CENTRALWORLD CentralWorld; The largest lifestyle shopping complex in Southeast Asia located in the heart of Bangkok, with more than 500 leading brands, over 100 restaurants and a 15-screen world-class cinema.
ZEN : THE CUTTING EDGE At ZEN, it’s all about style and substance. Bangkok’s only lifestyle trend megastore is a hub of alternative retailers that caters to style-conscious urbanites with edgy brands like Vivienne Westwood, Versus and Kenzo, plus emerging Thai Designer brands. Atop of these 7 exciting levels of shopping, ZEN features the world’s newest and largest rooftop dining & entertainment destination, coveri ng 4 venues on 4 l evel s, incl uding ZENSE Gourmet Deck & Lounge Panorama, Shintori Japanese Art Cuisine and HORIZONS International Tapas Bar.
CENTRAL CHIDLOM THE GLAMOROUS
Bangkok’s world-class shopping destination with the world’s super-brands, such as Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Ralph Lauren, also offers top Thai fashion designers, fantastic lingerie, children’s wear, luxury home items and Thai crafts. Our premier Beauty Galerie brings together the finest cosmetic and beauty products, from the likes of Chanel, La Mer, Dior and M.A.C. While on the top level finds FoodLoft, our signature open-kitchen dining area, serving delicious Thai and international cuisines for you to experience.
5-70% Discount
5 minutes
+
Up to
6%
Tax Refund for Tourists 2 minutes
CHIT LOM STATION WHERE THE WORLD’S BEST BRANDS MEET
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publisher’s letter
W
e enter a new year just as fascinated by this city – chaotic but cosmopolitan, exhausting yet energising – as we were 12 months ago. We hope all our readers are refreshed after the festive season because we’re just itching to plunge back into another whirlwind year of crazy festivals, exciting new food and drink adventures, intriguing exhibitions and glittering rooftop parties. In January, that exploration has started with a guide to the best Bangkok walks as well as Joe Cummings’ piece on the rise of artisan coffee. On the food and drink front, we swung past Ash Sutton’s new place, Bangkok Betty, but also went to town on some serious buffets. We’ve also got a striking photo feature this month, Saengjun Limlohakul’s long lost images depicting Phuket in the 1950s. Dutch artist Peter Klashorst has a new project, bringing his devotion to public art to Bangkok’s nightlife for a series of bold art parties. We also found time to get out of Bangkok to go trekking in the Himalayas and head north to chill out in Pai. If January is any indication, 2014 promises to be our busiest year yet. All this and our 101 archive and extras can be found online at bangkok101.com. A couple of clicks is all it takes to keep in touch with what’s happening. If there’s something you feel we’re not covering but should, then please drop us a line at info@talisman-media.com.
?
What is Bangkok 101 Independent and unbiased, Bangkok 101 caters to savvy travellers who yearn for more than what they find in guidebooks. It brings together an authoritative who’s who of city residents, writers, photographers and cultural commentators. The result is a compact and intelligent hybrid of monthly travel guide and city magazine that takes you on and off the well-worn tourist track. Bangkok 101 employs the highest editorial standards, with no fluff, and no smut. Our editorial content cannot be bought. We rigorously maintain the focus on our readers, and our ongoing mission is to ensure they enjoy this great city as much as we love living in it.
Enjoy.
Mason Florence Publisher
b a ngkok 101 Pa r t n e r s
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Contributors
publisher
Mason Florence editor-in-chief
Dr Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher
Parinya Krit-Hat editor
Tom Sturrock group editor
Bangkok-born but internationally bred, Dr Tom Vitayakul has a background in communication and branding but now runs his family’s boutique hotel and Thai restaurant. An avid traveller and a bon vivant, he has contributed to magazines including Lips, Lips Luxe and the Bangkok Post ’s the Magazine, and has also helped edit several books on Thai subjects.
Award-winning writer joe cummings was born in New Orleans and grew up in France, California and Washington, DC. Joe became one of Lonely Planet’s first guidebook authors, creating the seminal Lonely Planet Thailand guide. Joe has also written illustrated reference books such as Buddhist Stupas in Asia; Sacred Tattoos of Thailand; Muay Thai; World Food Thailand; Buddhist Temples of Thailand; Chiang Mai Style and Lanna Renaissance.
Food and travel writer howard richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s spent years exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer. He’s contributed to publications such as GQ , the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine.
Joe Cummings editorial assistant
Pawika Jansamakao art director
Narong Srisaiya graphic designer
Watcharee Sadubsoi
strategists
Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers
Gaby Doman, Luc Citrinot, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Dave Stamboulis contributing photographers
Dejan Patic´, Jatuporn Rutnin, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat group director sales & marketing
Jhone El’Mamuwaldi
director business development
Itsareeya Chatkitwaroon British-born writer-artist steven pettifor stopped over in Thailand 13 years ago on his way to Japan, but never left. An authority on contemporary Thai art, Steven is a commentator on the local art scene, contributing to international and domestic newspapers and journals. In 2004 he published coffeetable book Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art . When not musing, he is often found travel writing.
AVAILABLE AT:
bangkok101.com
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Native-Bangkok writer, photographer and incurable travel addict, korakot (nym) punlopruksa believes in experiencing the world through food. She can usually be found canvassing the city for the best eats. Nym has been a host for music and film programmes, a radio DJ, a creative consultant for TV and a documentary scriptwriter. Her work appears in magazines, including Elle, Elle Decoration and GM .
Very Thai author philip cornwel-smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in the areas of culture and travel. He has lived in Thailand for over a decade, editing its first listings magazine and the Time Out Bangkok guides, updating Thailand: A Traveller’s Companion, presenting Noodle Box: Bangkok on Discovery Channel, and squeezing Bangkok into the city’s first phone guide for Nokia.
director sales and marketing
Nowfel Ait Ouyahia special projects
Wasin Banjerdtanakul partnership development manager
Willem Deenik
circulation
Pradchya Kanmanee published by
Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 113 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd Bangkok 10330 T 02-252-3900 | F 02-650-4557 info@talisman-media.com © Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2013. 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. J AN U AR Y 2 0 1 4 | 5
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CONTENTS xx 12
xx 18
42
xx
63
city pulse
a r t & c u lt u r e
shopping
8 metro beat
46 exhibition highlights
96 new collection:
12 hot plates:
50 interview:
asava
bangkok betty
painting the town red
98 jj gem:
14 out and about:
53 cheat notes
twenty second
bangkok by foot
54 photo feature:
99 unique boutique:
18 best of bangkok:
passing time in phuket
papaya, hardcover
caffeine rush
food & drink s n a p s h ot s
60 food & drink news
22 tom’s two satang
62 meal deals
24 very thai
63 restaurant reviews:
25 chronicle of thailand
dressed, ruen urai, tribeca
26 joe’s bangkok
restobar, whale’s belly
28 temples, historic
70 all you can eat
homes, shrines, museums
74 in the kitchen:
50
96
peter pitawong
wellness
t r av e l
75 eat like nym
98 spa review:
32 up country now
76 restaurant listings
banyan tree spa
hansar bangkok
nightlife
reference
38 up country escape:
84 nightlife news
102 getting there
welcome to pailand
86 nightlife review:
104 maps
42 over the border:
ku de ta
112 my bangkok:
dancing lessons from god
90 nightlife listings
daniel fraser
86
36 hotel review:
bangkok 101
january 2014 100 baht
ONCE UPON A TIME IN PHUKET | CITY PULSE
Walking in Bangkok | TRAVEL
Dancing Lesson from God
on the cover Kathmandu Photo Gallery showcases Saengjun Limlohakul’s snapshots of 1950s Phuket. Check out our feature on p54.
| SHOPPING Asava
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by Howard Richardson
ROCK AND POP
Girls’ Generation Girls’ Generation fly in from South Korea on their first world tour, named Girls’ Generation World Tour – Girls & Peace at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, impact. co.th) on January 11. Billed as “the hottest nine-member girl group”, they have released several singles and albums, including The Boys and I Got A Boy. There is apparently a maximum of four tickets per person allowed. They’re available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com); prices are B1200-B6000. Nostalgia drives The Memory Concert, Love… Memories… Remembrance, which resurrects six artists from the 1980s. Chompoo, Ping Fruity, Tom Rainbow, Pravit Free Bird, Aod Brandy and Aey Pannida Sewatasai will do their thing at BITEC (km1, 88 Bangna-Trad Rd, 02-749-3939, bitec.co.th) on January 18. Tickets are B1000-B3000 at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). In 1991, vocalist Per Yngve Ohlin (stage name ‘Dead’) committed suicide, and two years later bass player Count Grishnackh murdered guitarist Euronymous. The tragedy that follows Norwegian black metal band Mayhem mirrors their violent stage show and marks them as dark poster boys for the genre. Led by surviving members Hellhammer and Necrobutcher, the four piece are live at the Rock Pub (Hollywood Street Building, Phaya Thai Rd, 081-666-4359, therockpub-bangkok.com) on January 21. Ticket prices weren’t fixed at press time. 8 | JA N UA RY 2014
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Blessthefall The Rock Pub (Hollywood Street Building, Phaya Thai Rd, 081666-4359, therockpub-bangkok.com) follows up with metalcore on January 22, in the shape of American guitar-led five-piece Blessthefall. They will push their fourth studio album, Hollow Bodies, which was released last year and reached No.15 on the Billboard 200 album charts. With previous albums titled His Last Walk, Witness and Awakening, it’s no surprise they’re also labelled Christian hardcore, the scariest core of all. Tickets are B1000 presale and B1200 on the door. Something lighter slips into town in the form of 60s US popster Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, who play at Bangkok Convention Centre (Central Plaza, Ladprao, 1695 Phaholyothin Rd, 02-541-1234) on January 22. The life and times of the influential singer have headlined recently in the Tony-winning musical Jersey Boys, which is now in its seventh year on Broadway. Fans will remember Frankie Valli songs as some of the biggest hits of that era, and he will no doubt please them with renditions of Big Girls Don’t Cry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You, Walk Like A Man, Rag Doll, and the rest. Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com) is the place to get tickets, priced B2500-B4500. At the other end of the spectrum, Sungha Jung is a 16-yearold guitar sensation with nearly 600 million views of his Youtube videos. The South Korean acoustic maestro plays Siam Pavalai Grand Theatre Siam (Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-610-8011, siamparagon.co.th) on January 25. Fittingly, it’s an afternoon show, starting at 1pm, way before his bedtime. Tickets run from B800-B2200 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-2623456, thaiticketmajor.com).
Sungha Jung bangkok101.com
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FESTIVALS
Chinese New Year As the snake slithers out, the horse gallops in for Chinese New Year, which will see plenty of Bangkok action in Chinatown, particularly around Yaowarat Road. New Year’s Day itself is on January 31 but the parades of lions, drums and fireworks will run for several days around that period. People will make merit at temples hoping for good luck, wealth and happiness in the coming year. There will also be Chinese operas to stumble upon, fashion shows and lots of food stalls.
ART A half century of works by some 40 artists from around the region hang in a show called Concept Context Contestation: Art and the Collective in Southeast Asia at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (939 Rama I Rd, 02-214-6632, bacc. or.th) until March 2. Lauded as the biggest Southeast Asian contemporary art show ever produced in Thailand, it presents some of the biggest names from eight countries, like Manit Sriwanichpoom, Vasan Sitthiket and Sutee Kunavichayanont. xxx xXxx The exhibition explores the idea that “conceptual approaches used in contemporary art of Southeast Asia are not necessarily imported but rather Concept Context Contestation can find their source in home culture”. bangkok101.com
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SHOPPING The Thailand Mega Show 2014 is a week long shopping extravaganza that sells a bit (actually, a lot) of everything at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, impact.co.th) from January 11-19. The range of products goes from fashion to travel, food and books, with side trips through gardening, home décor, kids and electronics. See thailandmegashow.com. There’s chance to tart up for next month’s Valentine’s Day at the Thailand Fashion & Beauty Fair 2014, which has 300 booths at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (60 Ratchadaphisek Rd, 02-229-3000, qsncc.co.th) from January 30-February 2.
CLASSICAL The season of picnic hampers and bottles of bubbly is under way as people take advantage of the cool weather and the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra playing Music in the Park. The setting is Lumpini Park every Sunday until February 9, at 5.30pm as the sun goes down. The orchestra works its way through melodies from film, stage and popular classical music. See bangkoksymphony.org for the full performance schedule. Entry is free. JA N UA RY 2014 | 9
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Oh Boy
FILM The season of German Open Air Cinema is in full swing at the Goethe Institut (18/1 Soi Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1, 02-2870942, goethe.de/bangkok), with films showing most weeks until February 25. This month’s offerings are the black and white tragi-comedy Oh Boy on January 14; the drama Barbara on January 21; and romantic thriller Night Train to Lisbon on January 28. The full schedule is listed at goethe.de/ins/th. All films are in German but have English subtitles. Admission is free. Grab your popcorn.
Barbara
JAZZ The Thailand International Jazz Conference 2014 brings local and international talent to the College of Music, Mahidol University (25/25 Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Rd, Salaya, 02-8002525, music.mahidol.ac.th) from January 31 to February 2. The conference blends live shows with workshops on topics such as improvisation, recording and jazz performance. Players who rate their chops might like to enter the jazz improvisation
competition, for prizes up to B100,000. Heading the line-up are The Seamus Blake Trio (featuring the excellent drummer Nate Smith), The Aaron Parks Trio and Stranahan/Zaleski/Rosato. All will give classes. Tickets are B3000 (for a three-day pass, covering all events), B500 (one-day pass for day time workshops) and B800 (one-night performance pass). Get all from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com).
THEATRE When you tire of your avatars of Yingluck and Abhisit climbing into a virtual boxing ring in the popular app Thai Fight, try the alternative Muay Thai Live: The Legend Lives. This new attraction, which opens at Asiatique (Charoen Krung Sois 72-76, 02-108-4488; asiatiquethailand.com) from January 15, celebrates the ancient martial art of muaythai. The show combines drama with historical and cultural background and choreographed routines showing the moves associated with the 300 year-old sport. It will all be set to music, using promised “state-of-the-art light and sound technology”. The shows play every 10 | JA N UA RY 2014
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night at 8pm. For more information see muaythailive. net or facebook.com/muaythailive.bkk. The musical Phantai Norasing at the Thailand Cultural Centre (Thiem Ruammitr Rd, 02-247-0028) on January 12 celebrates the birthday last month of HM King Bhumibol. It features songs written by national artists and performed by popular singers such as Sawalee Pakapan, Suthep Wongkhanhaeng and Charlie Intarawichit. Two other shows will play at the event, San Sern Charoen Pra Kwan and an unnamed piece from Baan Intanil, in a one-off performance only at this event. Get tickets from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). bangkok101.com
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hot plates
Bangkok Betty by Howard Richardson
T
here’s always a buzz when Ash Sutton opens a new place and Bangkok Betty fits the fantasy formula that provided such riches with previous creations like Iron Fairies and Maggie Choo’s. In lesser hands his outlets would be tacky pastiches. That they aren’t is testament to his talent for execution, which equals his imagination in concept. Ash fabricates stories then turns them into not-quite-reality. Just what you want on a night out. It only takes an absinthe or two to believe you really are in a workshop making fairies. This time the setting is a Second World War-era bomb-making factory somewhere in the US; the name Bangkok Betty is based on a notional good time girl. Her cartoon image romps provocatively on the wall behind the bar. Betty is touted as Ash’s first proper restaurant and it does have a more comprehensive food menu than his other outlets, with bistro plates like oysters (from B120 apiece), seafood ragu with pappardelle pasta (B350) and sous vide pork belly (B450). Finish with homey favourites like drunken brownie with bourbon Horlick’s ice cream (B260). But it still feels like a watering hole. The long bar itself is the focal point, made up like a bomb production line in stainless steel, with mock blueprints etched in wood panels. Around the room there are bombs and bits of bombs everywhere – hanging from the ceiling, propping up the island tables – while wooden plank floors, machinery bits, pulleys and clamps, brick walls and archways add to the effect. The dining tables and bar settings are machinist stations. The tops have repros of propaganda posters; little bolt drawers have plaques containing the wartime motto, “Loose Lips Sink Ships”. Bangkok’s ubiquitous mixologist Joseph Boroski has crafted the cocktails, (from B290), each named after a real life US period war plane. Put some friendly fire in your belly with the likes of Final Approach (Johnny Walker Black, fresh ginger and lime and homemade lemongrass syrup) or Kickapoo Joy Juice (Ketel One vodka, black currant liqueur, fresh pineapple, watermelon and palm sugar). Local beers start at B150, with an expanding list of imports from B220. Sutton has set a very high bar and Bangkok Betty is all a bit too slick and shiny to actually feel like a bomb factory. So the fantasy isn’t realised. But, while it lacks the authenticity of Iron Fairies or Maggie Choo’s, there’s still lots to like. The sound system plays jitterbug tunes and stomping 40s and 50s R&B; and there’s a live band, Chai’s Blues, featuring one of Bangkok’s best guitar players. In the centre of the room, the bar has its own real life Betty, who climbs aboard a large phallic bomb and poses for photos for a stream of cameras. BB might not quite explode but it does fizz with the infectious air of tourists letting their hair down.
bangkok betty
[MAP 3/l10]
GF Holiday Inn Bangkok Sukhumvit 22, 1 Sukhumvit Soi 22 02-663 4223 | 1am-2am
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bangkok by foot A new book maps a series of walking routes to explore the capital while also revealing little-known secrets that give the history a whole new human dimension.
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enneth Barrett has spent two decades living in Bangkok, writing about its history and bestkept secrets and presumably acquiring enough anecdotes to fill several dinners’ worth of conversation. Still, when he set out to write about Bangkok and the best ways to experience the city on foot, he realised he had only begun to scratch the surface. “I thought I knew Bangkok pretty well but I was overwhelmed by the little details and the stories that emerged,” he says of his research for his recently released book, 22 Walk ins Bangkok. “In the 1990s, I wrote a series of columns, helping people explore the old districts. This book was informed by that – I think we all know the big setpiece landmarks but the old districts not so much.” “When you’re talking about the history involved, though, it can become a bit of a blur if you go on about Rama one 14 | JA N UA RY 2014
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BY TOM STURROCK
two, three and four. But if you can describe why these things happened, why certain decisions were made, then I think you start to get a bit more of a human element to it. I wanted to bring it all to life, make these districts more accessible.” For his research, Barrett owes plenty to Bangkok’s finest libraries. Still, he insists there was no substitute for pounding the pavement. “The research proved difficult because the information is fragmented but it’s easier these days because there are more sources generally available,” he says. “In the end it still comes down to shoe leather – I should be a lot fitter.” As a result, Barrett unearthed several gems, all of which are included in his book. For example, the uninvited guests who made their home in Wat Liab in front of Memorial Bridge. bangkok101.com
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out & about
“Inside Wat Liab, there’s a Japanese temple,” Barrett says. “And I didn’t know this but during the final days of the Second World War it was used as a hideout by fleeing Japanese war criminals.” For Barrett, the Thonburi side of the Chao Praya remains a treasure trove of historical curios but he also loves the energetic helter skelter of Chinatown. “The Thonburi side is fascinating for anyone with an interest in the history of the city, that old harbour near the Santa Cruz church,” he says. “But the Thonburi side never really came alive the way the Bankok side did. Everything began to emanate out from the Grand Palace and Chinatown. “I divide Chinatown into three different sections because taken as one it’s a terrible sprawl. My favourite part of Chinatown is Songwat Rd because you can still see the old, working Chinatown. There’s also a mosque there which looks more like a mansion – it was built for Malay and Muslim merchants. On the fringes of Chinatown, there’s also a department store that opened in the 1960s and hasn’t changed a bit.” bangkok101.com
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There are, of course, more unsavoury sights as well. It’s not all temples and kitschy retail. “In Chinatown, there’s a temple called Wat Kanikapon, which was built by the owner of an old brothel,” Barrett says. “Mrs Faeng had done well for herself and the tradition was that you did that, using contributions from the girls who worked for her as well.” Given his devotion to understanding Bangkok’s past, it would be understandable if Barrett felt a sense of nostalgia for all that has faded away, replaced in the headfirst rush into modernity. Instead, Barrett marvels at Bangkok’s rapid ascent. “In the 1980s it was quieter – it’s all happened over the past 20 years. There’s very little in my book about Sukhumvit, for example, because it was swampland, delta country,” Barrett says. “It’s all changed because of the free-booting attitude of the Thais – they’ll just go for it. The way Bangkok has emerged as a regional hub is very interesting – despite being up against places like Singapore, it’s managed to emerge as a really important point within southeast Asia.” JA N UA RY 2014 | 15
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The Road to Golden Mountain Bamrung Muang Rd runs through the area that supplies the country’s temples (above). Shophouses line both sides, selling alms bowls, saffron robes, bells and candles. In the backstreets, you’ll find the workshops that produce all this.
The Shady Ladies of Sampeng Lane Yaowarat may be the main thoroughfare of Chinatown but Sampeng Lane houses the district’s origins, built by merchants and craftsmen. It was once a hotbed of gambling and opium dens and became Bangkok’s first red light district.
The Old Harbour Head to the Thonburi side of the Chao Praya and explore Bangkok Yai, where you’ll find remnants of the area’s original communities, including temples, shrines and mosques, as well as one of the city’s leading leather markets on Charoen Rat Rd.
Along the Dragon’s Back In the newer parts of Chinatown, you’ll find the Leng Buai Yia Shrine on Yaowarat Soi 6. It’s the oldest Chinese shrine in Bangkok, predating the city itself, built in 1658, long before the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya and forced the move south.
The Grand Palace After checking out the Grand Palace, cross over the green spaces of Sanam Luang to see the Front Palace, which was the residence of the deputy king and the second centre of government. Rama II used land here to breed rabbits.
The Hidden Island The Chao Praya river loops round on itself just underneath Khlong Toei and the area within is known as Bang Krachao. It remains almost totally undeveloped and is a huge expanse of green space. But watch out for the mosquitos.
Along the Riverbank Walking along Maharat Rd, you’ll pass the headquarters of the Royal Thai army as well as the grandest shophouses in Bangkok, built in the 19th century. The area near the Siam Commercial Bank was once used for bathing the royal elephants.
The Jim Thompson Legend Return to central Bangkok to visit the Jim Thompson House in Pathum Wan. The story of Thompson – a spy-turned-silk trader who mysteriously disappeared – is already famous but the remaining weaving sheds on sois 9 and 11 are less well-known.
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caffeine rush Artisanal coffee is booming in Bangkok, giving rise to an explosion of cafes and roasting houses that cater to customers who take their morning brew seriously.
