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PUBLISHER’S LETTER There’s no sure thing when it comes to R&R, but for Bangkokians Hua Hin is about as close to perfection as it gets. Only a few hours away by car, or better yet by the once stately train that catered to the country’s aristocrats, Thailand’s oldest resort town is an idyllic getaway. This month, every page of our Travel section puts the spotlight on Hua Hin, sharing with you the top places to eat, sleep, drink, relax, and explore by the sea. Read in-depth reviews of two stunning boutique hotels, Let’s Sea and Putahracsa, and get some crucial insight on the top places to pig out, including the incomparable Andreas. Don’t miss our tour of the Patravadi School, either, one of the most singular arts and culture projects in Thailand. Bangkok gets its time in the light, too, of course. The city that never sleeps is as exciting as ever, especially with the new MRT lines coming; read more about the new lines in Best of BKK. Then turn to Out & About, where Joe Cummings explores the massive Wai Khru Sak Yan, sometimes called the “tattoo festival.” Flip to Arts & Exhibitions to see some truly spectacular artwork created by students at ISB, the teenagers who will shape the city’s art scene of tomorrow. And, in Food & Drink, we visit spinoffs of two wildly popular Thai restaurants in Soul Food 555 and the slick Supanniga Eating Room on Sathorn 10. All this, as well as our 101 archive and extras, can be found online at bangkok101.com. A couple of clicks are all it takes to keep in touch with what’s happening. If there’s something you feel we’re not covering, but should be, please drop us a line at info@talisman.asia.
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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publisher
Mason Florence
CONTRIBUTORS
editor-in-chief
Dr Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher
Parinya Krit-Hat managing editor
Craig Sauers food editor
John Krich associate editor
Pawika Jansamakao editor-at-large
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.
GABY DOMAN is a Bangkokbased writer with a serious social media habit. When she’s not at the gym, she can be found undoing all her good work in a bakery or a bar. A brownie or Dirty Martini (respectively), if you’re buying.
Joe Cummings editorial coordinator
Pongphop Songsiriarcha editorial intern
Julia Offenberger art director
Narong Srisaiya graphic designer
Thanakrit Skulchartchai strategists
Nathinee Chen, Sebastien Berger contributing writers
Matty Dyas, Adam O’Keefe, Marco Ferrarese, Matt Wilde, Oliver Benjamin, April Nelson contributing photographers
Willem Deenik, Megan Ferrera, Jatuporn Rutnin, Paul Lefevre, Niran Choonhachat, Anupong Hotawaisaya, Randy Travis general manager
Jhone El’Mamuwaldi Having lived in Thailand for many years, JIM ALGIE has authored such books as the non-fiction collection, Bizarre Thailand: Tales of Crime, Sex and Black Magic (2010) and the short-fiction collection, The Phantom Lover and Other Thrilling Tales of Thailand, as well as co-written the history book Americans in Thailand (2014), and Thailand’s Sustainable Development Sourcebook (2015). His new 2016 book is entitled, On the Night Joey Ramone Died: Twin tales of rock ‘n’ punk from Bangkok, New York, Cambodia and Norway.
AVAILABLE AT:
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 sales and marketing
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Kiattisak Chanchay 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. SEP T EM BER 2014 | 5
CONTENTS 50
22 16
18
CITY PULSE
52 top dining
90 eat like nym
8 metro beat
54 restaurant review:
92 in the kitchen:
14 my bangkok:
rim talay, andreas
joan tanya dot
foet (slot machine)
56 spa and wellness
94 made in thailand:
16 hot plates: il fumo
58 unique boutique:
farmers market
18 best of bkk: mrt
khomapastr
22 out & about:
60 making merit: wfft
NIGHTLIFE
ART & CULTURE
104 review: drunken
102 nightlife news
sak yan
SNAPSHOTS
62 exhibitions
leprechaun
28 tom’s two satang
66 interview:
106 imbibe: jw marriott
30 joe’s bangkok
tawee kase-ngam
32 bizarre thailand
68 cheat notes:
LI FESTYLE
34 very thai
a geek in thailand
112 new collection:
70 photo feature:
pichita
isb art contest
114 unique boutique:
81
rosemanclub
118
TRAVEL 36 huahin101 38 best beaches
FOOD & DRINK
116 beach essentials
40 on the block:
76 food & drink news
118 review:
naeb kehardt
78 meal deals
spa botanica
42 heritage sites
79 food editor’s letter
119 spa products
4 4 feature: patravadi
8 0 restaurant reviews:
48 hotel review:
soul food 555,
SIGNING OFF
putahracsa,
supanniga eating
120 signing off
let’s sea
room, babette’s, broccoli revolution, luce, kiosk, raw bar, mexicano, ciao
ON THE COVER Boats in the bay at Hua Hin, courtesy of the TAT.
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FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES
FESTIVALS
King’s Cup Elephant Polo This year, the King’s Cup Elephant Polo changes venues to Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort. From March 10-13, lumber over to the Chao Phraya to take part in one of the biggest charitable events in Southeast Asia. The project has raised almost one million US dollars in funding for Thailand’s wild and domesticated elephant population, providing continued support for research and clinics using elephants in therapy sessions for children living with autism; donating a gantry to help lame elephants stand and a purpose-built elephant ambulance to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC); and giving an ATV to the Government Elephant Hospital in Krabi. That’s just the tip of the tusk, too. Among other good deeds, the annual event has also funded 18,000 hectares of protected land in the Cardamom Mountains. Visit anantaraelephantpolo.com for more information.
Kolour in the Park On March 12 and 13, slip on those board shorts and shades and shuttle up to the Thai Wake Park (18/4 Soi Sudsawas, Pathum Thani). Kolour in the Park – Weekender combines lights, music, arts, food, and outdoor activities. Over two days, the festival promises a line-up of top house and techno DJs, a veritable feast from food trucks and vendors, a pro wakeboard competition, a live graffiti installation, swimming, giveaways, and much more. Tickets at the door will be B1800, and less depending on date of purchase. For up-to-date information, including the DJ line-up, visit kolourinthepark.com. This month, Bangkok’s Hindu population celebrates the most colourful festival on Earth, Holi. The “festival of love,” as it’s often called, is a thanksgiving rite, celebrating the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil while providing a good excuse to cut loose and meet other people. It’s famously known for the brightly coloured powder that’s thrown about with reckless abandon. Put together by the VHP Association of Thailand, Bangkok’s technicolour Holi festival will take place on March 27 at Thammasat University (Tha Prachan). For the latest information, check facebook.com/vhpthailand. 8 | M A RCH 2016
Disney on Ice! Magical Ice Festival Kid-favourite characters flip jump and free skate as Disney on Ice! Magical Ice Festival takes over Impact Arena (Muang Thong Thani) from March 30-April 3. Featuring fairy tale VIPs from Frozen, Tangled, The Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, the show inspires everyone in the audience to embrace their deepest fantasies. Tickets start at B600 for general admission and rise to B2500 for ringside seats. Check thaiticketmajor.com for more information, including showtimes. bangkok101.com
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POP & ROCK
Death Cab for Cutie Pioneering indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie comes to Bangkok for the first time on March 3. Playing at Moonstar Studios (Lat Phrao 80), the core trio will be joined by two new touring members as they revisit three decades of music, including tracks from their eighth and latest album, “Kintsugi.” Death Cab for Cutie has undergone a transformation recently, as Chris Walla, an original member, left following the recording of “Kintsugi,” the title itself an allusion to the Japanese art of fixing broken ceramics with gold, highlighting rather than hiding the cracks. The band’s songs have always been made to share rather than bogart, with melodies and breakdowns and lyrics so relatable they often feel as universally familiar as a one-size-fits-all sweater. So even if this new album doesn’t transcend any of their previously constructed sonic arrangements, the music remains comfortably Death Cab, and the band is as entertaining to see live as ever. Tickets are B1800 and available at thaiticketmajor.com. Pop-rock heartthrobs 5 Seconds of Summer debut in Bangkok on March 8 at Impact Arena (Muang Thong Thani). The former YouTube superstars from Australia are celebrating the release of their second album, “Sounds Good Feels Good,” with a worldwide tour that stops in Bangkok for one night only. Well-received by critics for its relative maturity (lyrical themes notwithstanding), the album features the insipidly named singles “She’s Kinda Hot” and “Hey Everybody!” Available at thaiticketmajor.com, tickets range from B2000-B7000.
David Foster bangkok101.com
16-time Grammy Award winner David Foster, also known as the Hitman, visits Bangkok with a group of fellow musicians on March 16 at Impact Arena (Muang Thong Thani). The appropriately titled Hitman David Foster & Friends show will place the Canadian Renaissance man in the limelight. Having produced or written chart-topping hits for Chicago, Whitney Houston, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Boyz II Men, Kenny G, Natalie Cole, and so many others, Foster has a robust résumé to draw from during the concert. Expect big hits and world-class skill. Tickets are B2500-B10,000 and can be purchased at thaiticketmajor.com. M A RCH 2016 | 9
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PERFORMANCE
RUNNING Raise money and awareness for those living with HIV and AIDS on March 13 at the HIV RUN – 24 Hours. The run is split into distances of 4.5k and 8k, starting at the statue of HRH King Rama VI at Lumpini Park. From there, the 8k loops down Silom, Sathorn, Rama I, and Ratchadamri Roads. The 8k starts at 5.30am, and the 4.5k at 5.35am. For more information, visit hivrun24hours.com.
The Snakes Tadu Gallery (Sukhumvit 87) plays host to a special performance of avant-garde dance. Called The Snakes, the performance tells a tale of love and temptation from Chinese folk literature, about a man who falls in love with a snake-like monster disguised as a beautiful woman. The Snakes runs from March 2-6, and tickets cost B300. For more information, contact Mix at 06 1656 6289. NUNi productions, in tandem with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Goethe Institut, the Indian Cultural Center, KBank, and the Faculty of Fine Arts at Chulalongkorn University, presents Śakuntalā, a blend of opera and text by Schubert, Kālidasā and King Vajiravudh. The shows will run from March 3-5 at the Thailand Cultural Centre, starting at 8pm each night. Tickets are B800-B1200 and are available at thaiticketmajor.com.
Stylish Nonsense Using a crafty play-on-words in its title, Suk Ka Sak Ka Raj (roughly meaning “the year of happiness”) unites classical music and performance art at Thonglor Art Space (Sukhumvit 57). The show stars Saowakhon “Yui” Muangkruan on cello, who uses music to narrate her experiences, with support from esteemed illustrators, filmmakers, writers, and dancers. The performances will run from March 24-April 4 (except for Tues and Wed), including a special performance by Stylish Nonsense on Saturday and Sunday evening shows. Tickets at the door are B450, but there are various discounts for groups and students. Check facebook.com/thonglorartspace for the latest information. 10 | M A RCH 2016
Singapore’s Asics City Relay arrives in Bangkok on March 26. Teams of runners race track and field-style, but over a long distance. One runner goes at a time, doing laps around Sanam Luang and passing off a baton to the next teammate up when finished. The race takes place through the night, starting at 8pm. Check facebook.com/ cityrelay for more information.
WORKSHOPS
Craftsmanship of a Reportage As part of Walter Astrada’s trip to Bangkok, the professional photojournalist will lead a workshop called Craftsmanship of a Reportage, aimed at arming aspiring photographers with the storytelling skills needed to excel in the modern marketplace. Held from March 14-18 at Cho Why (Soi Nana 17, Chinatown), the five-day workshop will cover how to research stories, logistics and contacts, ethics, archiving, and photo editing, among other topics. Those interested in joining are asked to provide an application, a 500-word statement of purpose, a CV, and a portfolio with at most 20 photos. The workshop costs B18,000 and can accommodate 12 students. Go to walterastrada.com for more details and to contact the artist. Want to try something new? Check out the acro and arm balance workshop, held from 9am-4pm at Dance Factory (Ratchada Soi 7) on March 28. All abilities are welcome—even those who can barely touch their knees without pulling a hamstring. Learn to achieve strength and stability in altogether unfamiliar positions, such as lying supine with your legs at a 90-degree angle in the air as a fellow student uses your feet as a balancing board. If this has captured your attention, go to facebook. com/yogacenter.ch to watch some videos of previous workshops. The cost to join is B2000, which includes lunch and drinking water. bangkok101.com
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upcountry now March 18-20 Pattaya International Music Festival 2016 Have a whale of a time at one of the biggest beach music festivals in Asia, taking place in Pattaya. The festival features various musical genres performed by both local and international artists. There will also be plenty of food vendors lining the shore and souvenir booths, as well. Check out the festival’s programme at pattayamusicfest.com.
March 1 Turtle Releasing Festival Held annually in March, this festival sees baby turtles released back to the sea in Phang Nga. Little hawksbill and green sea turtles, raised by the Fisheries Department, trundle down the sand to the sea in front of misty eyes. The festival also incorporates a parade and exhibitions on marine life and sea turtles. Also expect OTOP products for sale, sporting competitions, and stage performances.
March 20 Singha Cha Am Bikini Beach Run 2016 Get your Speedos ready. The Singha Cha Am Bikini Beach Run is back. This raucous 5k, 10.5k, and 21k traces the shoreline of Cha Am in the early hours, while the hoi polloi still sleeps off the previous night’s beachfront parties. The race finishes on the beach at about the same time as the sun rises, a cadre of sweaty runners clad in swimwear labouring down the sloped sands. It’s fun, in other words. Visit jogandjoy.com for more information.
March 20 Tiger Balm presents Hua Hin Trail Half Marathon 2016
March 4-5 Thailand International Balloon Festival 2016 The 9th annual international balloon festival floats over Payap University in Chiang Mai. Hop aboard a balloon ride over Chiang Mai, or simply enjoy the luminescent nighttime balloon shows, dance performances, concerts, familyfriendly activities, and food spreads served by top hotels and restaurants in Chiang Mai.
A new trail race has emerged in an unlikely, but not unsuitable, destination. The Hua Hin Trail Half Marathon connects Hin Lek Fai with the city, with distances of 3.5k, 10k, and 21k along the lesser trodden trails of this coastal retreat. As part of a “Run with Green” concept, plastic cups will not be provided at water stations, so runners are encouraged to carry at least one water bottle with them. For more information, check tigerbalmtrail.com
March 17-20 World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony The World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony is held annually to honour and promote the celebrated Thai martial art. Muay Thai boxers will gather at Wat Mahathat in the Ayutthaya Historical Park to pay respect to their Muay Thai masters. These performances are designed to help outsiders understand the meaning of the Wai Kru ritual, which is one of the most fundamental and spiritual traditions of the sport. 12 | M A RCH 2016
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Foet
SLOT MACHINE You’ve seen him on Channel V, or maybe on Youtube. But how much do you really know about Foet of top Thai rock band Slot Machine? He opens up about his art and the band’s rise with Bangkok 101.
What does your latest award mean to Slot Machine and to you personally? We just won the “Visual and Popular Culture Award” from the Prudential Eye Awards in Singapore, which recognizes all kinds of artists: painters, sculptors, photographers, architects. It’s a big honour for us to get this, since our work is not only about producing music. It’s our life. From how we think and how we work, the art and culture of modern Thailand, the image of the band, the CD covers, as well as music videos and live shows—they are all forms of conceptual, contemporary art. We share Thainess with the international scene from the perspective of locals. For example, our song “Chan Chao (Goodbye);” the lyrics were inspired by a Thai lullaby. We want the world to know more about Thailand besides tuk tuks, temples, Muay Thai, and pad thai. This is what we’ve been doing for 12 years. Where do you find inspiration for your music? Is writing a spontaneous process for you? It comes from my head. I like to think about nature, the universe, human life, society. I don’t take anything for granted; I focus on every single detail that comes to mind. I like to use words no one uses in lyrics, but that’s very challenging. But above all, there has to be a kind of charm in the wordplay and rhyming. 14 | M A RCH 2016
What have been the biggest challenges working only in English for your next release? And what do you hope to achieve with this album? We’re starting everything from scratch. That’s the biggest challenge. Thai people know Slot Machine, but we have to gain a name internationally. We’re not only doing this for ourselves, but for the whole music industry and the next generation of musicians. We’ve never had any true expectations, but even so every new achievement seems to exceed our wildest imagination. First Jay Montonn and now Steve Lillywhite, what’s it been like working with big-time producers? Working with world-class producers, you have to stay active all the time. It wasn’t necessarily hard working with them. No matter how difficult the process is, as long as you can adapt yourself to the professional world, your work will turn out great. It’s not about the producers, but rather the artists. How can Thai music reach more audiences worldwide? And, in your opinion, what style of Thai music can gain widespread popularity? You can do whatever you want, but the world needs the real thing, because what’s authentic and good is always universal and ever-lasting. It’s like how the world recognizes tom yam kung. It’s the unique flavour of Thailand. The texture, the smell, the sound—it’s all relevant. Thai things
are real, but we have to make them bolder, like what the South Koreans did. Everyone was involved there— government, artists, media, fan clubs. Everybody here has to work together, too. What goes through your mind when you’re playing in front of 30,000+ people? What I’m thinking isn’t as important as concentrating on the music. It’s like a battlefield, because it’s real. You can’t make a mistake. You can’t fix anything at a live show. But when you’re keen to do something, from the first second to the last, the number of people [in the crowd] doesn’t matter. When you were young, did you know deep-down that you would become a musician? Never. When I was young, I had so many questions. Like, why were we born? For what purpose? I wanted to change the world into my own utopia. Now I know that’s impossible. We can only change ourselves—the way we think, the way we live. So I use my music to share my dream world with other people. I believe my music can reach anyone, no matter their race or ethnicity or nationality. When you’re on tour, what’s the one thing you miss most from home? Peace and quiet. What are your favourite venues to play at in Bangkok? No place in particular. Everywhere is a new beginning. bangkok101.com
EVENINGS @CHATEAU DE BANGKOK • THURSDAY’S Panorama Wine and Bistro • FRIDAY’S Poolside BBQ THB 399 net Come 3 Pay 2
29 Soi Ruamrudee 1, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 tel: +66 (0) 2 6514400 email: resv@chateaubkk.com
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hot plates
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Il Fumo By Matty Dyas
I
t’s not uncommon for a restaurant to boast about where it sources its products. But how many can claim a chef who knocks on doors in Italy and makes friends with farmers in Spain to ensure he’s using only the finest ingredients? After their success at Vesper on Soi Convent, the husband-and-wife team of Choti Leenutaphong and Debby Tang once again collaborated with Chef Luca Appino (La Bottega di Luca, Pizza Massilia) for their latest venture, Il Fumo, a contemporary Italian restaurant and cocktail bar located in a converted house on Rama IV. Odds are after one bite of smoke-laced Rubia Gallega beef you’ll understand just why the chef went the extra mile— make that 5000 miles—to get his mitts on the meat. At Il Fumo (meaning “smoke” in Italian), the premise is simple: to get the purest flavours out of products using the oldest form of cooking—a wood-charcoal grill. Every day head chef Walter D’Ambrosio and his team make their own charcoal, using wood specially imported from Italy for cooking. Cherry for the meats, olive for the fish, and almond wood for prawns and other delicate items. That may seem excessive, but the devil is in the details. If so much care is taken in simply choosing the fuel for the fire, and such great lengths travelled to find ingredients, then the results are going to be worth it, right? Correct. The 42-month-aged prosciutto di Mora Romagnola from the Ca’ Lamuco farm in Italy is testament to that (B990). As is the octopus tentacle, grilled over almond wood and served with a smooth purée made from potatoes cooked under the ash of the grill (B690). But really, it’s all about the beef. It’s hard to walk past the glass, trophy case-like meat chiller near the dining room without
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your mouth starting to water. Il Fumo proudly waves the banner as the first place in town offering Rubia Gallega, high-grade beef from Spanish cattle currently raved about in London restaurants, but long a secret of Spain (B490/100g prime striploin; B540/100g dry-aged prime rib). The depth of flavour is unreal. Kissed by flame and infused with charcoal’s aroma, it becomes truly special. Choti is keen to reiterate that Il Fumo is more than just a steakhouse, and he’s right. Cutting through a fillet with a knife custom-made in a small town called Scerpia near Florence—a result of yet more door-knocking from Appino—not to mention experimenting with the four kinds of salt brought to the table with four different mustards, yet again proves that it’s all down to the finest grains of detail here. The “Charcoal” end of Il Fumo’s arrangement is well and truly covered, but coming from the award-winning bar team at Vesper, they’ve got the “Cocktail” down, too. Clearly separated from the spacious dining room is an intimate drinking den. The focus here is on reviving forgotten gems. (For the wine inclined, there’s a large list of New and Old World labels, too.) Sitting at the huge marble bar, sipping on a Sazerac (B420) and perusing the encyclopaedia-like drinks list is like a trip back to the belle époque. There are two sides to Il Fumo. Charcoal and cocktail. Go for the charcoal, stay for a cocktail.
IL FUMO 1098/2 Rama IV Rd | 02 286 8833 ilfumo.co | Mon-Sat 6pm-1am, kitchen open until 11.30pm
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The MRT Purple line makes its slow, steady arrival in 2016. What comes next? 18 | M A RCH 2016
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Bangkok
MATTY DYAS Takes a Closer Look at the Future Shape of the City’s Transport System
T
he paradox: “Transport is the only development sector that worsens as incomes rise. While sanitation, health, education and employment tend to improve through economic development, traffic congestion tends to worsen.” So writes Michael Engelskirchen in his Sourcebook on Sustainable Transport. It’s hard to disagree when you look around and see supercars, songtaew, taxis, buses, bikes, pickups, and tuk tuks trundling bumper-to-bumper along Bangkok’s clogged arteries. But in 15 years, maybe it won’t be so bad. That’s when the city could (and should) be the proud owner of a rail system promising change at the fabric of its being. According to the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), the average speed of a car during the morning rush hour was 15km per hour last year. Another study by the Thailand Future Foundation revealed that the average commute took three hours. But it’s not just about making it to work at a reasonable hour (or getting to the restaurant on time to secure the table you’ve booked). The Asian Development Bank suggests clogged traffic in developing cities could eat as much as 2-5 per cent out of the GDP each year due to time lost on journeys and higher transport costs. In other words, our city could very well be siphoning from its own tank. Most recent figures from the OTP suggest there are around 7.5 million cars registered in Bangkok—by
The station under construction bangkok101.com
census data, almost 2 million more cars than people (the registered population stands at 5.6 million). Some ideas for rectifying the problem are admirable, others questionable. For one, proving to a car dealership you own a parking space before being able to buy a car, a plan put forth by Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra at a forum on city traffic management. Or another, adopting Singapore’s cost-prohibitive measures to car ownership. But as Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, put it, “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport.” Will Bangkok’s proposed train system be good enough to lead the wealthy to the light rails, or will the morning and nightly commutes merely swell as the roads remain packed as ever? THE PLAN Currently, Bangkok has around 84km of track operated by three different companies. There is, of course, the Skytrain operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC), which spans 36.3 km across 35 stations along Sukhumvit and Silom and sees as many as 700,000 passengers a day. There is also the MRT operated by Bangkok Expressway and Metro (BEM), covering 20km, and the 28.5km of the Airport Rail Link run by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
New stations await citywide M A RCH 2016 | 19
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Two shiny new trains Proposals expect railway length to increase to 495km over the next 15 years, with 13 sprawling under- and overground lines, a spider’s web of accessibility covering every corner of the city. Fittingly, then, the Transport Ministry has named its new fare card the Mangmoom, or Spider Card. To be up-and-running around August 2016, this “all in one” card will at last allow commuters to use one card to access the BTS, MRT, and Airport Link. Better still, the Ministry hopes to include minivans, river boats, and buses in the service—eventually even allowing it to be used to make payment in shops, much like the Octopus Card in Hong Kong. LEAVES ON THE TRACK What’s proposed now and what 2030 will entail could be two entirely different things. Take the “Hopewell Project” for example, the planned elevated highway and rail line from central Bangkok to Don Mueang International Airport, dubbed Thailand’s Stonehenge. Just 10-13 per cent complete, the concrete frames mark a failed trail north. What remains today is a sad snapshot of work started in 1990, then suspended in 1992, and cancelled altogether in 1998. Then there is the issue of linking the new lines with the existing ones. Surely, billions of baht wouldn’t be invested in a new train line only for it to never connect to an existing line, right? Unfortunately, that’s exactly the issue bogging down the new MRT Purple line, where the terminal Tao Poon station will be detached from the existing Bang Sue MRT stop, meaning it will require an additional journey on a shuttle bus to travel between the two. Even when a new line has been confirmed, it can still hit snags. Presently, residents of Pracha Songkroh in the 20 | M A RCH 2016
Huai Kwang district are in disagreement about plans to run the Orange line through their community, a plan that could result in the upheaval of 1,000 families. A back-andforth between angry residents and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) has stalled construction efforts since 2014. The latest in the situation has seen local residents presenting three other construction options to the MRTA. If the MRTA doesn’t heed their demands, the community plans to take the Authority to court to seek an injunction against any eviction. The residents may also sue the Authority for damages. This whole debacle spells costs and delays. Affordability is also a concern. Fares for the new Purple line range from B14-42, but then a separate fare of B16- 42 will have to be paid to use the unconnected Blue MRT line. That could mean B84 to get from Khlong Bang Phai at one end of the Purple line to Hua Lamphong on the existing MRT line. With the minimum wage currently at B300 per day, that’s a costly commute for those who can’t afford to live downtown. The case can be made that it’s actually the wage issue that needs to be addressed rather than the fares; however, even with the existing Sukhumvit and Silom lines, it nearly always works out cheaper to take a taxi than to use the BTS when there is more than one person involved. THE RESULTS Apart from all the statistics, beyond the “ifs” and “buts,” what will it actually mean if the planned mass transit network comes to fruition? Certainly those on the periphery of the city will be able to travel more freely, while those in the city can escape the Silom and Sukhumvit “walls” without diving into the bangkok101.com
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In the tube underwater
The map of the future familiar traffic jams. Nonthaburi will likely reap the rewards of a more sophisticated network system, thanks to the MRT Purple line’s opening in August. Once there, a short hop over the river is Ko Kret (a fine weekend destination, especially for those looking for an idyllic slice of nature and a few glasses of Chit beer). Plus, there’s the dazzling new Central Plaza Westgate located at Bang Yai. The MRT’s Blue line extension will make life simpler for those wanting to soak up a bit of culture, with Museum Siam, Pak Khlong Talad, and, of course, Chinatown, all within easy reach. Meanwhile, the extension of the Sukhumvit line makes bike trips in the Ancient City (Mueang Boran) in Samut Prakan, or a day-trip to the Erawan Museum, more convenient than ever. Long term, we can look forward to easy ventures to the likes of messy-and-modish Bang Lamphu, thanks to the extension of the Purple line. And getting to MOCA, Impact Arena, and Don Mueang will be less stressful by taking the Bangsue-Rangsit Dark Red line (expected to be completed in 2019). THE END OF THE LINE The train is approaching the platform. Now is Bangkok’s opportunity to fashion a transport system it can be proud of. A successful network requires coordinated efforts, as well as integration between new and existing lines. The Mangmoom Card will be a huge plus, as long as it can be combined with discounts for students, the elderly, and lower income commuters—even a better rate for weekly/ monthly packages would be a good start. What’s more, well-thought-out park and ride schemes in the suburbs need to be implemented to offer a viable solution to driving bangkok101.com
Massive machinery involved in the MRT
into the city, thereby truly easing congestion (that’s the goal, right?). If it can be done—the big “if”—the new train systems could facilitate truly positive change. 2032 marks the cities 250th birthday. Wouldn’t it be great if everything is running smoothly by then? GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) Bangkok Expressway and Metro (BEM) State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) TRAIN LINE SUMMARY Dark red line – Hua Mak-Bang Sue – Thammasat Rangsit Campus Light red line – Taling Chan-Bang Sue – Hua Mak Pink line – Khae Rai – Minburi Orange line – Taling Chan-Thailand Cultural Centre – Minburi Yellow line – Lad Phrao – Pattanakarn – Samrong Sukhumvit line – Mochit – Saphan Mai – Khu Khot, and Bearing – Samut Prakarn – Bang Pu Silom line – Yotse – National Stadium – Saphan Taksin – Bang Wa Purple line – Bang Yai – Bang Sue – Ratburana Blue line – Hua Lamphong – Bang Khae and Bang Sue – Tha Phra – Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Light Blue Line – Chong Nonsi – Makkasan-Pracha Songkhro Grey line – Rama 9 Bridge – Thong Lo – Watcharaphon Brown line – Nonthaburi Civic Centre – Sammakorn Airport Rail Link – Phayathai – Bang Sue – Don Mueang M A RCH 2016 | 21
Holy Wai Khru: Wat Bang Phra will see thousands of sak yan devotees this March 22 | M A RCH 2016
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INK POWER Consecrated Fire-hoses and Magic Tattoos Prompt Mass Trance at Wat Bang Phra’s Annual Wai Khru BY JOE CUMMINGS
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n the banks of the Nakhon Chaisi River in Nakhon Pathom Province stands a Buddhist monastery that dates back to the late 18th century, just before the second fall of Ayuthaya. Inside a small, crumbling ordination chapel, the only significant remains of the original monastery today, sit two bronze Buddha images, Luang Pho Sit Chaiyamongkon and Luang Pho Kai Sitmongkhon. According to legend, the revered images were being secreted downriver from Ayuthaya to save them from plundering Burmese troops when the boat carrying them capsized. The incident was seen as an omen that the Buddhas could travel no further, so when they were pulled from the water, locals installed them in the monastery that came to be known as Wat Bang Phra (Monastery of the Buddha Riverbank). Wat Bang Phra might have remained just another country wat with a fading history had it not been for the later fame of abbot Phra Udom Prachanart, more commonly known as Luang Pho Poen, the most widely
Monks also chant while tattooing skin bangkok101.com
known and respected khru sak yan (sacred tattoo master) of the 20th century. Born in Ban Kaew Fa adjacent to Wat Bang Phra in 1923, Poen showed a keen interest in the Buddhist occult from a young age and at 25 ordained as a monk. In 1953, feeling he needed further renunciation and solitary meditation, Luang Pho Poen undertook tudong (dhutanga in Pali), a set of extra ascetic vows beyond the normal 227 monastic precepts. These include sleeping in the forest, eating only one meal a day, and forgoing all vehicular transport. His travels on foot took him west to a remote area of Kanchanaburi Province on the Myanmar-Thailand border. At the time, villagers in the area were beleaguered by wild tigers that had mauled or killed several locals. After Luang Pho Poen arrived in their midst and learned of the villagers’ predicament, he offered mantras and sak yan— sacred tattoos—to protect them. He taught them that tiger tattoos, in particular, could fend off attacks. From that point forward, no one who received the monk’s
A variety of sak yan styles M A RCH 2016 | 23
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Photo Credit: Dan White
The rarely photographed Phra Ajahn Ting applies ink
A woman in trance is held back protection was ever attacked by a tiger or other wild animal, earning Luang Pho Poen a powerful reputation as a master of incantations and tattoos. As his reputation for wisdom and loving kindness grew, thousands of Thais travelled to Wat Bang Phra to receive the blessings of the great monk and to become his lifelong disciples. Many received sak yan from the abbot and the monks he assiduously trained. By the time Luang Pho Poen passed away in 2002 at the age of 79, he was one of Thailand’s most well-known and beloved monastics.
