profit.
bangkok101.com
> Chronicle of Thailand EDM Books | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | B1,450
Chiang Rai prov displaced hundr Border Patrol Po Sa’s new base o constructed 200
Chronicle of Thailand is th Adulyadej. Beginning on t presents a vivid eye-witne major news events of the as they unfolded and quir the news, the book featur illustrations, representing 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. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 2 5
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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.
born on the water
O
ne of the quickest ways to neutralise Bangkok’s metropolitan overload is to leave the concrete behind and disappear into Bangkok’s intricate network of canals and rivers. Criss-crossing the city in all directions, these murky green waterways move cargo and passenger traffic both within the city and without, provide a seemingly endless source of water for bathing, cooking, irrigation and recreation, and conjuring up a parallel universe in which 18th-century Siam collides with 21stcentury Thailand. Viewed from above, Bangkok’s canal world resembles a quirky, skewed mandala, the quasi-circular diagrams created by Buddhist artists as an object for meditation. Much like Hindu-Buddhist mythology’s Mount Meru, around which the cosmos unfolds in concentric continents alternating with slender cosmic oceans, Thailand’s sweltering capital straddles a vast spider web of natural and artificial canals fanning out through sultry river delta for several hundred square miles. The Thais have always had a deep affinity for water, dating to the early first millennium when they began migrating – from where remains a matter of lively debate – into river valleys throughout Thailand and neighbouring Laos and Myanmar. Buckminster Fuller believed the 2 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
prevalence of the Meru myth in South and Southeast Asia suggested a migration from the Indian and Pacific ocean archipelagos and continental coasts to the Himalayan heart of Asia. For Fuller the orderly alternation of land and water in the Meru mandala pointed to an Oceanic origin for Asian civilisation and religious archetypes. Whatever the circumstances, the Siamese never strayed far from water. Thailand’s ruling monarchy, which has flourished for nearly a thousand years, transferred the royal capital from central Thailand’s Ayuthaya – a richly endowed city itself surrounded by canals and rivers – to the banks of the Chao Phraya River in 1769 following a disastrous war with the Burmese. Using thousands of Khmer prisoners of war, King Rama I augmented Bangkok’s natural canal-and-river system with hundreds of artificial waterways. All fed into Thailand’s hydraulic lifeline, the broad Chao Phraya River, which bisected the city centre into two halves, Bangkok proper and Thonburi, the river’s ‘right bank’. The Chao Phraya in turn disgorges itself into the Gulf of Thailand, a vast cul-desac of the South China Sea. The canal expansion changed the geography of the city. Taking one of the river’s largest natural curves, city planners added two lengthy canals, Banglamphu Canal bangkok101.com
highlight and Ong Ang Canal, to create a royal island called Ko Ratanakosin. Ko Ratanakosin quickly accumulated an impressive architectural portfolio centered on the Grand Palace, political hub of the new Siamese capital. Brahman priests and Buddhist monks consecrated the palace in 1782 along with an adjacent royal monastery, Wat Phra Kaew. Lining the long, shaded cloisters of the monastery, deep-hued frescoes, highlighted with rich golds and watery blues, transpose the Hindu god Rama’s heroic exploits on to visions of Bangkok’s canal network 200 years ago. Portuguese priest Fernao Mendez Pinto was the first to use the epithet ‘Venice of the East’, referring not to Bangkok but to Ayuthaya, in a letter to the Society of Jesus in Lisbon in 1554, but two hundred years later it came to be used to describe the new Bangkok capital as well. In 1855, British envoy Sir John Bowring noted in his reports: “The highways of Bangkok are not streets or roads but the river and the canals. Boats are the universal means of conveyance and communication.” Visiting traders and diplomats from Europe marvelled at not only the sheer scale of the waterways but also the exotic life encountered both on and off the water. While walking along the Chao Phraya one afternoon in 1824, English trader Robert Hunter spotted what he thought was a creature with eight limbs and two heads swimming in the river. When the oddity lifted itself on to a canoe, Hunter was surprised to see it was in fact two 13-year-old boys who were fused together at the chest. The Briton was so intrigued that he sponsored a medical examination of the boys and later introduced them to Bangkok’s Western social circuits as ‘the Siamese twins’. Throughout the history of the Chakri Dynasty, royal administrations added to the system. Khlong Mahawawat (khlong means ‘canal’) was dug during the reign of King Rama IV to link the Chao Phraya River with the Tha Chin River. Lined with fruit orchards and stilted houses draped with fishing nets, Khlong Mahawawat is still one of the most traditional and least visited of the Bangkok canals. Khlong Saen Saep came about to shorten travel between the Chao Phraya and Bang Pakong rivers and today is heavily used by boat taxi commuters moving across the city from east to west and vice versa. The section of the Chao Phraya River extending between the Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals was originally a canal dug as a shortcut across a large loop in the original river course. This canal broadened and merged with the Chao Phraya River such that today most people assume it’s the natural course of the river. Meanwhile, the original river loop narrowed and became shallower, becoming the Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai ‘canals’. Following the Second World War, when the Japanese briefly occupied parts of the city, Thai engineers built bridges over the Chao Phraya River and began filling in canals to provide space for new roads and shophouses. However, as Bangkok tumbled headlong into the 1980s, racking up double-digit growth for over a decade, gridlock traffic and choking vehicle fumes induced nostalgia for the city’s water-borne origins. Gliding west off the Chao Phraya into Khlong Bangkok Noi knocks 50 years off big-city progress. As your boat bangkok101.com
S N A P S H OT S
penetrates Bangkok’s right bank, the scenery transforms into a snug corridor of teak houses on stilts, old Buddhist temples and banana groves. Thai women in straw lampshade hats hawk steaming bowls of rice noodles from wooden canoes. Mobile banks and post offices putter along atop tiny barges, further demonstrating that virtually any errand on land can also be done on water. From Bangkok Noi, public boats continue up Khlong Om, lined by plantations growing the spiky, strong-smelling durian. Another turn in the maze links up with Khlong Mon and one whooshes past gold-spired temples, century-old wooden piers and hothouses filled with exotic orchids. Authentic floating markets, in which wooden canoes laden with fruits, vegetables, noodles, and handicrafts cluster together near bridges and riverbanks waiting for customers, have disappeared from central Bangkok. Adjacent Samut Songkhram Province, however, practically floats on canals intersecting the lazy bends of the Mae Klong River, creating the perfect environment for talat nam. Some floating markets convene only during certain moon phases of the lunar calendar. The longer one lingers on Bangkok’s waters, the closer one gets to Thai-ness, so much so that it could be said that until you’ve skimmed the choppy canals of the great city, you haven’t seen the original Bangkok heart. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 2 7
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highlight
Bizarre
Thailand
A 20-year resident of Thailand, Jim Algie has contributed to many guidebooks and is also the author of Tuttle Travel Pack Thailand. He compiled tales of the unexpected into a book called ‘Bizarre Thailand: Tales of Crime, Sex and Black Magic’. For more bytes and
pixels check out jimalgie.com.
corpse collectors
P
oh Teck Tung pulls in millions of baht in donations every year. Donating to the organisation is good karma, says our videographer, who has asked not to be named as we weave through Friday night traffic. They help to rush the injured to the hospital and take the dead to the morgue. They also arrange coffins and funerals for the poor. If nobody claims the body, they bury the remains at their cemetery in Samut Prakan province. Every few years, dozens of volunteers help to unearth and burn the bones of thousands of corpses in a mass cremation ceremony. The foundation’s rescue work on the blood-slicked streets of Bangkok has been documented by National Geographic TV, the BBC and CNN. When the latter attempted to follow them around one night, their van crashed and Poh Teck Tung had to come to their rescue, the videographer says with a smug grin. It’s an apt warning for the kind of driving these speed demons do. When saving a life is a matter of minutes, speed is of the essence. A call comes in on the radio. he guns the gas and we’re off, bulleting down the road like a getaway car. The 2 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
speedometer needle, glowing green, creeps up... 40, 55, 80, 100. He’s too busy passing cars to talk now. And we have no idea what the emergency is. Snapshot memories whizz by like the cars and lights. In 1997, I interviewed the photographer Philip Blenkinsop about his grisly collection of black-and-white photos, The Cars That Ate Bangkok. Many were taken when he travelled around with Poh Teck Tung for a few weeks. The book is a horror-monger’s gallery of bodies lying in the street, surrounded by chalk-line skeletons and rivulets of blood, and close-ups of pulped faces. The cover shows a bloody hand hanging from the bonnet of a car, making it look as if the person has been eaten alive by what Philip refers to in the text as a ‘petrol-powered beast’. In reference to this image, the Australian photographer — who went on to win the World Press Photo Award and many others — told me: “An old woman was crossing the highway outside Bangkok when she was cut in half by a car, which was abandoned by the side of the road after the driver fled the scene. Her hand was left on the bonnet. It was unbelievably depressing.” bangkok101.com
highlight
His experiences with them had driven home the fact — and the fear — that road accidents are the leading cause of death in Thailand: an average of two people die on the roads every hour. It has one of the highest rates of traffic fatalities in the world. More tourists and expats die or are injured in road accidents than by any other means. “It was crazy, driving at 160 kilometres an hour on a Friday night, trying to beat other body-snatchers to the cadaver,” he says. “Thais won’t get out of the way for an ambulance, but they will for Poh Teck Tung, so we’d often get to the accident before the police. One night I was in the back of the van with three dead bodies rolling up against me every time it turned. We’d picked up one of them from a hospital and he’d already been dead for a few days. The stench was terrible.” Near a footbridge on a busy road out in some industrial suburb of Bangkok, we pull over behind a fleet of Poh Teck Tung rescue vehicles. Staff members are running towards the bridge, jogging up the stairs. A policeman stringing yellow crime-scene tape across the top of the stairs lets us bangkok101.com
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pass. Then we see the body: young, male, Thai, laying on his back. The glare of orange streets lights lends the scene a hellish tint. Whether he was shot in the forehead or hit with something heavy like a crescent wrench, nobody’s sure. For once, there’s none of that Thai cheeriness. The mood is somber, voices drowned out by the drone and din of traffic. Speculation runs rife that it might be a drug- related killing, or possibly a mugging—common on footbridges— gone violently wrong. The dead man, in his faded T-shirt and rubber flip-flops, may have lost his life for a few hundred baht? A few members of Poh Teck Tung kneel down beside the corpse, pointing at the fatal wound, while a crime photographer from the police propaganda magazine, 191 (the emergency line in Thailand), takes some blood money snaps. A few of the cops standing by look lost in troubled thoughts, as if thinking: ‘Who’s going to have to tell his family?’ J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 2 9
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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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listings
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
S N A P S H OT S
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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listings
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 3 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
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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candle festival
ubon ratchathani I
n the temple courtyards of Ubon Ratchathani, locals prepare for their annual Candle Festival which marks the beginning of the rainy season retreat for Buddhist monks. During the celebration, huge candles are beautifully carved and paraded through the city on colorful floral floats. The parade itself, held July 11-12, not only displays the locals’ devotion to the Buddhist customs, but also showcases their renowned candle-carving skills. Apart from floats and candles, the procession also features dancers and musicians in traditional Thai attire. In addition to all that, an International Wax Sculpture Competition is held where artists from all over the world display their masterpieces.
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Until July 6 Fancy Fish Contest for Royal Trophy There is no need to go to an extravagant aquarium to see impressive sea creatures. All you have to do is look out for the many fish competitions that are held annually. This month, the 26th Fancy Fish Contest for the Royal Trophy is being held at Future Park Rangsit, Patum Thani. The event showcases more than 200 rare species of sea creatures including emperor angelfish, Siamese tiger fish, razor fish, bluespotted stingrays, red prawns, sea urchins, blackspotted puffers, and many more. Other than the competition itself, this 10-day event also offers an aquarium arrangement competition.
July 11 Asanha Bucha This national holiday is believed to be the day that Buddha gave his first sermon, thus establishing the core principles of Buddhism. To commemorate this day, Buddhists from all over the nation are encouraged to give alms in the morning, visit temples, and listen to sermons. This festival also serves as a prelude to the Buddhist Lent. The highlight of Asanha Bucha is the candle ceremony held in the evening, where locals light incense and elaborate candles to parade around temple grounds.
July 11-13 Tak Bat Dok Mai Festival This is the time of year when Thai Bhuddhists all visit their local temples to make merits, chant and listen to sermons, and offer sacred holy offerings. Now, this would seem pretty normal at first glance. During the Tak Bat Dok Mai festival, apart from the conventional holy offerings such as food, incense, and candles, locals also offer Dok Khao Phansa, a special kind of flower. This flower is only in bloom during the Bhuddhist Lent, which is in this time of year. Other activities during this festival include a local product shopping market, Thai traditional games, art and cultural processions.
July 16-20 Cape Panwa Phuket Race Week The 11th annual Phuket Raceweek is back with its unique location, luxurious accommodation, and first class facilities. Registration can be done online at www.phuketraceweek.com, with B12000 for boat entry and B4200 for crew tickets. Apart from the regatta, the Cape Panwa Hotel and Kantary Bay Hotel will also be hosting parties. Non-participants can also join in on the fun with guest tickets, available for purchase at the Cape Panwa Hotel and event entry points. Pricing ranges from B800 to B1800 per day, or get the full package for B4200 for full access. 3 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
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July 27 Pattaya International Marathon Test your limits at the annual Pattaya International Marathon, where joggers from all over Thailand gather for some lungburning action. Starting in front of CentralFestival Shopping Centre, the marathon route leads runners right alongside the Pattaya beach. The race is available for many categories and age groups, including but not limited to: half marathons, wheelchair marathons, and micro marathons. Check www. pattaya-marathon.net for more details.
Throughout July Khaeng Hin Phoeng Whitewater Rafting Just because rainy season is here doesn’t mean you have to sulk indoors. Try something daring and go for a rafting trip. Paddle your way through the twists and turns of the challenging rapids of Kaeng Hin Phoeng National Park, Prachinburi. With varying difficulty levels, both amateurs and experts can enjoy this extreme sport. The staff of Kaeng Hin Phoeng National Park is there to teach the basics of rafting, as well as provide all the safety measures necessary to ensure a fun-filled experience.
