The Soulful Science of Thai Cuisine: Mint Thailand’s culinary repertoire has always been a blend of art and science. At Ruen Urai – “the House of Gold” – dishes are prepared with passion and flair based on an intimate knowledge of ingredients and their flavours, textures, and aromas. Paying homage to the doctor of herbal medicine who originally resided in the century-old golden teakwood house in which Ruen Urai is located, our Thai gourmet voyage continues to explore zesty herbs and spices and their meanings and usage. Through their chemistry and harmony, alchemy is created. In Southeast Asia, mint thrives in the region’s moist and humid conditions. As a medicinal herb, it is often prepared in the form of tea and used to treat stomach ache and chest pains. Its strong, sharp flavour and scent also make an ideal mild decongestant to relieve common colds. Menthol from mint’s essential oil is an active ingredient in many cosmetics, perfumes, and even cigarettes. Widely used in Thai, Vietnamese, Laotian, and Indian cooking, it is liberally added to salad dishes or served as a garnish. Sprigs of mint give a refreshing tang and aroma to raw tuna rolled with herb salad in a spicy dressing. Ruen Urai at the Rose Hotel opens from 12 noon to 11 p.m. 118 Soi Na Wat Hualumphong, Surawongse Road Tel. (66) 2 266 8268-72 www.ruen-urai.com
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
I
t is said by many ex-pats that Thailand has three seasons – Hot, Bloody Hot, and Bloody Hot and Wet. As you may well have noticed if you have ventured out of your air-conditioned office, home or hotel for any length of time recently, we are well and truly into Bloody Hot, which means schools are out for summer and the Songkran Festival marking Thai New Year is upon us. The festival also heralds the biggest annual water fight in the world and water is very much at the heart of this issue. In the following pages we feature water parks where little monsters and over-heated parents can let off steam and cool down; Joe Cummings experiences the calming effects of floatation therapy; Keith Mundy enjoys lakeside breezes at the royal residence of King Chulalongkorn at Bang Pa-In and takes to jade waters to drink in the stunning seascapes of Ha Long Bay; and our photo feature dives beneath the waves to explore some of Thailand’s exotic marine life. You can also satisfy your hunger with our usual selection of restaurant recommendations and quench your thirst with a piece looking at the rise of craft beer in Thailand. 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, please drop us a line at info@talisman.asia.
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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
B A NGKOK 101 PA R T N E R S
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APRIL 2015 | 3
CONTRIBUTORS
publisher
Mason Florence editor-in-chief
Dr Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher
Parinya Krit-Hat managing editor
Matt Wilde editor
Craig Sauers 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.
An American by birth, MICHAEL MOORE has spent over half of his life living overseas; first as an international school teacher and administrator and then as a freelance writer and editor. He has contributed to a variety of news and lifestyle publications, including Travel & Leisure, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and numerous inflight magazines. Although he covers a variety of topics, he particularly loves writing about food and wine.
Pawika Jansamakao editor-at-large
Joe Cummings art director
Narong Srisaiya graphic designer
Thanakrit Skulchartchai strategists
Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers
Gaby Doman, Nan Tohchoodee, Adam O’Keefe, Jim Algie, Marco Ferrarese, Laurence Civil 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 A Brit with three decades of Bangkok living, KEITH MUNDY has been a freelance travel writer and photographer for 26 years. Trained in languages and literature (English, French, Spanish), he has been a traveller since the age of 14, visited 96 countries so far and been kicked out of a couple. His work has appeared in travel and lifestyle magazines worldwide, including the inflight magazines of several major airlines, and he is the author of guidebooks to Thailand and Mexico, plus Thai corporate and cultural histories.
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 .
Paris native LUC CITRINOT has lived in Southeast Asia for the past 12 years, first in Kuala Lumpur and more recently in Bangkok. A seasoned traveller, he writes about tourism, culture, and architecture. He was instrumental on a recent EU-endorsed project to establish the European Heritage Map of Bangkok and subsequent app covering all of Thailand. Luc still travels extensively in Southeast Asia, looking particularly for new architectural gems related to colonial and European history.
director business development
Willem Deenik
account executive
Orawan Ratanapratum circulation
Phichet Reangchit published by
Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 54 Naradhivas Rajanagarinda Soi 4, Sathorn Tai Rd, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 T 0 2286 7821 | F 0 2286 7829 info@talisman.asia © Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2015. 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.
S E P T EA MPBREIRL 22001145 | 5
CONTENTS 44
20 40
14
CITY PULSE
ART & CULTURE
8 metro beat
52 exhibition highlights
94 new collection: the
12 hot plates: moodz
54 feature: the art of
only son
14 out and about:
faith
making a splash
56 cheat notes
20 best of bangkok:
58 photo feature: wet
bangkok turns up the heat!
and wild subaquatic life
SHOPPING
24 making merit: from water to wishes
FOOD & DRINK
SNAPSHOTS
66 meal deals
26 tom’s two satang
67 restaurant reviews/
28 joe’s bangkok
previews: sambal,
30 bizarre thailand
sfizio, abbot, mad moa,
96 unique boutique:
32 temples, historic
bawarchi
dasa book café
buildings, museums
76 in the kitchen: egidio
97 spotlight tailor: lucky
54
latorraca
angel tailor
67
TRAVEL
77 eat like nym
98 tailor listings
38 up country now
78 restaurant listings
40 up country escape:
84 imbibe: crafting a
bang pa-in
new beer culture
65 food & drink news
44 over the border:
94
WELLNESS 100 wellness feature: weightless in bangkok
steaming through
NIGHTLIFE
102 thann sanctuary spa
dreamy ha long bay
87 nightlife news
103 spa listings
48 hotel review: hotel
88 review: craft
indigo
90 nightlife listings
REFERENCE 104 maps 112 my bangkok: nicola jones-crossley
ON THE COVER Songkran revellers cool off during annual countrywide water fights celebrating Thai New Year.
6 | APRIL 2015
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metro beat
SPORTS & WELLNESS The temperature might be rising, but it’s never too hot to run. Dash over to Airports of Thailand (333 Cherdwutagard Road, Don Mueang) for the AOT Mini-Half Marathon on April 19. Runners can choose from a 2k walk, a 10.5k run, and a 21.1k run. All finishers receive a medal, and the top five in the mini-and half-marathon get trophies. Proceeds go to Wat Sra Gaew in Ang Thong Province, a temple that takes care of 2500 orphans. The races start early (5.15am for the half-marathon and 6am for the mini), so get there early, too. For more information, check bibmaster.com. by Craig Sauers
ROCK, POP & DANCE
The first Curvylicious Yoga Workshop in Thailand will take place on April 4 at Yogatique Bangkok (Sukhumvit Soi 23, BTS Asoke). Led by registered yoga teachers Golf and Rachel, the inclusive practice aims to introduce all body and personality types to the therapeutic benefits of the ancient art. The two instructors will explain how to practice yoga safely, honour the body, and explore asana yoga, whether curvy or petite. The workshop runs from 2pm until 4pm and costs B800. Call 0 2662 0172 or email yogatiquebangkok@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
MARKETS & FAIRS
Futuristic Polar Bears Soi 11’s Levels (Aloft Hotel, Nana) delivers a night of Progressive House music on April 30 when it brings in DJ trio Futuristic Polar Bears. Known for tracks like “Back to Earth” and “Thundergod,” a track that ranked high on the US Billboard charts, the DJs arrive in Bangkok with certain cachet. Tickets are B500 for the 9pm show, a price which includes one drink. For more information, please visit levelsclub.com.
Spring Epicurean Market
Suffocation American death metal band Suffocation, which in many ways can be considered the anti-Katy Perry, performs in Bangkok on April 26. Special guests Truth Corroded will take the stage first at Hollywood Awards (72/1 Ratchadaphisek Soi 8, 0 2246 4311), with the show starting at 7pm. Tickets are B1500. For more information, please visit Facebook.com/ HollywoodBangkok.Tonight. 8 | APRIL 2015
The Spring Epicurean Market wraps up a hot and busy month with a spectacular array of fresh and organic artisanal food. Held at Spring Summer Restaurant (199 Soi Promsri, Sukhumvit 49, opposite The Racquet Club), the market is more like a community picnic than place to shop for groceries. The emphasis is on great taste and wellness here. Expect items like organic kombucha from Pure Luck, fresh soup stewed by Simmer Smith, kitchen décor from Queen Bee Wraps, and much more to explore within the bounty. The market runs from 8am until 1pm on April 26, the last Sunday of the month. For more information, check facebook.com/springepicureanmarket. bangkok101.com
metro beat
CITY PU LSE
EXPOS – THE NEW MOKE ON GRAND DISPLAY
The New-look Moke
Michael Young
Motor-heads are sure in for a treat at the 36th Annual Bangkok International Motor Show, held at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Muang Thong Thani) from March 25-April 5. Spicing up the show are Bangkok’s famous “pretties,” who will be draped across even prettier vehicles; the latest must-have automotive gadgets and accessories; and the hottest cars and bikes in the Kingdom. One of the stars of the show will be the iconic Moke. Revamped by award-winning industrial designer Michael Young, the new-look Moke has already hit the hot sands of Pattaya and will be seen on Bangkok’s streets in the coming months. On a recent visit to Thailand, Young spoke exclusively to Bangkok 101 about his inspiration in rejuvenating the classic car brand. “The new Moke is cleaner,” said the Hong Kong-based designer. “The suspension is way better, so it offers a much smoother ride. I could have gone crazy if I wanted to, making it super aerodynamic and giving it all these soft curves and flashy extras, but I’m just so passionate about this car, I wanted the first stock to be recognisable for the original users. The starting point had to be keeping the look and feel as close to the original as possible, but with noticeable improvements. Over time, we’ll let it evolve organically.”
Bangkok Comic Con
Dust off your most outrageous cosplay gear, because Bangkok Comic Con is back in action, and that means it’s time to get dressed up. From April 30 through May 3, BITEC Bangna (88th Bangna Trad Road) will play host to a variety of live performances from both classic and current comics, like Batman, One Piece, Bananas in Pajamas, Spongebob, and the Star Wars Imperial March, to name a few. There will also be discussions, competitions, photo ops, movies, and more. Really, this description only scratches the surface. Head out to BITEC and see for yourselves what makes Comic Con such a grand spectacle. Tickets start at B300. For more information, check bangkokcomiccon.com or email info@bangkokcomiccon.com.
Craft-lovers unite: the twice-yearly Bangkok International Gift and Housewares Fair (BIG + BIH) returns from April 19-23. Held at the spacious BITEC Bangna (88th Bangna Trad Road), the 39th edition of the fair once again brings out the latest and greatest local handicrafts, from stationery to Christmas decorations. The first two days of the show are marked for trade, meaning visitors have to register, but the last two days are open to the public from 10am until 9pm. Expect large crowds of people, almost all of whom will be toting wheeled luggage. Visit bigandbih.com for more details. Promising to gather every dimension of the health and beauty industry, the Asia Beauty & Cosmetic Expo 2015 takes over IMPACT Arena, Halls 7 and 8, (Popular Road, Muang Thong Thani) from April 30 through May 3. Visitors can expect to check out products related to skin treatment, exercise, nutrition, and much more. Experts in the field will be on hand to discuss the latest innovations and technology that improve the body and spirit from head to toe. For more information, visit asiabeautycosmetic.com.
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metro beat
SONGKRAN
Songkran washes over Bangkok starting on April 12, with the most culturally enriching activities taking place on Rattanakosin Island. The most revered ritual is the cleaning of the Buddha image, called song nam phra. The Buddha image is carried from the National Museum, opposite the Grand Palace, to Sanam Luang, where worshippers sprinkle sacred water on it for good luck in the coming year. There will also be numerous art and cultural performances, as well as tours of local temples, for which guests are expected to dress modestly. The festivities last through April 16. For a no-holds-barred experience, check out the absurd splash fest on Khao San Road. Dress accordingly, and maybe wear goggles.
Krewella
SK9, one of the biggest gay circuit parties in Asia, lights up Bangkok before the start of Songkran with live DJs, massive pool parties with sexy models, and world-class theatrics. The three-day fiesta kicks off at 9.41pm on April 10 with an opening party dubbed “Wicked,” featuring DJs Alain Jackinsky and Louis T, held at Centara Grand (22nd Fl. Central World, 999/99 Rama I Road). On April 11, Radisson Blu Plaza (489 Sukhumvit Road) stages the Bear Pool Party from 2pm until 8pm; later that night, a neon-themed show rocks Centara Grand. On April 12, the crowd flocks to Sofitel So (2 Sathorn-Nuea Road) for the Boy Pool Party before returning to Centara Grand for the final blowout DJ bash. Tickets start at B1400 for entry to a pool party and run up to B7300 for a VIP all-access pass. Unless sold out, tickets are available at the doors; however, be forewarned that prices run double for foreigners, a fact that is largely veiled on the event website (gcircuit.com). When reached for comment, an organizer explained the dual pricing scheme as an effort to boost Thai attendance, saying, “It’s not part of Thai gay culture to pay a few thousand baht for entrance fee only.”
EDM fans in Bangkok for the holidays should head over to RCA (31/9 Soi Soonvijai, New Petchburi Rd) for the S20 Festival. Running four days, from April 11-14, the party will feature top international DJs, including Krewella, Andrew Rayel, Jetfire, Julian Jordan, and Sidney Samson. The event is being co-organized by famous TV and radio host Woody Milintachinda (also the “My Bangkok” feature in our March issue) and Zaap. Prices start at B3000 for all four days and run up to B6000 for VIP passes. For more information, please check S20festival.com. 10 | A PRIL 2015
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hot plates
Moodz By Tom Vitayakul
S
ituated at the corner of Thonglor Soi 10, Moodz restaurant and lounge has become a window on the upmarket neighbourhood, an ideal location for sipping mojitos and watching the world go by. Featuring décor akin to a cosy beach club, the restaurant’s futuristic Bensley Design Studio interiors sport splashes of turquoise, warm earth tones, and dabs of gold. The outlet was conceived by a quartet comprising a business executive, a hospitality expert, a renowned designer, and a chef. It comfortably crosses the casual and fine dining scenes with a vibe that moves from chilled during early evening to swinging on a busy night. The contemporary European menu at Moodz is influenced mainly by the Mediterranean, particularly the cuisines of France and Italy, but also incorporates Asian ingredients. A full page lists an array of appetisers in three different forms: almost raw, warm, and tossed. For lovers of all things raw, tuna tartare (B300) tingles on the palate thanks to crispy shallots and horseradish dressing. The tuna’s smooth texture is also enhanced by a tart ponzu sauce. A tossed salad (B350) of mozzarella, tomatoes, and avocado offers a clean and refreshing accompaniment. Of the warm appetisers, crab cake with seasonal leaves (B290) comes with Grenobloise vinaigrette, a classic French sauce. Made of browned butter, capers, parsley, and lemon, this concoction is often paired with sole. It couples very well with the meaty crab cake here and is particularly suitable for sharing, as are most of the appetizers at Moodz. The cross-culture “In Between” offerings on the menu can also be taken as a first course. They include seafood, pasta, and light dishes in the vein of primi piatti in Italian cuisine. In a carbonara dish (B390), sliced strings of squid are used as a surprise ingredient in lieu of pasta. These are tossed with organic egg, cheek bacon, parmesan, and black pepper. Seafood soup (B350) also gets spiced up – think bouillabaisse meeting tom yum. The flavourful tomato and saffron broth is garnished with tasty bottarga croutons. Another perennial favourite, duck confit glazed with balsamic (B350), is accompanied by potato pillows and pecorino fondue. The duck thigh and skin is crisped to perfection, the tender meat falling gently from the bone. If the first two courses do not sate your appetite, an entrée or main course here certainly will. Spiced snow fish (B690) might be the catch of the night. Its light and subtle taste blends seamlessly with lettuce hearts, eggplant caviar, and a lemoncaper-Chablis emulsion. Alternatively, graze on grilled lamb loin served on the bone with goat cheese, lentils in thyme, and lamb jus (B690). The succulent lamb is complimented by artichokes à la Barigoule, a Provençal dish of artichokes and saffron milkcap mushrooms, which have firm and meaty flesh. Tender braised beef cheek in its own jus and creamy lemon potato (B590) melts in the mouth, a slice of foie gras poêlé adding extra richness to the dish. These bold and robust flavours marry well with a Bogle Merlot 2012 from California (B1890). Desserts such as the gooey centred chocolate soft cake served with vanilla ice cream (B250); marinated strawberries with Chantilly, raspberry sherbet and meringue (B290); or creamy panna cotta with fresh berries (B250) make for a decadent end to a fine repast.
MOODZ [MAP 3/R6] 308 Sukhumvit soi 55, Thonglor | 0 2170 8440 facebook.com/moodzthailand | Open daily 5pm-Midnight
12 | APRIL 2015
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J U N E 2014 | 13
Cartoon Network Amazone
out & about
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Making A Splash Beat the Heat and Treat the Kids with a Trip to Our Selection of Top Water Parks in Thailand BY CRAIG SAUERS
T
he thermometer has climbed another notch, the weather intensifying from hot to just plain insufferable. April, the cruellest month, has arrived in true poetic fury. With it comes Songkran, the revered Thai New Year dedicated to culture and cooling off. During the holiday, wild water fights usually rule the day (and night). Although chucking bucket after merciless bucket of ice water on passers-by might sound like bliss to some, others, especially those with kids, might prefer an alternative Songkran. For that, escape to one of the Kingdom’s finer establishments: a water park. Old-Fashioned Family Fun in Bangkok When the mercury rises and the kids get antsy and relief seems nowhere in sight, worry not, because a few places in Bangkok provide all-day family entertainment with a wet and cool twist. The grand-daddy of them all, Siam Park City (more commonly called Suan Siam), is as deserving a park as any to pass a hot summer day. Attractions rise like escarpments against the horizon, the centrepieces being
Thai Wake Park bangkok101.com
a three-story spiral slide and a seven-story speed slide. At less dizzying heights, the flowing pool (a lazy river) and what’s billed as the world’s largest wave pool are magnets for overheated crowds, yet large enough to carve out personal space. With shallow pools suitable for small children, Suan Siam’s attractions satisfy the whole family. Just outside of the downtown area, not far from BTS Bangna, Leoland is an island within a concrete desert. The young and young-at-heart might enjoy racing down water slides, snaking through a series of interconnected tubes, or taking ride on a go-kart. Those in search of a decent suntan, or perhaps some sorely needed relaxation, might prefer to lounge on one of the many sunbeds. If only at the park to fulfil your filial duties, you can leave the kids in your partner’s watch and go shopping, because Leoland is built on the rooftop of Central City Bangna. On the western edge of the city limits, another water park rises from the rooftop of a shopping centre. At Fantasia Lagoon atop The Mall Bangkae, a pirate ship slide, fountain gardens with cartoon animals, and various other light-hearted displays tug at the heart strings of
Flow House Bangkok APRIL 2015 | 15
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out & about
Santorini Water Fantasy young children. All ages can enjoy whirlpools, slides both small and large, and maximum leisure on a lazy river. The park provides a family-friendly adventure with the added bonus of incredible views, being so high up. Water Parks for Teens and Adults In Bangkok, a city of pomp and pageantry, water parks are not reserved for the exceptionally young and families alone. A few great places offer aquatic diversions for more grown-up crowds. There isn’t much space to build towering slides and lazy rivers among office buildings and shophouses, yet Flow House has devised a unique way to bring the beach to the big city. Located in A Space on Sukhumvit Soi 26, this water-haven hangs its hat on the FlowRider, a simulated wave machine in which riders can wakeboard, flowboard, and surf. There s also a plunge pool with a deck where teens and nine-to-five types lounge on weekends, a café and a bar, and frequent DJ sets. Best of all, entry is free, which makes it a great place to chill out with friends in sweaty Bangkok. North of Don Muang, in Pathum Thani, the Thai Wake Park throws a little action into the water park cocktail. Cable-led wakeboarding and water-skating (sic) draw adventure-seekers by the dozen. Automated cables pull riders through a lake dotted with ramps on which to grind or jump. There are programs for beginners too, and a water trampoline for good old-fashioned fun. A man-made island breaks waves, keeping water smooth, and a pickup service delivers fallen, floating riders back to the dock. Aside from sports, the park also features a restaurant and café, as well as a small but cosy onsite hotel. For Bangkok, this venue is one of a kind. 16 | A PRIL 2015
Wet and Wild Escapades on the Road Summer is the unofficial start of day trip season, and with four great water parks just a couple of hours from Bangkok, beating the heat with the whole family has never been easier — or more fun. Years in the making, Vana Nava in Hua Hin finally opened in 2014. It was worth the wait. The grounds open out along the coast, with striped slides of recordsetting length and height hanging high above the earth like rainforest vines. Young ones get a couple of sections to themselves: the Kiddie Cove, with its interactive fountains and playground, and the RainFortress, whose seven slides might appeal to young adults too. The blue-and-yellow Boomerango, the longest slide in Thailand, stretches 179 metres; the Abyss sends riders 28 metres high into a spiral before funnelling them into the waiting pool. From LED lights at night to wave pools that surge during the day, no leisure activities were overlooked in its construction. Featuring attractions named “Bacchus’s Magic Hole” and “Ring of the Titan,” Santorini Water Fantasy in ChaAm might sound like a seedy, Greek-themed bar at first blush. The attractions, however, belie their unfortunate titles. The only digitally-controlled water park in Asia, Santorini invites families to experience weightlessness on the Vulcan’s Kamikaze, lounge in the Lazy Hera, and rumble down Artemis’s Rapids in an inner tube. Many rides feature the powder-blue and white colour scheme of the Greek flag, but all remain distinctly Thai. With plenty of food and beverage outlets, the park is perfect for day-long escapes from frantic city life. The latest and greatest water adventures in Thailand currently belong to Cartoon Network Amazone in Bang Saray, twenty minutes past Pattaya. A kid’s paradise, bangkok101.com
The Ultimate view by
Blue Sky Gaze out upon the City of Angels from Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok’s Blue Sky rooftop bar and restaurant. Dine with a divine view and share an electrifying evening with a loved one at this breathtaking night spot. Blue Sky (Bar & Dining) 24th Floor | Opening hours : 18.00 - 02.00 hrs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND RESERVATION PLEASE CONTACT KHUN YING (F&B RESERVATION COORDINATOR) T: 02 541 1234 EXT. 4151 | E: FB_OFFICE@CHR.CO.TH
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out & about
Southern Splash If you happen to be on Koh Phangan this summer, Kaila Krayewski, our ‘girl in the south’, recommends holiday hijinks at these two great venues:
Slip ‘N Fly
Siam Park City
Ramayana Water Park complete with Ben 10 and Johnny Bravo iconography, the entire complex stays true to the cartoon theme. From skyhigh slides to meet-and-greets with Cartoon Network stars (in other words, people in character costumes), subtle touches elevate the experience to a higher plane. Although cooling off whilst doubling down on thrills is a draw for all ages, the park does unforgettable children’s birthday parties best. The soon-to-be-completed Ramayana should give Pattaya another trophy to put on its shelf. Duelling slides, entertainment stages and swim-up bars, cabana rentals, tennis courts, speed slides, drops that are practically sheer: you name it, Ramayana’s got it. When it opens later this year, it will become Thailand’s biggest water park.