“AS THE WATER SPRAYS THE CROWD, HUNDREDS OF DISCIPLES ENTER INTO TRANCE, PARTICULARLY THOSE TATTOOED WITH ANIMAL FIGURES SUCH AS TIGERS, LIONS, AND HANUMAN, THE MONKEY LORD. MANY BREAK INTO A SPRINT TO TRY AND THROW THEMSELVES AT THE GRANITE BASE OF THE STATUE.” Wat Bang Phra today maintains a pre-eminent position in Thailand for its long sak yan tradition. Currently around a half dozen resident monks, along with the occasional assistance of visiting white-clothed lay masters, work tirelessly to ink increasing numbers of disciples. 24 | M A RCH 2016
The early stages of a complex consecrated tattoo During the monastery’s annual wai khru, when disciples return to pay respect to their masters, renew the spiritual power of their sak yan, and receive additional tattoos, the number of supplicants approaches a thousand. The most dedicated disciples—as opposed to sightseers and the curious—come two days before the wai khru to participate in khraup khru, a special ceremony that pays homage to the spirit of the reusee (forest sage) tradition, during which a monk momentarily places a gilded reusee mask on each disciple’s head. The disciples of every tattoo master in Thailand organize wai khru events on different dates. Beyond re-affirming the disciples’ affiliation with the masters, the occasion allows the masters to re-consecrate all of the sak yan previously inked on their disciples. The day spent with a master also gives his disciples a chance to re-establish the correct moral conduct for maintaining the power of their tattoos. If their adherence to the code has been less than sterling during the intervening year, the tattoos will have lost a corresponding amount of power and efficacy. The code also serves as an invisible layer of power and protection. The wai khru day gives everyone a chance to compare tattoos, receive new tattoos if they so wish, and seek counsel from the master on problems they may be experiencing in their lives. In 2016, the 19th of March is the designated date for Wat Bang Phra tattoo disciples to visit the temple for the ceremonies. Because it’s the biggest and most wellknown wai khru day in Thailand, the Wat Bang Phra event is often referred to as a “tattoo festival.” bangkok101.com
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Photo Credit: Dan White
A disciple possessed by the tattoo On the appointed day, thousands of tattooed disciples gather in a large open space in front of a huge black statue of Luang Pho Poen in order to undergo consecration rituals. In front of the base of the statue, the temple’s current tattoo masters, both monks and white-clothed laymen, line up to perform the rituals, which include the sprinkling of holy water onto the crowd of disciples. To reach the massive crowds at Wat Bang Phra, the monks use fire hoses instead of the reed whisks commonly used in smaller versions of the ceremony. As the water sprays the crowd, hundreds of disciples enter into trance, particularly those tattooed with animal figures such as tigers, lions, and Hanuman, the monkey lord. Many break into a sprint to try and throw themselves at the granite base of the statue. A ring of volunteers stand in front of the statue to catch the wayward disciples, lift them off the ground, and bring them out of trance by grasping their ears and shaking them while whispering soothing words. Once the disciples emerge from the trance, they calmly walk back into the crowd. During the entire ceremony, a monk delivers a lengthy sermon through an outdoor speaker system, reminding the disciples that sak yan mean nothing without a firm Buddhist foundation. If you’re interested in getting a sacred tattoo at Wat Bang Phra, you should know that different monks specialize in different designs. Phra Ajahn Ting, Luang Pho Poen’s senior-most disciple, studied with him from 1981 until the abbot’s passing in 2002. Nowadays Phra Ajahn Ting focuses almost exclusively on two sak yan, 26 | M A RCH 2016
both originally made famous by Luang Pho Poen. One is the saarikaa lin thong (golden-tongued sarika), a design in the shape of the sarika (Indian mynah), which enhances one’s power of verbal persuasion. The second is kwaang liaw lang (deer turning to look back), which boosts personal charisma. Any disciple coming for one of the aforementioned tattoos will usually also receive na naa thong (goldleaf blessing on the forehead). In fact many Thais visit Luang Phi Ting only for na naa thong, which is particularly popular with women visitors. Quiet, bespectacled Phra Ajahn Tauy, also known as Luang Phi Tauy, is the next senior-most disciple of Luang Pho Poen. He usually works in a larger hall together with lay master Ajahn Nuad, his principal student. Here he sits beneath a large portrait of his late master, Luang Pho Poen. His knowledge of sak yan designs is quite broad but he is well-known for yan hom siang (a grid of 108 small squares containing Buddha-like figures, a powerful protective yantra) and phra jao 5 phra ong (five Buddha figures conferring Buddhist virtues, prosperity, and protection).
Wat Bang Phra Mu 3, Bang Kaew Pha, Nakhon Chaisi District, Nakhon Pathom | 0 3438 9333 facebook.com/Bp.or.Th/ (mostly Thai) Wai Khru: 19 March 2016
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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 THE NORTH
The North has long been the crossroads of cultures
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ith its rich tapestry of culture and heritage, Thailand’s northern region has long been a prime tourist destination. Despite overdevelopment in parts, especially in major cities and towns like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, the North has managed to maintain its mystic charm. From geography, history, and people to cultural heritage, arts, and architecture, both traditional and contemporary, the beauty of the North runs deep.
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The lay of the northern land is made up of a diversity of terrestrial bodies. Mountains rising from the lower Himalayas slope down into fertile valleys. Fault lines are found along these ranges, causing the occasional low-to mid-Richter scale quake, strong enough to crack roads and cause no small degree of panic. Four internal rivers— the Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan—support local agriculture, mainly sticky rice, while the Mekong forms a natural bangkok101.com
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Classic Northern architecture in a shimmering sunset life-giving border around the northern and eastern regions. Canyons, cliffs, and waterfalls abound. The area is full of superlative destinations, such as Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s tallest peak, where frost can occur on a very cold day, and Thi Lo Su, Thailand’s largest and highest waterfall. Beyond beautiful topography, the North has long been the crossroads where cultures and communities converge. The local Lanna culture, named after the “Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields,” was influenced from geographical neighbours Burma, Laos, and China. The population is a mixture of Tai-Lao ethnic subgroups, such as Tai Puan, Tai Yuan, Tai Yong, Tai Khern, and Tai Lue, as well as Khon Meung, the town dwellers. Through the trading of opium and other less nefarious goods, Haw Chinese, descendants from the Uyghur along the Silk Road, came through the mountains of the Golden Triangle. With them arrived other minorities and hill tribes, such as Hmong; Akha, or E-ghaw; Yao, or Mien; Lahu, or Muser; Lisu; Karen; and Phee Dtong Lueng also called the Mlabri. They dress in exotic, colourful costumes and accessories, especially the Kayan Lahwi, or Padaung, the so-called “long-neck” Red Karen with their brass-coiled neck rings. Northerners are renowned for their fair skin, delicate look, smooth complexion, and slight build. Traditionally, women would wear their long locks in a bun and men’s thighs and derrières would be covered in tattoos, making them resemble long scuba shorts. The tattoos are hardly seen nowadays, but the hairstyle is common enough. bangkok101.com
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In any case, it comes as no surprise that these northern beauties are so admired that young women are often sold or intentionally made to work in the skin trade. Girls from the Dok Khum Dtai area of Phayao are found working in Haad Yai, all the way down in the southern province of Songkhla. According to Dr Vithi Phanichphant, an expert in Lanna culture, although modern northern women may seem demoralised, customarily, the Lanna society was a matriarchal one. The dating and wedding rituals were in favour of women and the practice of polyandry was the norm. As the head of the household, women were in control, and men worked the fields for them. This standard is still seen among many hill tribes in the North and in Xiang Tung in Myanmar. Traditional Lanna beliefs blended local wisdom with animism and Buddhism. While the worship of ancestors is important in the home, Buddhism and monkhood is the apex in a man’s life. Lhae Sang Long or Hae Loog Kaew ceremonies among the Tai Yai in Mae Hong Son display how important novice ordination is. Young boys painted with make-up and bedecked in the shiniest clothes parade on horseback along the way to the temple, living symbols of Prince Siddhartha when he fled from the palace to become an ascetic. Festivals like Songkran and Loy Krathong are widely celebrated in the North. Yii Peng and its Loy Khome rites, floating candle-lit paper lamps to send away sadness and sorrow, are a sight to behold. But now they are performed with caution, because the lamps are a fire hazard, capable of setting aflame wooden houses or getting stuck in a plane’s wing. Unlike the speedy brogue of southerners, northern dialect is gently spoken. Like their lifestyles, everything moves at a slow and unhurried pace, even the lingua franca. However, the traditional Lanna language is now found mainly in manuscripts. Their sensuous and voluptuous writing was influenced by Burmese, Mon, and Lao styles. Many kingdoms occupied parts of the North before Siam even existed. The Chiang Saen, or Yonok Nakorn, left a set of ruins in Chiang Rai. Hariphunchai heritage is found in Lamphun while Kaelang Nakorn left its legacy in Lampang. With Chiang Mai as its capital, the Lanna Kingdom ruled the North during the reign of Sukhothai and Lan Xang in Luang Phra Bang. Before the reign of King Rama I, the Siamese invaded the Lanna Kingdom and brought one very important Buddha image, the Emerald Buddha, from Chiang Rai to Bangkok. One of the consorts of King Rama V also came from Chiang Mai, Princess Dara Rasmi, famed for her beauty. The marriage of politics between the two sealed the deal during the colonial era. Around this same time, the British had arrived in Burma and were eyeing the teakwood across the border in Thailand, the beginning of six decades of unregulated deforestation. Nowadays, natural forests are either protected or depleted. Old professions such as forestry and coal mining are scarce. Since sticky rice fields have been cemented by highways and buildings, businesses like boutique hotels and coffee places are booming for tourism. M A RCH 2016 | 29
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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.
CINEMA ARCHAEOLOGY
AS BANGKOK’S INDEPENDENT 20TH-CENTURY MOVIE THEATRES FADE FROM SIGHT, ONE MAN MAKES REMEMBRANCE HIS MISSION
The stunning Sala Chaloem Krung
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hilip Jablon, creator of the Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project website, says the first historic movie house he stumbled on in Bangkok was the Sala Chaloem Thani in Nang Loeng. Dating to 1918, the huge, wooden structure is one of the oldest theatres left standing not only in Thailand, but anywhere in Asia. During the cinema’s early years, silent films were accompanied by a live brass band. Since 2009, when Jablon first began posting his blogs, he has catalogued more than 230 theatres in Thailand. The amateur architectural historian, who works for a Philadelphia moving company every summer to raise funds for his work in Thailand, estimates that 90 per cent of these have been abandoned. His blog posts are illustrated with straightforward photography of old Thai cinemas in various states of decay and contain colourful descriptions of his personal encounters with people as well as places. Last month I sat down with Jablon at the Bangkok Edge Festival, where he was exhibiting his theatre photos, to talk about his passion for old Thai movie houses. 30 | M A RCH 2016
“When I first started exploring standalone cinemas in 2009, there were still eight or nine of them operating in Bangkok,” says Jablon. “Now there’s only one, the Chinatown Rama, still running.” Located in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown, the historic theatre used to screen Shaw Brothers kung fu films but now favours second-run Hollywood films. Bangkok’s first-run cinema scene today is dominated by mall cineplexes controlled by the Major Cineplex Group (with 50 per cent market share) and the SF Group (35 per cent). Aside from the Chinatown Rama, only the Apexowned theatres—the magnificent Scala movie palace and the less impressive Lido, which was eventually subdivided into three screening halls—operate as standalones. Asked about the precipitous decline of the standalone cinema in Bangkok, Jablon explains the timeline. “A construction boom in the 1960s and 1970s, largely spurred on by US military support in the region during the Vietnam War, included the development of movie theatres in Bangkok,” he begins. “People didn’t have much for bangkok101.com
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Sala Chaloem Thani in Nang Loeng
The Bang Khae Rama Theatre home entertainment then, so the movie theatre essentially became a sort of living room for the neighbourhood.” One neighbourhood where cinema thrived was Wang Burapha, an area to the west of Chinatown that had once been the site of a royal palace. In 1951 the old palace was bought by a local businessman who razed the building and erected three movie theatres, along with a hotel and a shopping plaza, in its place. In honour of the area’s royal legacy, two of the theatres were dubbed King and Queen, while the third was called the Grand. This cinema triad served as a prime entertainment centre for Bangkok teenagers during the 1960s, much as Siam Square did for later generations. “As Bangkok succumbed to urban sprawl, car ownership increased and many people moved to the suburbs. The inner city was left to the poor, and with less traffic coming to the independent cinemas, owners invested less on upkeep. Eventually locals could buy a cheap theatre ticket just to spend the day in an airconditioned space, often sleeping there, rather than for cinematic entertainment. “The decaying cinemas basically turned into flophouses, which attracted drugs, gay cruising, and prostitution.” With a recent renewed interest in architectural preservation among Bangkokians, things are looking up. In fact two historic Bangkok theatres received preservation awards from the prestigious Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) within the last five years. In 2011, the first award recipient was the aforementioned Sala Chaloem Thani, which occupies land belonging to Thailand’s Crown Property Bureau (CPB). Reportedly the CPB have drawn up plans to restore the wooden cinema for use as a repertory art theatre. If this happens, it will become the oldest active, purpose-built movie theatre in all of Asia. In 2012, Bangkok’s Scala movie palace was likewise bangkok101.com
The inside of the classic Scala Cinema presented with a preservation award. Arguably the most architecturally significant movie theatre in Southeast Asia, the 876-seat Scala was designed by once-prolific architect Chira Silpakanok and opened in 1969. The grand lobby features a five-tiered chandelier, golden ceiling medallions, and a 20-metre bas relief along a wall above the auditorium entrance, among other highlights. It still functions as a first-run cinema and has recently found new fans among Bangkok hipsters enjoying the retro vibe. In early 2012, Chulalongkorn University, landlord of the entire Siam Square neighbourhood in which the theatre stands, revealed a redevelopment plan which called for replacing all existing structures in Siam Square with a series of shopping malls. The announcement received considerable criticism from a broad spectrum of Thai society, after which the university decided to reconsider the plan. A third historic cinema in the Bang Rak neighbourhood may also see restoration in the near future. The Prince, found in a narrow alley off Charoen Krung Rd, was reportedly built in 1908 on the grounds of a royal family member’s estate. According to Jablon, “If the date is correct, this would make it one of the oldest operating movie theatres in Asia, if not anywhere in the world.” The Prince, which after its decline as a first-run standalone became a cruising venue before being abandoned, falls within the recently designated Klong San-Bang Rak Creative District. As such there are plans to restore and revive the once-venerable cinema. Jablon says he’s not finished exploring Bangkok for urban cinema treasures. “I’ve been hearing about old theatres in Lat Phrao, Thonburi, and Minburi,” he says, “And I just hope some of them are still standing.” The Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project – seatheater.blogspot.com M A RCH 2016 | 31
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Thailand
Jim Algie has parlayed his experiences living in Thailand into books like the non-fiction collection, BIZARRE THAILAND: TALES OF CRIME, SEX AND BLACK MAGIC (2010) and ON THE NIGHT JOEY RAMONE DIED: TWIN TALES OF ROCK ‘N’ PUNK FROM BANGKOK, NEW YORK, CAMBODIA AND NORWAY (2016). Check jimalgie.com for more.
CALLING ALL URBAN EXPLORERS
This new trend in travel is bringing droves of intrepid visitors to Bangkok to visit three special sites, writes Jim Algie. All photos by Alasdair McLeod.
Sathorn Unique, also known as Bangkok’s Ghost Tower
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he fiscal debacle of 1997 ravaged Thailand’s economy and left behind epitaphs in the form of a few hundred “ghost towers” such as Sathorn Unique. Mostly finished and partly skeletonized, the 49-storey building has become ground zero in Bangkok for urban explorers, who clamber up the dark stairwells— flashlight in hand, heart in mouth—to marvel over its 32 | M A RCH 2016
entrails: cracked sinks, walls etched with graffiti, ornate balconies reaching their architectural tipping point, and trees growing out of the rooftop with its river vistas and views of its sister building, the State Tower, which was later completed. But don’t forget where you are. As photographer Alasdair “McLeod” said, “Sometimes it’s too easy to forget bangkok101.com
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The Chao Phraya from Sathorn Unique
Alasdair McLeod documents Bangkok’s urban decay the danger, but then you pass an empty elevator shaft with no doors and imagine what a casual step in the wrong direction could bring.” Among urban explorers, a growing segment of young travellers hooked on searching out forbidden places and subterranean caverns, the tower’s popularity is vouched for by dozens of blogs and Youtube videos—even a death-defying display of some acrobatic “freerunning.” Still, the biggest number of visitors, reckoned one security guard, who charges each person 100 baht for entering, are Thai university students out on ghost-hunting missions or just to scare up some spine-chilling fun. BANGKOK’S STONEHENGE Another example of urban dereliction-turned-tourism attraction, also dating from the economic glory days of the 1990s, is the ironically named “Stonehenge.” This series of pillars for the never-finished Bangkok Elevated Road and Train System was side-tracked by corruption and permanently halted in 1998. Besides the hundreds of pillars, the main draw is all the graffiti. Some of the city’s most talented urban artists have turned the pillars into an ever-changing, al-fresco exhibition space emblazoned with everything from cartoon figures and portraits of Salvador Dali to abstract explosions of spray paint and agitprop. Some pillars have been hauled away, with more scheduled to be removed as the mass transit system is extended, but if you’re heading to or from Don Mueang bangkok101.com
Graffiti graces the urban decay International Airport, this is a surreal distraction from the mundane gridlock. GROUNDED PLANES The latest lure for urban explorers is Bangkok’s strangest squat: a couple of abandoned and dismantled jets that house several families. Though the seats have been taken out, the fuselages and parts of the cockpits are still intact. The families living here off Ramkhamhaeng Soi 101 will let visitors look around their makeshift homes for a small fee. Be careful though; the interiors are rickety and pricked with shards of metal. In a previous incarnation, this lot was a beer garden. Hearsay has it that the proprietor, eager to find a crowdpulling gimmick, had asked the airport authorities if he could have a few old decommissioned planes. After the beer garden plan didn’t take off, the owner left the planes to rust in peace and the families moved in to put a homey face on urban blight.
This tale of exploration comes from the author of Bizarre Thailand: Tales of Sex, Crime and Black Magic, which chronicles the strange, surreal and supernatural sides of Thailand, as well as the country’s weirdest museums and tourist attractions.
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MUAY THAI
THAI BOXING KICKS AND PUNCHES ITS WAY FROM RINGSIDE RITUAL INTO GLOBAL POP CULTURE ICON
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uay Thai connects many threads of folk culture: play, music, gambling, dance and respect for teachers, as well as amulets, aromatherapy and the army. Under-pinning this raw physical discipline lurks a very Thai modesty. Showbiz may cheapen muay thai’s integrity, but polite, gigglesome Thai boxers are a welcome respite from boastful Ali or thuggish Tyson. What counts is less the winning, nor the taking part, than the respect for tradition. “No boxer wins ultimately,” Montri insists. “He only wins when he knows where he stands. Out of the fight he becomes a gentleman and artist.” This sets muay thai—as well as Thai sword fighting and krabi-krabong stick-wielding—apart from most sports. Behind the punch lies prayer. Before entering the ring, a fighter asks for permission and protection from the spirits at his corner three times, tests which nostril breathes easiest and strides with that side’s foot first to the ring, skipping the stair’s unlucky lowest step. Inside, he’ll wai and offer flowers to his corner, then stroke the top ropes, muttering incantations to seal out evil. He also wais the audience, a gesture that in tennis earned Paradorn Srichapan fans worldwide.
> Very Thai
River Books by Philip Cornwel-Smith with photos by John Goss and Philip Cornwel-Smith B 995
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Before each bout, every boxer must perform the wai khru ram muay dance in homage to teachers past and present. From kneeling prostration—derived from when fighting before royalty—he juts one leg out and the other back, rotates his hands paw-like, draws his arms out wide and thrusts then forward, rocking with precise rhythm. He pivots to repeat the rite in all four directions, never starting in unluckier west. Both then stand to mine the footwork they’ll later use in the fight. Enhancing the trance-like moment, a traditional band accompanies: cymbals ching, drums mutter and Javanese oboe rasps. A live soundtrack to the fight, this eerie cacophony builds during each round to a frantic crescendo until stopped by the bell. The boxer’s elegant motions help psyche-up the nerves, warm the muscles and focus the mind. A chance to assess the foe’s prowess, it historically enabled combatants to scope out the sun glare and dirt arena conditions. Touching thumb to canvas then forehead placates the earth goddess Mae Thoranee. Other ritual quirks may be personal. Nong Toom mimed hair brushing and checking his/her make-up in a compact mirror during the ram muay. Upon victory, s/he planted a kiss on the vanquished, adding blush to bloodied cheeks.
Now out in an expanded, updated 2nd edition, “Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture” is a book that almost every foreign resident has on their reading table, a virtual bible on Thai pop culture. Now with four extra chapters, 64 more pages and a third of the 590 photographs being new, it guides you on a unconventional Technicolor tour of the quirky things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 70 chapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and buy a copy of the new edition at any good bookshop.
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open daily lunch 11:30 a.m 14:00 p.m. afternoon tea break 14:00 p.m. 18:00 p.m. dinner 18:00 p.m. 23:00 p.m. Galleria Milano Italian Restaurant 66/4 Sukhumvit Rd., Soi 20 Mille Malle Millennium Residence Klongtoei, Bangkok 10110 Tel. 02-6634988 ristorantegalleriamilano@gmail.com www.galleriamilanorestaurant.com
KAYAKING THE SILVERY SEA OFF THE SIZZLING SHORES OF HUA HIN, WHERE SERENITY MEETS COMPLEXITY 36 | M A RCH 2016
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HUA HIN 101 W
ith some destinations, you kind of know what you’re getting into before you board the bus (or boat). The name “Hua Hin” tends to evoke visions of bleach-white sands, Himalayan piles of lobster, fish, and clams, horses and horsemen, a stately railway, maybe kitesurfing on windy afternoons, even more piles of seafood, replica paintings, elder Scandinavians, and perhaps a couple ship-like hotels. Sure enough, all those preconceived images appear throughout the city—at the night market, in front of the Hilton, down Soi 55. But look beneath the surface and you’ll see a city on the rise. Building from a century of resort-town mystique, Hua Hin is settling into new skin as a cool seaside escape for the modern era. Hop aboard as we road-trip down the gulf coast this month, giving you the lowdown on what’s new—and what’s as great as ever—in Hua Hin. Start with hipster haven Naeb Kehardt, a true breath of fresh air mere metres from the hustle-and-bustle of Nares Damri. Explore some of the city’s most revered heritage sites before checking in at a couple of truly top-notch resorts, both elevating the city’s accommodation from big-ticket to beautifully boutique. Then sink your teeth into our round-up of the top street eats, as well as reviews of two spectacular fine dining restaurants. And don’t miss our one-on-one with the eminent Patravadi Mejudhon at her landmark school. All this and more in the pages that follow. Take a look at Bangkok’s preferred beach getaway from a fresher perspective. There’s more to Hua Hin than rock lobster and railways—although few could complain about either. Whatever your holiday entails, slip on those sandals and head to shore with Bangkok 101.