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kameth ‘Tay’ Witvasutti, of Brave Roasters, has been experimenting with different ways of toasting the seeds of the Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora plants for two years. Passionate about participating in Bangkok’s emerging artisan coffee culture, Tay moved to Thailand’s caffeine capital, Chiang Mai, where he apprenticed at Happy Espresso, a small roaster dedicated to a new trend that favours lighter roasts. “Coffee roasting has been around in Bangkok for years,” says Tay, a 25-year-old in shorts and black-rimmed glasses who looks barely out of his teens. “But the process is becoming much more refined.” Returning to Bangkok with detailed knowledge of both roasting and brewing, he continued his education by 18 | JA N UA RY 2014
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BY JOE CUMMINGS
ordering beans from famous roasters in the US and UK and teaching himself more about flavour profiles. “The general techniques involved in roasting the beans and making coffee are not so difficult to master,” Tay says. “But creating really excellent coffee requires an obsessive artisanal approach.” Brave Roasters supplies a number of cafes in Bangkok, including Casa Lapin outlets, Gallery Drip Coffee and his own One Ounce for Onion, a shoebox-sized café next to Onion, his hipster fashion accessory boutique. A large black Has Garanti roasting machine, manufactured in Turkey, occupies a small room behind Onion. Many of his customers buy direct, ordering by phone or email. In the café, all beans are ground to order using a hand-cranked bangkok101.com
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best of bangkok
coffee mill. Tay does all the roasting himself, producing a modest 80 to 100 kilograms of coffee each month, including three single-origin coffees from Doi Saket and Chom Thong in Chiang Mai province, as well as imports from Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Guatemala. Import duties of 90 percent keep prices of imported beans high, hence Thai beans sell well because of the comparatively lower pricing. Three years ago, Varatt Vichit-Vadakan started cooking beans in a large German-made Giesen to supply his new café, Roast Coffee & Eatery, one of the early occupants of SeenSpace in Thonglor. With its combination of excellent single-origin brews, gorgeous comfort food and free Wi-Fi, Roast was soon packed with laptop-toting regulars. “We had to start roasting coffee there at midnight, after waiting for all the customers to leave,” Varatt says. “It got to be too tiring for me and my roaster [Korn Sanguankeaw], so with demand on the rise, we moved the roasting machine to a shopfront in Ekamai where we could roast during the day.” They also placed the bakery there and eventually decided to open their doors to the public on weekends under the name Roots Coffee Roasters. “It was always my passion to have a coffee-centric spot, a place where people who are serious about coffee could meet and appreciate what we do up close,” Varatt insists. At Roots, customers pay by leaving whatever cash they bangkok101.com
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feel comfortable with in an “honesty box” (100 baht for coffee and 50 baht per pastry are recommended). Soon Roots began offering classes and workshops during the week, catering to customers interested in everything from barista art to roasting and cupping (tasting coffee). Roots roasts around 700 kilograms a month, supplying not only Roast but also a number of other coffee retailers around town. At any given time, Roots offers six to eight single-origin beans, working directly with one farm in northern Thailand and another in Sumatra. Depending on the season, the company also imports beans from Africa, Central America and South America. Varatt says he’s especially impressed with beans from northern Sumatra’s Wahana Estate, which specialises in all-natural methods, including pulped-natural processing (also known as ‘honey processing’), in which the skin is removed from the seed but the fruit flesh remains on the beans during drying. “Thai beans are excellent and getting better,” he says. “In fact, Thailand is producing some of the best beans in the region these days. We found a supplier in Phrao that uses the honey process.” We ask Varatt why he thinks Thais have become so obsessed with artisan and specialty coffees recently. “Although the trend started in the States and Europe quite a few years ago, it didn’t really catch on here until it hit Singapore around two years ago. I suppose that’s JA N UA RY 2014 | 19
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best of bangkok BEAN HUNTER’S GUIDE
Brave Roasters/One Ounce for Onion 19/12 Ekamai Soi 12
Compete for a very limited number of seats to taste fruity Tekongo Ngeri from Kenya, Guatemala micro-lot and other superlative beans ground by hand before brewing. Roots Coffee Roasters Ekamai Terrace 2-4, between Ekamai Soi 15 and Soi 17
Try the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere cold brew or Roots’ own Bruna blend of honey-processed Thai beans from Phrao, Brazilian Carmo de Minas and Guatemala Huehuetenango. Open weekends only. Rocket Coffeebar (pictured) 49 Sathon Soi 12
Choose a table or counter space in the airy, light-hued interior or at a streetside table to enjoy one of the city’s best lattes. For something different, try the cold-brew Rocket Fuel made from Thai, Indonesian, Brazilian, and Guatemalan beans. Original-recipe dishes on the coffeebar menu are partly inspired by the three S’s: Stockholm, Sydney and San Francisco.
Kuppa 39 Sukhumvit Soi 16
The 15-year-old veteran on the scene, this was the first café in Bangkok to roast its own beans in the espresso style. Stand-out signature blends are served in a French press for a stalwart brew and the breakfast menu is superb. Casa Lapin Thonglor Art Village, between Thonglor Soi 17 and Soi 19
Like Tay at Brave Roasters, who roasts for Casa Lapin, owner-architect Surapan Tanta apprenticed in Chiang Mai and specialises in a lighter, more flavourful roast.
Roast Coffee and Eatery
Ceresia Coffee Roasters
2/F SeenSpace, Thong Lor 13
593/29-41 Sukhumvit Soi 33/1
Beans from Africa, the Americas and Asia are roasted twice a week to produce a wide variety of single-origin and blended coffees. Roast serves a menu of carefully reconstructed comfort American classics.
Venezuelan sisters Marian and Lucia Aguilar work with Thai roaster Garin Asavaroengchai to craft their selection of African and Central and South American coffee, served in both filtered and espresso versions.
because more Thais travel there than further afield. “Singaporeans also offered useful training. I took classes and workshops there myself, and I found that roasting techniques are very advanced at such microroasters as Papa Palheta and Nylon.” Roast Coffee & Eatery will soon open a second branch in the new Emporium II shopping mall. “Roots will probably hit its roasting capacity of 1,000 kilos in February, as we begin creating special blends custom-tailored for specific local coffeeshops,” Varatt says. One local business that is ordering a custom blend from Roots is Rocket Coffeebar in Sathon Soi 12. One of the city’s most talked-about new dining venues, Rocket serves the best-tasting espresso beverages we’ve yet sampled anywhere in Bangkok. Thomas Anostam, who along with partners Dannie and Ben-David Sorum and Jared O’Brien has been responsible for Hyde & Seek Gastrobar and a number of other culinary ventures, explains what makes their espressos, lattes and cappuccinos stand out. “The typical barista tamps seven to 10 grams of coffee, per cup of espresso, into the machine,” the tall Swede explains. “Here we use 18 grams to create a more intense and full-bodied coffee. This allows us to use a more medium roast compared to the more traditional dark espresso roast. You get to taste more of the coffee’s natural flavour rather than just the roast.” 20 | JA N UA RY 2014
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Rocket’s Synesso Hydra, a semi-manual espresso machine hand-made in Seattle, allows the operator to introduce three bars of pressure at the beginning, so that water slowly infuses the coffee puck. After six seconds of saturation, the pressure is increased to a full nine bars. According to Rocket, this ensures that once the nine bars is going, the water will flow throughout the whole coffee puck rather than any crack in the coffee load created by too much pressure, too soon. The result is a noticeably richer, smoother and more flavourful espresso. For single-origin beans, Rocket brews coffee using the pour-over method, which is regaining popularity all over the world. The coffeebar also offers cold-brewed Rocket Fuel, in which fresh-ground coffee is steeped in cold mineral water for 24 hrs, then filtered and bottled. In the cafe it’s served on ice with an orange slice. You can also buy Rocket Fuel by the bottle to take home and serve warm or chilled according to preference. We found that the super-smooth brew, made from Thai, Indonesian, Brazilian and Guatemalan beans, has a surprisingly intense caffeine kick to help squeeze a little more out of the day. Inspired by Australian cafes, Rocket Coffeebar strives to provide customers with ‘coffee-friendly’ dishes throughout the day, whether for breakfast, lunch, late-afternoon snacks or dinner. The building occupied by Rocket will soon include a New York-style tavern next door, entered via a narrow alley alongside the building. bangkok101.com
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ruen
CUISINE ART
Red: Chilli Paying homage to the herbal medicine doctor, the original owner of the house, Ruen Urai's third Thai gourmet journey explores colourful herbs and spices and their healing properties. Chilli peppers have made Thai food world-famous yet they were brought from South America through trading with the Portuguese and Arabs. Thais have adopted this ingredient and mixed fresh or dried chillis into myriad dishes. Chillis' intensity will vary according to species but they are all high in Vitamin C, a topical analgesic agent for pain and headaches. Ruen Urai at the Rose Hotel 118 Soi Na Wat Hualumphong, Surawongse Road Tel: 66 (0) 2266-8268-72 Fax: 66 (0) 2266-8096 www.rosehotelbkk.com www.ruen-urai.com
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seasonal bloom
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insight
ToTwmo ’Ssatang
S N A P S H OT S
Join Bangkok-born but internationally bred aesthete Dr. Tom Vitayakul as he gives his own unique take on Thailand and its capital. Each month he tackles a different aspect of the local culture – from art and festivals to 21stcentury trends – in a lighthearted yet learned manner
On seasons
Artwork: March in Lanna 2013, Woodcut print, by Srijai Kuntawang
L
iving in the tropics poses certain advantages. It is mainly hot throughout the year so one doesn’t need a change of wardrobe seasonally and fresh produce is abundant all year round. Thailand, though, has three seasons, except for the southern region, which has two. Each season brings not only different weather patterns but also different types of activities, festivities and food, while making certain travel destinations popular. From November to February, it is the dry or cool season. The weather is mild but is hardly like winter. This is possibly the best time to travel all over Thailand. Even Thai people make an exodus to the north because of the cooler climes in the mountains. We find chilly air exotic and like to rug up in all kinds of winter clothes. It is also the best time to visit the beaches and the islands on the Andaman Sea. The north-easterly monsoon from the South China Sea makes the north and northeast cool and dry but it doesn’t bring rain to the south. Traditionally, since this is after the harvest time, it is time to take stock. Rice farmers grow different types of crops or vegetables or keep their last harvest in the barn. Blooming cut flowers from the north are at their peaks. It is also the period to weave. Either cotton yarn is spun and turned into beautiful pieces of cloth and silk gets woven into lustrous textiles. These gorgeous pieces can be seen during festivals like Loy Krathong. With high tides on the waterways, festivals of boat song and boat racing often take place in the Central Plains. In Thailand there are several festivals in each month. Phra raja phitee sibsong duen (Royal Rites in Twelve Months), penned by King Rama V, described various rituals, ceremonies, and festivals throughout the year. Most of them are connected to beliefs in fertility for agricultural purposes. Hot season or summer starts in March and lasts until mid-June. However, it starts in November in the south and stays for six months. When the mercury rises, citydwellers head to the nearest beaches. Bangsaen and Pattaya were beaches du jour in the hay days of the 70s and the 80s. Cha-am and Hua Hin have come back in style in the last 20 years – as they were during the 20s and the 30s of the 20th century. All the island destinations are packed with both locals and tourists.
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When it’s hot, food becomes lighter, fruiter and juicier. Since this is one of the best times for fruits, Thais go crazy for them. Mangoes, durians and mangosteens are in season during summer and khao chae, polished rice in perfumed iced water served with special dishes, is another popular summer dish. Interestingly, most tropical flowering trees bloom during summer. Blossoms on yellow cotton trees, tabebuia, golden shower trees and Thai crape myrtle spread vivid colours along the streets. Colourful kites add gaudy shapes and shades to the sky. Summer festivals like Songkran are a vibrant time of the year. But after all the merriment, it is time to go back to work. In mid-May the Royal Ploughing Ceremony is conducted and another year of new rice crops is planted. Then the rainy season or the tropical monsoon arrives in June and stays until early November. This is the monsoon from the Indian Ocean and the south-westerly wind blows up towards the north-east. After the earth is ploughed, the new rice crop is planted. The world becomes green again. Fresh, new leaves and all kinds of flowering vegetables are abundant. Thais love eating young leaves and budding flowers, which are perfect ingredients or condiments for our spicy dishes. If it doesn’t rain, the Rocket Festival and other rain-making festivals occur in the countryside. It is not a bad time to visit the islands in the gulf because it rains more on the other side of the isthmus. Religiously, wetness and humid air makes it time to stay in. The Lord Buddha chose this time for Lent, the period when Buddhist monks should stay in a monastery. They should not travel around, ensuring the farmers’ crops are not stepped on. The Buddhist Lent lasts three months from July to October, when it rains heavily. On the first day of Lent, the Candle Festival begins. Larger-than-life wax sculptures are moulded and carved as a Buddhist offering and then paraded through the streets. Unfortunately, this can also be time for floods. It is common in this part of world where rivers’ banks brim and sea levels rise. Before all the expressways were constructed, we used boats and they come in handy again from time to time. Although seasons may change, many of Thais’ behavioural patterns have remained the same. JA N UA RY 2014 | 23
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very thai
S
alphabet tables
G is for Chicken and K is for Egg
tudents of the Western alphabet quickly set aside spelling prompts like ‘A for Apple’, ‘B for Boat’. Learners of Thai instead maintain a lifelong relationship with the 44 words that contain the 44 consonants. As the Thai A to Z runs G to H, people nickname it gor gai tueng hor nok huuk: ‘G Chicken to H Owl’. More than a learning tool, this letternaming resembles the international radio operator’s ‘T for Tango, V for Victor’ as a way to clarify spelling. This need arises from the 44 consonants covering just 21 sounds – nine when ending a word. Listed in an order based on how they’re shaped by lips and tongue, there are six kinds of T, five Ks, four Ss, three Chs and so on, each spoken with a trailing ‘Or’ vowel. Illustrations of the words grace letter charts adorning posters and kids’ table tops that also get used by adults for anything from lunch and lottery ticket selling to fortune-telling. The imagery echoes Thai culture – from the temple: sor sala (pavilion), khor rakhang (bell), nor naen (novice monk). From the jungle: chor chang (elephant), ngor ngu (snake), sor seua (tiger). From the farm: khor khai (egg), khor khwai (buffalo), bpor bpla (fish). From mythology: sor ruesi (hermit), yor yak (giant). From nationalism: thor thahan (soldier), thor thong (flag).
> Very Thai
Photos: John Goss
River Books by Philip Cornwel-Smith with photos by John Goss and Philip CornwelSmith | B 995
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Now out in an expanded, updated 2nd edition, ‘Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture’ is a book that almost every foreign resident has on their reading table, a virtual bible on Thai pop culture. Now with four extra chapters, 64 more pages and a third of the 590 photographs being new, it guides you on a unconventional Technicolor tour of the quirky things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 70 chapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and buy a copy of the new edition at any good bookshop. bangkok101.com
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chronicle of thailand
S N A P S H OT S
december 12, 1966:
records fall at Asian Games in bangkok
thai weightlifter sets new mark en route DRUG to winning first gold medal for kingdom
LO
OUST
armed fo
A
t the fifthAsian Games, Thai weightlifter Chaiya from Sukchinda hoisted 322.5kg, simultaneously winning Thailand’s first gold and breaking his own worldChiang Rai Thai forces flyweight record. Chaiya became the first athlete in theagainst games’drug lord Khun 15-year history to break a world record. King Bhumibolhis 200-mule opium ca Several thousand opened the games to a cheering crowd of 30,000 at National by planes and helicopte Stadium. A total of 2,673 athletes from 18 countries converged stronghold at Ban Hin T on Bangkok for the competition, which saw ‘records fall like (SUA). At least 1,000 re ninepins’, according to one sports reporter. as fierce fighting flared Overall, the Japanese team dominated the medal standings of the games, winning a total of 78 golds, 53 silvers and 33After Thai and SU a truce bronze medals. Thailand finished third with a medal tally of 12proposal put for Tinsulanond stated: “A golds, 14 silvers and 11 bronzes. trafficking, fac The games were marred by unpleasant incidents in narcotics the continue its drive again men’s basketball semifinal match between Thailand and destroyed.” It was estim Korea, which ended with players and coaches, policemen the region’s heroin. T and spectators all wading into an on-court ‘free-for-all’.ofThe extensive headquarters Korean players, who suffered several injuries, walked off and equipment as casu the court in protest after the incident. By refusing to play they handed the game to the Thais, who went on to lose toIn July, Khun Sa’s Israel in the final – an encounter that was also marred troops, by an fought against t
unfortunate spectator-provoked melee. Chronicle of Thailand is the story of Thailand during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Beginning on the day he was crowned, 9 June 1946, the book presents a vivide eye-witnessaccount of Thailand’s development through the major news events of the last 64 years. Alongside a grandstand view of events and quirky aspects of daily life that just happened to make the news, the book features thousands of rare and fascinating pictures and illustrations, representing one of the most comprehensive photo collections of Thailand ever produced.
> Chronicle of Thailand
EDM Books | editor-in-chief
21 January Nicholas1982 Grossman | B1,450
good luck any Thais, including taxi drivers, don an amulet (or a dozen) dangling from a necklace with images of the Buddha, monks, Hindu gods and goddesses, and other lucky icons. The charms reflect the wearer’s personal beliefs, values and superstitions. When many Bangkok cabbies begin their shift, they remove their amulets from around their neck and hang them from their rearview mirror while saying a prayer. The talismans thus serve to protect the car, as well as the driver.
EDM Books | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | B1,450
Chronicle of Thailand is the story o Adulyadej. Beginning on the day h presents a vivid eye-witness accou major news events of the last 64 y as they unfolded and quirky aspec the news, the book features thous illustrations, representing one of t Thailand ever produced.
still life in moving vehicles
for
M
> Chronicle of Thailand
side of Doi Lang mount Chiang Rai provinces. T displaced hundreds of Border Patrol Police. In Sa’s new base on Doi L constructed 200 buildin
CiTy vS. COUNTRy
This cabby literally wears two hats. He dons a baseball cap when he’s driving his cab and puts on this straw hat when he’s farming. This is not uncommon in Bangkok as many cabbies here come from the countryside to drive a taxi between rice plantings and harvests, or when extra income is desperately needed. I asked the driver of this taxi which job he prefers and he told me that he would much rather do farming than drive in this city full of traffic jams and crazy people. Visual artist and academic, Dale Konstanz snaps photos of the sacred decorations and other bits and bobs he finds in Bangkok taxis, then writes about them on his blog, Still Life in Moving Vehicles (http://lifeinmovingvehicle.blogspot.com). Published by River Books, the spin-off book, Thai Taxi Talismans, is available at bookstores around town for B995. JA N UA RY 2014 | 25
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highlight
Joean’sgkok B
Award-winning writer Joe Cummings was born in New Orleans but became one of Lonely Planet’s first guidebook authors, creating the seminal Lonely Planet Thailand guide, as well as several other titles and updates for the region. Each month, he picks out his favourite cultural gems throughout Bangkok.
born on the water
O
ne of the quickest ways to neutralise Bangkok’s metropolitan overload is to leave the concrete behind and disappear into Bangkok’s intricate network of canals and rivers. Criss-crossing the city in all directions, these murky green waterways move cargo and passenger traffic both within the city and without, provide a seemingly endless source of water for bathing, cooking, irrigation and recreation, and conjuring up a parallel universe in which 18th-century Siam collides with 21stcentury Thailand. Viewed from above, Bangkok’s canal world resembles a quirky, skewed mandala, the quasi-circular diagrams created by Buddhist artists as an object for meditation. Much like Hindu-Buddhist mythology’s Mount Meru, around which the cosmos unfolds in concentric continents alternating with slender cosmic oceans, Thailand’s sweltering capital straddles a vast spider web of natural and artificial canals fanning out through sultry river delta for several hundred square miles. The Thais have always had a deep affinity for water, dating to the early first millennium when they began migrating – from where remains a matter of lively debate – into river valleys throughout Thailand and neighbouring Laos and Myanmar. Buckminster Fuller believed the 26 | JA N UA RY 2014
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prevalence of the Meru myth in South and Southeast Asia suggested a migration from the Indian and Pacific ocean archipelagos and continental coasts to the Himalayan heart of Asia. For Fuller the orderly alternation of land and water in the Meru mandala pointed to an Oceanic origin for Asian civilisation and religious archetypes. Whatever the circumstances, the Siamese never strayed far from water. Thailand’s ruling monarchy, which has flourished for nearly a thousand years, transferred the royal capital from central Thailand’s Ayuthaya – a richly endowed city itself surrounded by canals and rivers – to the banks of the Chao Phraya River in 1769 following a disastrous war with the Burmese. Using thousands of Khmer prisoners of war, King Rama I augmented Bangkok’s natural canal-and-river system with hundreds of artificial waterways. All fed into Thailand’s hydraulic lifeline, the broad Chao Phraya River, which bisected the city centre into two halves, Bangkok proper and Thonburi, the river’s ‘right bank’. The Chao Phraya in turn disgorges itself into the Gulf of Thailand, a vast cul-desac of the South China Sea. The canal expansion changed the geography of the city. Taking one of the river’s largest natural curves, city planners added two lengthy canals, Banglamphu Canal bangkok101.com
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highlight and Ong Ang Canal, to create a royal island called Ko Ratanakosin. Ko Ratanakosin quickly accumulated an impressive architectural portfolio centered on the Grand Palace, political hub of the new Siamese capital. Brahman priests and Buddhist monks consecrated the palace in 1782 along with an adjacent royal monastery, Wat Phra Kaew. Lining the long, shaded cloisters of the monastery, deep-hued frescoes, highlighted with rich golds and watery blues, transpose the Hindu god Rama’s heroic exploits on to visions of Bangkok’s canal network 200 years ago. Portuguese priest Fernao Mendez Pinto was the first to use the epithet ‘Venice of the East’, referring not to Bangkok but to Ayuthaya, in a letter to the Society of Jesus in Lisbon in 1554, but two hundred years later it came to be used to describe the new Bangkok capital as well. In 1855, British envoy Sir John Bowring noted in his reports: “The highways of Bangkok are not streets or roads but the river and the canals. Boats are the universal means of conveyance and communication.” Visiting traders and diplomats from Europe marvelled at not only the sheer scale of the waterways but also the exotic life encountered both on and off the water. While walking along the Chao Phraya one afternoon in 1824, English trader Robert Hunter spotted what he thought was a creature with eight limbs and two heads swimming in the river. When the oddity lifted itself on to a canoe, Hunter was surprised to see it was in fact two 13-year-old boys who were fused together at the chest. The Briton was so intrigued that he sponsored a medical examination of the boys and later introduced them to Bangkok’s Western social circuits as ‘the Siamese twins’. Throughout the history of the Chakri Dynasty, royal administrations added to the system. Khlong Mahawawat (khlong means ‘canal’) was dug during the reign of King Rama IV to link the Chao Phraya River with the Tha Chin River. Lined with fruit orchards and stilted houses draped with fishing nets, Khlong Mahawawat is still one of the most traditional and least visited of the Bangkok canals. Khlong Saen Saep came about to shorten travel between the Chao Phraya and Bang Pakong rivers and today is heavily used by boat taxi commuters moving across the city from east to west and vice versa. The section of the Chao Phraya River extending between the Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals was originally a canal dug as a shortcut across a large loop in the original river course. This canal broadened and merged with the Chao Phraya River such that today most people assume it’s the natural course of the river. Meanwhile, the original river loop narrowed and became shallower, becoming the Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai ‘canals’. Following the Second World War, when the Japanese briefly occupied parts of the city, Thai engineers built bridges over the Chao Phraya River and began filling in canals to provide space for new roads and shophouses. However, as Bangkok tumbled headlong into the 1980s, racking up double-digit growth for over a decade, gridlock traffic and choking vehicle fumes induced nostalgia for the city’s water-borne origins. Gliding west off the Chao Phraya into Khlong Bangkok Noi knocks 50 years off big-city progress. As your boat bangkok101.com
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penetrates Bangkok’s right bank, the scenery transforms into a snug corridor of teak houses on stilts, old Buddhist temples and banana groves. Thai women in straw lampshade hats hawk steaming bowls of rice noodles from wooden canoes. Mobile banks and post offices putter along atop tiny barges, further demonstrating that virtually any errand on land can also be done on water. From Bangkok Noi, public boats continue up Khlong Om, lined by plantations growing the spiky, strong-smelling durian. Another turn in the maze links up with Khlong Mon and one whooshes past gold-spired temples, century-old wooden piers and hothouses filled with exotic orchids. Authentic floating markets, in which wooden canoes laden with fruits, vegetables, noodles, and handicrafts cluster together near bridges and riverbanks waiting for customers, have disappeared from central Bangkok. Adjacent Samut Songkhram Province, however, practically floats on canals intersecting the lazy bends of the Mae Klong River, creating the perfect environment for talat nam. Some floating markets convene only during certain moon phases of the lunar calendar. The longer one lingers on Bangkok’s waters, the closer one gets to Thai-ness, so much so that it could be said that until you’ve skimmed the choppy canals of the great city, you haven’t seen the original Bangkok heart. JA N UA RY 2014 | 27
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listings
HISTORIC HOMES ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Throne Hall [map 8/F8] Uthong Nai Rd, opp Dusit Zoo Tue -Sun 10am-6pm | B150 Located at the tail-end of Dusit district’s stately ceremonial boulevard, Ratchadam noen, this stately parliamentary palace was built during the reign of Rama V and completed by Rama VI. Cast in white Carrara marble, it is still used for the ceremonial opening of the first parliamentary session. Influenced by Renaissance architecture, the interior is decorated with detailed frescoes by Italian Galileo Chini of royal ceremonies and festivities. Out front stands a statue of King Rama V still worshipped today.
JIM THOMPSON HOUSE [map 4/A3]
M.r. KUKRIT’S HOUSE [map 5/H8] 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | 02-286-8185 Sat-Sun 10 am-5pm, Mon-Fri by appt B 50 / B 20 kids Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s mostloved statesmen of the 20th century. A natural all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and even served as prime minister. His peaceful abode with its lovely gardens is a terrific example of Thai architecture.
VIMANMEK MANSION [map 8/F8] 139 / 2 Ratchawithi Rd | 02-281-1569 9:30 am-4pm | B100 The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868, and then moved to Bangkok for use by King Rama V. Its 81 rooms spread over three floors overlook a beautiful garden.
SUAN PAKKAD palace [MAP 8/K11]
Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 suanpakkad.com | 9am-4pm | B100 jimthompsonhouse.com | 9am-5pm B100 / B 50 A former market garden that was converted into a residence and garden by Princess students American Jim Thompson was the Princeton Chumbot. Consisting of five reconstructed graduate and former spook who revived Thai wooden houses, Wang Suan Pakkard the hand-woven Thai silk industry before pays testament to her dedication to disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s collecting Thai artefacts and antiques. Cameron Highlands in 1967. One of the things ERAWAN SHRINE [map 4/G5] to do in Bangkok is visit his tropical garden Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan home beside a pungent canal: six traditional BTS Chit Lom teak houses from around the country kept Don’t expect serenity here. This is one exactly as he left them.
of Bangkok’s busiest intersections: the crowded shrine to the Hindu creation god Brahma and his elephant Erawan is filled with worshippers lighting incense, buying lottery tickets and watching the traditional dancing group.