For more information, including prices and seasonal promotions, please visit: • siamparkcity.com • centralplaza.co.th • themallgroup.com • flowhousebangkok.com • thaiwakepark.com • vananava.com • santoriniwaterfantasy.com • cartoonnetworkamazone.com • ramayanawaterpark.com
18 | APRIL 2015
Located in the north of Koh Phangan (find it along the highway to Chaloklum), Slip ‘N Fly stands proud like the beacon of fun it is. Two monstrous slides plummet into the largest pool on the island, with ramps at the end to send sliders soaring. A smaller, less daunting slide twists and turns its way down for a gentler descent, and a lounge pool towards the front is great for kids and a rowdy game of volleyball. Crowds of young revellers flock here for a day of slipping, sliding, drinking and dancing during the five-day Full Moon Festival and two-day Half-Moon Festivals from noon ‘til beyond sunset. Those looking for an extra challenge can take part in games throughout the day, from gladiator mud pit action to the giant twister, and tricks competitions that are just as fun to watch as they are to win! A basketball net promises free drinks to all who sink the ball while being flung from the slide. SlipNFlyPart.com
Phangan Wipeout
If you’ve seen Wipeout the TV show, you know what to expect here: an inflatable obstacle course that is as challenging as it is fun. Floating on Koh Phangan’s serene Laem Son Lake in tranquil Sri Thanu on the west coast of the island, Phangan Wipeout is a great place to come with a group for a friendly competition, a refreshing dip, and tons of laughs. A rope swing starts off the action, with monkey bars, rolling pins, an inflatable “glacier” that must be surmounted, and – the final and most difficult challenge – the daunting red balls. Will you make it to the leader board by beating the times of those ahead of you? Or will you just sit and enjoy watching other people wipe out? Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a memorable afternoon. facebook.com/wipeoutphangan
bangkok101.com
Bangkok’s Famous Five: representatives of the city’s winners at the 2015 S. Pellegrino Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards
Bangkok Turns Up The Heat!
The Capital’s Top Eateries Star at 2015 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards BY CHRISTINE MCGINNIS Who’s a happy boy then?! Chef Gaggan Anand is all smiles following his restaurant’s first place showing. 20 | APRIL 2015
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best of bangkok
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Chefs Bo and Dylan, the powerful duo behind Bo.lan
B
angkok is on a roll. For the second year in a row, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, sponsored by S. Pellegrino-Aqua Panna, bestowed top honours to an outlet from the Big Mango. Last year it was David Thompson’s legendary Nahm. This year, progressive Indian restaurant Gaggan was voted no.1 in the region, notching another major victory for the city’s growing fine dining scene.
“THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I HEARD MY NAME CALLED OUT WAS TO RING MY MOTHER!” - CHEF GAGGAN ANAND ON HIS EPONYMOUS RESTAURANT WINNING TOP SPOT AT ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS AWARDS 2015 Held at the Capella Singapore in early March, the awards ceremony brought together a who’s who of the continent’s culinary stars. As in past years, Thailand was well-represented. Not only was Gaggan named Best Restaurant in Asia, the cutting-edge eatery was also recognised as the S. Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Thailand. Hot on its heels were last year’s winner, Nahm, at number 7; Eat Me at 25; Bo.lan at 37; and Chef Ian bangkok101.com
Kittichai’s Issaya Siamese Club at 39. Chef Gaggan Anand was understandably emotional about his win. “The first thing I did when I heard my name called out was to ring my mother!” he said. Later, while answering questions about his plans for the future, he remained humble. He thanked his team first and then reaffirmed his commitment to learning, putting in hard work, and celebrating food. His gratitude was only topped by the daring he displayed in preparing exquisite plates during a live cooking demonstration, the same kind of flair that saw his flagship restaurant rise to the top rank. At this year’s awards, a slight change in the voting process yielded a greater diversity of results within the top 50, and in my estimation this was a good thing. New entries from the Philippines (Antonio’s, 48) and Cambodia (Cuisine Wat Damnak, 50) should encourage restaurateurs in the region to keep pushing boundaries in technique, taste, and style, because they will be recognised for it. The same old song and dance will not be enough to distinguish a restaurant — there are so many places producing interesting cuisine and providing memorable dining experiences that a new venture must approach food with passion and brio to truly excel. There were a couple of other key points that I took away from the ceremony. First of all, the Top 50 list, once released, causes an uptick in reservations and press inquiries for the named restaurants. It also provides a snapshot of the culinary scene at any given moment, working like a weathervane to give direction to potential diners. This, I think, is the true value of the rankings. Some APRIL 2015 | 21
CITY PU LSE
best of bangkok
Chef Ian Kittichai of Issaya Siamese Club
Chef A platter David of Thompson crab at Tangjaiyuu of Nahm
entries may be included year after year, building a solid reputation in the process, whilst others may come on strong and then fade. The S. Pellegrino-Aqua Panna Top 50 allows us to analyse the trends that emerge. The second development I noted was the evolution of Bangkok’s culinary community. Our chefs have become a congenial bunch, willing to share and educate in a slightly more formal manner than has been the case in years past — for example, through large, industry-only private dinners. They are putting the word out and celebrating good food together, rather than clawing tooth and nail to top one another. When the community nucleus has a chance to unify, grow, and flourish, great things happen: fine dining in Bangkok will look radically different down the road, thanks to the maturation of the restaurateurs as well as the heightened sophistication and expectations of local diners. After decades in the dark, Bangkok is at long last gaining much-deserved critical attention among foodies around the world. The five fantastic restaurants in the 2015 Asia’s 50 Best list prove that point. What is most exciting, however, is the city’s rising role as a culinary hub. Already a top international destination for exotic holidays, it is also fast becoming a hot spot for fine dining. Discover more at theworlds50best.com/asia
Eat Me’s Chef Tim Butler 22 | APRIL 2015
bangkok101.com
CITY PU LSE
Making Merit
From
Water to Wishes
In 1992, The Rain Tree Foundation, then known as ThaiCare, was essentially a privately financed club of do-gooders, building day care centres for underprivileged children. Today, this grassroots group operates as a registered NGO, empowering rural communities in northern Thailand by helping them lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
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o-founder Ralf Oberg left Germany a couple of decades ago, travelling to Thailand to volunteer in the slums of Bangkok. While in the big city, he met Wanida, a sweet woman who would become his wife and partner. He also found a greater purpose in life through helping children and the underprivileged. At that time, there weren’t many NGOs in the North, where Wanida had been raised. The need was great and the couple were eager to get involved, so they started to build day cares and children’s homes. As NGOs multiplied in the region, they went further afield to isolated villages near the border with Myanmar, from Mae Sot to Mae Hong Son. In recent years, the foundation’s focus has shifted to the communities’ biggest need — water. In rural areas, drinking water is often contaminated with parasites, bacteria, and viruses. These invisible pathogens can lead to myriad water-borne maladies that frequently result in the death of infected young children. Compounding the lack of
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available fresh water is the lack of access to electricity and the high cost of installing gasoline-powered generators that power water filtration. With Oberg’s background in machines and automobiles, and the addition of other talented team members with mechanical knowledge, The Rain Tree Foundation has found a niche in setting up hydraulic ram pumps and biosand filters, two modern inventions based on centuries-old technology. With the help of Canadian NGO CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology), they have been able to install over 1,500 filters in northern Thailand to date. While clean water solutions make up a major part of The Rain Tree Foundation’s mission, it isn’t the sole purpose for being. Recognizing the importance of preserving each community’s culture, as well as the value of self-empowerment, the group has kick-started various development initiatives. One of the most profound has been the reforestation of farmland. Working in tandem with local farmers, they have repopulated old fields with fruit, herb, coffee, and macadamia trees, all of which provide new ways to generate revenue. “Our motto is ‘Help people to help themselves,’” says Singer. “The foundation doesn’t own property. All the projects belong to the communities. We work closely with the villages, only starting projects that interest them. We don’t do things for free, though. The villagers contribute their part by providing labour (once construction is planned) or by supporting us with rice or vegetables if they don’t have any money. We aim to help disadvantaged people lift themselves out of poverty.” Over the years, the foundation has grown and grown. Today, it provides education and support to over 270 children, counting five children homes, two schools, and two foster children projects within its portfolio. To increase its impact, a placement programme for volunteers and interns has been established. Adding to the cause is the work of former volunteer Anne Rieken, who registered a partner club in Germany called ThaiCare.de to make new international contacts and raise funds from abroad. The Rain Tree Foundation welcomes volunteers and donations. To learn more about its mission and how to contribute to the foundation, visit raintree-foundation.org or contact info@raintree-foundation.org. bangkok101.com
scalini proudly presents gastronomical nights
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date 2 3-25
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Exquisite Seven-Star Dining Scene
in association with
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LAID BARE: SKIN IS IN
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bangkok101.com
insight
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Tom’s Two Satang 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 21st-century trends – in a lighthearted yet learned manner
ON SKIN
Photo: Nan Naritsara Model: Supriya Phewpech
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n a country that is notorious for its skin trade, Thailand plays coy when it comes to the intrinsic quality of our smooth and supple skin. Like other Asian countries, shyness is customarily considered more respectful than gregariousness. But does this still ring true in the era of nude selfies and provocative photo and video postings on the Internet? Just how comfortable are we Thais in our own skin? Let’s start with the face. Urban Thais have a severe complex about… well, complexion – we like to look as white or fair as possible. This strange social value is expressed in a common Thai idiom, “white as a cucumber grown in the shade.” It has helped launch a thousand whitening creams and lotions for both men and women. Many who have used these products since the early days now look like characters from a Kabuki dance! As is widely known here, someone with a darker complexion is often seen as ‘blue-collar,’ a person who has no choice but to work outdoors for a living, and thus a bit of a redneck. However this assessment on social class often goes out of the window when someone well-to-do returns from a beach vacation with a tan. If being Siamese means being swarthy, aren’t all us city slickers genuinely Thai? An old Thai adage has it that the epitome of true beauty is having a Burmese complexion and Indian eyes. The ideal woman’s skin should be golden brown with the yellow tinge of turmeric to offset her deep-set doe eyes. But my guess that most modern Thai women don’t aspire to these ideals. Mark Twain once wrote, “The finest clothing made is a person’s own skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.” Nowadays Thai girls and boys who aren’t comfortable in their own skin can have plastic surgery to look like Chinese, Japanese, or Korean celebrities. Beauty and skin care clinics have mushroomed in towns up and down the country. Places where the image-conscious can go to get rid of freckles, crow’s feet, and (ironically) beauty marks. That said, the Thai superstition for moles and birthmarks and their meanings have given a boost to the fortune-telling businesses. But then if predictions are not favourable, well not to worry, there is sure to be a clinic close by that can dispose of the offending blemish! bangkok101.com
Moving on down the body… historically, the nape of the neck – the exposed area between the elaborate hair bun and the kimono collar – was considered an erogenous zone on Japanese ladies. Where would that zone be on a Thai lady? Before the Colonial times, common Siamese men and women lived a ‘topless’ existence. Women’s breasts were exposed and compared to either budding lotuses or wilting melons. Shirts, blouses, paa thaeb (cloth wrapped over the breasts) and sabai (sashes wrapped and worn with the tail-end over one shoulder) were only worn when visiting a temple or on formal occasions. Perhaps a Thai woman’s sexiness was at the slope of her shoulders. Later on we started to ‘dress properly.’ Of course, this had more to do with the White Man’s values and his desire to cloth the semi-naked barbarian. Puritan dogmas were imposed on us but then gave way to a love of fashion, and we have been piling on clothes ever since. It is my belief that we Thais don’t have a particular erogenous zone somewhere on our person. Rather our whole body, skin included, is one big erogenous zone. We have always been sensual creatures, something most evident during the Songkran Festival when daring young women automatically become contestants in a mass wet t-shirt competition. Some even wander about braless or sans panties (known as “going commando”). Not surprisingly, these days flashing some flesh is not so frowned upon. It is socially acceptable to show a bit of cleavage, or décolletage, and to bare one’s midriff. Hence the rise of spaghetti-strap crop tops and Daisy Duke shortshorts. But where’s the sense of mystery, I ask you?! Ironically, our hypocritical double standards also get under our skin. While many Thai girls choose to wear fewer and fewer clothes, we shame tourists for wearing teeny-weeny bikinis or for simply sunbathing au naturel at the beach. Using our traditions and religious sensibilities as an excuse, we find this kind of behaviour undignified, and yet we allow the businesses that help propagate the sins of flesh to prosper without constraint. In a society full of the thick-skinned, we negligently let anything go. As Dorothy Parker famously once said, “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.” APRIL 2015 | 27
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Joe’s Bangkok 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.
PIONEER RETRO
THE BHUTHORN CONTINUES TO LEAD THE PRESERVATION OF VINTAGE BANGKOK STYLE.
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ack in 2005 the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced plans to turn three of the city’s original phraeng – Phraeng Sapphasat, Phraeng Nara and Phraeng Bhuthon, lined up behind the Defence Ministry by the Ku Muang canal – into a “cultural tourism” neighbourhood. In Thai, phraeng once referred to land parcels granted to senior court officials by the king. In the case of these three phraeng (referred to collectively as Sam Phraeng), they were King Rama V’s gifts to three loyal officials named Nara, Sappasart and Bhuthorn respectively. On the three pieces of land, the officials built two-story European style shophouse/residences, which had become 28 | APRIL 2015
very fashionable around a hundred to 150 years ago. Within each phraeng, the grantees allowed relatives and associates to add on to the property over the years, and because the land has remained in the control of the Crown Property Bureau, the neighbourhood has changed comparatively little over the last century. Around the same time that the BMA was looking for partners in their quest to preserve Sam Phraeng, architects Chitlada and Direk Senghluang were looking to acquire an historic property in old Bangkok. “We loved to visit historic districts in old towns in other countries, such as Luang Prabang, Laos,” says Direk. “We’ve always avoided the typical 5-star properties bangkok101.com
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managed by multinational companies, typically choosing to stay at owner-managed bed-and-breakfasts or boutique hotels in such districts.” When the couple came across Phraeng Bhuthorn they were enchanted not only by the historic architecture, but by the open square in the middle of the block. Originally it had been an outdoor market but as the market became less popular and derelict, the city converted the space into a quiet green area. “One weekend we found a building fronting the apex of a triangular block. It had been built in 1906 and occupied by Prince Bhuthorn, an official who was also a son of King Rama V. It had been registered with the Fine Arts Department since 1999, and thus couldn’t be remodelled without government approval, which we liked. But it had been used for years as a kitchen for roasting moo daeng (barbecued pork) and was in terrible condition, all smokestained and smelly,” says Chitlada. “Most people weren’t interested in the ruined building. It took an architect’s eye to see the potential,” she says. “The original wooden doors were gone and the wooden upper floor was in dangerous disrepair. But it was a great project for an architect.” Although the project started out as a cozy home for the couple, as the beauty and elegance of the building came to the fore, they were inspired to share the space with guests from around the world as a boutique hotel they named The Bhuthorn. The location makes it a perfect choice for anyone wanting to tour the old city – Koh Ratanakosin – on foot. The Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, National Museum, Wat Phao, Phraeng Nara Theatre and Khao San Road are all within easy walking distance. Yet as The Bhuthorn faces the interior of the block, fronted by an open green space, it is unusually quiet for this part of the city. For three years the couple collected furniture, art and materials for the renovation, which then took a further two years to complete. They didn’t bother hiring a designer, choosing instead to decorate the hotel to their own tastes. “We didn’t turn it into a hotel for profit, as that’s hardly possible with only three rooms,” says Direk. “But we really wanted to share the Ratanakosin legacy. We love hearing from guests that they find it unique and charming.” bangkok101.com
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The impressive renovation includes a new staircase of recycled teak, period-correct floral-pattern floor tiles, old maps and prints, crystal chandeliers and a rotating collection of antique furniture and accessories. They left the old brick walls intact, and where plaster needed to be replaced they used traditional stucco from Ayuthaya, prepared with an archaic filling of molasses and other organic ingredients, to help ventilate heat and moisture. Where possible, original structures were maintained, including masonry wall bearings, the upper wooden floor and windows, the metal balusters and the gingerbread roof eaves, all typical of old shophouses in this area. Where necessary they made new replicas of materials from the past, such as the kite tiles for the roof. The electrical system was completely re-wired for safety, and the all-new bathrooms feature vintage-style toilets and sinks paired with modern functionality. The three guestrooms are named for the three princes who occupied the phraeng. Salapasart, the only guestroom on the ground floor, features high windows and is decorated in British colonial style with old teak and rattan furniture. The Bhuthorn room, the largest of the three, occupies part of the upper floor overlooking the green space in the centre of Phraeng Bhuthorn and features a blue and white colour scheme, antique four-poster bed, old teak wardrobe and a handmade mosaic lavatory. The Nara, the most lively-looking of the three rooms, is also on the upper floor and is distinguished by a sleeping loft that overlooks the main sitting area. It also has windows overlooking The Bhuthorn’s tiny courtyard below. Sam Phraeng is well known among Thai street food gourmets, and from The Bhuthorn it’s easy to reach many famed eateries. Nattaphorn, one of the city’s best vendors of homemade coconut ice cream, is next door to the hotel. Close by are Yentafo Nai Ouan (opposite Bangkok Bank), known for rice noodle soup prepared with fermented soy, and Khrua Apsorn (alongside the BMA building), a classic all-around Thai eatery.
THE BHUTHORN 96-98 Phraeng Bhuthorn Rd, San Chao Pho Seua, Phra Nakhon 0 2622 2270 | thebhuthorn.com
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Bizarre
Thailand
A long-term resident of Thailand, Jim Algie has compiled some of his strangest trips, weirdest experiences and funniest stories into the nonfiction compilation ‘Bizarre Thailand’ (Marshall Cavendish 2010). More bytes and pixels at www.jimalgie.com.
LIFE AND DEATH SENTENCES II This second excerpt from a biographical tale about the country’s last legalized assassin is dedicated in the book to the man himself: “In memoriam of Chaovaret Jaruboon, a gentleman, a rock ‘n’ roller and Thailand’s last executioner.” It’s included in The Phantom Lover and Other Thrilling Tales from Thailand.