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best beaches
Prachuap’s Sexy Secret: Ao Manao
Life’s a Beach Solitude and Stunning Sands Further Afield from Hua Hin
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ooking at Prachuap Khiri Khan on the map, it’s as if the province were a balloon being pinched and tied off, the air forced upward and filling out the vast expanse of Isaan, the central plains, and the very far North. At its narrowest, the distance between the border with Myanmar and the Gulf of Thailand is a paltry 11 kilometres—an easy bike ride, even a light jog for some. And here, where Thailand tapers to a thin strip of land, the sea is never far. From stem to stern, Prachuap Khiri Khan has an abundance of beautiful beaches with postcard seascapes. Some are empty and serene, others besieged by the growing swell of weekenders venturing south from Bangkok. There’s something for everyone, in other words,
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and all easily reachable from Hua Hin, making day-trips to hideaway beaches a breeze. A piebald hill with a Buddhist temple teeming with monkeys, just visible in the distance from the packed sands in front of the Centara Grand Hua Hin, separates the main five-kilometre drag from another seemingly boundless beach. Khao Takiab, the name of the hill as well as the beach and neighbourhood, doesn’t have the fine bleach-white sands of Hua Hin, but it makes up for its lack of sex appeal with solitude. Its mostly vacant shoreline, incorporating Suan Son, lined with stirring casuarina trees and sitting adjacent to a golf course, has a comforting receding quality, the horizon extending step after step, the end never really seeming within reach. bangkok101.com
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The stunning Haad Sai Noi in Khao Tao
Phraya Nakhon cave, right behind Laem Sala Roughly 15 kilometres south of Khao Takiab lies Baan Khao Tao. The seaside village is home to an inland lake (the first Royal Project-designated reservoir in Thailand), lots of seafood restaurants, and two beaches divided by a headland. While Haad Sai Yai draws larger crowds, relatively speaking, the diamond in Khao Tao’s tiara is Haad Sai Noi, a small patch of sand with uninterrupted views of the Gulf and not much else, especially tourists. One of Thailand’s most underrated national parks, Khao Sam Roi Yot occupies roughly 100-square-kilometres of stunning landscape about 30 minutes south of Hua Hin. On a clear day, limestone hills ripple the window cleanerblue sky like soft peaks of meringue. Those hills also hide a couple superb beaches. While not great for swimming, owing to its long high shoal, Laem Sala scores points for sensational views of a glass-flat sea and its small islands, shaded groves for reprieves from the sun, and blissful emptiness. Behind the beach is the entrance to Phraya Nakorn Cave, an alternative to idle R&R. Phu Noi, found between the park and Pranburi, has a similar feel—brilliant seascapes, but only decent swimming. Moving even further south to the provincial capital of Prachuap Khiri Khan, the land truly attenuates, practically funnelling visitors toward the region’s best-kept secret, Ao Manao. Located just beyond a Thai Air Force base, the beach combines the tranquillity and views of Laem Sala with the convenience of Hua Hin. Every day, vendors set bangkok101.com
The Pristine Haad Wanakorn up hundreds of beach chairs under a never-ending row of casuarina trees, the seats sold for a mere B10 a day, and grilled chicken, som tam, fried rice, and more are available for fair prices at a breezy food court across the only road running through the base. The beach itself is a concave stretch of soft white sand that grows only slightly more convex as the tide recedes. In the morning, beachcombers can watch Thai parachutists circling down to earth. As the sun starts to set, the ectoplasm green lights of squid boats twinkle on the horizon. Although it lacks the exotic glamour of certain island bays, Ao Manao is about as good as it gets on the mainland. But if the goal is to truly get away from it all, drive another 23 kilometres to Haad Wanakorn, a vacant beach inside one of Thailand’s smallest national parks. Found near the border of Chumphon, this park is a popular stopover for bird-watchers hoping to spot owlets and snorkelers exploring the well-protected coral and marine life. Apart from hiking the well-maintained trails or taking a trip to the small islands off-shore, activities are pretty much limited to relaxing on the vast golden sands. Those not in a rush to get back to Hua Hin might consider shacking up in a seaside villa at the luxurious NishaVille in Huay Yang village, next to Haad Wanakorn. Few resorts are as far from the madding crowd as NishaVille, where the sand and sea seem reserved for guests alone and white noise remains remarkably absent. M A RCH 2016 | 39
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Velo Café
Gallery Drip Café
31 Burger
Green Gallery Boutique Hotel
Baan Talay Chine Resort
Coco 51
You Yen
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Hua Hin’s Harbor for Hipsters
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orth of Hua Hin’s most heavily touristed area, the frangipani-lined Naeb Kehardt is where a fashionable, younger crowd congregates. It’s Hua Hin’s coolest street—the nucleus of the town’s teens and trend-setters, cheek-to-jowl with cafés, boutique hotels, and quaint street food vendors. It isn’t the big attractions, but rather the atmosphere that draws people here. The relatively new Velo Café, run by young baristas who, if you take note of the cycling and culture magazines on the shelves and let the name of the place sink in, are clearly gear-heads, the café not only serves excellent coffee (try the iced caramel macchiato), but also homemade cakes and sandwiches. It’s small and compact, but the air-con stays on high all day. Start your day here or head down the road, where an offshoot of the BACC’s beloved Gallery Drip Café has opened next to The Memory Hua Hin. Serving some of the finest slow drip coffee in Hua Hin (and central Thailand, for that matter), Gallery Drip is a relaxed spot to meet up with friends made all the cosier with minimal décor and local art on the walls. Closer to Velo, old shipping containers have been transformed into gourmet burger bar 31 Burger. Wash down a surprisingly affordable beef burger (B128) with a Phuket lager or a traditional herbal drink, like butterfly pea with lime. If you’re looking for a slightly more atmospheric setting, check out Coco 51, where Thai cuisine and seafood combines with the soundtrack of live jazz to elevate date nights. Or simply enjoy a couple of sundowners in the fresh briny air. In this same block is You Yen, which ranks among nearly everyone’s all-time favourites, thanks to spectacular seafood (don’t miss bangkok101.com
Café Hotel
the deep-fried sea bass) served in a nostalgia-evoking beachside garden that really tugs at the heart strings. Moving further down Naeb Kehardt, café-cum-art gallery Chub Cheeva stakes its reputation on Thai dishes, sweet drinks, and desserts, as odd as that combo may sound, and they’re all good—especially the chocolate cake. What’s more, the place is perfect for photo ops, with its large murals, quiet courtyard, and home-like interiors. For a sweet treat, check out the popular Eighteen Below; the specialties here are artisanal ice cream and super-rich cakes and brownies. Don’t want to get away? We don’t blame you. Besides the stunning Putahracsa (see p48-49), check out—or check in to—a couple other distinctive boutiques. Baan Talay Chine Resort sits near the shore at the most isolated end of the street. Studios and pool villas feature Chinese-style furnishings and design embellishments, and the whole place has the feeling of a really comfy home. Look into the longstay promotions if you’ll be in Hua Hin a while. Closer to town is Green Gallery Boutique Hotel, a cosy bed and breakfast with individually designed rooms set inside a classic teakwood bungalow separated into three zones: Gallery, Courtyard, and Beachside, offering vastly different design aesthetics. Green Gallery provides a perfect example of gentrification done right. The old home retains its original early-20th century structure, but the fixtures and facilities are purely modern—comfort and classic style. Really, Green Gallery speaks for Naeb Kehardt itself. The merger of old and new (making places decidedly cool) is exactly what this road running parallel to the shoreline is all about. M A RCH 2016 | 41
The serene Mrigadayavan Palace, up the road in Cha-Am 42 | M A RCH 2016
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SERENITY NOW Hua Hin’s Heritage Sites Hark back to its Royal Rise
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isitors arriving at Hua Hin by train debark at a crimson-and-cream sala. Now flanked by mu ping vendors, narrow lanes choked with noisy motorbikes, and an army of tuk tuk drivers awaiting tourists freshly rattled from the rickety ride from Bangkok, this small symbol of early 20th-century Thai architecture has withstood the winds of change. The train station proffers a rapidly fading picture of the village formerly known as Samor Rieng, or “anchor row,” an allusion to the fishing boats once moored in the bay like a naval brigade. In 1911, with the southern train line to Malaysia still being built, a station opened in freshly renamed Hua Hin (meaning “stone head”). Its iconic royal waiting room was moved from Sanam Chan Palace in Nakhon Pathom to Hua Hin station, adding to the air of grandeur. Around that time, Prince Nares ordered the creation of a royal residence called Saen Samran. Soon the area became a hotbed for high-class construction, as Bangkok’s bigwigs began to build bungalows along the beach, and Hua Hin became Thailand’s first true resort town. Credit the Royal Siamese Railways (RSR) for seeing greater potential for development in Hua Hin’s soft white sands and gentle rolling hills. In the 1920s, the RSR directed an Italian architect cryptically known as A. Rigazzi to build the Railway Hotel while a Scotsman named O.A. Robins would create a world-class golf course. Two stories of brick and wood, with only 14 rooms, a lounge, a bar, a billiards room, and a restaurant, the Railway Hotel was designed according to the latest European trends. It was a pricy project, costing over 120,000 baht (an astronomical figure in the 1920s), and it was a place reserved for the elite alone, but still its construction prophesied a future for tourism in Hua Hin, domestic and foreign alike. Decades later, the Railway Hotel was featured in Hollywood hit “The Killing Fields,” a story of the Khmer Rouge coup of Phnom Penh in 1975. In 1986, the State Railway of Thailand granted the Central Group of Hotels and Accor the rights to the property, beginning a period of careful restoration that would reshape the resort for the modern age. It first morphed into a luxurious Sofitel. In 2014, the resort rebranded again. Now Centara Grand Hua Hin, the property remains as regal as ever, with bangkok101.com
colonial rooms speaking to its long and rich history. While the train station and former Railway Hotel stand conspicuous among contemporary towers, design hotels, and fast-emerging shopping centres, two royal residences on the outskirts of town offer a more singular look back into Hua Hin’s royal roots. Klai Kangwon Royal Palace, HM the King’s summer residence, was completed during the reign of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) in 1933. Meaning “far from worries,” this landmark property shows clear European influence, as do most Thai palaces of that era. For instance, the main residence, called Phra Tamnak Piem Suk, would not be out of place on the Mediterranean coast, with its Roman colonnade, flat tiled Spanish roof, and elegant gardens. In neighbouring Cha-Am stands Mrigadayavan Palace. Built in 1923, the palace was designed primarily by King Rama VI, who used golden teakwood from his no longer à la mode Chao Samran Palace to finish the project. Featuring a long covered walkway extending to the sea and breezy living and drawing rooms, the palace often inspired the literary monarch during his seaside retreats, and it also features some of the finest natural acoustics in the land. Today, the palace plays host to outdoor theatre and likay performances. But even when there isn’t a show, visitors can stroll through the grounds, experiencing the less glossy yesteryear of Hua Hin, before the sleepy village transformed into a bustling beach destination.
Centara Grand, once The Railway Hotel M A RCH 2016 | 43
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The Art of Inspiration Touring the Extraordinary Patravadi School with Thailand’s Most Eminent Actress BY CRAIG SAUERS
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n a Monday morning, the sound of the ranad ek emanates from a music room inside Patravadi High School, filling the crisp air with its mellifluous trembling. A man delivers a set of keys to Patravadi Mejudhon, who is seated on a sofa in the school lobby. She puts on her sunglasses and guides me to a golf cart, a shiny black four-seater fitted with over-the-shoulder safety belts, parked in the gravel outside. As she slides into the driver’s seat, she tells me she’s teaching high school literature this year. “Blake, Shakespeare—the classics,” she says, releasing the brake. “But I don’t expect my students to comprehend all of it.” Around seven years ago, the only course Patravadi, also known as Kru Lek, might have been teaching was drama, and even then predominantly to aspiring professional stage actors at her riverside theatre near the Wang Lang Pier in Bangkok. But that was before she moved south to Hua Hin, saw promise in a vacant tract of land, and directed the steady construction of a kindergarten-through-secondary school using a cuttingedge curriculum based on the arts. “My family owned the land [where the school sits], but I always thought, ‘There’s nothing here but sand and coconut trees.’” Yet when she came back at age 60 to sell it, she says, “I parked my car, got out, and thought, ‘Whoa! It’s nice here.’ Then I cancelled our meeting.” Within an hour of this epiphany, Thailand’s most prodigious and distinguished stage actress—winner of Best Actress at the Tukkata Thong Awards in 1973, made a member of France’s esteemed Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2011, recipient a lifetime achievement award from Thailand’s International Association of Theatre Critics in 2012, and, finally, named National Artist in 2015—had yet another epiphany. “‘Should I start a drama school?’ I asked myself. ‘No, no one wants a drama school here. Let’s make a high school.’” Despite the misgivings of friends and family, Patravadi pushed forward, not to turn a profit or build a legacy (the latter of which is clearly happening anyway), but rather to give back to society using her unique strengths and skills. bangkok101.com
To date, over 100 rai of land just south of the overpass in Hua Hin has been converted to fit a school, dormitories for boys and girls, specially designed sculpture huts made for outside guests, an animal farm, horse stables, a golf training school, a restaurant, and The Vic, a world-class theatre with incredible acoustics whose name is derived from an old colloquial term for the site where likay was performed. The Vic is where we stop first as Patravadi tours me around the grounds. Thailand’s leading lady casually takes me backstage, showing me the garments darned and dyed by students, the make-up room where high schoolers prep national stage-calibre actors before shows during drama season (November through February), and the instruments they play in the pit. Patravadi School is certainly non-traditional. For starters, air-conditioning is rarely, if ever, used; some buildings are even alfresco, allowing students the freedom to enjoy fresh air round-the-clock. What’s more, the school was partly funded by the Supreme Patriarch’s Foundation, Patravadi describing how they teach students to breathe well, eat well—a chef was hired to introduce kids to all kinds of cuisines, from Mexican to Japanese to Indian—and live well, according to Buddhist principles. (The school follows an experiential approach to teaching Buddhism and all other religions, in which students learn by self-involvement.) “I want [students] to learn to be energetic, to be powerful and disciplined, to discover what they do best,” exclaims the sprightly 67-year-old. “When they leave here, they know exactly what university to attend.” With the core curriculum based around music, drama, dance, and more traditional forms of art, as well as English and Thai literature, Patravadi School has steadily grown by word-of-mouth. Now it claims 15 students per class, with a truly rare 4:1 student to teacher ratio. “We don’t advertise,” Patravadi declares. “We call it a destination. People who know about us will come, but students have to really want to be here.” Yet while Patravadi preps students for well-rounded lives through an almost Montessori-like educational M A RCH 2016 | 45
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experience, injecting a sorely needed boost of arts and culture not just to Hua Hin, but Thailand on the whole, she seems to be doing so in comfortable, relative obscurity. “Hua Hin has always been a cultural place,” she tells me, as we settle back into the golf cart. There’s no debating that. At Mrigadayavan Palace, for instance, King Rama VI wrote poetry and plays and hosted outdoor likay performances (a visitor can still occasionally catch likay with the briny seaside breeze blowing in the background). When Patravadi was a child, she explains, her family would go to the market downtown to see young aristocrats dressed to the nines in the latest fashion. And, at night, they would go to The Railway Hotel for ballroom dancing, where they were introduced to the trendiest music at the time. Today, however, art and culture don’t always mix. Baan Silapin in Hin Lek Fai offers art classes—and seems to thrive doing so—interesting pastel graffiti covers concrete posts and signs in town, and some shops close to the pier sell replica paintings, but little of path-breaking artistic merit is visible to the plain eye, and few visitors seem to revel in what does remain. Near Khao Takiab, the Cicada Market stages shows, the most recent being a musical spinoff of “Little Red Riding Hood,” but actors compete with trinket vendors for attention. The Vic, and more importantly Patravadi School, offer hope for rekindling the creative flames of yesteryear—or rather initiating a new era of greatness in arts and culture. 46 | M A RCH 2016
Lastly, Patravadi takes me to the Naidee Sculpture Huts. Designed by her friend Naidee, who has since risen to international renown, the huts help share the work Patravadi does to a wider audience. They’re accessible to anyone—though often fully booked, since there are only nine of them—offering a unique place to sleep for a night, or as long you wish (“The performers in our last show [‘Chant of the Ununited Nation’] took up the family hut for over a month.”). But, as it is elsewhere on the property, the huts weren’t built to get attention or make money. “Naidee will be here in July to teach everyone how to build his ‘organic houses,’” says Patravadi, eyeing up a half-finished statue in a patch of grass. “He’s been working on that statue for over a year. He comes back only so often.” Plus, they give parents of boarding students, who come from as far away as Sweden and England, a place to stay when they visit. It’s all quite a trip to take in, the classrooms made of raw concrete, the murals and music and ceramics made by children allowed to let creative juices flow, the small garden where dragon fruit and vegetables grow, the British teacher who’s opened her own stable and also raises rabbits and goats. When I wonder aloud if the school will be around 100 years from now, Patravadi replies firmly, “It will.” I’d like to see it then, see how this incredible complex has shaped this country for the better, maybe even the world, by investing in its children. bangkok101.com
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PUTAHRACSA HUA HIN Seaside Seduction
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ust a couple of hours from Bangkok, popular getaway destination Hua Hin is a place where complexity meets serenity. Despite a great number of boutique hotels with unique settings and upscale accommodation, Putahracsa Hua Hin distinctly stands out amongst its kind. Located on Naeb Kehardt Road, the attractive Putahracsa remains blissfully veiled from the heart of the city, uniting nature’s tranquillity with a low-key cosmopolitanism, a pleasant combination of the natural and the modern, reflecting the charm of Hua Hin itself. Here, the buildings are painted white, complemented by an earthy colour scheme in different shades of brown, from maroon to tawny to fudge and cocoa, giving the whole aesthetic a warm feeling. Behind Putahracsa’s quaint Ob Oon bakery and Diaries shop—worth a trip even for outsiders who want to pick up beach dresses, swimsuits, bedding, scented oils, and more—comes an open-air reception distinguished by a koi pond and cool brick wall. There are 67 rooms, split into two categories and built across the road from one another: Resort Side and Ocean Side. Among the choices on the Resort Side, the Silksand room stands out. Beautifully appointed and big enough to swing a cat but not enough to play Twister, the Silksand comes with all the amenities one can expect in an upscale boutique. More distinctly, the room is only few steps from one of the resort’s three swimming pools. The ground floor rooms feature terraces while rooms above offer views of the pool and gardens. For a more luxurious stay, the resort side offers deluxe rooms incorporating natural tones and a suburban design: Silksand Deluxe and Sansky. The semi-detached structures come with exclusive access to a courtyard with a private pool. On the other side of the road are the bangkok101.com
Oceanbed Villas, which would be perfect for travelling families. The villas are shaded by tropical trees, just a couple of steps from Hua Hin’s silvery sea. Each villa includes “private horizon” ozone pools and Jacuzzis, perfect for romance or simply unwinding. Apart from the palatial buildings, the food is quite nice, too. The Oceanside Beach Club & Restaurant dining experience is elevated by contemporary décor and chilledout atmosphere. Think: open spaces, incredible sea views, and improvised jazz. The menu is filled with fresh and fine seafood. Top choices include fried prawns with red curry paste (a traditional Thai recipe) and the hot, sour, and spicy tom yum goong, a favourite taste for foreigners. For Thais? Maybe. Stronger tastes of the sea come through in the tuna tartare with fresh seaweed and grilled rock lobster. There’s also a big platter of assorted sweet treats, featuring nibbles of fruit tarts and chocolates and more, or go for a bite of the smooth and rich mousse cake. Breakfast happens at Sala Monsoon, with an array of international dishes, incorporating a healthy salad bar, a live cooking station, and even Thai street food. The rainbow of colourful juices in hipster-style bottles whet appetites before meals begin. A bountiful breakfast buffet provides basically everything you can think of, from pancakes, omelettes, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon to cold and hot cereals, smoked salmon, breads, salad, and fresh-baked pastries. It’s been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Putahracsa Hua Hin is undoubtedly beautiful for the eye of every beholder.
PUTAHRACSA HUA HIN 22/65 Naeb Kehardt Rd, Hua Hin 0 3253 1470 | putahracsa.com
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LET’S SEA Style, Substance, and Soul on the White Sandy Shoreline
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n the last few decades, Hua Hin has simply exploded. Major hotels have infiltrated the shores like ocean liners run aground. From Cha-am to Khao Takiab, the informal boundaries of Hua Hin, international brands provide big-ticket accommodation with a jet-set informality. Check in, check out, repeat. Yes, options abound, but the best stays remain the boutiques—the small and independent, the eco-friendly and uniquely engineered, the places with soul. Foremost among this contingent of smaller, distinctive, guest-oriented boutiques is Let’s Sea. Found down the relatively quiet Hua Thanon (where Petch Kasem splits, taking drivers to either an overpass or a dead-end in Khao Takiab), Let’s Sea enjoys qualified isolation—it’s right on the beach, but far enough down the sand to enjoy almost constantly uninterrupted views of the sea; it’s behind the lively Cicada Market, but not so close as to be drowned in sound. Billed as an “al fresco resort,” Let’s Sea very much enjoys a connection with the Great Outdoors. Of the 40 guest rooms, half come with direct access to the rather stunning 120-metre infinity pool bisecting the grounds, which incorporates a couple of swim-up bars and multiple sun chairs set in the shallows (Pier Pool Access Studios), while the other half enjoy private terraces, complete with a sun bed, a small garden, and even a rainfall shower (Moon Deck Duplex Suites). On the rooftop of the open-air check-in lobby stands an outdoor fitness centre, as well as the Gaia Spa, veiled alcoves that at night resemble lit up lanterns.
Moving inside, all rooms are spacious (48- and 68-square-metres) and well-stocked with the plushest amenities—from rainfall showers for two to oversized tubs in a truly expansive bathroom to so-called “laZzzzz” beds to mood lighting, one of the more understated features of the resort’s well-planned design. Most impressively, no room shares a wall with another. In between are small gardens, just one small reason why Let’s Sea has achieved the prestigious ISO 14001 certification, recognizing the resort’s dedication to minimizing its environmental footprint, a distinction few other resorts have merited. Though it would be easy enough to while away the hours, supine on a sun chair in the vast lagoon of a pool with cocktail in hand, or lounging on the moon deck with iPod firmly in sound dock, Let’s Sea’s al fresco calling card extends all the way to the standalone restaurant of the same name. Guests at the resort enjoy direct access to Let’s Sea, the restaurant, where every afternoon from 2pm-5pm a local pianist sets up by the shore and plays classic tunes while those so inclined enjoy fine teas and a range of stellar Thai tapas. At night, it’s easy to return for a romantic meal, the best cuts being Thai dishes, such as the Massaman curry with beef, but the Western fare as good as any in town, in particular a tender lamb shank with creamy mash. Better still is that resort and restaurant collaborated to offer breakfast by the sea as part of the room rate—with Hua Hin being a sunrise beach, little else compares to a glass of champagne over à la carte dishes endlessly served à la minute. Activities are as unique and guest-centric as the amenities and facilities, too. Consider taking a Thai cooking class in the garden, or, perhaps more distinctive, a cocktail class at the swim-up bar, the Sand Lounge. At Gaia Spa, couples can sign up for a Thai massage for two, and down by the sea, pros offer kitesurfing lessons when the weather is right. There’s also a fruit carving class, aqua aerobics, and more standard offerings, such as horseback riding on the beach and bikes to borrow to pedal around town. Highly recommended is a trip to the Cicada Market (Fri-Sun, 4pm-11pm), which is roughly 600 metres away by foot. Let’s Sea links guests with staff, the sea, and Hua Hin’s timeless attractions in a way that few big-brand hotels can—with personal attention, a sense of taste, understanding of the resort’s place in the local community, and care for the environment. Here is a boutique with bravura.
LET’S SEA HUA HIN AL FRESCO RESORT 83/188 Soi Huathanon 23, Khaotakieb-Hua Hin Rd 0 3253 6888 | letussea.com
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Shoreline Beach Club at Amari Hua Hin 52 | M A RCH 2016
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Hua Hin’s Best ites Eating Well in Thailand’s Seaside Sanctuary
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rom the streets to the shophouses to the most sumptuous high-end restaurants, Hua Hin is a serious eater’s paradise. Do yourself a favour— avoid the Golden Arches, the familiar crown and crest of Burger King, the insipid Thai food tourist traps, and all the indistinguishable pan-Euro restaurants littering the little alleys off Naresdamri Road. Go straight for the good stuff. For many, a trip to Hua Hin starts at the clock tower off Phet Kasem Road. Naturally, food is not far from this famous drop-off point. As vans and taxis roll in, hordes of hungry travellers, drivers, and locals hunt around for the closest meal. Around the corner from the clocktower, at the intersection of Naeb Kehardt Alley and Soi 57, is the constantly-teeming Jek Piah, a Thai-Chinese housebased hotspot that has been serving khao tom, sautéed scallops, fresh satay with peanut sauce, and all kinds of sweet iced drinks for over 50 years. It has no English signage, but you’ll recognize it by its dark wooden panels and massive crowds. Go back to this very same intersection in the morning for freshly fried patongko (called “youtiao” in Chinese-speaking nations) and steamed sala pao and pork dumplings. Down the road, at the intersection of Hua Hin 55, stands a covered canteen serving a range of downright superb Thai dishes, including some top-notch som tam. On weeknights, a small market opens on Soi 55/1. A standout choice here is the dessert stall, where Thais flock for classic khanom, including bua loy and even the famous mango sticky rice. Across the road from here, a small covered canteen serves a good bowl of jok, perfect for slow mornings. One made-to-order stall stays open for lunch, making a particularly delicious crabmeat omelette. By the pier, Saeng Thai Seafood stands conspicuous each night, as a convoy of cars pulls into the sprawling
parking lot to enjoy fresh seafood al fresco, with the salt breeze of the gulf carrying the scent of wok-fried red snapper. Just up the road on Naresdamri Alley is the quaint Brasserie de Paris, serving—you guessed it—wellexecuted French cuisine with great wine and even more satisfying sea views. It’s also a fine choice for breakfast. No trip to Hua Hin would be complete without a visit to the now completely overwhelming, but still gastronomically gratifying, Chatsila Market, known simply as the Night Market. Here humble chefs become streetside superstars as they send eyebrow- and eyelash-threatening flames high into the night air with the flick of the wrist, stir-frying fresh crab, rock lobster, and tiger prawns with herbs and spices and curry pastes. Ignore the entertainment, take a seat, and open the menu. From seafood stalwarts like Lung Ja to lessheralded gems like Ko Seafood, cheap and fantastic shophouse joints line the street, selling sea bass and snapper for as little as B250 and whole lobster for a reasonable B1500. But you can also eat well in style and comfort, too. The just-opened Shoreline Beach Club at the Amari Hua Hin, for one, delivers contemporary fusion food (heavy on the seafood) with graceful plating. The wood-fried pizza is of particular mention, as the restaurant brought in a pizza pro to train staff in producing the perfect charred crusts and tender toppings. And don’t miss the 12-year-old Let’s Sea, the restaurant that predates the boutique of the same name. The menu spans the continents, serving a good selection of Western fare, including a wonderful duck breast with raspberry sauce, but the best bites might just be the Thai dishes. Still hungry? Turn the pages to read about two other top options—Rim Talay and Andreas.