Throughout July Dok Krachiao Blossom Festival During this time of the year, the Krachiao flowers in Pa Hin Ngam National Park, Chaiyaphum are in full bloom, splattering the lush, green fields with various shades of pink and purple. This time of year is when the annual Dok Krachiao Blossom Festival is held. The activities during this festival include Dok Krachiao field touring, local lifestyle demonstrations, flowerfield painting competitions, exhibitions, and stores selling local Chaiyaphum goods. You can also enjoy traditional Thai musical performances with Pong Lang, Khaen, and Seng drums.
Throughout July Rambutan Fair At first glance, the rambutan could come off as an extremely bizarre fruit, with its hairy exterior and contrasting colors. Here, it is very popular, maybe because of its sweet and juicy center. The annual Rambutan Fair, held in Surat Thani, is organized to celebrate the origin of the fruit, the first of its kind being planted within the area in the 1920’s. The festival consists of displays of local products and plants, fruit floats, trained monkey shows, and obviously rambutans. Other than that, there are also aromatic food fairs and tons of fun activities for children.
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hotel review
The Continent Hotel
Central Bangkok has had a few ups and downs this year and The Continent Hotel is situated right next to the Asoke junction that was transformed into a sit-in protest site for a few months. With that now cleared, normal service has resumed and The Continent does a fine job of providing a luxury hotel with all the trimmings in a fairly compact neck of the woods. Its signature Italian restaurant, Medinii, offers sweeping views over Sukhumvit and even as far as Sathorn and the river. The menu offers an intriguing mix – there’s traditional Italian produce and flavours but the presentation and technique is decidedly modern. For example, the pan-seared foie gras (B450) comes with an apple compote and cherry sauce, delivering a welcome fruity offset to the richness of the pate. There’s also a brilliant guazzetto (B520), which is a soupy Italian stew that comes with scallop, shrimp, mussels and crab meat, seasoned with white wine and fresh herbs. The seafood retains its delicate flavours despite the overall effect being richer and more satisfying. Among the mains, try the beef tenderloin (B660), served here with ratatouille, sauteed vegetables and black tapenade sauce. Equally, the roasted duck breast (B660) comes with wilted spinach, young potatoes and raspberry sauce. Again, 3 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
Medinii’s modern ambitions are on display, with that sauce smeared artistically to one side of the plate. Stick around for the desserts as well. The creme brulee (B270), with Grand Marnier and Madagascar vanilla is exquisite. After dinner, head up to Axis & Spin for a cocktail. They’ve got some cracking options, including the Golden Aster Martini (B260), which combines bourbon, white vermouth, aperol, saffron, lemon and chilli. It’s quite a mouthful but there are some really interesting flavours working together. For something fruity and refreshing, try the Nashi Momo (B260), a combination of vodka, peach liqueur, pear, coconut and guava juice. Another interesting drink is the Chun Tian (B260), with white vermouth, cognac, limoncello, ginger bitters, peppermint bitters, cinammon and passionfruit. Some of these are pretty complicated but they’re inevitably wellbalanced and presented with flair. Overall, it’s hard to imagine an urban retreat executed with greater panache than at The Continent.
the continent hotel
[MAP 8/O14]
413 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-686-7000 | thecontinenthotel.com
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The Holy
FOOTPRINT Thousands will this month travel to Saraburi for Tak Bat Dok Mai. BY KEITH MUNDY
up country escape
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ou see a great rocky bluff, swathed in woods at its base, with temple spires rising above, glinting in the sun. You see crowds – but you know you’re there without looking, by the noise. Loudspeakers blare out the spiel of some official-cum-fairground barker, repeated every two minutes in an endless ear-bashing cycle. Put some ear plugs in, and everything’s fine. It’s sunny, it’s a holiday, it’s a party, and people are flocking from miles around and even from Bangkok to the fun of the fair and the beauty of the setting. It’s Tak Bat Dok Mai, the flower offering festival of the Shrine of the Holy Footprint, held on the first day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month, which is normally in July, and known as Asalha Bucha. This year, Tak Bat Dok Mai will be held on July 11. Thousands of people come to make merit by giving flowers and incense to the monks at Wat Phra Putthabat – the shrine’s Thai name – in Saraburi province, central Thailand, on this holy day each year, but that’s not all they do. They eat at numerous stalls, they buy all sorts of things from vendors, they roam around under the trees, they watch the parade, they explore and enjoy the unique beauty of the labyrinthine sanctuary. One of Thailand’s royal temples of the first rank, and therefore a highly significant sacred site, the Shrine of the Holy Footprint is magnetic for its high status alone, but its dramatic character is the real draw. Clinging to the foot of a rocky outcrop amidst the flatness of the Central Plains, Thailand’s rice bowl, the sanctuary has an eccentric layout and idiosyncratic structures which are immediately appealing. Add to this the great beauty of individual buildings and the first-class upkeep of everything and you bangkok101.com
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have one of the country’s most exquisite sights. What are its origins? Wat Phra Putthabat comes out of this legend. Early in the 17th century, King Songtham of Siam sent monks to Sri Lanka to worship the Buddha’s footprint on the hill of Sumankut. When they got there, the Siamese monks were surprised to find their Singhalese colleagues asking them why they had come so far when, according to the ancient Pali texts, another authentic and sacred footprint existed in Siam. When King Songtham heard this, he set up a search for the footprint. It was discovered in 1606 by a hunter who had wounded a deer which disappeared into a hollow and came out perfectly well. Under the bushes, the man found a hole in the shape of a foot, filled with fresh water. After drinking the water, he was immediately cured of a skin disease from which he had long suffered. On hearing of these miracles, the king marked out the area, and built a sanctuary there. Those first buildings were destroyed by the invading Burmese in 1765. The sanctuary as it is now was built under the Chakri kings who have ruled since 1782. Approaching from separate sides, two stairways lead pilgrims upwards to a summit of dreaming spires. Pristine white chedis of all sizes cluster round the ornate mondop, the pavilion which shelters the footprint itself. No mortal foot this, it is a stylised impression 150 cm long, 53 cm wide and 28 cm deep, covered in gold leaf, and surrounded by a gilded parapet which is swathed in golden silk. Bronze and blue mosaic tiling swathes the outer walls and pillars of this sacred shrine whose stepped spire reaches far heavenward. Its beauty and significance J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 4 1
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exert great magnetism on the people who flock to pay respect and then to make merit by ringing the great bronze bells which half-surround its platform. Young and old, local or foreign, believers or not, everyone has fun making their own music on this impressive string of heavy percussion. It is to this shrine that the monks climb at the climax of Tak Bat Dok Mai. But first there is the fun of the parade down on the road below. A marching band in emerald green jackets, boy scouts and girl guides in formation, beauty queens perspiring elegantly on flower-decked floats, folk dancers and folk musicians, papier-mâché models and masks, drummers and revellers - all parade or prance past the gawping crowds, who especially enjoy the sight of the Thai celebrities who turn up and join in the ramwong dancing. When the ramwong revellers and their drum party reel past, the air is so thick with liquor fumes that you could get drunk just by inhaling. While most paraders are visibly wilting under the glare of the sun and the stare of the spectators, these funsters are in their element frolicking and rollicking by. They bring to mind the ribald humour of the province’s motto, “nom dee, guree daeng”, which can be taken two ways. According to taste, you can believe that Saraburi’s prime products are good milk and hot curry, or scarlet women with nice breasts. “Up to yooo!”, as they say. After all this, the serious business. The long file of monks follows and the people press forward to lay wan khamin flowers and incense sticks in their alms bowls. Also known 4 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
as khao phansa flowers, they only grow around July, the start of Buddhist Lent at the entry of the rainy season, which is what khao phansa means. People pick them from the rocky hillsides around about. At khao phansa, monks retreat to their temples and laymen traditionally enter the monkhood at least once in their lives, be it for the whole three months of Lent or, more usual now, for just a few weeks or even days. In this way, Thai men acquire deeper religious understanding, progress along the path to enlightenment, and bring merit to their parents, especially mothers. They need qualities like forbearance if they are to survive Tak Bat Dok Mai, filing under the merciless sun amid an excited throng insistently piling offerings into their bowls to overflowing, hounded by a media circus of cameramen and photographers, climbing the long steep stairway to the footprint shrine. The monks pay their respects to the shrine, sitting on the red carpet around the footprint and chanting, and then they descend, again in stately single file, the other flight of steps, to be given a final honour of remarkable devotion. People kneel to rinse the holy men’s feet with cool fresh water -- a cleansing of the mind and soul for the devotees -- as they pass slowly downwards in a long saffron stream. The ceremony is over. It remains only to skip after the TV celebrities, and ooh and aah and snap them on mobile phones. And to have something more to eat and drink, for snacking is a Thai article of faith. And to go home and tell everybody about it. bangkok101.com
in search of
spirits
In Bali, a neverending quest for authenticity can lead travellers to unexpected places. BY MARCO FERRARESE / PHOTOS BY KIT YENG CHAN
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R
ows of spectators scream while clenching crumpled rupees in their fists. We try to elbow our way through the barrier of shoulders and limbs, ducking our heads between lit cigars that swing inches from our faces. It’s only when we manage to penetrate the crush of bodies and find ourselves pushed against the railing that I realise what’s happening before us. A game of tough men and angry roosters. At the centre of the pit, two men hold two roosters against each other, building up momentum. They pat their birds as if they were old mates ready for the final departure. In fact, this might as well be it, for the razorblades tied to the roosters’ right legs shine murderously in the low light. Here we are: I have certainly found my authentic Balinese experience, and it feels like another world. It all starts when I rent a motorbike from a muscular Balinese beach boy in Kuta. “Bring it back undamaged and with a full tank, and enjoy the ride,” he says, pocketing my money. I am free to go, with a backpack tucked between my legs, and a tiny Malaysian girlfriend tugging at my back. We drive out of Poppies Lane and negotiate the steamy morning gridlock toward Denpasar and beyond. I want to seek a more authentic side of Bali in one of the smaller towns along the island’s east coast. Contrary to my plans, I get my chance when I stop the motorbike at a countryside road stall to rest and have a bite. As if reading my mind, an old man lifts his gaze from his steamy cup of tea and interrogates me with a toothless grin: “What are you looking for?” “We are looking for something authentically Balinese,” we answer, hoping this could be the serendipitous occasion we have been anxiously expecting. The old man smiles and then commands: “Perfect then. Come back tomorrow morning at nine and I’ll show you the real Bali.” I’m filled with hope. It doesn’t seem a coincidence that he’s picked us out among all the customers of this roadside warung. I have the feeling that, at last, this could be our introduction to some of the island’s most authentic ghosts. We continue chasing the thicket that extends inland from the main road, ending before the entrance of the Monkey Forest. This place gets its name from an obvious population of macaques that learnt how to satisfy their hunger overtime by snatching visitors. As if to endorse our failed search for Balinese authenticity here, a sneaky monkey came out of the woodwork and climbed over my girlfriend’s camera bag. Standing still and breathing slowly, we wait until the monkey decides that the backpack isn’t edible, and jumps back into the forest. bangkok101.com
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Even at Puram Dalem, one of Ubud’s most central temples, where traditional Balinese dances are staged nightly for the joy of tourists, there is no trace of genuine spirits to be found here. The sinuous movements of pretty Balinese ladies shrouded in colourful robes and elaborate headdresses precede the arrival of a demon in a wooden mask, ready to perform the ancient barong dance. But again, this is not what we want from Bali: the ghosts we chase chuckle at us, for we have fallen yet again into a beautifully staged tourist trap. I drive the motorbike along the winding roads that snake through an infinite horizon of terraced rice paddies into the heart of the island, hoping to find something unique behind every curve. But the closest I get to my imagined “pure Bali” is at Pura Tirta Empul, one of the island’s holiest shrines. Built around hot springs, it’s here that Balinese come to bathe and purify physically and spiritually. The scene here is closer to my expectations: rows of devotees waited patiently for their turns as others dipped into the holy waters, praying and showering under stone faucets that jutted out of the pool’s walls. There are few foreigners here and they observe the rituals with great respect. It is the most spiritual event I witnessed on this island; but again, it doesn’t fully tick my mental box of expectations for a unique Balinese experience. So, when we return to the warung to meet the old Balinese man, I know we are on the right track. He’s told us that he will show us a secret spot where locals go to bet illegally, repeating several times that no foreigners are allowed there but that he will secure us privileged access. It all sounds like the joke of a gregarious drunken local fellow; but to my surprise, once we reach the warung, he’s already waiting for us. He sits at the same place he occupied yesterday, a cup of tea in his hand, and a traditional Balinese batik tied around the top of his head in guise of a hat. “I knew you would come back,” he says. “It was in 4 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
your eyes. When foreigners see me they think I’m drunk and don’t take me seriously. You will be rewarded.” He empties the rest of his tea in a gulp. Then he summons another younger fellow from the scarce morning crowd. They both get on a motorbike and ask us to follow. We soon leave the main road and into a small path shrouded by tree branches until we reach a clearing. The old man parks the bike and we all continue on foot to a large wooden building covered by thatched roof.
“
I knew you would come back,” he says. “It was in your eyes. When foreigners see me they think I’m drunk and don’t take me seriously. You will be rewarded
”
Muffled screams resonate from the inside. I can’t help but feel that the situation is turning dodgy, and start damning my jaded traveller’s quest for authenticity. “You wanted to see real Bali? Enjoy the show then,” the old man says before he walks inside, signalling us to follow, and disappears into a screaming mob. The air smells of adrenaline and blood. Once my eyes get used to the darkness, I realise that we have stumbled into a cockfighting arena. When the men let go of the excited cocks, they quickly jump into each other, slashing furiously with their beaks and legs. Blades swing and soon sleek swathes of blood rise to paint black lines in the air. As quickly as it started, the fight ends when one of the birds collapses lifeless, and the other limps away, finding recovery in the nest of its owner’s hands. With our stomachs turned, we head for the exit. “You don’t like it?” the old man asks after catching up with us on our way out. “You said you wanted to see real Bali. Well, that’s what we Balinese do for fun.” I don’t know how to answer. Maybe I was looking for less angry spirits. bangkok101.com
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join the converation
Paintings by Panya Vijinthanasarn and Andrew Stahl will be presented at Conversations: The Vivid Real, their joint exhibition at Thavibu Gallery (4F Silom Galleria Building 919/1 Silom Rd; 02-266-5454; thavibu.com), which runs July 19-August 31. Both artists are committed to painting as a contemporary medium. They focus on the discussion of the poetic, imaginative and symbolic and share their belief in the ability of paintings to present a multi-layered and complex poetic view of the world around them. Andrew and Panya often use their paintings to present contradictory arguments or unexpected juxtapositions of both scale and subject matter. Panya‘s paintings revisit and reinvigorate traditional Thai and often Buddhist iconography with a modern twist. Andrew’s paintings approach the vivid with reference to surrealist ideas. His interest in Asian culture stems from artists’ residencies in Thailand and other parts of Asia. Both artists value the contemporary possibilities presented by intercultural exchange.
