The Essentials
In This Issue
Things you have to do these weeks.
REGULARS 10 Life
New collections, new it-bags and new shops
14 Food & Drink
New restaurants and bars, dining promotions and more
22 Ent.
Concerts and parties
25 Culture
SEE
Film review, book review
1600 Pandas
Saranyu Nokkaew
Amazingly cute 1,600 papier-mache pandas finally arrive Thailand during its world tour to raise awareness for panda conservation. “1600 Pandas” is a collaboration project between WWF and French artist Paulo Grangeon to represent the actual number of giant pandas in the wild. The pandas already made their first stops at Sanam Luang and CentralWorld, and are now making their way to other spots in the city: Chong Nonsi Skywalk (8 Mar), BACC (10 Mar), Santi Chaiprakarn Park (12 Mar), The Giant Swing (13 Mar), Lumpini Park (14 Mar), Hua Lam Phong Central Train Station (15 Mar) and Central Embassy (24 Mar - 10 Apr), which will be the main location.
28 Travel
Local getaways, international escapes
29 Social
Happenings from last week
DRINK
EAT
PLAY
Supanniga Eating Room Sathorn
Vertigo TOO
Banyan Tree Bangkok drew an inspiration from its long-stand rooftop hangout, Vertigo, to revamp its old dining venue into a new posh lounge with views and, yes, air-conditioner. p14
Supanniga Eating Room team finally branches out of Thonglor, landing its second venture in the hip Sathorn Soi 10. Old, reliable menu, new, fresher vibe. p14
30 Last Word
Up close with Oscar winner Leonardo DiCarprio
FEATURES 06 Riverside Revival Song Kran 10
Sound, sweat, skins and six-packs, Asia’s biggest gay dance festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and you must expect no less. p22
A local movement is driving Bangkok riverfront into the city’s new creative district.
d Looking for more Bangkok fun? Check out timeout.com/bangkok
www.timeout.com/bangkok March-April 2016 Time Out Bangkok 3
Sawasdee, Bangkok
WHERE TO FIND US Coffee Shops/ Restaurants Au Bon Pain BonChon Chicken Thailand Café Amazon Gloria’s Jean Iberry Kub Kao Kub Pla Seefah Starbucks Tom N Toms Coffee True Coffee
Top Koaysomboon Editor
@ thetopologist
Congratulations! You are among the first 1,000 Bangkokians to receive our pre-launch issue and experience Time Out Bangkok prior to our official arrival in the next few months. Time Out Bangkok is part of Time Out family, the trusted global platform that inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city. Operating in 89 cities, it has a monthly global audience reach of over 100 million across all platforms. Time Out Bangkok is passionate about inspiring people to expand, enrich and enjoy their lives in the city. We are here to inspire you to keep up and join in with what’s new and best. We are here to be the essential and trusted source. We are here to amplify voices of the locals. We are here to offer more of Bangkok. We are here to ensure Bangkok is still a city worth living in.
Department Stores CentralWorld Central Chidlom Central Embassy CentralPlaza Ladprao CentralPlaza Pinklao CentralPlaza Rama 3 CentralPlaza Rama 9 Emporium Siam Paragon Health clubs Absolute Yoga RBSC
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Here we are. See you in May.
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4 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
timeoutbangkok
7:04 PM
The Jam Factory Old-warehousesturned-mixed-use-complex by Duangrit Bunnag
6 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
BANGKOK STORY
Revitalize the Riverfront An attempt to turn Bangkok’s old riverside neighborhood into a creative district.
Chaiyawat Chaiyachot
IN JANUARY, Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC) officially
announced its relocation plan from the luxurious Emporium shopping mall to the Grand Postal Building, a historic building left vacant for years in the Bangrak district. To many, it’s a simple relocation announcement. But to the creative personalities and residents of Bangrak, it’s a big deal. Bangrak on the east bank and Klongsan on the west of the Chaophraya River are two of Bangkok’s oldest neighborhoods. However, in the past few years, new establishments have been mushrooming along the roads of Charoenkrung and Charoen Nakhon – galleries, cafes restaurants, bookstores, creative businesses – making for an exciting new scene that appeal to like-minded individuals. Spotting a strong potential, creative entrepreneurs in the neighborhood gathered together to attempt to turn Bangrak-Klongsan into Bangkok’s creative district, following the bold paths of big cities around the world – and the arrival of TCDC helps everything make more sense. “To be quite honest, the potential was ripe for the taking,” says David Robinson, Bangkok River Partner representative, a key person
of the Creative District project. “It took no effort to gather local creative and passionate people to discuss and co-plan the initiative as there was already a movement that existed in fragments.” “The river was already becoming the chosen home of writers, photographers, and artists from Thailand and around the world,” he continues, “Across the river in Klongsan, The Jam Factory, a collection of warehouses repurposed by Duangrit Bunnag, houses his architecture practice, The Never Ending Summer restaurant, a café, bookshop gallery and furniture store. The place has become a space heavily frequented by locals. To top all that off, TCDC announced that it was relocating to the Grand Postal Building on Charoenkrung Road, a move that is set to bring with it 30,000 members ranging from universities students to people employed or with an interest in creative industries.” “When you take a look at all this from a bird’s eye view, one only needs to unite all of it to create momentum. All of this is organic. By putting the pieces together and adding even more original initiatives that fill the gaps, I believe we will achieve the critical mass necessary to bring about sustainable improvement to the river.”