Above and opposite: stills from the film The Last Executioner (2014), reproduced here courtesy of Tom Waller/De Warrenne Pictures (Thailand); Hanfgarn & Ufer Film und TV Produktion; Minerva Film; and Tiger Entertainment
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HE REST OF the interviews were boring. All the reporters wanted were the usual blood and carnage stories. So he repeated them by rote. The fire in the jail that claimed several hundred lives (most burned alive in their cells). The inmates who commandeered a laundry truck and tried to drive it through the front gates (all five shot dead by the guards). The legendary serial cannibal who spat on the robes of the monk giving him a final blessing. He took the warden’s advice and repeated the prime minister’s remark about the reasoning behind the “War Against Drugs” which had now claimed the lives of some two thousand five hundred alleged drug dealers, who had been shot dead by police and other drug dealers over the last three months. But he said it with such little 30 | APRIL 2015
conviction that anyone could have heard a few undertones of opposition in his voice. “Drug dealers have been cruel to our children, so we must be cruel to them.” He added: “I think we need to look on the positive side too. Thanks to the warden and the director of the Corrections Department there have been many improvements in the jail, like correspondence courses in seven different subjects.” The only journalist who proved to be at all different or interesting was a lanky Australian guy with a soldier’s haircut who was dressed in army clothes. The earrings he wore looked as gay as the jail’s ladyboy hookers, and he wasn’t the sort of man Boonchu could ever be seen with in public, but at least he spoke some Thai and wanted bangkok101.com
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to know the man behind the sub-machine gun. Unlike all the other reporters, he actually took notes when Boonchu told him that his favorite pastime was cooking, and every morning he woke up at five to go to the fresh market to buy meat and produce so he could have breakfast on the table for his wife and daughters by seven. One of the strangest things about being the executioner was that most of the men he met, when they found out what his job was, wanted to outgun him with their own tales of violence and bravery under fire. This guy was no exception. He told Boonchu a long story about how he’d been shot on the streets of Bangkok during the “Black May” political crisis of 1992. Smiling, Boonchu taunted him in a good-natured way, as he did with all the macho men who wanted to win his respect but only received his mockery. “Yes, you make protest while I sleep. Can you believe I never vote in election, never believe in politics? Maybe you are stronger than me. You want my job?” Boonchu tipped his head back and laughed, so he could see all the dead flies lying at the bottom of the light fixture. “No, thanks. I don’t have those kind of killer instincts.” “Yes, you do. Everybody can know sometimes. Maybe your family is threatened, somebody kidnap your wife, kill your baby, then you find out. Sure.” Boonchu leaned forward. He lowered his voice. He would not dare to steal the spotlight and show up any of his seniors and superiors on such an important day, but he could at least hint at his surprise. This guy could get the word out to the international press and the scientific community. If the experiment worked, it would make the War Against Drugs look trivial. “You want to know something secret? Off the record, I am a scientist, ichthyologist.” The Aussie lowered his voice to a whisper too. “An ichthyologist? What’s that?” “Expert on fish. I make big experiment for many years. Maybe I can tell soon and give you exclusive story, if you want.” “Absolutely. I’d be well up for that. You know, I have to say, for a professional killer you seem like a very nice guy.” “Yes, I must say, for a journalist you are a nice man too.” The belly laugh made his hands tremble. bangkok101.com
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The phone on the desk rang. It was the warden. He said, “Lock-down at 3pm.” That was the code they used; whenever executions took place the prison was locked down an hour earlier than usual. “Today, we need your team to pick up six men.” “Six? We’ve never had that many in a single day before.” “I told you. The prime minister wants us to set some stern precedents in the War Against Drugs. Let’s make sure our department is not the weak link in the chain of command or our careers may get the death sentence too.” The warden read out the names and numbers of the inmates so Boonchu could write them down. Even after all these years, the way that the warden could recite the roll call of the condemned, like he was ordering a meal in a restaurant, chilled the sweat on the executioner’s forehead. He wasn’t really the executioner. Those death sentences were decided by the cops, the lawyers and judges. He was only the authorities’ triggerman; he was their scapegoat, their dupe. But the journalists and crime reporters who trooped through the meeting room that morning, true to their shallow and moralistic profession that frames complex issues like capital punishment in the black and white newsprint of five hundred-word op/ed pieces, persisted in seeing something macho, something dangerous in this man and his profession. As Kendall was leaving, he said, “I couldn’t do what you do, mate. You’ve got the toughest job in the world.” Boonchu shook his head and covered his swollen stomach with his hands. “No, it’s the easiest job in the world.” He held up the index and middle fingers of his right hand. “All you have to do is point the gun and go click, click, click, click. The hard part is what comes after.” This is the second excerpt from the tale “Life and Death Sentences” from The Phantom Lover and Other Thrilling Tales of Thailand (Tuttle, 2014) by Jim Algie. Stay tuned for the third and final excerpt in the next issue.” A PRIL 2015 | 31
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listings
Ananta Samakhom Palace Throne Hall
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, Ratchadamnoen, 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] 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium | 0 2216 7368 jimthompsonhouse. com | 9am-5pm | B100/B50 students American Jim Thompson was the Princeton graduate and former spook who revived the hand-woven Thai silk industry before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967. One of the things to do in Bangkok is visit his tropical garden home beside a pungent canal: six traditional teak houses from around the country kept exactly as he left them
M.R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE [MAP 5/H8] 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | 0 2286 8185 Sat-Sun 10am-4pm, Daily | B50/B20 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 | 0 2281 1569 | TueSun 9.30am-4pm | B100 32 | A PR IL 2015
Erawan Shrine 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 | BTS Phaya Thai | 0 2245 4934 | suanpakkad.com | 9am4pm | B100 A former market garden that was converted into a residence and garden by Princess Chumbot. Consisting of five reconstructed Thai wooden houses, Wang Suan Pakkard pays testament to her dedication to collecting Thai artefacts and antiques.
SHRINES ERAWAN SHRINE [MAP 4/G5] Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan BTS Chit Lom | Free Don’t expect serenity here. This is one 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 | Free 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 | Free
The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew If your love life is in the doldrums then this shrine is for you: at 9:30pm 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.
TEMPLES THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW [MAP 7/D10] Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang | Tha Chang Pier | 0 2222 0094, 0 2623 5500 8.30am-3.30 pm | B500 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 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 | 0 2465 5640 | watarun.com | 8am-5pm | B100 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 | 0 2226 0369 watpho.com | 8am-5pm | B100 bangkok101.com
listings
Wat Ratchanatda 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 0 2221 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 | 0 2224 8807 | 8.30am-6pm 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 | 0 2233 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 Arun sculpture. The city’s iconic Giant Swing, where brave men used to swing up to great heights to catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth during annual harvest ceremonies, sits out front.
WAT TRAIMIT [MAP 6/L3] 661 Charoen Krung Rd | 0 2623 1226 MRT HuaLampong | 8am-5pm | B50/B100 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 | 0 2245 3008 bangkokdolls.com | Mon-Sat 8am-5pm 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
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Wat Traimit murals and illustrations from antique books.
BANGKOKIAN MUSEUM [MAP 5/E3] 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43, Si Phraya Pier 0 2233 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 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 0 2658 0060 | madametussauds.com/ Bangkok | 10am-9pm | B800/B600 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
WAT SUTHAT & THE GIANT SWING [MAP 7/H9]
Bamrung Muang Rd | 0 2222 9632 | 9am-9pm Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to excellent examples of bronze bangkok101.com
Wat Suthat & The Giant Swing
Madame Tussauds APRIL 2015 | 33
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listings
The National Museum 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 0 2653 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 | 0 2622 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 pop graphics and interactive games galore. Entertaining highlights include dressing up as a 20th-century nobleman, blowing up Burmese soldiers on
Royal Barge Museum 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 | 0 2224 1333 thailandmuseum.com | Wed-Sun 9am-4pm B200 | no photo allowed 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 | 02621 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 hard-to-fathom history, arts, architecture and traditions into much clearer focus.
ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM [MAP 7/B4]
Museum of Siam 34 | APRIL 2015
80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd | Thonburi Railway Pier 0 2424 0004 | 9am-5pm | B30/ B100 photo/B200 video This collection of ornate royal barges, some of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the
Ancient Siam 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 0 2709 1644 | ancientcity.com B500/B250 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 0 2482 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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PAINTED PACHYDERMS: AYUTTHAY’S PLAYFUL ELEPHANTS GET IN ON THE SONGKRAN FUN 36 | A PRIL 2015
bangkok101.com
SAWATDEE PEE MAI
SONGKRAN T
he inimitable charm of the annual Songkran Festival attracts tourists to Thailand in their droves. In mid-April many a venue in the Big Mango is turned into a watery battlefield packed with crowds toting squirt guns and other receptacles useful for hurling water. Of course, the liquid mayhem that ushers in the Thai New Year isn’t limited to the capital… upcountry revelers are just as adept at beating the heat with water fights, but they also have their own cultural twists on the traditions of Songkran. In neighbouring Samut Prakan province, the Mon (or Raman) community at Phra Pradaeng celebrate the New Year with ancient customs that include the Thai-Raman flag ceremony, traditional Raman games such as Saba, Miss Songkran and Loi Chai (male) beauty pageants and other elaborate stage performances by local Mon residents. The celebrations here usually take place just after national Songkran holidays and this year fall on April 17-19. To experience the true essence of Songkran, to catch a glimpse the traditional ways in which the festival was celebrated in Siam of old, make tracks for Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, or Ayutthaya for short. The town is ranked as one of the top destinations for old-style Songkran pageantry in Thailand. After gathering at the main temples for merit-making and Buddha image-bathing ceremonies, people parade around the ancient ruins of the old town, a heritage site. Then, of course, a proper water fight ensues! It is even more fun because elephants painted in colourful array get to join in. The celebration runs from April 13-15. For an alternative taste of Thai New Year, head to the south for Hat Yai’s Midnight Songkran and get soaked under the moonlight. The festival attracts overland tourists from neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, who cross the border for a few days to join the fun. Highlights include mini-concerts, a foam party and a Miss Songkran Contest. The 24-7 festivities begin at noon on April 12 and continue until midnight on April 15. Our list wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Chiang Mai where water fights last for almost a week. From April 11-15, the city lights up with splendid cultural activities which are as various as the venues specially provided for the occasion. These include displays of sand sculptures at temples and the bathing of the Phra Buddha Sihing image, which is believed to give the people of the North a prosperous beginning to the New Year. The water fights begin with a parade of city officials who offer themselves up as willing targets as they saunter along Tha Phae Road. Another recommended site for some watery fun is the banks of the Ping River.
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up country now April 7 Si Satchanalai Ordination Procession This mass ordination ceremony takes place in Sukothai’s Si Satchanalai district where young novice monks clad in elaborate costumes are paraded through the streets on the backs of beautifully-decorated elephants. This tribal tradition, which dates back some 150 years, finishes up at Ban Haat Siao village’s main temple, where a pho thao (village elder) helps the novices dismount and leads them to worship.
April 11 – 19 Phuket Bike Week 2015
Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung Festival
April 3 – 5 Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung Festival At dusk crowds gaze in awe at an astounding astroarcheological event: sunlight beaming through the doors of Buriram provinces’s ancient Khmer temple, Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung, and onto a revered stone hidden deep in its main sanctuary. Marking this auspicious celestial phenomenon is an invocation ritual known as buang suang, a light and sound shows, and various cultural performances.
The 21st installment of this annual bike meet takes place at Patong Beach on April 11-19 before moving to Phuket Town on April 17-19. There’ll be beach parties, live music, tattoo contests, tree plantings, bike exhibitions, a Miss Phuket Bike Week beauty contest and a “ride for peace” parade around the island. Other highlights include the release of juvenile fish and sea turtles, and donations to schools for underprivileged kids and day-care facilities for mothers in prison. Find out more at phuketbikeweek.com.
April 26 Koh Samui Triathlon If you’re into breaking a sweat then why not cycle, run and swim through the exotic environs of Koh Samui at the 2015 Samui Triathlon? Now in its third year, the event offers iron men and women the chance to compete for cash prizes. And following their exertions they can recharge their batteries on the islands sunny beaches. Find more information on the route, registration, rules, reservations and more at triathlonsamui.com.
May 8 Miss Tiffany’s Universe Contest Head down to Pattaya to watch around 30 of the Kingdom’s best-looking (or most surgically chiselled) ladyboys strut their stuff at this world-famous annual beauty pageant. After swanning about the stage in ball gowns, glittering Vegas cabaret style headdresses and skimpy bikinis, the ecstatic winner will be crowned Miss Tiffany Universe 2015. Visit misstiffanyuniverse. com for more information.
Poi Sang Long
April 3 – 5 Poi Sang Long For Three days the sleepy provincial town of Mae Hong Son hosts a colorful Burmese Shan tradition where young boys aged between 7 and 14 are ordained as novice Buddhist monks. On day one, the boys have their heads shaved and are carried through the streets on the shoulders of male villagers. The second day features a riotous parade and spontaneous celebrations, and on the third day, the boys are given their first robes, formally ordained and served a huge feast. 38 | APRIL 2015
Miss Tiffany’s Universe Contest bangkok101.com
The lakeside gazebo where King Chulalongkorn loved to write in the cool shade.
up country xxx escape
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SUMMER PALACE OF THE ROYALS
Set amidst dreamy waterscapes and leafy gardens, Bang Pa-In Palace is a lovely day trip from Bangkok. WORDS & PICTURES BY KEITH MUNDY
E
verybody wants to escape at some time, even kings – perhaps especially kings, judging by the far-flung palaces they have built. The cares of state have often driven monarchs to flee the capital city for a country retreat – yet that place in the country has often been as palatial as the one left behind in the city. Or even more so – Philip II of Spain’s enormous Escorial, for instance, or the vast Versailles of Louis XIV. Yet 16th and 17th century Europeans were behind in this sort of thing compared to Oriental potentates such as the Ming and Mogul emperors, who had become quite in the habit of away-from-it-all palace building. Even comparatively modest Siam had a wealth of regal residences. To the astonishment of Louis XIV’s ambassadors in the 1680s, the Siamese capital Ayuthaya was bigger than Paris and quite as splendid – even if it lacked a Louvre. Its then ruler, King Narai, received the French envoys both at Ayuthaya’s Royal Palace and at his great retreat upriver at Lopburi. He also had a summer palace downriver at Bang Pa-In. In 1767 the Burmese invaders razed all these glories, and only the least grand one was ever rebuilt. A century later, King Chulalongkorn decided to recreate Bang
Pa-In Palace as a retreat from the burgeoning new capital, Bangkok. A great reformer who pushed Siam into the modern age, the progressive monarch was partly educated in Europe, part Chinese in descent, and his architectural taste reflected his cosmopolitanism. Bang Pa-In Palace is a charming melange of French Neoclassical, Victorian Gothic, Imperial Chinese and traditional Thai forms set in parkland that is by turns formal French, “natural” English and classic Chinese. Mostly created in the period 1872-99, the buildings span a dazzling range from chateau to summerhouse, from pagoda to lighthouse. All are close to water, the chateau wedged between river and lake, the Chinese mansion standing on an island in the lake, the Thai sala actually protruding from the lake like a mirage. Unlike most royal palaces, all is on a human scale. Nothing is massive, nothing intimidates, and everything conspires to enchant and relax. In short, it represents the Thai character: easy assimilation of alien forms and a great will to charm. Immediately upon entering, you see the great vista of a long watercourse flanked by tree-lined promenades. This is part of the Outer Palace, the area formerly given over
Phra Thinang Warophat Phiman, the Excellent and Shining Marble maiden before the great white watergate. Heavenly Abode, the official royal residence and throne hall. bangkok101.com
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Neoclassical statue standing on the bridge over the central lake with the Aisawan Thiphya-art pavilion behind amid the lake. to public and ceremonial uses. After about 200 metres, the watercourse is crossed by an elegant neoclassical bridge upon whose parapets pose statues of Carrara marble. From their vantage point, Greek goddesses and nymphs gaze back down the channel and forward across Bang PaIn’s finest panorama, the central lake dividing the Outer from the Inner Palace. From its midst arises the exquisite Phra Thinang Aisawan Thiphya-art, a Thai-style pavilion with multitiered roofing and much intricate gilding. This shimmering vision is the motif by which Bang Pa-In is usually known to the world. The combination of style and situation makes it iconic: classic Rattanokosin period architecture surrounded by water, as if floating. Its name enhances this ethereal impression – the Divine Seat of Personal Freedom. The Aisawan Thiphya-art is further enhanced by its contrasting backdrop, two neoclassical structures to left and right across the lake. The larger, set between lake and river, is the official royal residence and throne hall called Phra Thinang Warophat Phiman, the Excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode. Distinctly European, this mansion glows in the yellow and white paint so characteristic of Tsarist St. Petersburg and Hapsburg Vienna, which King Chulalongkorn had admired on his two European tours. On the river bank alongside stands the royal landing stage, which recalls a royal tragedy. King Chulalongkorn’s consort, Queen Sunantha, was travelling upriver from Bangkok by barge in 1881. The vessel capsized and the Queen drowned, because not only was she unable to swim, but there was an absolute prohibition on commoners touching a royal person, and therefore nobody dared to rescue her! King Chulalongkorn, stricken with grief, declared an end to the taboo and built a monument to his wife at Bang Pa-in, where he had been awaiting her, a marble obelisk upon which is inscribed, in capital letters: “To the beloved memory of Her late and lamented Majesty Sunandakumariratn, Queen Consort, who was 42 | APRIL 2015
wont to spend her most pleasant and happiest hours in this garden amidst those loving ones and dearest to her. This memorial is erected by Chulalongkorn Rex, her bereaved husband, whose suffering from so cruel an endurance through those trying hours made death seem so near and yet preferable. 1881.” The memorial stands in the gardens of the Inner Palace, the area formerly reserved for the King, his immediate family, and for some honoured guests. It contains further residences and notable curiosities, the most eye-catching being the Ho Withun Thasana or Sage’s Lookout Tower, like a great lighthouse. The most striking residence is the weatherboard Uthayan Phumisathian, painted in pink and white, a great rambling chalet favoured by King Chulalongkorn in the hot season for its openness to cooling breezes. In the rainy and cool seasons, he preferred the farthest residence, the Chinese mansion named Phra Thinang Wehat Chamrun, Royal Residence of Heavenly Light. The only mansion open to the public, it was a gift from Bangkok’s Chinese merchants, who imported from China the best artisans to work on it and the finest fittings to embellish it. Prince Ookhtomsky, a Russian guest, loved it, saying, “It is really a palace of romance, with ornamented tiled floors, massive ebony furniture, gold, silver and porcelain freely used for decorative purposes, and delicate fretwork on the columns and on the windows. Evidently we have before us the principal sight of Bang Pa-in. The Emperor of China himself can scarcely have a palace much finer than this!” Once all this was reserved for royalty alone, but now it is open to all who can make the journey and pay the meagre sum of 100 Baht (Thais, 30 Baht). It is especially pleasant to arrive like the kings and queens of old by river cruise up the stately Chao Phraya. The palace is rarely crowded – you can be a monarch for a day. bangkok101.com
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Towering karst island in Ha Long Bay.
STEAMING THROUGH A DREAM What spectacle on this planet can match the dreamscape that is Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay? WORDS AND PICTURES BY KEITH MUNDY
over the border
A tourist junk sails in the sunset.