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ART & C u lt u r e
exhibitions
fake-work
Number 1 Gallery [MAP 5/d5] 4F 401-402 Silom Galleria, 919/1 Soi 19 Silom Rd | 02-630-3381 Mon-Sat 10am-7pm | number1gallery.com
Until July 12 Originally from Surat Thani, in his debut solo exhibition of surreal paintings Prawit Lumjalurn shows common threads with many young artists in approaching themes of materialism and its detrimental effects towards peace of mind.
foodporn
adler subhashok gallery [MAP 3/L6] 160/3 Sukhumvit Soi 33 I 02-662-0299 Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6.30pm | sacbangkok.com
Until July 15 Situated in the dramatic and expansive S.A.C. arts venue, for its second exhibition Adler Subhashok Gallery presents an international mix of artists from Thailand, China, the US and France, who approach themes of aspiration and excess in relation to globalisation and consumer culture.
Swallow... The Love
ARDEL Gallery of Modern Art [MAP 2/j12] 99/45 moo. 18 Km 10.5 Boromratchonnanee Rd | 02-422-2092 Tues-Sat 10.30am-7pm, Sun 10.30am-5.30pm | ardelgallery.com
Until July 27 Swallow... The Love is an exhibition by artist Chayanit Muangthai. Her mixed-technique print diffuses strong feelings and emotions toward love and desire. Her work depicts affection and passion influenced by love through her unique print-making process. The works serve as the space where her imagination and emotion are released.
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exhibitions
ART & C u lt u r e
gentle war
100 tonson gallery [MAP 4/j6] 100 Soi Ton Son | 02-684-1527 Thurs-Sun 11am-7pm | 100tonsongallery.com
Until August 10 Having previously held solo shows in Bangkok, this exhibition sets up the unique pairing of Peggy Wauters from Belgium and Israeli artist Nir Segal. Both artists face challenges to draw new interpretations from their chosen approaches; Wauters in her disturbing carnivalesque sculptures, and Segal’s appropriations of disposable materials.
Sawatdee Anxiety
whitespace gallery [MAP 5/m6] 1 Sala Daeng 1 | 0816-995-298 Wed-Sun noon-6pm | whitesp-cegallery.com
Until August 15 Artists Suwit Maprajaub and Peerawayt Krasaesom return to Whitespace Gallery during a time of high anxiety in the nation of Thailand, as in many places around the world. Quite independently, both artists proposed works express their present feelings of uncertainty and fearfulness about the state of Thailand, and the world at large.
Here are my teeth: Black with stars
kathmandu phoTography gallery 87 Pan Rd | 02-234-6700 Tues-Sun 11am-7pm | kathmandu-bkk.com
[MAP 5/e5]
July 5 – August 31 Photograoher Elizabeth Preger’s work is sombre, sensitive and a little unsettling. Extreme close-ups of vulnerable naked body parts convey fleshy sensations; a hand with mottled nail varnish lightly fingers a hairy navel; downy feathers scattered across a female torso; the bone-like calcium textures of seashells worn smooth by the bearing might of sea and wind, bleached by the sun, carefully collected in a white porcelain bowl with a soft raised pattern of bending leaves.
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SYMMETRY and chaos Jackkrit Anantakul’s striking graphic art imposes order on Bangkok’s hectic swirl. Well, kind of. BY KAT GURLEY
exhibitions
ART & C u lt u r e
“I see something interesting everywhere. i look at the buses and motorbikes and i see something modern and beautiful and i have to draw it”
F
or Thai graphic designer and typographer Jackkrit Anantakul, laughter is the best medicine. Known for his bright cartoony drawings which play with form and placement and his inventive typography, Jackkrit has always been a fan of the sillier, more whimsical aspects of life in Bangkok. “I want people to look at my art and feel happy,” he says, flipping through print after print of his vibrant, colourful illustrations. “When things are bad, I like to change them. Make serious situations funny.” It is an approach perfectly suited to these fraught times and Jackkrit – or JK, as he’s known – draws much of his inspiration from life in Bangkok. In one piece (pictured above), he employs a fractal design, splicing modern rises of buildings with the traffic. There is symmetry amid the chaos. “Thailand isn’t perfect,” he says, “But I see something interesting everywhere. I look at the buses and motorbikes and I see something modern and beautiful and I have to draw it.” JK describes his second solo exhibition – Happy Blue, which runs at the Goja Café until the end of the month – as a “visual diary”. “Happy Blue is about the mixture of happiness and sadness,” he says. “You can see some black that shows my sadness but then there are many bright colours. This shows how I feel, there is some darkness but in the end something can be colourful and funny. “Good work should speak for itself. I don’t like to put descriptions under my art. I want someone to look at it and bangkok101.com
make their own decision. I don’t want to direct what they think.” Freedom of expression and interpretation remain a constant in JK’s art, his unassuming yet bold illustrations create a feeling of originality and the message that one shouldn’t hold back when they have a vision. JK has stayed true to his form of art, unafraid of judgement or criticism and remaining sure of himself. It is this confidence that he wants to pass on to the young art community trying to find their voice. “I want to inspire the younger members of the art world to express themselves and to become a part of a new culture,” he says. “I’m sad to see some of my pieces go, because they can be very personal to me. But I want the people who love my art to look at it and get inspiration.” For JK, the reason for his art is simple, and he embraces one straightforward principle: “Life is short. You need to live as happily as you can.”
happy blue until july 27 goja gallery cafe
[MAP 8/t18]
Sukhumvit 71, 5/2 Soi Pridi Banomyong3 | 0858-487-576 facebook.com/gojaphrakanong | Noon-9pm, closed Tuesdays
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cheat notes
mastering muay thai Joe E Harvey | B796
As the numbers of foreign pugilists flocking to kickboxer training schools across the Kingdom suggests, Muay Thai is one of the world’s fastest growing martial arts. And behind every sporting phenomenon, a glut of how-to-master manuals always follows. With over 200 colour photographs, diagrams and easy-to-follow, detailed breakdowns of all the basic movements, strikes, defences and intricate combinations, this chunky effort will have you thinking you’re the next Tony Jaa in no time. One caveat, though: if you’re looking to learn about the sport’s history, rituals and notions of honour, as well as its techniques, look elsewhere – there is no mention of the strangely hypnotic wai kruu ceremony that precedes fights. An excellent illustrative book, then, about muay thai: the speed, strength and cardio-vascular improving sport – not muay thai: the ancient artform.
navigating the bangkok noir Chris Coles | B500
Love it or loathe it, Bangkok’s notorious nightlife industry is infamous around the world. It is into this netherworld that American artist and filmmaker Chris Coles explores. Using an exaggerated cinematic approach, Coles uses expressioniststyle watercolour paintings to portray the City of Angel’s vibrant yet upsetting nightlife, using thick bold lines and clashes of colour to blur the lines between real emotion and performance art. One question continually arises: what’s really behind those smiles? Unlike the exhibition that accompanied this work, the book answers that question with clarity as Coles provides background stories and anecdotes about his subjects. Neither callous nor demanding sympathy, this book allows you to navigate one man’s ambivalence to the self-proclaimed ‘Land of Smiles’.
ART & C u lt u r e
THAILAND AND WORLD WAR II Direk Jayanama | B995
Though its role was peripheral, and it never wanted to get involved, having declared a position of neutrality early on, Thailand didn’t emerge unscathed from WWII. Not only did it have to cede some of its sovereignty to the Japanese, after its warships landed here on December 8, 1941, its image was also tainted by its declaration of war against the Allied powers. Why it did so and the answers to many, many more wartime geopolitical questions (including why it tried to join the Axis powers) are buried deep within these detailed memoirs by then Thai Foreign Minister, Direk Jayanama. Written in 1966, the master diplomat’s diary-based account also spans his involvement in the Free Thai Movement and the post-war years, most intriguingly Thailand’s entry to the United Nations. A tough read? In parts. An important one? Undoubtedly.
King of the White Elephant (Phra Jao Chang Pheuk) Pridi Banomyong | 1941 A thinly veiled message to Western powers before the advent of World War II, this English-language B&W addresses the age-old Thai-Burmese conflict, with a different bent. It it posits a benevolent and progressive Thai king who grapples with a Burmese invasion and larger philosophical questions. Its director, brilliant statesman Pridi Banomyong, was the father of Thailand’s WWII resistance to the Japanese and to its transition toward democratic governance, but was forced into fleeing the country after being accused of Communist, anti-royalist conspiracy. The movie is occasionally quaint and hammy but is nevertheless important. bangkok101.com
J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 5 5
art & culture photo feature
TRUTH WITHIN THE
EVERYDAY
After many years travelling throughout Thailand, Prapas Krongboon has built a portfolio of quietly observed images of the Kingdom and its people.
photos by prapas krongboon words by tom sturrock
A
s a young man, photographer Prapas Krongboon was first drawn to photography by movie posters and portraiture in magazines. In the years since, Prapas has developed his own low-fi style, travelling around Thailand to capture glimpses of life in the Kingdom. “I started taking photos without any specific themes or techniques,” he explains. “I just grabbed my camera and took shots of everything that drew my attention. They’re mostly pictures of everyday life and portraits of people.” An exhibition of Prapas’s work, Homegrown, runs until the end of July at Serindia Gallery. Prapas’s images aren’t bound by any overarching theme but there is a stylistic watermark to his work and the way he observes his subjects, anchored in their surroundings. “When I was a photography student, I thought I’d like to be a fashion photographer or a documentary photographer,” he says. “But, at some point, I realised that to become a photographer does not mean you have to limit your photos with any boundaries. “I don’t think it is necessary to define the type of my photographs because I am not a photojournalist nor a fashion photographer but I am an artist. I considered my works as pieces of art and everything in this world could be captured. “Many people usually expect my works to have a street life theme because they always see this distinctive style in the media but, in fact, I take photos of everything.” 59 | xxx 2013
Prapas also develops his own images – it is part of the old-school, handmade aesthetic that comes through in his photographs. “Developing the films is another fun and favourite process,” he says. “I think the photos that we get from a normal camera are straightforward. You can’t set any preferences – all you have to do is just balance the frame and click the shot.”
Homegrown runs at Serindia Gallery (OP Garden, Soi Charoen Krung 36; 02-238-6410; serindiagallery.com) until July 31.
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spare ribs with sugar snap peas xuan mai p71 6 4 | M AY 2 0 1 3
bangkok101.com
AROy new chef at park society
Sofitel So Bangkok has appointed Angela Brown as the new chef de cuisine at the hotel’s signature Park Society restaurant (2 North Sathorn Rd; 02-6240000; sofitel-so-bangkok.com). She has previously worked at the Sofitel St James in London and was junior sous chef at Room 81 at Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach in Australia. Chef Angela brings a decade of experience in the kitchen to Park Society, spanning multiple disciplines from fine dining to a la carte, degustations, pastry, outside catering and competitions.
kittichai book earns plaudits
Chef Pongtawat ‘Ian’ Kittichai became Thailand’s first celebrity chef and his bulging portfolio of restaurants sure keeps him busy. Well, he can now add a critically acclaimed cookbook to his list of achievements. His Issaya Siamese Club Cookbook: Innovative Thai Cuisine claimed third place in the Best Cookbook of the Year category at the prestigious Gourmand Awards. And a shout-out has to go to our editor-at-large Joe Cummings, who took care of the text for the book.
build your own burger
Diners at The Kitchen Table (W Hotel Bangkok, 106 Sathon Nuea Rd; 02-3444210; whotelbangkok.com) can now get creative by designing their own burger. There’s a list of ingredients to select from, running the full gamut. Pick your bun then your meat patty or vegetarian base. There’s grain-fed Australian beef, tandoor-roasted, marinated chicken breast, lamb and rosemary, minced pork, grilled portobello mushroom or vegetable and potato burgers. Then go nuts on the toppings. How about marinated artichoke and Thai peanut sauce?
new places still cropping up
Despite the unpredictable nature of Thailand’s situation, there are, judging by a bunch of new openings, plenty of restaurateurs who are apparently unfazed. And much of it seems to be happening around Silom and Sathorn. Check out Maison Blanche, a new French bistro with a touch of Asian fusion on Naradhiwas Soi 2. Also, Rocket’s popularity on Sathorn Soi 12 has apparently ignited interest in that soi, with Kai by Snapper and The Hutong Special Bicycle Club about to open along the same strip. Stay tuned for reviews.
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APRIL 2013 | 65
FOOD & DRIN K
meal deals
SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR MEAT LOVER AT LUCE EASTIN GRAND SATHORN BANGKOK 33/1 South Sathorn Rd | 02-210-8100 | eastingrandsathorn.com From this month until the end of August, Luce invites you to chow down on some of their most innovative meat menus. Chef Eduardo and his team will be offering such dishes as Marremanastyle oxtail stew with tomato sauce and pan-seared rump fillet medallions with sautéed mushrooms. Each special item starts at only B280.
TRUFFLE PARADISE AT PARK SOCIETY SOFITEL SO BANGKOK 2 North Sathorn Road | 02-624-0000 | sofitel.com A five-course set menu, using the finest of truffles from around the world, is offered at Park Society this month. Diners can expect aromatic and savoury items on the menu such as confit duck ravioli with truffle-infused pasta and foam, pan-seared scallop in shell, glazed lobster and brunoise vegetables, summer truffle and gazpacho foam. The price starts at B3999 per person.
SPANISH FESTIVAL AT CREPES & CO. CREPES & CO. 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1 | 02-652-0208 | crepesnco.com Until the end of this month, Crepes & Co. is celebrating a Spanish festival with a variety of tapas platters, offered at B395 and the popular Paella Valenciana at B490 per person. Tapas are also available a la carte such as Croquetas (B185) and Albondigas (B195). If you have a sweet tooth, try the crepe coco al ron with sautéed coconuts and raisins.
WINGS AND RIBS PROMOTION AT CHILI HIP CENTARA WATERGATE PAVILLION HOTEL 567 Ratchaprarop Rd | 02-625-1234 | centarahotelsresorts.com Craving wings and ribs? Starting at only B180, your cravings can be sated. Come on up to the rooftop of Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok from 5pm-11pm and enjoy some braised lamb ribs in Massaman curry with potatoes and pineapple or stir-fried chicken wings with soya sauce, garlic and Chinese wine sauce along with a beautiful rooftop view.