GANESHA SHRINE [map 4/G3] Outside CentralWorld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd A prayer in front of this pot-bellied gold elephant – the son of Shiva and Parvati – is said to help get the creative juices flowing, as well as protect you from harm. Aside from marigold garlands, bring bananas, ripe mango or sticky rice-flour Thai desserts – Ganesha has an eternal appetite.
TRIMURTI SHRINE [map 4/G3] Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd If your love life is in the doldrums then this shrine is for you: at 9:30 pm each Thursday it’s rumoured that Lord Trimurti descends from the heavens to answer prayers of the heart. To maximise your chances you should offer nine-red incense sticks, red candles, red roses and fruit.
SHRINES THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW [map 7/D10] Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang Tha Chang Pier | 02-222-0094 8:30am-4:30pm | B 400 Bangkok’s most beloved temple and top tourist site is a fantastical, mini-city sized royal complex enclosed by quaintly crenulated whitewalls. Building began in 1782, the year Bangkok was founded, and every monarch subsequent to King Rama I has expanded or enhanced it. Today, despite being able to visit many sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. The Chakri Mahaprasat Hall – the “Westerner in
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listings
a Thai hat” – is worth seeing, and there are some state halls and rooms open to visitors.
WAT ARUN [map 7/B13] Temple of Dawn, Arun Amarin Rd 02-465-5640 | watarun.org 8am-5pm | B 20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The five-towered structure is covered in colourful porcelain and designed as a representation of the Khmer home of the gods.
WAT PO (reclining buddha) [map 7/D12]
Chetuphon, Thai Wang Rd 02-226-0369 | watpho.com 8am-noon, 1pm-9pm | B100 The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok. Originating in the 16th century, it houses the largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand as well as the greatest number of Buddha images.
WAT MAHATHAT [map 7/C8] Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Maharat Rd 02-221-5999 | 9am-5pm | Free An amulet market is situated near this 18th century centre of the Mahanikai monastic sect and an important university of Buddhist teaching. On weekends, market stalls are
set up on the grounds to complement the vendors of traditional medicines.
WAT RATCHANATDA [map 7/K8] Mahachai Rd | 02-224-8807 9am-5pm | free This striking temple on the corner of Ratchadamnoen and Mahachai Road features the bizarre Loha Prasat, a multitiered castle-like structure with 36 steel spires. Climb the spiral staircase to the top for good views of the Old City and its many temples.
WAT SAKET [map 7/L8] Chakkraphatdiphong Rd 02-233-4561 | 7:30am-5:30pm | B10 Referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat on a small hillock is worth the hike up 318 steps for the views of Chinatown to the south and the Old City to the north. The hill is all that is left of the fortifications for a large chedi that Rama III planned to construct on the site that gave way under the weight. Rama V later built a smaller chedi on top.
WAT SUTHAT & the GIANT SWING [map 7/H9] Bamrung Muang Rd | 02-222-9632 9am-5pm | B 20 Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to excellent examples of bronze sculpture. The city’s iconic Giant Swing, where brave men used to swing up to great heights to
S N A P S H OT S
catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth during annual harvest ceremonies, sits out front.
WAT TRAIMIT [map 6/L3] 661 Mittaphap Thai-China Rd, Charoen Krung Rd | 02-623-1226 | 8am-5pm | B 20 Housed safely in this unassuming Chinatown temple is the world’s largest solid gold Buddha. Its worth has been estimated at over US$10 million.
MUSEUMS – IN TOWN BANGKOK DOLL MUSEUM [map 8/L11, 12]
85 Soi Ratchataphan (Soi Mo Leng). Ratchaprarop Rd 02-245-3008 | bangkokdolls.com Mon-Sat 8am-5pm | free Since opening in 1956 the Bangkok Doll Museum has continually attracted tourists, students and aficionados alike with its remarkable collection of hand-made Thai dolls. Founded by Khunying Tongkorn Chandavimol after she completed a doll making course in Japan, it showcases collections of dolls produced by a small team of artisans in the atelier out back, and clad in traditional costumes based on designs lifted from museum originals, temple murals and illustrations from antique books.
bangkokian MUSEUM [MAP 5/E3] 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43, Si Phraya Pier | 02-233-7027 Sat-Sun 10am-4pm | free Smack in the middle of Bangrak, one of the most traditional districts of the city, find this oasis of four traditional Thai houses, one of them lovingly converted into a private museum by the compound’s charming owner, Ms Waraporn Surawadee. She decided to dedicate the place to the memory of her family and bygone daily life of Bangkok everymen – and open it to the public. While visitors shouldn’t expect breathtaking
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S N A P S H OT S
very thai
revelations here, the displays are nevertheless surprisingly fascinating. They include antiques and ceremonial items.
Madame tussauds [map 4/C4] 6th F, Siam Discovery Centre Rama 1, Phaya Thai Rd BTS National Stadium | 02-658-0060 madametussauds.com/Bangkok 10am -9pm | B 800 / B 600 kids Probably the best thing about Bangkok’s version of Europe's famous waxwork museum is the line-up – it’s clearly designed to keep tourists and locals alike snappy happy. About as common as international sporting legends, world leaders in sharp suits, pouting Hollywood A-listers, and sequined global pop stars here are wax likenesses of Thai and regional musicians, soap stars, sportsmen and women.
MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS [MAP 2/E12] Supalai Grand Tower Bldg Rama III Rd 02-653-5555 | tillekeandgibbins.com Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ( App required for textile and computer collections) In 1989, Thailand’s oldest international law firm, Tilleke & Gibbins, decided to convert their evidence of counterfeit goods into educational tools for law students. To help spread the word about the perils of buying fake it's open to Joe Public too. Over 3,500 items – from Ferrero Rocher chocolates to antimalarial tablets and a fake Ferrari motorbike – are neatly laid out, forgeries next to the originals.
Museum of Siam [map 7/D13] 4 Samachai Rd | Rajini Pier 02-622-2599 | ndmi.or.th Tue-Sun 10am-6pm | Free A truncated history of Thailand unfurls through this down-with-the-kids discovery museum, located in a beautifully restored former government building that dates back to the 1920s. Design company Story Inc! delivered the conceptual design with 30 | JA N UA RY 2014
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pop graphics and interactive games galore. Entertaining highlights include dressing up as a 20th-century nobleman, blowing up Burmese soldiers on elephant-back with a canon and mapping out the borders of your own Siam using a touch screen.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM [map 7/C6] 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang 02-224-1333 | thailandmuseum.com Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B 200 | no photo Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artifacts from all of Old Siam's main historical periods, encompassing the Lanna, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms up to the present day. Thai culture is well documented in sections on dance, music and drama. The first example of Thai literature and the Thai alphabet, inscribed by King Ramkhamhaeng on a black stone during the Sukhothai period, is also displayed.
RATTANAKOSIN EXHIBITION HALL [map 7/K7] 100 Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd, next to Wat Ratchanatda | 02-621-0044 nitasrattanakosin.com | Tue-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm | B100 This multimedia museum a short walk from Khao San Road offers a skillfully abbreviated introduction to an area that many admire, but few truly understand: Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok’s glittering birthplace. Wandering its eleven rooms – free of relics but rich in models, dioramas, interactive videos, text and audio clips in Thai and English – brings the area’s hardto-fathom history, arts, architecture and traditions into much clearer focus.
ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM [map 7/B4] 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd | Thonburi Railway Pier 02-424-0004 | 9am-5pm B 30 / B100 photo / B 200 video This collection of ornate royal barges,
some of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near the Pinklao Bridge. The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya where the colourful crews can number up to 64, including rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and various musicians.
MUSEUMS – OUT OF TOWN ANCIENT SIAM (MUANG BORAN) [map 1/F6] 296/1 Sukhumvit Rd, Samut Prakan province | 02-709-1644 | ancientcity.com B 500 / B 250 kids / B1500 private guide in English for two hours Samut Prakan province’s Ancient Siam crams reproductions of over a hundred of the Kingdom’s most venerable palaces, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses into a huge map-of-Siam shaped plot of land only an hour’s drive from the capital. Don’t come expecting a tacky themepark. Its late founder, eccentric culture preservationist Prapai Viriyahbhun, demanded that every replica look and feel like the real thing.
THAI FILM MUSEUM [MAP 1/E5] 94 Moo 3 Bhuddhamonton Sai 5, Salaya Nakorn Pathom province nfat.org 02-482-2013-15 | Sat-Sun tours: 10am, noon, 3pm; MonFri: by appointment | Free The good folk at the National Film Archive of Thailand are fighting to preserve the country’s meagre film heritage, whether it be by restoring ragged reels of 16mm film to their former glory, screening rare films in its cinematheque, or guiding anyone interested around their museum. Film fiends will love inching around this space, modelled after the old Sri Krung film studio and filled with old cameras, props and costumes. bangkok101.com
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UMBRELLA FESTIVAL
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il-paper umbrella art in the northern Thai village of Bo Sang dates back around 200 years, when a travelling monk brought the art from neighbouring Myanmar (probably Pathein, still that country’s umbrella craft centre). Handmade paper made from saa (mulberry tree) pulp is cut and stretched to fit a folding bamboo frame, and then painted with a variety of images, including scenery, flowers, animals and people. They come in an amazing variety of sizes, from giant parasols for shading outdoor tables from the sun to tiny cocktail umbrellas. Most of the umbrella-crafting is carried out by farmers and their families during months when they’re not tending their fields, although a few people work year round so that tourists visiting the village, six kilometres east of Chiang Mai, can observe the handicraft process. But without doubt the best time of year to visit Bo Sang is during the colourful three-day Bo Sang Umbrella & Handicraft Fair, running January 15-17, when local hospitality and charm hit a high point. Most activities for the festival are centred along Bo Sang’s main street. In addition to umbrella-making demonstrations and exhibits, the festival boasts roadside stages featuring traditional Lanna musical performances (some of the best you’ll hear anywhere in northern Thailand) and parades comprised of floats created by local trade guilds, schools and civic organisations. These rustic floats show off village products as well as pretty contestants for the annual Miss Bo Sang beauty pageant.
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up country now
Jim Thompson Farm Tours
Lopburi Sunflower Festival
Until January 12 Jim Thompson Farm Tours In the Pak Thong Chai district of Nakhon Ratchasima province. the Jim Thompson farm tours provide a unique opportunity for visitors to observe the silk farming process as part of the Isaan way of life. Other highlights include a tour of the vegetable plots and ornamental plant nursery. A selection of fresh, high-quality, organic vegetables and fruits is also available for sale.
Khon Khaen International Marathon
Until January 31 Lopburi Sunflower Festival If you’re an aspiring Van Gogh or just into sunflowers you’re in clover this month, as endless fields of bright yellow sunflowers are in bloom in nearby Lopburi province. The perfect location for an outdoorsy daytrip – it’s only an hour-and-a-half’s drive away – locals flock here to photograph and roam amid the tall, sundrinking sprouters, which usually hang around until February.
January 17-21 Koh Chang Naval Battle Remembrance Day The event takes place at Koh Chang Yutthanavi Memorial on Laem Ngop, Trat province in order to commemorate the bravery of Thai Royal Navy forces who risked their lives to protect Trat from French colonisers in 1941. Merit-making rites are also performed, and the Royal Thai Navy, together with the local government, mount exhibitions.
January 26 Khon Kaen International Marathon Runners from all over the world, representing both men and women of any age, are invited to join and compete in four race divisions: Marathon (42.195 km), Half Marathon (21.10 km), Mini Marathon (11.55 km) and Walk & Fun Run (4.5 km). All race divisions start and finish at the Golden Jubilee Convention Hall, Khon Kaen University.
January 26-February 2 PTT Pattaya Open 2014 This pro tennis tournament will be held at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Pattaya. This year the matches take place on newly rebuilt courts, and the prize money has been raised to US$250,000. The main-draw matches commence on January 27, while singles and doubles finals will be held on February 2, starting at 4pm. Tickets go on sale December 1. 34 | JA N UA RY 2014
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Chiang Mai Flower Festival
January 31-February 2 Chiang Mai Flower Festival This long-running festival celebrates northern Thailand’s abundant and economically important ornamental flower cultivation, particularly chrysanthemums, orchids and the Damask rose, a variety found only in Chiang Mai. The main highlight is the weekend parade, made up of all manner of vehicles bedecked with flower sculptures. bangkok101.com
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hotel review
Hansar Bangkok
Ratchadamri Rd is increasingly a destination for the boutique traveller and diner, and Hansar Bangkok, on an alley that runs between the Four Seasons and St Regis, cultivates an equally sophisticated, modern style. The design throughout retains plenty of Thai touches – particularly the decor and colour scheme. But they’ve managed to pull back on the kind of stifling formality that shows up in many upscale hotels, creating a more low-key atmosphere without compromising on service. It’s undoubtedly glamorous but friendly and accessible at the same time. The long, rectangular foyer boasts a comfortable, spacious verandah, ideal for breakfast or a nightcap. And, at one end, Eve, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, is a chic, shining example of Hansar’s commitment to quality. Belgian-born Charles Christiaens has recently come on board as an executive chef and is now well into his stride. For much of last year, Eve was a curious mix of French food and Asian presentation. Christiaens has ironed out some of the conceptual kinks while expanding the menu’s focus and keeping the modern, finedining techniques. Throughout, there is a spacious, airy quality to Hansar’s design, which may sound like a tall order in a city that is mostly crowded and quite often suffocating. For example, the 36 | JA N UA RY 2014
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corridors that lead from the elevators to the rooms are partially without walls, allowing for panoramic views of the city as well as some welcome venitlation. The rooms are fairly businesslike but incorporate their own interesting design touches. Many of the suites have an enclosed wall covered in climbing plants, adding some muchneeded greenery as decoration. The bathrooms are spacious and the mattresses are amazingly comfortable. Hotel beds are, indeed, a rare joy and Hansar’s seem to have three or four inches of softness for tired bodies to sink into. There are other attractions in the hotel. The swimming pool is a narrow strip of water, pushed flush against the edge of the balcony, allowing swimmers to look down at the street many storeys below. After you’ve finished sunning yourself by the pool, you can head down to the Luxsa spa – while not being as over-the-top as some luxury spas, there’s some serious technique at work here – you may very well find yourself dozing off during the treatment.
HANSAR BANGKOK
[MAP 4/H6]
3/250 Soi Mahadlekluang 2, Ratchadamri Rd 02-209-1234 | hansarbangkok.com
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up-country escape
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THE SECLUDED NORTHERN VILLAGE OF PAI MARRIES GORGEOUS VIEWS WITH A WELCOME INJECTION OF ZEN.
BY MAX CROSBIE-JONES
W
hen people talk about Pai these days, it is often with a sense of regret at what the town has become: an ultra-commercial Bangkok outpost, crawling with city slickers shopping for Pai souvenirs and photographing each other at every opportunity. Yet, this is only one half of the picture. Away from the hectic main strip, this little town in northern Thailand is still as charming as ever: loaded with sweeping vistas, cheery locals and natural attractions galore. After all, people don’t brave one of the windiest, most nausea-inducing mountain roads in the country – Highway 1095 – for nothing. Nestled in a verdant, rice-paddied valley, Pai has for most of its history been a tiny trading village. After being “discovered” by backpackers in the 1980s it grew slowly, existing primarily as a jumping off point for intrepid trekking tours. Gradually it came to be seen as a destination in its own right, attracting longer-term tourists and expats looking for a peaceful, friendly escape from the modern world. Though higher-quality tourist facilities only started to appear about five years ago, the options are now abundant: the town and outskirts rife with bungalows and the odd luxurious resort. Unsurprisingly, with the arrival of hordes of tourists each Thai winter, not to mention the K Banks and Black Mountain coffee shops, the character of the town has changed a lot, but there’s still a huge surplus of space and solitude to be had if you venture away from the main Walking Street. Furthermore, most of the higherend resorts have taken special pains to integrate into the beauty of the natural surroundings, providing the discerning traveller with plenty of excellent, one-of-a-kind accommodation, and sparing Pai the fast-growth blight of many other former Shangri-Las. One of the biggest downsides of Pai’s phenomenal popularity is that the locals – the mélange of Shan, Muslim, Northern Thai and hilltribes like the Karen, Lisu, Lahu and Meo – are less visible these days. Head away from the bustling four-block centre of town, with its fashionably quaint boutiques, bohemian coffee houses, art galleries and smattering of internationally inspired restaurants, though, and you can still find them going about their colourful everyday business. The town’s fresh market, on Raddamwong Road, at sundown is a good place to start. This quizzical mix of diverse cultures in such a concentrated area has led some to distinguish the town from the country at large with the T-shirt-friendly sobriquet ‘Pailand’. One might even argue it already has a national flag of sorts – the ubiquitous rainbow-coloured hammock. Were Pailand a real country, its principal export would be lower blood pressure or cans of clean, cool country air. JA N UA RY 2014 | 39
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up-country escape
The main attraction is, of course, the scenery. Cruising around the outskirts of the Pai valley on a motorbike or bicycle, a cool breeze tousling your hair (or dreadlocks), the fuzzy philosophical notion that the journey is the destination suddenly becomes as inarguable as algebra. There is no need to stop anywhere, unless it’s for a frustrating attempt to capture the endless acres of gobstobbing scenery on your wee point-and-shoot or smart phone. For those beholden to actual destinations, however, there are plenty to choose from. Nature lovers can lap up an assortment of picturesque waterfalls, from Mor Paeng, 9km out of town, to the cave-like Pam Bok, 6km away. Just a little further are the bizarre, serpentine ridges of Pai Canyon. Reached via a walkway through a hillside tree orchard, it’s the place to get your widescreen shots of the area’s undulating topography. And further still are the Tha Pai hot springs – some of the pools are hot enough to boil eggs. Facing out at the Chiang Dao mountain range, Huai Nam Dang National Park, on the road back to Chiang Mai, is also one of the area’s best kept secrets. Loads of Thai tourists come at this time of year to watch the sunrise over the jagged Chiang Dao peaks, which protrude out of a sea of mist that normally blankets the surrounding valleys – quite the sight in the pink pastels of dawn. Those looking for more of an adrenaline rush can choose a 70km two-day white water rafting trip (shorter ones are available), a challenging trek to visit hilltribe villages, a bareback ride aboard a friendly elephant, and 4 0 | JA N UA RY 2014
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now even a session at a piranha fishing park. Visitors looking for a different sort of cultural immersion might check out ethnic villages closer to town, such as the “Chinese village” of Haw Chinese that fled the Cultural Revolution and sell some of Thailand’s best tea. Pony rides and traditional swing rides are also available. Oriented more towards the material? Chaisongkram and Rangsiyanom Roads feature some of the cutest little homespun boutiques in the country (Pai-branded T-shirts and animal beanie hats are especially abundant), and your corporeal form can be tended to at assorted spas and hot springs just outside of town. The quaint walking street features interesting shopping and entertainment opportunities as well. Myriad bars, such as Lun Laa, Almost Famous and Be-Bop, offer hip places to hang out with cool tunes and cocktails and even raucous live music by truly world-class acts. Given its small size, Pai crams in more stuff to do per square foot than just about anywhere else on earth. Yet oddly enough, the favourite pastime of most visitors is to do essentially nothing at all. Hanging out at coffee houses, scribbling on artistic, locally designed postcards is one of the things to do. It’s not hard to derive utopian inspiration from Pai’s uniquely accommodating beauty and extrapolate it to the world at large. In fact, after a few days of hanging out in this inspiring international burg, sipping excellent coffee and watching smiling locals shuffle by, it’s easy to get a little ‘Pai in the Sky’ about the place. bangkok101.com
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DANCING lessons from god The slow climb toward the Himalayan monastery of Tengboche is breathtaking – in the most literal sense.
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BY DAVE STAMBOULIS
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over the border
Y
eti doesn’t seem like the most inspiring name for an airline. Then again, the ageing Yeti Airlines 12-seat Otter de Havilland propeller plane that is rumbling down Kathmandu’s lone runway with me glued to the front seat giving a direct view through the open cockpit is no great confidence-inducer either. The small plane bounces and shakes as we head eastward and is soon dwarfed by huge mountains on all sides. The pilot makes a short announcement, telling us that our flight is following the original trekking route into the Khumbu, as the region is called, but this does little to reassure, as it feels more as if we are a small bug accidently stuck to a topographic map, with little room to avoid being crushed. The only reason I’m on this lurching rust bucket is a drunken fellow photographer in a Kathmandu mountaineers’ bar by the name of Rum Doodle. Between shots of low-grade raksi (distilled millet alcohol), he raved about this monastery way up near Mount Everest, where the monks put on colourful masks and dance in the courtyard, creating one of the world’s more photogenic spectacles. After several dips and turns, big snowy peaks appear in the distance, with one prominent black rock sticking out above them, immediately recognisable as Mount Everest. Before this sight can be properly taken in, the plane begins a dramatic descent toward a runway that looks no more than twice the length of your average supermarket parking lot. The Goretex-clad trekker next to me leans over and says with an informative leer: “The Hilary Tenzing Airport
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was rated by the History Channel as the most dangerous airport in the world.” I reach for my sanitary bag and start praying. While the runway at Lukla, wedged in between a mountain wall and a cliff edge dropping into space, may be challenging to pilots and worth the buzz to thrillseekers, perhaps even more daunting is what awaits on the ground; the high altitude, brutal cold and endless stone steps that lead out of Lukla and up toward Everest. The Goretex trekkers march out in unison, while I trudge upwards like a snail, breathing like a man on a respirator as the trail climbs to 3000m above sea level. A short and stocky local ambles along next to me, introducing himself as Dorje Sherpa, and tells me he is headed to the same place: Tengboche, a monastery perched at 3800m, looking out at the world’s highest mountain. I ask if there will be monks in colourful masks up ahead but Dorje just chuckles and warns me to be careful about going too high too fast before advising me to stock up on Snickers bars and beer – apparently the prices will triple as the altitude increases. By now, even the Goretex trekkers are not setting any Olympic records, plodding along at somewhere around a few kilometres an hour – the altitude appears to have magically increased their pack weights. But the lowland porters carrying the aforementioned Snickers and beer seem to have sped up. Spry little men with sinewy muscles and not an ounce of body fat pass us right and left, each carrying
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over the border
70kg of goods ranging from bottles of beer to drums of kerosene and even the occasional baskets full of yak meat. Everything is lugged in a basket, fixed with a strap which the porters put across their foreheads. Even those trekkers who have hired porters to carry their packs watch in disbelief as the men refuse to use the backpack straps and comfortable padded belts but instead just attach them along with everything else to their foreheads. There are plenty of yaks on the trail as well, bobbling along with loud bells around their necks and carrying plenty of expedition gear. As I start across a swaying suspension bridge crossing the Dudh Kosi River, Dorje yells at me not to try crossing if any beasts start coming from the other side – or else a bungee jump minus the cord awaits. From Namche Bazaar, the region’s largest village and a mandatory acclimatisation stop, the terrain steepens and the mountains loom. Up ahead, Ama Dablam, a towering 6856m spire – its name means ‘Mother’s Amulet’ in Tibetan – looms over everything, covered in fluted ice walls and snow gullies, and making every step upward worthwhile. Tengboche soon appears, a monastery set in what has to be the most beautiful location 4 4 | JA N UA RY 2014
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on earth, atop a prominent knoll and ringed by Himalayan giants. As we huff and puff our way up to 3800m, the sound of deep horn blasts resonates from the hillside, and soon a procession of monks appear, blowing long Tibetan horns and giant conch shells. Dressed in horn-shaped yellow hats and wearing giant felt boots, they look like something out of an acid-induced fantasy, but the only drug up here is the rarefied air. Dorje appears at my side and confirms this is no figment of my imagination. “It is the Mani Rimdu festival, most holy time of year,” he whispers. “You are very blessed.” Inside the monastery courtyard there are dozens of monks whirling in circles like dervishes, doing a choreographed set of moves that could pass for high-altitude aerobics. From behind them appear more monks, these ones adorned in demon masks, beating drums and shaking their rumps to the trumpets, conch shells and drum orchestra. Everest Base Camp may be another three days’ walk from here but I have already found my mountaintop. Counterculture novellist Kurt Vonnegut once said that “peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God”. At Tengboche, watching the monks twirl, it’s easy to believe he penned those words from this very spot. bangkok101.com
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a r t
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the three elements Pradit Tungprasartwong’s art is a combination of threedimensional work (sculpture) and two-dimensional work (painting), creating what is known as “combine painting”, which first emerged in Western art in the mid-20th century. His latest exhibition, Confrontation: Three Elements of Life, will be showing at The Art Center (7F Office of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University, Phyathai Rd; 02218-2965; car.chula.ac.th/art) until February 8. With a BFA in sculpture, Pradit shifted to painting for his MFA at Silpakorn and now lectures at the College of Fine Arts Ladkrabang. He began to seriously develop his combine paintings in 2002, starting with Thinking of My Grandmother and Work Is Dharma Practice. The new exhibition introduces life experiences and philosophy based on three human states: kilesa—anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, depression; the truth; and irresolution/vacillation. These concepts are based on Buddhism and reflect how the artist has personally applied Buddhist teachings to heal the chemical imbalance in his brain. Above all, this exhibition expands the definition of Thai mainstream contemporary art, artistic expressions and ideas by re-examining local settings and the traditional way of making art.