www.timeout.com/bangkok March-April 2016 Time Out Bangkok 7
BANGKOK STORY
Q&A David and the creative entrepreneurs in the area, such as Duangrit, Shane Suvikapakornkul of Serindia Gallery, Pieter Compernol and Stephanie Grusenmeyer of P. Tendercool, Thomas Maynard of Soy Sauce Factory, Lee Anantawat of Speedy Grandma, as well as representatives from TCDC, ICON Siam, Thammasat University, embassies and riverside hotels, have sensed the potential of Bangrak-Klongsan as the new creative hub of Bangkok, inspired by successful examples from around the world. They have agreed to create an official collaborative to drive forward the neighborhood into the new Creative District of Bangkok, a hub of creative businesses, design firms, galleries, bookstores and relevant activities. “789 Art District in Beijing; that’s an example of what we are aiming for,” says Shane Suvikapakornkul of Serindia Gallery. For the first stage, every party seems to agree that increasing foot traffic in, and familiarization of, the neighborhood should be prioritized. A series of activities initiated by Creative District partners has already been organized and put into action. Last year, there was a Big Fish music festival by the river. Earlier this year, Bangrak art galleries organized their first gallery hop, enabling art admirers to walk from one gallery to another, giving them an opportunity to explore the quarter. Most recently, and perhaps the most famous one, there was the BUKRUK Urban Arts Festival, which invited artists from 13 countries to color up public walls throughout Bangrak and Talad Noi. David told us there will be more to come. “The vision, which is highly ambitious, is to revitalize the Bangrak-Klongsan districts without displacing the locals and sacrificing the authenticity of the area through gentrification. As we all know, gentrification can be a double-edged sword so we have to go slow but steady.” According to a research by Thammasat University, 23 percent of properties are still vacant and the group is finding ways to fill these spaces with the right type of people and businesses. They are working with Thammasat University, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Crown Property Bureau on how to emphasize their efforts on preservation and conservation in the area. “If we can repurpose buildings rather than replace them with new ones, we will add to the history rather than erase it,” says David. “How does one create space for current functional and innovative uses within buildings that were built and designed to meet the needs of decades ago? Solutions to challenging questions like that will attract Bangkokians to not only explore, but also stay and operate in a hybrid environment comprised of new and old Bangkok. It is not impossible as we have seen it done in places like Club Street in Singapore and so many others.” Livability in the area, as well as better walkways, more green spaces and minimal road traffic, are the next steps. Participating partners are working together to establish a mutual collaboration in a form of a foundation called the Creative District Foundation. They are also working with the Australian Embassy to bring Marcus Westbury to Bangkok in May to talk about “creating cities.” Westbury is the founder of multi-award-winning creative revitalization projects, “Renew Newcastle” and “Renew Australia,” which have helped launch more than 200 creative and community projects in Newcastle, and reopened more than a hundred vacant properties across Australia. “All this is just the tip of the iceberg,” concludes David. “In 10 years, we hope to see a vibrant and completely unrecognizable atmosphere on the streets of Bangrak and Klongsan. The faces of the people and buildings would not have changed, but rather the spirits of these districts would be renewed.” Should we start counting down now? Top Koaysomboon
“All this is just the tip of the iceberg,”
8 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
David Robinson Bangkok River Partners WHY THE RIVER?
I grew up in Sydney, lived in London, worked in New York and holidayed in Cape Town. Places like The Rocks, Southbank, Battery Park and Victoria & Albert Waterfront demonstrate the value of worldclass waterfront destinations to livability, the economy and tourism. Having lived in Bangkok for 14 years, I’ve always thought of the majestic Chaophraya River, which connects Thai history, culture, trade, entertainment, spirituality and markets, as an underutilized resource – in it laid a massive opportunity to tell the story and share the experiences of real Bangkok. Fortunately, the general managers of the eight riverside hotels (Anantara Bangkok Riverside, Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside, Chatrium Hotel Riverside, Shangri-La Hotel, The Peninsula Bangkok, Mandarin Oriental, Royal Orchid Sheraton and Millennium Hilton Bangkok) had the aim to promote the river as a destination and formed Bangkok River Partners (BRP). Through a
turn of fortuitous meetings and the discovery that we shared the same view about the river, they asked me to come onboard and help lead the group to achieve this goal. Fast forward 18 months, together we have collaborated to establish the foundations of the brand, engaged with the local communities, government and businesses, and embarked on a programme of annual events. Having Bangkok River Partners as a backer of the Bangkok River is a boon for the project. Together, they have a combined total of almost 5,000 hotel rooms and suites on the river banks to draw in tourists. In addition to accommodation for travellers, there are a growing number of condominiums that will see more and more locals coming to live on the river. The ability to enjoy the waterfront environment, venues and activities while traveling from point to point along the river is already very appealing travellers. But the more interesting development is the change in perception by Bangkokians. The river is seeing renewed interest from locals and we aim to maximize that with Bangkok River initiative.
BANGRAK - KLONGSAN HAPPENINGS KNACK MARKET What: An outdoor flea market featuring handmade
products, design items, old books, vintage clothing and food. When: Last weekend of every month, 4-9pm. Where: The Jam Factory
SILOM - CHAROENKRUNG GALLERY HOPPING What: Hop around art galleries on Silom and Charoenkrung to admire works by both established and emerging artists.
When: Once a month; check out www.facebook.com/galleryhoppingbkk for the next event
Where: Silom - Charoenkrung art galleries BUK RUK WALL ARTS What: Street arts on public walls created by artists from 13 countries. When: Ongoing Where: Bangrak; go to www.bukruk.com for exact locations. THIPTARA CRAFT MARKET What: Simply a farmers’ market in the hotel When: Last Saturday of every month Where: The Peninsula Bangkok BIG FISH What: Live music event by the river, featuring various artists. When & Where: TBC, they’re working on the details. BRILLIANT BANGKOK What: LED mapping and light installation on the facade of riverside
buildings (search Vivid Sydney and you’ll know what we mean) – this is going to be their big project this year. Hold your breath. When: Festive season by the end of the year, dates TBC. Where: TBC
GET THIS
Life LACOSTE L.12.12
The new sneakers collection inspired by the iconic polo shirt René Lacoste designed in 1933. Six colors available, B5,990 at selected stores.
SHOPPING
Color Up New It bags to liven up your summer wardrobe.
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STYLE
As simple as it gets The ongoing collaboration between fast-fashion megastore Uniqlo and French minimalist designer Christophe Lemaire comes to its final collection in spring/summer 2016. Let’s hear what the king of less-is-more thinks of this conclusive collection.
Describe the collection in three words. Simple. Light. Convertible.
What were the main inspirations for this collection? What materials did you focus on? We focused on flexible, versatile and lightweight pieces you can wear everyday. The collection fulfills the need for light, summer attire that you forget about once slipped on, and which can be worn on the streets, at work or at home. The garments combine simple and relaxed lines with functional details inspired by sportswear. We used mainly cottons: fine Supima cotton, cotton seersucker, cotton oxfords, striped cotton twill, crispy poplins… and a beautiful cotton cashmere ideal for transitional days between spring and summer.
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What is the philosophy behind the Uniqlo and Lemaire line? The collaboration showcases Uniqlo’s high-quality materials and uncompromising focus on quality at the perfect price. The collection balances strength, tranquility and softness to underscore (weare personalities???), perfecting volumes and silhouettes so they remain eternally attractive.
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What’s your favorite Uniqlo product?
My favorite items at Uniqlo are the black superfine merino turtleneck, cotton socks – great color palette – and the cotton jersey boxer shorts underwear. Uniqlo and Lemaire collection will hit selected Uniqlo stores this March.