LUNCH TIME AT TABLES GRAND HYATT ERAWAN 494 Ratchadamri Rd | 02-254-1234 | bangkok.grand.hyatt.com Tables invites you to lunch with four mouth-watering courses prepared tableside at B1800 per person. For starters, there’s Scottish smoked salmon and Boston lobster bisque, before mains such as steak au Poivre or flamed king prawns pernod, bell peppers and zucchini. Sweeten your lunch with cherry jubilee, crème brulee and chocolate souffle.
SEAFOOD BRUNCH BY THE RIVER OF KINGS ROYAL ORCHID SHERATON HOTEL & TOWERS 2 Charoen Krung Soi 30 | 02-266-0123 | royalorchidsheraton.com The new Sunday brunch is launched at Feast and the selection of seafood covers a range of cuisines including Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian and French. Dishes are made to order in separate food stations to ensure perfection. The price is at B1780 with free flow fruit juices or B2580 with free flow fruit juices, wine and beers.
6 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
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review
FOOD & DRIN K
dallas steakhouse
- A memorable meat fix Steakhouses are so ubiqituous and generally straightforward that it’s easy to forget how enjoyable they can be when done well. This particular steakhouse, located on Sukhumvit between sois 31 and 33, certainly delivers on the food. Frankly, the lowkey interior, decked out with big TVs and theme restaurant trimmings doesn’t quite do it justice; this decor belongs in a place where the food isn’t quite as good. But if diners can look past that, there’s definitely a satisfying fix to be enjoyed here. And it’s not just piles of red meat on offer. Instead, start with a serve of parma ham and melon (B450), a combination of quality produce and lighter flavours. There’s a touch of finesse here that is again on show with the rocket salad (B310), served with shaved parmesan and a balsamic dressing. For those willing to get their hands dirty, the roasted New Zealand mussels, bathed in a white wine cream, are hard to overlook, the natural seafood taste offset delicately by the richer sauce. This is good stuff, executed with some panache that – at the risk of labouring the point – would not be out of place in more upscale surroundings. Less impressive is the penne with prawn capsicum sauce bangkok101.com
(B260), which doesn’t quite work hard enough to deliver the required oomph of a proper pasta sauce. But the meat is the main event and it all comes together in impressive fashion. The BBQ pork ribs (B790) are perfect, served up in an imposing rack that comes apart easily for a rewarding feeding frenzy. That’s the ultimate appeal of ribs and it’s a box that’s compherensively ticked here. For diners less keen on getting marinade on their faces – or maybe it’s just us – the T-bone steak (B765) offers a more demure option. The side of vegetables could use a little more jazzing up but the steak is well-cooked and nicely seasoned. More exciting still is the sizzling plate of Wagyu beef (B450, main image) served with grilled vegetables in a garlic and mushroom sauce. This is honest, meaty fare done exceedingly well. It sounds like a simple formula but it’s not always implemented properly. Definitely worth checking out if you’re craving red meat. BY TOM STURROCK
dallas steakhouse
[MAP 3/l10]
575-579 Sukhumvit | 02-662-3838 dallassteakhousebangkok.com | 2pm-midnight
J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 6 7
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review
sheepshank - Riverside variety A former boat repair shop on the Chao Phraya River next to Phra Athit Pier makes a unique and charming setting for the latest culinary enterprise from chef Somkiat ‘Joke’ Pairojmahakij, whose low-key Seven Spoons became a Dusit neighbourhood hit. The boatyard’s industrial look has been maintained, with the original ropes and wooden pulleys still hanging from the double-height ceilings. Floor-to-ceiling windows afford pleasing views of river life and majestic Rama VIII Bridge. A small outside veranda offers a more unimpeded view, as well as accommodating smokers. A chalkboard announces the nightly specials while a one-page table menu keeps the decision-making pleasantly minimal. A well-stocked bar to one side serves classic and bespoke cocktails, craft beers and wine by the glass or bottle. The focus here is on fresh, organic, fair-trade ingredients sourced locally, for the most part. Joke calls the menu ‘new American’, with an emphasis on hearty flavours, grilled meats and seafood. Portions are ample and well-plated, and served with artisan breads baked on the premises. Among the appetisers are succulent meatballs with caramelised onions and wild berry jam (B220), squid and chorizo skewers with chipotle aioli (B220) and grilled vegetable salad with goats cheese (B220) and paneer and peaches dusted with dukkah (a blend of peanuts, sesame, coriander seed, black pepper, salt and dried coconut). 6 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
The Moroccan theme continues with a savoury vegetable tagine with almonds, chickpeas and couscous (B280). Other one-dish items on the menu include conchiglie pasta with hand-caught crab and lobster oil (B280) and mushroom risotto with Lao pinenuts (B280). The sizzling razor clams with pancetta and fennel butter sauce (B320) is the best version of this dish we’ve ever tasted, with Joe Sloan organic sausages with mashed blue cheese potatoes (B320) a close second. We were happy following Chef Joke’s recommendation to order lamb roasted with rosemary and juniper and served with caramelised persimmons (B1150), a signature main for the eatery and a recommendation well worth passing on. Finish off with a simple round of homemade sorbets and ice cream – if you still have room. BY JOE CUMMINGS
sheepshank
[MAP 8/c10]
47 Phra Arthit Rd | 02-629-5165 sheepshankpublichouse.com | Tues-Sun 6pm-midnight
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review
LIU - Deliciously authentic There’s a fine line between striking the right notes when it comes to authenticity and tradition, and becoming anchored entirely in the past. Liu at Conrad, though, manages to find this balance perfectly, delivering all the low-lit, understated grandeur of Cantonese fine dining while moving forward and executing food full of contemporary deliciousness. The dim sum selection is likely to be familiar enough for fans of this kind of food. The abalone sui mai (B110) has a richness of flavour shot through with a silky texture while the har gao with scallop (B110) has that inimitable seafood taste, isolated early on but then offset with a combination that demands to be savoured. This is followed by rice flour rolls filled with crab sticks (B130), which are light without feeling insubstantial. The crab meat, an important staple of Cantonese cuisine, is excellent, subtle but still a taste that lingers on the tongue. It’s less identifiable when added to a spinach soup (B250) but still works well as the second layer of flavour. The dim sum rounds out with the lava green tea bun (B90), a fluffy exterior that releases a surprising, bittersweet sauce. On the a la carte menu, the raw salmon rolls with cucumber and shrimp roe (B260) feel like informal sharing food but there is a far more delicately balanced flavour. But it’s not necessary to deconstruct it that far – the simple pleasure of good salmon is there to behold. 7 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
Even then, there’s a step up to some of the bigger mains. Pork spare ribs (B300) might not be immediately associated with Cantonese food but they’re served up here with a fingerlicking lack of self-consciousness and a black vinegar sauce that offers explosive, lip-smacking flavour. This is a cracking dish – combining the immediate pleasure of demolishing a plate of ribs with more intriguing seasonings than you’ll find at a steakhouse. The same goes for the stewed pork belly (B320) which comes bathed in a dark soy goodness and garnished with baby bokchoy. Fat is well and truly flavour in this case and you’ll be mopping up the sauce with the steamed buns that come suspended above the dish. It’s hard to recall an upscale Cantonese place that manages to be as satisfying at Liu. BY TOM STURROCK
liu
[MAP 4/l6]
3F Conrad Bangkok, 87 Wireless Rd | 02-690-9999 conradhotels3.hilton.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm
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review
FOOD & DRIN K
XUAN MAI
- Exceptional homemade Vietnamese Vietnamese cuisine doesn’t get much chance to shine in this town – the farangs are enamored with the local cuisine while the cosmopolitan young Thais have their own love affair with Japanese food. Maybe Vietnamese food is considered too close to Thai food without the same punchiness. Whatever the reason, it’s a real pity because the excellent Xuan Mai proves that Vietnamese cuisine deserves to be considered well and truly on its own merits. There’s some overlap with Thai food in terms of ingredients and flavours but the exquisite combinations at this much-loved Thong Lor shophouse are more subtle and yet more complex than at many Thai places. So while it may be a useful reference point, it’s probably a mistake to labour the common ground between Thai and Vietnamese food. Some of the appetisers will be familiar to those who have explored Vietnamese food before. The bun cha (B350), for example, are imperial rolls with barbecued pork served Hanoi-style. These pop up at most Vietnamese places but are elevated here by the gossamer thinness of the rolls and aromatic herbal sides that get bundled in with the pork. Equally, the banh xeo (B250), a turmeric and shrimp crepe, bangkok101.com
manages to be delicate and entirely unpretentious at the same time. And if Vietnam has a national dish, it’s probably pho. Of the varieties on offer at Xuan Mai, the pho bo (B150), with beef noodles in the northern style, is the most prominent internationally. Here, there is a rich, refined broth, with an intoxicating herbal perfume. Again, an apparently simple dish is elevated with an inspired, authentic flourish. The salads are another treasure trove in their own right. Try the honeysuckle flower salad with shrimp and barbecued pork (B200) – one of the owner’s original creations that you’re unlikely to find in standard Vietnamese places. Among the mains, the spare ribs (B300) fall off the bone on to a bed of sugar snap peas (B300), while the grilled riverfish (B350) has a zingy seasoning that subsides into a herbal offset. If you’re not already convinced by this roll call of deliciousness, finish with the spectacular passionfruit creme brulee (B200). A Thong Lor stand-out. BY TOM STURROCK
xuan mai
[MAP 3/q5]
351/3 Thong Lor | 02-185-2619 xuanmairestaurant.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30
J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 7 1
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review
red sky - Skylines and sumptuousness At many of Bangkok’s rooftop restaurants, the food and drink can be overshadowed by the sweeping views of the city skyline. And, while Red Sky at the Centara Grand in central Bangkok certainly has the vistas to match any locale in the capital, it also makes sure it delivers when it comes to the food. Easily identified by its trademark neon arch that bestrides the open-air dining area, Red Sky’s offerings are mainly modern European staples, employing refined produce and fine dining technique. First, though, head up another level for a pre-dinner cocktail. The selection here veers a little too heavily toward sweet and fruity but there are still some intriguing, wellexecuted combinations. Try, for example, the Elderflower Martini (B430), which is served in a glass made of ice. Or the Ginger Berry (B390), which blends premium vodka, strawberries, raspberry puree, ginger and mint. After wetting your whistle, head downstairs to the restaurant – if the weather behaves itself, the terrace is spectacular. Start with the butter-roasted Nova Scotia lobster vol au vent (B895, right); the puff pastry is soaked in a sauce that has notes of morel, while the lobster glows with colour and retains its crucial seafood taste. Speaking of seafood, Red Sky has managed to get hold of some exceptional oysters. Here, you can enjoy half-adozen Tsarskaya oysters for B895. The Russian name means ‘pearl of the tsars’ and the product lives up to the billing; it’s 7 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
a wonder that these oysters don’t show up on more menus throughout Bangkok. Moving on to the mains, the charred fillet of Atlantic salmon (B1055) comes with ginger beurre, spinach puree and Jerusalem artichokes. The appeal of this dish is two-fold: the salmon itself is of sufficient quality to stand on its own but, as a whole, the dish is heightened by the offsets. The subtle seafood taste, the zing of the ginger and the earthiness of artichoke. Interesting, well-balanced: excellent. For meatier fare, it’s hard to overlook the Wagyu beef tenderloin (B2155), with foie gras, truffles, wild mushrooms and Madeira sauce. Again, the main produce – the steak, in this case – is top-shelf already but it’s the distinct Madeira sauce that really carries this dish. A perfect example of Red Sky’s well-rounded approach. BY TOM STURROCK
red sky
[MAP 4/f3]
55F Centara Grand at Central World, Rama 1 Rd 02-100-6255 | centarahotelsresorts.com/redsky | 6pm-1am
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review
the local
- Brilliant place, gorgeous food Bangkok is full of restaurants that advertise their sophistication via glittering fit-outs. The logic, supposedly, is that if the shell shines brightly enough, people will be convinced that there’s a glorious pearl inside. That’s all well and good but few of these places succeed as spectacularly as The Local, which encouragingly goes for authenticity over glamour and still ends up with one of the most attractive premises in the capital. It’s a gorgeous old Thai house, split into a couple of buildings. Within, there are several private rooms as well as a collection of old Thai cookbooks and a small museum. It’s impossible not to be charmed by the whole set-up and the willingness to diverge from the template for Thai restaurants. That said, it’s still about the food and, judging by the booming Thai clientele, The Local is doing a lot of things right. Thai food has undergone a revolution in recent years with a growing embrace of modern techniques and innovative combinations. However, at The Local, there is a salient reminder of what makes Thai food so satifying, even when unreconstructed. The starters set the bar high – a combination of five comes for B250. Chicken in pandan leaves are on the menu at pretty 74 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
much every place but the flavours here are particularly refined, with a delicious smokey edge. There’s great value on offer when it comes to the mains. Try the salad with sueda leaves, chicken and coconut cream (B280) for a lighter option, delivered here with sweeter notes offset by the more explosive Thai flavours. The stir-fried beef with cumin leaves (B280) is similarly bold, but with more bitter tones ramped up. But the real highlight may be the homemade yellow curry with fish and orange leaves (B250). Much of the menu at The Local is familiar – that’s not a criticism – but this dish shows they can also produce more surprising signatures. The addition of orange leaves works brilliantly and introduces an underused flavour. For anyone who loves Thai food and wants something between street food and the most high-end places, The Local is likely to become a favourite. BY TOM STURROCK
the local
[MAP 3/j8]
32-32/1 Sukumvit 23 | 02-664-0664 thelocalthaicuisine.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-11.30pm
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all you can eat
FOOD & DRIN K
Twenty-Seven Bites
A newcomer among Bangkok’s hotel buffets, Radisson Blu Plaza’s Twenty-Seven Bites is hoping to strike big with its ambitious array of international fare, with lunch (B790) and dinner (B1,190) catered by attentive staff amid warm, stylish interiors. Dinner comes with free-flow local beer and good house wine, while the widely spaced tables make it equally ideal for business meetings, romance and some quality lingering. First up, the salad station showcases Western combinations with an Asian twist. Kick-start your appetite with a refreshing blend of smoked salmon tossed with frisée, watercress, pomelo and lime. Citrusy tang and delicate textures complement rather than overwhelm dices of fresh salmon, while the bursts of pomelo add an extra oomph. Expect an all-encompassing menu. Asian favourites range from Japanese sushi, Chinese noodles and dim sum to Indian curries, with each cuisine occupying its own station. Seafood lovers can enjoy a good selection of fresh prawns, crabs and other shellfish. Staple Thai dishes are presented in clay pots and include basics like red curry and fried sea bass. The buffet’s strength, however, lies in its meat station, which boasts a choice of cooked-to-order beef, pork and lamb. A highlight is the freshly carved, medium-cooked prime rib roast. Crusty on the outside, tender and flavourful on the inside, and served au jus. Nearby are the lighter but equally satisfying options like the tender fish fillet with garlic sauce. bangkok101.com
Alternatively, the turkey medallions come on a bed of mashed potatoes and are sprinkled with cranberries, roasted garlic and baby shallots. Rounding off the evening are the generous dessert offerings, from Western classics like apple crumbles and raspberry financiers to ice creams with your choice of toppings. Our favourites were the mild but pleasantly addictive blueberry jelly and the much more intense lemon mousse. Twenty-Seven Bites is a pleasant experience at a fairly good value for money, and with its convenient location is a good place to duck in for an hour or three. BY URASA POR BURAPACHEEP
Twenty-Seven Bites
[MAP 8/O15]
489 Sukhumvit | 02-302-3333 radissonblu.com | 6.30am-10.30pm
J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 7 5
FOOD & DRIN K
in the kitchen
luca appino talks to Howard Richardson
The lunching ladies are gathered already as chef Luca Appino slips a black jacket over his T-shirt. He zips around, fussing with the small details that make a successful restaurant tick, before calling me towards the kitchen. He’s going to show me the ropes for cooking spaghetti vongole. Home-baked breads and coils of pasta are visible through the display window. Inside, the kitchen is a tiny square room, where half a dozen workers hunch over the island counter, scrubbing surfaces, peeling and chopping vegetables, prepping a rabbit. The stoves are on; it’s fiery hot. Luca splashes extra virgin olive oil into a deep-sided frying pan and batters three cloves of garlic with the heel of his hand to release the juice. He tosses them in whole and spins around for 30 seconds before discarding: “For Thai diners I would use crushed garlic. They prefer it.” The pasta, which is cooking in a sieve-style pan, is running ahead of time, so the chef lifts it out and puts it in iced water to arrest the cooking process. To the olive oil, he adds a clutch of large clams, shells open, and after cooking for a couple of minutes adds white wine, a touch of pepper and a pinch of sugar. “The wine is a little acidic,” he says. “There’s no salt, because the clams release their own.” He then pours in a little prawn stock and rattles the pan around. The clams clink on metal like the beat of Latin 7 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
percussion. Next, the pasta, now back on the heat, goes into the pan with some of the water it was cooked in. “The water is full of starch,” Luca says. “That makes the cream of the pasta”. He stirs and tosses several times, then tops off with chopped fresh basil and a swirl of olive oil. Back in the cool air of the restaurant, there’s a lot of natural wood and plants, and on the counter a display of salads and cold meats, old shop scales and a meat slicer. There are bottles of wine and grappas everywhere. Mounted on the wall a sculpture of shiny, crushed-tin kitchen utensils creates a counterpoint to several colourful paintings. Out on the terrace, where the vongole is beautifully presented – the flesh of the clams on the spaghetti; the creamy, moist spaghetti on a bed of silvery clam shells. Each has a small pool of sauce against its mother of pearl surface. The taste of sweet shellfish and shrimp stock comes first, followed by little stabs of basil. Then the flavour and aroma of the sea lifts from the mouth to the back of the nose, as if you’re suddenly walking on a beach. It makes a perfect lunchtime break from Bangkok’s urban sprawl.