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A R T & C u lt u r e
exhibitions
Art (&) Auntie
Narin Klung: The 1st Rebellious
growing up
modern gallery [MAP 5/c4] Soi Chareonkrung 36, Chareonkrung Rd | 02-238-6449 Mon-Sat 11am-7pm | facebook.com/moderngallery.sirimongkolhengyuk
Until January 15 Montree Moungkun, a hot young artist who has caught the attention of international collectors, has not only had numerous solo exhibitions but has also won notable awards, like the 23rd Young Thai Artists Award and Contribution to Thai Art and Culture Awards 2011 from the Ministry of Culture.
Post Human
Growing Up
Narin Klung: The 1st Rebellious Rebel Art Space [MAP 3/x10] 10/5 Soi Srijun Sukhumvit 67 0871-127-774 | Tues-Sun 10am-7pm
Until January 31 This new venue focuses on art related to acts of rebellion, social activism and projects which bring attention to societal issues, as well as the free exchange of ideas. It opens with an exhibition of work by Vasan Sitthiket, one of Thailand s most prominent social activist artists.
art (&) Auntie
wtf [MAP 3/q10] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 02-662-6246 Tues-Sun 3pm-10pm | wtfbangkok.com
Until January 20 Graduate student Sina Wittayawiroj questions how art is given value and the power structures behind such determiners. Rather than critiquing, the artist attempts to bring together different perspectives from various groups within society to form a better understanding.
post human
koi art gallery [MAP 3/k8] 43/12 Soi Sukhumvit 31 | 02-662-3218 Tues-Sun 11am-7pm | koiartgallerybangkok.com
Until January 26 Chatchawan Nilsakul maintains his preoccupation in blurring boundaries of space and form. By focusing on negative space around the human body and using mid-tone metallic paints, the artist creates a flat artificial landscape as an interpretation of how we view the human figure in reproduction. 4 8 | ja n ua ry 2014
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Whispering Pieces
whispering pieces atta gallery [MAP 5/c4] Soi Charoenkrung 36 | 02 662 3218 11am-7pm | attagallery.com
January 9-February 15 Beppe Kessler is a well-known Dutch artist who graduated from Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam and has won many awards, including the prestigious Herbert-HofmannPreis in 2009. Beppe’s artwork includes paintings, objects and wearable art. bangkok101.com
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Painting the town red Peter Klashorst brings his mission to create public art to Bangkok’s nightclubs BY TOM STURROCK
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interview
A R T & C u lt u r e
“bangkok has an enormous amount of energy and i think that comes from all the young people here who want something”
B
angkok is renowned for its dynamic, slightly chaotic nightlife – after the sun sets and the heat fades, the city remakes itself in a whir of movement, colour and bright lights. It’s an intensely visual milieu – little wonder that it attracts artists like Peter Klashorst, who is fascinated by Bangkok’s extremes. “A painter always need inspiration – it’s like a waterfall here,” Klashorst says. “I would need 10 more painters to capture it all. “In one way the city is impersonal, a desert of cement, but it’s also a village. You see it with the street vendors and in certain areas. It’s that combination. There is a freedom.” Klashorst rose to prominence in Amsterdam in the 1980s when he emerged as one of the young standardbearers for the After Nature collective, a group of artists committed to restoring art to the public space and kicking against its privileged, highbrow status. They created art on the street and in nightclubs – and that is what Klashorst hopes to achieve 30 years later in Bangkok. This month, he will appear at the newly opened Mode Sathorn for his part party, part exhibition. Klashorst will be on the spot, creating paintings of everything in front of him and other revellers are invited to join in. “It’s a new style of party – a painting party,” he says. “Everyone’s welcome, bring your brushes, bring your absinthe. Get drunk and make paintings – I’m like the orchestra conductor. At the same time, we’re exhibiting some paintings I made in my studio, which are about nightlife in Bangkok. “I paint people who are there at the party – I like to paint nightlife. It’s a very direct way to work. I want to paint the decadence of the city. When they’re in front of you, to paint bangkok101.com
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directly from life, that makes it stronger. At the same time, every painting is also a self-portrait.” Unlike some artists who prefer the peace and quiet of their studio, Klashorst prefers to create in public. “You don’t have time to think – people don’t really pose,” he says. “I would always go to the zoo to make drawings but an elephant never stands still either. You have to paint them while they are moving and with people it’s the same. I like to see the backs of their heads to see their front. When you see people move, you see how they really look. “I’m used to working in public – it’s almost impossible for me to create something in private.” Klashorst insists that Bangkok’s energy also makes his job easier, offering the right atmosphere as well as a steady stream of stimuli. “What I like about Bangkok is that it has an enormous amount of energy and I think that comes from all the young people here who want something,” he says. “It has the same kind of feeling as New York in the 1980s. There is this drive of people wanting to do something. That gives me a lot as an artist. It’s delirious in a way, the parties on the rooftop – that doesn’t exist in countries like Holland. “Some people think of Thailand as Third World but if you look at Bangkok and compare it to Amsterdam, this city has developed into a metropolis that attracts people from all over the world. For me, Bangkok is very vibrant city and it makes it easy to paint.”
mode sathorn
[MAP 5/d6]
144 North Sathorn Rd 02-623-4555 | modesathorn.com
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cheat notes
thai Taxi Talismans Dale Konstanz | B 796
A Bangkok taxi ride is more than just a trip from A to B – it’s also a journey through the byways of Thai belief. Most drivers here decorate their cabs with a hotchpotch of talismans, sacred icons, fresh flowers and pop culture bits and bobs. Sometimes it’s mere beautification, but usually it’s an expression of the driver’s philosophy – a mini altar to the Gods, monks, celestials and spirits that he or she worships. Wealth and safe passage for the car, the driver, and you, the passenger, are just some of the good fortune it is believed they bring. This coffee table book – four years in the making, as colourful as the cabs it’s about – is the insider’s guide, explaining exactly what that swaying string of beads or fat plastic monk grinning at you from the dashboard means to the driver. Split neatly into themed chapters, it’s a fun, fascinating ride.
THAILAND AND WORLD WAR II
A R T & C u lt u r e
tHE GENTLEMEN IN THE PARLOUR
Direk Jayanama | B995
Somerset Maugham | B430
Though its role was peripheral, and it never wanted to get involved, having declared a position of neutrality early on, Thailand didn’t emerge unscathed from World War II. Not only did it have to cede some of its sovereignty to the Japanese, after the country's warships landed at southern beaches here on December 8, 1941, its image was also tainted by its declaration of war against the Allied powers. Why Thailand did so and the answers to many, many more wartime geopolitical questions (including why it tried to join the Axis powers) are buried deep within these detailed memoirs by then Thai Foreign Minister, Direk Jayanama. Written in 1966, the late master diplomat's diary-based account also spans his involvement in the underground Free Thai Movement and the post-war years, most intriguingly Thailand’s hard-won entry to the United Nations.
Although best known for his novels and plays, Somerset Maugham is on fine travel writer form in this account of his 1923 trip through Burma, Siam and Cambodia by steamboat, train, car and horse-cart. Opting to tell human interest stories rather than rave about the scenery, along the way he meets a hotchpotch of Eastern characters – from colonialist misfits to Burmese servants – and also finds time to ponder the nature of travel, Buddhism and metaphysics. Using elegant, redolent prose, he also compares Bangkok’s canals to London’s Oxford Street, gushes over Wat Suthat temple, pens a Siamese fairytale, and even lets us in on his famous stay at The Oriental Hotel, which is sullied somewhat by a nasty bout of malaria and the manageress’s fear of him dying in one of her rooms. Pour yourself a gin fizz and enjoy.
MEKHONG FULL MOON PARTY Jira Milagool | 2002 Maligool’s debut film uses a real-life phenomenon – fireballs rising from the Mekhong – to sketch out a loving portrait of the Northeast Isaan region of Thailand. Scientists, TV crews, and tourists have invaded Ponpisai, seeking the source of the fireballs, which some attribute to methane gas, others to human hoax, and still others to the mythical Naga that lives in the river. The film balances its attention to detail – characters who are quirky but not caricatured, exquisitely composed shots of the region’s lush greenery and river mists – with big questions about science and religion, the citycountry divide, the hopes and hazards of globalisation and tourism. bangkok101.com
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T ART & CULTURE photofeature
passing time in phuket A collection of previously unseen images captures one of Thailand’s busiest tourism hubs when it was still a humble tin mining centre.
PHOTOS by SAENGJUN LIMLOHAKUL WORDS by TOM STURROCK
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huket from the 1950s is unrecognisable to those who only know the city as a tourism hot spot renowned for its sun, sea and nightlife. But the black and white images, taken by Saengjun Limlohakul, offer an indelible link to the city as it once was, a relatively undeveloped tin mining centre. In 1994, by then an old man, Saengjun reflected on Phuket’s dramatic metamorphosis. “To photograph is to immortalise,” he said. “You press the shutter and record on film what is already past.” Saengjun is relatively unknown in Thailand and much of his work was destroyed in floods but Manit Sriwanichpoom, owner of the Kathmandu Photo Gallery, insists these images reveal plenty about both the photographer and the city. “By the time he was an old man, there was this whole new economy,” Manit says. “That’s why his work is
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important. He photographed the nightlife in Phuket, what was the beginnings of the go-go bar scene as we know it today. It’s very rare to find pictures from that time. “If you compare it to world-famous urban photographers, the skill might not be on the same level but I can see the way he cares about his city. He’s tried to capture the town itself and its architecture. I think he realised how important it was.” Saengjun loved to travel and loved the beach – and judging from some of his shots, he also had an eye for the ladies of Phuket. In the same way that Hollywood pin-ups from that era outraged in their day but appear utterly tame by today’s standards, Saengjun’s models appear to belong to a more demure time. “The way he approached these girls – he obviously liked to hang out at these places,” Manit says. “They appear very comfortable – even in that era.”
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ART & CULTURE photofeature
Saengjun Limlohakul’s work will be showing at KATHMANDU PHOTO GALLERY 87 Pan Rd 02-234-6700 kathmandu-bkk.com January 11-February 23
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A Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich at tribeca restobar p66
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AROy lobster at a pinch
There’s still two weeks left of the Lobster Festival at Loong Foong Chinese Restaurant (Swissôtel Le Concorde, 204 Ratchadapisek Rd; 02-694-2222; swissotel.com). The festival offers various lobster dishes from B750, including stir-fried lobster with butter sauce, baked lobster with cheese, wok-fried lobster with X.O. sauce, wok-fried lobster with passionfruit sauce and Canadian lobster salad served Shanghai-style. It lasts until January 15.
new chef at elements
There’s a new head chef at Elements (25F The Okura Prestige Bangkok, 57 Wireless Rd; 02-687-9000; okurabangkok.com), which has made a name for its innovative, refined take on western cuisine. Henry Jordan joins the awardwinning five star hotel from the Ocean House in Rhode Island, USA – the only AAA five diamond in the state and a Relais and Chateaux property. His previous experience includes working as Chef de Cuisine at the Four Seasons in Mahe, Seychelles and a similar role at the Kurumba resort in the Maldives.
exploring thai food
There’s a new tour company catering to lovers of Thai food – Food Expedition Bangkok (02-321-2973; thai-cooking-class.com) takes customers through the Pra Khanong market before taking a longtail boat to the temple of the Mae Nak Phra Khanong Temple. The cooking takes place at a Thai house where customers make four dishes: som tam, tom yum khung, laab moo and a red chicken curry. It’s a perfect way to explore Bangkok and pick up some tips.
celebrating at zuma
Zuma Bangkok (GF St Regis Hotel, 159 Rajadamri Road; 02-252-4707; zumarestaurant.com) introduced a special menu for the festive season and it will run through to January 19. There’s more of what Zuma does so well, a modern twist on traditional Japanese staples. Try the Wagyu ribeye with black truffle, roasted lobster with lime butter, seared otoro with uni and Hiroshima raw oysters with caviar. The desserts at Zuma are also stand-outs so, if you’re not familiar with this place already, here’s your excuse to try it out.
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meal deals
GIORGIO’S ITALIAN DINNER BUFFET ROYAL ORCHID SHERATON HOTEL & TOWERS Charoen Krung 47/2 | 02-266-0123 | royalorchidsheraton.com The new Italian Buffet (B750) starts with an all-you-can-eat antipasto bar featuring premium selections of cold cut, cheese and parma ham. Immerse yourself in Italian cuisine with the great choices of main courses. Indulge in one of our delicious selection of desserts that are sure to satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooths. Available from 6pm-10.30pm.
NEW AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DINNER MENU THE CONTINENT HOTEL 413 Sukhumvit Rd I 02-686-7000 I thecontinentdining.com Medinii is an Italian restaurant which offers authentic Italian dishes and the feeling of intimate dining. The new dinner menu is available from January 2 and is on offer Monday through Friday, 6pm-10.30pm. It’s likely to be very popular, though, so reservations are recommended to ensure you don’t miss out.
UP & ABOVE CELEBRATES ‘YEAR OF THE HORSE’ THE OKURA PRESTIGE BANGKOK Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Rd | 02-687-9000 | okurabangkok.com A very special buffet lunch on January 31 features delicious seasonal dishes such as Peking suckling pig, stir-fried scallops with Chinese greens, slow-roasted Wagyu prime rib, sautéed foie gras, Szechuan-style braised prawns and Chinese roasted duck. It’s B2400 per person (food only) and B3100 with continuous flow wines, selected cocktails, local beers and soft drinks.
SUNDAY BRUNCH AT 57TH STREET BANGKOK MARRIOTT HOTEL SUKHUMVIT Sukhunvit Soi 57 | 02-797-0000 | myclubmarriott.com The house of home cooking just got better at 57th Street. Japanese, Thai, Western, Indian and Chinese signature dishes are prepared live each Sunday by master chefs, picking out all the favourites from the five cuisines and serving them up for your dining pleasure. The price is B1800 per person.
WELCOME THE YEAR OF THE HORSE AT LOK WAH HIN NOVOTEL BANGKOK ON SIAM SQUARE Siam Square Soi 6 | 02-209-8888 | novotelbkk.com Hong Kong native Chef Leung presents an array of traditional Chinese New Year dishes on a special set menu, including barbeque suckling pig, fish maw with dried scallops in brown soup, braised hair seaweed with pork tongue in brown sauce and steamed black garoupa fish with soya sauce. The eight-course set menu is available January 28-February 3 for B15,500.
BUSINESS LUNCH BUFFET AT THE SATHORN MODE SATHORN HOTEL 144 North Sathorn Rd | 02-623-4555 | modesathorn.com The Sathorn, newly opened for all-day dining on Mode Sathorn’s 10th floor, invites buffet lovers to experience their business lunch buffet for B499. The buffet features Thai, French, Italian and Japanese cuisine including a healthy salad bar and a daily recommended dish created by executive chef Chirstophe Maillard. There’s a dine three, pay for two promotion.
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review
FOOD & DRIN K
dressed
- Healthy salads with style Sporting a bold new red zigzag siding and a new name, Mercury Ville, the once-drab tarp-clad Mercury Tower building is filling up fast with a variety of restaurants we haven’t seen elsewhere in Bangkok. Dressed occupies a ground-floor space fronting on to Soi Lang Suan, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting in plenty of light and a second entrance from the interior of Mercury Ville. A long counter backed by glassed-in displays of neatly trimmed vegetables, sauces, fruits, breads, pastas, cheeses and much more invites customers to custom-create their own salads, wraps, paninis, artisan sandwiches and smoothies. The vast menu emphasies all-natural, locally sourced, high-quality ingredients and will have strong appeal for health-conscious gourmands. For salads and wraps, one can mix and match from over 70 salad ingredients, including five greens, myriad vegetables and other toppings, and 23 dressings – including such innovative concoctions as Dijon wasabi ginger vinaigrette and chipotle aioli – according to one’s mood. Too many choices? Order one of the chef-designed salads created by founder Justin Smolev. One of our faves in this category is The Tuscan, a combo of artichoke hearts, salami, bangkok101.com
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roasted red peppers, parmesan, white beans, arugula and romaine lettuce, with a tangy pesto vinaigrette. For something more hearty, try the Steakhouse, which combines grilled steak with fried onions, tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, and Romaine topped by blue cheese dressing. All salads are served with fresh baked baguette. Artisan sandwiches and paninis are made to order using fresh, high-quality ingredients and a variety of fresh breads. In the smoothie category, we especially enjoyed Gingered Pear, a refreshing and tingly combo of fresh pear and ginger, as well as Minted Avocado, which combines avocado and mint leaves. Both are blended with vanilla yogurt, milk and simple syrup. Under the ownership of Sid Sehgal of Indus fame, Dressed recently opened a second location in Siam Paragon, and will add a third at Empire Tower and a fourth at The Commons in Thong Lor. BY JOE CUMMINGS
dressed
[MAP 8/l13]
GF Mercury Ville, 540 Ploenchit Rd | 02-658-6688 facebook.com/DressedThailand | Mon-Sat 10am-8pm
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review
ruen urai - Visit the House of Gold The former residence of the herbal medical doctor to King Rama V is filled with Asian antiques and Thai crafts to create an intimate residential feel. Out of respect to the original owner, the food uses herbs and spices with medicinal qualities, while delivering refined Thai gastronomy created using the finest fresh ingredients. Dishes are more contemporary in their presentation with many served on black slate. The mieng bussabong (B300) is a variation on the more familiar mieng kham, which originated in India. The betelnut leaf wrapping has been replaced by an open lotus petal filled with non-traditional salmon with the usual mieng condiments of diced shallot, fresh ginger, garlic and lime still in its skin. There is a strong Chinese influence on Thai cuisine, particularly in street food. This is demonstrated by the mhuu daeng bping (B280), a combination of Cantonese char siu with a Thai pork skewer. Another multi-ethnic dish is ghai khem thong (B280), the healthy combination of grilled chicken filets with Enoki mushrooms and herbs that combines Thai, Chinese and Japanese flavours. It’s not the typical mainstream dish but it’s beautifully conceived and executed – and a point of difference that makes Ruen Urai worth visiting. There’s a refreshing, tangy taste to the tom yum ghai bai makham ohn (B280), a spicy and sour soup of chicken and young tamarind leaves, an interesting flavour combination 6 4 | JA N UA RY 2014
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that is rarely found elsewhere. The historic Lanna Kingdom of Northern Thailand extended into Burma and that culinary influence can be tasted in the ghaeng hunglae (B320), a Burmese-style pork curry with ginger and garlic. The traditional end to a Thai meal is fresh fruit and desserts – as evidenced by the Ruen Urai dessert plate (B150). It comes with mango and sticky rice, miniature fruits made from yellow beans and Portuguese egg desserts. This again demonstrates that the Portuguese gave Thai cuisine the chilli but also the dessert. A visit to Ruen Urai offers not only a great dining experience but also a journey of discovery into the rich history of Thai cuisine, which, of course, mirrors the history of the country itself. BY LAURENCE CIVIL
ruen urai
[MAP 8/j16]
The Rose Hotel, 118 Surawong Rd | 02-266-8268 ruen-urai.com | Noon-11pm
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review
tribeca restobar
- Deli style with a difference Tribeca is part of a small breed of independently owned restaurants that are fundamentally changing the landscape of the Bangkok food scene. Located in Thong Lor, they advocate sourcing the highest quality local and organic ingredients possible and work in tandem with some of the best artisan food producers in the city. Although they are well-known for their all-day brunch concept, there’s much more to this eatery than breakfast and they offer stick-to-your-ribs comfort food that is at once innovative yet familiar. The name is a nod to the historic Manhattan borough in New York City and the space has a casual bistro feel with three levels of seating and an inviting outdoor terrace. Start off your meal with a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake (B195) which is rich and creamy without being overly sweet. Most of the food can be shared and the Gangnam wings (B195) are no exception. These spicy Korean glazed chicken wings are crispy and tender with a stickysweet sauce that reveals a subtle and addictive back heat. Another popular dish is the NY pork bun (B150) which is a grilled slab of Hoisin-glazed pork belly served Peking duckstyle on a steamed bun with cucumber and spring onion. It’s very rich and a bit sweet and could use some type of pickle or acid to balance the flavours. For something hearty and filling try the simply divine reuben sandwich (B340) with hand-cut pastrami, cheddar cheese, sauerkraut, Russian sauce and 66 | JA N UA RY 2014
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sourdough bread. The beef is rich, fatty and juicy and by far some of the best pastrami around. Another tasty final recommendation is the sausages and polenta (B288) made with fresh ground Italian sausage meatballs, roasted garlic, peppers, onions and a fried polenta cake all swimming in a mild tomato sauce. Tribeca has some issues when it comes to food consistency and slow service but their attractive price points and soulful cuisine make it a compelling restaurant. Be sure to stop by and enjoy happy hour from 4pm. BY MELISSA RICHTER
tribeca restobar
[MAP 3/q6]
GF Nihonmura mall, 85 Thonglor Soi 13 02-712-9209 | tribeca-restobar.com | 9am-midnight
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review
whale’s belly
- Innovation with upscale execution There’s plenty that appeals about Whale’s Belly, this modern European, seafood-heavy eatery up on the labyrinthine part of Sukhumvit Soi 39. The highceilinged interior is upscale without being unnecessarily formal, well-lit without stripping the place of all warmth. In light of this, the seafaring theme seems a little unnecessary, a gimmick for a restaurant that would do just fine without one. There are times when the food raises a similar question: the produce and execution is excellent overall yet the temptation to go overboard sometimes proves irresistible. There is such a thing as modern for the sake of modern. Among the starters, the Atlantic bluefin tuna tartare (B380) comes with apple jelly, horseradish mayo, buttered crouton, lime zest and a sweet and sour reduction. The pan-fried Hokkaido scallop with foie gras (B590) is served in black agnolotti with cumin-scented carrot puree, micro-greens and champagne sauce. Both dishes deliver an impressive combination but are also examples of how dishes can be over-engineered, perhaps with one element too many. The high points at Whale’s Belly come when the dishes are pared down. The inventiveness and technique on show at Whale’s Belly is laudable but it’s 68 | JA N UA RY 2014
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when the focus is narrowed that it really hits its stride. For example, the slow-braised Wagyu beef cheek (B850) is remarkable. Served with a black garlic puree and a side of mash potatoes, peas and pickled radish, this dish has less going on than some of the others but is exceptionally satisfying, the steak coming apart effortlessly, the sauce heightening rather than overshadowing its natural flavour. Another highlight is the pumpkin risotto and duck ragout served with rocket – the stew is rich in flavour but the dish overall retains a welcome lightness. Again, brilliantly executed without a trendy spurt of foam in sight. The seafood mains also worth exploring – the Chilean seabass (B890), which comes with an orange miso emulsion, sauteed black truffle and nasturtiums teriyaki sauce is the stand-out. And, for all our carping about the indulgences of modern cuisine, that orange miso emulsion is a revelation. Just this once, we stand corrected. BY TOM STURROCK
whale’s belly
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2F 39 Boulevard Tower, 41 Sukhumvit Soi 39 02-160-0333 | facebook.com/WhalesBelly | 5.30pm-11pm
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all you can eat
Bistro M
The international buffet lunch at Bistro M offers remarkably good value, allowing diners access to a range of dishes for just B500 between midday and 2.30pm Monday through Friday. There’s a fine selection of breads and cheese for snacking, as well as pastas and live cooking stations for something more substantial. There’s also a stack of fresh fruit for those in a healthy frame of mind. It’s likely to be popular with workers in the area and of course the guests staying on site but some of the a la carte highlights will also bring customers in from outside the hotel. The Thai staples are well represented, including a tangy beef dish dusted in chilli and a light sauce. But it’s the European dishes that elevate proceedings slightly. There are some delicious pizza options with a thin crust and a sparing amount of cheese. It’s certainly more gourmet in its execution than you’ll see at many buffets that go too hard on the dough. Equally, there’s a grand sirloin that really impresses, lightly seasoned and served on a bed of mashed potato and grilled aubergine. If you whet your appetite with the buffet and then blunt it with this fine cut of steak, it’s likely to be an all-round satisfying lunch. There’s also a very relaxed terrace out the front where you can kick back with an after-work drink. They’ve put some effort into their cocktail list at Bistro M and they of course have a range of imported and local beers as well as a well balanced wine list. 70 | JA N UA RY 2014
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Bistro M
[MAP 3/n13]
Marriott Executive Apartments, 90 Sukhumvit Soi 24 02-302-5555 | marriott.com
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Imperial Queens Park Hotel
Each Sunday, the three specialty restaurants of Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel combine to offer a blockbuster brunch experience. For the one price of just B1800 per person (add B700 for free flow alcohol) you can bounce between the different restaurants as you choose. The featured restaurants for these Triple Brunch Sundays are the Parkview Restaurant, Imperial China and Kacho, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant. At the Parkview in the lobby, there are live-action cooking stations with a full barbecue selection as well as fresh fruits and Thai and international desserts. If you’ve maxed out on Thai food and feel the need for a good cook-up or an irresistible cheese platter, this is for you. You’ll find it hard to go past the grilled gourmet sausages and Bangkok’s best eggs Benedict. Up on the the fourth floor at the Imperial China, Chef Chu Hong delivers a grand Chinese brunch buffet featuring authentic Cantonese dishes, such as steaming assorted dim sum, Peking duck, roast suckling pig, stir-fried seafood and delicious traditional desserts. Way up on the 37th floor, Kacho offers sweeping views of the Bangkok skyline, as well as a bulging Japanese menu, taking in a sushi bar and other Japanese favourites such as sautéed beef with yakiniku sauce and salmon teriyaki. After this mega-brunch, you definitely won’t need to worry about lunch that day. bangkok101.com
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imperial queens park hotel
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199 Sukhumvit Soi 22 02-261-9000 | imperialhotels.com
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all you can eat
Voila
Voila, the in-house restaurant at the Soitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, delivers a buffet with real panache, sacrificing very little in the name of variety and convenience. They’re currently offering a Magnifique Sunday Brunch – available from midday for B3999 with free flow sparkling wines, cocktails and house wines or B2600 with soft drinks. On the last Sunday of every month there is also a special Veuve Clicquot package for B4999. The live cooking stations turn out foie gras terrine with dried fruits and there’s also French-style cuisine from the La Cornue stove and a Parisian-style rotisserie. For a taste of the ocean, there’s a fresh catch of succulent seafood such as lobster, Alaskan king crab, New Zealand mussels and French Fine de Claire oysters. Western favourites include pizza made to order and cooked in a wood-fired oven, crisp salads with delicious dressings, homemade pasta and flavoursome sauces, and a wide variety of French artisan cheeses and breads. There is also authentic Thai cuisine to spice up your weekend and delicately flavoured Japanese and Chinese specialties to explore. The Sofitel does everything with admirable style but the highlight here may be the entire room devoted to cheese. That’s worth a visit alone, especially if you’re having withdrawal symptoms. The feast ends with a choice of irresistible desserts including homemade ice creams and classic French pastries. 72 | JA N UA RY 2014
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voila
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Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Rd 02-126-9999 | sofitel-sukhumvit.com
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all you can eat
FOOD & DRIN K
Panorama Panorama offers some delicious a la carte options as well as some of the best views of any place in Bangkok but there’s also a serious buffet on offer for lunch or dinner. If you head down for lunch on a weekday, you can help yourself for B850 and go to town on a mouthwatering grilled meat selection, including chicken skewers, beef sirloin, pork skewers, ribs and sausages. For something lighter, head for the selection of maki rolls, cold cuts and fresh seafood, including octopus, prawns and cobia. On weekends, the lunch buffet offers additional food stations and selections, including seafood on ice, soft shell crab, salmon, sashimi and Peking duck. That will set you back B1190 – it’s an extra B150 for free flow of soft drinks, juices, smoothies and milkshakes. If you’re coming in for dinner, there’s an appetiser buffet as well as a choice of main course for B1000. While the appetiser buffet has a great selection – with some lip-licking live cooking stations – the main course is what elevates Panorama above many other buffets. Whether you’re in the mood food for salmon, pasta, pork, chicken or risotto, it’s prepared here to a standard that befits the snazzy interior. After you’ve polished off your dessert, head next door to the Finishing Post to enjoy their vast selection of whiskeys from all over the world.