What is your favorite piece from this collection and why?
Every garment has been made with love!
10 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
1. Printed Haircalf Dinky bag from Coach 2. 1941 crossbody bag from Coach 3. Cabas Phantom tote from Céline 4. Mini London bag from Kurt Geiger All items available at leading department stores.
Life
TECH
AUTO
Vertu New Signature Touch
The British luxury smartphone manufacturer recently launched in Thailand the new model of its more affordable line, the Signature Touch, with prices starting from 380,000 Baht. With a price of a compact saloon, you get a 5.2-inch scratch-resistant crystal-sapphire display, grade-5 titanium body, 21-megapixel camera, Dolby Digital Plus sound system and the acclaimed Vertu Concierge Service that promises to assist you on everything, from buying concert ticket in last minute to book a seat at a Michelinstar restaurant that’s fully booked all year. Visit its flagship stores at Siam Paragon and Gaysorn to have a hands-on. www.vertu.com
Mercedes-Benz C 250 Coupé Netflix Thailand
The internet streaming-video service has officially launched its service in Thailand, available in 21 languages but Thai. Your options range from a standard-definition programming package that you can view on only one device at a time for 280 baht a month, to standard package that offers HD quality and simultaneous viewing on two screens for 350 baht a month to premium package that features Ultra-HD content (4K display required) and can be viewed on 4 screens simultaneously for 420 baht per month.
The new generation of the two-door sport saloon from Mercedes-Benz has many things to be excited about. The body is not only longer and wider, offering better comfort, it’s also lighter, thanks to high-quality aluminum parts, allowing the car to run on better fuel efficiency. The new C-Class Coupé is driven by a 1,991-CC 4-cylinder engine, featuring 211 horsepower at 5,500rpm — in short, it takes you from zero to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds. The interior design theme remains luxury, with cutting-edge motifs borrowed from sportscars. There are two models available in Thailand: C 250 Coupé Edition 1 and C 250 Coupé AMG Dynamic. Prices start from B3.39 million. www.mercedes-benz.co.th
More details on www.netflix.com
FIRST LOOK FABLAB Eastville
Following the success of its first branch at Central World, a multi-label store FABLAB continues to celebrate young Thai fashion talents with its second store at Central Festival Eastville, north of Bangkok. What’s in store for you? Expect up-and-coming labels such as Desiree by the sweet actress Sunisa Jett, Silhouette by Momoe Masuo and Mesme accessories by actress M.n Pechaya. 1F, CentralFestival EastVille, Pradit Manutham Road, Bangkok. www.fablab-store.com www.facebook.com/fablabstorebkk
12 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
Food& Drink NEW Vertigo TOO
Vertigo has long been a favourite rooftop hangout for special occasions, where elegant settings and breath-taking views are priorities, for, well, forever. But not everyone loves outdoor space, especially when it tops on the 61st floor and is so windy (and there’s rain, too). Banyan Tree thus decided to bring the Vertigo’s vibe in door, one level down, and unveils it as a sister venue, Vertigo Too. This indoor lounge is set in a classy dark hue with sparkling lights on the ceiling, resembling a starry night while you can still indulge in Bangkok’s panoramic view through the giant arch windows. Gourmet cuisine is inspired by culinary cultures in different continents while cocktails are exclusively curated and invented by award-winning mixologists. On weekends, the elegant lounge is open for a Champagne afternoon tea session during 1-5pm for B880 and B1,299 with a glass of Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial. 60th floor, Banyan Tree Bangkok, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok, 0-2679-1200. Open daily 5pm-1am. www.banyantree.com/bangkok
Flûte a Perrier-Jouët Bar
Supanniga Eating Room Sathorn
Nespresso Bangkok Boutique
Silom Road, 0-2624-9999, www.lebua.com/the-dome
Sathorn Soi 10, Sathorn Road, 02-635-0349, 02-635-0369.
Siam Paragon, 1800-019-090
Perrier-Jouët, one of the world’s longest-running Champagne makers, has worked alongside lebua Hotels & Resorts to create the world’s highest Champagne bar in the world right in Bangkok at The Dome, serving up its renowned sparkling liquor with the spectacular view of Bangkok’s skyline. To celebrate its opening, a Dutch designer Tord Boontje has designed a 2.5-metre-tall Enchanting Tree, made of hand-wrought iron, gold leaves and Champagne glasses, which will be on display until the end of March.
The acclaimed, award-winning Thai restaurant Supanniga Eating Room has already branched out from Thonglor to the happening neighborhood of Sathorn - Sathorn Soi 10, to be precise. Despite edgier design motifs, the owners promise to serve its renowned recipes, include those popular Muu Chamuang and Pla Som, in their original tastes. Oh, did we mention the owners was recently awarded its first Michelin Star from their other outlet, Somtum Der in New York City? That would make more sense to book a table now.
14 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
The wait is over. No more asking friends to smuggling in the capsules from Hong Kong and Singapore, Nespresso now officially arrives in Thailand, opening its first boutique at Siam Paragon. We can say it looks pretty much like anywhere else in the world. Tired of driving to Paragon? You can also order both the machines and capsules from its online store at www.nespresso.com/th. For those who are curious about the prices, the average price is around 28 per capsule. Not bad, isn’t it?
Food & Drink
Flower Set Dinner at Osha
The appointment of Purida Theeraphong as the corporate chef makes a reason to return to Osha,the luxury Thai restaurant on Wittayu Road. Trained and worked in Australia, and headed the kitchens of fivestar hotels for years, Purida’s claim to fame arrived in 2012 when she was the first female chef who won over Chef Chumpol Jangprai in the famouscooking reality Iron Chef Thailand. Purida makes her arrival more exciting by reinterpreting her award-winning flower-focused Thai cuisine and representing as the new six-course “Osha - The Floral Set” dinner. The dinner is 2,200 Baht per person, and 2,600 Baht with Mekong cocktail pairings that we highly recommend. One-day advanced reservation is required.
Wittayu Road, 0-2256-6555, www.oshabangkok.com
Afternoon Tea at The House on Sathorn Unveiled later last year, The House on Sathorn is perhaps Bangkok’s most aweinspiring dining and wining destination, where avant-garde pan-continental cuisine meets eclectic European setting. Set in a historic Neo Classical mansion with a hundred-years-long history, The House on Sathorn welcomes visitors to witness its splendid original interior decoration while indulging in finest cuisine under the vision of Turkish chef Fatih Tutak. The Courtyard at its center court provides a more casual, yet still elegant, ambience for your afternoon tea moment, at B1,150 for a set for two people.