la bottega di luca
[MAP 3/P8]
49 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 02-204-1731 | labottega.name 5.30pm-midnight, Tues-Sun 11.30am-2.30pm
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street eats
ealtike
Nym
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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
Yaowarach (chinatown)
aowarach or Chinatown is one of my favourite places in Bangkok, although it may soon be eliminated by a new subway station. In the backtreets of Chinatown, you’ll find the Charoenchai community – also known as Trok Mai Phai or bamboo. The name comes from the shape of the long, narrow road that cuts straight through. It is well-known for selling Chinese origami paper, which is folded into different shapes for Thai-Chinese to use in various ceremonies when paying respect to their ancestors and Gods. On both sides of the road, ancient shop houses are filled with this colourful paper that brightens the scene. Halfway down, there is a small museum called Baan Kao Lao Rueng – or ‘Story Telling Home’. Locals have maintained the original architecture and display old brica-brac that illustrates the way they once lived. Food is taken seriously in this old community – after all, the vendors have spent their whole lives in the neighbourhood. They now have to squeeze themselves behind construction fences to set up their stalls but if you look for the ‘Soi Charoenkrung 23’ sign, you’ll find a parade of food that locals love. I always grab a stool and mingle with the locals. My favourites here are the Chinese springroll (po pia sod)
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FOOD & DRIN K
with sweet tamarind gravy on top, and the steamed flat noodles with black seiw sauce (kouy tiew lord). Or try the fish stomach in gravy with young bamboo shoots (kra proa pla). I often eat backwards here, starting with the paeng tod – a fried pancake dessert – while waiting for the savoury dishes to arrive on the table. The pancake comes stuffed with beans or taro. They’ve been fried slowly on a flat, open pan, ensuring they’re crispy on the outside and tenderly sweet in the inside. Who needs a new subway station? This is civilised enough for me.
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listings Chili Hip [MAP 8/l12]
Blue Elephant
thai blue elephant Restaurant and Cooking School [MAP 5/d7] 233 South Sathorn Rd | 02-673-9353 ext 8 blueelephant.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm The Blue Elephant brand has been wildly successful since it was first established in 1980, introducing Thai food to the world through restaurants dotted all over the place, including those in London, Paris and Dubai. And, of course, there’s one in Bangkok, just under Surasak BTS in a gorgeous oldfashioned Thai building. When you take in the traditional interior, it’s no surprise that Blue Elephant’s food is most confidently presented when they are hewing toward cuisine that, as categorised on their menu, derives from “Thai cooking of the past”. The massaman lamb (B580) is immaculately presented with a sweet, fragrant sauce, while the tom jiew kai (B240) has all the restorative powers of chicken soup, with a delciously peppery aftertaste added for good measure. However, Blue Elephant is not content to let the grass grow under them and that’s why there is also a section of the menu for Thai food “of today” and “of tomorrow”.
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Centara Watergate Pavilion Hotel, 567 Ratchaprop Rd | 02-625-1234 centarahotelsresorts.com | 5pm-11pm daily Chili Hip enjoys wide, unobstructed views from its perch over Pratunam, and the menu consists mostly of authentic Thai and Asian flavours. There is almost no covered seating, so bear that in mind when the rains come. The restaurant does offer one private, fourseat, air-conditioned room enclosed in glass walls, perfect for a small party. Menu standouts include the spicy salmon tartar with fried sticky rice (B260). The fish is prepared with just the right mix of lime, chili, mint and coriander, while the sticky rice adds a nice texture. The hot kimchi and tofu soup is another notable choice, not too spicy but with a deliciously sour broth. The steamed seabass fillet with coconut likewise draws high praise, recalling a good tom kha soup, only with less liquid. Sticky rice cakes again provide a nice substitute to a side plate of rice. But the best dish, in our opinion, is the duck-stuffed ravioli with red curry sauce, a selection that should be ordered “extra spicy”.
Jim Thompson House and Museum [MAP 4/A3] 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Rd | 02-612-3601 jimthompson.com | Noon-5pm, 7pm-11pm Pity the hungry tourist who arrives at the Jim Thompson house hoping for authentic Thai food. Or so you would think – believe it or not, our number two tourist attraction is home to a restaurant that pairs a sumptuous, silk-and-fabric strewn setting with some surprisingly unusual Thai food. Add drinkable white or red house wine at B200 a glass, and
Paste
a daily 4.30-7.30pm happy hour (buy one get one on house wine and draught beer) and there’s absolutely no reason to be sniffy about the place. There are typical Thai dishes, yes, but there are also lots that aren’t. For a new taste sensation try the intensely spiced sang wah goong kub pla duke foo, also known as oldfashioned grilled prawn salad with traditional herbs, fresh vegetables and crispy catfish. Not only is this dish served in an intricately carved pumpkin, but each and every condiment is prepared with an artistic flair that does late silk tycoon Jim Thompson’s artistic legacy proud.
PASTE [MAP 3/P6] 120/6 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 02-392-4313 pastebangkok.com | Tues-Sun noon-2.30pm, 6pm-late It’s possible for passersby to miss this new addition to Bangkok’s cosmopolitan dining scene, 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
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listings Rock
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.
Rock Restaurant and Bar [MAP 8/l7]
7/1 Soi Chumnanaaksorn, Phanonyothin Soi 9 | 0826-888-200 | Facebook: RockRestaurant-and-Bar | Mon-Sat 5.30pmmidnight Occupying a converted two-storey house tucked away at the end of a quiet soi within walking distance of BTS Ari, Rock takes its name from the restaurant’s main interior motif: large, natural boulders that have been carefully sculpted and polished to support glass tabletops. Track-lit, dark-hued walls define the
urban-casual cocktail lounge ambience. It almost comes as a surprise to find that this inviting lounge-like space also boasts such a talented kitchen team. Under the creative direction of female chef Nhoi Ouypornchaisakul, who has a strong interest in healthy, organic ingredients, the kitchen fashions dishes originating primarily from Thailand, Myanmar and Yunnan. Here they’ve been reformed and re-booted in a way Thai politics can only dream about. Particularly impressive are the appetisers, which come in three sizes and three prices to match appetite and pocketbook. The Crab cream cheese wafers are crispy crepe-like shells of Thai khanom buang with fresh blue crab, cream cheese, green onion and a light sweet-and-sour sauce.
CHINESE
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Shang Palace
your friends fighting each other for control of the Lazy Susan. As delicious as the dim sum is, it’s the main courses where Chef Chu really fires – everyone is familiar with spring rolls, but the ones at Imperial China, made with snowfish and avocado, (B750) are unlike any you’ve had previously, the ingredients off-setting each other perfectly and the texture of the pastry exquisite.
shang palace [MAP 8/f17]
IMPERIAL CHINA [MAP 3/M11] Imperial Queens Park Hotel, 199 Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-261-9000 | imperialhotels.com/ imperialqueenspark | 7am-10pm You might think you have a pretty firm idea about Chinese food – after all, it’s one of the most widely available cuisines all around the world, and is everywhere in Bangkok. Still, if this city has one constant – apart from the traffic – it is surely it’s ability to surprise and the expertly prepared offerings at Imperial China might force you to rethink what you think you know about Chinese food. If you’re after a Cantonese feast, there’s plenty on offer – we’ll get to that – but if you fancy the lighter fare, then the dim sum is sensational; the light, bite-sized portions or ornate seafood and pork will have you and
3F Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Rd | 02-236-7777 | shangri-la.com 11am-3pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm The interior is flawlessly elegant and, even more importantly, the food is a glowing reminder of how Chinese food should be executed and presented. Throughout, the food is low on oil, delivering delicate flavours while still being immensely satisfying. The dim sum is the obvious place to start – the scallop siew mai (B120) and the deep-fried shrimp and sesame spring rolls (B90) offer both sweet and salty taste, the scallops deliciously tender while the spring rolls add some crunch. The crispy barbecue pork buns (B80) are also a winner, the pastry bursting coming apart to expose the grilled, saucy goodness.
49 Sukhumvit soi 49 - Terrace 49 Building 2nd floor - reservation +6622041731
LA
OTTEGA
private wine room - open lunch and dinner bangkok101.com
www.labottega.name
Photografy for La Bottega by Studio NUMA J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 7 9
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listings
Chez Pape
But the signature dish is undoubtedly the Beijing roast duck (B1900) that is enough to feed four people. First, the skin comes off and is served with thin pancakes, green onion and plum sauce. The duck meat is then taken away and minced or stir-fried before returning to the table, seasoned with pine nuts and egg yolk.
the mayflower [MAP 8/k16] Dusit Thani Bangkok, 946 Rama IV Rd 02-200-9000 | dusit.com | 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm At The Mayflower, the flagship Cantonese restaurant at the Dusit Thani Bangkok, authenticity is the name of the game and the results are delicious. You’ve probably seen the liquid-centred buns with salted egg in the centre in various places around Bangkok – even, gasp, in 7-11 and other convenience stores. Of course, there’s none of that at The Mayflower, their gourmet version making a perfect starter (fried or steamed for B150). The minced shrimp roll comes out wrapped in nori, and topped with ikura, which is salmon roe (B180). But it’s quickly overshadowed by the one-two punch of steamed snowfish with miso sauce (B180) and the crispy scallop, shrimp and crab roll wrapped in seaweed (B150).
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The popularity of snowfish seems to have skyrocketed in recent years and it is a natural fit for Asian flavours – it retains its light taste and texture while also offsetting more potent seasonings. The scallop, shrimp and crab, on the other hand, is an indulgence for seafood fans, three dishes using seriously high-end produce squeezed together.
FRENCH chez pape [MAP 3/f9] 1/28-29 Soi Sukhumvit 11 | 02-255-2492 chezpape.com | 5pm-11.30pm, Sat-Sun also 11.30am-2.30pm The menu brims with traditional French fare, an indulgent roll call of sauces and great bread, seafood and meat. Those in the mood for a proper French feast won’t be disappointed but that’s not to say Chez Pape feels routine. Rather, there are enough surprises to elevate Chez Pape’s food to something more impressive. Starting with the appetisers, there is a ceviche of barracuda in chilli and citrus (B160) or the tartare of avocado, crab and green apple (B200), both hitting the right notes: light, fresh, seafood flavours offset with the right amount of seasonings. But perhaps it’s in the more provincial dishes that Chez Pape declares its hand, offering a portmarinated foie gras terrine, served with toast and mango marmalade (B285). The early courses are certainly impressive enough to build expectation for the mains without being so concept-heavy that they create confusion. The pan-seared beef flank, an exquisite cut of meat, comes with goatcheese ravioli and virgin sauce (B450).
L’Appart
l’appart [MAP 3/g9] 32F Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit | 085-924-1565 | sofitel.com 7pm-midnight L’Appart, on the top floor of the Sofitel on Sukhumvit embraces the aesthetic of a Parisian apartment with such conviction that you could ride a bicycle, balancing a baguette on the handlebars, between some tables. 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).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 and the snow fish is never overwhelmed.