Penny’s Balcony, Thong Lo 16, Sukhumvit 55 Rd, Bangkok T.02 3923518 O Fresh live
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[MAP 5/k4]
Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park, 952 Rama IV 02-632-9000 | crowneplazabkk.com
...and takeaway wines at special price!
A shop in a restaurant A restaurant in a shop Only imported Italian products Open everyday from 11.30am till 11.30pm
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in the kitchen
PETER PITAWONG talks to Howard Richardson
Peter Pitakwong left university in New York and headed straight for the city’s kitchens, including a stint as chef de cuisine at Ian Chalermkittichai’s Manhattan restaurant Kittichai. That led to a partnership in Bangkok’s Hyde & Seek, and Peter now runs Smith, the ‘farm to table, nose to tail’ restaurant launched in 2012. Today, he’s invited me into his open kitchen, part of the 40 year-old former warehouse redesigned with concrete and reclaimed iron, to cook me two dishes, including the restaurant’s most notorious: Head Cheese. Although widely eaten around Europe, it uses bits of pig that many people shun. “You braise the head, ears, tongue and tail, and mix them all together. It looks kind of disgusting,” Peter says. “Season with fresh herbs, vinegar and mustard seeds, roll it up and sous vide.” Once it’s cold, Peter cuts the chunky roll into 2cm thick slices. Expertly rolled, they’re arranged like flutes of parchment pointing skywards. On top go blobs of beetroot vinegar, mustard, gelatin, mint sauce; then tiny flower heads, celery, fines herbs and breadcrumbs fried in garlic. It’s like a miniature landscaped garden, all leaves and yellow-green buds. Head cheese comes in many consistencies. This one’s like a very coarse pate, creamy rather than gelatinous, with a good firm bite and a terrific mouthfeel from the different meat textures. The crisp fruits dance off pepper and mustard. “I like to keep it as natural as possible,” Peter adds. “I want 74 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
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the cooks to appreciate all the ingredients.” This chef is not only busy in the kitchen: “I have another baby about to arrive [his second], we’re launching a new Hyde & Seek in Central World, and I also have a farm to table project with partners in Bandung, Indonesia.” As we talk, he’s preparing Ox Cheek Sous Vide in Raisin Purée with Wagyu Striploin Marinated in Coffee Butter. He adds the cheek, cooked sous vide for eight hours, to a purée of raisins, capers and red wine, and reduces on the stove. The wagyu is also done sous vide. “It doesn’t overcook this way,” Peter explains. “The meat is still rare inside; it doesn’t shrink or lose liquid, and the colour is uniform.” He finishes by pan frying with a single garlic clove smashed with his palm, fresh rosemary and wads of butter, basting constantly. It’s done in less than a minute. Plated with fennel and cilantro purée and carrots glazed with wine and horseradish, this is a rich double beef experiences in one mouthful. Wagyu may be the star around town, but this combination shows that beef cheek has the class to compete. And, for this diner, at least, the head cheese is even better.
smith
[MAP 3/p9]
1/8 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 02-261-0515 smith-restaurant.com | 5pm-midnight
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street eats
ealtike
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Our roving eater Nym knows her local grub inside-out and thrives on the stories behind the dishes. Each month, she takes an offbeat tour in search of the city’s next delectable morsel
Good Tiew Rue Johnny Be Good
here are even more reasons to visit the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre these days, with so many new shops opening up on the premises. There are gift shops, bookstores and places that serve proper coffee. There are also some interesting place sto eat, and the latest to appear between the works of art is Good Tiew Rue Johnny Be Good. A creative and noodle-obsessed artist from Chiang Mai named Jung recently closed down his successful Japanese Pub restaurant, packed his bags and moved his life to Bangkok in search of a new adventure. He’s set up his funky venue at the BACC and serves up his own authentic recipe of kouy tiew rue, or boat noodles. The name of boat noodles comes from the Thai tradition of vendors paddling their boats through the canals with noodle soup stewing away inside their boat. The dish has always been known for its rich flavour of herbal broth, spices and chili with stewed beef or pork. The name remains for this style of noodle soup, even though they’re now served on dry land. Some shops may even have an old boat on display as part of the decoration. Jung loves his art and his food and now he is ready to share his noodle-passion with the big city. To make his noodles authentic and complete, he makes his own kak
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moo – that’s pork crackling – to accompany the dish. Adding extra holy basil leaves and kak moo enhances the aroma and heightens the broth’s flavour. It’s a good idea not to season anything until you taste it first – but you might like to add some tao huu yee – that’s fermented bean curd or sufu – if you want to give your soup a little tangy taste of saltiness. So next time you go to BACC, stroll through and soak up the artistic sights before visiting Jung for lunch.
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listings
Bo.Lan
THAI bo.lan [MAP 3/o12] 42 Sukhumvit 26 Soi Pichai Ronnarong Songkram | 02-260-2962 | bolan.co.th | Tues-Sun 6pm-10.30pm The Bo.Lan Balance menu (B1880) offers customers a selection of mid-sized dishes, beginning with an impressive amuse bouche that includes a particularly satisfying mouthful of Thai noddles with dumplings, where a slow-burn spice silhouettes a refreshing zest and the delicate presentation does not detract from intense flavours. The main selection of dishes comes out in a flurry – there’s beef with organic mangosteen and a chilli-mint dressing, relish of salty duck egg in coconut cream, with mince prawn and grilled squid, as well as a stir-fried pork with santol. It’s highquality produce and the attention to detail throughout is striking, although the bolder notes of chilli and lime risk overshadowing more subtle undertones. The highlight, among the dishes served on the tasting menu, is the mon-style khi lek curry with daily ocean fish. Khi lek leaves are bitter but when combined with the sweetness of coconut milk and the mild spice of a curry, there’s a brilliant complexity
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that still leaves room for the natural seafood taste. There’s more than enough going on in this dish to sustain it over a much larger portion, making it the stand-out offering from the tasting menu. If you want to stray from the set menu and branch off a la carte, the grilled pork salad with rambutan, herbs and red chilli (B420) is a winner, as is the northern-style hot and sour soup with banaa blossom and chicken on the bone (B240).
PASTE [MAP 3/P6] 120/6 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | 02-392-4313 | pastebangkok.com | Tues-Sun noon-2.30pm, 6pm-late It’s possible for passersby to miss this new addition to Bangkok’s cosmopolitan dining scene, tucked to one side of soi 49 in the backstreets of Thong Lor. But if the entrance is easily overlooked, the modern Thai food inside is unlikely to be forgotten. For entrees, the dry-spiced chilli squid, topped with vinegar and tomato relish (B240) is a winner. Among the mains, the prime cuts of Australian red meat stand out invitingly from the local produce – the braised beef ribs with ginger rice, tamarind leaves and mushroom soy (B380) are perfect if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty. The roast duck salad with lychee and Vietnamese mint (B380) packs an immediate punch but it is the hint of banana blossom that delivers a surprising, sensational finish. And then there is the tamarind and caramel pork belly with moonflower, red okra and green chilli pickle (400). It’s an inspired combination, the pork belly coming apart effortlessly while its outer layer retains a rainbow of flavours, its richness lightened
Paste perfectly by the moonflower and okra. Overall, Paste is a triumph, fusing tradition and innovation with a confidence and craft that never veers into showiness. Good food is often described as “tasty” or “delicious” but these descriptions are fleeting – the best meals go a step further and stay with us long after the plates are cleared. And, on that score, Paste delivers with exceptional panache, serving food that is not just instantly gratifying but truly memorable.
american BOURBON STREET [MAP 8/S16] 9/39-40 Soi Tana Arcade, Sukhumvit 63, Ekamai | 02 381 6801 | bourbonstbkk.com 7am-1am New Orleans, the Big Easy, is famed for many things – its music, its nightlife and, of course, its distinctive Cajun food. There are bits and pieces borrowed from western Europe, particularly France and Spain, mixed up in a giant gumbo pot with Creole – itself a mixture of European and African-American influences - and infused with the brassy flavours of the American south. For the uninitiated, it’s a baffling cuisine, partly because it hasn’t been exported
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listings Bourbon Street
wholesale from Louisiana to the rest of the world. That said, washed down with a couple of particularly zingy margaritas at Bourbon Street in Ekkamai, it starts to make a whole lot of sense. The menu is vast, so fortunately the proprietor, Doug, who has been preaching the Cajun gospel in Bangkok for 30-odd years, is on-hand to offer his recommendations. No Cajun banquet is complete without a gumbo, which, on first appearance, looks like a simple working man’s stew - in Cajun cuisine, gumbo is a versatile dish that can contain more or less whatever the chef fancies. Here, it’s chicken and sausage (B140) in a rich broth – whatever spices or thickeners are being expertly employed at Bourbon Street, the flavour jumps off the spoon. An early highlight, undoubtedly. But they come thick and fast thereafter. The buffalo wings (B160) and the barbecue ribs (B370) are perfect for those with big appetites who aren’t afraid to get stuck in.
moulin [MAP 3/r8]
this newish arrival to the backstreets of Thong Lor, with a menu that shoots off in a few different directions and a setting that has spliced together a whirlwind of cabaret trimmings. This lack of a clearly identifiable theme may throw some diners but the food – broadly defined as trendy New York fare, channelling the foodie diversity of that city – does not disappoint in the slightest. If you start with the crispy crab cakes with mango salad (B420) the Big Apple vibe rings clear enough but the scallop carpaccio (main image, B340), served with fresh fruit and chocolate sauce, sets the mind spinning all over. Scallops in chocolate sauce? Crazier still is that it really works. Among the mains, the pan-fried blackened seabass served with dirty rice (B480) takes diners from the east coast on a trip to the Cajun south, helped on the way by the spicy shrimp gumbo (B380). It’s at this point that you really just have to stop worrying about categorising this experience and instead sit back and enjoy, not least because the gumbo is spectacular. It’s got all those amazing elements of a big Louisiana cook-up, the fire in the first mouthful all the way through to the peppery, smokey aftertaste. In a menu that’s heavy on experimentation, the gumbo is brilliantly authentic and is worth the visit on its own.
CHINESE IMPERIAL CHINA [MAP 3/M11]
No.88 Thong Lor Soi 5 | 02-712-9348 moulinsquare.com | 5.30pm-11pm, Fri-Sun also 5.30-11pm It’s hard to know quite what to expect from
Imperial Queens Park Hotel, 199 Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-261-9000 | imperialhotels.com/ imperialqueenspark | Daily 7am-10pm You might think you have a pretty firm idea
FOOD & DRIN K
Imperial China about Chinese food – after all, it’s one of the most widely available cuisines all around the world, and is everywhere in Bangkok. Still, if this city has one constant – apart from the traffic – it is surely it’s ability to surprise and the expertly prepared offerings at Imperial China might force you to rethink what you think you know about Chinese food. If you’re after a Cantonese feast, there’s plenty on offer – we’ll get to that – but if you fancy the lighter fare, then the dim sum is sensational; the light, bite-sized portions or ornate seafood and pork will have you and your friends fighting each other for control of the Lazy Susan. As delicious as the dim sum is, it’s the main courses where Chef Chu really fires – everyone is familiar with spring rolls, but the ones at Imperial China, made with snowfish and avocado, (B750) are unlike any you’ve had previously, the ingredients off-setting each other perfectly and the texture of the pastry excquisite. The seafood extravaganza continues with baked tiger prawn with salt egg (B950) and stir-fried Hong Kong scallops with macadamia (B850). The scallops, in particular, hit exactly the right note and will remind seafood lovers precisely why they love their food fresh from the sea.
49 Sukhumvit soi 49 - Terrace 49 Building 2nd floor - reservation +6622041731
LA
OTTEGA
private wine room - open lunch and dinner bangkok101.com
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listings
Mandopop
mandopop [MAP 4/k6] Oriental Residence Bangkok, 110 Wireless Road | 02-252-8001 | mandopop-bangkok.com 5pm-midnight The steamed scallop dumplings (B160) come wrapped in the thinnest wonton, one side tinted purple with beetroot and the other green with spinach. It’s a dish with very little margin for error – eating it is also a test of one’s chopsticks skills – but the crucial scallop flavour is never overwhelmed by the seasoning. The pan-seared foie gras served with crispy duck skin (B450) is perhaps even more ambitious, served on a bed of curd and cress with a drizzle of sweet chilli and mango dressing (above right). It’s a perfect balance of flavours and textures, the velvety richness of the foie gras offset perfectly by the crunch of the duck skin, mixed in with the spice and joyous zing of the dressing. An absolute triumph. This brings us to the mains – often the stumbling block for restaurants pushing a modern concept. The tenderloin beef in black pepper sauce (B550) is wellexecuted in its own right – the meat is tender and gives off exactly the right tangy bite that customers expect from this dish. However, after the foie gras, the presentation
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falls short, the beef served more or less on its own, or with rice. Given the exquisite, elegant presentation of other dishes, this is surprisingly plain. There’s a spectacular return to form for the desserts, though. The yam paste with coconut cream and white gingko nuts (B150) mixes savoury sweet to winning effect, while the chilled mango pudding (B180) delivers a sensationally clean, fruity encore.
FRENCH chez pape [MAP 3/f9] 1/28-29 Soi Sukhumvit 11 | 02-255-2492 chezpape.com | 5pm-11.30pm, Sat-Sun also 11.30am-2.30pm The menu brims with traditional French fare, an indulgent roll call of sauces and great bread, seafood and meat. Those in the mood for a proper French feast won’t be disappointed but that’s not to say Chez Pape feels routine. Rather, there are enough surprises, both in terms of the combinations and the presentation to elevate Chez Pape’s food to something more impressive. Starting with the appetisers, there is a ceviche of barracuda in chilli and citrus (B160) or the tartare of avocado, crab and green apple (above right, B200), both hitting the right notes: light, fresh, seafood flavours offset with the right amount of seasonings. But perhaps it’s in the more provincial dishes that Chez Pape declares its hand, offering a port-marinated foie gras terrine, served with toast and mango marmalade (B285). The early courses are certainly impressive enough to build expectation for the mains without being so concept-heavy that they
Chez Pape create confusion. The pan-seared beef flank, an exquisite cut of meat, comes with goat-cheese ravioli and garnished with virgin sauce (B450) – it’s a deeply satisfying combination. Twisting the formula a little further is the duck breast served with apples, spinach and Japanese citrus dressing (B510). It’s a fine example of Chez’s Pape’s commitment to doing the inimitably French things well while borrowing and augmenting with inspired touches from elsewhere. It may sound like a challenge but leave room for dessert as the poached strawberries in syrup and ice cream (B230), although they sound straightforward, are a highlight.
l’appart [MAP 3/g9] 32/F, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Soi | 085-924-1565 | sofitel.com 7pm-midnight L’Appart, on the top floor of the Sofitel on Sukhumvit, has one of the most gorgeous, interesting spaces in Bangkok. The cliches of restaurant decor have been thrown overboard – a meal here feels like you’ve been invited for a fabulous dinner party at a successful friend’s immaculately furnished penthouse with amazing views of the skyline. There’s a library and a dining room and one
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Gaggan
LAppart of the snazziest open kitchens around. And, most importantly, the food delivers with bells on. The absolute staples are still represented – frog legs with leek and truffle (B480) and a spectacular bouillabaisse (onion soup) with rock fish, puff Japanese pearl and rouille sauce (B550; right). Chef Jeremy Tourret has dialled down the salt for the Asian palate, with the added benefit of making room for the more complex flavours he has included. He takes it to the next step in the mains. His pan-fried snow fish comes with cauliflower mousseline and Madras curry (B1300) – that’s right, curry. In a French restaurant. It seems risky and may outrage traditionalists but it is testament to Tourret’s technique and imagination that it works – the cauliflower balances the curry so the delicate taste of the snow fish – among the best – is never overwhelmed. And while people might be unexcited by the prospect of roast chicken, it’s a different dish when it comes stuffed with goat cheese, comfit zucchini and organic tomatoes (B900), each mouthful an opportunity to unpick and savour the winning combination.
indian gaggan [MAP 8/l14] 68/1 Soi Langsuan | 02 652 1700 eatatgaggan.com | 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-11.30pm Indian cuisine, perhaps more than any other, has been pigeonholed, locked into a narrow idea of heavy curries and spicy tandooris. It’s an inadequate concept, of course, and Gaggan Anand, through his stunningly unique restaurant in Langsuan, makes one of the most urgent cases for these definitions to be reconsidered. It’s ‘progressive cuisine’ anchored in Indian flavours but these lines gets blurred pretty quickly once you’re through the culinary wormhole. The reality is that, at Gaggan, flavours can be drawn from anywhere – as long as they work, there’s little formal structure about what’s allowed to go together. bangkok101.com
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Perhaps the most interesting way to experience Gaggan’s always delicious, often offbeat repertoire is through one of the tasting menus (B1600, B2600 or B4000). One of the more surprising combinations comes out relatively early – it’s called Viagra, freshly shucked French oysters served with kokam nectar and Indian mustard ice cream, and somehow works despite ingredients that don’t intuitively go together. The Egyptian Secret uses foie gras, red onion chutney and raspberry powder to equally stunning effect, the flavours so well-judged that your taste buds are pulled in different directions in one mouthful. There’s the truffle mousse with a pepper infusion and king prawns with fennel Kachumber and charcoal oil. For those who just want a damn fine curry, Gaggan has that covered as well. The apparently simple Who You Calling Chicken (B390) in fact has outstandingly refined flavour and a heart-starting pepper aftertaste.
INTERNATIONAL cellar 11 wine bar & bistro [MAP 3/f7]
71/1 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-255-5833 cellar11.com | 6pm-midnight The menu is essentially European, drawing mostly from French and Italian, neither entirely traditional nor rushing headlong into new-fangled techniques for the sake of it. For example, the scallop cappuccino (B580) comes with morel, champignon and porcini mushrooms. There’s a trend to increasingly match scallops with lighter flavours, sometimes sweeter or citrus-based, but the seasoning here is a reassuring return to a warmer, earthier mix. Conversely, the Toulouse foie gras (B620) is dressed with a choice of peach, raspberry or porto sauce. But it’s even more traditional fare that really impresses – the onion soup (B260) is one of the most familiar staples of any French kitchen but it is elevated here by the addition of chicken stock to add texture and a layer of gruyere cheese to add bite. Belying its simply JA N UA RY 2014 | 79
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Cellar 11 presentation, the taste is exquisite. Similarly, the angel hair sea urchin pasta (B950) is straightforward enough but the taste of fresh sea urchin is one of the most memorable aspects of the meal. It’s this low-key attenion to detail that emerges as the hallmark of Cellar 11’s food and it’s evident again in the duck confit (B690) that comes with crushed truffle in a pool of glorious honey thyme sauce. And the rack of Australian lamb (B990) is equally impressive, crusted with herbs and served with dauphinoise and a garlic rosemary sauce that lingers on the tongue.
CREPES & Co [Map 8/L14] 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, Ploenchit Road, (also 88 Thonglor Soi 8 and CentralWorld) 02-652-0208 | crepesnco.com | 9am-11pm The business itself is a uniquely Bangkokian success story. It was founded nearly 20 years ago as a family business which quickly expanded and became more ambitious. The crepe may be French in origin, but the flavours and ingredients here take in the entire sweep of the Mediterranean, borrowing heavily from Morocco and Greece, in particular. The menu bulges with savoury options – try the eggplant caviar – but it’s the desserts
that attract a loyal after-dinner following. You can keep it simple by going for the Crepe Josephine (B170), which is a straightforward combination of sugar and lemon zest. But if you’ve got a major sweet tooth, you’ll likely move on to the serious stuff, like the Crepe Framboise (B290), served bulging with vanilla ice cream and lathered in rich, tangy raspberry sauce. These creations are big enough to share – or you can have one all to yourself if you have a real craving. Going down the list reveals some eye-popping desserts – try the Crepe Mango Coconut (B195), which somehow works despite the unusual pairing of fresh mango and coconut slices, or the Coupe de Fraises (B170), with strawberry, vanilla and chantilly. The real show-stopper, though, is the Flambe Calvados (B290), which comes out rinsed in apple liqueur and filled with sautee apple and rum raisin ice cream. And then they set that baby on fire.