Brasserie de Paris
Lung Ja
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review
RIM TALAY BAR & GRILL - Succulent Seafood & Sweet Sea Views Hua Hin is a place to get away from it all, the sweltering sidewalks, the 9-to-5 grind, the heaving foot traffic. It’s about bottling up the confines of daily life and pitching them into the sea, forgetting your troubles at least for a long weekend. The subtle sound of waves and the swishing salt wind have almost mystical properties, emotionally cleansing, nostalgic, and romantic in equal parts, and there’s no better way to take it all in than with a fine meal, a glass of wine, and good company at Rim Talay Bar & Grill, the Dusit Thani Hua Hin’s stunning seaside restaurant. A short drive from the centre of town, closer to Klai Kang Won Palace, Rim Talay occupies a beachfront terrace that’s as much promenade as it is restaurant. In the centre is a semi-covered Thai-style pavilion, where diners can enjoy alfresco breezes, but with the security of a roof and overhead lighting. In this space is an open kitchen, offering snapshots of the chefs in action as they char-grill fresh seafood and premium cuts of meat, fire and sizzle included. On one side of the pavilion the dining space abuts a pond, and on the other diners sit next to the sea. Few venues in town can boast such an idyllic setting, but it’s not just the ambiance that attracts diners here. Owing to its location, Rim Talay specializes in succulent fresh seafood. On Saturdays, swing by for a 54 | M A RCH 2016
barbecue buffet feast. Prawns, lobsters, shellfish, crabs, a full slate of fresh fish, and more, as well as quality meats, including New Zealand lamb and US beef sirloin, get the grill treatment, plus there’s a deep salad bar (B1450). Fill up on the grilled goodies, but don’t skip the dessert buffet that comes with the dinner, either. You won’t go wrong ordering à la carte, with a range of East-meets-West dishes. There’s also a solid selection of tapas to choose from, although it’s probably best to order the “top ten tapas,” served individually or on a combo platter, either choice made for sharing with friends, family, or a loved one over a glass of wine. The restaurant offers buy-one-get-one cocktails for women on its Tuesday ladies’ night, from 7pm until 9pm. It’s as fine an excuse as any to visit with friends, although you would do just as well with the company of one, drinking in the sweet sea views and, like the name of the palace down the road, being far removed from worries.
RIM TALAY BAR & GRILL Dusit Thani Hua Hin, 1349 Phet Kasem Rd | 0 3252 0009 dusit.com/dusitthani/huahin | Mon-Sat 6pm-10.30pm, closed Sun except high season
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ANDREAS ITALIAN RESTAURANT & GRILL - Eponymous Excellence -
After over 25 years cooking in kitchens across the world, the Italian Chef Andreas Bonifacio finally opened his own restaurant in seaside Hua Hin in 2014. Set back on Phet Kasem Road, located next to The Lapa Hua Hin Hotel, down the highway from the hectic crossroads of the city centre, this three-story loft is something of a sanctuary. Here fine dining becomes a relaxed, almost familial experience, thanks to the affable Andreas, who greets every diner at the door. Andreas is filled out with dark teakwood tables—loosely set for two-to-six—on the first and second floors, plus an open kitchen providing action shots of the chef at work. The wine cellar by the second floor offers a great selection of New and Old World wines by the glass or bottle. Check out the al fresco rooftop dining area. Although the sea is tantalizingly just out of sight, the fresh air adds an almost Mediterranean element to night-time dinners. A piquant palate-warmer comes in the form of premium Sicilian octopus slow-cooked and served on a creamy potato sauce, along with black olives, rocket, celery, cherry tomatoes, and radishes (B450). The dish combines the fresh flavours of the Italian summer with the brine of the sea in the tender meaty octopus. The colourful addition of homemade bean, pumpkin, and raspberry sauces adds more than visual contrast—they also impart complementing flavours. bangkok101.com
Pan-seared foie gras (B720) comes on brioche with a fig and raspberry sauce. The foie gras melts in the mouth, leaving sweetness behind as the texture dissolves. Chef Andreas also prepares a wonderful spaghetti with clams in white wine sauce (B560). Here, the dish is not as simple as it sounds. The buttery spaghetti blends with sweet wine and Manila clams (in the shell and out), forming a translucent sauce elevated with the taste of the sea. No need to add any extra artificial seasoning; the fresh clams themselves are lusciously salty. Out of the sea and onto the earth, Andreas’ slowcooked lamb shank in red wine sauce is a local favourite (B720). Served with grilled potatoes and baby carrots, stir-fried mushrooms, and baked spinach with cheese, the lamb cooked to medium to lock in juices and retain its tender texture, the dish is nothing short of hardy—the kind of meal best enjoyed with a glass of full-bodied Merlot. That same wine, in fact, might work well with a dessert of fresh figs sautéed in a red wine sauce with cinnamon, served with homemade vanilla ice cream (B380). Buon appetito!
ANDREAS ITALIAN RESTAURANT & GRILL 4/91 Soi Mooban Nongkae, Nongkae, Hua Hin 09 9910 1018 | andreas-ristorante.com
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wellness
Health & Wellness in Hua Hin R&R on Not-So-Idle Shores
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ith all the rich food and other indulgences around Hua Hin, you’ll want to treat your body to a little rest and relaxation—or, perhaps, recovery. There’s no shortage of stellar spas in town. To guide you on your way, we’ve included a snapshot of some of the best.
Chiva-Som 73/4 Petchkasem Rd 0 3253 6536 | chivasom.com
After 20 years, Chiva-Som remains at the forefront of wellness in Thailand. Located on Hua Hin’s beachfront, the resort counts 58 rooms and a staggering 70 treatment rooms—including a kinesis studio, a kneipp bath, and a sauna—among its reinvigorating comforts. The resort offers extensive physiotherapy, fitness, spa, and holistic health facilities, where ancient therapies of the East come 56 | M A RCH 2016
together with new Western techniques. Customers usually start with a consultation to determine recommended programmes and activities. And there are many activities. Over 150, in fact, from Tai Chi to Pilates to medical services. The cherry on top, Chiva-Som also offers awardwinning cuisine using fruits and vegetables organically grown in its own garden. bangkok101.com
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Let’s Relax 234/1, Hua Hin Market Village, Phetkasem Rd 0 3252 6364 | letsrelaxspa.com
Starting with its first branch in Chiang Mai nearly two decades ago, Let’s Relax has widely expanded over the years. Now, there are outlets across Thailand. The day spa in Hua Hin abides by the credo “Lavish Indulgence” and is located at the trendy Market Village. Its signature treatment, the Aromatic Hot Stone Massage, uses heated volcanic stones and warm oils to take massages to another level. Other popular treatments include all the classics—Thai massage, aromatherapy, foot massage, facials, and a floral bath—as well as reflexology and a special “4 hands” massage. It’s a fine place to unwind after a day on the sands or at the shop.
The Barai 91 Hua Hin-Khao Takiap Rd | 0 3251 1234 | thebarai.com
Adjacent to the Hyatt Regency, The Barai spa offers luxury residential accommodation, extensive treatments, signature massages, yoga sessions, and fitness and lifestyle programmes. The spa’s concept is based on a balance of the four elements (water, earth, air, and fire). Customers choose their experience from a range of multi-treatment rituals and individual therapies by letting the elements guide their personal needs and desired results—from stress relief, balance restoration, and beauty treatments to increasing energy. The Barai also offers facials, massages, body wraps, beauty treatments, yoga, and even cooking classes.
Noora Spa 63/411 Moo Baan Nong Kae, Tambon Nong Kae 0 3261 6777 | marrakeshresortandspa.com
Meaning “illumination” in Arabic, Noora offers spa experiences curated from North African and Indian heritages. Part of the Marrakesh Resort and Spa, the spa is accordingly designed in contemporary Moroccan style, filled out with seven treatment rooms including Jacuzzi and steam options. Highlights are the Moroccan Hammam bath experience, featuring Arabian beauty rituals using Argan oil, and the Radiant Massage, in which fragranceinfused candles and natural gold powder are slowly melted together, leaving the skin soft and aglow.
V Spa 63/39 Petchkasem Rd | 0 3261 6039 | v-villashuahin.com
Offering a mix of traditional and contemporary treatments, V Spa ups the ante by giving guests the option to enjoy their treatment in the privacy of their villa. The signature V Balancing Massage uses a combination of shiatsu and Thai massage techniques, as well as reflexology and soothing aromatic herbal oils, to relieve stress, soothe sore muscles, and improve well-being on the whole. Other intriguing treatments include the Apple Stem Cell Anti-Aging Facial Therapy and the many kinds of fruit scrubs. For a more active way to heal, the resort and spa offers yoga, Tai Chi, and Thai boxing classes each day.
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unique boutique
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unique boutique
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REINVENTING TRADITION Asaya Kongsiri Carries on Three Generations of Khomapastr Excellence BY LUC CITRINOT
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ooking at Asaya Kongsiri is like seeing Khomapastr’s signature style captured in still life. The smiling young entrepreneur looks elegant and modest in her pastel colours. Her simple dress is adorned with stylized green and yellow flowers. A bit vintage, a bit contemporary, all Thai. “The Khomapastr fabric line these days is all about reinventing tradition by adding a touch of modernity to our patterns,” explains Asaya. She is the third generation of her family to manage Khomapastr, a brand often referred to as “the Jim Thompson of Thai cotton.” Reaching for a framed photo, she continues, “My grandfather created the company just after World War II. He was a military man, but when he retired, he decided to pursue his true passion: fabrics.” Asaya’s grandfather, his Royal Highness Prince Bovoradej, had spent time in Vietnam, where he became fascinated by natural fabrics, even silk. After the war he moved to now gentrified Hua Hin and set up a workshop and manufacturing centre, producing Thai textiles bearing traditional motifs. He founded Khomapastr in 1948. In many ways, the company has since symbolized the resort city—tried and true, conservative and consistent, offering high quality without hassles. Khomapastr is probably best known for its beautiful fabrics reproducing traditional Thai floral patterns and figures. Its fabrics have even earned praise from HRH Princess Sirindhorn. “We are very proud of the range of patterns we still have, [but] it’s interesting to see a revival in vintage motifs nowadays. It’s been exciting to take inspiration from the sixties and seventies,” says Asaya. Although, she admits, it can sometimes be hard to convince employees that change is good. “It was hard to get them to accept vivid shades of green. But I finally got what I wanted.” Asaya has developed hundreds of new ideas, giving a breath of fresh air to a company which predominantly built its reputation among mature Thai women (still its biggest consumer base). “Since vintage is in, we’ve started to see a younger crowd coming to our shops to look for décor and clothing,” says Asaya. “But we still do things the traditional bangkok101.com
way, including dyeing by hand. It gives us the flexibility to look for new shades [while giving] a modern twist to our fabrics.” Asaya is now looking to launch a new collection of fashion with redesigned patterns and graphics. “The younger generation is less keen to buy fabrics and go to a tailor. They prefer ready-to-wear clothing, and this is what we want to produce—dresses, jackets, men’s shirts, and so on,” adds Asaya. Khomapastr’s new collection will be available this spring, bringing a range of flashier colours to the table. Asaya hopes to create three or four collections annually, on top of other side projects. “We’ve already created uniforms for some hotels around Hua Hin, such as the Yaya Hotel in Cha-am,” says the young designer, “and I would love to create collections for more resorts. We’re also thinking about producing limited edition [clothing] lines to attract a younger crowd of buyers. “I have so many ideas to build up the Khomapastr brand,” she says with a laugh. “I just need more hours in the day!”
KHOMAPASTR 218 Petch Kasem Rd, Hua Hin | 0 3251 1250 khomapastrfabrics.com | Mon-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 9am-5pm
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making merit
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Rescue – Rehabilitate – Release Experiencing Thailand’s Wild Side with the Eco-friendly WFFT BY JULIA OFFENBERGER
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or better or worse, riding an elephant is a popular tourist activity in Thailand. Unfortunately, more often than not, the animals are subject to abuse and torture in order to train them to accept riders or perform in shows—and even the act of riding may cause these social creatures physical and emotional distress. Elephants don’t have very strong backs; provided they have enough food, water, and shade, they shouldn’t be carrying more than 150 kilograms for more than four hours. But with visitors flooding trekking camps and glorified zoos each day, the noble beasts often work eight-hour shifts in order to support their mahouts, usually toting two riders at a time in heavy metal seats strapped to their backs. Fortunately, slowly but surely, a growing number of refuge centres throughout the country are reversing the ills. Among those is Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), an animal sanctuary founded 15 years ago by Dutch-born Edwin Wiek. Having its own wildlife hospital, the WFFT is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals previously mistreated, neglected, or exploited as pets or used to make profit within the tourist industry. Located around 40 kilometres from Hua Hin, the centre is built on 29 hectares of temple land in Petchaburi, giving shelter to 400 animals that range from the aforementioned elephants, macaques, gibbons, civets, and slow loris to big cats (e.g. leopards, tigers), bears, crocodiles, and exotic birds. The sanctuary provides enclosures as close to nature as possible and, where possible, tries to reintroduce the animals to the wild. “It varies from species to species. Sometimes [they stay with us for] a few weeks, sometimes months, and sometimes animals need lifelong care,” says Tom Taylor, Assistant Director of the WFFT. bangkok101.com
The foundation also aims to educate the uninformed as a means to curb cruelty to animals and campaign against the illegal trade of wildlife for the pet or entertainment industry. In order to prevent hunting, as well, the WFFT teaches locals and tourists about animals and their natural habitats, providing much-needed information on ways to prevent harm to them. Currently, the WFFT runs several projects in Thailand, including medical care, rehabilitation, research (marine mammals, included), and the release of animals back into the wild. One of the biggest challenges the WFFT faces is sourcing enough funds, however. “Most of our donations arrive from volunteers and international supporters,” Taylor explains. “Currently, we have approximately 50 people working full-time and 50 volunteers.” Yet the foundation grows, making elephantine strides in the right direction toward sustainability. Anyone who wants to get involved can volunteer a minimum of one week, working on any of the many projects. Those short on time, but interested in Thailand’s wildlife, are welcome to join a one-day experience to learn about wildlife conservation, animal welfare, and the rescued creatures living at the Rescue Centre and Elephant Refuge. Also, visitors get the chance to see some of the animals in their natural habitat and get close with elephants in a cruelty-free, non-exploitative way by taking them for a walk and later giving the gentle giants a bath and a good scrub. Other ways of supporting the WFFT are donating, adopting an animal, or adding to a public wish list. For more information, visit wfft.org.
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METAMORPHOSIS. BLACK BUTTERFLY Olga Volodina’s latest exhibition, Metamorphosis. Black Butterfly, toes the razor’s edge between beauty and brutality through a series of haunting photographs exploring the dissonant relationship of mass media and the fragile human psyche. Moreover, the exhibition, apropos in title, seems a metaphor for the artist’s own transformation. After cutting her teeth in Moscow’s fashion photography scene, Volodina emerged on the international stage, her artwork applauded for its critique of the modern world’s unequal socio-political paradigms. Metamorphosis. Black Butterfly presents a shattered symphony of female figures, all sharp and monochrome, the colour of snowy TV static and false blood in grayscale. The female has long been the source of inspiration and object of Volodina’s art, and the muse appears again in this exhibition, awash in treacly liquids, cracks appearing in their faces’ foundations, penetrating the viewer’s gaze with dripping full-moon eyes. Yet the beauty of form transcends the fear and fury imposed by media and outside forces. Symmetry features large in the composition of the photographs, a skill no doubt honed in Volodina’s fashionart past. On opening night, March 10, Volodina will lead a special two-hour live art exhibition. At 6.30pm, the evening’s events get underway with a dance performance by studio uniQ, followed by “Black Butterfly,” an art performance by Cristina Maria Pintea. At 8pm, mixed media maven Alex Imix presents a light installation called “Pyramid.” The night concludes at 8.30pm with “Metamorphoses,” a stopmotion movie by Volodina and Pintea. Metamorphosis. Black Butterfly runs from March 10-24 at YenakArt Villa.
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exhibitions
MY TRUE LOVE
SOMBAT PERMPOON GALLERY 12 Soi 1 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2254 6040 | 9am-8pm | sombatpermpoongallery.com
March 2-April 30 “My True Love” features the bright, colourful paintings of two artists best known for their illustrations, putting their filial love and devotion on display. While Pimgit Tapaneeya draws inspiration from the love she has given and received, frequently depicting a young girl posing with different facial expressions, Pinnuch Pinjinda’s work is a gathering of dream-like forms she’s encountered while starting a family and raising her daughter over the last five years.
SEE SAW SEEN V
ARDEL’S THIRD PLACE GALLERY The Third Place, Thong Lo Soi 10, Soi 55 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2714 7929 | Mon-Sat 10am-6pm | ardelgallery.com
Until March 24 “See Saw Seen V” is the latest edition of one of the most prominent photography exhibitions in Thailand. Displaying the work of eleven artists, including Pishnu Supanimit, Dow Wasiksiri, and Thavorn Ko-udomvit, the show takes visitors on a journey through the lens, letting them experience different aspects of their surroundings, digging down to the depths of ideas and emotions. All images were taken using a Sony Alpha 7R.
EXODUSK
KALWIT STUDIO & GALLERY 119/14 Ruamrudee Soi 2, Wireless Rd | 0 2254 4629 | TueSun 10am-6pm
Until March 27 Inspired by the environment around us, this exhibition showcases the drawings of three artists: Isara Singhatokaew, Maethawee Chiraphong, and Pittawas Euavongkul. Their works express their individual interpretations of the relationship between man and nature.
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exhibitions
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THE RESPECTABLES
ROTUNDA GALLERY Nielson Hays Library, 195 Surawong Rd | 0 2233 1731 | nielsonhayslibrary.com | Tue-Sun 9.30am-5pm
Until March 28 Depicting the various forms of power within our everyday lives, Richard Mead looks at those who are respectable— or consider themselves respectable—and how they deal with uninvited guests. Appearing in Mead’s illustrations and paintings are characters from contemporary society who portray their affluence, usually within a “civilised” occasion—bankers celebrating a deal, a politician who hopes to impress electorates—as well as those want to be regarded as respectable, such as commuters struggling for a place on public transportation.
INNER SPACE
UBAAN ART STATION 204 Soi Chinda Tawin, Si Phraya Rd | 08 8088 5140 | facebook.com/ubaanartstation | Mon, Wed 10am-10pm, Thu 2.30pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 10am-11pm
Until April 2 Four Thai illustrators (Phaan Chd, Trystand, Shhhh, and Thip Ruang) share their interpretations of the world around them. Coming from diverse personal and professional backgrounds—from graphic and fashion design to drawing, painting, animation, and more—the artists operate within the same general space (illustration), but use vastly different styles to express their emotions and worldviews.
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interview
At Home and Away Globally Known Painter Tawee Kase-ngam Opens up about Baan Silapin
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ollowing the success of the Hua Hin Arts and Craft Centre in 1996, four years later Chula Fine Arts alum Tawee Kase-ngam launched Baan Silapin, also known as the Artist Village. Along with 18 other artists in the village, Tawee has helped place Hua Hin’s fine arts scene in the international limelight. But Baan Silapin is above all a community, where anyone can practice without fear of failure. It’s an interconnected place, and art is the local lingo. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Baan Silapin opens for adult classes (paid by the hour), inviting all ages and abilities to paint, take pictures, or test their skills at any medium they wish, with prominent artists at hand to offer advice and guidance. On Saturdays, the village welcomes
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kids to its shady grounds next to Hin Lek Fai. Throughout the week, the artists in the collective ply their trade, with rotating exhibitions showcasing their latest work. Tawee recently spoke to Bangkok 101 about his work at Baan Silapin, as well as the state of fine art in Hua Hin. Where do your artists come from—Bangkok, Hua Hin, further away? The 19 of us come from many places around Thailand. Many of the artists are my family. My wife is from Sakon Nakorn, my brother-in-law is from Nakorn Prathom, and my brother, sister, and I are from Ubon Ratchathani. Some artists come from the North and South, but we don’t have so many local artists represented here. bangkok101.com
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What media do you all mostly work with? The majority of our work is painting—watercolour, oils, acrylics. We also work in sculpture, photography, and any other kind of art, really. We’re not limited to any particular media.
more and more developed, with traffic getting busier by the day. But tourists and, really, all art lovers don’t mind travelling here, since it’s so close. Our place has a special tranquillity. It’s beautiful, shaded, and full of trees and simple structures, which are not so easy to find in the city.
Before Baan Silapin opened, what was the art scene like in Hua Hin, and how has it changed since then? Before Baan Silapin opened, art in Hua Hin meant carpentry and home décor, but, still, there wasn’t a very huge scene for it. Baan Silapin produced the first work that gained international recognition, as a lot of foreigners living in or visiting Hua Hin became interested in our collective. They saw they could study any kind of art and also exchange ideas. Emerging artists found they could promote their works through exhibitions here, too.
What are your most popular classes? Our workshops are open to any kind of medium. We do have some restrictions, but very few. Basically, we let the imagination run free, no matter one’s age. We see Baan Silapin as a playground for international arts, but not a school. No teachers or teaching—only experienced artists who enjoy sharing their knowledge with others. They’ll demonstrate proper techniques, but they let you create and experiment as much as you please. If you don’t like the finished product, you can fix it or give it another try until you’re happy. Right now, out most popular activity is painting on a variety of materials, such as canvas, wood, masks, paper, and more. For these activities we use watercolours or acrylics, which are easy to use, they’re bright and vibrant, and they dry easily.
What are the advantages of setting up Baan Silapin in Hua Hin, in particular away from the centre of town in Hin Lek Fai? It’s a popular destination for both Thais and foreigners, and it’s not too far from Bangkok. Plus, Baan Silapin is only 5 kilometres from the centre of Hua Hin, so it’s a convenient location. Nowadays, the town has become
Where can a visitor go to experience the “real” Hua Hin? Go to a night market, Saphan Pla (the pier), Hin Lek Fai viewpoint, the fisherman’s village, and stop in at some traditional houses around town—the true old shophouses. There aren’t so many of these in Hua Hin anymore. Just walk around and explore. What are you currently working on? Our house has many projects—some big, some small. We always have something to do at Baan Silapin. Now that we’ve been accepted by society at large—thanks to the quality of our art—our work is displayed at many places around the city, including hotels. We also help the local government by leading charity auctions that benefit social programmes. And internationally, we are a core member of a large network of watercolour artists. We lead a lot of activities that connects us with ASEAN as well as the world further afield. Just two years ago, Thailand played host to a worldwide watercolour exhibition, which was hugely successful. The Thai art scene really made a name for itself then. We got a lot of outside interest in what we’re doing here. In the future, there will be even more activities in our network, including an upcoming exhibition with artists from Vietnam, Myanmar, Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, Greece, the UK, Canada, Switzerland, and more. I’m currently working on a series called “Beung Bua” [“lotus lake”]. It’s made up of extra-large watercolour paintings with very fine details, telling the story of life and death—the circle of life, in other words. The series has already gained a lot of attention from Thai and foreign art collectors. What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring young artist? Pure love and a passion for creativity will bring infinite happiness and success in your career, as long as you don’t give up.
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cheat notes
WHEN GEEKS ARE COOL By Jim Algie
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ravel guides are for new arrivals or repeat visitors. The more in-depth works of non-fiction about Thailand are usually for expats. But what about the traveller who wants to make the leap to becoming an expat or to learn more about the culture? Tuttle publishing has solved that dilemma with its Geek series: books that provide much more in the way of cultural and sociopolitical background than travel guides but don’t get bogged down in the excessive details and elaborate histories that insider guides do. In the series, which now includes books on Korea and Japan, Jody Houton’s book, A Geek in Thailand, is exemplary. Yes, all the standard-issue sorts of subjects are represented, from Thai boxing to tuk-tuks, elephants, classical dancing, ladyboys, the supernatural, and the watersplashing rituals of Thai New Year, but often given an original spin by the author. The pop culture bits about half-Thai/half-European soap stars play well off the history bytes to provide a full picture of the kingdom. The importance of Buddhism and why Thailand is nicknamed the “Land of Smiles” are by rote additions to any such book, but I had to admire the author’s determination to include grittier fare, like a lead mine poisoning a hilltribe in Kanchanaburi province, the way wildlife are used as tourist props on Thai islands, and how sea gypsies’ traditional culture is being eroded and their homelands lost to avaricious real estate developers on Phuket. This may be a love letter to Thailand, but as with any such affair, some bitterness seeps into the mix. The more acerbic asides are frequently funny, though. When discussing why there is so little unemployment in Thailand—less than a single percentage point—and why there appear to be so many shop assistants idling in stores, Jody writes, “Do not make the misguided assumption, however, that this increase in numbers of staff correlates with an increase in productivity or efficiency. Asking the whereabouts of an item in a Thai store merely results in an extended game of Chinese whispers. Salaries being so low, combined with staff numbers being so high, often results in either an unwillingness or an unrequited 68 | M A RCH 2016
ability to think or perform a duty outside the very narrow remit of a job.” The author, who has worked as a journalist on Phuket and in Bangkok, has an authorial voice that rings true without being particularly pedantic or annoyingly smug. He points out a lot of interesting facts that even a veteran expat like myself didn’t know, such as the flipside of the 100 baht note which depicts King Rama V setting the slaves free, and that the country’s former name, Siam, comes from a Sanskrit word for “dark” or “brown,” which gives a little more historical heft to the part about the penchant for skin-whitening lotions in Thailand, and the author’s wry remark that “at present, the Thai idea of beauty lies somewhere between a Korean soap star and a Japanese cartoon character.” But Jody Houton is no serial grumbler. He is particularly positive about Thai food and the kingdom’s traditional arts and music, such as the hard-driving northeastern country sounds of mo lam and luk thung. The book features an interview with DJ and record shop owner Maft Sai who is a creative force behind the renaissance of these genres. In an age of attenuated attention spans this book moves quickly from subject to subject and packs a lot into its 160 pages. The photos tend to be colour saturated and the layouts are eye-catching. Of course, in any guide this size the reader is bound to feel that some subjects have been given short shrift or are not covered at all. And having no index is lamentable. Just the same, A Geek in Thailand should still please many different kinds of readers, from the newbie traveller who can pick up a lot of road tips and enjoy some excellent maps in the concluding chapter about travel, to the new expat looking for work and trying to make sense of a baffling workplace, or even the expat veterans. For the same reason I like hanging out with young backpackers once in a while, because they’re still enthused about the country, not like some calloused old hands, I enjoyed dipping into this book at random, with its excerpts about gambling on songbirds, ghost lore, banana chips, and “Communicating Via Calculator” that reminded me how lucky we are to live in such a fantastically strange place. bangkok101.com
UND ERG RO
OVERGROUND UN D
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PICK UP
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LEADING ART GALLERIES
UND GRO E H ON T
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BANGKOKARTMAP
Kacee Jones Untitled | Acrylic on Canvas
art & culture photofeature
The Next Generation The future is now. Look at the city’s buzzing and everevolving art scene and you’ll find new traditions forming, mixed media taking hold, politics and personal emotions revealed in fascinating forms on the canvas, works crafted by a rising younger generation of artists. This year, BAM (the Bangkok Art Map), Bangkok 101, and the International School Bangkok (ISB) have teamed up to showcase select works created by Senior Diploma Visual Arts students. Besides bestowing students’ with a sense of pride in their work and a feeling of accomplishment, the competition sought to form a rich connection between the students in their final years of study and the real world—the inspiration in the everyday and the surreal, and the community that will confront, critique, and congratulate these artists down the line. From a variety of submissions, comprised of diverse media, Kacee Jones was selected as the winner with her painting “Untitled.” Jones is currently in her final year of study at ISB. In describing art and its role in her life, she explains, “Art has always been my first language. It came naturally to me at a young age, and over the years [it] has grown with me like a second skin. I consider art the most free-reign part of who I am; while creating my artworks, I lose all fears and bring new light to myself. “Through studying Diploma Visual Arts,” she continues, “I feel like I have become more independent. Within my own art, I have progressively developed an appreciation for more experimental [styles], as well as works that deviate from traditional materials and methods. This is very evident in my current work, which is centred on more unconventional methods and techniques. I use materials like saran wrap, glue, oils, and even expired inks.” Says Jones of her painting, “The inspiration for ‘Untitled’ comes from when I used to live in areas that had four seasons during the year. My creative flow was heavily influenced by changes outside. During each season my creativity would take new forms and come from different places. This piece is a tribute to my winter artworks, which I miss most. [It] specifically displays a memory of my first winter living in South Korea, the beginning of creative flow more consistent than I had experienced before that point. I even ended up drawing with burnt matches one night. Living in Bangkok has created a different type of creative cycle for me. Although creativity is still constant, it comes in many foreign forms.” The works in the pages that follow and more can be seen at the International School Bangkok Diploma Exhibition, running from March 30 until April 21 in the Main Library at ISB.