W Bangkok, 106 North Sathorn Road, Bangkok, 0-2344-4000. www.thehouseonsathorn.com
M Krub by Chef Man
New a-la-carte menu at Jojo’s
Chef de Cuisine Stefano Marlo has introduced the new menu at Jojo’s, the St. Regis Bangkok’s flagship Italian restaurant. The new selections include “Uovo asparagi e asiago” (white and green asparagus, slow cooked egg, asiago cheese foam), “Carpaccio di gamberi” (red prawn carpaccio, prawn mayonnaise, orange gel, Fegatini di pollo; chicken liver pate on brioche bread, zibibbo wine gelatin, fresh leaves) and “Linguini a i gamberi di porto santo spirit” (linguine, bisque, deep sea south Italian red prawn).
Ratchadamri Road, 0-2207-7777. www.stregisbangkok.com
16 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
ong Kong-born, Bangkok-based chef Man Wai Yin, aka Chef Man, is bringing his Chinese cuisine upward with his new restaurant M Krub. Unlike his previous casualdining venues, M Krub takes only reservations for both lunch and dinner. The food remains Chinese but with a French twist so do expect something like barbecued iberico pork served with honeycomb or chrysanthemum tofu in almond syrup. There are set menus but they can be adjusted according to your personal diets or preference. Lunch is from B2,800, dinner is from B8,000.
2nd Floor, Mahanakhon Cube, Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Road, 0-2019-8105
Food & Drink RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Jidori
A Japanese yakitori restaurant from Brett Redman, the man behind Elliot’s Café in Borough Market and The Richmond, in Haggerston.
★★★★★
is dry and crisp – this is undoubtedly WE’VE ALL DONE IT: had two too the best karaage I’ve had in London. many beers and found ourselves Each skewer is very different; the wiping the chicken grease from wing with shiso and lemon was crisp, our lips, regretting the wings even pleasantly sweet and a little sharp. as we stuff them in. What is it about The moreish tsukune skewers – alcohol that makes you crave chicken? packed full of chives – came with Well, as a far more advanced civia raw egg to dip the meat into. There’s lisation, Japan recognises this. Its also a nice twist on English pub grub izakayas – like pubs, but with better with a katsu curry scotch egg – the food and worse beer – serve up yolk runny, the coating crisp, the almost anything chicken-related meat juicy: it was great. The negima on a stick. Juicy chicken hearts, brought back memories of Japachicken intestines (said to be wonnese festivals: the best thing about derful for your skin) and chicken Jidori is how evocative the flavours skin, are all given the skewer-plusare – everything tastes just as it grill treatment. Essentially there to would in Japan. mop up the saké, they just happen With a nice selection of craft beers to be really great bar snacks. – local and Japanese Jidori, the new yaki– plus a well-curated tori restaurant from WHAT IS IT... cocktail menu, the Brett Redman has New, and perhaps drinking element is taken izakaya cooking the best, izakaya in more than taken care and put it front and London. of. We really enjoyed centre. our ‘Shiso into you’ ‘Yakitori’ literally WHY GO... (with a name like that, translates as ‘fry Yakitori sticks, beers how could you not?), a chicken’ but there’s and no-frill atmosspin on a classic sour: nothing Dixie about phere. it was sharp and frothy, it. The chickens are while the delicate shiso free-range Goosnargh, 89 Kingsland High St held its own against the hailing from Swainson London E8 2PB alcohol. House Farm in LanGo with a group cashire. The closest of friends, try as many you’ll get to yakitori’s dishes and drinks as Deep South cousin humanly possible, is the koji chicken – and give Morley’s a deep-fried chunks of miss on the way home. thigh. It’s indulgent, to Miriam Bouteba be sure, but the coating
La Chine
WHAT IS IT... New ‘swanky’Chinese restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria following the hotel’s $2 billion takeover by a Chinese firm.
The “which fork to use” mix-up is a trope of finedining formality—at La Chine, it’s replaced with chopstick confusion. “The white chopsticks are for serving yourself from the shared plates,” the cheerful server explains. “The black are your personal utensils.”
WHY GO... Singaporean chef Kong Khai Meng and his multiregional Chinese menu. Waldorf Astoria New York 540 Lexington Ave New York 10022
★★★★★ IT’S ONE SMALL SAMPLE of the frills and frippery—what kids these days would call #Extra—you’ll experience at the Waldorf Astoria’s swanky Chinese replacement of Oscar’s American Brasserie, part of the hotel’s $2 billion takeover by Chinese firm Anbang Insurance. In command of the black-and-gold dining room, softened with plush-velvet and cherry-blossom wallpaper, is Singaporean chef Kong Khai Meng, whose résumé is stamped with high-end hotel chains like the Four Seasons and W Hotels.
Kong’s modern, multiregional menu (places of origin are piously footnoted under each dish) is divided into categories from “Barbeque” to “Rice, Noodle,” but the most waiter-sold section is the Wenzhou-inspired raw bar—and at $22 for a few petals of Szechuan-oiled yellowtail, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why. But despite the prevalence of Chinkiang vinegar, none register as little more than abstractly Chinese. Go a less-fussy route with beef tongue, soft and tender with whiffs of lemongrass
18 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
($15), or chilled Szechuan chicken, leavened with garlic and ginger beneath a handful ofpeanuts ($16). Or simply do as seemingly every other table is doing and get the Peking duck (whole $70, half $45). What it lacks in good, tooth-testing skin crackle,it makes up for in sweet, near-melting flesh and, served with sheer, black-sesame pancakes, rich hoisin sauce and militantly tidy batons of cucumber and cantaloupe, it’s the kind of #Extra we can get behind. Christina Izzo
TIME OUT BANGKOK X SATHORN
Ocean Eleven
KAI Kai, which literally means “food” in Maori, cooks up modern Kiwi cuisines from Kiwi ingredients (beef, lamb, fish) imported from New Zealand. Try these: pan-seared snapper with tomato sauce and mussel and The Muldoon sandwich. Oh, did we mention a cup of latte topped with amazingly cute cat-shape milk foam?
Eleven restaurants, coffee shops and bars in Sathorn for when you are in this Bangkok’s most happening neighborhood.
142/22-23 Sathorn Soi 12, 0-2635-3800. Open Mon-Fri 9:30am-midnight, Sat-Sun 8:30am-midnight.