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listings Gaggan
EVE [MAP 4/g6] Hansar Hotel Bangkok, 3 Soi Mahatlek Luang 2, Ratchadamri Road | 02-209-1234 hansarbangkok.com | Mon-Sat 6pm-11.30pm Eve has gone through some line-up changes since opening at the trendy Hansar Hotel but its unstinting commitment to quality remains largely unchanged. Ostensibly, it’s French cuisine but that label is generously applied, with the menu borrowing bits and pieces from all over the places. If anything, the Frenchness of it refers to the rich flavours and fine produce. The Hokkaido scallops are exceptional (B650), served with a sea urchin panna cotta that comes together with a velvety texture that should be savoured with every mouthful. Even the French onion soup (B390), which probably doesn’t sound like anything remarkable, is elevated to new heights. The secret may be the gruyere crouton, which is heaven for anyone needing a cheese fix. Among the mains, the seafood saffron risotto (B550) is a real highlight, combining grilled scallops, tiger prawns, clams, mussels and squid ink, all seasoned with basil. For meatier fare, the Australian lamb (B110) comes with fava beans, garlic confit and eucalyptus jus, while the blackIberian pork chop (B110) comes with coco beans and piquillos pepper.
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. The reality is that, at Gaggan, flavours can be drawn from anywhere – as long as they work, there’s little formal structure about what’s allowed to go together. bangkok101.com
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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.
indus [MAP 3/p12] 71 Sukhumvit Soi 26 | 02-258-4900 indusbangkok.com | 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-11pm 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. 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. Among the curries, the old favourites are also the stand-outs. If there’s a signature dish, though, it’s the raan. It’s part of an inspired selection of kebabs and requires 24 hours’ advance notice.
MAYA [MAP 3/l10] 29F Holiday Inn Bangkok Sukhumvit 22 1 Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-683-4888 mayathailand.com | 5pm-1am The sparkly, expansive foyer fans out into an unusual L-shaped space, dining room in one direction, merging into a lounge bar in the other. In terms of the food, it’s modern or progressive Indian cuisine that contains more than a few surprises. First, though, the cocktails (all B295) – although the selection is a little bit on the sweet side, it’s clear that some real effort has gone into devising some interesting combinations with Indian twists. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 8 1
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listings
Rang Mahal
This willingness to experiment is also borne out in the food – try the murgh chandi kebab (B380), with chicken marinated in yoghurt, cardamom and mace before being finished with edible silver leaf. Or the raan e Maya (B900 for half a leg, B1600 for the whole), which takes a baby leg of lamb coated in rum and house marinade, slow-cooked in a tandoor oven. The seabass moilee (B550) is also impressive, the fish pan-seared in gingerinfused coconut milk. The tawe ki machli (B750) offers a striking seafood counterpoint, offsetting the mild flavours of a snow fish with south Indian tomato and black olive chutney.
rang mahal [MAP 3/k11] 26F Rembrandt Hotel, 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18 02-261-7100 | rembrandtbkk.com | 11.30am2.30pm, 6.30pm-11pm Among the appetisers, the papri chaat (B175) and Punjabi samosa (B190) are relatively straightforward but the well-judged lightness and the fact the doughiness is not overdone mean these bite-sized dishes whet the appetite. Proceedings go up a notch when the kebabs come out. The tandoori prawn (B295 per piece, main) is smoked to perfection in Indian spices, while the murgh malai (B425)
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combines chicken and cream cheese for an extra kick. The house specialty, though, is the raan-e-khyber (B950 for half, B1595 for whole) – a leg of lamb marinated in rum, herbs and spices before being barbecued. It’s an impressive dish, rustic in appearance but perfectly executed, the chunks of lamb peeling effortlessly from the bone, sweet and smokey at the same time. The curries are equally successful in delivering a heightened version of familiar dishes. The Goan fish curry (B495) combines a lightly sautéed fish seasoned with a fragrant mix of onions, garlic and spices, cooked in a sauce of tomatoes and coconut gravy, the flavours deftly balanced against each other. In the kashmiri rogan josh (B525, top left), the mutton is irresistibly tender, more casserole than curry.
INTERNATIONAL CREPES & Co. [Map 8/L14] 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, Ploenchit Road, (also 88 Thonglor Soi 8 and CentralWorld) | 02-6520208 | 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
Hugo 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. 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.
hugo [MAP 3/U6] 39 Ekamai Soi 12 | 02-713-1292 facebook.com/hugobarbkk | 11am-1am Western-style food is served up by Thai restaurateurs for a largely local clientele. It’s a gorgeous interior, the ubiquitous black wrought iron and dark wood finishes complemented by an interesting collection of arty bric-a-brac. The food is a mixed bag; a few of the more straightforward dishes are unlikely to set expat pulses racing but there are still a handful of more imaginative dishes that stand out. For example, the calamari fritti (B235) is just too basic for a place that can
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Moko afford to be more ambitious. The prawn mango and avocado salad (B265) is more like it, delivering a balance of tanginess and natural seafood flavour in each mouthful. There’s some complexity there without being over-the-top – this is what Hugo does well. Equally innovative is the cornflakes salmon (B465), which combines the Norwegian produce with a crispy cornflake crust, served on a bed of creamy leeks and a ratatouille taken from the Pixar movie of the same name. The desserts are top-notch. The red velvet lava (B295) is a lip-smacking pile of gooey sauce.
hyde & seek [MAP 4/L5] GF Athenee Residence, 65/1 Soi Ruamrudee 02-168-5152 | hydeandseek.com | 11am-1am Tucked into its dedicated space out the front of the Athenee Residence, Hyde & Seek has cultivated its own niche as a superior gastrobar that delivers on both its drinks and food. The cocktails, in particular, draw a varied after-work crowd to the stools that surround the chunky bar. And the drinks here are made with real flair. Try the Day Dreams, which combines Ketel One vodka, maraschino liqueur and water melon, with a fruity frozen crumble – or ‘snow’. Or the Naughty Little Girl, a mixture of Gordon’s gin, homemade wine, Grand Marnier, citrus and bitter orange. You’ll need an appetite for the mains, though, as they pack some punch. The Yankee beef burger (B395) combines a Wagyu patty, cheese, caramelised shallots and parmesan bun. It’s a seriously satisfying burger, the toppings never overshadoweing the quality of the cut. Equally indulgent is the pork belly (B395), lovingly braised for 12 hours so that it almost resembles a smoked ham. It comes topped with maple brine, creme fraiche and a confit of pears.
moko [MAP 5/g7] 71/2 Sathorn Soi 10 | 02-635-3673 facebook.com/MokoRestaurant web 8am-10.30pm, closed Tuesday As with many of the most interesting places that crop up in Sathorn – particularly when it comes to places that specialise in brunch or bangkok101.com
FOOD & DRIN K
all-day dining – Moko is driven by a French management team and, accordingly, there are plenty of French touches when it comes to the menu design and the produce used. First things first, though, proceedings begin with a well-executed Bloody Mary (B200), with just enough kick to clear out any Saturday morning cobwebs. The cocktail selection is limited but there are some intriguing concoctions – the Passion Martini with vodka, fresh passionfruit and mint is refreshing without veering too far toward sweet and syrupy. In terms of the food, the signature breakfast (B350) comes with eggs, bacon, sausage, fried potatoes and a baguette. On a smaller scale, there’s the eggs Benedict (B280) with salmon and Hollandaise sauce. Pivoting away from breakfast dishes toward the more lunch-focused parts of the menu, the Classica bruschetta (B250) comes piled high with jabugo ham, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, while the Malibu salad (B300) combines shrimps, mixed salad, shitaki mushrooms and boiled eggs.
Park Society [MAP 5/M7] Sofitel So Bangkok, 2 North Sathorn Rd 02-624-0000 | 5pm-1am (bar), 6pm-10pm (restaurant) A large walk-in kitchen as you enter has a generous chef’s table stacked with cured meats, where you can choose to dine. It leads to a curiously shaped dining space with those beautiful views through full wall windows. The walls themselves and ceiling are rhomboid mirrored panels reflecting Victorian style lamps, hexagonal marble dining tables and waiters in Christian Lacroix-designed, Thai-influenced uniforms, complete with cummerbunds, knee socks and traditional wide-thighed pantaloons. The whole has an almost art deco angularity, the effect pleasantly disorienting. The modern international menu changes daily according to available produce and starts with a mix of stalwart and exclusive items like oysters (six for B700), Hokkaido scallops (B900) and Aran Valley caviar (B4,999 for 30g). Mains are well presented, the off-kilter square plates adorned with smears and blobs of colourful purée are an arty backdrop for dishes like pigeon with gnocchi and baby vegetables (B1,400/half, B2,600/whole). The well-chosen wine list, with most bottles between B2000 and B4000, has 12 wines and four sparkling by the glass. To finish, there’s a choice of three desserts or cheese plates. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 8 3
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listings La Bottega di Luca [MAP 3/P8]
DiVino
ITALIAN divino [MAP 3/r6] Penny’s Balcony, Thong Lor Soi 16 02-714-8723 | divinobkk.com 5pm-midnight, Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm 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. 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). 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) 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 a bolshy Italian sauce.
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The 49 Terrace, Sukhumvit 49 | 02-204-1731 labottega.name | 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 and red wine sauce is a delight. 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.
JAPANESE kaguya [MAP 3/r6] The Third Place Building, 137 Thong Lor Soi 10 | 02-714-9974 | facebook.com/ kaguyagastrobar | 5.30pm-1am; Sat-Sun 11am-2pm It’s ostensibly Japanese – this has the advantage of focusing the menu, although
Kaguya
there are plenty of dishes that strain at the shackles of narrow ‘cuisine categorisation’. The drinks, first, are excellent – these guys take cocktails seriously. They’re innovative while keeping the most important principles in mind and there are some interesting results, delivering offset and balance in equal measure, served with a flair for presentation. The Way Of The Samurai (B280): Japanese single malt, yuzu and brown sugar served in a shaker to resemble an armoured samurai, topped with a ‘helmet’ of bitters that drips down during drinking. The food presents a more complex equation – the best dishes are also the most conceptually coherent. The sous vide ox tongue with yuzu (B260) is deliciously salty and the yuzu is the perfect twist, while the tuna tartare with homemade nori potato chips (B320) comes with a selection of side seasonings and is ideal for sharing.
ZIPANGU [MAP 3/h9] 28/2-3 Sukhumvit Soi 19 | 02-651-2180 facebook.com/TheZipangu | 6am-2am Among the highlights of the sake menu is the effervescent Mizubasho Pure (B2000, 360ml), a hybrid sake-champagne whose sales in Japan have surged since it was served at a dinner party hosted by the
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listings find fresh, flavoursome Mexican food, these tacos are the way forward. That’s not to undersell the quesadillas, of course (B150-245), but it’s probably the tacos and the burritos which are the staples that keep those with cravings for Mexican food filtering back to El Diablo’s.
Hamilton’s Japanese prime minister. Another sake, Time Machine Vintage (B2400/B300), features a lovely light amber glow and a sweet taste, while Tamagawa Gyoku-ryu Junmai-Daiginjo Yamahai (B3900/B850), fruity and full-bodied, is Zipangu’s most popular sake among Thai and Western customers. Tamagawa Junmai Yamahai non-filter Nama-Genshu (B2000/ B500), served hot, has a slightly higher alcohol content (20 percent) than the others. Zipangu’s other notable spirits include a delightful light citrus yuzu and a range of Japanese whiskeys. Food standouts – and there are many – include a fried Volcano Roll (B320) filled with salmon and cream cheese, and served with tartar sauce drizzled in soy. The Caesar salad roll (thick crispy bacon, crunchy croutons, romaine and Parmesan cheese, rolled inside soft edible rice paper, B290), likewise, had us nodding in admiration.
MEXICAN EL DIABLO’S [MAP 8/P17] 330 Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-663-8646 | TuesSun 11.30am-11pm Here, at El Diablo’s, the burritos are the stars of the show – quite simply, they’re enormous, ranging from B120 for the basic combination to B225 for the snazzier carne asada – or grilled beef. They make their own tortillas on the premises and while they are delightfully fresh, it’s the liberal servings of roasted salsa and pico de gallo that really deliver. If the burritos are too much for you to tackle, there’s plenty of smaller fare worth sampling. The tacos (B70-90) are particularly impressive. Again, the salsa and the toppings are light, refreshing, with just enough spice to blow out the cobwebs, while the varieties – chicken, pork, beef and chorizo – all retain enough of their distinct tastes that the different tacos never blur into a hotpotch of cheese and guacamole – although the guacamole here is also top-notch. It’s a winning combination – if you’ve struggled to bangkok101.com
FOOD & DRIN K
Prime
senor pico [MAP 3/k11] 1F Rembrandt Hotel 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18 02-261-7100 | facebook.com/Senorpicobkk 5pm-1am Anyone acquainted with real Mexican food, as opposed to the American versions usually seen around the world, may be stunned by the new menu. To start with, rather than defining Mexican cuisine by such fast-food items as tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos, the menu provides a broader, deeper glimpse into Mexican food. Nowhere else in town have we seen such dishes as aguachile de camarón (B395), a soupy concoction of prawns marinated in lime juice, olive oil and chile de arbol, common in Mexico but practically unknown beyond the country’s borders. House specialities include costillas de borrego (B695), chipotle-and-garlic-rubbed lamb cutlets, atun del diablo (B595), a seared tuna rubbed with Mexican spices served with avocado and mango salsa, and espetadas (B495), chargrilled Portugesestyle kebabs, a choice of tiger prawns, jalapeño and cilantro sausage, beef or chicken. Several dishes feature duck, which is popular in Mexico but rarely seen in American-style Mexican eateries. Higado de Pato (495B) is duck liver served with Mexican corncake, mango pico de gallo (fresh salsa) and a sauce of raspberry blended with chile ancho (dried Poblano chillies).