Matthew Sanford Torrent | Oil on Canvas
Calvin Dawe Untitled | Oil on Canvas
Marsha Niemeijer Matanapata | Bronze Sculpture
Nakita Giles Jenga | Silkscreen print and Crayon on Paper
Alif Haidar Still Life | Acrylic on Canvas
Marine Laprade Brand Anxiety | Installation (photographs, wigs, broken mannequin, industrial paint buckets)
Yejoon (Jennifer) Yoo In His Time | Pencil
Grace Currie My Mumma Said | Etching on Black and White Photographs
Eun Jin (Julie) Kim Struggle | Wire Sculpture
About Visual Arts at ISB The International School Bangkok (ISB) offers students the opportunity to explore and develop their creativity and artistic passions through a variety of programmes, including courses in photography, studio art, fine art, ceramics, illustration, and mixed media. Â At Senior level, students are able to further polish their creativity and passions through the study of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Visual Arts programme. This worldrenowned program supports students in their discovery and refinement of individual artistic practices, as well as preparing them for further artistic study and real-world experiences. Hyunha (Esther) Lim Dream | Acrylic on Canvas
A SUCCULENT SURF N TURF AT THE RAW BAR, SEE P86
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AROY ARTFUL ARRANGEMENTS
Sathorn 11 Art Space has launched its own late-night pizza delivery service. A true labour of love for founder Shane Greene, Gallery Pizza saw the self-professed pizza lover travel to Italy to pick up tricks of the trade before returning to Thailand, where he built an oven in his pre-existing gallery. Crusts come with the right amount of char, and the ingredients are fresh and satisfying. The delivery service also runs until 4am, offering Sathorn residents a fantastic option for after-party carbo-loading sessions. Visit gallerypizzabkk. com for more details.
A SIZZLING NEW CHOICE
Wine Connection—an ever-expanding branch of restaurants with an astonishing selection of affordable wine by the glass and bottle and a steadily diversifying food menu—has launched its most upmarket restaurant yet, Wine Connection The Grill, in CentralWorld’s Groove. There’s a clear focus on quality aged steak. Beef comes by way of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the US and is dry-aged on-site in the restaurant’s own cellar. Prime cuts are then taken care of at the large grill station. Visit facebook.com/wcthegrill for more information.
FRENCH ELEMENTS
The menu at Elements at The Okura Prestige Bangkok has a brand-new look, thanks to the arrival of Executive Chef Antony Scholtmeyer. The so-called “Rossini” menu takes plates to another level with the frequent appearance of black truffle, foie gras, and high-grade meats. French cuisine meets Japanese influence from start to finish in dishes such as cod steamed with nori, accompanied by pearl barley braised with matcha, tomatoes, and shaved mushrooms, as well as a dessert yuzu mango, jivara milk chocolate, and yuzu gel. For more information and reservations, call 0 2687 9000 or email elements@okurabangkok.com.
SUSHI SUPERSTAR
Masato Shimizu, one of the world’s preeminent sushi masters, has recently opened his very own Sushi Masato on fine dining mecca Sukhumvit 31. An omakase-only joint, Sushi Masato is so popular that every seat at the Jiro-esque restaurant has already been booked through March. It’s sure to be one of the most exciting openings in town this year. Visit sushimasato.com to learn more about the chef, his concept, and his impeccable menu.
MEA CULPA
In the last issue of Bangkok 101, we misspelled Volti Ristorante & Bar, leaving out the “i” in Ristorante. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused our readers, and we thank all the fine folks at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for their understanding.
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meal deals ENTERTAINING EATS ANANTARA BANGKOK RIVERSIDE RESORT AND SPA 257/1-3 Charoennakorn Rd | 0 2476 0022 | bangkokriverdining.com Benihana invites friends and family to share in the eye-popping experience of dexterous chefs preparing delightful Japanese fare with a little razzle and dazzle. Enjoy “Rocky’s Combo,” featuring a signature boat of sushi and sashimi and five savoury starters and sides, as well as a teppan show with Australian tenderloin, king prawns, scallops, foie gras, and chicken cooked on a private grill. All this and more priced at B6900++ for 8 persons.
NEW FRENCH FLAVOURS J’AIME BY JEAN-MICHEL LORAIN U Sathorn Bangkok, 105, 105/1 Soi Ngam Duphli | 0 2119 4899 | jaime-bangkok.com Chef Amerigo Sesti and his team introduce a delightful new three-course set lunch menu full of French favourites. Choose from three kinds of appetizers; mains of pan-seared lamb rack with a cannellini bean purée, tomato fondue, and lamb jus or Meunière-style grouper with crushed new potatoes and brown emulsion with capers; and tempting desserts for B1100 per set, excluding beverages. The set is available Monday to Saturday from 12pm-2.30pm.
PRAWN POWER PLAZA ATHÉNÉE BANGKOK, A ROYAL MÉRIDIEN HOTEL 61 Wireless Rd | 0 2650 8800 | plazaatheneebangkok.com Throughout March, Smooth Curry presents a selection of five instant-classic dishes that tease out the intriguing flavours and textures from a fresh pick of local river prawns. Chef Jasvir is preparing fluffy deep-fried marinated prawns with a sweet shrimp sauce and betel leaves (B590++), a spicy mixed fruit salad with grilled river prawns (B420++), and river prawns in a silky-smooth Massaman curry (B590++).
BIG BUFFETS & A LA MINUTE ITALIAN POMODORO ITALIAN RESTAURANT GF All Seasons Place, 87/2 CRC Tower, Wireless Rd | 0 2685 3930 | pomodorogroup.co.th Pomodoro’s all-you-can-eat late breakfast feast comes in two different styles. Choose from a compact buffet line that features Italian antipasti and salads for B300 or a big buffet brunch that offers an à la carte list of all-star pasta dishes and mains, ranging from black spaghetti in marinara sauce to duck confit—all served to your table—for B850.
OSHA’S PERFECT PASSION OSHA THAI RESTAURANT & BAR 99 Wireless Rd | 0 2256 6555 | oshabangkok.com In collaboration with Sanpellegrino, Osha has created exclusive cocktails and mocktails collectively titled the “Sanpellegrino Series—Delightful Blend of Natural Tastes.” At the same time, the restaurant is introducing “The Passion Set Menu” crafted by Corporate Chef Purida Theerapong. Her new dishes include poached fin de claire oyster with mha-noi leaf jelly and kaffir lime foam, a mixed seafood spicy broth with gac and aromatic herbs, and a lamb cutlet with an aromatic Thai herb crust and a strawberry “sweet kiss.”
THE SATURDAY ROAST THE HOUSE ON SATHORN 106 North Sathorn Rd | 0 2344 4000 | thehouseonsathorn.com It may not be the usual day associated with roasts, but Saturdays at The Courtyard just might become a new tradition in Bangkok. Gather family and friends for à la carte roasted morsels as part of Chef Fatih’s expansive and eclectic buffet, including unlimited à la carte meat. The roast cost B950++ per person (children under 12 dine free) and is served every Saturday from 12pm to 4pm.
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THE CULINARY QUANDARY Where Thai Food and Fine Dining Converge The debate is endless. Is Thai food better suited—does it look better or taste better—on the sidewalks, on pink plastic dishes, or dressed-up with nowhere-to-go in a mall or hotel outlet brimming with fake flora and waterfalls, surrounded by orchids and waiters who have to be tipped, or in refurbished wooden houses on stilts, atmosphere provided by piped-in bells and dancers for hire, maybe with the term “royal” attached to the family name on the door? As a magazine devoted to providing the latest word on registered places of business when it comes to dining, fine or foul, it’s sometimes frustrating to think that we can only provide our readers with stationary snapshots to slow the blur that is Asia’s evolving cuisine. Restaurants, after all, stand still in one place, with one menu and chef and vision, for at least long enough to get reviewed, revived, rejected, revamped, regurgitated, or regularly reserved every night to the gills. But just how many restaurants are there in Bangkok? This is a favourite numbers game played in every Asian city where I’ve ever lived, worked, eaten. Beijing, which supposedly was down to no more than a dozen or two exemplars of the sickeningly bourgeois act of underprivileged humans exploited to serve meals for over-privileged pigs, is now said to house 100,000. Japan, I once quoted in the Wall St Journal, has spawned no less than 10,000 Italian restaurants— though I never was privy to any exact or authoritative census. Bangkok, one distinguished Thai chef recently assured me, has made it to at least 30,000. Does that include noodle joints open to the street without front walls or doors? Shacks in the suburban rice fields of Rangsit, or half way up the wazoo toward Ayutthaya? Branches of KFC or Fuji? Maybe, when it comes to food, the only number that matters is one—being the single bite or plate or forkful currently being devoured. In any case, that still doesn’t do much to resolve the pressing question of whether a pad Thai, a pork neck
salad, or a banana flower salad tastes better when presented in proper porcelain on pure white linen. Should we diners require something as elevated and pricey as the surroundings whenever we eat out à la Thai? Perhaps the whole question is itself demeaning, as you’d never have the same debate when it comes to French or Italian fare. Maybe that’s the whole point of the so-called “modern Thai” movement, pioneered to some degree by elders like David Thompson. But where he couldn’t help making beautiful restaurants to honour a cuisine that so obviously warranted the three-star treatment, it seems that the younger generation of chefs whom this publication has the pleasure of following are consciously out to prove that Thai food should take its rightful place in the world of haute cuisine—and can actually be improved by getting fancied up through minimalist presentation or maximalist additions of ingredients (like salmon eggs, foie gras, Wagyu, and the like). It will be interesting when the Michelin Guides finally see fit to bring their anonymous, and often confusing, rating system to the Land of Smiles (long overdue, and somewhat insultingly so, since they’ve just chosen Singapore for its next foray into rating the realms of the chopstick with their vaunted numbers of forks). Perhaps, while they have already dipped into giving kudos to street stalls in Hong Kong, Michelin’s executive masters aren’t quite ready to step into the on-going debate over high and low culture that is mixed-up, rich-is-poor, pooris-best Bangkok. To me, once a purist who figured a yam-som-o was a yam-som-o was a yam-som-o no matter where or how, the point seems to have been adequately proven: there are Thai restaurants worth paying the highest prices for (beyond evident tourist traps). And you will surely find them in these pages. Or, if you just can’t get used to it, bring your own paper plates, order take-out, and enjoy your repasts complete with the usual local colour and auto exhaust.
BANGKOK 101 Food Editor John Krich has just returned from Kuala Lumpur for his second stint in Bangkok. Previously the chief food columnist and feature writer on travel, arts, and sports for the Asian Wall St. Journal, John is a native New Yorker who has authored nine books, including the classic on Asian travel Music in Every Room: Around the World in a Bad Mood, Won Ton Lust: Adventures in Search of the World’s Best Chinese Restaurant, the PEN/Hemingway Award-winning novel, A Totally Free Man, and the recent A Fork in Asia’s Road, a collection of his best food pieces. He has been a frequent contributor to major publications like TIME/Asia, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, The New York Times, and San Francisco Examiner. bangkok101.com
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review
SOUL FOOD 555 - No Kidding, Just Serious Thai Fusion So a guy walks into a bar, orders tequila, and gets a mango pickle back. But there isn’t a punch line to the setup at Soul Food 555, a kiosk spin-off of the much-loved Soul Food Mahanakorn. This closetsized hotspot at lifestyle mall-cum-socialite mecca The Commons serves seriously satisfying Thai grub with exceptional Western undercurrents—not to mention one potent shot of El Jimador with a throat-tickling pickled chaser. Amid a hipster bloc of Egg My God (where everything includes an egg), Vietnamese-fusion stall East Bound, and an offshoot of Bao & Buns called Xiao Chi, Soul Food 555 is at the culinary nexus where east and west converge, slap hands, and share beers. Unlike its sibling up the soi, this Soul Food isn’t striving for authenticity. And so experimentation is the norm. The menu is small, distinguished by a few dishes that must have been the result of some after-midnight fridge raids: linguine kee mao-style, filled out with crispy pork belly; “The Fatso Crab,” a heaving pile of sour green mango atop a fried softshell crab, all between a burger bun; and “The Khao Soi Cowboy” (B250), already an object of foodie desire, courtesy of Instagram. Part of a three-deep “Thailand Sandwich” repertoire, this tawny monster of pulled pork basted in khao soi curry really deserves the online accolades. With tangy pork borne 80 | M A RCH 2016
between a sweet potato roll, topped with fried egg noodles, and leavened with lime, cilantro, and sweet mustard pickles, the sandwich is messy and bold, precisely the level of heat that makes salivary glands pump without devastating the palate. Above all, it’s fun. While Soul Food 555’s architects shine brightest with their least traditional dishes, this isn’t to say a relatively normal grass-fed beef satay with succulent peanut sauce fails to impress (B140). In fact, the more everyday Thai dishes on the menu hit the spot as neatly as those at the original Soul Food—they just might not sound as sexy as a “Fatso Crab.” Try the heady lamb gaprow, plated with organic jasmine rice and a runny fried egg procured from Chiang Rai, courtesy of Hilltribe Organics (B275). And pick up a pipinghot bowl of tum yam rice noodles with shredded free-range chicken, button mushrooms, and savoury fried shallots floating like flotsam in the piquant broth (B150). Roll up your sleeves, order to share, have it all delivered to your table outside, and snap a couple photos for social media. After all, 555 (hahaha), you’re supposed to have fun with your food.
SOUL FOOD 555 Unit #M14, The Commons, Thong Lo 17 | 0 2101 4526 facebook.com/soulfood555 | daily 11am-10pm
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review
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SUPANNIGA EATING ROOM - Soup Nuea & Spicy Salads for the Soul Is Thai food better suited for porcelain or plastic? The question inevitably arises any time one considers the cuisine’s fit within the 50 Best and Michelin Guides of the world, or any time a restaurant boasts the flavours of the street in the airconditioned comfort of a linen-fitted dining room. Yet every so often, a place like Supanniga Eating Room opens, or expands, and suddenly no one cares to argue the point anymore, silenced, as it were, by a table full of grandma’s recipes that don’t need a highfalutin guide book to extol their virtues. The second branch of Supanniga on Sathorn 10 claims three beautifully renovated floors of a formerly dilapidated shophouse. On the first floor, spools of brightly coloured thread form a wall mosaic in the shape of the supanniga flower, and the ceiling (as well as chairs) use silk-weaving looms as a design element, a visual show of respect to owner Thanaruek “Eh” Laoraowirodge and family’s Eastern and Isaan heritage. Here, house music and the clank of wine and Isaan martini glasses provide contrast to the old-timey feel. This is truly a pleasant place to enjoy a meal, where food and furnishings neatly complement one another. Rare cuts, replicated from the kitchen of Eh’s grandmother, begin with a platter of ma hor, mieng yong, and khaotang namprik kakmoo (B245). Peanuts, chilli, bangkok101.com
coconut, and citrus mix beautifully in the ma hor (set on a segment of tangerine) and pork floss has never tasted as good as it does in this mieng yong (like a mini Thai taco with cha plu leaf wrapper). And “Khun Yai’s” namprik could be eaten with a spoon, without shame. Yet this is just a prelude. Order the moo cha muang, an umami-rich curry from the East with stewed pork and herby cha muang leaves (B190). Really, get a few dishes to share, because the addictive cabbage stir-fried in premium fish sauce, with a delightful crunch and flavour not unlike a good chip (B120), the gaeng pa “sparrow on a chopping board,” with its tender flaky fish and deeply aromatic broth (B180), and “son in law” eggs, medium-boiled and fried and then finished with a tangy, tamarind-laced three-flavour sauce (B130), are just too delicious to skip. If you do miss out on a dish (you will; this is an impeccable menu), pocket-friendly prices make it easy to return for, say, Thai tea panna cotta (B110) or piquant namprik khai pu (B190). And you won’t need a guide telling you what to order—only your appetite.
SUPANNIGA EATING ROOM (SATHORN 10) 28 Sathorn 10 | 0 2635 0349 | supannigaeatingroom.com daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-11pm
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BABETTE’S - Babette’s Means Business (Lunch) The ceiling-height windows of 19th-floor Al Capone Room look out onto Bangkok’s bustling CBD, where it could be said that one of the most oft-asked questions among hungry corporate warriors and mover-shakers is where do we eat? Hotel Muse Bangkok’s elegantly stylish grillhouse has the answer: the every-day business lunch at Babette’s The Steakhouse. An uncluttered, straightforward menu of categorised dish options lets diners design their own lunch set by simply choosing two courses (B449++) or three courses (B599++) from among the diverse selection of enticing culinary temptations. Executive Chef Tobias Schwarzendorfer has created an inspired menu of grillclassic mains, sides, salads, and starters imbued with fresh and original touches that showcase the Austrian chef’s ample kitchen skills and comfort-food intuition. Starters include a creamy-fresh Norwegian salmon sashimi with fried onions and cucumber in Sayiko miso marinade and wasabi-infused flying fish caviar, and an impossibly tender beef carpaccio, chequered with fish stock-infused mayonnaise and balsamic reduction. With a grilled black tiger prawn, avocado, and pancetta salad, the chef deftly employs seasoning by fire, “flame-kissing” a delectably primal char-grilled flavour into his crustaceans. From the mains, the appetisingly grill-striped striploin steak is a succulent, 120-day aged cut that comes with 82 | M A RCH 2016
a choice of sides like the exceptional garlic and truffle oil-sautéed mushrooms. Mindful of individual tastes, Babette’s goes the extra mile in offering multiple options of sauces (blue cheese, creamy peppercorn, béarnaise, red wine-shallot), mustards (brown, whole grain, Dijon), and yes, even salt (Black Himalayan, Fleur de Sel, pink-sea). But the freedom of choice doesn’t stop there—Babette’s even lets steak aficionados choose their weapon from an armoury of designer knives. But whoa be unto those who don’t save room for dessert. There’s the chocolate mousse with roasted nuts, caramel, and chunks of chocolate fudge, a lemon yoghurt panna cotta in a pond of sweet strawberry coulis, or a rich blueberry cheesecake with cookie-crumble crust. Order the mignardises and get all three, coffee included. Along with a top-notch gastronomic experience, Babette’s distinguishes itself with its ambience, echoing the glitz and glamour of 1920s America (think Boardwalk Empire and flapper girls). Above all, the clock-conscious serve-time and flair for the theatrical make Babette’s the place to be for getting down to the business of doing lunch.
BABETTE’S Hotel Muse Bangkok, 55/555 Langsuan Rd | 0 2630 4000 hotelmusebangkok.com | business lunch served daily, 12pm-2.30pm
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review
FOOD & DRIN K
BROCCOLI REVOLUTION - Morning Meal Makeover It’s easier being green than you may think. Even, now, at breakfast. Broccoli Revolution, the brickwalled warehouse turned veg-friendly restaurant, has just launched a proper breakfast menu full of bright veggie bites that could pull in even the biggest bacon-and-eggs disciples. Moving morning dietary routines away from massproduced bread products or meat skewers and sticky rice is often an uphill battle. But the fruit platter offers a safe starting point for the transition (large B280/small B150). On a wooden cutting board comes market-fresh tropical fruit—mango, dragon fruit, green apple, kiwi, passion fruit, strawberries, and bananas—sliced and diced for easy eating. Dragon fruit is packed with monounsaturated fats that boost heart health, bananas are potassium- and fibre-rich, and mangoes, high in vitamin C, keep cholesterol in check, so starting the day off with fresh fruit like these is a good move. Slightly more exotic might be the “smoothie in a bowl” (B220). Attractively served in a sturdy ceramic bowl with a wood spoon on the side, the muesli-like mix includes a solid top layer of superfoods concealing an icy green pool of blended avocado, kale, and banana (get a bit of everything for the best bite). Goji berries, chia seeds, sliced almonds, cubed mango, and a house-made cereal mix, as well as other dried fruits and pistachios, give not only texture to the dish, but also a range of flavours, bangkok101.com
from sweet to complex and woody, and myriad health benefits—especially chia seeds, which are rich in omega-3 acids benefiting brain and body. For another taste of the blackish super-seeds, try the chia seed pudding (B250). Soaked overnight in soy milk, the seeds absorb the liquid, acquiring that pudding-like consistency. The thickened blend is then topped with chopped fruit and maple syrup (syrup optional) and served in a tall glass. It’s like eating porridge, but with some tartness from the fruit (green apple, mango, strawberries) and a satisfying complexity that oats alone can never attain. Alternatively, stick with a classic. Broccoli Revolution’s vegetarian pho (B170) has been carefully honed over the years. Owner Naya Ehrlich-Adam used to lead tours of Vietnam, plus she has run Monsoon Restaurant in Saigon (now called Tui Thai) since 2012; the depth of flavour in her soup stock suggests she learned a few tricks from her travels and toil. With mushrooms and carrots instead of meat, the pho remains hardy and warming, as perfect for one of those rare chilly days in Bangkok as it is a slow morning with the air-con turned up.
BROCCOLI REVOLUTION 899 Sukhumvit 49 | 0 2662 5002 daily 7am-10pm
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LUCE - Under the Tuscan Son On a quiet winter night, despite the freezing cold—at least by Thai standards—a few brave souls dine al fresco at Luce. Who could blame them? Seated beside the Eastin Grand Sathorn’s infinity pool, there is hardly a better way to soak up the city during an unprecedented cold snap. Yet the ambiance of the inside, filled out with dark natural wood and attractive lighting, transcends the whims of the weather, inviting diners to sip on aperitifs in timeless Italian sophistication. Designed by Chef Edoardo Bonavolta, the menu makes it immediately clear that the focus is on authentic Tuscan fare. Start with the aptly named antipasto Toscano (B790), a lavish sharing platter of high-quality meats, cheeses, pickled artichokes, and a warm chicken pâté on bruschetta, the star of the board. Then look to the tomato mozzarella salad (B390). An island of soft buratta cheese sits in a sea of sweet tomato emulsion, the whole dish screaming freshness. This would be a perfect time to start consider the wine, by the way. Luce actually takes its name from the renowned southern Italian wine, so naturally there is a wide selection of bottles, including those from the Luce and Frescobaldi cellars. If you’re feeling peckish, try the octopus al diavolo (B590). As visually impressive as it is delicious, the meaty slow-cooked octopus could be the highpoint of any meal. The octopus melts in the mouth and is complemented by 84 | M A RCH 2016
a tomato sauce with a slight chilli kick. Meat-lovers might prefer the grilled Australian lamb chops with pistachio crust (B990), accompanied by a mortadella jus so satisfying you’ll want to bottle it and have it at home with hamburgers, toast, eggs—probably even plain white rice (B990). The menu also offers a selection of traditional Tuscan-style pizzas and pastas, fare for those who hanker for more visually conventional Italian cuisine. But for those wanting an easy introduction into Luce’s world, the degustation menu is just the ticket. B1290 buys a starter, pasta course, main, and dessert—an extremely reasonable whistle-stop tour around Tuscany letting you sample all the region’s delights. Despite what Bill Buford would have you believe, it’s not all browns and meats in Tuscany. Chef Bonavolta is kindling a passion for vegan cuisine. Should you visit Luce in March or April during white asparagus season, you’ll have the chance to sample special dishes devised to highlight the veg. He’s also promised a raw vegan option on the set menu. It will be well worth revisiting to see what he creates.
LUCE 14F Eastin Grand Hotel, 33/1 Sathorn Rd | 0 2210 8100 | facebook. com/LuceRestaurantBangkok | daily noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm
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KIOSK CAFÉ - Neverending Comfort Food Kiosk Café features hunger-slaying, just-like-home occidental cuisine—but there’s this one more thing… It may be a bit of a ruff! time finding Kiosk Café at its Sukhumvit soi 26 tributary location, but once you sit! down amid the retro-hip-ish décor, you can stay! inside the cosy dining room, or you’ll possibly wanna go for a walk? out to the shade-dappled patio. There is the matter of a particular… erm—facet of the laidback, minimalist-vibe bistro that really sets it apart, but we’ll unleash that story a bit later. In all seriousness, once you get your paws on the menu, you’ll all but beg! for starters like sweet potato wedges with dusting of Parmesan, parsley, and aioli sauce (B450) to arrive at your table. And it’s difficult not to just wolf down that Kiosk burger (B450) with its nicely seasoned, organic grass-fed beef, tomato, red onion, and rosemary french-fry goodness, while in contrast the rocket, fresh pear, Parmesan, walnut, and balsamic reduction salad (B350) doesn’t stray far from the health-friendly light fare ideal. Though certainly not to be sniffed at, the fish and chips (B450) with garlic aioli might rile purists with its breaded rather than battered coating, but the fish is tender and firm, the chips thick and crispy; while the pan-seared Norwegian salmon (B420) is invitingly ocean fresh with perfectly-crisped skin. bangkok101.com
Even after such sumptuous feed, you won’t have to be hounded into having desert with treats like the housespecialty chocolate lava cake and vanilla ice cream (B230) on the menu, while the moist, rich cheesecake (B150) with fresh berries and red coulis is itself something to howl about. Many will be no doubt puppy-love infatuated with the idea of paying a visit to Kiosk Café to lap up some of their terrific food, so it’s a good time for the honey there’s something you should know about me moment when the meaning of suspicious subtext is revealed: Kiosk Café is located at The Barkyard, an urban doggie day-commune where pups are the guests of honour. Far from soi mutts, these canine clients are the pampered pets of Bangkok’s pretty good- to well-to-do canine owners’ community and are for the most part well-behaved, and thanks to Kiosk Café the humans who accompany them never have to go hungry. So whether you’re a dog carer or simply an orphaned human who appreciates really good nosh and the companionship of personable pooches, Kiosk Café is a fetching choice for an exceptional meal, a friendly cakeand-chat, hot coffee, and a cold nose.