THE HOUSE ON SATHORN Before it becomes the posh dining and wining establishment, The House on Sathorn was a former residence of a tycoon, a luxury hotel, a private entertainment club and a Russian embassy — such a long history. The Dining Room and The Bar are as fancy as you can imagine but where we love most is The Courtyard, at the center court, where we can sit back and admire the elaborate inner facade together with your afternoon tea set or bubbly drinks. W Bangkok, 106-108 North Sathorn Road, 0-23444000. Open daily 2:30pm-5:30pm.
LE CAFE DES STAGIAIRES Named after the French phrase for a place where young interns hangout, this tapas bar preps up with cozy, unpretentious ambience thanks to the use of vintage furniture, old posters, rough wooden floor and brick walls. Food style is broad, you have everything from simple planchette cold cuts to Spanish-style tortilla de patatas con chorizo omelette. The drink list is packed but the real deal is its beer selections that include some of the rare finds.
REVOLUCION COCKTAIL
142/21 Sathorn Soi 12, 08-1207-3077. Open daily 10:30am-2am.
MARCEL Skip Yaowarat for a day and try seafood differently in French-style at the place that celebrates Bistronomy, or French casual dining concept. We loves Gallic dishes like crispy shrimp and duck-confit rillettes that gets along well with the house’s signature drink, Madame Marcel.
UNCLE
Sathorn Soi 12, 0-2635-3533 Open Tue-Sun 6pm-midnight.
ROCKET COFFEEBAR
The rum bar by mixologist Sebastian de la Cruz. Ask him to treat you with his winning creation dubbed The Expat, which is a rum-based cocktail infused with plum liquor, Vermouth, line juice, sea salt and tammarin juice and he might also offer his newest creation, Late Summer Fizz, which is a combination of gin, apricot, chrysanthemum juice, soda water and egg-white foam. Just make sure you don’t drive that night.
A Cuban-style bar and lounge that lets you indulge into its charming vintage setting as much as its wide selection of liquor shots and cocktails. Try the Havana rum-based Revolucion Cocktail and the vodka-based Casse-Noisette that comes with sentimental coffee aroma. 50 Sathorn Soi 10, 0-2235-4823. Open daily 6pm-2am.
149 Sathorn Soi 12, 0-2635-0406. Open daily 7pm-1am.
We could say Sathorn Soi 12 owe so much to Rocket. The arrival of this uber-cool coffee shop and brunch venue few years ago has changed everything the neighborhood used to be. As much as its coffee selections, we are addicted to the Silky Tofu, homemade tofu served chilled alongside eggplants, cherry tomatoes and sour salad dressing, and the Swedish meatballs. 149 Sathorn Soi 12, 0-2635-0404. Open daily 7am-9pm.
HANAKARUTA
SUPANNIGA EATING ROOM SATHORN The new branch of the acclaimed, award-winning Thai restaurant Supanniga Eating Room. Despite edgier design motifs, the owners promise to serve its renowned recipes, include those popular Muu Chamuang and Pla Som, in their original tastes. Sathorn Soi 10, Sathorn Road, 02-635-0349, 02-635-0369.
The second venture of a long-standing sake bar from Sukhumvit Soi 39, Hanakaruta Sathorn keeps up its fame with curated Japanese cuisine and, most importantly, an impressive list of sake, and sake-based cocktails, on offer. Try Strawberry Mogu Mogu and Jelly Yuzu. 28/1 Sathorn Soi 10, 0-2635-1239, 08-5061-7318. Open Mon-Sat 6pm-2am.
LADY BRETT This award-winning late-night dining venue is where fine European cuisine meets casual atmosphere. Do make sure you try the signature dishes such as roasted beetroots, spicy brown butter corn, lamb’s cheek BBQ served with salt and grilled beef burger and whole wheat buns. And it’s a good idea to wrap up a meal with a selection of gin-based cocktails on the list. 149 Sathorn Soi 12, 0-2635-0405. Open daily 5pm-midnight.
NOT JUST ANOTHER CUP The youngest sister of Butter Cup and Tiny Cup family rises early treat you with gourmet breakfast such as French toast, beet salad and green smoothie, followed by a shot of piccolo latte to wake you up all day. The place offers a cozy Scandinavian-ish ambience so it’s also ideal for afternoon chill-out. 75/1 Sathorn Soi 10, 0-2635-3464. Open daily 7am-7pm.
Food & Drink BARS OF THE WEEK
Sing Sing Theater
DON’T MISS
★★★★★ The Maggie Choo’s patrons: Australian designer Ashley Sutton, Lao prince Sanya Sou vanna Phouma and music director Kevin Lazykay, reunite to create the new buzz for Bangkok’s nightlife scene and the result is Sing Sing Theater. Sutton turns his obsession to Chinoiserie to an intrigued space with the design depicts the motif of a 1930’s Shanghai Chinese opera theater—glowing lanterns, red lights, bling flings and ladies in qipao. There’s a small dance floor, which occasionally turns into a performing stage but you’d prefer standing attached to the bar and marvel over its amazing cocktail list. Try the Cabinet Escape, a tanqueray-based cocktail infused with sweet vermouth, vanilla tea and strawberry puree served in a bird cage or Bank in Lemon that mixes up tanqueray, Maraschino cherry liquor and lemon and topped with homemade lemon tea foam. The And do dress up a bit--the crowds are quite beautiful and, trust us, you don’t want to be treated like an outcast.
WHAT IS IT... The latest creation by a bar-design genius Ashley Sutton. WHY GO... Read above. Enough said.
Sukhumvit 45, Bangkok, 09-7285-6888. Open daily 8pm - 2am. Facebook.com/ singsingtheater
Havana Social ★★★★★ To be a guest of Havana Social, there’s an etiquette involved: call the place (with your iPhone) to get the unique daily code, then punch the given code into the the old public phone in a petit phone booth and, voila, the door swings open and you’re here. This new Bangkok speakeasy has its own fictional story: First opened in 1940’s. It had been left abandoned after the Fidel Castro’s revolution for more than six decades until somebody had discovered and reopened as it was. Pre-revolutionCuba also becomes the main inspiration for the drinks we love, such as Smashed Mojito and Hemingway Daiquiris, a cocktail made of four-year-old rum,maraschino cherries, grapefruit syrup and eggwhite foam. The post-revolution-inspired cocktails are soon to be added to the menu, so hold your breath. Sukhumvit 11, Bangkok, 08-7066-7711. Open daily 6pm-2am. facebook. com/havanasocialbkk
20 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
WHAT IS IT... Bangkok’s latest addition to speakeasies. WHY GO... The pre-Cuban-revolution ambience like nowhere else.