STEAKHOUSE 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 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.
prime [MAP 8/e16] Millennium Hilton Hotel, 123 Charoennakorn Rd | 02-442-2020 facebook.com/primesteakhouse.mhb 6pm-11pm Once upon a time, going to a steakhouse for dinner – even an upscale steakhouse – meant being confronted with an endless list of cuts of beef in different shapes and sizes and pedigrees. Although Prime still boasts an enviable selection of red meat, cooked on a woodfired grill that also allows them to infuse the meat with certain flavours, they’ve diversified impressively. There’s a signature Caesar salad (B450) prepared theatrically at the table, although the Waldorf salad (B450) looks more interesting. But it’s the seafood that makes Prime’s ambitions clear. From the caramelised Hokkaido scallops (B890) with celery variations, couscous and apple vinaigrette, to the wood-burned Japanese octopus (B790) with arugula and chickpeas, there’s a refinement of technique and willingness to embrace challenging combinations. It’s a welcome sophistication, befitting the sweeping views over the Chao Praya. As for the steaks, prices range from B1750 to B4350, all served suitably flame-grilled. There’s the option to add bone marrow, organic eggs or blue cheese, as well as some more exotic sauces, like bordelaise or pommery mustard. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 8 5
Ku De Ta
Nightlife big event at onyx
The newest arrival on RCA ramps things up this month. Onyx (RCA, Rama 9 Rd; 0816-451-166; facebook.com/onyxbkk) opened its doors fairly recently and will be hosting Taiwanese DJ Ellie on July 5. She’s one of the female turntable specialists who’s risen to fame and reshaped the club scene in Asia. And Onyx is an impressively upscale set-up, with a giant TV screen, glittering LED lighting and an innovative cocktail list. It’s a predominantly Thai clientele but that makes a nice change from the farang-centric hangouts.
the glow returns
Now that the curfew has been repealed, the international acts are returning to Bangkok thick and fast. And Glow Nightclub (Sukhumvit Soi 23; 086-6143355; glowbkk.com) stages Underground Circus on July 19, hosting DJs Sunju Hargun, Dan Buri Official and Boris Rubin. Doors open at 10pm and tickets are B350 but that includes a drink on arrival. It promises to be a perfect way to show your appreciation for Bangkok’s nightlife now that everyone’s allowed out in the wee hours again.
calling all clubbers
One of the biggest parties this month will be Dirty Dancing at Bangkok Convention Center (Central Plaza, 1695 Phaholyothin Rd; 02-262-3456; thaiticketmajor.com) on July 19. Tattoo Colour, Tata Young, Jetset’er and Gancore Club will all be playing so it’s likely to be an action-packed evening for clubbers. Even if you’re not in the habit of going out to these big parties, it’s worth checking them out at least once while in Bangkok because they are particularly energetic and a bit crazy.
kasidit rescheduled
Gene Kasidit brings a distinctive sound and style to Bangkok. Originally scheduled to appear this month, he will instead perform at ZEN Gallery @ CentralWorld (999/9 Rama 1 Rd; 02-264-5555; zen.co.th) on August 16. This slightly androgynous performer fuses electro and rock – the combination produces a kind of Thai Ziggy Stardust. If that sounds a bit unusual, well, maybe that’s because it is. Check out his videos and then take in his live performance for yourself.
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review
shades of retro
- A Thong Lor original -
B
angkok’s watering holes have undergone a radical shift in recent years, the rise of slick cocktail lounges and low-key boutique places changing the face of the city’s bar scene. Shades of Retro, though, was one of the pioneers, set up in Thong Lor 14 years ago and now tucked around the corner from its original premises. If it was an original when it first opened, it remains a unique place today. From the inviting indoor-outdoor bar at the front of the premises to its eclectic knicks-knacks that fill the space inside, this place is one of a kind. Among the little piles of Scandinavian furniture and bric-a-brac that were either left over or collected, there’s also a seriously well-stocked bar that specialises in cocktails and boutique spirits. Cocktail culture has taken off in Bangkok – in a big way – but at many places that translates to a long list of sweet, syrupy concoctions. Thankfully, That’s not the case here, where there are some seriously punchy drinks on offer. Try the Ol’ Bitch (B280), which combines sake, vodka, elderflower nectar, absinthe, lemon zest. It’s easy drinking but the absinthe definitely adds bite. Equally, the Smoke on the Water (B280), fusing 8 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
rosemary whiskey, sugar and bitters and gives off a delicious perfume as the rosemary smoke wafts off the glass. But that boozy goodness cuts through the rest and lingers on the lips. The food is several cuts above what might reasonably be expected from a small bar. The fried baby octopus with black wasabi ink aioli (B240) comes colourfully presented but the produce and preparation are first-rate. Equally, the drunken chicken (B240) – tender poached chicken breast in Chinese wine served with spring onion and ginger dressing – goes perfectly with a dry beer. Shades of Retro, though, is particularly well-known for its burgers and the Big Black Burger (B380) is exceptional, taking a gorgeous Wagyu patty, seasoning with truffle oil and serving it up on a dark chocolate bun. It’s full of rich flavour and has a real complexity. It’s satisfying to see such commitment to quality in a small operation.
shades of retro
[MAP 3/R5]
808/12 Soi Tararom 2, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor) 02-714-9450 | facebook.com/shadesofretrobar | 3pm-1am
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listings
Ku De Ta
Nightclubs ku de ta [MAP 5/g6] 39-40F Sathorn Square Complex, 98 North Sathorn Rd | 02-108-2000 kudeta.net | 6pm-late Since its opening amid much fanfare at the end of last year, Ku De Ta has quickly built a reputation as one of the places in Bangkok to keep an eye on. The hype and the investment have been massive and there’s an ambition to match. Ku De Ta sets out to add a new dimension to a night out in Bangkok by providing an upscale club experience for the city’s movers and shakers but it has also carved out its own unique aesthetic that is sure to make it one of Bangkok’s top nightlife destination venues. Undoubtedly, the space is the first part of Ku De Ta’s glittering fit-out that catches the eyes. The main club is a vast rectangular area with skyscraper ceilings and a long window running down an entire side, affording an exceptional view of Bangkok.
Levels [MAP 3/f8] 6F 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 0823-083-246 facebook.com/levelsclub | 9pm-3am Of all the venues of Sukhumvit Soi 11, Levels has benefited the most from the closure earlier this year of Bed Supperclub. Great swathes of that clientele now overflow to the other side of the soi, making Levels one of the most reliably busy nightclubs in Bangkok, on any night of the week. At many popular clubs in Bangkok, the crowd quickly finds a familiar groove, attracting one particular kind of revellers that old hands can identify fairly quickly – whether that’s the tourists passing through on the way to the beach or the slightly more clued-up locals. At Levels, though, it’s much harder to categorise – there’s a welcome mix of resident expats, stylish Thai party animals and wide-eyed holiday-makers that can’t get enough of Levels’ buzzy atmosphere. 9 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
MIXX DISCOTHEQUE [MAP 4/H4] 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 the chance to party until nearly sunrise.
onyx [MAP 3/k1] RCA, Soi Soonvijai, Rama 9 Rd | 081-6451166 | facebook.com/onyxbkk Onyx is the latest addition to this milieu. Located at the far end of RCA – that is, the end closest to the expressway – Onyx is an upscale nightclub that borrows more than a touch from the futuristic, designeddriven interior of Bed Supperclub. Part of the appeal of RCA is that it’s one of the rare spots is Bangkok where Thais and expats party alongside one another. The club is laid out over two storeys, although most of the action appears confined to the ground floor, where the main floor is dominated by a dozen small tables and the walls lined with more secluded sofas. The main feature, though, is the giant video screen that looms large over the DJ booth. Along with the LED lighting that
periodically sets the ceiling ablaze with neon, it ensures Onyx creates a dynamic impression.
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.
Q Bar
THE CLUB [Map 7/F 5] 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod | 02-629-1010 theclubkhaosan.com | 6pm-2am B100 (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 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 are 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. 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.
hotel bars & clubs spasso [MAP 8/l13] Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Ratchadamri Rd | 02-254-1234 | bangkok. grand.hyatt.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm2.30am There’s no shortage of hotel bars in Bangkok but Spasso, on the ground floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan has been bangkok101.com
listings St Regis Bar
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.
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Heaven
heaven [MAP 8/k13]
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 layout is unconventional – an open-plan foyer and dining area narrows into a dancefloor, flanked by two horseshoe-shaped bars. It has the effect of funnelling all the action between the bars and on to the dancefloor. Spasso is not so much for Bangkok scenesters – its 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 10am-1am, 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.
Bars with views Above Eleven [MAP 3/C4] 33F 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 bangkok101.com
20F 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 underused ingredients and sets off the others in a way that’s refreshing but still carries a kick.
LONG TABLE [Map 3/H8] 25F 48 Column Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 16 02-302-2557 | longtablebangkok.com 11am-2am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing that draws Bangkok’s nouveau riche to this impossibly swish restaurant-cum-bar. There’s also the trend-setting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes the medieval banquet bench look positively petite. However, it’s what happens at the end of the room that propels this place deep into the nightlife stratosphere. Where the long table ends, a tall plate glass window and huge poolside patio, complete with bar, begins. Out here, 25 floors up, you can glug signature ‘longtail’ cocktails or new latitude wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hair-tousling breezes.
MOON BAR [Map 5/K8] 61F Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | banyantree.com 5pm-1am This is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart surroundings. With stunning 360° views, the hotel’s rooftop has been turned into a slick grill restaurant; one end is occupied
by the bar. Nothing obstructs your view here, almost 200 metres high up. It’s the perfect spot for honeymooners – take a seat on the smart sofa stations, sip on a classy Martini or a yummy signature cocktail and feel romance welling up.
octave [MAP 3/s10] 45F 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.
NEST [Map 3/C4] 9F 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. 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. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 9 1
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listings
Red Sky
RED SKY [Map 4/F 3] 56F 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 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).
SKY BAR / DISTIL [map 5/C5] 63F State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd 02-624-9555 | thedomebkk.com | 6pm-1am Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Sky bar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond premium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. Adjacent to Asian seafood eatery Breeze, Ocean 52 sports yet another stunning view from the 51st – 52nd floors. These places are definitely not spots for the casual beach bum, so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smart casual dress code is enforced.
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, 9 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
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 welloiled joint with a warm, lived-in feel while remaining distinctly upscale. 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 (from B290) include home-made vodka infusions.
threeSixty [map 5/b2] 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 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.
Three Sixty
BARS THE ALCHEMIST [map 3/e8] 1/19 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 083-549-2055 Facebook: thealchemistbkk | Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight 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.
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.
BREW [map 3/Q6] Seen Space, Thong Lor 13 | 02-185-2366 brewbkk.com | Mon-Sun 4pm-2am It wasn’t so long ago that the beer selection here was comprised entirely of the ubiquitous local lagers and the Heinekens bangkok101.com
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cocktails (B 280) by New York mixultant Joseph Boroski are prepped by ‘NASA technicians’ in white overalls; and the food offerings tasty misshapen pizzas, cooked in a gas-oven behind the bar.
FACE BAR (map3/S7)
Cheap Charlie’s and Carlsbergs of this world. The fact that it doesn’t anymore is largely thanks to Chris Foo, the owner of this beer bar tucked away on the ground floor of Thonglor Soi 13’s happening mini-mall Seenspace. Depending on what time of year it is, Brew stocks between 140 and 170 bottles of ales, lagers, ciders, you name it. Currently, the setting in which you sip them is hip in Thonglor circles. That’s not so much down to Brew’s tiny interior, with its exposed piping and bar flanked by kegs of beer and brick walls, as the buzzing outdoor area it shares with futuristic cocktail bar Clouds and the nautically themed Fat’r Gutz.
CHEAP CHARLIE’S [map 3/D6] 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 hallowed nightspots Q Bar and the other newer spots that have cropped up recently.
CLOUDS [Map 3/Q2] 1F SeenSpace, 251/1 Thong Lor Soi 13, 02-185-2365 | cloudslounge.com The third bar by Australian Ashley Sutton – the mad scientist of Bangkok’s bar scene – is, as we’ve come to expect, something entirely unexpected. Evoking a future where ‘there are no more natural resources’, this slim concrete shell at the rear of hip lifestyle mall SeenSpace has a living tree encased in glass in one corner, and concrete blocks, topped with lumps of translucent leafencasing acrylic, for tables. Vodka-based bangkok101.com
29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 | 02-713-6048 facebars.com | 11.30am-1am Jim Thompson, move over. Face’s visually stunning complex is reminiscent of Jim’s former mansion, with Ayutthaya-style buildings and thriving flora, it’s just bigger and bolder. The Face Bar is a dimly-lit place that summons deluxe drinkers with its cosy settees, ambient soundscape, and giant cocktails. Though often empty, the big drink list will stop your body clock pretty fast. The two restaurants – Hazara serving Northern Indian and Lan Na Thai serving traditional Thai – are full of fab all-Asian decor; they’re romantic and inviting, but you might be let down by the tiny portions, and the flamboyant prices.
FAT GUT’Z [map 3/Q2] 264 Thong Lor Soi 12 | 02-7149-832 fatgutz.com | 6pm-2am This sleek saloon is packed nightly with beautiful people, there to listen to live blues, indulge in carefully crafted drinks, and, perhaps, catch a glimpse of its in-demand owner, Ashley Sutton, the Australian behind the legendary Iron Fairies. Unlike his first bar, Fat Gut’z displays a less obvious sense of whimsy – here, the random fittings and industrial decor are replaced by straight lines and black-coloured, modern furnishings. It all feels rather serious, until you open the drinks menu. Sutton brought in master New York mixologist Joseph Boroski to create 16 unique cocktails (B285 each), all named after famous WWII shipwrecks.
FIVE Gastronomy & Mixology [MAP 3/O9]
Room 103, K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26 088-524-5550 | facebook.com/fivebkk 6pm-1am Five brings a welcome wand blast of gothic whimsy to K Village, an otherwise aesthetically uninspiring community mall. Its owner, Pattriya Na Nakorn, invited bar entrepreneur Ashley Sutton to work his magic with a vacant plot on the ground floor. And, completing her dream team is Joseph Boroski, the same New York based cocktail ‘mixologist’ that Sutton uses. His bars always engage the day-dreamy part of your brain and this black magic themed
Hyde & Seek one is no different. Think clanking pulleys, monumental iron piping and flickering candles. Indeed, even the staff look like they’ve stumbled off the set of one of the Harry Potter movies.