KIOSK CAFÉ AT THE BARKYARD 65 Sukhumvit 26 | 0 2259 4089 | kiosk-cafe.com Tues-Thu 10.30am-9pm, Fri-Sun 10.30am-11pm
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review
THE RAW BAR - Shuck and Awe Lalita Buatet may well be the Queen Victoria of Shellfish. The first restaurant in her empire, the now closed Bouchot, focussed on imported mussels. Later, she launched Bélon, with mussels and oysters again a point of emphasis. Now, she runs five outlets—foremost among them, The Raw Bar. This three-story restaurant resembles a fisherman’s house turned upscale (and post-modern), with metal curtains, fishing tackle, grainy photographs, and graffiti adding colour to dark wooden walls. The décor gives The Raw Bar a warm, almost masculine feeling. But the atmosphere, while attractive, almost immediately takes a backseat to the products. Just beyond the door is the oyster bar, where some of the world’s finest bivalves sit on ice, from mildly sweet Kushi to creamy Picking Passage, briny Natural Wild, and the famous Fin De Claire (starting from B185). The oysters come on crushed ice with lemon wedges and a piquant secret sauce on the side, a blend of Thai nam jim seafood and red wine vinaigrette. But with shellfish this fresh, it would be criminal not to slurp one down as nature intended. But it’s not all raw oysters here. Premium wild Hokkaido scallops (B480) come carpaccio-style—thin slices from the Japanese coast blessed with natural sweetness and tenderness. The scallops are topped with vibrant flying fish roe and circle a salad of baby greens with 86 | M A RCH 2016
yuzu dressing. On the cooked side of things, the classic pairing of steamed mussels with chorizo and sundried tomatoes (B780) works brilliantly here. Bouchot mussels from France meet piquant chorizo, the spicy-savoury smell of the chorizo and its protracted kick contrasting the brininess of the shellfish. Less classic, though certainly de rigueur nowadays, is the lobster roll (half B1070, whole B1890). Toasted top-split buns come topped with cooked lobster meat and the chef’s special sauce, a sour cream-like mayonnaise concoction that’s every bit as decadent as the lobster it cradles. The sandwich is paired with a roasted cauliflower salad dressed in a butter sauce and freshly fried chips with ketchup. For an after-oyster digestif, check out the homemade limoncello (B280). The spirit, served in a small bottle and poured over an old-fashioned ice ball, brightens up the palate with its straightforward brightness. Or sample the homemade umeshu (B490), a spirit distilled with Japanese apricots, with a pleasant aroma and smooth finish. In both, the natural flavour of the fruit shines—raw and rare, the manifesto of the restaurant in liquid form, a perfect parting shot.
THE RAW BAR BANGKOK 440/9 Sukhumvit 55 | 0 2713 8335 facebook.com/TheRawBarBKK | daily 5.30pm-midnight
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MEXICANO - Fiestas Refreshed A new place this is not. Mexicano has merely moulted the Señor Pico moniker, and the lively restaurant that patrons have known and loved for 23 years hasn’t changed much at all. A salsa band still plays each week, the margaritas are still tangy (B250), the food still real-deal. What differs from the past, however, is a more singular dedication to home-style culinary traditions from across Mexico, recipes found, formed, and informed by native son Chef Carlos Bravo. From coastal Veracruz comes a zesty ceviche swimming with sea bass and tuna (B325). The fish is cubed, a preparation more familiar to Thai diners than the julienned strips of seafood preferred along the Gulf of Mexico, where all kinds of sea life, even octopus, often finds its way into a good ceviche. The fish is dressed with salt, pepper, olive oil, sliced red onion, and lots of lemon juice, achieving flavours not unlike a good pla neung manao. The ceviche, then beefed up with chunks of avocado sourced from Michoacán and crunchy little pumpkin seeds, is served with hot and fresh tortilla chips, giving it even greater textural contrast. Moving from sea to shank, Chef Bravo takes short ribs with 20 per cent fat, cooks them low and slow, and flash-fries the now tender and diced meat before piling it in house-made corn tortillas for his take on tacos suaderos (B350) a rare treat even among taquerías in the West. On bangkok101.com
top of the mounds of meat goes Mozzarella-like queso fresco, a salsa from Mayan times called xnipec (onions pickled with vinegar, habanero, bay leaf, oregano, and more), and a dollop of red or green salsa, or a bit of both—the so-called Christmas-style of New Mexico. Clearly the work of a chef par excellence, Mexicano’s cochinita pibil offers a traditional taste from the Yucatán peninsula (B325). Here the cochinita pibil involves hunks of succulent pork neck and leg, stewed four hours in a savoury-sweet marinade of achiote, jalapeño, oregano, and orange juice; the xnipec again; and flour tortillas made fresh in the kitchen. The meat can practically be poked through like room-temperature butter. The flavours are complex and tangy, the tacos two-napkin food, the kind that disappears from tables as fast as it arrives. When a seminal restaurant like Señor Pico rebrands, what usually follows is an overhaul, a stripping down and shellacking of essential parts to create a wildly new identity. Not so at Mexicano. The wheel hasn’t been reinvented, but rather refined. And that should keep all appetites satisfied.
MEXICANO The Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok, 19 Sukhumvit 18 | 0 2261 7100 facebook.com/mexicanobkk | daily 5pm-midnight; Sat brunch 12pm-3pm
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sanpellegrino recommends FINE DINING WATER TO ENHANCE GREAT FOOD ACQUA PANNA AND S.PELLEGRINO. THE FINE DINING WATERS. www.finedininglovers.com Distributed by Global Food Products Co., Ltd. Tel. +66 26831751
CIAO A familiar name on the local fine dining scene, Ciao Terrazo has long served a loyal following of discerning local diners, visiting dignitaries, and overseas tourists. Following the completion of extensive renovations, the exclusively alfresco venue again welcomes those who can appreciate its fervently authentic and passionately prepared Italian cuisine. But despite the rebirth of Ciao Terrazza—with its brand new livery of stylishly understated, contemporary décor; modern, subdued lighting, and redesigned menu—one precious facet remains unchanged: the hotel’s long-time culinary mastermind, Chef Norbert Kostner. A native of northern Italy, he has been the creative chi of the Oriental’s kitchens for forty-two years. Chef Norbert’s reputation as a skilled chef, and standing as one of the region’s elder statesman of gastronomy, is amply reflected in the very first taste of marinated raw salmon and white sea bass (B390) with its buttery-smooth bite and tangy herb dressing, Taggia olives, capers, and pickled lemon. With an emphasis on one Italy’s iconic signature dish categories, the restaurant offers a diverse and intriguing variety of pasta options like the ultra-fine-gauge “angel hair” with crabmeat (B480), a heavenly, slightly piquant pasta creation with young garlic, green asparagus, and chilli, while the house-made black ink fettuccine with sautéed cuttlefish (B400) is a real palate 88 | M A RCH 2016
dazzler with crisp imported broccoletti florets, wilted cherry tomatoes, and oregano. A wonderful pizza (B320-490) Capricciosa emerges from the restaurant’s purpose built, wood-fired oven, with bubbling mozzarella, olives, artichoke, and the kind of crisp-bottomed, slightly scorched and smoky flavoured crust that can only come from the flame-heated stone baking surface of the dome-topped horno. Among the sumptuous offerings found in the mains are the veal piccata and white wine pan-jus (B920), the wafer-thin, parsleydusted veal medallions from Holland served with imported butter-sautéed chard, and grilled lamb chops with roasted plum tomato (B900), the tender, bone-on Australian lamb hatchets beautifully seasoned, served with butter-sautéed spinach and two firm-cut slabs of fried polenta. Charmingly reminiscent of family-style dining, a brimming bowl of tiramisu “Ciao” with brandy and coffee liqueur is presented tableside as a generous dollop is ceremoniously ladled onto the plate. Finally, a lemon-chocolate mousse tart (B290) comes in at the high end of the flavour intensity scale, its epic sweet-sour richness providing a suitably sated conclusion to this one of a kind dining experience.
CIAO TERRAZZA Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 48 Soi Oriental Ave 0 2659 9000 ext 7640 | mandarinoriental.com | dinner 6pm-10.30pm
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street eats
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
MED KHANOON
B
angkok is one of the world’s great multinational hubs, a mosaic of cultures drawing people from all over the planet. Yet even as the city becomes more international, I have grown very concerned about the decline and disappearance of Thai culture here. As Bangkok becomes a world-class city I think we need to work doubly hard to embrace, preserve, and enhance the native, original qualities of life here, the very aspects of the city that separate it from other capitals. For this column I take you out to Bangkradi community, still within the city’s boundaries, about 30 minutes from Lumpini Park on the expressway (when the traffic is light). Bangkradi is an ethnic Mon community that originally migrated from Burma in the mid-18th century and settled all over Thailand, then known as Siam. They mostly chose to be close to rivers, which they used for travel and to make a living by fishing. Bangkradi has a traditional Mon temple that functions as a community centre, and the houses are arrayed around the temple. The residents still practice and preserve Mon culture, which is reflected in their language, food, clothing, architecture, and religious beliefs and practices. On a recent visit, I walked past this temple and into an alley. It was quiet and I started to feel the breeze blowing in from the nearby river. I came upon another alley on which was posted a sign that said “pa piak khanom thai,” meaning Aunty Piak’s Thai desserts. I followed the sign 90 | M A RCH 2016
into an alley, and continued walking for a bit until I saw the little shop, located in a cosy wooden two-story house. The cooking area was on the ground level, as was a simple table with boxes of Thai desserts on it, including “thong yod,” “foy thong,” and “med khanoon.” These desserts were made from egg yolk in syrup. I was drawn to med khanoon because it was a bit bigger than normal. There must be a reason, I thought. The first bite of the med khanoon was a surprise because it didn’t hit me with the usual shocking syrupy taste. On the contrary, it was incredibly pleasant, with a soft texture of duck egg yolk and yellow bean paste blended together with refined coconut. It was decadent, like the bite of well-crafted, filled chocolate. I asked Aunty Piak why her med khanoon was so different from others, and she said she invented her own way of making it. She was proud and said that no matter how many times she made med khanoon, the taste was always the same. I become her fan and will faithfully come back for more. Though med khanoon is not a traditional Mon dessert, it is a great enticement to come visit this community. Spare some time to explore the village, including a visit to Uncle Kallaya’s house, where he makes his own musical instruments, and to the house of Uncle Rod, who makes whips from the fibre of the water palm. Pa Piak Khanom Thai is near Wat Bang Kradi, Bang Khun Thian. You need to take a car to explore this serene part of Bangkok.
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in the kitchen
SPANISH CHEF DE CUISINE
JOAN TANYA DOT talks with Keith McCarthy
Towering fifty-four floors above Rajaprasong junction, Uno Mas, the stylish tapas bar located atop the Centara Grand at CentralWorld, gazes out from soaring heights onto Bangkok’s upscale shopping and business district. And the man behind this sky-scraping restaurant’s authentic, kaleidoscopic menu— restaurant manager and Chef de Cuisine Joan Tanya Dot—couldn’t be more suited for the job. The Catalonia-born Chef Joan’s lifelong love for cooking was cultivated in his native history-steeped region. He began his education in Barcelona, where he was certified a Master Chef by the renowned Escola Bell Art before moving on to specialist Mediterranean cuisine training at the world famous Escola Hofmann Michelin Star restaurant school. At Uno Mas, he has curated an impressively expansive and diverse menu of tapas and main dishes made with select, premium imported ingredients with which he has authentically recreated the 92 | M A RCH 2016
rich culinary heritage of his homeland. As he tells it, “We want to make our guests feel as though they are in a small part of Spain, but right here in Thailand.” Tapas, of course, are assorted traditional Spanish finger foods and light fare dishes favoured at informal social gatherings. But more than the food itself, tapas evokes a kind of diners’ camaraderie, a feeling of satisfaction that comes from sharing good food among friends, while the restaurant’s name itself is Spanish for “one more.” It’s in the spirit of this culinary tradition that I join Chef Joan for a sampling of his exceptional cooking skills, starting with the escalivada (B390)—crusty bread rounds topped with roasted vegetables and anchovy, and a trio of plump Tsarskaya oysters on half shell (B250/pc.) with condiments of fried onion, chilli paste, and Hendrick’s gin sauce. The thinly sliced, exquisite quality jamón ibérico “Bellota Gran Reserva” ham (B940) simply melts in the mouth, bangkok101.com
in the kitchen
and can be popped on top of the above-mentioned escalivada for an alluring flavour and texture blend. Also worth mentioning are the traditional-style breads which serve as edible pedestals for the various morsels and dainties the chef produces, like the crystal bread that’s tucked beneath the tomato, garlic, and olive oil used in the pa amb tomaquet (B90), and the ceviche of king prawn (B390), with its delightfully tangy flavour that nicely punctuates the heavier dishes. Along with these finger foods, Chef Joan introduces what he calls “a sort of ‘foie gras of the sea,’” a cod liver confit featuring a rich, smooth texture created by slow poaching the generously sized fish giblet in olive oil. In whipping up his version of the iconic rice-seafood melange paella (B1290), the Catalan cook reveals that he uses the stout, barrel-shaped, and unfortunately named bomba (“bomb”) rice for a practical reason other than its firm texture and great taste. “The bomba absorbs the fish stock [in which it is cooked] much better than other rice,” he says. Served the traditional way, in a large cooking pan, the dish combines picada sauce, almonds, garlic, chicken, cockles, scampi, mussels, and baby squid. Another signature Uno Mas mains feature, “Conchinillo” suckling pig (B1490/half) is brought tableside by the chef himself, who in serving it indulges in a bit of Hellenic-style theatre. The tender pork is complemented by the perfectly browned, cracker-crisp skin, and comes with a variety of sauces, including Canary Islands specialty green mojo bangkok101.com
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sauce, red paprika sauce, and Thai-style nam jeem jao. Wielding an ordinary plate, he cuts pork into sections before dramatically sending the plate crashing into a nearby wooden box. “This is not part of our tradition; I do it to show that it is a real plate,” he admits. Despite the liberal use of typically strong flavours, Chef Joan’s creations are clean tasting, with subtle, uncluttered flavours derived from the same cooking elements used in the original dishes, which are individually discernible but never overpowering. “Simplicity is the best approach—my aim is to introduce Spanish cuisine to local diners using the very best traditional ingredients available.” These include hard-to-find, origin-sourced foods such as Arbequina olive oil from Catalonia; jamón ibérico from the world’s leading maker, Joselito; bitter and spicy Verona chocolate; pimentón de la vera from Spain’s renowned paprika-producing Extremadura region; and appellation breed Iberian roasting pig. With its vast menu of palate-bedazzling Spanish specialties and unobstructed 54th-floor city vistas, UNO MAS offers an exciting, uncommonly real-deal IberoMediterranean dining experience not to be missed— certainly not with Chef Joan at the table.
UNO MAS 54F, CentaraGrand@CentralWorld, Rama I Rd | 0 2100 6255 unomasbangkok.com | daily 4pm-1am
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made in thailand
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Alternative Agriculture & Polemical Produce JOHN KRICH Examines The Rise of Bangkok’s Farmers’ Markets
I
t may not be something that modern Asia wants to take credit for, but I think it was the growing influence of Asian philosophies, food, and lifestyles that spawned the 1960s. There would have been no “hippies” without India’s gurus and holy men, and Thais’ Buddhism and “sabai sabai” mentality also helped create, and sustain, the movement that has spawned so many others around the world. Whenever I want proof of this, I head of to one of Bangkok’s alternative farmers’ markets. On offer here are not just some of Thailand’s cleanest and healthiest produce, cakes and breads baked with love, chemical-free soaps and oils and candles and even mosquito repellents, but a hardy breed of self-starting entrepreneurs who effortlessly and unpretentiously put on display their lives’ devotion to concepts of living organically, simply, and close to the earth. It’s not surprising to stumble on this thriving scene here, since Thailand is both a country of farmers and of small businesses, so naturally this is where they can best meet. Yet never have I met individuals with such loyalty to that old adage about how “you are what you eat.” The oldest and most original of these is staged in the back, outer courtyard of Sukhumvit’s upscale K-Village— as of last notice, the second weekend of every month. Hardly noticeable from the front of the mall, the market is nonetheless surprisingly large, active, and comprehensive. Arriving with my 11 year old daughter, whose appetites and consumerist instructs usually veer toward Swensen’s or Sunrise Burritos, I had to hold her back from attacking the reduced-sugar brownies and pulled pork buns. It was a challenge steering her toward the Chiang Mai strawberries or the bottled wheatgrass juices. I was happy to bring home everything from feta cheese to lemongrass stalks from such small-time entities as Yogi dairy, the Grand Organic Co., Green Earth Farm, and the various organic mushrooms from Mayarat Farm. However, what cheered and excited me even more than the various bug-eaten greens were the idealism and life choices of two women, for example, who commuted each weekend from office jobs to keep their small fields thriving, retired experts on office automation and aviation security systems turned full-time Farmer Greenjeans. Most inspiring of all was the founder and self-appointed head Mom of Baan San Orphanage—begun to deal with children of parents lost in the tsunami and now expanded to some 70-80 kids, who support themselves in large part through the pure-ofbangkok101.com
purpose and purportedly organic papayas and pineapples, goats, and chickens they learn to raise. Another belief held over from that time is a mistrust of top-down leadership, and here I found the young fellow identified to me as chief organizer, and current head of Bangkok’s chapter of the pro-diversity, anti-corporate Slow Food movement, refusing to give me his name or even accept credit for being in charge. He did at least steer me toward several mainstays of the market and veterans of the macrobiotic scene who tried to explain why so few of the producers were actually certified as “organic.” According to what several claimed, it’s bureaucratic and expensive (100,000 baht, some said) for a small operation to get labelled as “Bio-Agri”—required for exporting to Europe and such. In the meantime, I never quite got the difference between IFOAM, ACT, or USDA certifications. At K-Village, most items are indeed “selfcertified,” on the basis of long-time familiarity and trust. As one vendor admitted, “We may not be entirely organic with our flour and such, but we are without preservatives for sure.” As another waxed eloquent, “We do as our grandfathers did, growing without any chemicals. The only thing we can’t measure entirely is the water we use, but we know fish can swim in it.” Unfortunately, the farmers’ market movement has also been beset with exactly the sort of sectarianism and internecine fights that brought down much of the progressive Left back in the old days. As a result, the K-Village is but one rotating alternative food showplace that has been split into several competing events promoted by differing promoters. I’m not going to go into the details of all this, nor would I be able to chart the various factions or venues that have emerged. Let’s just say it’s a good sign that there are now enough organic farmers and suppliers to spawn numerous weekend markets, including another staged at the Crystal Design Center. Look for the latest details on Facebook or the ‘Net, perhaps the only way to follow the various incarnations. One farmers’ market, with a slickly designed site hyping numerous classes for arcane subjects like how to grow mushrooms in old coffee grounds, told me all I needed to know about alternative Bangkok, except the address and times of the market’s existence—just a slight detail, probably subject to change. It’s not so good a sign, however, that such a simple matter as finding healthy alternatives to Tesco or Foodland has gotten so complicated. M A RCH 2016 | 95
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listings CHINESE BAI YUN 59F Banyan Tree Bangkok, South Sathorn Rd 0 2679 1200 | banyantree.com | 11.30am2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm The Chinese outlet with the best view in town, one of the highest representatives of Pearl Delta cuisine on the planet offers high-quality ingredients you can actually savour.
SHANG PALACE 3F Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road | 0 2236 7777 | shangri-la.com 11am-3pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm The interior is elegant, but, more importantly, the food is a glowing reminder of how Chinese food should be executed and presented. The dim sum is the obvious place to start, and the signature dishes are serious standouts.
THE MAYFLOWER Dusit Thani Bangkok, 946 Rama IV Rd | 0 2200 9000 | dusit.com | 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm Authenticity is the name of the game. The menu here is exceptionally satisfying and interesting enough to start a tug-of-war over the Lazy Susan.
FRENCH EVE Hansar Hotel Bangkok, 3 Soi Mahatlek Luang 2, Ratchadamri Rd | 0 2209 1234 hansarbangkok.com | Mon-Sat 6pm-11.30pm Ostensibly, it’s French, but that label is generously applied, with the menu borrowing bits and pieces from all over the place. If anything, the Frenchness refers to the rich flavours and fine, fresh produce used.
J’AIME BY JEAN-MICHEL LORAIN U Sathorn Bangkok, 105,105/1 Soi Ngam Duphli | 0 2119 4899 | jaime-bangkok.com The classic cuisine lives up to lofty expectations, even rising above, thanks to the vibrancy in taste and colour of the dishes. You might even find yourself trying to re-create certain ones the next day.
LE BOEUF Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair, 60 Soi Langsuan | 093 971 8081 | leboeufgroup.com The concept at Le Boeuf is simple: highquality steak liberally doused with a unique pea-green sauce, paired with an unlimited 96 | M A RCH 2016
supply of crispy pommes frites and fresh salad. French to the core.
L’APPART 32F, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit 08 5924 1565 | sofitel.com 7pm-midnight One of the most gorgeous, interesting spaces in Bangkok. A meal here feels like you’ve been invited for a fabulous dinner party at a successful friend’s penthouse. Traditional cuisine charts an adventurous new course.
INDIAN BAWARCHI Level B, InterContinental Chidlom, 973 Ploenchit Rd | 0 2656 0383 | bawarchiindian. com | 11am-midnight The kind of curries you’ve been missing. Rich, buttery, decadent, and delicious.
INDIQUE 28 Park Avenue, Sukhumvit 22 | 08 1425 4422 | facebook.com/indiquebangkok | daily 11am-1am The pocket-friendly food and drinks are bursting with modern touches without eschewing India’s rich culinary heritage.
RANG MAHAL 26F Rembrandt Hotel, 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18 0 2261 7100 | rembrandtbkk.com | 11.30am2.30pm, 6.30pm-11pm Meaning “palace of colours,” there sure is a courtly air about the place, down to the refined, delicate food. The proceedings go up a notch when the kebabs and curries come out.
INTERNATIONAL BARSU Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2649 8358 | barsubangkok.com | Open daily 10am-11pm A former “drink, dine, dance” destination turned into a modern gastro lounge with a playful menu and a philosophy of rustic “down-to-earth food at down-to-earth prices.”
BROCCOLI REVOLUTION 899 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2662 5001 | daily 7am10pm The brick-walled warehouse turned vegfriendly restaurant features a menu full of bright veggie bites that could pull in even the biggest bacon-and-eggs disciples. bangkok101.com
listings COCONUT TERRACE Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside, Charoenkrung Rd | 0 2688 1000 ramamaplazamenamriverside.com | daily 11am-11pm This small hotel outlet that seems nearly an afterthought takes an equally compact menu—five starters, a few soups, a few fish, and meat mains—and makes big flavours and fun from its mission to straddle guests’ tastes and the East-West divide.
CREPES & CO 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, Ploenchit Rd, (also CentralWorld) | 0 2652 0208 | crepesnco.com 9am-11pm The flavours and ingredients take in the entire sweep of the Mediterranean, borrowing heavily from Morocco and Greece, in particular. Sweet and savoury crepes are just as good for brunch as they are for a pre-bedtime treat.
DEAN & DELUCA GF EmQuartier, The Waterfall Quartier 0 2261 0464 | deandeluca.co.th | daily 10am10pm Dean & Deluca cleaves to its highbred beginnings with an approachable composite of American comfort food, spiced to local levels with the aid of local ingredients.
EAT ME Soi Pipat 2, Silom | 0 2238 0931 eatmerestaurant.com | 3pm-1am Run by the innovative Tim Butler, this cosy Silom restaurant is consistently ranked among the top restaurants in Asia and serves quite possibly the best steak in town.
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ELEMENTS 25F The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Rd | 0 2687 9000 | okurabangkok.com | 6pm-10.30pm An imposing space with a list billed as “modern logical cuisine,” translated as the use of seasonal produce. The menu is divided into an a la carte menu and four tasting menus, including a vegetarian option.
HEMINGWAY’S Sukhumvit Soi 14 | 0 2653 3900 hemingwaysbangkok.com | 11.30am-late (kitchen closes 10.45pm) Hemingway is ideal fodder to fill this 1920s-style golden teak house. A classy venue dispensing the author’s favourite spirits in generous pours and upper-end pub grub that stands up the author’s ballast.
JONES THE GROCER GF, EmQuartier, The Waterfall Quartier | 0 2261 0382 | facebook.com/ jonesthegrocerthailand | daily 10am-11pm At Jones the Grocer, breakfast is served all day, the smell of coffee constantly permeates the air, and desserts fly off the shelf. Jones is as cosy and welcoming as a gourmet store can get.
KAI Sathorn Soi 12 | 0 2635 3800 | kai-bangkok. com | Mon-Fri 9.30am-11.30pm, 8.30am11.30pm This handsome eatery makes an impressive go of answering the question: What does “Kiwi cuisine” actually mean? It’s an appealing culinary destination in one of the city’s emerging food hubs.
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LITTLE BEAST 44/9-10 Thonglor 13 | 0 2185 2670 | facebook. com/littlebeastbar | Tue-Sat 5.30pm-1am, Sun 11am-4pm A popular Thong Lo neighbourhood bistro, named for the bulldog that’s a mascot for its tenacious young chef, Nan Rangsima serving contemporary French American small plates and inventive drinks.
MONDO GF Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24 | 0 2620 6666 | hilton.com | 7am11pm Styled after popular neighbourhood salumerias (delis) and formaggerias (cheese shops) found on street corners throughout Italy. The food here is bitesized and meant to be shared with impressive eats and affordable price.
PARK SOCIETY Sofitel So Bangkok, 2 North Sathorn Rd 0 2624 0000 | sofitel-so-bangkok.com 6.30pm-10.30pm Excite both your taste buds and eyes with a cutting-edge, elegant dinner overlooking Lumpini Park and the amazing skyline of Bangkok. Perfect for a romantic evening or a friendly get-together.
QUINCE Sukhumvit Soi 45 | 0 2662 4478 quincebangkok.com | 11.30am-late Serves straightforward food: farmhouse presentation, not too many flavours, focusing on quality ingredients and letting it fly. The chef buys sustainable goods — local, when possible — and changes the menu frequently.
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listings RED OVEN Sofitel So Bangkok, 2 North Sathorn Rd 0 2624 0000 | sofitel-so-bangkok.com 6.30pm-10.30pm Styled as a World Food Market, this 7thfloor all-day dining venue, named after the restaurant’s red Molteni oven, offers dishes reminiscent of traditional street food with a contemporary twist in buffet spreads. On weekends, the restaurant puts on a scrumptious, free-flow wine brunch buffet.
SCRUFFY APRON 6/F, EmQuartier | 0 2003 6263 | facebook. com/scruffyapron | Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sun 11am-11pm The recently-opened, upscale coffee shop Scruffy Apron straddles several of the above with daring aplomb and plenty of gravy.
SEASONAL TASTES The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Sukhumvit 19 0 2207 8120 | westingrandesukhumvit.com daily 6am-11pm This all-day dining restaurant serves an enticing range of gourmet international cuisine in a visually dramatic setting which features open kitchens and live cooking stations allowing for interaction between chef and diner.
SEVEN SPOONS 22 Chakkrapatipong Rd | 0 2629 9214, 08 4539 1819 | sevenspoonsbkk.wordpress.com Mon 11am-3pm, Tue-Sat 11am-12am, Sun 6pm-12.00am Hard to go wrong with any meal you choose at this Lan Luang favourite, where freshness and attention to detail are the expectation. Vegetarian-friendly without denying meat-lovers.
SIROCCO 63F Tower Club at Lebua, Silom Rd | 0 2624 9550 | lebua.com/sirocco | 6pm-1am There’s no getting around the obvious — no matter how well-made the cocktails or impressive the modern European food may be, the view is undeniably the star of the show.
TABLES GRILL Grand Hyatt Erawan, 494 Ratchadamri Rd 0 2254 1234 | bangkok.grand.hyatt.com Noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-11pm The theme is based on the tableside preparation seen in many traditional French restaurants, and the menu, billed as pan-European, takes full advantage 98 | M A RCH 2016
of the theatre. As entertaining as it is satisfying.