MEET THE MIXOLOGIST DRINK THIS THIS WEEK
Shuzo Nagamu Mixology Laboratory
BRIGHT & EARLY ‘WASHOKU AND JAPANESE BARTENDING is
all about subtraction,’ says Shuzo Nagumo. ‘But I like multiplication.’ He’s just prepared us the most outlandish martini we’ve ever tasted, made with foie gras vodka, chocolate reduction, fresh cream and nutmeg, then wrapped in a cellophane bag that’s pumped full of smoke. Nagumo’s business card bears the title ‘Grand Mixologist’, and on this evidence he’s more than earned it. At Mixology Laboratory, the newest addition to Nagumo’s expanding empire of high-tech cocktail dens, there’s a welter of expensive scientific equipment behind the bar. He uses a rotary evaporator to extract the aromatics from delicate ingredients that would be destroyed by conventional distillation, letting him create unlikely tipples such as basil gin, blue cheese cognac and– yes – foie gras vodka. One of his staple cocktails is made with a white tomato liquid produced in a centrifuge. ‘There aren’t many people making cocktails like this in Japan, so I had to work a lot of things out for myself,’ he says. After kitting out his lab, he
headed to London to get advice from pioneering mixologist Tony Conigliaro, and he regularly exchanges ideas with forward-thinking bartender pals in other major Asian cities. But, says Nagumo, there’s nobody else making drinks like his Tom Yum Cooler, which turns the famous spicy-sour Thai soup into a refreshing long cocktail – the kind of thing you might drink in lieu of a mojito on a summer afternoon. Though the drink uses a lab-concocted tom yum liquor as its base, the secret lay in finding the right balance of tart flavours: lime juice, tamarind syrup and balsamic vinegar. ‘Creating cocktails that combine Japanese bartending techniques with ideas that you won’t find anywhere else – that’s my style,’ he says. Oh, and overseas bartenders pining for a bottle of wasabi gin are in luck: Nagumo plans to start his own distillery next. Miriam Bouteba Mixology Laboratory, 3F, 1-6-1 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. Open Mon-Sat 6pm-1am. r.goope.jp/spirits-sharing/t_57110
A refreshing cocktail made of vodka, Martini Bianco, lime juice, raspberry syrup and sparkling wine, topped with a rosemary sprig. The mixologist promises this could be an energy injection thanks to its fruity taste and herbal aroma.
INGREDIENTS CIROC VODKA 1.5 OZ MARTINI BIANCO 1.4 OZ LIME JUICE 0.5 OZ RASPBERRY SYRUP 0.5 OZ SPARKLING WINE ON TOP Park Society, Sofitel So Bangkok, 2 North Sathorn Road, 0 2624 0000. Open daily 5pm till late
www.timeout.com/bangkok March-April 2016 Time Out Bangkok 21
Ent. POP QUIZ
5 Seconds of Summer A quick guide to the Aussie pop-rockers as they hit Bangkok.
Who?
Four fresh-faced kids born in the mid-’90s who have found fame and heartthrob status thanks to their catchy pop hits and a fervent following on social media.
Oh, so like One Direction then?
Shhhh! These Australian pretenders to One Direction’s pop throne seem to be getting a little tetchy about comparisons to the British boyband recently. Having told Heat that they don’t really talk to Niall and co any more, they refused to answer questions about 1D from TMZ late last year.
So there’s a bit of an N’Sync vs Backstreet Boys rivalry going on?
Not quite. For one thing, most of their fans are probably too young to have heard of those acts; for another, 1D reportedly own a financial stake in 5SOS and the two toured together in 2013. The Sydney lads are certainly a little more diplomatic about it all over email: ‘We learned a lot from those guys. They’re good friends of ours and we will always be grateful for the opportunity they gave us.’
“We hadn’t experienced enough in life to really know what to base the record on.”
To be fair, they admit that. ‘We hadn’t experienced enough in life to really know what to base the record on,’ they say of their debut LP.
So their follow up was presumably a more nuanced exploration of the dark recesses of their souls? Well, there was the single ‘She’s Kinda Hot’…
Oh. Anything else we should know?
How about break out single ‘She Looks So Perfect’ that went to number one in the UK and Australia in 2014 and helped them sell out their Rock Out with Your Socks Out tour last year?
Their fans send them odd presents: ‘We love getting gifts but we definitely get a lot of weird underwear,’ they tell us. ‘Maybe because our first single was about underwear.’ They also caused a mild Twitter storm late last year when it was suggested in an interview with Rolling Stone that they’d hooked up with fans on the road, leading to allegations they’d taken advantage of their female fanbase.
Sounds like they’re addressing some pretty deep issues.
5 Seconds of Summer plays at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani on 8 March. Tickets are from B2,000-7,000.
Aww, that’s nice. So what are their famous tracks?
BOOK NOW
2PM Concert House Party in Bangkok
The K-Pop heartthrobs: Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Junho, Chansung, Jun and Wooyoung return to Bangkok for their last full-scale concert before some of the members need to take a two-year break for military service. 20 Mar at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani. Tickets are B1,800-6,000.
22 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
Ent.
TUNE IN
Nicky Romero We speak to the party-starter about his old and new tunes. SANDER VAN DOORN, TIËSTO AND ARMAND VAN HELDEN, are just some of the greats that
affirm Nicky Romero’s place in the upper echelons of the modern dance world. Nothing has been the same since he released his breakout hit ‘Toulouse’ into the ether in 2012, and if EDM wasn’t already an unstoppable force at that time, it soon came to be. Since then, the Dutch DJ-producer’s star has only burned brighter as he issues new floor-shaking tracks at a dizzying rate. Having just signed off on his very own online game playnicky and a new banger ‘Lighthouse’, and ahead of his set at the upcoming S2O Festival, he checked in with us for a dance-inspired chat.
TO: Where are you now and what’s kept you busy lately?
I’ve been on tour and have been busy busy busy. Summer is always a really hectic time, with shows all over the world. I have just been in the US, and now I am back in Europe doing a variety of shows over here.
TO: The #playnicky campaign to unlock the 8-bit version of ‘Toulouse’ is another unique project of yours. Why did you to want to release the song that way?
‘Toulouse’ is a song that is still a crowd favourite even though it has been years since it was released. I decided to bring it back in a fun and different way to go alongside the game.
‘When I am producing a track I want to make sure that it has elements in it that make it recognizable as a Nicky Romero track.’
TO: Congrats on ‘Lighthouse’. What inspired the lighter, mellower approach this time?