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a Long has this been going on? About ten thousand years, say the geologists. That’s how long two thousand-odd towers of jagged limestone have been jutting exquisitely skyward from jade green seas in the Gulf of Tonkin, just off the coast of northern Vietnam, to make the matchless spectacle that is Ha Long Bay. There were about 500 million years of preparations, however – eruptions, erosions, desiccations, inundations, from the Cambrian period to the Holocene epoch, in which we now are, let it be understood. Creation takes its time, but it is well worth the wait. A “drowned karst landscape” for the geomorphologists, a dreamscape for most of us, Ha Long Bay is a place where nature becomes so strangely, gorgeously spectacular that you are spellbound, you are speechless. File away the explanations, sail into dreamland, slip into reverie, courtesy of your chosen vessel, which is usually a multi-decked imitation junk, the sails, if there at all, being solely decorative. The tourist love affair with Ha Long Bay – now big business with scores of cruise operators – has been going on only a century or so, starting with the French colonialists who barged into northern Vietnam in the 1880s. With their main port established at Haiphong, around 70 kilometres away, the French could hardly miss this spectacular marine phenomenon. Marauding Chinese and Vietnamese pirates were holed up in the archipelago – not surprisingly, because it’s just impossible to think of a better environment for playing seaborne hide-and-seek. Cruising the islands, you constantly see boats large and small, there one moment on a shimmering sea, gone the next behind some towering rock. Flushing the local buccaneers out for the sake of their shipping security, the French were inevitably dazzled by what they saw. Already in the local shipping business, the Roque brothers saw their opportunity and built four flatbottomed paddle-steamers to transport cargo and provide pleasure cruises in this extraordinary archipelago. Today one boat, only one, deliberately harks back to that colonial era: the Emeraude (Emerald in English), a close replica of its predecessor of the same name from the halcyon days of French Indochina. Much has been made bangkok101.com
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Relaxing with a view on the Emeraude. of that era, and still is, as one of beauty and charm. The Oscar-winning film Indochine (1993) played it up no end, and the Emeraude takes to this same stage. Stepping aboard, you are instantly in a world of polished board decks, gleaming brass fittings and pressed white ducks. At almost subliminal level, Louis Armstrong and Maurice Chevalier sing softly from somewhere. Brass fans whir, the signs say “pont principal” and “pont supérieur” instead of “main deck” and “upper deck”, the captain gives a Gallic welcome over the tannoy: “Bienvenus a bord!” The boat steams out of port towards a craggy mountain range in the distant sea; within a half hour, we’re amongst the rocky pillars of Ha Long, with all eyes on a towering wedge-shaped island with one side a sheer drop, topped by a Chinese pavilion. Every boat seems to head first for a horseshoe-shaped inlet enclosed within a great fortress of an island, entered via a narrow channel, to visit the so-called Surprise Cave. A maelstrom of motorised junks clowns around in this lagoon, a circus which some of us could do without. Cruising is the thing, slowly, effortlessly, dreamily, otherworldly, not sweatily clambering over, or inside, rocks – please. The Emeraude, too large to enter the lagoon, anchors outside and sends boxy little tenders in with trippers. The wise, however, remain on the lounge deck with exotic cocktails in hand, lolling in rattan chairs. From here on, I joined them. Ah, sweet farniente (as the French have copped from the Italians), joyous idleness, plus superb scenery. The real luxury of the Emeraude is the space, four decks to roam, including a capacious canopied lounge deck with bar and a deckchaired eyrie called the sun deck on top of that. All this gives unrivalled viewing opportunities, as the boat gently eases through the calm jade waters, passing sheer cliffs, rounding sharp headlands, opening vast vistas of rock-strewn ocean, turning into secluded coves, floating phantom-like through the lovely weirdness of an ancient flooded mountain range. Only the captain with his detailed charts has any idea where we are and where we’re going; for us dreamers, the archipelago is a total enigma, a vast geological jigsaw, an ever-changing, never-ending kaleidoscope of rocky forms APRIL 2015 | 45
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over the border
Dusk view from the Emeraude. and shades. Some sources reckon there are about 3,000 islands, others insist on a strangely precise 1,969, and UNESCO gives a figure of 1,600 for its World Heritage Site, but who cares besides the geographers and bureaucrats? Sailing, we are sailing, to be free, to be free..... As to the origins, the geologists are, as ever, trounced by folklore, which recounts that the gods sent down a family of celestial dragons to defend the land from invaders. The dragons spat out jewels and jade into the sea, which turned into a multitude of jagged islands and islets that repulsed the enemy. The dragons liked their work so much that they decided to stay, hence the Vietnamese name Vinh Ha. Long, which translates as “Dragon Descending Bay”, or “Where the Dragon Descends into the Sea”. One is still there, apparently, sort of. There is a legend that a strange dragon-like creature called the Tarasque lurks in the bay, and fishermen swear they’ve seen it, the Ha Long Ness Monster, as it were. The only wondrous creature that appeared on our trip was Catherine Deneuve, who showed up in the après diner movie – you guessed it – Indochine. Commanding the lounge deck with supreme aplomb, she easily won the beauty contest between the bay and herself, if only because it was pitch black outside. Dawn revealed us anchored beside a great massif rising precipitously out of a grey sea. As we slowly moved on out, distant misty visions of tall rock formations paraded before our eyes, exquisitely drifting and morphing with our own progress. The sun rose and turned all from grey to gold. A man in a basket boat rowed alone across 46 | APRIL 2015
glistening waters. Sea eagles circled and swooped. The original Emeraude sank in 1937, but we never felt the slightest hint of danger in this elegant tub. We just dreamt on. Indeed, this layer-cake boat is so stable that you never found yourself staggering along like a drunk, as per normal on board ship. Unless you were drunk, which could easily happen with two bars for less than 80 voyagers and a general inclination to relaxez-vous. Stormy weather would presumably change that, but our trip was decidedly plain sailing... apart from the delicious decadence, nature at its most magnificent, the tropical languor, the transcendental experience, and a few things like that.
The Emeraude cruising the archipelago. The Emeraude: visit emeraude-cruises.com for more information. bangkok101.com
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hotel review
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HOTEL INDIGO - Appealing to the Inner Artist BY CRAIG SAUERS
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The fun thing about Hotel Indigo is that we don’t have any fixed meaning,” says Channida Karawan, director of marketing and communications at Wireless Road’s newest boutique. “It’s all up to you.” Such a laissez-faire stance is rather uncommon in hospitality, an industry sustained by courting and coddling. Yet, while other outlets might spoon-feed codified messages, Hotel Indigo gives its guests the freedom to analyse the property’s style in their own terms. A portico lined with metal art leads to a lobby furnished with chairs of miscellaneous shapes and sizes. Behind the check-in counter, ocean-blue LED lights race through narrow tracks in a teakwood board — new technology merged with the old, a blending of ages that’s central to the architecture. Nowhere is this more evident than the elevator. The inside is illuminated by Edison bulbs, and a wall outside the elevator on the ground level features a mosaic of antique radios and guitars. The instalment pays homage to the history of Wireless Road, the neighbourhood from which the first radio waves were broadcast from Thailand. “’Explore the community,’” explains Karawan. “That’s the idea. We always talk about the neighbourhood, not just the property.” From decorative, rainbow-coloured beams representing Thai silk to Lumpini Park’s trademark cats stencilled on hallway walls, the locally-inspired concept fits well within the boutique zeitgeist. The property doesn’t redefine luxury or aspire to a status beyond five stars, but rather provides open, lavish living spaces with an artistic bent that larger hotels often struggle to capture. Each room comes with various custom-made furnishings: blue and red rugs woven with the figure of the phya nak, a snake figure from Thai mythology; silver-plated chests and nightstands emblematic of the Machine Age; greyscale photos of local scenes with power lines accented in gold; coffee mugs with the numbers 8 and 1 printed on them — 81 Wireless Road, the address of the hotel. While art and culture form the foundation of the interior design concept, freshness completes it. High, wide windows let loads of natural light into rooms, and real hardwood floors replicate the comfort of home. Abetting the bright vibe are shades of colour skewed toward the vivid, including violet, carmine, canary-yellow, and orange. Perhaps most indicative of the art-plus-nature concept, however, are the open-air corridors in the common spaces. Every four floors function as a sort of atrium, each floor with a veranda containing planted trees and flowers that bring a slice of the park to the property, an art installation that tells a story about Thailand, and graffiti murals that resemble the work of Banksy. Some of the more striking facilities include the pool and gym. Set on the 24th floor, the infinity pool overlooks bangkok101.com
the US ambassador’s residence and the Dutch Embassy. Since neither of these institutions is going anywhere, the ridge of skyscrapers rising behind the low buildings and adjacent green areas should offer spectacular views for many years to come. The gym, too, has an active view of Sukhumvit Road and neighbouring luxury venues, which helps ease the monotony of running on a treadmill. In a languid corner on the mezzanine, 22 Steps, the flagship bar, gives off a library-lounge feel that invites conversation over a few cocktails. There are plenty of crowd-pleasers on the shelf, like an aperitif with a pear miraculously settled in the bottom of the bottle and oakaged gin. A floor above the bar is Metro, a bistro-style restaurant that serves classic Thai dishes, some created by Chef Ian Kittichai. As satisfying as the mains may be, the desserts trump the rest of the menu. With prices averaging around B150 for individual dishes and drinks, these outlets appeal to local workers. That’s precisely the point: Hotel Indigo unites outsiders and locals, bridging communities with characteristic charm.
HOTEL INDIGO
[MAP 4/L6]
81 Wireless Rd | 0 2207 4999 hotelindigo.com
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OUT OF THE BOX AND INTO THE FIRE This month, Thavibu Gallery unveils “There Is No Box,” a series of oil paintings by Vietnamese artist Bui Thanh Tam. By any definition, Vietnam ranks as a conservative culture that, like many others in Southeast Asia, is changing rapidly. Tam’s paintings examine the evolution of his home country’s society from a number of angles, each tackling different issues. Female figures in the series often represent nontraditional values, totems through which the artist questions the role of women in Vietnamese society. He also shines light on chaos within Vietnam and how it can be perceived, especially by youth. “This series was created with Vietnam in a transitional stage,” says the artist. “The communist regime is integrating into the wider world, and this sudden change, without orientation, makes the human psyche overwhelmed, confused, and disoriented.” At the nexus of this transition is conflict — Eastern traditions coming into contact with Western influences, sometimes with harsh immediacy — a dynamic that plays a prominent role in the paintings. “There Is No Box” runs from April 25-May 23 at Thavibu Gallery.
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exhibitions
15 MINUTES
KATHMANDU PHOTO GALLERY [MAP 5/E5] 87 Soi Pan, Silom Rd | BTS Chong Nonsi | 0 2234 6700 | Tue-Sun 11am-6pm | kathmandu-bkk.com
Until April 26 A brand-new photographic exhibition by emerging German artist Patrik Budenz, titled 15 Minutes examine the nature of pain, triumph, and defeat through shots of Muay Thai fighters after they’ve exited the ring and retreated backstage. Monochrome and shot up-close, the portraits hide no secrets, bearing the battle-scarred warriors in moments of intense emotion and raw vulnerability. There’s an opening party on March 7 from 6.30pm to 9pm.
STREET FEELINGS
ARTHA GALLERY [MAP 5/C3] OP Garden, 5-7 Soi 36 Charoen Krung Rd | BTS Saphan Taskin 0 2630 9489 | Mon-Sat 10am-7pm | arthagallery.fr
Until April 30 Luong Van Trung , a talented young Vietnamese artist is fascinated by the effects of ten years of globalization in Vietnam and more precisely by the project called ‘Giãn Dân’: a relocation of entire countryside families to new buildings in suburbs of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. All the kids street characters are sketched with a wonderful & talented “palette “ of colours along with a meaningful, yet hard faces expressing all the contradictions and feelings of the new Vietnamese kids generation.
LIFE IN MONOGRAM
KOI ART GALLERY [MAP 3/K8] 245 Sukhumvit Soi 31 | 0 2662 3218 | 10am-7pm koiartgallerybangkok.com
Until April 30 A solo painting exhibition by Silawit Poolsawat presents lessons hidden in old photographs. The subjects in his works are inspired from various old photographs of Asian women which provide an emotional historical passage to the way of living, culture, and current generation’s belief in Southeast Asia. The artist believes that although the photographs have faded with time, the culture and beliefs are still of value today and preserves their essence through his mesmerizing paintings.
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exhibitions
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COPY-PASTE
SOMBAT PERMPOON GALLERY [MAP 3/D9] 12 Soi 1 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Ploenchit | 0 2254 6040 | 9am-8pm sombatpermpoongallery.com
March 12 – May 9 An exhibition explores the inherent problems in Thailand’s education system through the works of seven artists who have been both students and teachers. “Copy-Paste” refers to the Thai education culture in which learning is centered on memorizing from text books and following instructions from teachers. It is a culture in which students are not encouraged to be independent and creative, and critical thinking while discovering one’s individual strengths is not commonly promoted.
HOME APPLIANCES
ARDEL GALLERY OF MODERN ART 99/45 Belle Ville, Boromratchonnanee Rd (Km 10.5) | 0 2422 2092 Tue-Sat 10.30am-7pm, Sun 10.30am-5.30pm | ardelgallery.com
Until May 31 An exhibition by Amarin Buppasiri presents images of lonely children through the appearance of household appliances. When the existence of children in a house has been forgotten, their fragile spirits were replaced by household appliances such as table, chair, wardrobe, bed, lamp, pot, plate, clothes, etc. to symbolize a victim of negligence and unimportance. The modern society has played an important part to push children and teenagers away into the emptiness, nurturing them with attitudes, lifestyle of the modern day and value unlike others, and leading them towards loneliness and lack of essence in life.
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The Art of Faith Part of the on-going Festival of India in Thailand, which began in March and runs until early may, the Forms of Devotion art exhibition celebrates strong Indo-Thai links, and the occasion of HRH Princess Sirindhorn’s 60th Birthday Anniversary. LEKHA SHANKAR discovers more from the exhibition’s chief curator, respected Indian art writer Sushma Bahl MBE. 54 | APRIL 2015
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interview
How did the Forms of Devotion exhibition come about? The exhibition in Thailand is actually derived from a mega project for the famed Museum of Sacred Art (MOSA) in Belgium, where nearly 3000 Indian works of sacred art have been acquired for display in a new wing of the museum. Some of those works will be exhibited in Bangkok. MOSA has a large collection of sacred Indian art, including folk, tribal and contemporary work. It has two galleries – a main branch near Brussels, and another near Florence. A new building is now being designed, for which its Director has commissioned hundreds of new works by over 250 Indian artists, these make up the Forms of Devotion exhibition. Can you describe the theme behind the exhibition? Forms of Devotion speaks for plural cultures and unity in diversity – ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’, which means ‘The world as a family.’ Spiritual, sacred and secular, the art collection engages with representations of icons and ideas in myth, folklore, and popular culture, in diverse forms, faiths, genres, and ideologies. Why did you choose this theme? Given the current world scenario, and the interest of the producer and MOSA, it seemed appropriate to focus on spirituality in multi-cultural societies, across faiths, genres, media and modes, and on a shared platform. Is this a travelling art exhibition? Part of the collection, 350 works by 150 artists, will have been exhibited at the National Academy of Art in New Delhi in late March. For the Festival of India in Thailand, 50 works by twenty artists will be on display in Bangkok. This is the first overseas destination for the exhibition. After that, there are plans for it to travel to the Far East, Europe, and the Americas, before it goes to its final destination at MOSA.
How special is this event for Thailand? It is very special, because of the thrust of the theme, the strong Indo-Thai links, and because it celebrates the occasion of HRH Princess Sirindhorn’s 60th Birthday Anniversary. bangkok101.com
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Works by which Indian artists will be exhibited in Bangkok? Anjolie Ela Menon, Satish Gupta, Shuvaprasanna, SH Raza, and Seem Kohli are a few of the big names. Artist Satish Gupta will also give a demonstration of ‘live’ drawing at the exhibition opening. Which mediums are covered in the exhibition? The full gamut… there are paintings, drawings, sculpture, installations, video, and project-based as well as conceptual art works. How long have you been working on the exhibition? Nearly three years, with my colleague Archana Sapra and the Director of MOSA, Martin Gurvich, both of whom will be attending the opening of the exhibition. The selection of the art works involved visiting many of the artists across India, studying their pieces and commissioning new ones, in order to ensure the collection resonated well with the theme of the exhibition. What are the other dimensions of the Forms of Devotion exhibition? A richly illustrated two-volume book will be released, featuring nearly a thousand recently created works, with a selection of seminal essays by eminent scholars that reflect on the diversity and depth of Indian art in the sacred genre. A 50-minute film is also being made, by internationally acclaimed film-maker Goutam Ghose. The film journeys into the lives of eight artists who share their stories about what it means to make devotional art work. We’ll be making a 15-minute ‘short’ of the film for the exhibition in Bangkok. We are looking forward very much to our visit to Thailand.
FORMS OF DEVOTION Forms of Devotion takes place at the Exhibition Centre, Art & Culture Building, Chulalongkorn University, from April 28-May 10. Visit festivalofindiainthailand.com or formsofdevotion.org for more information.
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cheat notes
A DAMMING FUTURE FOR ASIA Meltdown in Tibet: China’s Reckless Destruction of Ecosystems from the Highlands of Tibet to the Deltas of Asia
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What appears to be just a Tibetan Plateau problem or a Chinese problem is going to become an Asiawide problem,” writes Michael Buckley in his latest book, Meltdown in Tibet: China’s Reckless Destruction of Ecosystems from the Highlands of Tibet to the Deltas of Asia. Indeed, the repressed and reclusive land is a critical figure in a continent-wide drama. It is the source of many major rivers which branch off and snake through eleven different countries. Nearly two billion people rely on these waters for agriculture, industry, and consumption. And yet, these life-givers are in grave danger of being blocked and diverted north, the corollary of massive new dam projects planned by Chinese engineers. Over 12 chapters, the award-winning Canadian journalist and author of the seminal Lonely Planet: Tibet traces the history of genocide and ecocide in Tibet. Before he takes readers on a journey down river, Buckley breaks down the causes and devastating effects of relentless deforestation and over-hunting in the holy land. As the Himalayan snow caps and the permafrost have melted at rapid speed, a result of abundant industrial expansion in neighbouring nations, the forests and animals have disappeared. To the author, that makes the most recent tragedy — the damming of the Drigung River, and the lack of information and critical discourse about it — all the more alarming.
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As Buckley wends from mouth to delta, he uncovers project after project shrouded in secrecy. Six dams planned to disrupt the flow of the Salween in Myanmar; the power of the Sutlej harnessed by the bulbous Bhakra Dam in India; and, in a potentially disastrous turn of events, nine proposed dams on the Mekong in Laos, with the hydropower exported to China, Vietnam, and Thailand, nations well-acquainted with environmentally challenging hydro-electric projects. Despite the gravity of the developing situation, Buckley revels in his re-discovery of the region’s natural beauty, its manifest splendour injected into the narrative as a girder of sentiment and structure. Forwarded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Meltdown in Tibet fits in a narrow niche between travelogue and exposé. Buckley calls it an alternative guide, “A guide to disaster, a personal take on environmental issues in Tibet,” based on his first-hand observations. This seems about right. For every whistle blown, he waxes lyrical about a bucolic lakeside or upland pasture. His connection to nature and a state stripped for bed by imperial forces turn this book into an unforgettable chronicle of a continent in crisis. Published by Palgrave MacMillan, Meltdown in Tibet is available at Asia Books (B750) and Kinokuniya (B781) bookstores. bangkok101.com
art & culture photofeature
The beautiful marine life of the Andaman Sea is revealed through a young amateur photographer’s watery wanderlust. It is sometimes said that diving in the deep sea is the nearest experience to space travel open to most of us mere mortals, and Sathita ‘Chompoo’ Amnuayskul is in no doubt that a trip to the ocean floor is akin to visiting a distant planet. The self-taught 25-year-old photographer and self-confessed adventure-junkie says, “Talk to people who scuba dive and they will tell you that when you are under water it is like being in another world. I have completed over a hundred open water dives since I qualified in 2012 and I can’t wait to go on my next one. It is a world I want others to see and appreciate, which is why I started to document the various species of fish, sea creatures, and coral off Thailand’s shores. They are a resource we must value and protect” An IT support engineer by profession, Amnuayskul says her need to get out and explore probably began as a subconscious reaction to her desk-bound job. “I’m sure it contributed to my desire to travel and experience life outside my comfort zone,” says the Chulalongkorn University graduate. Already an accomplished landscape photographer, Amnuayskul was inspired to take up scuba diving and marine photography by the work of renowned underwater photographers Daniel Botelho and Yoshi Hirata. “Both have developed special techniques for getting the best shots and they are willing to experiment. Ocean currents and your own buoyancy, light and visibility, pressure at depth… these and many other factors make capturing good subaquatic images way more challenging than snapping shots on dry land.” See more of Sathita Amnuayskul’s landscape and underwater imagery at: 500px.com/samnuayskul.
WET AND WILD
SCHOOL OF FISH
BARRACUDA
LIONFISH
HARLEQUIN SHRIMP
MORAY EEL
SEAHORSE
WHALE SHARK
THE TIGRESS: BARBEQUED PRAWNS WITH RED PEPPER AND CANDY STRIPE BEETS AT ABBOT P70
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AROY SWEET SCENTED SUMMER TREAT
Summer in Thailand brings more than just unbearable heat: it brings Khao Chae. The unique April treat involves a complicated pattern of covering steamed rice with chilled, jasmine-scented water, and then putting a spoonful of a side dish on your tongue and topping it off with the cool rice. Throughout April, Celadon at The Sukothai Bangkok is serving the Royal Thai specialty with a variety of fixings hand-crafted by Chef Rossarin, like watermelon with sweet ground fish and fried shallots, fried shrimp paste balls, and sweet shredded pork and beef. The promotion comes in at B990++ per set and ends on April 30.
MICHELIN IMPORT
From April 24-26, foodies unite at Park Society on the 29th floor of Sofitel So. Chef Sébastien Sanjou of Michelin Guide fame will be paying a weekend visit from France. Each night, from 6pm onward, the decorated chef will serve a signature 5-course menu (B4500++ per person). On Saturday, April 25, Sanjou will offer a special cooking class, instructing guests on the proper preparation of some of his signature dishes. The cooking class runs from 10am until 12 noon and costs B2400++ per person. Reservations are highly recommended. Call 0 2624 0000 or email H6835-FB3@Sofitel.com for more information.
MANGO MIXER MADNESS
Mango season has arrived. The sweet, golden fruit has multiplied across the city, showing up in desserts, snacks, and dishes. Sapphire Bar at The Sukosol is offering a different approach to the favoured fruit. Until April 30, you can savour the depth of its flavour in specially crafted cocktails. The innovative bartenders will serve rich Mango Lassi, fragrant Mango Iced Tea, and, for vodka fans, Mango & Basil Caipiroska, a mixture rounded out with fresh basil and Smirnoff. For more information or to make a reservation, call 0 2247 0123 ext. 1810 or visit thesukosol.com. Correction notice… mea culpa! Readers may have noticed that at the end of the In the Kitchen column in our March 2015 issue, which featured the talented Chef Jacobo Astray, we erroneously attributed his contact information to Tables Grill at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. In fact, as a private chef-for-hire working with Gula Bangkok, a company that creates unique dining experiences for individuals and companies, Chef Jacobo has no connection with Tables Grill. We apologise for any confusion this error may have caused. Chef Jacobo can be contacted at info@gulabangkok.com or by calling 09 0414 2005. Visit gulabangkok.com for more information. While we’re at it, we also highly recommend a visit to the excellent Tables Grill!