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, Georgian-influenced décor has panelled 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. Maggie Choo’s, with its decadent atmosphere redolent of dandyish early 20th-century gambling dens, is no different. 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 on swings. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 9 3
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listings TUBA [Map 8/S14]
Viva Aviv
Moose [MAP 3/S3] Ekamai Soi 21 | 02-108-9550 facebook.com/moosebangkok Tucked away behind Tuba and up a shabby looking staircase, Moose is one of the most talked about new bars in the city. The same team behind Cosmic Café and Sonic have revamped this warehouse-sized space into the latest retro-inspired hipster bar. Brick walls, a small tree here and there, flickering candles and an alarming number of mounted animal heads create a relaxed, living-room-esque ambience. A DJ spins unobtrusive tunes while authentic and delicious Thai food ensures the bar consistently draws a young, local crowd who know their food.
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.
SHADES OF RETRO [ Map 8/s14] Soi Tararom 2, Thong Lor 081-824-8011 | 3pm-1am Hipster attic, here we come – Shades of Retro is a hidden Thong Lor spot awash in neo-nostalgia and stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, old rotary telephones. A combo furniture storecafé,Shades provides a quiet hangout for for the writer/designer/artiste crowd by day, funpeople-watching at night, and nice jazz at all times. Curl up on a nubby couch, flip through a Wallpaper* magazine and soak up the atmosphere, which flirts with being too ironic for its pants. 9 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
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 by the cocktail designers behind popular gastrobar Hyde and Seek. Their ‘Rough Cut’ signatures, pleasingly heavy on the rum, are among the real highlights here.
Water Library @ Grass [Map 3/R6]
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 and has some mindbending concoctions.
WTF [Map 3/Q6] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 02- 626-6246 wtfbangkok.com | Tue-Sun 6pm-1am This tiny shophouse – signposted by graffiti on a corrugated tin wall in the street opposite – has a bar on the ground floor,
Water Library decked out with mirrors along one wall, old Thai movie posters on the other, and found items like wooden screen doors and chairs. It works. The Thai-farang owners (an art manager, hotelier and photographer by trade) have made a good fist of cocktails (from B130) with rye whiskies and unusual bitters in the mix, while plates of tapas consist of Thai and Euro choices such as Portuguese chorizo and feta salad. Expect live gigs, art exhibitions upstairs and a mix of hipsters, journos and scenesters.
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; Georgia, the city’s only true Blues Mama, has a voice and figure to match.
COSMIC CAFE [Map 8/Q12] RCA Block C | Rama IX Rd | MRT Rama 9 The rebel in RCA’s ranks, Cosmic Café serves up a mixed diet of sonic eclecticism in a grungy, open-sided corner bar with outdoor seating and a small dance floor. On one night you might the place jumping to a rare live performance by mor lam legend Dao Bandon, on another a house band dishing out some surf guitar, ska, electronic or blues. The edgiest joint on the block, it draws a lively, musically discerning crowd, from skinny jeaned artschool hipster types to teddy boy expats. bangkok101.com
the only son By Gaby Doman
xA
xxxxx ll goodxxxxxx creatives xxxxx know that the more credibility your muse xxx has, the more cool points you get among the arts crowd. xxx The Only Son has plucked Jean Cocteau, the 1920s xxx artist-poet-filmmaker and many other things besides as its spring summer 2014 inspiration, automatically giving the collection a hipster following. available at: aside, the collection is rather marvellous. But, clichéd muses There’s a dash of surrealism, a nod to the dandy trend, a hint xxx of military uniforms and a strong current of 1920-style silhouettes. xxx What that translates to is a very masculine, utilitarian xxx collection – for both the men’s and women’s range. The tailoring is about as clean as it gets, with very strong lines creating xxxweb a very grown-up leisurewear line. The colour scheme is as sobering and stern as the tailoring, with blocks of black, navy, white and rust-orange dominating the collection. Recurring trends throughout the collection are women’s wide-leg trousers, dresses folded with all the precision and simple beauty of an origami sculpture and men’s threepiece suits with tapered trousers and shorts that reach the mid-thigh. But despite the retro themes, the collection avoids looking like a sojourn to last century and manages to take key style elements and apply them to some very fashion-forward – almost futuristic – cuts. These impeccably clean lines can’t help but suggest money; great tailoring and exquisite fabrics will do that. The other inescapable fact about the collection is its lack of femininity and yet its overt sex appeal. Barely any excess flesh is revealed and outfits avoid being excessively fitted throughout the women’s collection, and yet its stern sexiness is hard to miss. The quality of the fabrics, the confidence of the cuts and the simplicity of the designs give the wearer an air of inherent sexiness. Stand-out pieces are the women’s suit, with its strongly masculine edge, and the men’s jackets, which are cropped short above the hip. There’s not one piece in the collection you could call out for being ‘soft’ – each piece tells the story of the collection in its own right. Each piece stands alone as the collection’s concept.
available at: Gaysorn Plaza, 999 Ploenchit Road; theonlyson.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
T
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. 9 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
> 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
unique boutique
SHOPPING
Spoonful Zakka Cafe L
angsuan Road, realm of the white collar worker and aimlessly roaming expat housewife, hides a place where you can cool down, enjoy a brew and also shop. Stocking everything from kitchenware to stationery to clothing (all of it registering in the red on our cuteometer), Spoonful Zakka Café is a stylish space that owes its philosophy to the Japanese design and fashion phenomenon known as zakka. In a nutshell, this term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and appearance – objects that make daily life that little bit easier and, also, stylish. Writing in the New York Times about the trend back in 2001, Kaori Shoji remarked that “the value of a zakka is also measured on the atmosphere of the shop where it was bought,” and also that “it’s impossible to step into any of them and not feel transported into an extremely posh and private museum”. This most definitely applies to Spoonful, with its eclectically stocked shelves lined with everything from cartoon stamp seals (B115) and knitted shoulder bags to Scandinavian style wooden spoons and forks (B45-60) and umbrellas imported from Japan. Once you’ve finished fondling all the slightly corny, yet highly practical, trinkets and gifts, definitely be sure to check out the on-site cafe. This was founded on the belief that a good cup of tea (B145) or homemade scone (B160 for two pieces) is just as important to good living as a pretty notebook or roll of patterned masking tape. One bite of their matcha (green tea flavoured) scones should be enough to convince you they’re on to something. bangkok101.com
Spoonful Zakka Café [MAP 4/J6] Unit 201 The Portico, Lang Suan Rd 02-652-2278 | spoonfulzakka.com
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treatment Hapa
Pranali
Chivit Chiva
Chivit Chiva Massages & Spa [Map 4/F5]
16/1-2, Sukhumvit Soi 19 | 02-253-0607-8 chivitchivaspa.com | 10am-11pm
Enter this soothing spa, close the door to Bangkok behind you and wave the chaos of the Asok intersection area goodbye. At this top-notch day spa, there are five spa rooms and four Thai rooms, all simple yet exotic, some with private shower. All 12 staff are expertly trained and the menu of available treatments is extensive, featuring facials, body, foot and oil massages, spa packages as well as more funky treatments such as stone massages. They also offer a variety of body scrubs with everything from coffee to seaweed, salt and apple. The B1600 baht oil massage is splendid, your 90-minute professional massage including a choice of your favourite oil scent, a private massage room with a shower attached and a bathrobe.
HAPA SPA [map 3/D8] 20/4 Sukumvit Soi 3 | 02-651-0966 hapaspa.com | 10am-0pm
Wedged between multi-story condos and weirdish hotels, Hapa’s location
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stands out insofar as you’d never expect a professional spa in an alley off Afro-Arab Nana. A long, glass-walled building draws in the uninitiated through its unique circular entrance and purpletinged salon to metal boxes. Inside your own private bunker, a stylish, serene setting includes inspired mini gardens, soft purple and cream tones and beds accommodating even the longest-legged Westerner. The extensive menu features the signature Aromatherapy massage, organic body scrubs and other tastysounding body delights, plus infrared thermal sauna, all executed by cheery, competent therapists. The all-natural house products are for sale, just as is a wide selection of organic teas and healthy drinks.
PIMMALAI [Map 2/H11] 2105/1 Sukhumvit Rd (between Soi 81 & 83 02-742-6452 | pimmalai.com | 10.30am-10pm
This traditional Northern Thai house is almost a stereotype in its authenticity. Tropical foliage harbours a tall teak and red-brick Lanna structure, inviting in its combo of simplicity and intricate trimming (translate that into high ceilings, pottery and bamboo).
Refreshingly simple, airy rooms proffer a calming background for convincing treatments. The short menu contains the absolute classics (plus ear candling, which we love; other favourites are the Eye Treatment and the Scalp Massage). Nana – Pimmalai’s owners must be goodhearted souls not out for any profit. Plan to spend a whole day here, enjoying several treatments. In between, browse the spa shop, buy sarongs and the whole range of intriguing Pimm bath and body products. Fret not about the location – Pimmalai is minutes away from a BTS Station. An absolute must – one of our all-time favourites, in fact.
PRANALI WELLNESS SPA [MAP 4/D4] 3F Unit 334, Siam Paragon | 02-610-9596 pranaliwellness.com | 10am-9pm
The lonely walk, to the pin-drop quiet end of Siam Paragon mall’s third floor, is worth it. Award -winning Pranali delivers ancient techniques in what resembles a shiny Zen spaceship (albeit one that’s landed next to a Martha Stewart furniture store). Past the storefront selling Pranali’s luscious takehome ointments, milkyglass corridors lead to seven private treatment rooms, each named after one of the seven chakras (Visuddha, Anahata etc). Beside your massage bed, tassels of fibre-optic lighting or artinstallation like bamboo arrangements– not to mention mystical muzak – lend a serene, futuristic quality. Many, eager to get back to the shops no doubt, opt for a warp speed foot rub or facial; but Pranali’s well worth a linger. Spa costs $ :: under B600 $$ :: B600-B1000 $$$ :: B1000-B2000 $$$$ :: B2000+
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treatment
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soothing effects on Sukhumvit
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he traditional trimmings of the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit are echoed throughout the decor at its signature spa, with teakwood furnishings and the soft scent of jasmine flowers. It has the effect of immediately relaxing anyone showing up for a treatment. Even before heading into the low-lit rooms, the soothing wave has already taken hold. Of course, the traditional Thai massage (B3180 for 90 minutes) takes it to the next level, with the focus initially on the lower back and then the shoulders, before the deep, kneading strokes spread to the legs and arms. It’s remarkable how effectively tension can be worked out from the thighs and calves – the longer the muscle, the more energising treatment to these areas can be. That said, there are unlikely to be any complaints about the targeted neck and head massage that is so relaxing it will make your eyes roll back. It’s a perfect way to finish a treatment, creating the feeling of being soothed and invigorated all at once. Other inviting treatments include the 90-minute healing stone massage (B4240). If you’ve never tried one of these, the sensation really is quite unique and is definitely worth experiencing at least once. If you’ve done some hard miles travelling or simply by working too hard, go for the Grande realignment massage (B4470) to get
everything back in order. Or, at the top end of the scale, sign up for five skinlifting facial treatments (B20,600).
the grande spa
[MAP 3/h10]
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8121 sheratongrandesukhumvit.com/en/thegrandespa | 10am-10pm
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getting there
Wat Ratchanadda
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
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. J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 1 0 3
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Rajchawongse
J U LY 2 0 1 4 | 1 1 1
M Y B ANGKOK
David Jacobson Born in New York in 1947, David lived and worked as a photographer in Los Angeles. After a photo assignment shooting healthcare in Saigon and Phnom Penh for the WHO in 1990, he moved to Saigon in 1992, where he set up his first bar. Celebrity clientele included Robert DeNiro, Kate Moss, Norman Mailer and plenty of journalists. He set up Q Bar in Bangkok in 1999 and earlier this year opened a new bar called SMALLS with partner Bruno Tanquerel.
What first brought you to Bangkok? After six-and-a-half years in Saigon, the Vietnamese Government would not renew my visa. No reason given. So I had to start over again and I chose Bangkok to set up my new Q Bar in 1999. What persuaded you that it was a good place to set up a nightclub? Remember, this was almost 15 years ago. Bangkok had hotel bars, pubs, beer gardens, go-go bars and Thai clubs that at that time, unlike now, lacked sophistication. No one was bringing in international DJs or much in the way of mixology. There was a hole in the market. How has the Bangkok's nightlife changed since then? It's changed totally. Following Q Bar, and three years later Bed Supperclub, it took time for things to develop. People were afraid to invest in clubs in Bangkok because the closing times were always changing upon the whims of whichever government was in power. In the last four or five years, there has been an explosion of new clubs and bars of a very high quality. Young Thai entrepreneurs have led the way and now Bangkok has a diverse and thriving nightclub scene. 1 1 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 4
Do you think people have become more sophisticated in their drinking tastes? Without a doubt. More availability from different liquor companies and the accompanied training to bartenders, along with the popularity of mixology over flair bartending, was just a matter of time. The days of only 'black/so' are over! You've recently set up SMALLS in Sathorn – what's the concept there? I sort of hate the 'concept' question. My “concept” has always been to provide a great atmosphere for people who want to go out, maybe meet their friends, have excellent drinks serve by a knowledgable and kind staff, get a bite to eat, enjoy the music, etc. That being said, I will say that bars that ofter an atmosphere to engage in a conversation are rare and often, boring. At SMALLS we try and provide a neighbourhood experience that is both cozy and adult. Our music tends to be jazzy/bluesy with live jazz once a week now but most likely will expand to two night a week. Which are the most up-andcoming parts of Bangkok? Well, obviously, I feel the Sathorn area to the river has huge potential. The rents along Sukhumvit have become
stupid and as trendy as Thong Lor and Ekamai have become, it's time to look elsewhere. With Maggie Choo's, Ku De Ta, U.N.C.L.E., Opus, Eat Me, Vesper, Issaya Siamese Club and the opening of Justin Dunne's Namsaah Bottling Trust, this area is taking off. Besides SMALLS, where are your favorite places to drink? A.J. Boroski Mixology, WTF, Maggie Choo's, and some funky little places I'm keeping to myself. Favourite restaurants? Nahm, Gaggan, Opus, Appia, Issaya Siamese Club, Eat Me, Soul Food, Bo-Lan, Enoteca, Zuma, La Monita, La Bottega Di Luca, Isao, Gianni's, Uncle John's, Saigon Recipe. What would you like to change about Bangkok? Raise the price of taxi meters so drivers can make a living without scamming you or turning you down. Extend nightlife hours to 3am and take police pay-offs out of the equation. Make Bangkok greener. Cut taxes for electric and fuel-efficient cars and buses. More parks and bicycle paths. Better sidewalks that are wheelchairfriendly. Bury the wires under ground. No more billboards and LED screens. Cut taxes on wine and liquor. Now you see why I'm not in charge! bangkok101.com