I like to switch things up while producing music, and ‘Lighthouse’ was a chance for me to bring out a different style from what people are used to hearing from me. I also wanted to play the instruments in the track myself.
TO: Speaking of which, the acoustic guitar parts on ‘Lighthouse’ were a nice touch. Do you see the song as being completely different from your earlier work? Thanks, I really enjoyed playing them. I wouldn’t say completely different, because when I am producing a track I want to make sure that it has elements in it that make it recognizable as a Nicky Romero track.
24 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
TO: What made you want to start Protocol Recordings?
I wanted to have the freedom and choice over what music I release, and have a platform for other artists to get their sound out there. It’s become so much more than a label now and it’s been so cool to see it grow over the years.
TO: Which of the songs that you’ve produced for other artists is your favourite?
‘Right Now’ with Rihanna. Working with her was awesome and I don’t think that track will ever get old for me.
TO: What do you think of the state of EDM in 2016?
I think that EDM has changed a lot over the years, and I think it’s moving in a really positive direction. Artists are experimenting a lot more, and testing out new ideas and sounds. New sub-genres are emerging and people are also broadening the types of music they’re listening to. It’s an exciting time to be a part of it all. Nicky Romeo is taking the stage at S2O Songkran Music Festival. 13-15 April, alongside Afrojack, Quintino, Ravitez and Makj. Ticket are from B1,800 for one day and B3,900 for three days.
What’s On 5 Seconds of Summer
BEC-Tero is flying in the Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer to host their Bangkok debut concert, “5 Seconds of Summer Sounds Live Feels Live”, at Impact Arena this week. Fans do expect to hear your favourite singles from their latest album, such as She Looks So Perfect and Amnesia. 8 March. Tickets are B2,000-7,000 at Thaiticketmajor.com
gCircuit Song Kran 10
gCircuit Song Kran 10
Sound, sweat, skins and six-packs, Asia’s biggest gay dance festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and you must expect no less. Sumet Srimuang, the mastermind behind the decade-long success, promises to put together top (and hot) DJs, cutting-edge light and sound technology and various surprises into one gala event and nine parties to entertain few thousand boys from Asian countries over Songkran break. 14-17 April. Tickets are from B3,200 at door. www.gcircuit.com
S20 Songkran Festival
S2O Songkran Festival
Woody World brings back S2O Songkran Music Festival for the second year, promising it’s going to be more returns for the second year and Woody World, the main organizer, promises not to disappoint dance music lovers, putting together top DJs like Afrojack, Nicky Romero, Lavitez and Soda. 13-15 April. Tickets are from B1,800 for one day, and B3,900 for three days. s2ofestival.com
Chang Global Carnival
The giant local brewery puts together all the fun stuff: rides, food, booze and a LOT of activities – DJ spin, laser maze, cage ball, paint bar, glowing pool, to name a few – for its grandeur festival at Lumphini Square. 31 March onwards. www.changworld.com/ChangCarnival
‘I think Lily’s thoughts, I dream her dreams. She was always there.’
Culture FILM The Danish Girl Eddie Redmayne is striking, but this is a disappointingly conservative biopic of the pioneering transgender artist Lili Elbe
★★★★★ ‘THE KING’S SPEECH’ DIRECTOR Tom Hooper has given the story of trans-
sexual 1920s Danish artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne, convincingly pretty and fragile) and his wife Gerda (Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, often out of her depth), a decorous, overly tasteful spin. In fact, the film is so tasteful that you might barely realise the story involves a man having his penis surgically removed at a time when such a thing was barely known or possible. In this version, Einar begins publicly identifying as a woman, Lili, after posing as a woman for his wife’s paintings. The intriguing suggestion is that Gerda perhaps had an instinctive feel for her husband’s secret, and the success of her Lili paintings coincides with the collapse of her marriage, with more tragedy to follow. That’s all fascinating, complicated, heady stuff. But Hooper and writer Lucinda Dixon take a deeply conventional approach by framing their story as a portrait of a loving marriage with an almost incidental awkward flaw. That’s fine, if underwhelming, in the film’s early scenes as we first watch Einar and Gerda’s playful relationship. But when there’s more at stake as Einar starts dressing as a woman and identifying as Lili not only occasionally but all the time, Hooper’s approach feels increasingly shallow and lacking in proper inquiry. It doesn’t help that Dixon’s script is often a clunker when it comes to dialogue. Hooper’s decision to cast a Swedish actress speaking accented English playing a Dane also feels clumsy. There are also some horribly fruity and distracting supporting performances, especially from a shrill Amber Heard as a dancer and a caricatured Adrian Schiller as an art dealer. Ben Whishaw is a happy exception as Lili’s potential love interest, Henrik. The Danish Girl is meticulously made – not a hair is out of place. Danny Cohen’s remarkable photography and Eve Stewart’s stunning production design dominate. Admirers of ‘The King’s Speech’ will perhaps find much to like, including Hooper’s fondness for distorting wide-angle shots in enclosed
spaces and his ability to make a room feel like a theatre. But too much feels like it’s for show: when Einar is beaten up in Paris, it happens on a bandstand, of course. What Hooper fails to do is get to grips with sexual identity in any way that’s intellectually or emotionally provocative or surprising. That makes for a cold, pretty, delicate movie – one that too often relies on scene-stealing production design or the overwhelmingly insipid score for its otherwise strikingly absent emotional power. There are hints of a more interesting film – especially when Redmayne’s Einar visits a private sex show in Paris and starts imitating the performer. But mostly it’s all very British and middle-of-the-road in a way you hoped cinema had left behind. Dave Calhoun
NEXT PROGRAMS The superheroes are coming — sort of.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice The confrontation of two superheroes, bad boys, whatever. Director Zack Snyder and Superman Henry Cavill return, with Ben Affleck controversially cast as the Bat. In theaters: 24 Mar
Captain America: Civil War This is a sequel not just to the last Captain America adventure, The Winter Soldier, but a follow-up to Avengers: Age of Ultron and a setup for the massive Avengers: Infinity War two-parter due in 2018. In theaters: 27 Apr
X-Men Apocalypse Yet another team of superheroes take on yet another world-threatening villain, as the rebooted X-Men (Fassbender/McAvoy as opposed to McKellen/Stewart) take on the original mutant, prehistoric blue meanie Apocalypse.
In theaters: 19 May
www.timeout.com/bangkok March-April 2016 Time Out Bangkok 25
Culture READ THIS THIS WEEK
VERY GOOD LIVES
Inspirational quotes, wisdom and advice from the best-selling author J.K. Rowling.