HEMINGWAY’S [MAP 3/J10] Sukhumvit Soi 14 | 02-653 3900 | hemingwaysbangkok.com | 11.30am-late (kitchen closes 10:45pm) Choosing Ernest Hemingway as a concept for your bar-restaurant may not be the most original idea but the archetypal He-Man is associated with so many locations – from the Spanish Civil War to hunting rhinos in the Serengeti – that he gives you plenty to play with. It’s ideal fodder to fill this sprawling 1920s-style golden teak house. Arriving from the soi, you enter the Spanish Garden with its own fountain and lanterns in the trees, and proceed through various rooms themed according to episodes from the author’s life. The Havana
Hemingway’s Bar dispenses Hemingway’s favourite spirits in generous 45ml pours; the Key West Café is a large dining area with waxed teak floors, lots of plants and period lampshades styled after oil lamps. We chose (very) dirty Tanqueray martinis from a long drink list (B195), including special cocktails (B220) and beers from their own system served at a reliable minus-two degree. There are 20 or so wines (B1000-B2400 a bottle), including eight by the glass (B150-B350). The food menu moves from bar snacks – try the tasty and tender chilli salt-fried squid with Hemingway’s own tartar sauce (B165) – through soups, entrées and New York pizzas. Among the short list of mains are sea bass with Hemingway’s oyster and absinthe broth, steamed mussels and braised lettuce (B450) and grass-fed lava coal Australia grilled sirloin with sautéed kale, hand-cut chunky fries with a choice of sauce. Finish with a very more-ish butterscotch pot au cream with hazelnut praline (B200).
The District [MAP 3/S10] Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit, 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57 | 02-797-0000 | marriott.com | 6pm-11pm The name of the restaurant refers to New York’s meat packing district – that
refinement complexity intrigue www.pastebangkok.com
info@pastebangkok.com PHONE +66 2 392 4313 120/6 Sukhumvit Soi 49 (Across from Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital) Su
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CHEZ PAPÉ
French Bistro
The District shines through in the menu but also in the impressive cocktails. They haven’t limited themselves to pink and fruity, which is a relief, instead coming up with some bold offerings, like the Boss’s Daughter, rum, amaretto, bitters and lemonade, and the Midnight Snack, whiskey, snap liqueur, demerara syrup and egg white (both B270). The highlight at The District, though, is undoubtedly the seafood. The Ice District Heights, main picture, is a jumble of lobster, prawns, oysters, scallops and crab (B2900), enough to look after a group who feel like sampling a bit of everything. In reality, though, the appetisers are impressive and varied enough to justify ordering them separately. The lobster ravioli (B720) looks simple but sets the tone for what is a seriously impressive line-up of seafood. The absolute showstopper, though, are the scallops (B850), a shining example of The District’s straightforward approach and presentation concealing the exacting standards behind the scenes. They come out as an appetiser-sized serving but they could serve them by the bucket and there would be no complaints. The Australian lamb rack (B980 – above) is succulent and expertly seasoned and the Tasmanian salmon (B690) has a freshness that fills your nostrils the moment it arrives. But damn it if we weren’t all still thinking about those scallops.
ITALIAN divino [MAP 3/r6] Penny’s Balcony, Thong Lor Soi 16 02-714-8723 | divinobkk.com | 5pm-midnight, Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm It’s a curious little set-up, the restaurant split between three rooms that share one corner of Penny’s Corner up in Thong Lor. One section is for private dining, another is filled with stools and high tables, while the newish wine room is a sit-down affair, the walls lined with bottles of gorgeous Italian vino. One of the great joys of DiVino is the staff, Roberto out the front and Armando running the kitchen. From the way their eyes light bangkok101.com
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DiVino up when talking about their food, you know you’re in good hands. To get the balling rolling, DiVino offers a selection of cheese (B790 for six different pieces) or imported cold cuts (B700 for the most generous serving). As appetisers, they do precisely what they’re meant to, getting the stomach gurgling away in anticipation. Also try the grilled homemade Italian sausage (B290), served with mustard and exploding with a peppery finish. So there’s enough variety there to keep customers happy if they just fancy a bottle of wine over a few shared platters but the main courses raise the stakes in a way that fancier, more concept-heavy places don’t always manage. It’s hard to recall pasta being this exciting. The linguine with Alaskan crab meat (B420; main, middle left) is a lighter affair – let’s not go too far and call it delicate -– while the linguine all’astice (B580) is their signature dish containing half a Boston lobster, dripping in one of those bolshy Italian sauces that looks simple but isn’t.
La Bottega di Luca [MAP 3/P8] The 49 Terrace, Sukhumvit 49 | 02-204-1731 labottega.name | 10.30am-11.30pm Nestled in a smallish mall on soi 49, La Bottega di Luca is an immediately welcoming space, effortlessly combining indoor-outdoor seating and cultivating a relaxed vibe that makes it a neighbourhood favourite with real panache. Luca, who runs the show, updates the parts of the menu regularly and orders produce in from Italy fortnightly. The antipasti start at B290 and the grilled scamorza (B390) – that’s smoked mozzarella – wrapped in speck ham with mushrooms and red wine sauce is a delight. It’s a simple idea but the evident care taken in preparation elevates this to a gorgeous starter, reminding diners just how much they’ve come to miss cheese in Bangkok. And that sauce – you’ll be tempted to lick the plate clean. There’s a sizeable menu and it can be tricky to know which direction to take. The most eye-catching salad is the seafood combination (B220) with steamed prawns, baby squid, mussels and clams seasoned
Nobody wants to stay at home when it’s time for dinner at Chez Papé Classic French Food Quality wine from around the world Sukhumvit Soi 11
OPEN daily 5pm - 11pm
Weekend lunch 11.30am - 2.30pm Tel:
02 255 2492
info@chezpape.com
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Toro Sushi with garlic. But who are we kidding? We’re here for the rustic, filling, flavoursome Italian cooking, delivered with real passion. That means it’s hard to go past the homemade pasta that gets freshly made every day – the dishes are reasonably priced at B240-490, although you’ll be shelling out B1790 if you go for the lobster. The paccheri with saute Italian sausage and fennel seeds certainly doesn’t disappoint. There’s a rich, full flavour, meaty enough to eat with a glass of red wine but with a complexity of seasoning and ticklish spice at the end of each mouthful. Pasta dishes can sometimes become a bit of a slog halfway through but there’s enough going on here that the portion disappears pretty damn quickly.
JAPANESE Toro Sushi [MAP 3/R8] No.88 in soi connecting Thong Lor 5 to 9, Sukhumvit 55 | 02-712-8447 | facebook.com/ torofreshsushi | Mon-Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm Rather old-fashioned looking, with slats of light wood and bare bulb lighting like the one used in Japanese markets, there’s nothing at
all fancy about it – and in a city where style to often strong-arm substance that’s part of its charm. The same old-school approach extends to the food. There’s lots of sushi on the menu, but little in the way of the fancy sushi creations you find at your heaving chain equivalents. Starters include chawanmushi (B80), steamed egg custard served warm. Another light opener is the Engkawa sushi (B120 per piece). Though it looks a little oily,the lightly grilled flatfish, rice and accompanying sour ponzu sauce add up to very moreish mouthfuls. A decent side perfect for chomping on in between sips of your hot or cold sake (which starts from B300 per 300ml) is the shiraou karaage (B190), which are little fish deep fried and lightly salted. As well as sides and sushi, fresh sashimi boats are also served, the most expensive being the Sashimi Moriawase 7 (B1900) featuring seven different kinds: otoro, akami, hamachi, salmon, mandai, Saba and Japanese scallops.The meat is fresh, the wasabi sauce reeks of quality, and the rice has a mild smooth taste. But what really stands out over and above all of them is the melt-in-your-mouth Otoro sashimi. Reservations are recommended if you want to sit at a table, not the sushi bar. .
Zuma [MAP 4/G6] Ground Fl, 159 Rajadamri Road | 02-252-4707 zumarestaurant.com | 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm The style and presentation of the dishes is unmistakably contemporary – authentic but not traditional – exemplified by a particularly snazzy range of cocktails, including the Rubabu (B295), which blends
Zuma sake and vodka with fresh passionfruit, and a spectacular lychee rose martini. But, of course, it’s the food that really matters and, in a format that might take a little getting used to for those accustomed to a starter, then a main, then a dessert, Zuma is a bit more free and easy than that. The technique required to execute the smaller dishes is truly impressive and, because of Zuma’s three open kitchens, customers can watch the chefs at work. There are several highlights, though, including the sliced yellowtail served with green chilli relish, ponzu and pickled garlic (B410) – the effect is stunning, a mouthful of the most delicately textured seafood packed with light but still intense flavour. No less impressive are the plates of nigiri sushi and selected sashimi (B1100) – Japanese food has become so ubiquitous that it’s easy to forget how it’s meant to taste when it’s done with absolute precision and attention to detail. Some diners may be nervous about eating raw beef (B490) but at Zuma, served with citrus dressing, it goes down so well that any apprehension soon evaporates. Make sure you leave room for dessert as the daikoku platter (B2300 for small one) is a work of art, a mix of exotic ice creams and fresh fruit, served in an entirely edible basket.
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BEST RESTAU RANTS
www.snapper-bangkok.com 1/20-22 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Ph. 02 651-1098
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listings Snapper
SEAFOOD snapper [MAP 3/f8] 1/20-22 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-1098 snapper-bangkok.com Mon-Fri 5pm midnight, Sat-Sun noon-midnight New Zealand cuisine is hard to define precisely but it emphasises quality produce, and allows it to speak for itself with uncomplicated presentation. This works particularly well when it comes to seafood and, although Snapper has a low-key, laidback atmosphere, owners Mark and Craig take their produce very seriously, importing it all the way from the chilly waters of the Tasman. It pays off handsomely. The Nelson Bay scallops, sauteed in white wine, butter and chives (B790) epitomise the approach of not masking the natural goodness of the product with a stack of heavy sauces and extra ingredients. That seafood taste is there in spades, along with a perfectly firm yet tender texture that identifies topdrawer seafood. They’ve got some stiff competition from the mussels, though, served as starters (B200-B300) or in a more substantial sharing platter (B480), topped with spiced tomato that offsets the oceaninfused tang without ever overwhelming it.
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Snapper has done its darnedest to set itself apart as serving the best fish and chips in Bangkok and it’s pretty hard to argue with the orange roughie (B480) that just comes apart effortlessly on the plate and, with a squirt of lemon, works spectacularly on the tongue. There’s a vast selection: from red gurnard to flounder to kingfish and plenty more besides. But if you think the Kiwis are keen on their seafood – they are, with good cause – they’re pretty jazzed about New Zealand lamb and beef as well. And while Snapper’s menu remains heavily seafood-focused, the addition of a small but brilliantly executed meat section is a masterstroke. The generous, succulent lamb chops (B690) come with a selection of homemade sauces that will have you licking the plate clean.
the oyster bar [MAP 2/e11] 395 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 24 02-212-4809 | theoysterbarbangkok.com Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun noon-10pm You know the owner of a restaurant takes his seafood seriously when there are several pages of the menu devoted entirely to oysters. With Billy Marinelli, owner of the Oyster Bar in a foodie enclave of Chong Nonsi, customers are in good hands. Those oysters have been brought in from all over the world – you’ll find them for B75-B150 each, discounted if you go for a dozen. If you’re overwhelmed by the vast selection, Billy is generally on hand to offer his expert advice. If you’ve brought your most serious appetite, move on to the seafood platter (B2000 for two or B3500 for four or more), offering a gorgeous pile of oysters, scallop
FOOD & DRIN K
The Oyster Bar sashimi, bay shrimp, seaweed salad, Dungeness crab, mussels, clams and caviar. The presentation is impressively straightforward, emphasising the produce without the unnecessary bells and whistles. The portions here are generous – and remarkably affordable given the quality – but they’re unlikely to last long once they land on the table as every part of the platter positively glows with that slightly briney goodness. A string of highlights follow: the seared Alaskan scallops with mango puree and pickled shallots (B450) adds a fruity tang to the soft, subtle flesh that barely needs chewing. The fish of the day will vary but it would be unwise to overlook the wild salmon (B600), served more simply but prepared with an unmistakable sense of what good salmon does in a customer’s mouth. For some diners, that may be enough but for those prepared to carry on, the rewards are well worth it. The seafood paella (main image, B600 for two) is as good at it gets, rustically presented, steaming with spices and sauce, a mountain of mixed seafood to be ladled out and shared. It may be tempting fate to go for dessert but the mango yoghurt (B180) and chocolate fondat (B200) make a smashing finale to one of the most enjoyable meals in Bangkok.
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Nightlife feel the sensation
This year’s Bangkok edition of Sensation, the worldwide electronica festival that launched in Amsterdam in 2000, is Sensation Wicked Wonderland at BITEC (km1, 88 Bangna-Trad Rd, 02-749-3939, bitec.co.th) on February 1. They’re expecting top international DJs (nothing announced at press time) and 17,000 people, all dressed in white. To become one of them, cough up B3000 for a regular ticket or B4500 if you want access to the Deluxe Area and a rather generous three free cans of Heineken. Both are available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com).
double wide arrives
There’s a new arrival on the bar scene of Sukhumvit Soi 11, with Doublewide (33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 0859-094-444; facebook.com/DoublewideBKK) opening inconspicuously toward the end of last year. It’s squeezed in next to Apoteka, just over the road from Q Bar – it’s a smallish, low-lit space but the owners seem determined to make the most of it. They’ve put together a genuinely inventive cocktail menu and have the kind of bar snacks you won’t see elsewhere. Try the char sui pork noodles or the six-piece wonton servings with a choice of fillings.
mode building a buzz
After its grand opening last month Mode Sathorn (144 North Sathorn Rd; 02-623-4555; modesathorn.com) continues to carve out its own unique niche as a hotel where people can stay if they’re looking for a good time. Their Theatre bar is an upscale restaurant in one half and a chic cocktail bar and lounge in the other. It’s youthful, energetic and with plenty of design touches that make it stand out from other hotel bars. The same goes for its rooftop bar on the 38th floor and the pool bar lower down. We’re looking forward to some big nights there.
single goes ahead
The Single Festival was originally scheduled for last November but was postponed until January 25. There are a stack of live acts and DJs performing at Pinehurst Golf and Country Club (73 Moo 17 Phaholyothin Rd. Km.37 Klong 1 Klong Luang), which is about one hour north of Bangkok. Tickets are B799 from Thai Ticketmajor and that includes free drinks all night. Gates open at 5pm and it goes until 2am – it promises to be an evening to remember so hopefully there are no further delays.
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review
Ku de ta - The hottest place in town -
S
ince its opening amid much fanfare at the end of last year, Ku De Ta has quickly built a reputation as one of the places in Bangkok to keep an eye on. The hype and the investment have been massive and there’s an ambition to match. Ku De Ta sets out to add a new dimension to a night out in Bangkok. To some extent, it follows in the footsteps of Bed Supperclub by providing an upscale club experience for the city’s movers and shakers but it has also carved out its own unique aesthetic that is sure to make it one of Bangkok’s top nightlife destination venues. “We consider ourselves a lifestyle venue – there’s a choice of cuisines as well as a choice between seeing a band, or more of a club atmosphere or a lounge,” Justin Dunne, director of club and bar operations, explains. “It gives our guests the opportunity to have different experiences. People might come in on a Tuesday and then a Friday – it’s the same place but there will be different experiences. “As for the space, the site is in an up-and-coming area surrounded by the river and hotels. We think it’s on the cusp of becoming an ‘in’ place that’s a bit more central than somewhere like Thong Lor. That’s going to help with everything we want to do.” Undoubtedly, the space is the first part of Ku De Ta’s glittering fit-out that catches the eyes. The main club is a vast rectangular area with skyscraper ceilings and 86 | JA N UA RY 2014
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a long window running down an entire side, affording an exceptional view of Bangkok lit up at night. Another feature is the lighting set-up – a very snazzy, very modern LED ‘chandelier’ hangs over the dance floor, twinkling a variety of different colours in time with the music. Like most clubs with this kind of ‘wow factor’, the space is the trump card but could also be a liability on quieter nights. It’s great when it’s humming but it will be interesting to see how a low-key Monday or Tuesday is handled. At the very least, the cocktails will be pretty damn fine. The team that designed their drinks list have made a real effort to stand out – even the familiar staples have been taken and given a twist and there’s a welcome inventiveness to the signatures drinks. The Thai Basil Smash (B320) combines Tanqueray gin, sake and basil crushed together with lemons and sugar, while the Mexican Love Swizzle (340) offsets chilli-infused tequila with fresh pineapples. That one packs a particular punch. More mellow is the Storm Cooler (B360), with its combination of Ketel One vodka, passionfruit and honey, with a pinch of licorice powder.
ku de ta
[MAP 5/g6]
39-40F Sathorn Square Complex, 98 North Sathorn Rd 02-108-2000 | kudeta.net | 6pm-late
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listings more posh than funky. Some of Bangkok’s gilded youth chill on sofas and knock pool balls around in the front room; but most hit the fridge-cool dancehall to boogie away the week’s woes to live bands and hip-hop DJs. Forget about edgy sounds – here it’s all about getting down with the CEOs of tomorrow.
MIXX DISCOTHEQUE [MAP 4/H4] Bash
Nightclubs BASH [ma p 3/F8] 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (entrance next to the Australian Pub | bashbangkok.com Midnight-very late Open till “very late”, Bash is brash. American owner Daryl Scott, a well-known club scene figure, has spliced strands of global clubbing DNA with the usually sleazy after-hours club concept. There are burlesque dancers ranging from midgets and robots on stilts to cross-dressing whacker Pan Pan (the shows bring to mind risqué superclub Manumission at times); the fixtures and furniture are of the very glam sort (gleaming Louis IX furniture, etc); and the DJs are often big names. Head up the stairs lined with misshapen mirrors and you’ll find three floors of fun, two of them taken up by the main room and the mezzanine which overlooks it.
DEMO [map 3/R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) 02-711-6970 | 8pm-1am Easily the grittiest discoteca in the swish Thong Lor area is Demo: a squat former tenement building turned graffiti daubed brick warehouse. Featuring a terrace and bar outside, and lots of dark corners inside, not only does it look like a venue you’d find in East London or some other hipsterville; it sounds like one, too: instead of the usual mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast zeitgeisty nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system.
Funky Villa [MAP 3/R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 | 08-5253-2000 | 6pm-2am The name Funky Villa conjures images of roller-blading babes in bikinis, all partying at a Hugh Hefner-owned villa in the Med. The reality’s different. Steer your way through the fairground-sized car park, past the BMWs and chic lounge-deck area, and you’ll hit a swish one-storey house, 88 | JA N UA RY 2014
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President Tower Arcade 973 Ploenchit Rd mixxdiscotheque.com | B350 | 10pm-late Located in basement annex of the Intercontinental Hotel, Mixx is classier than most of Bangkok’s after-hour clubs, but only slightly. It’s a two-room affair decked out with chandeliers and paintings and billowing sheets on the ceiling lending a desert tent feel. The main room plays commercial R&B and hip hop, the other banging techno and house. Expect a flirty, up-for-it crowd made up of colourful characters from across the late-night party spectrum. The entry price: B350 for guys, B300 for girls. That includes a drink and, as long as things go smoothly, the chance to party until nearly sunrise.
ROUTE 66 [Map 8/Q12] 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue | route66club.com B200 foreigners incl. drink / free for Thais Rammed with hordes of dressed-to-kill young Thais on most nights of the week, ‘Route’, as it is affectionately known, is RCA’s longest surviving superclub. There are three zones to explore (four if you count the toilets – probably the ritziest in town), each with its own bar, unique look and music policy. ‘The Level’ is the huge, alllasers-blazing hip-hop room; ‘The Classic’ spins house and techno; and Thai bands bang out hits in ‘The Novel’. Route is not a good place to lose your friends but can be a blast if you all get crazy around a table, be it inside or out on the big outdoors area. One sore point: unlike the locals, foreigners are charged a B200 entry fee (but get a free drink).
THE CLUB [Map 7/F 5] 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod | 02-629-1010 theclubkhaosan.com | 6pm-2am B 100 (incl. one drink) The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers must surely be amazed to find they’ve entered a techno castle on Khao San Road. The sky-high windows and raised central DJ turret lend a fairytale vibe, while the lasers, visuals and UV lighting hark back to mid 1990s psy-trance raves. Music-wise, it’s a loud, banging
Q Bar house serving up the full range of 4/4 beats, usually cranium-rattling electro house and techno. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free.
Q BAR [Map 3/C4] 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-252-3274 qbarbangkok.com | 8pm-1am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with big name international DJs appearing regularly. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife twelve years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and a recent top-to-bottom renovation giving the venue a maximalist style injection. Now, there’s more room to dance and more lounge space, especially at QUP, the more downtempo upstairs area. Also, out the back of the venue, through a revolving door from the dance floor, you can find your way into Le Derriere, Q Bar’s very own Parisianstyle absinthe bar that is perfect for chilling out and chasing the green fairy.
hotel bars & clubs BARSU [map 3/F6] 1st F, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250, Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 barsubangkok.com | 6pm-2am The informal yet sleek BarSu features the tagline ‘eat, play, dance,’ and appeals to the over-30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city’s current nightlife offerings. To this end, there are five live bands for each night of the week. Comprised of students from Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Jazz, Tenon Round’ are a gifted young quartet who perform every Tuesday from 8.30 to 10.30pm. The other bands, JazzPlayground, P.O.8, Rhythm Nation and Hot Gossip, play from Wednesday to Saturday respectively. In bangkok101.com
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spasso [MAP 8/l13]
CM2 between sets, tuck into their ‘Goong goong goong’ menu, combining fresh prawns with a variety of international flavours.
CM2 [map 4/D5] Novotel Siam Square, 392/44 Siam Square Soi 6 02-209-8888 | cm2bkk. com | 10pm-2am The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s subterranean party cave still packs them in sixteen years after it first opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and nocturnal beauties. The big and quite 1980s disco looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) complex has lots of lounging space facing the dance floor, plus a sports bar with pool tables, smoking room, and an Absolut Vodka Lounge. It’s mainstream all the way. DJs play what the crowd wants, when they want it, usually the latest electro, funky house or hip-grinding R&B tune, while the live bands from Canada, Europe and Asia perform as if every song is a potentially lifechanging audition. Currently that includes the impressive Crush Crew, who perform their renditions of modern hip-hop, R&B and other charting hits.
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Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajadamri Road | 02-254-1234 | bangkok. grand.hyatt.com 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm2.30am There’s no shortage of hotel bars in Bangkok but Spasso, on the ground floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan has been around for 21 years and remains a favourite among visitors and expats looking to let their hair down. By day, it presents as a sedate Italian restaurant but after hours, after it transforms into a club and cocktail bar, it really hits its stride, revelling in its energetic, uninhibited atmosphere. The layout is unconventional – an open-plan foyer and dining area narrows into a dancefloor, flanked by two horseshoe-shaped bars. It has the effect of funnelling all the action between the bars and on to the dancefloor. Spasso is not so much for Bangkok scenesters – its selling point is that it’s slightly wild and the live band does its best to whip partygoers into even higher spirits.
ST REGIS BAR [map 4/G 7] St Regis Bangkok Hotel, 159 Ratchadamri Rd 02-207-7777 | stregis.com | Mon-Fri 10am-1am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am At 6:30pm each day a butler struts out on to the terrace of the St Regis Bar, a saber in one hand, a bottle of Moet & Chandon in the other. He then flicks at the collar until ‘pop!’, the cork flies off and bubbly spurts gently out on to the terrace. Come for this, stay for the view. Stretching along a plate glass window, the rectangle venue – with its suave masculine vibe, long bar, clubby sofas and high-ceilings – eyeballs the city’s Royal Bangkok Sports Club. It’s a
©2013 Hilton Worldwide
lovely spot at sunset, even better on every second Sunday afternoon, when you can spy on the horseracing with a fine malt whiskey in hand.
Bars with views Above Eleven [MAP 3/C4] 33rd Fl Fraser Suites Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-207-9300 aboveeleven.com | 6pm-2am A west-facing 33rd floor rooftop bar with beautiful sunsets, Above Eleven is a winning combination. The outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls for maximum view has a central bar, dining tables, lounge areas and huge daybeds for parties to slumber on. Tip: choose a seat on the north side – it gets windy to the south. There’s a great view, an impressive cocktail list and an electro soundtrack.
AMOROSA [Map 7/C12] 4th F, Arun Residence Hotel, 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Rd 02-221-9158 | arunresidence.com | 6pm-1am
KONNICHIWA! WEEKEND BRUNCH Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Indulge your appetite with our latest Konnichiwa Brunch featuring brand new brunch menus with unlimited Japanese contemporary and traditional dishes. An all-you-can-eat that cannot be missed for THB 1,750 net and THB 2,250 net with free flow prosecco and sake
3 rd Floor Lunch 11:30 - 14:30 & Dinner 18:00 - 22:30
All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330 Thailand For reservations call 66 (0) 2690 9233 or bkkci.kisara@conradhotels.com
Konnichiwa Brunch AD - Bangkok 101 • size 15.6 x 7.2 cm. • Full Colors bangkok101.com
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end of the room that propels this place deep into the nightlife stratosphere. Where the long table ends, a tall plate glass window and huge poolside patio, complete with bar, begins. Out here, 25 floors up, you can glug signature ‘long-tail’ cocktails or new latitude wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hair-tousling breezes; and – best of all – wide-screen city vistas.