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meal deals HAWAIIAN NIGHTS AT 22 KITCHEN & BAR DUSIT THANI BANGKOK 946 Rama IV Rd | 0 2200 9000 | dusit.com/dtbk Throughout this month, 22 Kitchen & Bar brings you the vibrant colours and flavours of Polynesia with a special Hawaiian Night set menu (B1750++) created by Hawaiian Chef Nikolas Ramirez. The unique history of the island paradise is reflected in culinary influences derived from Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Portuguese immigrant communities. A live Hawaiian music and dance performance is also staged every Friday from 7pm.
SEASONAL WHITE ASPARAGUS AT GROSSI TRATTORIA & WINE BAR INTERCONTINENTAL BANGKOK 973 Phloenchit Rd | 0 2 656 0444 | intercontinental.com/icbangkok Once a year guests are invited to a special culinary extravaganza at Grossi featuring delicacies created with white asparagus. Chef Amedeo Ferri will be serving dishes such as roasted salmon with white asparagus volute, smoked salmon with white asparagus and cream cheese mousse, and Tagliolini with scallops, white asparagus and pancetta. The seasonal menu is available until the end of April. Dishes start at B590.
ASIAN CURRY FESTIVAL AT DEE LITE RESTAURANT DOUBLETREE BY HILTON SUKHUMVIT BANGKOK 18/1 Sukhumvit Soi 26 | 0 2649 6666 | sukhumvitbangkok.doubletree.com Curry lovers will be spoiled for choice at Dee Lite restaurant from April 17-26 thanks to the amazing flavours of sensational curry dishes from 10 Asian countries. Using premium quality ingredients, the outlet’s culinary team are serving up a memorable buffet dining experience including pork curry from Myanmar, yellow fish curry from Cambodia and vegetarian tikka masala from India. The buffet is priced at B850++ per person. Tables of six and more enjoy a 15% discount.
ALASKAN SEAFOOD PROMOTION AT PARK SOCIETY SOFITEL SO BANGKOK 2 North Sathorn Rd | 0 2624 0000 | sofitel-so-bangkok.com Indulge yourself this month with a special Alaskan Specialties seafood menu at Park Society at Sofitel So. Throughout April patrons are invited to enjoy a 5-course set dinner set against amazing views of nearby Lumpini Park. Priced at B3500++ per person, menu highlights include Alaskan smoked salmon and caviar served with Eskimo ice cream, pan seared sea scallops, squid ink orzo with king crab, and pan seared Alaskan cod with bouillabaisse broth, clams and baby potatoes.
CELEBRATE THAI NEW YEAR WITH CONRAD’S SONGKRAN FEAST CONRAD BANGKOK All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Rd | 0 2690 9999| conradhotels.com/bangkok From April 10-16 Café@2 at Conrad Bangkok is serving delicious lunch and dinner buffets featuring an array of authentic Thai dishes including local summer favourite, Khao Chae. The buffet is priced B1100 per person for lunch and B1400 per person for dinner. An additional perfect pick is the All You Can Eat lunch/dinner promotion at Liu. Executive Chef Jacky Chan and dim sum master Chef Liang will prepare a bountiful selection of steaming bite-size morsels. Priced at B1100 per person.
THE BEST CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF IN TOWN THE U.S. STEAKHOUSE Ground Floor, 156-158 Sukhumvit Soi 16 | 08 7993 3527 | theussteakhouse.com Got a big appetite? Head to The U.S. Steakhouse this April for superb cuts of top grade Certified Angus Beef. Where else can you enjoy a 500 gram Certified Angus Beef New York Strip Loin for just B2055++, or a 500 gram Certified Angus Beef Rib Eye for B2750++? All steaks come with a choice of sauce and potato options, including loaded baked potato, au gratin, wasabi mashed potato, and traditional mashed potato. 66 | APRIL 2015
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review
FOOD & DRIN K
SAMBAL - Regal riverside dining Bangkok is filled with hot, steamy concrete, traffic jams and people scurrying about in pursuit of commerce. When the inevitable need to get away from it all arises, many head for the cool breezes on the banks of the Chao Phraya. An excellent place to enjoy the regenerative powers of the mighty river is Sambal Bar & Grill at the Royal Orchid Sheraton. Sambal offers both al fresco and air-conditioned dining, but most people select the great outdoors as it puts them right at the river’s edge. The large wooden terrace not only features tables and chairs but also comfortable sofas that face the river. For those choosing to eat indoors there are a variety of seating arrangements, plus some private ‘chill zones’ for intimate dining or business conversations. As a zone for fun and relaxation, Sambal features lots to drink, plus a variety of ‘snack like’ food items that are fun to share with friends. The drinks menu contains both traditional and house created items, the classic Mai Tai (B300), and the Rossini (B450), a blend of champagne and fresh strawberries, being irresistible examples. A large wine menu, an abundant choice of beers, and numerous non-alcoholic drinks are available, as well. In terms of food, the beef tataki (B260) features tender little pieces of sirloin brushed with Sriracha sauce and served with wakame (a seaweed), pickled mushrooms and a soy glaze. It is a balanced east/west combination that bangkok101.com
delights. Another favourite is the Sambal shrimp (B280), a dish with its roots in the bayous of Louisiana. It consists of perfectly grilled shrimp sprinkled with Cajun seasoning served on a skewer with a piece of pineapple. This dish is proof that there is more to American cooking than fast foods and hamburgers. Among the more elaborate offerings is the wonderful roasted snow fish (B680), served with parsley encrusted potatoes, sautéed spinach and a zesty lemon butter sauce. Equally enjoyable is another great east/west combination: grilled chicken breast with lemongrass (B580), served with wok-fried vegetables, roasted potatoes and sesame sauce. The sweets menu at Sambal is limited, but caramelized banana (B320) with toffee syrup and ginger whipped cream is sure to please. If you are looking for a place to get away from it all with friends, head for Sambal. The food and drink, and the restorative ambience of the Chao Phraya River, are guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face.
SAMBAL BAR & GRILL Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, 2 Charoen Krung Soi 30 0 2266 9214 | royalorchidsheraton.com/en/sambal Open daily 4pm-1am, dinner 5pm-10.30pm
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review
SFIZIO - Neighbourhood dining at its finest Sfizio is a restaurant that could be moved entirely to Italy and be right at home. Located a few steps from busy Soi Asoke, it is a consummate neighbourhood trattoria, complete with paper tablecloths, black and white tile floor, and pictures of Italy on the walls. But what makes Sfizio stand out is the top-notch quality of the food created by Chef Diego Pignatelli. Like many dining spots in business neighbourhoods, Sfizio has a dual personality. At lunch time it caters to the corporate crowd, featuring set meals with some dishes served from trays perched on the deli counter. In the evening things slow down, as local customers enjoy a multitude of delicious items on Chef Diego’s a la carte menu. Many start with the delicious focaccia that Diego bakes himself and then proceed to the salentina (B180), one of five types of bruschetta on the menu. It constitutes a piece of toasted sour-dough bread covered with burrata cheese, an anchovy, basil and a liberal dose of virgin olive oil – authentically Italian and a capital way to begin a meal. Equally enjoyable is the caprese salad (B300). A staple on the menus of virtually every Italian restaurant in town, at Sfizio it is a colourful mix of buffalo mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, organic rocket, and tomato sorbet. A perennial favourite is porcini gnocchi (B390). Gnocchi is usually made from potatoes, but in this version 68 | APRIL 2015
Chef Diego uses semolina flour to create the firm little dumplings. They are served with a delicious sauce of porcini, fresh Lovison sausage and white wine. The dish is a real treat, one that reflects the care and passion of its creator. Pizza dough at Sfizio is made the traditional way using imported Italian flour and a touch of yeast before being left to mature for 72 hours. The result is a crust that is puffy, chewy and a delight to eat. The 4 Stagioni pizza (B300), smothered with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ham, artichokes, bell peppers and olives, is reason enough to visit the restaurant. There is a small dessert menu that includes a toothsome tiramisu (B200) made the traditional way with mascarpone cheese, eggs, espresso coffee and savoiardi (lady finger) biscuits, and a modest wine list with some Italian favourites, including an excellent Pinot Grigio. Beers are also available, and the restaurant will create cocktails to order for B190. Sfizio represents a definite ‘must’ for anyone seeking authentic Italian dining in a causal setting.
SFIZIO [MAP 3/H8] 44/4 Sukhumvit Soi 21 | 0 2262 0405, 08 4850 3141 | facebook.com/ sfiziobkk | Open Tue-Sun, 6pm-10.30pm; Tue-Fri, 11.30am-4pm
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Bawarchi Chidlom Bawarchi Sathorn President Tower Arcade ( Intercontinental Bangkok B - Level, 973, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok, Thailand Tel : +66 2656 0102 - 3
Indian - Thai Chambers of Commerce, 13 Sathorn Soi 1,Thungmahamek, Sathorn Road, Bangkok, Thailand Tel : +66 2677 6249
Bawarchi Sukhumvit 4 Bawarchi Sukhumvit 11 Bawarchi Myanmar 20/11 Sukhumvit Soi 4, Khlongtoey, Bangkok, Thailand Tel : + 66 2656 7357
(F/ 1-3 Ambassador Hotel) Sukhumvit Soi 11, Bangkok, Thailand Tel : +66 2253 2394
No . 37 Level 1 , La Pyayt Wun Plaza , Alan Pya Pagoda Road ,Dagon Township, Yangon , Myanmar Tel : 09253500002 / 03
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review
ABBOT - SoCal in Season Venice Beach turned the page when Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a ramshackle stretch of empty brick buildings and beach cottages, began to gentrify. In came galleries, restaurants, cafés, bars, and boutique retailers. Each renovated venue retained the community’s bo-ho brogue while adding its own distinct flavour to the accent. Abbot, a new face in Sukhumvit 31’s impressive dining community, has borne the trend set in motion in America, introducing the vibrant cuisine of this Californian melting pot to keen palates in Bangkok. The cuisine of southern California can be hard to identify. It doesn’t have the familiarity of Indian or Japanese. What it is depends on what’s fresh at the moment. Farm-to-table is a factor. So are organic ingredients. This explains why Chef Rene Michelena, whose manifold awards could decorate a three-story building, uses mostly in-season produce as well as fish and meat procured from sources that leave minimal carbon footprints. Local goods yield vibrant taste. The oysters are a shining example of the house philosophy. Fine de Claire or Gigas: the variety served depends on the day (B340). What doesn’t change is the presentation. Three shucked shells arrive on a bed of smooth, gray stones with a slice of lemon, cocktail sauce laced with horseradish, and a bouquet of greens. Chef Michelena’s plates look bold and inviting, never 70 | APRIL 2015
pretentious. The Tigress (B298) — barbequed prawns with corn custard, roasted candy stripe beets, and red pepper sauce — is suffused with colour, the garden of yellow, magenta, and peach almost too beautiful to disturb. Heartier meals hang in the balance of technical skill. The smoky half-chicken with spinach and cherry tomatoes (B475) retains no small amount of juice, its skin redolent of sherry wine and infused with a little bite, indicating the perfect amount of time in the oven. Desserts like the Hyper Multi Nut Pie (B295), a twist on the American classic pecan pie with almonds and macadamia nuts in the filling and caramel-bourbon ice cream as a partner, is reminiscent of a holiday meal, and yet light enough to enjoy on a cool evening with twilight filtering through Abbot’s half-domed atrium. The cocktails hold true to the theme, too. The Man from the South (B330) blends bourbon, averna, and branca menta with vanilla, apple juice, lemon, and orange bitters. It sounds intimidating, but the heat of the booze only lingers and citrus bursts on the tongue. It’s pure Abbot Kinney, southern California in a cocktail glass — all fresh, all natural, and all new.
ABBOT [MAP 3/K7] Sukhumvit Soi 31 | 0 2258 6250 abbotbangkok.com
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review
MAD MOA - A Tiki Torch for Polynesian Cuisine It’s no easy business exalting the hot dog. Available on the street and in mini-marts, boiled, steamed, and grilled to lukewarm, covered in ketchup and mayo, stuck pig on a skewer, the humble meat gets little love. And yet, maybe it deserves more attention, more of our respect. It certainly does when it’s prepared like it is at Mad Moa, the one-room, Polynesian-themed restaurant in Lan Luang. “I wanted to share island food with Bangkok,” says Wham, the young and gregarious part-owner who spent three years studying in New Zealand. From ribs cooked low and slow and dished up with pineapple salsa verde (B320) to the aforementioned succulent sausage served on a robust blanket of chipotle mayo and melted cheddar (B220), the food he talks about revolves around the hearty fare of the South Seas and Americas. “For a lot of foreigners, this is comfort food, but locals don’t really know about it.” Named for the extinct flightless bird once native to New Zealand, Mad Moa’s island theme emerges in floral-clad insignia, tapestries with faded red chevrons, a Sri Lankan demon mask, potted cacti, and hula girl statuettes — in just a few months Wham and his partners have transformed the minimalist space that formerly housed Seven Spoons into a casual lounge with a cool soundtrack and an even cooler vibe. 72 | APRIL 2015
A good idea of what to expect from the food is found in the Spam and potato salad (B160). Yes, that Spam — spiced ham, the Hawaiian staple. It sounds funny, combining fresh greens, paper-thin carrots, and roasted potatoes with cubes of protein that could survive nuclear winter, all tossed in Caesar dressing, but it works on so many levels. The menu isn’t limited to pork products, though. Skewered Ranong shrimp, criss-crossed under mango salsa verde (B160), represent the lighter side of the cuisine. The salsa pops with the presence of chilli; the shrimp, like toasted marshmallows, melt on the tongue. Of course, the brightest star is the Wagyu burger (B260). Served in a homemade brioche bun, standing tall and proud on a wooden tray, the burger not only looks impressive but tastes as good as any in Bangkok. It washes down best with a potent homebrewed beer from Udomsuk Brewery (B160), like the Red IPA or Belgian Strong Ale, two of the finer craft selections in Thailand. A little of this, a little of that, like the hot dog, Mad Moa’s island food deserves hype.
MAD MOA 211/8 Lan Luang Intersection, Chakrapaddhipong Rd 08 5155 2601 | Facebook.com/MadMoa
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San Pellegrino Recommends
TO ENHANCE GREAT FOODS CHOOSE THE FINE DINING WATERS ACQUA PANNA AND S. PELLEGRINO. THE FINE DINING WATERS. Sanpellegrino Asia| sanpellegrino@sanpellegrino.com.sg Distributed by Vanichwathana (Bangkok) Co Ltd. Thailand | Tel. +66 22215354
BAWARCHI Curry comfort on Chidlom These days it seems many of Bangkok’s Indian restaurants, certainly those of a newer stripe, eschew old-style wet curries in favour of tandoor oven-grilled kebabs. Thankfully, Bawarchi at InterContinental Chidlom has remained true to its culinary roots. Although it tips its hat to the current zeitgeist (in recent years it adding a range of bite-sized, flavour-packed starters including tandoor-grilled offerings), the popular restaurant has retained a solid selection of mouth-watering traditional curry dishes guaranteed to delight both those with a healthy appetite and the nostalgic at heart. The aforementioned starters are a fine overture. Accompanied by a selection of tangy chutneys, refreshing Masala Pappad (B110) is a soft corn cone-shaped poppadum stuffed with spice-dusted diced tomato and onion. Pappad Platter (B170), rice crackers served with four unique condiments comprising sago seed, beetroot, walnut, and raisin, is ideal for sharing. Then there is a succulent Tandoori King Prawn (B650) that almost pops on the tongue. Finally, the smoky-tangy flavours of Tandoori Malai Broccoli (B375), oven-grilled with cream cheese and decorated with flakes of edible silver, offset a fall-off-the-bone tender Tandoori Lamb Chop (B550) drizzled with an intensely rich reduction featuring 14 different spices. It is worth a visit to Bawarchi on its own. In terms of main course, Butter Chicken (B400) comprises juicy pieces of chicken smothered in a creamy yet light tikka sauce. Lamb Rogan Josh (B490) is also a pleasure, cubes of succulent slow-cooked lamb steeped in a deliciously rich dark sauce packed with herbs and spices. It has a lovely lingering chilli burn, which is mitigated by the smooth flavour combination of spinach and cottage cheese in Saag Paneer (B375). A truly epicurean aspect of these dishes is being able to mop up their moreish sauces with fluffy olive-studded naan bread (B175) or chilli-encrusted Mirchi Paratha (B110) hot from the oven. After such a filling repast, it might be difficult to think of dessert but those with room to spare can round off a gratifying meal with the sweet decadence of cognac-soaked Flambe Gulab Jamun (B190).
BAWARCHI [MAP 4/H4] Level B, InterContinental Chidlom, 973 Ploenchit Rd | 0 2656 0383 | bawarchiindian.com | 11am-midnight
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in the kitchen
EGIDIO LATORRACA talks to Michael Moore
“The key to good Italian food,” Egidio Latorraca, executive sous chef at the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, tells me, “is fresh natural ingredients.” It is a theme that crops up again and again as we chat in a booth adjacent to the open kitchen of Scalini, the hotel’s modern and svelte Italian restaurant. “We use both local and imported ingredients,” he continues. “What is important is quality and authenticity, not where it comes from.” As we talk, the veteran chef with over 15 years of experience at luxury hotels in Australia, Bali, Europe and Hong Kong, frequently glances at the kitchen and engages in banter with members of his cooking staff. Although the talk is playful, he is telling them what to do and they are listening. The atmosphere is relaxed and there is an element of mutual respect – something occasionally missing in hotel kitchens where the boss is a farang and the staff Thai. When we talk about the type of food served, Latorraca is open and frank. “We are an Italian restaurant that serves food with its roots in all parts of Italy, but we often give it a twist that reflects the experience of Italians living overseas, especially America. I’ve lived overseas for many years so the food at Scalini reflects that. I love to innovate and create new dishes, but I’m also an Italian and my food always reflects this fact.” We move into the kitchen and the chef introduces his staff by name, the mutual respect once again obvious. “We are going to make an appetizer,” he tells me. “It has ingredients from all over the world. There is avocado from Australia made into a Mexican-style guacamole with cherry 76 | A PR I L 2015
vinegar from Italy.” He waves at an array of small bowls. “The scallops are from Hokkaido; the spider crab is from northern Japan; the heirloom tomatoes are from France, but the cherry tomatoes are from Thailand, as is the watercress; and the balsamic jelly uses vinegar from Italy, but is made in-house.” He gives me a piece of dried pork to taste. “This is popular in Italy, but we use pork cheek from Thailand. The taste is authentic and it gives the dish an Italian identity.” Chef Egidio begins by putting a brush in the balsamic jam and painting a line of it down the middle of a rectangular dish. He then carefully mounds guacamole on top of the jam, creating a long narrow base for the rest of the ingredients. A cherry tomato and sliced heirloom tomatoes on each end of the base act like the covers of a book, enclosing the other ingredients which are alternated along the strip of guacamole. He then garnishes everything with garlic aioli, shredded beetroot, cress and the dried pork. Although simple, the dish is difficult to make and it requires concentration to get everything in the right place. “You have to have passion for what you are doing,” Latorraca declares, as he looks at his creation with satisfaction. As I taste the dish I can feel the passion, but more importantly, it is absolutely delicious.
SCALINI
[MAP 3/N11]
Hilton Sukhumvit, 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24 | 0 2620 6666 facebook.com/ScaliniBangkok | Daily, 6am-11pm
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eat like
Nym
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
YUMMY COCONUT ICE CREAM!
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riday nights don’t seem to excite me anymore, but Saturday mornings... yes! For this simple reason: a coconut ice cream available at Chatuchak Weekend Market. I have been a faithful fan of an unassuming coconut ice cream and coconut juice stand ever since it was set up on a corner outside Chatuchak in 2008. And I’m not the only one. Each Saturday and Sunday the corner swarms with activity as aficionados queue up to get their cool coconut fix. The nameless stall is run by a brilliant young couple, Maggy and Bird, who came up with their own recipe for toothsome coconut ice cream. This they tried out at a small business at the floating market in the Samutprakan area. After a couple of weeks they knew they had a hit and so brought their offering to Chatuchak, where there was greater foot traffic. Thailand has many versions of coconut ice cream, including a type of sorbet made from clear coconut juice, and kati song krueng – coconut ice cream festooned with toppings. But for me, nothing beats Maggy and Bird’s ‘Ice cream Baan Praew’. The secret of its amazing taste is all down to where the coconuts are grown. Indeed, Baan Praew district in Samut Songkram province is renowned
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for the sweetest, most fragrant coconuts in the country. Maggy and Bird sell their ice cream in a half coconut shell with a shot of young coconut juice. To complete your treat you can personalize your ice cream with a combination of 3 toppings from steamed corn, sticky rice, candied pumpkin, peanuts and a sweet clear jelly made from palm hearts. I like the crunchiness of peanuts as an accompaniment to the smooth and silky texture of the ice cream. If I had to choose one fruit to live on, it would be coconut. Hence my Saturday visits to Maggy and Bird’s ice cream stall is sacred. You should try it, too! Address: At the corner of MRT Kampaengpetch Exit 2. Once you leave the subway at Exit 2, bear left on a 10 o’clock heading. The shop is on the same side of the road as the MRT exit. It is open only on Sat & Sun from late morning until early evening.