THE DISTRICT Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit, 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57 | 0 2797 0000 | marriott.com | 6pm-11pm The name of the restaurant refers to New York’s meat packing district. That shines through in the menu as well as the impressive cocktails. The highlight at is the seafood. Lobster, prawns, oysters, scallops, crab — you name it.
THE GIRL AND THE PIG 5F, Central Embassy | 0 2160 5924 | facebook. com/thegirlandthepig | daily 10am-10pm No place is more surprising, or more in keeping with the international theme, than The Girl and The Pig. Here is a perfect spot for everything from ample brunches to romantic dates.
THE KITCHEN TABLE 2F, W Bangkok, 106 North Sathorn Rd 0 2344 4000 | whotels.com/Bangkok | 9am10pm A modern bistro with food that is honest, wholesome, and full of flavour. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Good food and an ambiance that matches modern day lifestyles.
ITALIAN AZZURRO 253/1 Sukhumvit 31 | 0 2003 9597 | facebook. com/azzurrorestaurant Azzurro is a new Italian addition to the bustling food street. The extensive menu of this quaint, two-story restaurant is inspired by the flavours of the different regions of Italy.
DON GIOVANNI 1695 Phaholyothin Rd, Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok | 0 2541 1234 centarahotelsresorts.com The menu is full of home-style recipes, the concept rarely straying from traditional Italian. Along with neo-classical décor, the culinary approach lends Don Giovanni a decorous air befitting its operatic name.
ENOTECA ITALIANA BANGKOK 39 Sukhumvit Soi 27 | 0 2258 4386 enotecabangkok.com | 6pm-midnight Traditional Italian to the bones, rustic from the barn-like roof to the homemade breads, cured meats, and salami on the countertop. There’s a long list of vino bangkok101.com
listings to enjoy, and impeccable a la carte and degustation menus to explore.
GALLERIA MILANO Mille Malle, Sukhumvit 20 | 0 2663 6715 millemalle.com | daily 6pm-midnight; Mon-Fri 3pm-5pm An Italian restaurant in the hands of Italians, where the pride is tasted in every bite, serves as the inspiration for a restaurant aiming to conquer the city.
JOJO The St Regis Bangkok, 159 Ratchadamri Rd 0 2207 7777 | stregis.com/bangkok | noon3pm, 6pm-11pm One of the few outlets proudly flying the flag for Venetian fare, with ingredients imported from the region conjuring authentic flavours of the Veneto. Has a magnificent wine cellar, too.
LA BOTTEGA DI LUCA Terrace 49, Sukhumvit 49 | 0 2204 1731 labottega.name | Mon 5.30-11pm, Tue-Sun 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-11pm A relaxed, welcoming space with indooroutdoor seating. Chef Luca updates the menu regularly and orders produce from Italy every fortnight. It’s all rustic, filling, flavoursome Italian cooking, delivered with real passion.
ROSSINI’S Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 0 2653 0333 | sheratongrandesukhumvit. com | 6pm-10.30pm, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm The menu has lots of modern touches that reimagine traditional Italian styles. Also has more reasonable wine prices than many restaurants in this bracket, promising “top shelf wines at cellar prices.”
SENSI 1040 Naradhiwas Soi 17, Yaek 5 | 0 2676 4466 | sensibangkok.com | Mon-Sat 6pmmidnight Intense flavours spun from fresh produce, complemented by sophisticated reductions and emulsions. The interplay between rich and zesty, complexity and lightness, results in amazing creations.
SCALINI Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24 | 0 2620 6666 | hilton.com | Noon-2.30pm, 6pm-11pm Italian with enough surprises to satisfy the curious diner. For example, the antipasti retain a Mediterranean base while adding lighter, Asian-influenced twists. bangkok101.com
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THEO MIO GF, InterContinental Bangkok | 0 2656 0444 facebook.com/theomioitaliankitchen | daily 7.30am-midnight The Italian kitchen concept by British celebrity chef Theo Randall, which focuses on exciting seasonal menus created from top quality ingredients.
VOLTI RISTORANTE & BAR Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu 0 2236 7777 | shangri-la.com/Bangkok | daily 6pm-10.30pm The restaurant offers authentic modern Italian dishes accompanied by great live music in the comfort of ‘at-home’ luxury.
JAPANESE BENIHANA Avani Atrium Bangkok, 1880 Petchaburi Rd 0 2718 2023 | avanihotels.com | daily lunch 11.30am-2.30pm, dinner 6-10.30pm At the centre of every table is a hot grill, where a chef cooks for you, stimulating appetites with a deft and close-range slicing of onions, zucchini, shrimp, pork, steak— even the restaurant’s signature fried rice.
GENJI GF Swissotel Nai Lert Park, 2 Wireless Rd 0 2655 4265 | genji-restaurant.com | 11.30am2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm A Bangkok institution for more than 30 years, where presentation is crucial to the overall effect. Top-quality and wellexecuted Japanese cuisine.
HAMA-ICHI Legacy Suites, 12 Sukhumvit Soi 29, Klongtoey-Nua | 0 2662 3376 | facebook.com/ hamaichibangkok | Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight, Sun 4pm-11pm Almost 300 dishes. Dive right in to tempura, seared salmon, wasabi-paired sashimi, and a number of hotpots, dining side-by-side with salarymen at the long bar or in private at one of the tables sectioned off by bamboo screens.
KISSO Fl 8, The Westin Grande, 259 Sukhumvit 19 0 2207 8000 | kissojapaneserestaurant.com daily 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm Becoming modern mastery of timehonoured customs in a stylish and convivial setting, the restaurant has offers the Kisso way of Japanese cuisine for two decades as the place for outstanding Japanese cuisine in Bangkok. M A RCH 2016 | 99
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listings
TAIHEI 53F Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 0 2679 1200 | banyantree.com 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-11pm There’s a real commitment to quality leading the charge at Taihei. The food is beautiful, and it tastes great, to boot. Honest-to-goodness Japanese served from atmospheric heights.
YUUTARO 5F, Central Embassy, 1031 Phloenchit Rd 0 2160 5880-1 | yuutaro.com | daily 11am10.30pm Raw food stars. Sushi and sashimi — toro, engawa, uni, and hotate, a staggering ninety percent of the seafood selected from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo.
for “New England-style” lobster, clams, and all the trimmings. Don’t miss the trademark lobster roll.
THE OYSTER BAR 395 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 24 | 0 2212 4809 | theoysterbarbangkok.com | Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun noon-10pm You know a restaurant takes seafood seriously when several pages of the menu are devoted entirely to oysters. Big appetites should try the seafood platter: a pile of oysters, scallops, shrimp, crab, caviar, and more.
MEXICANO
TACOS Y SALSA 49 Sukhumvit Soi 18 | 08 6346 0822, 08 6346 0822 | tacosnsalsa.com | Daily 3pm-12am A brightly-coloured haunt, decorated with the owner’s own artwork, serving up authentic Mexican food and tasty margaritas. A great spot to satisfy any Mexican cravings.
SEAFOOD CRAB AND CLAW 7F, Helix Bldg, EMQuartier | 09 6197 5769 facebook.com/crabandclaw | daily 10am-10pm Ensconced on an upper curve of the EMQuartier, with paintings of lobsters, crabs, and other underwater creatures, Crab and Claw is made for those with a major appetite (and spending power) 100 | M A RCH 2016
FIREPLACE GRILL STEAKHOUSE InterContinental Bangkok 973 Ploenchit Rd 0 2656 0444 ext.5505 | Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm, daily 6.30pm-10.30pm This perennial favourite has all the attributes you’d expect in a renowned steakhouse, not least a superb selection of aged and chilled cuts from some of Australia’s top meat producers.
PRIME
MÉJICO
Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok, Sukhumvit 18 0 2261 7100 | facebook.com/mexicanobkk daily 5pm-12am; Sat brunch 12pm-3pm Having merely moulted the Señor Pico moniker, Bangkok’s original Mexican restaurant, Mexicano now builds on a foundation whose house is indeed the house of all for outstanding Mexican cuisine.
STEAK & BURGER
Millennium Hilton, 123 Charoen Nakorn Rd 0 2442 2000 | hilton.com | 6pm-11pm Some of the best flame-grilled steaks in the city, now abetted by high-quality seafood. It’s a welcome sophistication, befitting the sweeping views over the Chao Phraya.
MEXICAN 2F, Groove@CentralWorld | 0 2252 6660 mejico.asia | 11am-12am The menu tackles traditions long ignored here, giving local diners a style of cuisine that many haven’t ever tried, proving that Mexican food has more to offer than quesadillas and frozen margaritas.
morphs into a Spanish tapas bar-cumrestaurant at night.
THE SUMMER HOUSE PROJECT 41/1-5 Charoen Nakorn Rd | 0 2861 0953, 09 4485 3966 | daily 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm One of the best spots in Thonburi to properly indulge in the hearty, the soothing, and the non-Asian, the sister of the Never Ending Summer next door offering one of the most beautiful riverside view of Chao Phraya river with cool design of a garage-like space with clinically clean lines and an open kitchen.
SPANISH EL CHIRINGUITO 221 Soi Nana, Charoen Krung Rd | 08 6340 4791 | facebook.com/elchiringuitobangkok Thu-Sat 6pm-12am On the surface, a tapas bar. Small dishes and high-quality alcohol, a space filled with antiques: it’s an implant from Madrid dropped neatly into the Bangkok beehive.
OSITO 888/23-24 Mahatun Plaza, Ploenchit Rd 0 2651 4399 | ositobkk.com | Mon-Fri 10.30am-12am, Sat-Sun 10am-12am New York meets Madrid. A neighbourhood Dean& DeLuca during the day, with its own smoker, churro machine, and deli sandwiches like the Reuben, it
THE CHOP 9F The Helix Quartier | 0 2003 6275 facebook.com/thechopbkk | daily 10am-10pm With its crimson banquettes and industrial-look interior, The Chop is aptly dressed for the part as a purveyor of authentic US-style BBQ.
THE U.S. STEAKHOUSE 156-158 Sukhumvit Soi 16 | 08 7993 3527 theussteakhouse.com | Tue-Sat 4pm-10.30pm Start with a big bowl of chunky, homemade clam chowder, before moving on to the main attraction: flame-broiled steaks, including New York strip loin, rib eye, filet mignon, and Australian T-bone.
THAI 80/20 1052-1054 Charoen Krung 26 | 08 7593 1936 facebook.com/8020bkk | Wed-Mon 5pm10.30pm Sharing a massive former warehouse with always-full Oldtown Hostel, 80/20’s the place where the best Thai Local Products combined with the highest passion in hospitality.
BAAN 139/5 Withayu Rd | 0 2655 8995 | baanbkk. com | Wed-Mon 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm10.30pm A restaurant offers traditional recipes collected from the chef’s family with the bangkok101.com
listings stylishly modern dining room and an open kitchen.
BASIL 1F Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit | 0 2649 8366 | basilbangkok.com Sun-Fri noon-2.30pm, daily 6pm-10.30pm A glittering array of Thai favourites — it’s not over-the-top in innovation, but there isn’t a false note, either. This is Thai comfort food taken to a whole new plane.
BLUE ELEPHANT RESTAURANT & COOKING SCHOOL 233 South Sathorn Rd | 0 2673 9353 blueelephant.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6.30pm10.30pm A wildly successful brand since it was first established in 1980, the flagship sits in a gorgeous old mansion. On the menu, Chef Nooror takes a riff on the Thai food of tomorrow, but also shares her heritage with every dish.
CHILI HIP Centara Watergate Pavilion Hotel, 567 Ratchaprop Rd | 0 2625 1234 centarahotelsresorts.com | 5pm-11pm daily Wide, unobstructed views from a perch over Pratunam, and a menu consisting mostly of authentic Thai and Asian flavours. There is almost no covered seating, so bear that in mind when the rains come.
CHON The Siam hotel, 3/2 Khao Rd | 0 2206 6999 thesiamhotel.com | 12.pm-3pm, 6pm-10.30pm Sits in one of three beautifully preserved wooden houses. A small home-style menu offers food worth returning for. Nice for a romantic evening.
ERR 394/35 Maharaj Rd | 0 2622 2291-2 | errbkk. com | Tues-Sun 11am-midnight As an old shophouse with the funkiest of tasteful trimmings, the restaurant takes its name from the most common Thai form of assent which mirrors the local experience of finding good food in low-key surroundings.
JIM THOMPSON HOUSE AND MUSEUM 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Rd | 0 2612 3601 jimthompson.com | Noon-5pm, 7pm-11pm The city’s number-two tourist attraction is home to a restaurant that pairs a sumptuous setting with surprisingly unusual Thai food. Factor in the generous bangkok101.com
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happy hours, and there’s no reason to be sniffy about the place.
PASTE 120/6 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 0 2392 4313 pastebangkok.com | Tue-Sun noon-2.30pm, 6pm-late A triumph, delivering with exceptional panache and serving a riff on modern Thai food that is not just instantly gratifying, but also truly memorable.
RUEN URAI The Rose Hotel, 118 Surawong Rd | 0 2266 8268 | ruen-urai.com | Noon-11pm Set in the former residence of the herbal medical doctor to King Rama V, Ruen Urai uses herbs and spices with medicinal qualities, while delivering refined Thai fare using the finest fresh ingredients.
THE NEVER ENDING SUMMER The Jam Factory, 41/5 Charoen Nakorn Rd 0 2861 0953 | facebook.com/ TheNeverEndingSummer | Tue-Sun 11am-11pm Located in Thonburi, occupying part of three old Chinese-Thai factories, the airy 70-seat eatery offers an extensive, changing menu inspired by the favourite childhood dishes of one of the owners.
VIETNAMESE LE DALAT Fl 7, EMQuartier | 0 2269 1000 | ledalatbkk. com | daily 10am-10pm The newest branch of stately Le Dalat finds it in unusual territory—a high-end shopping mall—but its fresh Vietnamese fare is still as impeccable as ever.
SAIGON RECIPE 46/5 Piman 49, Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 0 2662 6311 | saigon-recipe.com | 11am-3pm, 5am10pm The well-designed dishes here reward closer inspection, as flavours reveal themselves in prescribed order. The portions are perfect for sharing.
XUAN MAI 351/3 Thong Lo | 0 2185 2619 xuanmairestaurant.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30 There’s some overlap with Thai food in the ingredients and flavours, but the exquisite combinations at this much-loved shophouse are subtle and more complex than many Thai dishes. A Thong Lor stand-out.
253/2 Sukhumvit 31, Klongton Nua, Watthana, Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66(0)2 003 9597, +668 1535 4578 Mob: +668 9894 6516 Opening hours Monday to Thursday 6pm - 11pm Friday to Sunday 12noon - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
AzzurroRestaurantBangkok www.azzurrorestaurant.asia
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THE DRUNKEN LEPRECHAUN AT FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON SEE P104
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NIGHTLIFE GRRL POWER
Powderpuff and Go Grrls team up to bring in the Rich White Ladies, a hip-hop and dance duo from NYC who weave witty lyrics into rhythmic beats, socially skewering modern American society. Support comes from Go Grrls’ own Cleo P, Dookie, and Maehappyair, as well as Patty YourVillain and DJ Sunny. The show takes place at Live RCA on March 4, and entry costs B450 (includes one drink). The dress code is “Harajuku Badassery,” which leaves lots of room for interpretation. Go wild, because there will be prizes for the best-dressed.
HEAR THE WIND SING
The Windbreaks 2 returns to Wanderlust Rooftop Bar (Thong Lo 13) on March 5, serving up some chilled out Thai tunes to pair with the fresh air. Dream-pop bands Srirajah Rockers, Wave and So, Fwends, Two Million Thanks, Hariguem Zaboy, and White Collar. (sic) take the stage from 7pm until midnight. Tickets cost B250, and the first 100 guests get a free drink. Check facebook.com/ wanderlust.rooftop for more details.
MONSTROUS VICTORIOUS
One of Bangkok’s best indie bands, math rock outfit Degaruda launches its latest album “Monstrous Victorious” on March 5 with a party at Soy Sauce Factory. Following opening act Wednesday, Degaruda will take stage for a full hour-long set. If you haven’t heard them play, get over to the gallery/event space on Charoen Krung for the album launch—their live set is fast-paced and full of energy, and the music always keeps you on your toes. Entry is free and the show starts at 8pm.
SOFRITO SOUNDS
Tropical rhythms reach Studio Lam on March 19, as the small bar presents Republic of Sofrito. The event features DJ Hugo Mendez, founder of London’s Sofrito Tropical Warehouse parties and central figure in Europe’s tropical funk dance scene. Maft Sai will support as throwback beats from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America join current club sounds all night. Entry costs B300. Go to facebook.com/studiolambangkok for more details.
COVERALLS
Head to Live House Studio (JJ Green) on March 19 for some “Indieinspiration.” Top Thai indie bands take stage one after the other for seven hours straight, covering famous hits from major international artists from 6pm until 1am. The lineup features SLUR, Somkiat, Gramaphone Children & Cyndi Seui, Yellow Fang, Jelly Rocket, Gym and Swim, and Secret Tea Party. Tickets are B495. Visit facebook.com/livehousebkk for more details.
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THE DRUNKEN LEPRECHAUN - Well-oiled & Always Welcoming -
F
amiliarity is often a good thing. The culinary comforts of home, a creamy black pint of Guinness, the smell and stability of sturdy oak tables, even something as simple as a dart board can recall good times (and long nights) spent at the pub back home. Or, when placed right, creature comforts can make an Irish pub in a foreign land a new favourite local. The Drunken Leprechaun proves that distinction exists within that wide realm of familiarity. Found at Four Points by Sheraton, Bangkok’s newest Irish pub takes the place (metaphorically rather than physically speaking) of the dearly departed Beer Vault, serving good beer on draft and in bottles with some of the happiest happy hours in town (4pm-8pm). What’s more, this cosy corner tavern, filled out with dark leather, exposed pipes, drop-down projector screens, and old barrels as tables, among other recognizable appendages in a quality Irish pub—shillelaghs and shenanigans aside—also serves some truly hardy fare. Drop by on any given night for Paddy’s Irish Stew (B400), an aromatic plate of slow-cooked lamb and carrots, the sauce soaked up with warm bread and, naturally, paired with a pint of Guinness. Or an excellent take on bangers and mash, the smooth mash awash in caramelized onions and deep-flavoured gravy (B350)— paired with a pint of Kilkenny, because, why not? And
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those who come in groups can sample a savoury snapshot of the pub fare with a mixed platter of battered and fried fish fingers, chicken tenders, mushrooms, and onion rings (B350). Just don’t skip dessert, especially not the spice-laced Irish apple cake (B150), which comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and maybe an ever-changing story from staff about its origins (there are bound to be some shenanigans—a local should be a little spontaneous, after all). But The Drunken Leprechaun also does what a good pub does best. There’s a standout Sunday roast—not traditional, but downright tasty (B400)—and a varying lineup of nightly events, from open mic night on Mondays to bands throughout the week (acoustic, rock, pop) and live sports on Sunday. Prefer fresh air and solitude? In front is a deck and out back is a terrace. There’s a fine array of premium bottled beer from the likes of Rogue and Duvel, too. In March, in the spirit of St Patty’s Day, drop in for Irish car bombs and other themed drinks. Expect the unexpected, but in a setting you know well. This could be your new go-to.
THE DRUNKEN LEPRECHAUN Four Points by Sheraton, Sukhumvit 15 | 0 2309 3255 | thedrunkenleprechaun.com | daily 10am-1am
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SOUL SCIENCE The Soulful Science of Thai Cuisine: Kaffir Lime Leaves The Thai culinary repertoire has always balanced 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 herbal medicine doctor 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. Kaffir lime delivers a marvellous perfume from its thick and glossy double leaves, an aroma unmatched by other citrus fruits. Its juice is used in Thai ointments and shampoos, as well as tonsure ceremonies. These distinctive leaves are irreplaceable, particularly in Thai soups. After being pan-charred with other herbs, kaffir lime leaves are added to Dtom Khloang Talay, a smoky and herby seafood soup, for their profuse fragrance. 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
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imbibe
Manhattan’s Classics Somphong “Peter” Chaina Transforms Time-tested Drinks with the Newest Member of the Chivas Regal Family
With a block of ice in one hand and some kind of small trident in the other, Somphong “Peter” Chaina hand-crafts an Old Fashioned ice ball. Scraping and stabbing, then peeling with a kitchen knife. Peter furrows his brow and chips away with nothing short of total focus. As the ice evens out, it becomes clear this sinewy spectacled mixologist, who has returned to JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok’s Manhattan Bar after a brief period away, takes his cocktails seriously. Peter washes off the flotsam of shaved ice and lets the perfectly round, nearly transparent ball slide into a rocks glass. The ball of ice, says Peter, melts much slower than crushed or cubed ice, so it doesn’t dilute the cocktail. “Now, I make five 106 | M A RCH 2016
or six of these [ice balls] a day. When I first started [16 years ago], I would make about 200 in four hours,” Peter recounts. With the hard manual labour out of the way, Peter gets to work on the classic Old Fashioned—one of his favourite cocktails to mix. He’s a traditionalist. “I like old-school drinks. If you can make a classic cocktail taste good, you can make any cocktail taste good,” he declares. “Since there are so few ingredients, it’s all about technical skills. Manhattan Bar believes in authenticity and allows me to do what I do best, respecting the drinks.” He places sugar cubes, bitters, and orange peel in a tall glass with ice and stirs 70 seconds to dissolve the sugar. Then, he adds 10ml of Drambuie, a honey-laced liqueur, and stirs bangkok101.com
imbibe
another 70 seconds to release its flavour and aromas. Finally, he adds 50ml of Chivas Regal Extra and stirs again, letting the ice cool down the liquid before straining it all into the rocks glass. As he pours, Peter explains how the fruity, floral notes of Chivas Regal Extra, a Speyside blended Scotch whisky that uses malt whiskies aged in sherry casks, is the perfect marriage for the Old Fashioned, which he finishes with a garnish of orange peel studded with cloves. For many bartenders, the Old Fashioned is the barometer of skill. And Peter’s balanced, mellow take on the barroom classic, underscored by the orange and toffee kick of Chivas Regal Extra, certainly speaks to his 16 years of success in the industry. While shaping orange peel into a spiral for another of his favourite cocktails—the Blood & Sand—Peter opens up. In 2005, he was Talent Champion at the Flair Bartender Competition. “Now I’m too old for competitions,” he says with a hint of a smile. Though he’s decided to stop taking part in showy competitions, he instead seems to relish in making perfect cocktails for customers, raising the bar for mixologists in Bangkok. “Maybe five years ago, people would come to the bar and expect to see someone from Europe or Japan making their drink. Now people expect a Thai mixologist,” he explains. “The local talent keeps improving.”
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Chivas Regal Extra also makes the base for Peter’s Blood & Sand. With the same precision and care, he combines the whisky with sweet vermouth, cherry liqueur, orange juice, and grenadine. Then he pours it all into an ice-cold martini glass. His Blood & Sand seems to reveal three layers of flavours, as well as different textures, each leading into the next. From smooth and aromatic, to potent and cold, to a soft, fruity bitterness at the finish. As the night nears, Peter whips up a Whisky Sour. After combining Chivas Regal Extra with vanilla syrup, lime juice, egg white, and angostura bitters, he gives the tumbler a slow, powerful shake until the blend is pleasantly chilled. Through the strainer runs a frothy liquid, another impeccably balanced classic, this one served in a wine glass to release its bright aroma and display its pinkish colour. With his taste for tradition, but contemporary talent and touch, Peter and the Manhattan Bar—stylishly lit with candles, dark leather, and low-hanging chandeliers—make a natural pair. Both classic, cool, and cultured, knowing the perfect moment to spice things up.
Old Fashioned · · · · ·
Stir sugar cubes, Angostura bitters, and orange peel with a little water for 70 seconds Add 10ml of Drambuie; stir another 70 seconds Add 50ml of Chivas Regal Extra; stir another 70 seconds Pour over ice ball into a rocks glass Garnish with a strip of orange peel studded with cloves and a maraschino cherry
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listings
BARS 22 STEPS BAR Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Rd | 0 2207 4999 | hotelindigo.com/bangkok A great place to unwind, enjoying a cocktail or fine cigar while watching the world go by. Enjoy buy-one, get-one deals or free-flow drinks at B599 during happy hours from 5pm—9pm every day. Ladies’ night on Wednesday offers women two hours of free-flow sparkling wine from 9pm-11pm.
24 OWLS BY SOMETIMES 39/9 Ekamai Soi 12, Sukhumvit 63 | 0 2391 4509 | 24owls.com | open 24 hours A bijou 24-hour bistro and bar where cocktails are a must. A delight by day and deep into the night, 24 Owls offers a unique round-the-clock dining option.
BAR 23 Sukhumvit Soi 16 | 09 6145 9662 | facebook. com/bkkbar23 | 9pm-until very late A dingy dive favourite with bases in Asoke as well as Soi Nana, the artists’ community of Chinatown, where the soundtrack always changes and the crowd never fails to entertain.
BARLEY BISTRO 4F Food Channel, Silom Rd | 08 7033 3919 barleybistro.com | 5pm-late Check out the open-air rooftop, littered with fans, bean bags, and funky barley stalk sculptures. It’s a solid choice for post-work/pre-club cocktails.
BREW Seen Space, Thong Lor 13 | 0 2185 2366 brewbkk.com | Mon-Sun 4pm-2am See and be seen at this cool Thong Lo vanguard with well-stocked fridges and a healthy list of foreign beer and cider on tap. A beer-lover’s dream.
CHEAP CHARLIE’S Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 0 2253 4648 cheapcharliesresort.com | Mon-Sat 5pm-12am A no-brainer meet-up spot drawing crowds of expats, NGO workers, and tourists in-the-know who fill up on cheap beers and gin and tonics before heading off to party.
CRAFT Sukhumvit Soi 23 | 0 2661 3320, 08 1919 5349 craftbangkok.com | 2pm-12am Serving craft beer on draft in all its glory, this outdoor patio-bar plays host to food 108 | M A RCH 2016
trucks each weekend, spins good tunes, and, most importantly, operates over 40 taps.
DARK BAR Ekkamai 10, Sukhumvit 63 | 0 2381 9896, 09 0528 4646 | facebook.com/darkbarbangkok Wed, Fri-Sat 9pm-2am A tiny and, well, dark bar serving beer and booze at cheap prices. It’s popular with hipsters and counter-culturists.
FACE BAR 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 | 0 2713 6048 | facebars. com | 11.30am-1am This visually stunning complex is reminiscent of Jim Thompson’s former mansion, a dimly-lit joint that summons deluxe drinkers with cosy settees, ambient soundscape, and giant cocktails all night long.
HOUSE OF BEERS Penny’s Balcony, Corner of Thong Lor Soi 16 0 2392 3513 | houseofbeers.com | 11am-12am This Belgian-leaning bar offers all sorts of imported quaffs, from wheat beers like Leffe Blonde and Hoegaarden to esoteric specials like Kwak. The refreshments are augmented by Belgian fries and tapasstyle bar snacks.
JAM! 41 Soi Charoen Rat 1 | 089 889 8059 facebook. com/jamcafebkk | Tue-Sun 6pm-12am A cool, dive-y small bar in a formerly bar-less neighbourhood whose claims to fame are frequent cult movie nights and underground DJ sets.