MOON BAR [Map 5/K8] Amorosa is a sultry, Moroccan-style balcony bar offering balmy river breezes, sour-sweet cocktails and a so-so wine list. The showstopper, though, is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, guests gaze out from its balcony terrace on to the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn, on the banks beyond. Go before sundown and enjoy watching the sun sink slowly behind it. Or come later, when amber floodlights make it glow against the night sky.
heaven [MAP 8/k13] F20, Zen @ Central World, 4/5 Ratchadamri Rd | 02-100-9000 | heaven-on-zen.com Mon-Sun 5.30pm-1am It’s heavily dependent on the weather as the design offers precious little protection but on a warm Bangkok night, when the golden backdrop of its feature bar lights up like a metal sun, it feels like one of the most glamorous places in the capital. Crucially, they’ve got the cocktails (all B280-B320) right, using a well-chosen blend of spirits without going overboard and trying to cram every drink with one too many flavours. The Surreal Seduction – slightly cheesey name but we’ll forgive it because it tastes good – combines vodka, apple liqueur, elderflower syrup and pear puree. It’s super fruity but apple liqueur is one of the more versatile, underused ingredients in cocktails and it sets off the others in a way that’s refreshing but still carries a kick.
LONG TABLE [Map 3/H8] 25th F, 48 Column Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 16 02-302-2557 | longtablebangkok.com 11am-2am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing that draws Bangkok’s nouveau riche to this impossibly swish restaurant-cum-bar. There’s also the trend-setting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes the medieval banquet bench look positively petite. However, it’s what happens at the 90 | JA N UA RY 2014
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61st F, Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | banyantree.com 5pm-1am This is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart surroundings. With stunning 360° views, the hotel’s rooftop has been turned into a slick grill restaurant; one end is occupied by the bar. Nothing obstructs your view here, almost 200 metres high up. It’s the perfect spot for honeymooners – take a seat on the smart sofa stations, sip on a classy Martini or a yummy signature cocktail and feel romance welling up. For voyeurs, the telescope and binoculars come in handy. Glamour girls and unwinding business guys feel right at home here, too.
octave [MAP 3/s10] 45/F, Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57 | 02-797-0000 facebook.com/OctaveMarriott | 6pm-1am Rows of plush seating along the edge of the open-air balcony offer a perfect spot to plot Bangkok’s geography from above while knocking back some of Octave’s punchy, refreshing cocktails. The Thai Mojito (B320) starts things off in a way that’s familiar enough but well-executed, combining the standards of white rum, basil and lime with spicy mango, adding a zingy twist to the established mojito formula. More innovative still is the Bloom Over The Roof (B320), which fuses Red Berry Tea-flavoured vodka with fresh mint leaves and elderflower syrup. It might seem a little flowery but the overall effect is a seriously drinkable concoction that cuts right through the humidity. The winner, though, is probably the Golden Tai (B390) which pairs two kinds of rum – one light, one dark – finished with Grand Marnier and almond syrup.
NEST [Map 3/C4] 9th F, Le Fenix, 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 02-305-4000 | lefenixsukhumvit.com 5pm-2am An all-white and urbane open-air oasis on
Nest the ninth floor of the sleek Le Fenix Hotel, Nest is a loungey and laid-back spot on weekdays and early evenings, with couples enjoying signature martinis and upmarket nibbles from the comfort of Thai-style swing beds and Nest-shaped rattan chairs. But on weekends, a more up-for-it crowd ascends, especially during special party nights. These include Mode, a shindig every second Saturday of the month that pumps hip-hop and house beats rather than the usual smooth Balearic sounds. What are the views alike? With buildings looming above you, not below you, here you feel part of the cityscape.
PHRANAKORN BAR [map 7/G6] Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, Ratchadamnoen Rd 02-622-0282 | 6pm-1am Only a five-minute walk from Khao San Road, multi-level Phranakorn Bar is an old favourite of local art students and creatives, mostly for its indie/80s/90s worshipping playlist and mellow trestle-and-vine rooftop offering splendid views, over old-city rooftops, towards the floodlit Golden Mount temple. The booze and Thai food is cheap, as is most of the modern art hanging on the second floor. Tried to find it before but failed? You wouldn’t be the first. From the Burger King end of Khao San Road, turn right onto Ratchadamnoen, right again and it’s down the first soi on your left hand-side.
RED SKY [Map 4/F 3] 56th F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | 02-100-1234 centarahotelresorts.com | 5pm-1am Encircling the 56th floor turret of CentralWorld’s adjoining Centara Grand Hotel, the al fresco Red Sky offers panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the time to come – plonk yourself down on a rattan chair or oversized daybed and wait for the lightshow to begin. When daylight fades and the city lights up like a circuit-board, a live jazz band kicks in and Bangkok takes on a glam cosmopolitan bangkok101.com
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The Speakeasy [MAP 4/J6]
Red Sky aura. Upscale bar snacks like slowcooked baby back pork ribs and martinis, cocktails and wines are on hand to keep you company while your eyes explore the scenery. It’s not cheap, but the daily happy hours (buy one get one drink on selected wine, beer and cocktails from 5pm-7pm).
SKY BAR / DISTIL [map 5/C5] 63rd F, State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd 02-624-9555 | thedomebkk.com | 6pm-1am Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Sky bar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond premium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. Adjacent to Asian seafood eatery Breeze, Ocean 52 sports yet another stunning view from the 51st – 52nd floors. These places are definitely not spots for the casual beach bum, so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smart casual dress code is enforced.
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Hotel Muse, 55/555 Lang Suan Rd 02-630-4000 | hotelmusebangkok.com 6pm-1am One of the snazzier al fresco rooftop bars, The Speakeasy has several sections, all radiating from the Long Bar, which you enter from the elevator. As the name suggests, the complex evokes the glamour of Prohibition Era USA, with fusion Deco details, mirrored wall panels and carved wood screens. Everything’s distressed, the parquet floors unvarnished – it’s a well-oiled joint with a warm, lived-in feel. On the wooden deck Terrace Bar people fill the lounge areas and tall tables that hug the classical balustrades overlooking Lang Suan. A long international snack menu stands out for decent portions at reasonable prices; spirits (from B270) include luxury cognacs and malts; wines are B300-B600 a glass, while cocktails (from B 290) include home-made vodka infusions.
threeSixty [map 5/b2] Millennium Hilton, 123 Charoennakorn Rd 02-442-2000 | hilton.com | 5pm-1am High above the glittering lights of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, ThreeSixty is the only Bangkok venue to enjoy unhindered views over the entire, dazzling metropolis. It also hosts live jazz musicians every day, all year round. A private glass lift takes guests all the way up to the 32nd floor which boasts panoramic vistas from its 130m tall, circular lounge. Guests can feast on a range of miniature culinary experiences, from foie gras to caviar or risotto, or sip on fine wines and cocktails as the sun sets in a blaze of
Three Sixty colour behind Wat Arun. Just as gently, the soft lounge lights come on to create an atmosphere of casual intimacy. As the first stars appear, the city’s coolest jazz sounds will set the mood which true aficionados will not be able to resist.
woo bar [map 5/g7] W Bangkok, 106 North Sathorn Road 02-344-4131 | whotels.com/Bangkok Sun-Wed 9am-1am, Thurs-Sat 9am-2am Located on the ground floor of the W Hotel, Woo Bar has all of the flair and emphasis on design that has come to characterise the hotel franchise. It’s chic and low-lit without being cold or inaccessible, spacious enough to find a seat without being echoey and without atmosphere. And, most importantly, the cocktails pass with flying colours, some inventive signature drinks rubbing shoulders with well-executed standard tipples. The Bliss (B325), which comes from the bartenders at W Hotel in New York, combines Ciroc vodka, elderflower liqueur, lime, mint and fresh ginger. You might struggle to stop at just one.
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Apoteka
your eyes peeled for the whisky and cigar lounge: a room hidden off to the side of the staircase. With muted green brocade on the walls, low leather couches, and Johnnie Walker in glass cases, this space is available for private parties or just chill sessions.
Badmotel [MAP 3/R6]
BARS THE ALCHEMIST [map 3/e8] 1/19 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 083-549-2055 Facebook: thealchemistbkk | Tue-Sun 5pmmidnight Fitting somewhere between Soi 11’s swank cocktail bars and the rickety dive bar aesthetic of the legendary Cheap Charlie’s, which it neighbours, The Alchemist is a stylishly stripped down drinking hole. Nothing more, nothing less. We approve, and so too, it seems, do the punters. Not only does it attract the spill-over from Cheap Charlie’s, it also draws a loyal crowd of its own, who savour the intimate atmosphere, occasional live music, proper his and her toilets (Cheap Charlie’s are infamous for their dinginess) and, above all, drinks prices. Currently rocking the drinks list are assorted martinis (dry, passionfruit and espresso), classic cocktails, random shooters, and some of the best mojitos you’ll find on this end of Sukhumvit.
Apoteka [map 3/e8] 33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 090-626-7655 apotekabkk.com | Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 3pm-midnight As you may have guessed, the name is based on an outdated word for pharmacist and the place is meant to emulate a 19th century apothecary. Unsurprisingly, it has an old-school feel. There are high ceilings, red brick walls and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde being projected onto the wall. Indoor seating is a mix of tall tables with studded chairs, and long tables for larger groups along the main wall. Large cases filled with vintage-coloured bottles of medicine flank the bar. The outdoor seating is mellow – a wooden patio with some cozy furniture that could be a nice place to curl up on a date or meet some friends for a smoke and a beer. Drink selection includes a nice selection of beer (the Framboise Ale at B250 is delightful), Heineken for just B135, and custom cocktails cost you B230. Keep 92 | JA N UA RY 2014
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331/4-5 Soi Thong Lor | 02-712-7288 5pm-1am | facebook.com/badmotel The name Badmotel may conjure up something kitsch and grimy but, in fact, this three-floor bar and restaurant is extremely sparsely decorated and painted a bright white, giving it the feel of a pre-decorated house. The top two floors can feel a little lacking in atmosphere, especially if it’s a quiet night, but the ground floor’s buzzing bar and tree-lined garden make a very pleasant spot to sip on the venue’s ‘Creation Cocktails’, all B220. The imaginative drinks menu includes locally inspired must-tries like the Hahaha Martini (made from Ketel vodka, homemade chilli liqueur, galangal, cumin powder and pickled grapes), Teenager’s Iced Tea (made using traditional Thai tea with four sprits and liqueur) and the Never Say Never (a rumbased cocktail served with Thai dessert condiments).
BARLEY BISTRO [map 5/h5] 4/F Food Channel, Silom Rd | 087-033-3919 5pm-late | barleybistro.com Hidden up some stairs at the Food Channel, an enclave of franchise-like restaurants, Barley Bistro is slick and snazzy. The design is chic (blacks and greys, white-on-black stencil art); the drinks funky (lychee mojitos, testtube cocktails etc); the food new-fangled (spaghetti kimchi etc); and the clientele wholesome (Thai office workers mostly). Do check out the open-air rooftop. It’s littered with cooling fans, huge bean bags and funky barleystalk sculptures and good for postwork/ pre-club cocktails.
BREW [map 3/Q6] Seen Space, Thong Lor 13 | 02-185-2366 brewbkk.com | Mon-Sun 4pm-2am It wasn’t so long ago that the beer selection here was comprised entirely of the ubiquitous local lagers and the Heinekens and Carlsbergs of this world. The fact that it doesn’t anymore is largely thanks to Chris Foo, the owner of this beer bar tucked away on the ground floor of Thonglor Soi 13’s happening mini-mall Seenspace. Depending on what time of year it is, Brew
Cheap Charlie’s stocks between 140 and 170 bottles of ales, lagers, ciders, you name it. Currently, the setting in which you sip them is hip in Thonglor circles. That’s not so much down to Brew’s tiny interior, with its exposed piping and bar flanked by kegs of beer and brick walls, as the buzzing outdoor area it shares with futuristic cocktail bar Clouds and the nautically themed Fat’r Gutz.
CAFÉ TRIO [map4 / H6] 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | 02-252- 6572 6pm-1am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sun of the month Cafe Trio is just about the only bar worth seeking out on Lang Suan Road. Tucked down a narrow alley just off the upmarket residential street, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars – a true neighbourhood place. Cafe Trio overflows with plush couches, the lighting delightfully soft, the music always subdued. The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and has plastered the walls with her Modiglianiesque, Vietnamese inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home.
CHEAP CHARLIE’S [map 3/D6] Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-4648 Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight This joint is a Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety hole-in-the-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest Sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and tourists in-the-know to fill up on B 70 beers and pocket-change G&Ts before heading off to eat and party – though don’t be surprised if you end up here all night. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little sub-soi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from hallowed nightspots Q Bar and the other newer spots that have cropped up recently. bangkok101.com
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listings
Clouds
CLOUDS [Map 3/Q2] 1st F, SeenSpace, 251/1 Thong Lor Soi 13, 02-185-2365 | cloudslounge.com The third bar by Australian Ashley Sutton – the mad scientist of Bangkok’s bar scene – is, as we’ve come to expect, something entirely unexpected. Evoking a future where ‘there are no more natural resources’, this slim concrete shell at the rear of hip lifestyle mall SeenSpace has a living tree encased in glass in one corner, and concrete blocks, topped with lumps of translucent leafencasing acrylic, for tables. Vodka-based cocktails (B 280) by New York mixultant Joseph Boroski are prepped by ‘NASA technicians’ in white overalls; and the food offerings tasty misshapen pizzas, cooked in a gas-oven behind the bar and served in steel trays.
FACE BANGKOK (map3/S7) 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 | 02-713-6048 facebars.com | 11.30am-1am Jim Thompson, move over. Face’s visually stunning complex is reminiscent of Jim’s former mansion, with Ayutthaya-style buildings and thriving flora, it’s just bigger
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and bolder. The Face Bar is a dimly-lit place that summons deluxe drinkers with its cosy settees, ambient soundscape, and giant cocktails. Though often empty, the big drink list will stop your body clock pretty fast. The two restaurants – Hazara serving Northern Indian and Lan Na Thai serving traditional Thai – are full of fab all-Asian decor; they’re romantic and inviting, but you might be let down by the tiny portions, and the flamboyant prices.
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FAT GUT’Z [map 3/Q2] 264 Thong Lor Soi 12 | 02-7149-832 fatgutz.com | 6pm-2am This sleek saloon is packed nightly with beautiful people, there to listen to live blues, indulge in carefully crafted drinks, and, perhaps, catch a glimpse of its in-demand owner, Ashley Sutton, the Australian behind the legendary Iron Fairies. Unlike his first bar, Fat Gut’z displays a less obvious sense of whimsy – here, the random fittings and industrial decor are replaced by straight lines and black-coloured, modern furnishings. It all feels rather serious, until you open the drinks menu. Sutton brought in master New York mixologist Joseph Boroski to create 16 unique cocktails (B285 each), all named after famous WWII shipwrecks.
FIVE Gastronomy & Mixology [MAP 3/O9]
Room 103, K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26 088-524-5550 | facebook.com/fivebkk 6pm-1am Five brings a welcome wand blast of gothic whimsy to K Village, an otherwise aesthetically uninspiring community mall.
Its owner, Pattriya Na Nakorn, invited bar entrepreneur Ashley Sutton to work his magic with a vacant plot on the ground floor. And, completing her dream team is Joseph Boroski, the same New York based cocktail ‘mixologist’ that Sutton uses. His bars always engage the day-dreamy part of your brain and this black magic themed one is no different. Think clanking pulleys, monumental iron piping and flickering candles. Indeed, even the staff look like they’ve stumbled off the set of Harry Potter.
HYDE & SEEK [Map 4/L5] 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee 02-168-5152 | 11am-1am | hydeandseek.com This stylish downtown gastro bar is a deadringer for those chic London haunts that draw the after-work crowd for pickmeup cocktails and good food that doesn’t break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian Kittichai, the brains behind the successful Kittichai restaurant in New York, while the bar is helmed by the boys behind Flow, the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The sleek, Georgian-influenced décor has paneled
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Maggie Choo’s
walls, clubby chairs and a large central bar, where snacks like beer battered popcorn shrimps and baby back ribs glazed with chocolate and chilli go well with fancy, custom-made cocktails or Belgian ales. Outside, there’s a spacious terrace with swing seats and a mini-maze of tea plants.
maggie choo’s [MAP 5/c5] Hotel Novotel Fenix, 320 Silom Rd 02-635-6055 | facebook.com/maggiechoos Tues-Sun 6pm-2am From the Victorian steam-punk of Iron Fairies to the eco-futurism of Clouds, Aussie entrepreneur Ashley Sutton has already proved himself as the Terry Gilliam of Bangkok’s bar world, conjuring up drinking hole after drinking hole shot through with a magical realist quality. Maggie Choo’s, with its decadent atmosphere redolent of dandyish early 20th-century gambling dens, is no different. Clomp down the staircase and you find yourself in a noodle bar. One that could pass for an old Shaw Brothers movie set. The main decoration – and they are just decoration – are the leggy cabaret girls. Every evening at about 9pm about half a dozen walk out from behind a velvet curtain and proceed to fan themselves while rocking back and forth on swings, or sprawled atop the bar.
OSKAR BISTRO [map 3/D5] 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-255 3377 4pm-2am; kitchen open until 11:30pm Lively Oskar has the electro music and low-ceiling cellar dimensions to qualify as clubby; and, with a dominant central bar, it’s perhaps more brasserie than bistro. The food choice includes sandwiches, the Oskar burger (wagyu beef – what else?), pizzas and a section of cocottes. Almost all are under B300, which for food of this surprising quality is a steal. Most people come here though not for the food but for a pre-club libation: be it glass of wine (from B145 a glass), imported beer, or reasonably priced cocktail. 94 | JA N UA RY 2014
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TUBA [Map 8/S14] 34 Room 11-12A, Ekkamai Soi 21 | 02-711-5500 design-athome.com | 11am-2am Owned by the same hoarders behind furniture warehouse Papaya, Tuba is a Bangkok classic: room upon room of haphazardly arranged kitsch, all of which you’re free to skulk through at your leisure. Some come here to snag a comfy sofa, retro sign or goofy tchotchke. Others come for the big menu of Italian and Thai dishes tweaked for the local palate. But for us, it works best as a bar, as the setting and generous happy hours (buy one get one free between 5-8pm daily) mean there really are few cooler places to kick back with a sweet cocktail in hand (or two hands in some cases.
VIVA AVIV [map 5/C2] River City-Unit 118, 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung Soi 30 | 02-639-6305 vivaaviv.com | 11am-midnight, later on weekends Viva Aviv reminds us of one of the hipper bars along Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Not only does it have the bar tables and stools jutting across a riverside promenade, inside there’s also a hip designer interior in full effect. Think tropical maritime chic meets dashes of outright whimsy. While the owner, Khun Ae, is responsible for this rustic look, the bar was initially looked after by the cocktail designers behind popular gastrobar Hyde and Seek. Their ‘Rough Cut’ Signatures, many of them underpinned with rum come in slightly cheaper than over at Hyde & Seek, B250.
Water Library @ Grass Grass Thong Lor, 264/1 Thong Lor Soi 12 02-714-9292 | Mon-Sat 6:30pm-1am Aside from its upmarket, inventive set menu dining on the first floor restaurant, The Water Library also has three lounge and wine bar areas downstairs with funky food, cocktails and live music at not audacious prices. A set menu of three cocktails paired with tapas bites at B790 is a pleasant surprise to many, and their wine list starts at a mere B900 a bottle. Water Library is one-to-watch on the regional drinking and dining scene. The very talented mixologist Mirko Gardelliano was Germany’s Cocktail Champion in 2003.
WTF [Map 3/Q6] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 02- 626-6246 wtfbangkok.com | Tue-Sun 6pm-1am This tiny shophouse – signposted by graffiti on a corrugated tin wall in the street opposite – has a bar on the ground floor,
Viva Aviv decked out with mirrors along one wall, old Thai movie posters on the other, and found items like wooden screen doors and chairs. It works. The Thai-farang owners (an art manager, hotelier and photographer by trade) have made a good fist of cocktails (from B130) with rye whiskies and unusual bitters in the mix, while plates of tapas consist of Thai and Euro choices such as Portuguese chorizo and feta salad.
LIVE MUSIC ADHERE the 13TH [Map 7/G3] 13 Samsen Rd (opposite Soi 2) 089-769-4613 | 5pm-midnight Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except forthe Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), this down-to-earth, bohemian hang-out packs ’em in nightly. On weekends, young Thais, expats and tourists spill out on the sidewalk when the joint is jumpin’. The resident band churns out cool blues, Motown and Janis Joplin; Georgia, the city’s only true Blues Mama, has a voice and figure to match.
Brown Sugar [Map 7/J5] 469 Phrasumen Road | 089-499-1378 brownsugarbangkok.com | 6pm-1am Little over a month after it closed down, one of Bangkok’s oldest cosiest jazz venue was back with a new, bigger location near Khao San. Now a restaurant and coffee house by day, it morphs into a world-class, jazz café-style haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw an audience of locals and visitors by night. Its exterior is impressive, resembling a ritzy old cinema house. And inside, it’s huge, with a daytime coffeeshop up front, a versatile 200-seater ‘Playhouse’ upstairs, and the big, open-plan jazz pub and restaurant out back. bangkok101.com
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asava By Gaby Doman
I
t’s impossible to talk about pop art without mentioning Andy Warhol, so let’s just get that out of the way right away. Asava’s autumn winter collection is Andy Warholinspired. There. Done. But there’s more to this collection than a mere homage to he who shall not be mentioned again. Huge, juicy, cartoon apple prints and monochrome pieces lit up with comic-book colours of sky blue and pillarbox red make for a collection that’s both edgy and cute. It’s easy to look at this collection and get carried away with the in-your-face aspect of the prints but look a little closer and the cuts also speak for themselves. Cropped wide-leg suit trousers, asymmetric dresses, peek-a-boo dresses, bra tops and sexy panels of lace are frankly stunning, with or without the eye-catching prints. There are so many pieces in this collection that set the heart racing that it’s hard to pick a stand-out; there’s the sweeping floor-length polka dot gown, the panelled skirts reminiscent of Irish folk attire and the slinky knee-length skirt splashed with an oversized pop art apple print. There’s great cohesion throughout the collection; it’s all grown-up kitsch which doesn’t lean too heavily on irony to make it cute – as is so often the case with Thai fashion. Instead, Asava offer a collection full of pieces that will appeal to the thinking girl’s rebellious artsy side. Asava has done the virtually impossible, too. The collection manages to tread that notoriously tricky line between being great to shoot for a fashion magazine spread and actually being wearable. Let’s face it, 90 per cent of the outfits we lust over in the glossy pages would look a little ridiculous in real life. But as well as being a fashion director’s dream, the enthusiasm for this autumn-winter collection is likely to translate to sales, too. Just don’t expect to get your hands on the apple handbags. We plan on beating you to it.
available at: 1F Siam Paragon (991 Rama 1 Rd; 0806-939-931) 1F Emporium (622 Sukhumvit Rd; 0808-807-625) 2F Central Chidlom (Soi Somkid, Phloen Chit Rd; 0807-746-194) asavagroup.com
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SHOPPING
jj gem
TWENTY SECOND
Casual street clobber and vintage may be what Jatuchak excels at, fashion wise, but the urbane modern man can also find some natty threads if he looks hard enough. One of the best places to do so is TwentySecond, a little shirt store (and it is more store than stall) hidden amid all the girly boutiques strung along Section 3. The shirts here are quite phaeng (expensive) in JJ terms – prices start at around B1,000 and peak at around B1290 – but worth it, as they’re made from 100 percent Japanese or Egyptian cotton and the designs classic yet cool. Stripe, check and square pattern blends of two or three colours, as well as simple white, black and grey shirts with contrasting tapering are the most common designs. Examine them up close and slip one on and you’ll see the tailoring, for this part of town at least, is (twenty)second to none.