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Chez Pape
FRENCH CHEZ PAPE [MAP 3/F9] 1/28-29 Soi Sukhumvit 11 | 0 2255 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, both in terms of the combinations and the presentation 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 (above right, 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 really declares its hand, offering a port-marinated foie gras terrine, served with mango marmalade (B285). The early courses are certainly impressive enough to build expectation for the mains without being so conceptheavy that they create confusion. And, indeed, the big plates tell you everything you need to know about Chez Pape’s ambitions. The pan-seared beef flank, an exquisite cut of meat, comes with goatcheese ravioli and garnished with virgin sauce (B450) – it’s a deeply satisfying combination. Twisting the formula a little further is the duck breast served with apples, spinach and Japanese citrus dressing (B510). It’s a fine example of Chez’s Pape’s commitment to doing the inimitably French things well while borrowing and augmented with inspired touches from elsewhere.
J’AIME U Sathorn Bangkok, 105,105/1 Soi Ngam Duphli | 0 2119 4888 | uhotelsresorts.com 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-11pm It’s a large square room with full wall windows on two sides, a grand bar on 78 | APRIL 2015
L’appart another, and opposite an open kitchen. The floor is marble tiled, classically shaped chairs are in modernist grey and black, and the tables are dressed in linen. The whole exudes a relaxed, classical formality. The place settings have knives, forks and chopsticks, with a lazy Susan in the centre, which shows the intention for Asian-style servings to share. From a short a la carte menu and two tasting menus (six courses, B2880, plus B1050 with wine pairing; and nine courses B3850/B1400), some dishes – soups, for instance – come as single plates, others are three or four servings in small bowls. Standout dishes include red pepper and blood orange soup (B300), an unusual, light and refreshing combination with spicy depth. The citrus background is subtle and creamy salt arrives via goat’s cheese that has begun to melt in the warm broth. Baby onions add caramel sweetness and there’s a pleasant hit of rosemary and thyme from Provencal herb foam. Among the desserts (three pieces/B420, five/B700) are a gateau opera with top quality chocolate and coffee flavours, and a delicately crisp mille-feuille Napoleon served with sharp berries against the cream.
L’APPART [MAP 3/G9] 32F, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2126 9999 | sofitel.com 7pm-midnight L’Appart has one of the most gorgeous, interesting spaces in Bangkok, embracing the aesthetic of a Parisian apartment. The cliches of restaurant decor have been thrown overboard – a meal here feels like you’ve been invited for a fabulous dinner party at a successful friend’s immaculately furnished penthouse with amazing views of the skyline. 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, surprising menu. The absolute staples are still represented –
Crepes & Co. frog legs with leek and truffle (B480) and a spectacular bouillabaisse (onion soup) with rock fish, puff Japanese pearl and rouille sauce (B550; right). Tourret has dialled down the salt for the Asian palate, with the added benefit of making room for the more complex flavours he has included. He takes it to the next step in the mains. His pan-fried snow fish comes with cauliflower mousseline and Madras curry (B1300) – that’s right, curry... in a French restaurant! It seems risky and may outrage traditionalists but it is testament to Tourret’s technique and imagination that it works – the cauliflower balances the curry so the delicate taste of the snow fish – among the best – is never overwhelmed. And while people might be unexcited by the prospect of roast chicken, it’s a different dish when it comes stuffed with goat cheese, comfit zucchini and organic tomatoes (B900).
INTERNATIONAL BLUE SKY [MAP 3/G9] 24F Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao, 1695 Phaholyothin Rd | 0 2541 1234 centarahotelsresorts.com | 6pm-2am Rooftop bars and restaurants in central Bangkok have surged in popularity in recent years, popping up everywhere from Sukhumvit to Sathorn to Silom. Now Ladprao has a name in the mix, with the ultra-hip Blue Sky located at Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao. It offers a whole new perspective of the city’s glittering skyline, with a standout menu featuring high-quality Asian and Western dishes. Menu favourites include starters such as stir-fried Burgundy snails (B350) and Cromesquis scallops (B450), while steamed snow fish (B980) is one of the standout mains dishes. For dessert, try the Mille-feuille (B180 or B320, depending on size). It is faithful to its French providence, served with light bourbon vanilla cream and raspberry sauce. The fare is overseen by bangkok101.com
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Blue Sky Chef Eric Berrigaud, who hails from France but has been in Thailand for 12 years now. The atmosphere at Blue Sky allows for relaxed and informal dining and the views over Chatuchak Park are fantastic. Watching the busy roadways below with their long traffic jams gives visitors a sense of being away from the stress of work. The restaurant succeeds at giving patrons a feeling of freedom and untroubled indulgence.
CREPES & CO. 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, Ploenchit Rd, (also 88 Thonglor Soi 8 and CentralWorld) 0 2652 0208 | crepesnco.com | 9am-11pm The business itself is a uniquely Bangkokian success story. It was founded nearly 20 years ago as a family business which quickly expanded and became more ambitious. The crepe may be French in origin, but the flavours and ingredients here take in the entire sweep of the Mediterranean, borrowing heavily from Morocco and Greece, in particular. The menu bulges with savoury options but it’s the desserts that attract a loyal after-dinner following. Or any time, for that matter. You can keep it simple by going for the Crepe Josephine (B240), which is a banana and chestnut cream served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce on top. But if you’ve got a major sweet tooth, you’ll probably gravitate toward the serious stuff, like the Crepe Framboise (B290), served bulging invitingly with vanilla ice cream and lathered in a rich, tangy raspberry sauce. These creations are big enough to share – or you can have one all to yourself if you have a real craving. Going down the list reveals some eye-popping desserts – try the Crepe Mango Coconut (B200), which somehow works despite the unusual pairing of freshmango and coconut slices. The real show-stopper, though, is the Flambe Calvados (B335), 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. bangkok101.com
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Park Society
ELEMENTS [MAP 4/L5] Fl25 The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Rd | 0 2687 9000 | 6pm-10.30pm Elements is an imposing space, where heavy ship’s lanterns loom overhead from a high ceiling lined with the inevitable exposed piping. It’s perhaps a bit large to fit the ‘living room’ atmosphere describedin the marketing bumph, despite the sofa style and armchair seating. The décor is predominantly black and brown, low lit, with full wall sculptures of black charcoal at eachend of the room that – as well as providingan arty backdrop – apparently filter outcooking smells from the open kitchen. To wind down grab a sake cocktail (maybe ‘sakura’, with plum wine, cranberry, and syrups of rose apple and sakura, B350) as you choose from a list billed as ‘modern logical cuisine’, which they translate to me as the use of seasonal produce. The menu is divided into a la carte, with main meat courses largely in the B900-B1500 range, and four tasting menus, including a vegetarian option (B1200). We opted for the fivecourse Moments set (B2400), starting with excellent quality gravlax and lightly smoked tuna with wasabi vinaigrette and soy jelly.
PARK SOCIETY [MAP 8/L16] Sofitel So Bangkok, 2 North Sathorn Rd | 0 2624 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, like a fairground APRIL 2015 | 79
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La Bottega Di Luca hall of mirrors. 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 (B4999 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 (B1400/half, B2600/ 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.
ITALIAN LA BOTTEGA DI LUCA [MAP 3/P8] The 49 Terrace, Sukhumvit 49 | 0 2204 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 grilledscamorza (B390) – that’s smoked mozzarella – wrapped in speck ham with mushrooms and red wine sauce is a delight. It’s a simple idea but the evident care taken in preparation elevates this to a gorgeous starter, reminding diners just how much they’ve come to miss cheese in Bangkok. And that sauce – you’ll be tempted to lick the plate clean. There’s a sizeable menu and it can be tricky to know which direction to take. The most eye-catching salad is the seafood combination (B220) with steamed prawns, baby squid, mussels and clams seasonedwith garlic. But who are we kidding? We’rehere for the rustic, filling, flavoursome Italiancooking,delivered with real passion. That means it’s hard to 80 | APRIL 2015
Rossini’s 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.
ROSSINI’S [MAP 3/H10] Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2653 0333 | sheratongrandesukhumvit. com | 6pm-10.30pm, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm The decor is steadfastly traditional, designed like the dining room of a medieval Tuscan castle, complete with heavy fireplace, a tiled floor that looks almost cobbled, and wooden beams and domes in the ceiling. The menu, however, has lots of moderntouches, while sticking to the flavours of thetraditional Italian kitchen. Among the starters,seared goose liver (B790) is a rich pudding of a dish, plated with pumpkin espuma and very sweet amaretti crumble. Black cod (B920) is a good choice for the main course: weighty and pure whitetai, it sits like an iceberg in potato foam, with additions of olives and San Daniele ham powder adding salty brine to enhance the sea flavours. The trio of soups are more traditional: Tuscan artichoke, minestrone and seafood with garlic bruschetta (B580), in which a delicate, thin and light tasting broth has small islands of seabass and a central tower of chunky scallops. Rossini’s has more reasonable wine prices than many restaurants in this bracket, courtesy of its Primo Vino policy, which promises “top shelf wines at cellar prices”.
SCALINI [MAP 3/N11] Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24 | 0 2620 6666 | hilton.com/en Noon2.30pm, 6pm-11pm Bangkok is, naturally enough, best known for its Thai food, with other Asian cuisines not far behind. But these days, European food – French or Italian – is booming, particularly when served with a twist. So it is with Scalini – it’s ostensibly a modern Italian place but it riffs on a New York connection, while borrowing bits and pieces from the international
Scalini table. So, in short, it’s Italian with enough surprises to satisfy the curious diner. It’s apparent from the antipastis, which include a tuna and salmon tartar, with lemon aioli, mango salad and seared ciabatta (B450) – retaining a Mediterranean base while adding lighter, Asian-influenced combinations. Other dishes stay closer to home, such as the Wagyu beef carpaccio, with porcini salsa, rocket and parmesan, served with white truffle vinaigrette (B570). The rich, satisfying taste of Italian food has an extra layer of complexity. And it’s on show again with the Hokkaido scallops, served here with celery, red onion, tomatoes, basil and cherry vinaigrette (B480). These adventurously designed openers set the bar high so it’s perversely pleasing that the pastas tack slightly more toward the traditional, although the pumpkin and sage ravioli (B380) still has a surprisingly delicate flavour and the duck ragout with black truffle and tonino pecorino (B600) is one of the absolute stand-outs, moist without becoming soupy, retaining a kick without being overbearing. So far, this balancing act has worked a treat – the concept is clear but it’s still all about the food. It proves slightly harder to adapt this approach to the mains, though.
JAPANESE TAIHEI [MAP 5/K8] 53F Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 0 2679 1200 | banyantree.com 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-11pm From the moment the platter of sashimi moriawase (B520; left, second-bottom) comes out, prime seafood cuts delicately arranged, it’s clear that there is a real commitment to quality. The presentation is also immaculate, offering a swathe of bright colours – bright pinks and flashes of silver-grey. It’s beautiful food. And it tastes pretty damn fine as well, the tuna, in particular, soft and slightly salty on its own, mild enough to work in the mouth bangkok101.com
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Taihei alongside a dab of soy and wasabi. Another highlight is the beef teriyaki (B580), sourced from Australia and broiled, before coming out served with seasonal greens, again bursting with colour. If you’re not super-keen to fill up on red meat, try the gindara miso (B600; left, second top). It’s a cod fish cooked to perfection, kissed on each side just long enough to turn the skin crispy, before being served with tangy miso seasoning. There’s also a selection of tempura to choose from, whether you fancy prawns (B450), pork skewers (B380) or chicken karage (B350).
YTSB VIE Hotel Bangkok, Phayathai Rd | 0 2309 3939 | facebook.com/YTSB.BKK | 6pm-11pm The odd-looking name is an abbreviation for Yellow Tail Sushi Bar, which provides a pretty decent indication of what this place has to offer. The fish has different names according to size and stage but is known as yellowtail once it reaches maturity and is ready to eat. Upon a first glance, the restaurant is decked out with chic Japanese-themed décor rather than authentic Japanese style. The soft yellow lighting creates a low-key ambience likely to draw you in. It’s also on the fourth floor of VIE Hotel – so before you settle in, head downstairs to the outdoor terrace on the third floor, where you can still order food and drinks from the well-stocked bar. The name of the venue might suggest that the menu is all about yellowtail, but there’s real variety. If you’re in a group, it’s hard to ignore the set of appetisers (B1180) composed of dried stingray fin, dried shrimps, fried salmon and salted ginkgo. It arrives on a long bamboo platter, emphasizing YTSB’s fusion influences, as opposed to taking the strictly traditional route. If you want to branch out beyond the raw fish, there are alternatives with wagyu and chicken. Maybe try the kagoshimawagyu namban yaki (B2500), cooked with Japanese seasoning and topped with sesame, mushroom, and asparagus. Each bite is tender, and the bangkok101.com
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YTSB Japanese seasoning is exquisite. But the spotlight still comes back to the sashimi, especially the aburi Hamachi jalapeno, which includes five pieces for B600.
MEXICAN MEJICO [MAP 4/F3-4] 2nd flr, Groove @ Central World |Open daily from 11am to midnight | 0 2252 6660 mejico.asia Set in fashionable Groove at CentralWorld, Méjico is every bit as cool as the latest opening in, say, Hong Kong or Shanghai, with custommade furnishings, granite platters, a long wooden table stretching across the dining room, tequila barrels visibly stashed in the ceiling, and a balcony for al fresco dining. Chef TK, who trained in the US, has the bravado to experiment with his menu. He tackles traditions long ignored here, giving local diners a style of cuisine that many haven’t ever tried. Dishes like the beef short rib (B695), which is braised for six hours, left on the bone, and finished with a smoky chipotle barbeque sauce, shatter stereotypes of Mexican food. So does the grilled shrimp and smashed avocado (B215), which is fresh, light and engaging to eat, the shrimp redolent of smoke and the radish popping against the tongue. Turning labels on their heads is the implicit goal of the restaurant. It starts with the approach. Served on stone trays, the dishes are made to share. The guacamole (B235) is mashed at the table, providing diners a fun, first-hand look at its preparation. As a starter, light-textured salmon ceviche (B195) is zesty with orange, cilantro and coconut. Other snack-sized hits include the jalapeño poppers (B235), which vary in heat from piece to piece and are rounded out with an herb-laden feta and cream cheese mixture. Even the tacos are sophisticated, with fillings such as buttery braised pork (B185) and fried soft shell crab (B235). APRIL 2015 | 81
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Mejico
SEÑOR PICO [MAP 3/K11] 1F Rembrandt Hotel 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18 0 2261 7100 | facebook.com/Senorpicobkk 5pm-1am When Chef Fernando Reyes Barba showed up alongside our table holding a heavy molcajete, Mexico’s traditional stone mortar, it was clear times had changed at Señor Pico, which opened 17 years ago in the Rembrandt Hotel. That original Cal-Mex brand was established in 1964 by none other than Victor Bergeron of Trader Vic’s fame. It followed a similar franchise pattern until the chain died out in the United States. 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), chipotleand-garlic-rubbedlamb 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. Several dishes feature duck, which is popular in Mexico but rarely seen in American-style Mexican
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Señor Pico 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). More familiar Mexican fare like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas and enchiladas are found on the menu as well. Tacos are offered both in the traditional soft style and in the crisped-tortilla style, here labelled tacos gringos (B350).
STEAKHOUSE PRIME [MAP 5/L6] Millennium Hilton, 123 Charoennakorn Rd 0 2442 2000 | hilton.com | 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 wood-fired 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
Prime seafood that makes Prime’s ambitions clear. From the caramelized 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.
TABLES GRILL [MAP 4/G5] Grand Hyatt Erawan, 494 Ratchadamri Rd | 0 2254 1234 | bangkok.grand.hyatt.com Noon2.30pm, 6.30pm-11pm The theme is based on the tableside preparation seen in many traditional French restaurants and the menu takes full advantage of the theatre. There are wooden floors, potted plants, oxidised mirrors and, high on the walls, largerthan-life cartoonish figures of waiters that lighten the formality. And, despite being a mezzanine restaurant overlooking the colossal pillars in the Erawan’s classically
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Tables Grill themed lobby, the only overspill of noise is the pleasant bubbling of water from fountains and a jazz trio playing on the landing. The menu is billed as pan-European and starts with items like meaty and sweet sautéed scallops (B750) balanced by chorizo and the sharp bite of wholegrain mustard and olives. The Caesar salad (B490) is wisely light on dressing so it doesn’t overwhelm the crispy leaves, grown at the Hyatt’s organic farm in Korat. Other classic dishes are the Boston lobster bisque (B850), which is perhaps a little too creamy, and the steak au poivre (B1300), cooked in the oven but finished in full view, flambéed in cognac and served under a beautiful rich sauce.
THAI BLUE ELEPHANT RESTAURANT & COOKING SCHOOL [MAP 5/D7] 233 South Sathorn Rd | 0 2673 9353 blueelephant.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6.30pm10.30pm 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
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Blue Elephant 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 categorized 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 deliciously peppery aftertaste. However, Blue Elephant is not content to let the grass grow under them and that’s why, perhaps sensing that Thai food has increasingly been adapted into a more modern, international cuisine, there is also a section of the menu for Thai food “of today” and “of tomorrow”. There are undoubtedly some interesting combinations, as Blue Elephant expands its playbook beyond the more familiar staples. There’s the grilled spare ribs with honey (B380) and a black chicken green curry (B680), using rare black chicken in coconut milk, with sweet basil and pea aubergines. For those interested in trying buffalo, there’s also a starter-sized
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Ruen Urai satay set of Buffalo fillets from Ubon Ratchatanee (B320).
RUEN URAI [MAP 5/H4] The Rose Hotel, 118 Surawong Rd | 0 2266 8268 | ruen-urai.com | Noon-11pm Located in a beautifully restored 100-year old Thai golden teakwood house decorated with fine antiques and elegant silk-covered furnishings, Ruen Urai (meaning ‘the House of Gold’) at the Rose Hotel off Surawongse Road offers a unique take on traditional Thai cooking styles, giving them a contemporary lift. This is why the menu – which is refreshed annually and was recently bolstered by seven new dishes inspired by zesty rural cuisine – includes a number of non-Thai staplessuch as scallops, salmon, tuna, snowfish, soft-shell crab and lamb. The new dishes on the menu are mainly dry cooked having been marinated in roasted herbs and spices. No insipid sloppy wet sauces here but plenty of robust flavours. Of particular note is roasted curry of pork spare ribs (B300) and a dish of wild boar sautéed in a thick curry sauce (B350). Both are hearty offerings – Thai winter comfort food if you like – and perfectly demonstrate the four cardinal taste characteristics of rural Thai cuisine – a balance of sweet, salty, bitter and sour.
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Crafting a New Beer Culture BY LAURENCE CIVIL
Craft is the current buzzword in beer. In recent years, brewers have begun to lift themselves up by the bootstraps, rejuvenating the beer industry with barrel after barrel of bold beverage styles. The phenomenon has reached fever pitch, a democratic allegiance uniting nations under a pledge to good old-fashioned flavour. After sweeping the globe, the movement has at long last taken root in Thailand. 84 | APRIL 2015
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imbibe
F
or many, craft beer refers to a more plentiful yet still growing diversity of the golden beverage. For others, the movement suggests a joyride, a pleasure trip from one drink to the next. But the label “craft” leaves much to the imagination. What, exactly, distinguishes this Age of IPAs and Amber Ales? After World War II, the global beer stage was dominated by cheap, easy-drinking lagers. Think Budweiser, Foster’s, or Singha, the watery quaff most familiar to locals. Brewers in the US, especially, grew disenchanted with the lack of flavour in the common lager. They were inspired to create beers with greater depth and balance. They took cues from traditional brewers in Europe, but went a step further, infusing their barrels with hops and malt that pushed the limits of known styles. By the 1970s, home-brewing had taken off in the US, laying steady and solid the tracks of the future movement. Today, the American Brewers Association defines a microbrewery — what’s referred to as “craft” — as an operation that produces less than six million barrels per year. That definition, however, seems rather shallow in light of the movement’s scope. Craft signifies a variety of brews made for quality of flavour rather than marketability. Taste rather than profit, in other words. Nuance, independence, and moxie make up the manifesto. Marked by a meteoric rise in home-brewing and a renaissance of brewpubs, venues that are low on theatrics but high on quality, craft beer has attracted a more sophisticated crowd, one devoted to the integrity of the spirit rather than its means to an end. Fine examples of this experimental spirit reside at Mikkeller. Founded in 2014, the first true craft beer bar in Thailand introduced a bounty of styles, many high-gravity, rich in texture and colour, and hard-to-find elsewhere. Ales laced with chipotle pepper; oatmeal stouts rounded out with gourmet coffee beans; collaborations between Mikkeller, the so-called “gypsy” brewery, and Three Floyds, a microbrewery based in rural Indiana — the garden bar in Ekamai has burst onto foreign ground with aplomb. There are thirty different taps pouring rare selections each week. When a new keg is tapped, the bar owners hold a tasting party — not solely to boost profit, in itself, but rather to cultivate the growth of the craft beer community. bangkok101.com
FOOD & DRIN K
By the time Mikkeller had installed rotating taps at its namesake bar, Beervana had already sown the seeds of a refined beer culture in Bangkok. It began when two likeminded Americans met at a foodie festival called Big Bite Bangkok. Aaron Grieser and Brian Bartusch had taken note of the lack of good beer in Thailand, so they started talking. Whilst sharing a bottle of Brian’s home brew, a plan began to form. Grieser’s background in corporate law and Bartusch’s connections with the food and beverage world of Bangkok formed a perfect combination for importing and distributing foreign beer. Like the legions of microbrewers spread across the US and Europe, they swore an oath to keep quality at the forefront of their business plan and soon had a refrigerated container of cold craft brew from the US en route to Bangkok. “As far as I’m aware, we’re the only beer importer who guarantees 100 percent coldchain shipping from the brewery to the consumer,” says Bartusch. Thanks to Beervana, several bars in the big city have begun to offer bottled brews from the likes of Rogue, Anderson Valley, and Baird Beer, a rising husband-and-wife duo based in Japan. Craft on Sukhumvit 23, an outdoor bar styled with natural wood like brewpubs in the Pacific Northwest, has eight rotating taps that pour only craft beer and dozens of bottles available throughout the year. As taste buds continue to develop, leading drinkers to embrace the herbal punch of hops and the nutty flavour of different roasted malts, the movement seems headed for bigger and brighter things in Bangkok. The buzz is real.