MIKKELLER 26 Ekkamai Soi 10 Yaek 2 | 0 2381 9891 mikkellerbangkok.com | 5pm-12am An enclave for beer geeks, distinguished by its many dozens of taps and lush garden. A sure bet for anyone in search of a good—and hard-to-find—craft beer.
MOOSE Ekamai Soi 21 | 0 2108 9550 | facebook.com/ moosebangkok | Mon-Sat 6pm-2am A retro-inspired hipster bar decorated with flickering candles and an alarming number of mounted animal heads, giving it a living room-esque ambience. A preferred venue for all manner of underground DJ sets and live shows.
OSKAR BISTRO 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 0 2255 3377 | oskarbistro.com | 4pm-2am
Lively Oskar has the electro music and low-ceiling cellar dimensions to qualify as clubby, and, with a dominant central bar, it’s perhaps more brasserie than bistro. Most people come for pre-club drinks.
SHADES OF RETRO Soi Tararom 2, Thong Lor | 0 2714 9450 facebook.com/shadesofretrobar | 3pm-1am It’s Hipsterville at this Thong Lo hot-spot stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, and a grandmother’s attic of antiques.
SING SING THEATER Sukhumvit 45 | 09 7285 6888 | facebook.com/ singsingtheater | Tue-Sun 8pm-2am Tucked between Quince and Casa Pagoda on the sedate Sukhumvit 45, the collaboration of Ashley Sutton and Sanya Souvanna Phouma mashes together the disparate influences of the old Shanghai underworld and the dark and alien future.
SMALLS 186/3 Suan Phlu Soi 1 | 09 5585 1398 facebook. com/smallsbkk | Wed-Mon 8.30pm-2am Decorated with vintage furniture and art to give it a bohemian vibe, this favourite neighbourhood dive offers a wide selection of beers, wines by the glass, and hard-to-find liquors.
SWAY Arena 10, Thong Lor Soi 10 | 0 2711 6052 swaybkk.com | daily 6pm-2am Chicken wings, poutine, and ribs star on the menu, and craft beer on draft draw flocks of loyal beer drinkers.
THE ALCHEMIST 1/19 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 08 3549 2055 thealchemistbkk.com | Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight This stylish, stripped down drinking hole near Cheap Charlie’s draws its own loyal crowd, thanks to an excellent playlist on top of craft beer, assorted martinis, and some of the best mojitos in town.
THE FRIESE-GREENE CLUB Sukhumvit 22 | 08 7000 0795, 08 0733 8438 fgc.in.th | Tue-Sun 6pm-11pm A member’s only place where guests are always welcome, screening films in a tiny cinema on the second floor and serving reasonably priced drinks on the first.
TUBA 34 Room 11-12A, Ekkamai Soi 21 | 0 2711 5500 | design-athome.com | 11am-2am A Bangkok classic, room upon room of haphazardly arranged kitsch. Some come bangkok101.com
listings to snag a goofy tchotchke, but it works best as a bar with few cooler places to kick back with a sweet cocktail in hand.
VIVA AVIV River City-Unit 118, 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung Soi 30 | 0 2639 6305 | vivaaviv. com | 11am-midnight, later on weekends Reminiscent of a hip bar along Singapore’s Clarke Quay, with bar tables and stools jutting across a riverside promenade. Think tropical maritime meets dashes of outright whimsy.
HEAVEN 20F Zen@CentralWorld, 4/5 Ratchadamri Rd 0 2100 9000 | heaven-on-zen.com | Mon-Sun 5.30pm-1am When golden bar lights up like a metal sun, Zen feels like one of the most glamorous places in the capital, serving up balanced cocktails and a beautiful backdrop.
WTF 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 0 2626 6246 wtfbangkok.com | Tue-Sun 6pm-1am The coolest and most enduring shophouse bar in the city, decked out with old Thai movie posters and found items like wooden screen doors and chairs. Marked by great cocktails, live gigs, art exhibitions, and a mix of artsy patrons.
BARS WITH A VIEW ABOVE ELEVEN 33F Fraser Suites Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 0 2207 9300 | aboveeleven. com | 6pm-2am A west-facing, 33rd-floor rooftop bar with beautiful sunsets, an outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls for maximum view, an impressive cocktail list, and an electro soundtrack.
CLOUD 47 United Center, Silom Rd | 09 1889 9600 cloud47bangkok.com | daily 11am-1am A wallet-friendly rooftop bar in the bustling CBD that turns into a purple and blue neon fantasy at night.
LEAPFROG Galleria 10, Sukhumvit Soi 10 | 0 2615 0999 leapfrogbkk.com | 4.30pm-1am An art gallery, rooftop lounge, and restaurant wrapped up in a neat little package on the top of a boutique hotel offering a selection of world cuisine and drinks. bangkok101.com
time to come—when daylight fades, a live jazz band kicks in and the city lights up like a circuit-board.
SKY BAR/DISTIL 63F State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd | 0 2624 9555 | thedomebkk.com | 6pm-1am Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, offering panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with new visitors as well as those intent on rediscovering it.
THE SPEAKEASY
WHISGARS 981 Silom Rd | 0 2661 3220 | whisgars.com 2pm-2am Whiskey and cigars are the focal points of this rapidly expanding branch. Each outlet is a little different, but all cater to the finer things in life.
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VERTIGO TOO Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 0 2679 1200 | banyantree. com | daily 5pm-1am Neither an open-air rooftop bar, nor the kind of jazz den found in smoky brick-walled basements, Vertigo Too deftly toes the line between the two milieus. Throw in twinkling faux starlight, lacquered black fixtures, and complementing shades of galactic purple, it then rises to a higher stratosphere.
MOON BAR 61F, Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 0 2679 1200 | banyantree.com 5pm-1am An icon among rooftop bars, offering 360-degree views of the urban sprawl in smart surroundings. The perfect spot for honeymooners.
OCTAVE 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 the beautiful Bangkok’s geography from above while knocking back punchy, refreshing cocktails, beers or whisky. DJs spin house through the night, neatly setting the vein.
RED SKY 56F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | 0 2100 1234 | centarahotelsresorts.com 6pm-1am The al fresco turret offers panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the
Hotel Muse, 55/555 Lang Suan Rd | 0 2630 4000 | hotelmusebangkok.com | 6pm-1am One of the snazzier al fresco rooftop bars, evoking the glamour of Prohibition Era America. Spirits include luxury cognacs and malts. Wines are available at solid prices, and cocktails include home-made vodka infusions.
WOOBAR GF, W Bangkok, 106 North Sathorn Road 0 2344 4131 | wbangkok.com | daily 9am-12am Chic and low-lit without being cold or inaccessible, and spacious enough to find a seat without feeling vacant. Swing by for Ladies’ Night, an after-work release, or, better yet, a weekend party.
CLUBS FUNKY VILLA 225/9-10 Thong Lo Soi 10 | 0 2711 6970 facebook.com/funkyvillabkk | 8pm-2am Bangkok’s gilded youth chill on sofas and knock pool balls in the front room, but most hit the fridge-cool dance hall to shake off the week’s woes to live bands and hip-hop DJs.
LEVELS 6F 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 08 2308 3246 facebook.com/levelsclub | 9pm-3am One of the most reliably busy nightclubs in Bangkok that welcomes a mix of resident expats, stylish Thai party animals, and wide-eyed holiday-makers that can’t get enough of the buzzy atmosphere.
MIXX DISCOTHEQUE President Tower Arcade 973 Ploenchit Rd 0 2656 0382 | mixx-discotheque.com/bangkok 10pm-late Classier than most of Bangkok’s afterhour clubs, a two-room affair decked out with chandeliers, paintings, and billowing sheets that lend a desert tent feel. M A RCH 2016 | 109
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listings
ONYX RCA, Soi Soonvijai, Rama 9 Rd | 08 1645 1166 onyxbangkok.com | 8pm-2am An upscale nightclub borrowing from the futuristic interiors of other outlets in the milieu. Laid out over two stories, with most of the action confined to the ground floor. The kicker: a giant video screen looming over the DJ booth.
ROUTE 66 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue | 0 2203 0936, 08 1440 9666 | route66club.com | 8pm-2am RCA’s longest surviving super-club, with three zones to explore, each with its own bar, look, and music policy. Crammed with dressed-to-kill young Thais.
SUGAR CLUB 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (next to the Australian Pub) | 08 2308 3246 | sugarclub-bangkok.com 9pm-2am A blend of the global clubbing DNA and an after-hours concept, featuring a Vaudevillian cast of dancers, entertainers, and big-name DJs.
THE CLUB 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod | 0 2629 1010 theclubkhaosan.com | 6pm-2am This techno castle lends a fairy-tale vibe, with lasers and UV lights harking back to mid-90s trance raves. The music is loud, a full range of four-to-the-floor beats and cranium-rattling techno.
TITANIUM CLUB & ICE BAR Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 0 2258 3758 | titaniumclub.com | 6pm-1.30am Congenial hostesses clad in ao dai; a gifted, all-girl rock n’ roll band jamming nightly; over 90 varieties of vodka. Not exactly a place to bring Mum, but a fun night out on the slightly wild side.
PUBS FLANN O’BRIEN’S 2194 Charoenkrung 72-74 Rd, Asiatique 0 2108 4005| flann-obriens.com | 3pm-12am A sweeping Irish-themed pub featuring daily drink specials, all-day breakfast menus, and live bands throughout the week.
MULLIGAN’S IRISH BAR 265 Khao San Road | 0 2629 4477 mulligansthailand.com | Always open A Khao San institution that draws hordes of young locals and a more 110 | M A RCH 2016
refined foreign crowd than the norm in the neighbourhood, thanks to great live music, ranging from rock to jazz and daylong happy hour deals.
THE BLACK SWAN Soi Sukhumvit 19 | 0 2229 4542 blackswanbangkok.com | 8am-late An amber-lit favourite that relocated to the hustle bustle area of Bangkok, Sukhumvit 19 that offers myriad drink deals and spectacular Sunday roasts as well as cocktail and beer.
THE DUBLINER 595/18-19 Soi Sukhumvit 33/1 | 0 2204 1841-2 | thedublinerbangkok.com | daily 8am-12.30am Irish-themed and Irish-owned, this watering hole is preferred among expats for its generous happy hours and nighttime live music.
THE PICKLED LIVER Sukhumvit Soi 7/1, opposite Maxim’s Hotel 0 2651 1114 | thepickledliver.com | 3pm-late Pub grub, pool, quizzes, live music, and many more make this landmark pub, now in its second incarnation, a perennial favourite.
THE PINTSMAN 332 United Center Building, Silom Rd 0 2234 2874 | facebook.com/thepintsman 11am-late A basement bar in Silom serving pints of draft beer and big plates of food. The requisite pool tables and live entertainment get this place hopping on weekends.
THE ROBIN HOOD Soi Sukhumvit 33/1 | 0 2662 3390 robinhoodbangkok.com | 10am-12am All the pub essentials are covered: live sports, a chatty atmosphere, wood features, pints of draft beer and cider, and copious drink deals. A great place to start your night (or afternoon).
LIVE MUSIC ADHERE THE 13TH 13 Samsen Rd (opposite Soi 2) | 08 9769 4613 6pm-midnight One of Bangkok’s funkiest, coolest hangouts, and nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar, and a band that churns out cool blues, Motown, and originals.
APOTEKA 33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 09 0626 7655 apotekabkk.com | Mon-Thu 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 3pm-midnight Built to emulate a 19th-century apothecary, this place has an old-school feel, an awesome line-up of live music, and a drink selection including beer and custom cocktails.
BROWN SUGAR 469 Phra Sumen Road | 08 9499 1378 brownsugarbangkok.com | 6pm-1am Bangkok’s oldest, cosiest jazz venue. A restaurant and coffee house by day that morphs into a world-class jazz haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw crowds by night.
CAFÉ TRIO GF, Portico Complex, 31 Soi Lang Suan 0 2252 6929 | 6pm- 1am One of the only bars worth seeking out on Lang Suan Road. Loved for its jazz and art, a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars.
FAT GUT’Z
264 Thong Lor Soi 12 | 0 27149 832 | fatgutz. com | 6pm-2am This saloon is packed nightly with beautiful people listening to live blues, indulging in carefully crafted cocktails, and drinking in the vague industrial-nautical theme.
MAGGIE CHOO’S Hotel Novotel Fenix, 320 Silom Rd | 0 2635 6055 | facebook.com/maggiechoos | Tue-Sun 6pm-2am The main decoration is the leggy cabaret girls, but the real attraction is the live jazz, some of the best the city has to offer. The atmosphere is amplified with sultry mysticism and redolent of dandyish early 20th-century gambling dens.
PARKING TOYS 14 Prasert-Manukitch Rd, Lat Phrao | 0 2907 2228 | parkingtoys.in.th | 7pm-2am A spacious garage-style venue, filled to the brim with random antiques, known for stellar live rock, ska, and rockabilly that runs into the early morning. Far out of town, but worth the trip.
SAXOPHONE 3/8 Victory Monument, Phayathai Rd | 0 2246 5472 | saxophonepub.com | 6pm-2am A must-visit live music joint, dishing out stiff drinks and killer blues, ska, and jazz every night of the week. bangkok101.com
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PICHITA I
magine a silk thread spun thirty seven years long, one fine thread weaving hundreds and thousands of garments, all with one thing in common, Madame Pichita. One woman fashioning three lines: Pichita Haute-Couture, Atelier Pichita, and Diffusion II. Pichita is as relevant today as she was in 1979, when the daughter of the late couturiere Lamyong Boonyarataphan opened her first design studio. The secret to maintaining such a stronghold, she stresses, is to never have diverted from her instincts. For her, inspiration floods in from everywhere—rich silks from China, the vibrant colours of North Africa, even something as mundane as Pinterest or as obvious as her training in France at Chambre Syndicale de Couture, disparate elements giving her garments an unconventional twist. Unlike much of the fashion world, Pichita does not follow mainstream trends. Her designs are distinct because they come from within her soul, never reflecting a particular era or season. A dress you buy today will look just as elegant and sophisticated as the day it was purchased. Her two daughters, Tatim and Teema, have recently joined the team, uniting Pichita with emerging 25- to 30-year-old shoppers with their freshness, drive, and business acumen. And the family has begun the slow process of rebranding, planning to eventually expand to include complete lifestyle wear—everything from eye glasses, sports gear, maybe even swimwear. The trio is currently working on the first collection of a brand new label, Pichita, featuring women’s wear, a few pieces for men, and curated accessories. Though sharing the influences with the other labels, Pichita will have its own DNA, one punctuated by a cool, laid-back attitude. When asked if they plan on changing the “distinct” look for which Pichita is renowned, both daughters agreed that to change the look their mother created is not even an option—it’s like a leopard changing its print. With her daughters hard at work in their leafy Ekamai home, Pichita offer fashion advice that any girl can afford. “Don’t be influenced by your friends,” she says. “Look for style and [let it reflect] your own personality—price doesn’t matter.” When Pichita launches this spring, no doubt this label will evoke precisely what the Madame has always stood for: individuality. Pichita 77/7 Ekamai 12 | 0 2381 5391 | atelierpichita.com THANN at CentralWorld THANN at Gaysorn
Pichita Outlet at Villa Market Hua Hin
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unique boutique
ROSEMANCLUB BY PONGPHOP SONGSIRIARCHA
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efore beginning to envision their business, let alone their brick-and-mortar shop on Chula Soi 11, Passanunt Tarajaruspat and Piyawan Eauboonsiri wrestled with that timeless post-modern question: Why is prescription eyewear so unfashionable? Bifocals, thick-rimmed glasses, rec-specs, and geeky goggles—all mostly uncool and unfit for an age of high style. With Rosemanclub, the partners have added a longed-for design element to unisex eyewear. Rosemanclub was officially founded in 2014, and the shop on the corner of Chula 11 launched soon after. It was modelled to resemble a “private walk-in closet,” filled with antique furniture, paintings, and bronze decorative items. It’s also clearly noticeable from the outside, with its bold orange door and the brand’s smooth cursive typeface. The glasses—original designs hand-made in Japan— are intended for everyday wear, especially in chic urban settings, eyewear for magazine spreads as well as shots of espresso at neighbourhood cafés. There are over 36 styles and 15 different frames on display. Each design is simple yet sharp, given some flair with vibrant, strategically chosen colours and patterns. The brand’s signature model, Haru (meaning sunlight in Japanese), features frames made from Italian acetate. The Haru Black Lava (B4500) is black on the top half of the frame with amber tortoiseshell underneath, the unique structure of the glasses even more eye-catching with this burning two114 | | M A RCH 2016
tone colour technique. Haru Moss (B4500), on the other hand, is toned down but equally mature, with a greenishgrey semi-transparent colour scheme. The newer Smith Twoface (B3950) goes well with just about any look. Monochrome and square-line, the frames are discreetly attractive, formal yet somehow youthful. Other top models include the Smith Rocksand (B3950), inspired by the cheek-to-jowl buildings of capital cities, and the Theo Walnut (B3950), slim fit for those with narrower head shapes. Rosemanclub gives one free prescription lens with every purchase of eyeglasses, quality multi-coated lenses with an index of 1.56, and so 20 per cent thinner than standard lenses. Most of the products come with convertible sunglass clip-ons, as well. So those who need prescription lenses can easily convert to sunglasses without sacrificing style or comfort. Each pair of glasses comes in a genuine leather case, in line with the understated elegance that the brand puts forth with its designs. Apart from eyewear, Rosemanclub offers other accessories from local and international purveyors, including headwear, bags, leather goods, and men’s clothing. Domestic and international shipping is available, too.
ROSEMANCLUB 1497 Soi Chula 11, Rama 4 Rd | 08 1444 2642 rosemanclub.com | Wed-Sun 12pm-8pm
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feature
BEACH ESSENTIALS Sun, Sand, Surf, and Style
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t’s prime beach season now, the weather just shy of surface-of-the-sun hot and the skies a bright cloudless blue. With all the inspiration you’ve found from reading about the latest and greatest in Hua Hin, it’s time to think about the gear you’re going to pack before you hit the beach.
Beach Hat The Panama hat is the stuff of postcards and beach ads, the most iconic accessory to place on your head when you’re combing the sands. Aptly-named Thailand Panama Hats imports the realdeal from Ecuador (like bourbon to Kentucky or champagne to France, true Panama hats are made only in Ecuador from the native Toquilla plant). Thailand Panama Hats sells a variety of classic gambler hats, women’s coconut-style hats, and hats for kids, as well as bands for individual distinction. Prices start at B2500 and max out at B3700 per item, all available at thailandpanamahats.com 116 | | M A RCH 2016
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Swimwear Would you go to the mall in your underwear? Then why would you wear a ravaged bikini to the beach? Khongboon offers a wide collection of women’s water wear in unique styles and prints, from strapless and criss-crossed bandeau tops to Brazilian bikini bottoms in Mojave prints (How risqué!). The classic frong (i.e. the Baywatch one-piece) is back in style now, and Khongboon has a solid selection to choose from, but don’t look past the truly original bikinis. Visit khongboonswimwear.com to see the latest collections and looks. Men should check out Timo Trunks for eyecatching swimwear. Featuring bold prints, unique and often symmetrical graphics, and above-theknee cuts, Timo has caught the attention of the fashion-conscious across the world. There are now shops as far as away as Denmark and New Zealand, but the flagship remains here, in Bangkok. Visit timotrunks.com to see the most recent designs.
Waterproof Camera Hours of aquatic fun await those with a waterproof camera: underwater selfies, front-facing shots of the beach, capturing the exact moment a wave washes over you. Oh, the possibilities! There are many waterproof cameras on the market now, but one of the best is the Nikon Coolpix AW130 (B13,490). Not only waterproof down to 30 metres, the camera is also shock-proof up to 2 metres and freeze-proof (unless you accidentally lose it in the chill chest, this function probably doesn’t mean much in Thailand). It takes fast shots and boasts 16 megapixels and a wide-angle glass lens. Crucially, it comes with built-in Wi-Fi, meaning you can upload said underwater selfies to Instagram cord- and hassle-free.
Flip-flops Long looked down on as the grungy toe-baring attire of the rucksack-clad and sunburned, the flip-flop has undergone a metamorphosis in modern times, now considered acceptable wear at places without strict dress codes. Still waterproof, but classy enough for wear in town, Ipanema branches out beyond the flat flip-flop with wedges, slim-line sandals, and fashion sandals. Colours range from bright to subdued and classy. A pair costs about half as much as the ubiquitous Havaiianas (at least the real ones), and Ipanema often offers discounts of up to 70 per cent off at The Mall and Central Department Stores, making them an affordable option for beach-goers who don’t want to pack an extra pair of shoes.
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Sunglasses Protect your eyes from the sun’s rays with high-quality shades from Deck Thailand, found on the third floor of Siam Center. Available in a piebald collection of colours and styles, specifically the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer look, Deck’s frames are carved out of old skateboards, the grains still visible, giving them texture and depth. The lenses come in a variety of bright, bold, and basic hues, too. One of the most vibrant styles is the Tuk Tuk, featuring that Ray-Ban look with technicolour stripes down the frames. Rosemanclub, the feature of our Unique Boutique (see p114), is also a solid choice for stylish sunglasses.
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spa review
SPA BOTANICA - Setting the Mood from Step One BY PAWIKA JANSAMAKAO
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reat massage, all-star treatment, and premium services—these are the elements that make up the ideal spa retreat. Simple, practical, perfect. Located in a peaceful garden of The Sukhothai Bangkok, The Spa Botanica has mastered these elements, pampering visitors with finely honed attention to detail in both service and ambiance. The leafy pathway from the main road leads to the oasis that is Spa Botanica, hidden discreetly behind a swimming pool. The spa is surrounded by greenery, the indulgent treatments offered inside either a cosy Thaistyle house or the poolside garden. As impressive as the location is, the interiors also invoke sweet nostalgia with the elegant touch of classic wooden furnishings. You may be surprised at how many brands one spa can offer. A Vuudh infuser spreads a dreamy scent across the spa. Enhanced by quality products from leading Thai spa product brand HARNN, as well as Panpuri and UK’s top body care brand Aromatherapy Associates, the menu is made to match any personal preference, ranging from a standard relaxing massage and deep tissue massage to waxing, body wraps, scrubs, manicures, and pedicures. Highly recommended is the East West Blend (60 min/ B3000 or 90 min/B3800), the spa’s signature massage. 118 | | M A RCH 2016
The treatment combines oriental and occidental traditions, with firm pressure employed to soothe muscular pain. Aromatic oil is used to help release tension and calm nerves. There are exclusive packages designed for gentlemen, as well. Get a quick massage to ease away tension and tiredness, or perhaps to restore emotional and physical balance, or to soothe muscles that have taken a pounding from exercise. The Mantastic Escape (290 min/B12,000) is a particularly wonderful top-to-toe treatment for guys, including a body wrap, a scrub, a signature massage, and a facial cleansing treatment. To top it off, the package comes with a manicure and a twocourse meal of healthy spa cuisine and healing herbal tea. The lounge sells an impressive array of spa and beauty products. From facial care, body lotions and scrubs to infusers, aromatic candles, and organic tea—all ready to pick before leaving this dream world of a spa.
THE SUKHOTHAI BANGKOK 3/3 South Sathorn Rd | 0 2344 8888 sukhothai.com | daily 9am-10pm
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products
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Organic Beauty Do Right by Your Body Whether you’re hitting the beach or staying on the city streets, you can look your best and feel good, too, with these organic beauty products.
HYDRATING LIQUID BODY CLEANSER BY GLA (B365/400ML) With a stated desire to promote and support herbs native to Asia, Gla offers a totally organic Hydrating Liquid Body Cleanser, made only from natural ingredients. Cucumber and aloe vera extracts help to hydrate, moisturize, and rejuvenate skin. Olive oil is added for additional rejuvenating effects while jojoba oil removes dirt and oil deposits and works as a moisturizer at the same time. Check out Gla’s catalogue and order online at facebook.com/glaskincarethailand.
TAHITIAN LAGOON AND ALPS MINERAL WATER FACE MIST BY THANN (B650/60ML) This face mist uses mineral water from the French Alps and crystal-clear lagoon water from Tahiti to replenish skin. Beefed up with a touch of THANN’s original active ingredients to really revive skin, the Nano Shiso Leaf Extract contains precious natural elements, including Rosemarinic acid, I-perillaldehyde, and vitamins B1 and B2 to protect and enhance skin cells with their antioxidant properties. A blend of lavender water soothes sunburns (perfect for high-UV hot season) and a whiff of the sweet Japanese herb enlivens the mind and spirit for long productive days (on the beach, of course).
WHITE FLOWER COLLECTION BY SOAP VILLA (B100/75G) A soap bar in your bag comes in handy after a tough workout; it’s smaller and lighter than shower gel, plus it doubles as an air freshener (Sweaty towel smell? No thanks.). On a mission to reduce air pollution in Bangkok, natural soap manufacturer Soap Villa uses high-quality natural ingredients in its handcrafted. Its White Flower collection is mainly made using rice bran oil and coconut oil, both moisturising and leaving skin with the unique scent of three classic Thai flowers: jasmine, frangipani, and summer lilac. Each bar is available at soapvilla.com.
ORGANIC LIP SCRUB BY ORGANIKA (B625/20ML) Prep your lips for the perfect selfie with this brown sugar lip scrub. While certain exfoliators leave lips dry and dull, brown sugar can actually absorb moisture from the environment and deposit it into your skin. And the addition of bamboo in Organika’s Organic Lip Scrub removes dead cells. The scrub also contains a variety of anti-oxidants, jojoba oil, shea butter, and vitamin E to leave lips soft and lightly scented with a hint of almond.
VIRGIN COCONUT OIL BY DE COCO BANGKOK (B650/1050 ML, B150/100 ML) This all-in-one oil has been used throughout Asia and the Pacific region for thousands of years, thanks to its numerous uses, including for cooking and medicine. De Coco Bangkok welcomes beach season into the fold with their signature Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, which can be used for hair, skin, and even cooking (that’s right). After a day (or several) on the beach, apply the oil to your skin for a deeply moisturizing treatment or to prevent sun burns. Keep it close at hand, as it stops the skin from peeling and also helps to relieve sunburns. De Coco’s virgin coconut oil is suitable for all skin types, it’s affordable, and, most of all, it smells delicious. bangkok101.com
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Coconut oil has been used in Thailand in many different ways over the centuries. Not only does it make the perfect cooking oil, thanks to its high smoking point, it also has numerous health benefits. It’s antibacterial, it boosts metabolism and the immune system, and it helps with digestive issues. Additionally, the “super-oil” is full of vitamin E, which encourages the growth and repair of skin cells. As a moisturizer, it leaves skin smooth and soft and can even relieve sunburns. Traditionally, coconut oil has been praised for its anti-aging properties, preventing skin from premature
wrinkling. Other cosmetic uses include turning it into an all-natural eye-makeup remover, deodorant, sunscreen, or—when mixed with coarse salt or sugar—an exfoliator. Applying it to your roots a few hours before washing will leave your hair shiny and soft and protect it from dandruff. One perhaps less familiar—although quite beneficial— use of the oil is for so-called “oil pulling.” Swishing one tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth for about 20 minutes helps improve gum health, reduces bacteria, and even has the added effect of whitening teeth. All this and more are hidden treasures of the humble green coconut.
In the Next Issue of Bangkok 101 • Songkran down South • Sink Your Teeth into Sathorn • A Taste of Khao Chae and Other Thai Traditions 120 | M A RCH 2016
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