TWENTY SECOND JJ Market Room 409, Section 3, Soi 2 | 08-1896-8918 Facebook: The Twentysecond
Jatujak Market
Forget designer malls. Jatujak weekend market is Bangkok’s true paragon of retail. This is shopping as survival of the fittest: only those with finely tuned consumer instincts shall persevere. The rest can go and get lost – literally aking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which thousands descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, Jatujak (also spelled as Chatuchak) quickly outgrew the confines of the insect world to become much more than the sum of its disparate parts. These days, young Thai designers take advantage of the low onsite rent to punt their creative wares; if you so desire, you can peruse piles of customised Zippos that once belonged to American GIs; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section particularly supports the theory that Jatujak has evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for obviously illegal activites). All this can be a bit overwhelming at first, but persevere and a semblance of order should begin to crystallise from the chaos. Go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Or come for a leisurely browse on Friday before the real deluge hits; although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fully blown, unadulterated Jatujak fix. 98 | JA N UA RY 2014
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> The Jatujak market of Bangkok Amber House Books | hardcover | B1,950
The Jatujak Market of Bangkok presents photographer Simon Bonython’s visual inter pretation of Bangkok’s world-famous weekend market, giving particular emphasis on candid snaps of the general public and the characters who work there. In spite of the dark alleys and typically poorly lit stalls, Simon avoided using a tripod or flash, making for spontaneous, natural shots that capture the heat, buzz and colour of this labyrinthine treasure trove. bangkok101.com
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unique boutique
P
SHOPPING
Papaya
apaya is a rich man’s treasure box: a three-storey maze of a warehouse filled with antiques and vintage items and only a small path that weaves between it all. The 50-something owner, Supoj Siripornlertkul, sits smoking while his wife organises things in the warehouse. Papaya has been here for six years, he explains, but items have been accumulating for more than 20. So big is their collection that they also set up Tuba, a restaurant-bar in Ekkamai with a similar retro sprawl. “I started collecting vintage and antiques when I was in high school. I don’t know why I did it, but I like it,” he says. “Papaya is same, same like Apple Computers – we are both fruits that have grown over time and are now very popular.” Items range from old transistor radios, television sets, chairs, sofa, clock to beverage signs, life-sized superheroes, and even Star Wars’ Jar Jar Binks... you name it. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, don’t go looking for a map or helpful staff member, just keep looking. Even though items are not sorted by type, an organised chaos does prevail and chances are, if it’s here, you’ll find it, eventually. The best way to find out the price is to capture the picture with your mobile, trudge back to the front office and show it to the shopkeeper. Prices aren’t expensive, but they’re not super cheap either: on par with Suan Rot Fai, the retro railway night market. The most expensive item we come across is a white fibre boomerang desk for a cool B1.5m. The price tags for the life-sized models of Batman, Captain America and the Green Lantern among other superheroes are pretty eye-watering, too – around B70,000-80,000. As for the
ones of Marlon Brando and James Dean located by the bar counter on the first floor, both of these come in at B250,000 each – if you catch Supoj on a good day and can convince him to sell you them that is. Therein lies the rub: over the years, Supoj has grown attached to much of his stock. So much so, in fact, that he refuses to sell whole swathes of it. Papaya does very nicely just renting out much of its stock, usually for around 30 percent of its value and for a period that has to be negotiated on a deal-by-deal basis.
Papaya
[MAP 2/G7]
Ladprao Soi 55/2, Ladprao Rd 02-539-8220 | design-athome.com | 9am-7pm
Hardcover: The Art Book Shop
I
t’s been all doom and gloom for books and those who
cherish them in recent years. However, the opening of Hardcover over at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre proves that there might just be life in the old dog yet. Founded by Shane Suvikapakornkul from Serindia Gallery and Publishing, this gleaming store is an importer of art tomes from home and abroad, most coming in over the B1000 mark. Many, if not all, of the world’s leading art publishers are represented here. From Prestel Publishing’s catalogue, we leafed through contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals as well as slickly produced books full of North Korean and Chinese political propaganda posters. Unsurprisingly, Serindia’s own catalogue is also wellrepresented. Our picks: the excellent 30 Heritage Buildings of Yangon, which traces the modern history of Myanmar’s former capital through its crumbling colonial-era architecture; and its latest release Art of Southeast Asian Textiles, which is a bangkok101.com
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compendium of top Bangkok law firm Tilleke & Gibbins’ prized, museum-quality textile collection. Whether Hardcover can find its niche in spite of the growing popularity of admittedly rather sexy digital reading experiences such as the iPad and Kindle is not clear, but this much we do know: art book fetishists will find it hard to resist a purchase.
Hardcover: The Art Book Shop
[MAP 4/B4]
3F Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 939 Rama 1 Rd 02-214-3155 | 11am-8pm Tue-Sun | hardcoverartbookshop.com
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WELLN ESS
treatment yunomori
refresh
Refresh [MAP 3/n9] 43 Sukumvit Soi 24 | 02-259-7235 refresh24spa.com | 9.30am-1am | $
One of Sukhumvit’s biggest, this 25-room manor of rubdown magic is located just down the road from Emporium mall – head here for a post mall-blitz recovery sesh. Instead of the exotic Thai overkill that prevails in spas here, this slick new-build has a plush neo-vintage look, with Louis XV-style furniture adorning the lobby and Victorian-style skirting boards lining the rooms and corridors. It’s different, but elegant, calming. The menu is similarly understated, dabbling mostly in unflashy rubs and scrubs, though there are packages and a selection of Jurlique and Algoane facials available. Of the offerings, the hot oil massage is our pick – this 90-minuter melds Thai, Balinese and other styles to snooze inducing effect.
lavana [map 3 / F 7] 4 Sukhumvit Soi 12 | 02-229-4510 9am-11.30pm | $$$
Lavana does its treatments right. Spa options are refreshingly clear-cut, and primarily focused on massage. Scrubs and facials are also available, along with lavana
shin shin
the unusual and intriguing Shirodhara oil treatment, in which warm oil is drizzled along the “third eye” in the forehead and massaged into the head and neck. Those seeking a tidier signature option should choose the herbal ball oil massage – Lavana’s dedicated therapists manage to pack a restful eternity into a well-priced 90 minutes. Masseuses combine long Swedish and sports-massage strokes with very detailed work on problem areas – they take computer-knotted shoulders and other ailments as a matter of personal concern, and banish those tweaks and twinges with wonderfully intense kneading and muscle release work.
Yunomori [Map 3/o9] A Square, Sukhumvit 26 | 02-259-5778 facebook.com/yunomorionsen | 10.30am12am | $$$
Yunomori isn’t an onsen (a Japanesestyle hot springs) in the strictest, most traditional sense of the word but rather the souped up inner-city version, with other facilities such as spas, restaurants and bars as well as pools to bath in. In the changing rooms, you strip off, lock away your belongings, take a deep breath and emerge, as naked as a
newborn, into the baths (guys bare all, girls can wear disposable underwear). Once happy in your birthday suit, the bath hopping begins. We counted five, from the warm soda bath featuring water infused with CO2 to the near scalding jet bath and main onsen, both of which use spring water sourced from Ranong. Once you’ve soaked until you can soak no more, head out in your slippers and explore Yunomori’s extras.
shin shin spa [MAP 3/y6] L-floor Jasmine Resort Hotel, 1511 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-335-5022 shinshinspa.com | 10am-8pm | $$
Located at the Jasmine Resort Hotel, on the same floor as the hotel pool and outdoor garden, the recently opened Shin Shin Spa offers modestly priced treatments in a clean, modern, minimally styled space. It’s not a big place by any means – there are two oil treatment rooms and a Thai massage room, and that’s it. However, Shin Shin’s size is no reflection of the quality on offer. In fact, as well as standards such as the wheatgrass welcome drink and aromatherapy foot cleansing ritual, it has a couple of aces up its sleeve that we’ve not come across before. First and foremost is the spa’s signature circular motion massage technique (Shin Shin translates as ‘vortex’ in Japanese). This is said to increase blood circulation and aid the absorption of oils into the skin. Secondly, a ‘silk essence’ lends a, well, silkiness to some of the massage treatments, including our pick: Shin Shin’s self-titled signature treatment. Spa costs $ :: under B600 $$ :: B600-B1000 $$$ :: B1000-B2000 $$$$ :: B2000+
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treatment
WELLN ESS
banyan tree sets the bar high
T
he Banyan Tree Spa has long occupied a space on the top rung of the list of Bangkok’s most luxurious spas and with good reason. Located within one of the city’s top hotels, the spa offers a vast selection of different treatments. Classic Rejuvenation packages (B5500 for 90 minutes) are good for guys or girls, and use a variety of scrubs and wraps to deliver different benefits – cleansing the skin, boosting energy and soothing tense muscles. Sticking to the massages alone, there are options from all over the world. Of course, the traditional Thai massage will be familiar to regular spa-goers but there are also variations from Hawaii and Sweden, as well as Bali, which is our choice. There’s a choice between the 60-minute (B3500) and 90-minute (B4700) massages, in which the staff – as usual, deceptively strong – use their thumbs and palms in long, firm strokes, using Spirit Oil for warming and circulation benefits. The technique really is spectacular, creating a sensation in the muscles that is both warm and soothingly cool at once. Instead of simply kneading the muscles to work out tension, the masseuse builds up a circular rhythm that makes it feel like stress is simply flowing out of the body. It’s an unforgettable massage that leaves one feeling relaxed yet energised at the same time.
banyan tree spa bangkok
[MAP 5/l8]
21F Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathon Rd 02-679-1052 | banyantreespa.com | 9am-10pm
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erawan shrine
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RAIL
Chatuchak Park / BTS Mo Chit stations. Subway fares range from about B15 to B 39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th
SKYTRAIN (BTS)
Airport Rail Link
The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6 am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B 15 to B 55; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) are available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th
SUBWAY (MRT) Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20 kms from Hualamphong (near the central
railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6 am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5 – 7 minutes. The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom / BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit / BTS Asok and MRT
RIVER
EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s vast network of inter-city waterways offer a quick and colourful alternative for getting around the city. Express boats ply the Chao Phraya River from the Saphan Taksin Bridge up to Nonthaburi, stopping at some 30 main piers altogether. Fares range from B 9 to B 32 depending on the distance, while tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier, depending on how much time you have. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5:30 am and 6 pm. Crossriver services operate throughout the day from each pier for just B 3.
CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Phan Fa Leelard bridge, on the edge of the Old City, and zip east to Ramkhamhaeng University. However, you have to be quick to board them as they don’t usually wait around. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B 9 to B19. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find.
ROAD BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B 5 and B 7.50 – B 23. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops).
MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their colourful vests, bangkok101.com
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A 28 km long monorail links the city’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, with three stops in downtown Bangktok and four stops in the eastern suburbs. Trains run from 6am to midnight every day and follow two lines along the same route. The City Line stops at all stations (journey time: 30 minutes) and costs B15-45 per journey. The Express Line stops at downtown stations Makkasan (journey time: 13-14 minutes, trains leave every 40 minutes) or Phayathai (journey time: 17 minutes, trains leave every 30 minutes), the only one that intersects with the Skytrain. One-way Express Line tickets cost B90 while roundtrip tickets are available at the promotional fare of B150.
motorbike taxi drivers gather in groups. Fares should be negotiated beforehand.
TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered,
air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B 35 (for the first 2 kms) and the fare climbs in B 2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the meter on. No tipping, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B 5 or B 10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to and from the airport, passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the queue outside the terminal, an additional B 50 surcharge is added.
TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines. A 10-minute ride should cost around B 40. JA N UA RY 2014 | 103
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Map 1 Greater Bangkok A
B
Greater Bangkok & the Chao Phraya Map 2 >
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L MYANMAR
Uthai Thani
1
UTHAI THANI
CHAI NAT
2
Chiang Mai
LOP BURI
Nakhon Ratchasima c
Nakhon Ratchasima
Pattaya CAMBODIA Koh Samet Koh Chang
NAKHON RATCHASIM A
SARABURI
3
Andaman Sea
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Koh Samui
AYUTTHAYA
Phuket
PATHUM THANI 5
b
RATCHABURI
2
MALAYSIA
PRACHIN BURI
f c
1
VIETNAM
Gulf of Thailand
Krabi
NAKHON NAYOK
4
NAKHON PATHOM
Ubon
Bangkok
ANG THONG
KANCHANABURI
Udon Thani
Lop Buri
Kanchanaburi
LAOS
THAILAND
SING BURI
SUPHAN BURI
6
M
3
2
SA KAEO
BANGKOK f a
SAMUT SAKHON
CHACHOENGSAO
SAMUT
1 PRAKAN
SAMUT SONGKHRAM
CA M BODI A CHON BURI
Phetchaburi
7
Ko Sichang
PHETCHABURI 8
Pattaya RAYONG
Cha-am
CHANTHABURI
Rayong Hua Hin
Ko Samet
Muang Chantaburi
9
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN 10
Trat
Gulf of Thailand
M YA N M A R
Ko Chang
Prachuap Khiri Khan
11
Ko Kut
N
20 km 20 miles Country Border Boarder Crossing Province Border
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Sightseeing a
Bang Krachao b Rose Garden Riverside c Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo d Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) e Safari World f Rama IX Royal Park
floating Markets Damnoen Saduak 2 Amphawa 1
Museums 1
Erawan Museum 2 House of Museum 3 Thai Film Museum 4 Museum of Counterfeit Goods
night bazaar 1
Asiatique The Riverfront [free shuttle boat from Sathorn pier everyday 4.00-11.30 pm.]
Nightlife 1 2
Parking Toys Tawandang German
Hotels 1 Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa
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A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
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K
L
M
N 
F
Tanya Tanee
PAK KRET
Don Mueng
2
Don Mueng Int. Airport
Ko Kret
Sai Mai
F
Royal Irrigation Dept.
3
Lak Si
F
F
Rajpruek
The Legacy
F
Northpark
4
e
Khlong Sam wa
Royal Thai Army Sport Center
F5
1
Thanont
F
Chatuchak Bang Sue
Bang Phlat
Bueng Kum
8
Huai Khwang
Saphan Sung
Bang Kapi
F
Pathumwan
Bangkok Yai Wongwian Yai
Bang Rak
Khlong San *
Thon Buri 1
Chom Thong
F
9
10
1
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Lat Krabang
Suan Luang
Khlong Toei
Sathorn
60 Anniversary Queen Sirikit Park th
Krungthep Unico Kreetha Grande
Watthana
Lumpini
7
Wang Thong lang
DinDaeng Ratchathewi
Mini Buri
F
Navatanee
Phayathai
Taling Chan
6
Khan na Yao
Mo Chit
Dusit
Bangkok Noi
Panya Indra
Lat Phrao
Chatuchak
Bang Sue
Bang Bon
Bang Khen
F
MUENG NONTHABURI
Phasi Charoen
1
Prawet Yan 2 Nawa
Rat Burana
Phra Khanong 4
Phra Pradaeng
f
11
Suan Luang Rama IX
Suvarnabhumi Int. Airport
Bang Na
12
F
Summit Windmill
Bearing
Bang Khun Thian
13
F
Mueang Kaew
Thung Khru
14
F
Green Valley
15
PHRA SAMUT CHEDI
SAMUT PRAKAN
16
F
d
17
Bangpoo
Gulf of Thailand
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18
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Map 3 Sukhumvit Road A
B
C
D
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F
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Phra Ram 9
1
Ram
H
J
a IX
K
L
M
Roya
m9 Prara ital Hosp
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Su 9/1 3
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Soi
Subway Line Railway
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Arts & Culture 1
Japan Foundation 2 Koi Art Gallery
4
Sukhumvit
malls 1 2
Robinsons Terminal 21 bangkok101.com
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Sukhu
6
BTS Sukhumvit Line
Emporium
Soi 24
i1
BTS Silom Line
3
Markets
Sukhumwit
So
ay
Tai
sw
ana
s re
iN
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So
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Canal Boat
Conrad Bangkok Sheraton Grande 3 Seven 4 JW Marriot 5 Rembrandt 6 Four Points 7 Aloft Sukhumvit 11 8 Ramada Encore 9 Imperial Queen’s Park 10 Westin Grande Sukhumvit
Marriott Executive 3 Attic Studios 4 La Lanta Sukhumvit Park 12 Grande Centre Point 5 TCDC (Thailand Terminal 21 Creative & Design 13 Sofitel Bangkok Centre 6 Nang Kwak Sukhumvit 14 Le Fenix 7 WTF 15 Radisson Sukhumvit 8 The Pikture Gallery 15 Marriott Bangkok 9 We*Do Gallery 10 RMA Sukhumvit
i 39
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42
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12
11
Clubs 1
Q Bar Bed Supperclub 3 Insomnia 10 Glow 24 Demo 26 Levels 27 Funky Villa 2
pubs 11
The Hanrahans The Pickled Liver 13 The Robin Hood
12
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13
14
The Royal Oak The Londoner 16 Black Swan 15
Nightlife 4
Long Table 5 Beervault 6 Diplomat Bar 7 The Living Room 8 Cheap Charlie's 9 Barsu 19 WTF 17 Alchemist 18 Club Perdomo
20
The Iron Fairies
21 Clouds
22
Fat Gut'z Shades of Retro 25 diVino 28 Le Bar de L'Hotel 29 W XYZ 30 Face Bar 31 Marshmallow 32 Oskar Bistro 33 Tuba 34 Sonic 35 Apoteka 36 Water Library 23
37
Gossip Bar
39
Above Eleven
38 Nest
Embassies IN
India
IR Iran LK
Sri Lanka
PH Philippines
Qatar Ukraine NO Norway QA UA
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Map 4 Siam / Chit Lom A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
5 Soi 3
Soi 25
Soi 29
Soi Tonson
Soi Lang Suan
Ratchadamri
Henri Dunant
Soi 5
Soi 4
Soi11
Soi 3
Soi10
Soi 2
Soi 1
Soi 6
15
8
NL
Soi Lang Suan1
13
Soi Nai Lert
Soi 2 Soi 3
Royal Bangkok Sports Club
8
Soi 4
Soi 3
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Ratchadamri
Soi Sukhumvit 1
d
Rud
b
15
UA
uam
9
NZ QA
Soi R
Soi Mahatlek Luang 3
7
Th. Witthayu
Soi Mahatlek Luang 2
2
e
f
an
12
VN
mvit
Soi Mahatlek Luang1
Phloen Chit 16
hith
Soi 8
FI
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Phaya Thai
13
Phloen Chit
Chit Lom
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Rajamangala University
g 11 7
Soi S
1
2 c
Dua
1
Soi 7
Soi 9
Siam 16 Siam Square
CH
ay
14
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Witthayu
c 10 11
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10
8
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w ress
4 e 3
f
Soi Chit Lom
7
Wat Pathum Wanaram
Ratchaprarop
d
Soi Ruam Rudi
Soi 23
Soi 27
Soi 32
Soi 19
Soi 15
Soi 31 Soi 33
12
Exp
Soi Kaesem San1
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Soi Kaesem San 2
Witthayu Bridge
h 14 b
c 2
National Stadium
6
Soi 17
Prathunam
Rama I 5
6
Saeb
3
Srapathum Palace
1
9
lerm
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5
6
Khlong San
Hua Chang Bridge
3
4
ID
17
Soi 30
2
5
Soi 20
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Phetchaburi Soi 18
Phetchab
Soi 22
1
Soi 13
4
2
US
Soi 4
Soi 5
Soi 5
Chulalongkorn University Area
9
N
Hotels 1
200 m 1 000 ft Canal Boat BTS Silom Line BTS Sukhumvit Line Railway Airwalk Market
Pathumwan Princess 2 Novotel Siam 3 Siam Kempinski 4 Baiyoke Sky Hotel 5 Amari Watergate 6 Novotel Platinum 7 Grand Hyatt Erawan 8 The Four Seasons 9 The St. Regis 10 InterContinental 11 Holiday Inn 12 Swissôtel Nai Lert Park 13 Conrad Bangkok 14 Centara Grand at CentralWorld 15 Hotel Muse 16 Okura Prestige
Arts & Culture 1
BACC – Bangkok Art and Culture Centre 2 Tonson Gallery
KH
BR
Sarasin
Soi 6 Soi Ruam Rudi
Soi 7
Sarasin Lumphini Park
Sightseeing
malls
Embassies
a
MBK 2 Siam Discovery 3 Siam Center 4 Siam Paragon 5 Panthip Plaza 6 Platinum Fashion Mall 7 CentralWorld 8 Zen @ CentralWorld 9 Pratunam Center 10 Gaysorn 11 Erawan Plaza 12 The Peninsula Plaza 13 Amarin Plaza 14 Central Chidlom 15 All Seasons Place
CH
Jim Thomson House b Museum of Imagery Technology c Madame Tussauds d Queen Savang Vadhana Museum e Siam Ocean World f Ganesha and Trimurti Shrine g Erawan Shrine h Goddess Tubtim Shrine
Nightlife a CM2 b
Red Sky Bar Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar d P&L Club e Café Trio f Hyde & Seek c
1
Switzerland
BR Brazil FI Finnland ID Indonesia KH Cambodia NL Netherlands NZ
New Zealand
QA Quatar UA Ukraine UK
United Kingdom
US USA VN Vietnam
Shopping 16 17
Siam Square Pratunam Market
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Silom / Sathorn Map 5 E
kho
t are akh
ai Th aya
ong
t nan nr y He
8 Than Tawan Soi 6
11
BT
Lumpini Park
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5
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Ra
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6
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b
SG
4
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Soi 5
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TW
Soi 4
Patpong 1 Patpong 2
h
Chulalongkorn Hospital
5 o m 12
4
Chong Nonsi 17
a
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Soi 1
Soi 3
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3
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Soi 7
Soi 10
Soi 12 Soi 9
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Soi 11
Soi 1 8 Soi 16
Soi 13
10
2
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Sam Yan
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Royal Bangkok Sports Club
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9
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M
Chulalongkorn University
BE
Soi 13
Charo
Sa
an Ch
Ch
L
1
Soi Phiphat 2
Sathorn Nuea Sathorn Tai Surasak King Mongkut’s University of Technology
K
V
Pan
3
f
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Embassies
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Map 6 Yaowarat / Pahurat (Chinatown & Little India ) A
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Map 7 Rattanakosin (Oldtown) A
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M Y B A N G KO K
Daniel Fraser Daniel runs Smiling Albino, a travel company specialising in tailor-made, creative adventure experiences. From gourmet motorcycle trips to enlightening food walking tours, they host nice people, A-list celebs, rockstars and wholesome families from around the world. As a weekly TV show host on ThaiPBS, Daniel has also taken part in a myriad of traditional Thai pastimes, unique religious ceremonies and all sorts of fascinating cultural experiences.
Best place in Bangkok to go for a drink? Well, Sukhumvit Soi 11 is always a stand-out for variety, but Ku De Ta clearly has made a statement, and so will you by popping in for a drink. Brew for Beer, and WTF for craft beer and crafty conversation. Best place in Bangkok to go for a meal? Besides the street? Nahm and Issaya Siamese Club are my current favourites, plus the Indian-Arab food scene in Nana area. For street food: Thanon Mahachai (Pratu Phi) and Sukhumvit Soi 38 – absolutely everything a local could want. Best place in Bangkok to shop? Asiatique, JJ Market and Siam but a mention should go to Talad Rot Fai for a cool Brooklyn-style local market experience. Best place in Bangkok for art? Oida Gallery and BACC – always changing and right on the pulse of the contemporary art scene. Which are your favourite areas? Why? Dozens! Certainly the old mercantile communities between Wat Suthat and Wat Saket: this is the Bangkok cottage industry still at work making 112 | JA N UA RY 2014
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coffins, alms bowls, Buddha images, incense, wooden fixtures, silverware, etc. Period architecture featuring everything from the rare neo-classical curved shopfronts behind the Giant Swing, to Sino-Portuguese shophouses of old herbal medicine shops, to hidden mansions tucked away from yesteryear. On the other side of town, the variety of new dining and drinking venues around Thong Lor 10, 13, and 16 brings a lot more energy to this neighbourhood. Where would you take a friend from overseas for a definitive Bangkok experience? For sure Chinatown – it is a mad cluster of shops, food, alleyways, heritage communities and activities where you see 250 years of Bangkok history playing out live. What makes Bangkok such a distinctive, exciting city? I call it a “charming monster”, as it is a city with stunning beauty, such as temples, palaces and old canals, mixed with modern development and transport all jumbled into one. Best of all, it is easily the world’s best city to eat. How has Bangkok changed since you’ve been here? Certainly a new middle class has
brought more art galleries, cafes and a more diverse dining and bar scene. There has been a recent push to encourage things like cycling, or preserving heritage buildings and even promoting green spaces etc. These ideas seemed impossible 15 years ago. What are Bangkok’s best kept secrets? Any great spots that are less well-known? The great riverside strip behind Wat Pho has three lovely boutique hotels with a nice food-drink scene, as well as the cosy old shophouses along Phra Athit road near Khao San. I’ve never had a less than stellar meal at Eat Me, or less than enlightening experience at Iron Fairies or Ad Here in Samsen. Paste in Thong Lor is also a new spot doing good Thai food. What do visitors to Bangkok want? What impresses them? They want to be wowed by a world-famous city, including diverse restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. Obviously shopping appeals but not at the expense of sacrificing culture and heritage. People don’t come here for Hong Kong's or Singapore’s modernity and fashion, they come – and are impressed by – the mix of ancient charm and fun, cosmopolitan variety. bangkok101.com
12/17/13 3:12 PM