For details of some of the great craft beers now available in Bangkok, check out: • mikkellerbangkok.com • seekbeervana.com • craftbangkok.com • brewbkk.com • beervaultbangkok.com
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NIGHTLIFE GOOD FOOD, GOOD DRINK, GOOD MUSIC
Enjoy a relaxed brunch of antipasti and wood-fired pizzas before cranking up the energy at night. All this and more is on the docket at Spasso, the The Grand Hyatt Erawan’s shape-shifting Italian restaurant. From 10pm to 2am, Monday to Saturday, Heat takes the stage between two well-stocked circular bars, delighting guests long into the night. Every Sunday, from 9pm until 12.30am, the renowned seven-piece Danny California Blues All Stars brings out the best of Chicago blues.
A KOLOUR-FUL SONGKRAN
The party returns to W Bangkok this Songkran, as the Kolour Krew turn the pool deck into a wet and wild dance floor. From 1pm until 8pm on April 11, the party dubbed “Songkran Splash Away 2015” will take over the hotel’s 6th floor with live DJ sets and special touches courtesy of Cîroc Vodka and Bang & Olufsen. Earlybird tickets cost B600 per person with two complimentary drinks before 3 PM. If sold out, regular entrance is priced at B750, which also includes two free drinks before 3pm. Two lucky winners will get a pair of Bang & Olufsen Form 2I ultra-light headphones (rules and restrictions apply). For more information, please call 0 2344 4000 or email bf.wbangkok@whotels.com.
THE ULTIMATE SUMMER PARTY
On April 25, Sofitel SO invites city-dwellers to cut loose and cool off at its tropical island-themed pool. The wildly popular SO POOL party, held at The Water Club on the hotel’s 10th floor, is split into two zones. The poolside builds up the party tricks with House music while the “relax” area bumps hip-hop. Food and beverages are available. Entry costs B400, a price that includes one free drink.
HIGH STYLE IN NANA
Every Tuesday night, Soi 11’s latest darling, The Vault Speakeasy Club, is turning the dance floor into a catwalk. Decked out in 1920s paraphernalia — one part New York, another part Paris — the club transforms into a fashion show on “haute couture” night. The events get into full swing as fashionistas file in to the smooth serenades of American singer Donyale Renee. Whisky is on special, with a bottle of Jameson priced at B2900 and single pours at B199, and champagne and other tipples are available too. Come dressed to impress.
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CRAFT - Bold Beer and Big Plans -
O
n weekends, the rat race retreats from memory. Kids play. Adults unwind. Recreation replaces office files and figures. As the sun shines over the capital, the population coalesces in the quest for life’s finer things. Bound by a proverb for the light-hearted, the mellow, the carefree, many have sniffed out a new rendezvous point, one that embodies the evolution of Bangkok’s hangout scene: Craft. With a focus on exceptional drinks, all-embracing entertainment, and conversation, Sukhumvit 23’s beer mecca captures the essence of what a weekend afternoon – any afternoon – in town can be. When Craft opened last September, there weren’t any hard-set plans for development. “In front of Giorgio’s was this dark balcony that made the place look empty,” says M. Hillman Lentz, president and CEO of Hathor Investment Group, the driving force behind Craft and Whisgars. “We asked if we could tear it down and put in a pop-up bar. Pretty soon we realized we were on to something special.” With eight rotating taps and dozens of bottles provided by Beervana, Craft appeals to hopheads above all. It’s one of few places in the city that serves draft beer from stalwart American brands like Deschutes and Anderson Valley, as well as Japanese ventures like Baird Beer. Fallow, floral pale ales – including rare selections from Two Tales, a Praguebased brewery whose founders reside in Thailand – and
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stouts and porters rich with the flavour of oak barrels, coffee, and chocolate comprise the ever-changing menu. Beer bounty aside, the bar’s most extraordinary qualities centre on atmosphere. An open-air venue – the décor defined by natural wood, silver tap handles, bottlegreen artificial grass, and chalkboards specifying current pours – Craft resembles a modern brewpub from Seattle. It’s a palimpsest, the strata shaped by drinking culture and a sense of community. Whether early or late, local luminary Randy Tinsley tends to the scene, chatting up regulars and newbies. For him, this is an avocation, a late-career pursuit taken up out of pleasure, and his passion is contagious. On Sunday, the lawn fills with families (pets included) inveigled by the scent of Daniel Thaiger’s grilled burgers, a fixture to remain throughout 2015, and the promise of cold, hearty beer to wash them down, an ingredient long missing from the equation. With a project under way that will build 40 taps behind the bar and new plans popping up each day, this community hot spot is fast on the rise, developing much like it began: one bright idea at a time.
CRAFT
[MAP 3/J9]
16 Sukhumvit 23 | 08 1919 5349 craftbangkok.com
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listings
Apoteka
BARS APOTEKA [MAP 3/E8] 33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 09 0626 7655 apotekabkk.com | Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 3pm-midnight With a name based on an outdated word for pharmacist, the place is intended to emulate a 19thcentury apothecary. Unsurprisingly, it has an old-school feel and an awesome line-up of live music. High ceilings and red brick walls enclose ia mix of tall tables with studded chairs, and long tables for larger groups along the main wall. Large cases filled with vintage-coloured medicine bottles flank the bar. The outdoor seating is mellow – a wooden patio with some cozy furniture that could be a nice place to curl up on a date or meet some friends for a smoke and a beer. Drink selection includes a nice selection of beer and custom cocktails.
CAFÉ TRIO [MAP 4/H6] G Floor, Portico Complex, 31 Soi Lang Suan 0 2252 6929 | 6pm-1am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sun of the month. Cafe Trio is one of the only bars worth seeking out around Lang Suan Road. Tucked away in the Portico Complex along an upmarket residential street, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars. A tiny neighborhood place, Cafe Trio is about simple drinks and conversation, and draws a creative expat crowd of regulars. The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and has adorned the walls with her Modiglianiesque, Vietnamese-inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home.
CHEAP CHARLIE’S [MAP 3/D6] Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 0 2253 4648 | Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight 90 | APRIL 2015
Cheap Charlie’s This joint is a Bangkok institution, a rickety hole-in-the-wall bar that predates any of the swankier clubs on Sukhumvit 11. 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 more upscale nightspots like Sugar Club.
J. BOROSKI MIXOLOGY Near Soi Thonglor | facebook.com/pages/ Jboroski-Mixology | Open every evening if you can find it Why the secrecy? Proprietor and noted mixologist Joseph Boroski puts it this way. “I want it to be difficult to find. If people take the trouble to find it, they really want to come. I don’t want it to be a place filled with tourists or casual passersby.” Boroski’s skill is legendary and he is responsible for cocktail menus at several of the city’s leading hotels and bars. There is no drinks list here. Drinks are created to reflect a customer’s specifications or according to the whims of the person making them; hence tipples at J. Boroski aren’t cheap, but their unique character and the bar’s remarkable ambiance make them worth the tariff.
MAGGIE CHOO’S [MAP 5/C5] Hotel Novotel Fenix, 320 Silom Rd | 0 2635 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 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.
NAMSAAH BOTTLING TRUST [MAP 5/H5]
Silom Soi 7 | 0 2636 6622 | namsaah.com 5pm-2am Namsaah Bottling Trust occupies a century-old mansion in Silom Soi 7 that was once a soda bottling company’s office – Namsaah means ‘effervescent water’. Here high ceilings, rich teak floors and a wealth of antique furniture achieves a warm, classy informality that makes the venue the perfect place to unwind and enjoy intimate conversation with friends. A long wooden bar segues into a small dining encourages guests to begin the evening with drinks from an extensive cocktail menu. Favourites include the Roasted Tangerine Negroni (B290), poured over a hand-chipped ice ball, and the Sathorn Dirty Vodka Martini (B290), which achieves the perfect balance of brine and bluster. A gin and tonic (B390) infused with rosemary, lavender and juniper berries, served in a brandy snifter, is also a big hit. An extensive wine list offers red, white and sparkling varietals by the bottle or the glass.
SMALLS [MAP 5/K7] 186/3 Suan Phlu Soi 1 | 09 5585 1398 | WedMon 8.30pm-2am Decorated with vintage furniture and quirky art to give it a light Bohemian feel, Smalls offers a wide selection of beers, wines by the glass and hard-to-find liquors such as Basil Hayden’s Bourbon Whiskey. Spirits come in stout New York-style 45-cl servings rather than the bangkok101.com
listings
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BARS WITH THE VIEW HEAVEN [MAP 8/K13]
The Friese-Greene Club anaemic European 30-cl pour commonly seen elsewhere in Bangkok. The playlist at Smalls tends to be non-commercial, with an emphasis on jazz and world music rather than hip-hop, house and techno. Occasionally it hosts visits by eclectic DJs like club veteran Justin Mills. The kitchen stays open until midnight (except on Tuesdays when the bar is closed), serving a well-conceived roster of entrees and bar snacks.
THE FRIESE-GREENE CLUB [MAP 3/M11]
259/6 Sukhumvit Rd | 08 7000 0795 | fgc.in.th Tues-Sun 6pm-11pm The Friese-Greene Club is a member’s only club where guests are always welcome. Just walk down Sukhumvit Soi 22 until you come to the Usman Restaurant. Three doors later you will find the anonymous entrance to FrieseGreene; ring the bell and wait for someone to let you in. There are two floors to the club. On the ground floor there is a bar with a very reasonably priced selection of drinks: wine, for example averages around B1000 per bottle, a shot of Johnnie
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U.N.C.L.E. Walker Black B105. But what really makes this place special is found on the second floor. Here a tiny cinema with 11 seats and state-of-the-art projection equipment shows a wide selection of classic and cult films.
U.N.C.L.E. [MAP 5/F6] 149, Sathorn Soi 12 | 0 2635 0406 | avunculus. com | Open every evening except Monday One of the most enticing small bars in Bangkok, U.N.C.L.E. (United Nations of Cocktail Lovers Everywhere), is a hideaway that exudes class. Located above Lady Brett, a popular tavern on Sathorn 12, it is entered by proceeding down a narrow passageway on the side of the tavern until you reach a small door; enter and climb the dimly lit stairs. After a couple of flights, you will see a doorway covered with a piece of black velvet. Push it aside and voila, you’ll find yourself in U.N.C.L.E. Bartender Chris is a master of his trade. In addition to creating authentic classic cocktails, he serves a variety of unique drinks and will be happy to create something based on your specifications.
20F Zen@CentralWorld, 4/5 Ratchadamri Rd 0 2100 9000 | heaven-on-zen.com | Mon-Sun 5.30pm-1am It’s heavily dependent on the weather as the design offers precious little protection but on a warm Bangkok night, when the golden backdrop of its feature bar lights up like a metal sun, it feels like one of the most glamorous places in the capital. Crucially, they’ve got the cocktails (all B280-B320) right, using a well-chosen blend of spirits without going overboard and trying to cram every drink with one too many flavours. The Surreal Seduction – slightly cheesey name but we’ll forgive it because it tastes good – combines vodka, apple liqueur, elderflower syrup and pear puree. It’s super fruity but apple liqueur is one of the more versatile, underused ingredients in cocktails and it sets off the others in a way that’s refreshing but still carries a kick.
OCTAVE [MAP 3/S10] 45F Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57 | 0 2797 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
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listings
ThreeSixty Over The Roof (B320), which fuses Red Berry Tea-flavoured vodka with fresh mint leaves and elderflower syrup. It might seem a little flowery but the overall effect is a seriously drinkable concoction that cuts right through the humidity.
RED SKY [MAP 4/F3] 56th F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | 0 2100 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 slow-cooked 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).
THREESIXTY [MAP 5/B2] Millennium Hilton, 123 Charoennakorn Rd 0 2442 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 92 | A PR I L 2015
Red Sky
Mixx Discotheque
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 | 0 2344 4131 | whotels.com/Bangkok | Sun-Wed 9am1am, 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.
CLUBS KU DE TA
of Bangkok lit up at night. Another feature is the lighting set-up – a very snazzy, very modern LED ‘chandelier’ hangs over the dance floor, twinkling a variety of different colours in time with the music.
MIXX DISCOTHEQUE [MAP 4/H4] President Tower Arcade 973 Ploenchit Rd BTS Chidlom | mixxdiscotheque.com | B350 10pm-late Located in basement annex of the Intercontinental Hotel, Mixx is classier than most of Bangkok’s after-hour clubs. 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 for Friday-Saturday: B350 for guys, B300 for girls and Sunday – Thursday: B100 for guys, B50 for girls. That includes a drink and the chanceto party until nearly sunrise.
SUGAR CLUB [MAP 3/R1] [MAP 5/G6]
39-40F Sathorn Square Complex, 98 North Sathorn Rd | 0 2108 2000 | kudeta.net 6pm-late Ku De Ta set out to add a new dimension to a night out in Bangkok. To some extent, it follows in the footsteps of Bed Supperclub 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
37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (entrance next to the Australian Pub) | bashbangkok.com | Midnightvery late Open till “very late”, Sugar Club is brash. The guys who set this place up spliced strands of global clubbing DNA with the usually sleazy after-hours club concept. There are burlesque dancers ranging from midgets and robots on stilts to cross-dressing whacker Pan Pan (the shows bring to mind risqu? superclub Manumission at times); the fixtures and furniture are of the very glam sort (gleaming Louis IX furniture, etc); and the DJs are often big names. Head up the stairs lined with misshapen mirrors and you’ll find three floors of fun, two of them taken up by the main room and the mezzanine which overlooks it. bangkok101.com
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bangkok101.com
THE ONLY SON –
MILE-LONG DRAWING By Molly Lanscombe
T
he Only Son has got a bit deep and meaningful this season, with Mile-long drawing, its Spring-Summer 2015 collection inspired By Gaby Doman by kooky American artist Walter De Maria’s flirtation with zeninspired art forms in the 1960 – this guy was a pioneer of minimalist and conceptual art and once drew a ‘mile long drawing’ in the Mojave desert. It was xxxxx a masterpiece xxxxxx xxxxx of course, but to the art ignorant it looked a lot like two parallel xxx white lines on the ground. How doesxxx this impact the collection, you may well ask. Well, we’re not entirely xxx sure, except that it makes for a cool-sounding muse and a collection full of minimalist cuts which favour block colours and soft lines – which have become something of a staple for The Only Son. AVAILABLE AT: black and rust have the potential to be Block colours in white, a little stern but with this collection the smooth lines and relaxed tailoringxxx employed by The Only Son’s ateliers give the collection a more casual, xxx wearable feel. Even high-waist trousers, buttoned-up shirts, suits xxx and evening dresses with bandage elements look low-key and cool. It’s xxxweb testament to the skill of The Only Son’s team that they can make such complex tailoring techniques – reversible blazers (side note: we couldn’t be happier that reversible jackets are back), metal embellishments, customised geometric distortion prints on woven pieces and knitwear, and construction detailing from circle, square and triangle patterns. Stand-out pieces from the collection include a powder grey onesleeved cut-off onesie, a jersey fine-print geometric a-line skirt and an asymmetric monochrome top – not to mention the incredibly versatile and oh-so-novel reversible blazers which, quite frankly, we’re not sure how we ever managed without. Make no bones about it, we love the basic shapes, androgynous cuts and simple palette of the collection. It’s all so… effortless and, let’s face it, that’s what real style is about.
x
The Only Son is available at: Gaysorn, 2nd Floor, 02 656 1222 Siwilai, 5th floor Central Embassy, 02 160 5809-12 theonlyson.com
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SHOPPING
unique boutique
Dasa Book Café - A haven for slaves to the written word -
A
mong Bangkok’s bibliophiles Dasa Book Café is something of a priceless treasure. Opened in 2004, today it is home to over 17,000 secondhand books sorted by genre, alphabetized by author and neatly shelved in air-conditioned splendor. The bookshop is located on Sukhumvit Road between sois 26 and 28 and opens daily from 10am-8pm. It sells primarily quality foreign language used books, mostly in English, French, and German but also in many other languages. Encouragingly, many of the paper-back books are priced at less than a hundred Baht. The store has a comprehensive layout with sections covering fiction, history, biography, art, Thai and Asian culture, travel, and children’s literature to name but a few. There are also a handful of new titles stocked from month to month. A completed list of their books can be downloaded at Dasa’s official website. Incidentally, the name ‘Dasa’ derives from a Pali word for slave, the implication being that book lovers are ‘slaves’ to books and cannot live without reading. Donald Gilliland and Kaweewut Wuttiwipoo, the store owners, established Dasa as a space for true book lovers, somewhere they could browse shelves at leisure and 96 | APRIL 2015
enjoy a good read in a cozy atmosphere. The secondhand books that grace the shelves are gathered from markets around Bangkok and also neighbouring countries such as Laos and Cambodia. Dasa also buys many of its books from customers and gives store credit for trade-ins. In addition to myriad low-cost paper- and hard-back books, Dasa also offers patrons a comfy coffee shop area where drinks and home-baked goodies are available, and while you browse for the books, you will hear light tunes floating in the air. In fact searching for titles has become even easier now that the store has developed a proper computer database. Technological leaps and bounds also make it possible to place online orders for titles and arrange home delivery thereof. This is definitely one of Bangkok’s lesser-known jewels, a calm and inviting space where the scent of old books mingles with the rich aroma of roasted coffee beans in an irresistable combination.
DASA BOOK CAFÉ
[MAP 3/O10]
714/4 Sukhumvit Rd (between sois 26-28) | 0 2661 2993 dasabookcafe.com | Daily 10am-8pm
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spotlight tailor
SHOPPING
Lucky Angel Tailor - Fashion Made Face-to-Face -
B
oyce Lama started at the bottom. Unlike the best proprietors in the tailoring business, before he bought his own shop, he worked as a tailor — measured dimensions, cut fabric, and got hands-on experience. It earned him an understanding of the craft at a fundamental level, a hard-won expertise that is perhaps the catalyst that brings customer after customer back to his glass-framed Lucky Angel Tailor boutique on Soi Ruamrudee. Founded in 2012, Lucky Angel has grown as steady as a vine in a short stretch of time. Its location, surrounded by various embassies and big businesses, no doubt has helped to attract and retain a faithful clientele, one made up of diplomats, politicians, and employees from corporations such as GE and Toyota. More important to the cause, however, is the degree of professionalism to which Lama and his team aspire. There are four cutters at the business and between 15 and 20 tailors, depending on the job; the cutters work in-house, too. Customers are greeted by Lama when they enter. He talks about price, fabric, and timeframe: no smoke-andmirrors or overselling, just brass tacks and honesty based on what a customer wants. Lama works hand-in-hand bangkok101.com
with every customer to pick out the right fabric with the proper thread count (150 being the most popular, he says) in the most appropriate colour or pattern. From wool and Egyptian cotton to linen, much of the fabric comes from Thailand, a process that cuts down on expenses without sacrificing quality. High-end textiles from England and Italy, including Dolce & Gabbana and Armani, also are kept in stock. It takes about three days to have a suit tailored, including a few fittings all performed by the down-to-earth owner. Lucky Angel Tailor offers a lifelong guarantee for alterations, as well. If a customer gains or loses weight or simply needs an adjustment, the garment will be altered in-house at no additional cost. “Our specialty is direct service,” says Lama. “I’m always at the shop working to find out what the customers need. We’re not like other shops, where customers only talk with salesmen.”
LUCKY ANGEL TAILOR
[MAP 4/M5]
26-26/24 Soi Ruamrudee 2 Ploenchit Rd 0 2650 7577, 08 0559 2655 | boycelama28@hotmail.com
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listings
Duly
TAILOR DULY [MAP 3/Q10] 55/2 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 0 2672 2891 | 10am7pm daily | laladuly.co.th Duly recently opened a new boutique at the 2nd floor, Royal Wing of the Siam Kempinski Hotel behind Siam Square. The original stand-alone shop on Sukhumvit Road was also renovated in 2011 to reflect Duly’s pre-eminent position as Bangkok’s leading shirt maker. The real draw here is the made-to-measure service that allows customers to create their own perfect shirt with no limits. Shirt patterns can be contoured to fit, collars picked from 22 different style and cuffs from 10. The store stocks over 30 types of button and also offers a monogramming service.
FASHION GALLERIA [MAP 5/C2] Suite 108 River City Shopping Complex, Yotha Rd | 0 2639 1401 | info@fashiongalleria.biz Since 1999, Fashion Galleria has provided its diverse customers with the finest hand-crafted clothing. But it isn’t just sartorial taste that has turned the shop into a familiar and favourite face in River City, the easy-going shopping complex beside the Si Phaya Pier. Fashion Galleria sources its medium to high-end fabrics from esteemed international brands, many in Italy, like Vitale Barberis Canonico, Loro Piana, Ermenegildo Zegna, Reda, and Marzoni. Clients are fitted twice after selecting their preferred fabric. If in a rush, the first measurements can be finished in two or three hours.
JULY TAILOR [MAP 5/K6] 30/6 Saladang Rd | 0 2233 0171 | Mon-Sat 9.30pm-6pm | julytailor.com/en Established by Nui Sae Lui in 1939, today July Tailor is run by his third son, Sompop Louilarpprasert. July Tailor is famous for the tailoring of suits and royal patterns 98 | APRIL 2015
Moon River by VJ with fine and delicate workmanship. It also prides itself on punctual delivery. This is perhaps why it was selected as a tailor to the Thai royal family. The store also enjoys a fine reputation among high-level local and international government officials, politicians and businessmen. Use of fine cloths, lining materials and accessories imported from Italy ensures comfort while hand stitching ensures excellent workmanship and fit and the unique bespoke look.
MOON RIVER BY VJ [MAP 3/H10] 288 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2229 4457 Mon-Sun 10am-9pm | moonriverbyvj.com Suits ordered at the majority of Bangkok tailors are crafted away from the retail shop, frequently at backstreet workshops handling jobs from several different tailors. What distinguishes Moon River by VJ from its competitors is that the business has its own in-house workshop, enabling it to have better quality control. This also means that the tailors can be present during fittings, so they really understand the changes that need to be made. The shop, which caters to both men and women, has been providing locals, expats and visitors with bespoke attire since 1981 and carries a large inventory of fabrics and styles suitable for any budget.
NARIN COUTURE [MAP 3/G10] 180 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2251 9237 | Mon-Sat 10.30am-9pm (last fitting at 8pm) | narincouture.com B. Narin of Narin Couture graduated from Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and spent five years working in Paris before returning home to open his own boutique tailoring service. His background is undoubtedly one of the reasons his suits receive high marks for style. He and his master cutters, many of whom have over 30 years of experience, turn out elegant evening
Narin Couture gowns and immaculate suits in top quality fabrics. Some of Narin’s creations have even made it onto the silver screen, being worn by movie stars in Hollywood blockbusters.
PERRY’S [MAP 5/K5] 2/1 Silom Rd | 0 2233 9236, 0 2267 0622 Mon-Sat 9.30am-8pm | perry.tailor@gmail.com Legendary tailor Perry’s has been going strong for four decades. It is run by genial septuagenarian twin brothers Narong and Phonchai, both of whom are known for their ability to measure and cut ‘by the eye’. They maintain superb quality through their own workshop, where 30 plus artisans use only imported fabrics – the likes of Ermenegildo Zenga, Loro Piana, Dormeuil and Lanificio from Switzerland, Italy and England. Among their more illustrious clients they count the Duke of Edinburgh, former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and late Hollywood star Robin Williams. It takes from one to two weeks for Perry’s to make a two-piece suit, which will run to B20000 or more depending on the material selected.
PINKY [MAP 4/L5] Mahatun Plaza Arcade | 888/40 Ploenchit Rd | 0 2253 6328 | Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm (Sunday’s by appointment) | pinkytailor.com Established since 1980, at Pinky you will find 3 floors of high-quality fabrics. The
Perry’s bangkok101.com
listings
Pinky
Rajawongse
shop caters to ladies and gents and offers exceptional tailoring for quality trousers, suits, tuxedos, uniforms, overcoats, skirts and dresses. A specialty here though is shirts, and as the business points out on its website, shirts are a staple part of any person’s wardrobe. From formal dress shirts and business wear through to high fashion and casual, the shirt is the ideal way to express personality, no matter what the occasion. Popular with visiting dignitaries and local diplomats, Pinky also has a loyal repeat clientele.
RAJAWONGSE [MAP 3/E10] 130 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2255 3714 | Mon-Sat 10.30am-8pm | dress-for-success.com
SHOPPING
Tailor on Ten
At Rajawongse, a favourite of visiting statesman and ambassadors, it is possible to create your own design from a wide array of fabrics and accessories. Traditional to contemporary, dramatic to exotic, classic to original, you pick your preferred style of garment and fabrics and tailors Jesse and Victor will create it. Says Jesse, “It is our belief that every single customer should be treated like a V.I.P. From formal wear to business suits and sport coats, our motto always holds true: dress like a winner and you’ll be treated like one.”
TAILOR ON TEN [MAP 3/G10] 93 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 8 | 084 877 1543 tailoronten.com
Established by brothers Ben and Alex Cole, Tailor on Ten is located in a quaint townhouse on Sukhumvit Soi 8. The business has a strong reputation for quality. Suit fabrics are sourced from renowned clothiers such as Vitale Barberis Canonico, Trabaldo Togna, Holland & Sherry (of Savile Row), and Dormeuil. All shirts are 100 percent cotton, the shop favourite coming from Thomas Mason, a British-heritage brand made in Italy. A range of Irish and Japanese linen is also available for suits and shirts. Recently, the shop launched an accessories line, with custom belts, Italian ties and pocket squares, to name a few.
IES & GENTS CUSTOM TAILORS D A L -
LUCKY ANGEL vit Rd
dee Soi Ru amru
CE
Plaza Athenee
s Rd
B OY
Sukhum
Ploenchit
Wireles
by
All Season Place
Conrad Bangkok
LUCKY ANGEL
26-26/24 soi ruamrudee (behind conrad hotel), ploenchit rd., lumpini, patumwan, bangkok 10330 t. (+66) 2 650 7577 m. (+66) 80 559 2655 boycelama28@hotmail.com
Ruamrudee soi 1 Ruamrudee soi 2 Aetas Hotel
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feature
Weightless in Bangkok Getting tanked at Theta State Float Center might be good for you. BY JOE CUMMINGS
S
ensory-deprivation tanks enjoyed a brief heyday in the United States following the 1972 publication of The Center of the Cyclone: An Autobiography of Inner Space, a book about Dr John Lilly’s hallucinatory experiments inside a dark tank filled with skin-temperature water. The book inspired playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky to write his first and only novel, Altered States (1978), which two years later he turned into a screenplay for director Ken Russell’s over-the-top sciencefiction film of the same name starring William Hurt. Often called “samadhi tanks” back then, they mostly appealed to those interested in experiencing “higher” states of consciousness, with or without the use of psychedelic drugs. Or at least that was the background info I carried in my head when I arrived for my first session at Theta State Float Center. I was met by one of Theta’s three owners,
100 | A PRIL 2015
amiable American Annile Alexander, who smiled faintly when I mentioned John Lilly. “The original popularity of flotation tanks, along with that of Jacuzzis, saunas, and so on, hit a stumbling block in the early 1980s,” says Alexander, “after HIV appeared on the scene and for a short while there was a fear of catching it from water.” Such irrational fears quickly subsided, but it wasn’t until relatively recently that flotation tanks regained popularity, notes Alexander. “Professional athletes, Olympic competitors, and physiologists in America have been experimenting with flotation therapy over the last decade or so, and discovered that it was immensely useful for recovery from physical trauma and for promoting deep relaxation.” Flotation therapy is huge again, but this time around it’s not so much about reaching altered states as it is about bangkok101.com
feature combating physical and emotional stress in daily life. In Los Angeles, tank time at float centers is so coveted that customers often need to reserve 30 days in advance. When Alexander promises that “Floating is the deepest level of relaxation you will likely ever have,” this appears to be backed up with solid scientific evidence and new technology to match. Theta’s four flotation tanks, which cost over US$25,000 each, provide soundproof, lightproof, and gravity-free environments in tanks filled with purified water blended with 600 kilograms of medicalgrade magnesium sulfate. Computers maintain the dense water mixture at skin temperature so that once you’re lying on your back on the surface of the water – floating is effortless because of the high salt concentration – and the lights are off, most people soon find themselves in a womb-like state. Each flotation room comes equipped with a private shower and dressing area so that you can leave your clothes behind and wash away oils and Bangkok street grit before entering the tank. As I carefully slide into the water and close the lid (on the pod-style tank; larger room-like tanks with doors rather than lids are also available), I fall into a relaxed state immediately. At the beginning of my session (one hour to 90 minutes depending on your preference), the tank interior is subtly illuminated and soft, ambient music plays. Both fade into black silence after about five minutes, and my body marvels at feeling almost completely free from the downward forces of gravity. When the soft lights and music come up again, I can’t believe an entire hour has already passed.
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“That’s very common,” says Alexander. “A lot of people find that even an hour and a half collapses because of time spent in theta state.” Theta state refers to brain wave activity associated with deep relaxation or meditation. Such a state is said to synchronize the right- and left-brain hemispheres, which in turn may lead to heightened states of creativity, logic and empathy. Alexander explains how flotation promotes what scientists called the Relaxation Response, a physical state of deep rest that changes a person’s physical and emotional responses to stress. “Long periods of Relaxation Response physiology lowers heart rates, blood pressure and oxygen consumption,” says Alexander, “and alleviates the symptoms associated with a vast array of conditions including hypertension, arthritis, insomnia, depression, anxiety, infertility, cancer, and even aging.” Although the concentration of magnesium sulfate in the water is highly anti-bacterial, the water is filtered three times, passed under two UV lamps and treated with hydrogen peroxide between customers to ensure hygiene. I found floating for an hour or two in the soundproof, lightproof, temperature-controlled chamber to be the perfect antidote to frenetic Bangkok. Prices start at B1550 per hour with a minimum three-float purchase.
THETA STATE FLOAT CENTER 88/1 24th Avenue Mall, Sukhumvit Soi 24 | 0 2261 7943 thetastatefloat.com
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treatment
THANN Sanctuary Spa - Getting stoned has never been more relaxing BY PAWIKA JANSAMAKAO
S
pas in Thailand’s ultra-competitive wellness industry are constantly looking to promote a unique selling point (USP) – a new treatment, a new piece of technology, a new ‘miracle serum’ – anything that makes them stand out, and the truth is that oftentimes these USPs are rather tenuous. Not so in the case of THANN Sanctuary Spa at Emporium, an urban oasis where Thailand’s abundant aromatic and medicinal flora take center stage in pioneering skincare products that have helped to put the THANN brand firmly on the international map. Innovative and all-natural, when administered by the capable hands of the spa’s therapists, all of whom have graduated from THANN Sanctuary Spa’s on-site academy, they help to generate a feeling of deep relaxation and wellbeing. The spa itself offers an extensive range of treatments based on the rejuvenation properties of tried and tested traditional therapies. Not least of these is hot stone massage, which has been used for thousands of years to relieve tension and heal damaged tissues. At THANN Sanctuary Spa the Healing Stone Body Massage (100 min/B3500) is a naturopathy that combines Swedish
102 | A PRIL 2015
massage and the application of heated smooth black and white rocks. Before the treatment begins, seven crystals are placed on the body’s chakras, or energy points, ranging from the crown of the head to the base of the spine. These are left in place for five minutes to warm up the body. Hot stones are then applied with firm palm strokes and alternating thumb pressure to relieve sore joints and muscular pains. The black onyx stones absorb negative energy and toxins from the body while the white stones calm the mind, leaving you feeling refreshed both physically and mentally. Also available are treatments such as Nano Shiso Therapy (130 min/B3800), THANN Aromatherapy Massage (60 min/B2000, 90 min/B2800) and a newly added Thai Aromatic Massage (120 min/B2500). Whichever you choose, a personal world of bliss and relaxation awaits.
THANN SANCTUARY SPA
[MAP 3/N10]
6F Emporium | BTS Promphong 0 2664 9924 | thann.info
bangkok101.com
treatment
Anantara Spa
ANANTARA SPA [MAP 5/L5] Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa, 257/1-3 Charoennakorn Rd | 0 2476 0022 Ext. 1563 | spa.anantara.com | 10am-10pm | $$$$
An extensive list of treatment packages await, with options covering health and beauty therapies or a combination of both. The various massages focus on restoring physical balance and harmony by easing knotted muscles and stimulating blood flow along the meridian lines. Also known as acupressure corridors, the meridians are pathways through which energy flows around the body. Prior to core massage, many of the treatments – which use imported premium blend Elemis spa products – begin with a soothing foot scrub and milk bath. Particularly recommended is the exceptional Anantara Signature Massage (90 min/B3900). It combines bodywork using a special formula hot oil for deep muscle relaxation and meridian flow with stomach-focused detox massage designed to boost digestion and clear toxins from your system. Other blissful packages worth considering include Journey of Siam (190 min/ B5500), Stress Release Massage (90 min/B3500), and River Stone Back Massage (60 min/B4000). Poolside and in-room spa treatments are also available.
Massira Wellness and Spa bangkok101.com
Sanctuary Wellness and Spa
MASSIRA WELLNESS AND SPA [MAP 5/L5]
Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside Hotel, 2074 Charoenkrung Rd | 0 2289 9099 massiraspa.com | 10am-10pm | $$$
The spa’s treatment menu is extensive with numerous packages designed to cosset and beautify. Of particular note is the three-hour Massira Rejuvenate package (B4800) which exfoliates the skin before relieving muscles with Swedish body massage techniques. Another treatment worth mentioning is the Purify package (B4300), two-and-ahalf hours of pampering that begins with a 30 minute Jacuzzi bath. For those with limited time, the spa also offers a number of relaxing one- and two-hour massage and beauty treatments. The Massira aromatherapy massage (B1800/B2500; 60/90 mins) uses the calming scent of local herbs and specially blended oils to make both your mind and body relax. The Massira Sports massage (B1800/ B2500; 60/90 mins) on the other hand is designed to help exercise and fitness fanatics overcome tight muscles and pains caused by extensive exercise.
SANCTUARY WELLNESS AND SPA [MAP 5/L5]
Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit 18 | 0 261 7100 rembrandtbkk.com | 9am-10pm | $$$
Sanctuary Wellness and Spa at Rembrandt Hotel has several pampering therapies, one of which is a great Traditional Thai Massage (B900/60 min, B1200/90 min) that stretches the muscles and uses pressure to stimulate the energy meridians of the body. It is one of several therapies at the spa designed to alleviate physical tiredness, aches and pains. Many others provide the sense of relaxation and peace that spa-goers look for. The Jet Lag Massage (B2500/90 min) helps to rebalance your body after a long flight
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Seasons Spa and includes a foot mask to soothe swollen legs and feet, and an eye mask to rejuvenate tired skin around the eyes. Other recommendations are the Sport Massage (B1500/60 min, B2000/90min), the Thai Herbal Compress (B1900/90 min), and the Hot Stone Massage (B2500/90 min).
SEASONS SPA [MAP 5/L5] Conrad Bangkok Hotel , All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Rd | 0 2690 9355 | conradhotels. com/Bangkok | 9am-10pm | $$$
The 11 exclusive treatment rooms are prepped for pleasure. Each provides a private changing room as well as a shower area that incorporates its own sauna. The presidential suite, the crème de la crème of the choices, even has a Jacuzzi. The Real Aromatherapy Experience (B3500/90min) aims to melt away stress and tension through a blend of Swedish massage and Thai acupressure, using aromatherapy traditions from the West to calm the mind. There is no need to worry if time is limited. The spa’s on-the-fly de-stress collection features treatments that take just 30 minutes. Guests can also indulge in various pampering packages, including Intensive Muscle Release (B3500/90min), Rose Hydrating Cocoon (B2800/60min), and a choice of three treatments in the Bath Collection (B1800/45min each). To elevate the experience, Seasons Spa uses only premium scented oils and products, imported from Aromatherapy Associates in London. When all is done and dusted, guests are casually escorted to a lounge, where they are treated to herbal drinks and light cookies. SPA COSTS $ :: under B600 $$ :: B600-B1000 $$$ :: B1000-B2000 $$$$ :: B2000+
A PRIL 2015 | 103
MAP 1 Greater Bangkok A
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SIGHTSEEING a Bang Pa-In Summer Palace b The Khao Khiao Open Zoo c The Si Racha Tiger Farm d Pattaya Shooting Park e Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden f Mimosa Pattaya g Kanchanaburi War Cemetery h Bridge over the river Kwai i Erawan National Park j Sai Yok National Park k Ancient Siam l Bueng Chawak Aquarium
TEMPLES 1 Wat Yai Chai Mong Khon 2 Wat Phra Sri Sanphet 3 Wat Mahathat 4 Wat Phuttai Sawan HISTORICAL RUINS 1 Ayutthaya Historical Park 2 Phra Narai Ratchaniwet MARKETS 1 Amphrawa Floating Market 2 Walking Street Pattaya 3 Sam Chuk 100 Years Market
MUSEUMS 1 Teddy Bear Museum 2 The Ripley's believe It or Not Odditorium 3 Art in Paradise 4 Thai Human Imagery Museum 5 Museum of Chong Khaokad ENTERTAINMENT 1 Scuba Dawgs Pattaya 2 Alcazar Cabaret 3 Pattaya Water Park
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17 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sukhumvit
ARTS & CULTURE 1 Japan Foundation 2 Koi Art Gallery 3 Attic Studios 4 La Lanta 5 TCDC (Thailand Creative & Design Centre)
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Nang Kwak WTF 8 The Pikture Gallery 9 We*Do Gallery 10 RMA 7
MALLS 1 Robinsons 2 Terminal 21 3 Emporium
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A PRIL 2015 | 109
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M Y B A N G KO K
Nicola
Jones-Crossley Nicola Jones-Crossley, the entrepreneurial Australian who introduced Business in Heels to Bangkok, recently spoke to Bangkok 101 about the growing role of professional women in Thailand and her verve for promoting them.
What are you trying to achieve with Business in Heels? I want to create a non-threatening space where like-minded women can feel comfortable talking about work and asking advice, where they can learn from professionals in different fields and meet new people that could be beneficial to their careers. When did you first have the idea of bringing the group to BKK? When I first came to Bangkok I knew no one, so I started going to networking events and meet-ups. I’d talk to lots of professionals and ask their stories, wanting to know why they were living here. I’d also scan LinkedIn. That’s where I saw a post about Business in Heels expanding internationally, so I sent an email asking for more information about starting a branch. I’d found many events I’d attended here to be male-dominated. I wanted to run gatherings that celebrated female professionals and give them credibility in what is arguably a male-centric city. Who make up the membership? Our members are mixed. We have a large percentage of entrepreneurs and business owners, and an equally big group of corporate professionals, most in senior positions. At first, the events were mainly attended by expats as these were the women in my network. Slowly, as the events became regular, I began to see more Thai professionals joining. Now we often see a 50/50 split: half expats, half Thai. It’s nice. Local ladies bring a great feel to the events. 112 | APRIL 2015
How do you feel about female empowerment in Thailand? At an AMCHAM networking event recently, I was speaking to a robotics lecturer who said that, when she began working at her university, she was the only female lecturer. Although still male-dominated, now there are a growing number of female teachers and students studying in her field. She said that Thailand has strong women professionals and opportunities in all kinds of fields, and I agree. Gender has less of a stigma here than in the West. I’ve met many expat women in senior positions who admitted they would not hold the same rank in their home countries. More than most places, I think women in Thailand are encouraged and supported to excel professionally. How often do you have events, and what are they usually like? We run events every 6 weeks, taking a break in April and June/July for the holiday season. Each event is slightly different – unique locations, different speakers and social activities – but the structure is usually similar. The focus is on networking, giving women time to chat and talk business. I try to strike a balance between relaxed and unstructured while also using activities that keep women mingling. My favourite moments are when I overhear plans to meet up later or one woman offering help to another. I love that women can make meaningful connections at our events. How has the group grown here? An obvious difference from other
branches is the large expat following. Our attendees have lived all over the world and held many different professional roles, which really adds to the atmosphere and elevates discussions. Hardships that someone may have encountered working elsewhere might help solve problems that another lady is having here. Our diversity helps cultivate discussions that revolve around cross-cultural differences and similarities. If you weren’t organising events for BIH, you would be… Involved with a startup or some other project to keep me busy. I love the startup scene - the excitement, the constant hurdles and challenges. Friends are visiting you: where do you take them? I’d take them on my friend’s food tour, “Taste of Thailand” through old Bangkok. It’s a great introduction to Thai food and culture. I’d also take them on a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya, because the river and city lights are stunning at night. We’d go for drinks atop a sky bar, maybe Above 11 and then Octave in the Marriott for the grand view. And, finally, we’d do a little shopping at JJ market for coconut ice cream and presents to take home. Learn more about Business in Heels at Facebook.com/groups/ businessinheelsbangkok or email Bangkok@businessinheels.com.
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