BOOK WHAT IS MEMORY but the telling
of a story?” This could easily be the epigraph for Laura van den Berg’s debut novel but is, instead, a line found in her own book. In some future time, a pandemic of forgetting, followed by death, has gripped the United States. It’s not the end of the world—the sickness is contained within the U.S. and kills many but not all—yet it’s certainly the end of something, and the beginning of new ways to assemble one’s own life story, particularly for Van den Berg’s narrator, Joy Jones. Pre-plague, Joy was a grocery store employee, perpetually getting high on cough syrup and riddled with residual anxieties after being abandoned as an infant and floating through foster homes. Post-pandemic, Joy lives in the mysterious Hospital, where a doctor and nurses try to find a cure via a group ofapparently immune patients. But though the disease and the Hospital initially seem critical to the fictional world, they are actually, slyly, the backdropfor a much more poignant narrative about memory, family and the construct of self. Literary dystopian novels are all the rage, but why? What seems to be at the heart of this ubiquitous genre is the desire to strip away contemporary life’s complications, leaving an essence of what constitutes personhood. And that’s where Van den Berg, with her sharply honed skills as a shortstory author and her sense for the
B485 at Asia Books
Find Me
By Laura van den Berg
strangeness of life, creates an unforgettable and, against all odds, unique tale. A brief overview of the ostensible plot: As the Hospital’s functions begin to wither, Joy escapes and begins a journey to meet her birth mother. The story weaves between Joy’s current situation— depicted in the propulsive present tense — and flashbacks to memories she retains. As Joy travels toward her mother’s supposed home, she reminisces, confronting her own repressed traumas, and her seemingly accidental insights illuminate the dark spaces of the mind. Pages are pocked by the gentle horrors and the unexpected revelations of the everyday, as in, “We all choose our dungeons” and “Maybe I wouldn’t mind becoming a myth.” Find Me eases into itself, and the deeper we venture into it, the more glorious the book becomes in its embodiment of doubt and self-scrutiny. Because, whether faced with abandonment or a nationwide pandemic, the question we all, as people, return to is pure. As Joy puts it: “The truth is I’m still trying to understand what kind of person to be.” And at its core, Van den Berg’s debut is a keen examination of trying to live under the weight of that choice, and the weight of all else we can’t choose. Tiffany Gibert
★★★★★
B574 at Kinokuniya Books
Van den Berg’s dystopian debut novel blossoms into a timeless chronicle of self-discovery.
ROUNDTABLE
Kevin Kwan THE AUTHOR OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS recently visited Bang-
kok for his first book signing at Hard Cover bookstore. Here he talks how much he reconnects with Asian relatives and how has the book changed his life as it is being produced into a Hollywood motion picture.
TO: You were born in Singapore and later moved to America. You’ve experienced both worlds. What is a major difference between Asian people who grew up in Asia and later moved there and those American-born asians?
KK: It is actually profound different. I didn't
realize until I was more adult but because I grew up in Singapore. I was proud to be an Asian. I’ve found positive role models. But most of Asian Americans never had that kind of experience. They're living as American minority in America, All they see when they turn on TV or read magazine, newspaper are caucasian people. And the only Asian portraits they see in media or movies are immigrants, refugees, owner of laundry cleaning business, people that are struggling. So it's a very different situation for most Asian American growing up. They grew up as minorities. And there are all these issues by being part of minority cultures. I didn't realize how important my book would be for Asian Americans. I've met Asian Americans and Asian Canadians who said to me that this is the first book they’d ever read where Asian characters were portrayed positive— Asian who
26 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
are empowered, sexy, attractive, successful and also modern. I met an Asian Canadian who works for a magazine, he said: “After I read your book at the last page I cried uncontrollably because I “realize this is the first time I found a book that I can relate to.”
TO: How has this book changed your life? KK: I used to work in design but behind the scene.
I liked to stay behind curtain but this book, which I wrote as a hobby, became above a success so I had to come in front of the curtain to present my book. That, for me, 0 is a growing experience. And through the book, the best thing for me is I've met so many people and made friends. I've met other writers and has been really so welcoming. I think Asian writers have been very supportive. We all knows how struggled it is to be compete with western writers. It has been very nice to be part of this group.
Travel
CATHAY PACIFIC rolls out
HOT DEAL
Summer deals from Bangkok, starting from only B4,700. Book through 31 May for travels until 31 Oct. Taxes not included. www.cathaypacific.com/th
Chiang Mai Jao What’s new in the Northern capital.
Meena
Get away from the hustle and bustle of Chiang Mai’s town center to find yourself in Meena, the newest addition to the city’s healthy-dining scene. Cozy and laidback, Meena, which literally means “to own a paddy field,” serves dishes with rice as the core ingredient. The Thai staple is usually combined with local organic vegetables and flowers – yes, edible organic flowers. The light, healthy cuisine in Meenahas quickly become popular amongst locals and tourists alike. 13/5 Moo 2, San Klang, San Kampaeng, 087-177-0523. Open Thu-Tue 10am - 5pm. facebook.com/meena.rice.based
Rustic & Blue
Rustic & Blue, located in the bustling Nimmanhaemin district, bills itself as a conceptual “farm shop.” The menu highlights more than 30 exclusive house-blended teas made from the finest leaves sourced from different plantations all over the world, and infused with herbs and spices. Don’t forget to try their homemade jams and other healthy offerings – the vegan acai smoothie is a must!
ss1254372 café
Despite its confusing name – derived from its geolocation – ss1254372 café has got its act together with cool design, a location in Chiang Mai’s coolest neighborhood, and tasty comfort fare. The menu is headlined by ssBenedict, the café’s own twist on Eggs Benedict, and Cha Coa (Thai tea topped with cocoa powder and passion fruit soda). A plus: the café is part of Gallery Seescape, the art space of local artist Torlarb Larbcharoensuk. Don’t forget to check what’s on exhibit each time you visit.
Nimmanhaemin Soi 7, Mueng, 053-216-420, 086-654-7178 Open Tue-Sun, 8:30am-9pm. facebook.com/rusticandbluechiangmai
22/1 Nimmahaemin Soi 17, Muang, 093-831-9394. Open Tue-Sun, 8am-7pm. facebook.com/ss1254372cafe
Hinlay Curry
This new family-run restaurant serves curries made from recipes from different countries across Asia: Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia and India, to name a few. Seat yourself underneath lush greenery, order your preferred curry and enjoy it with either yellow rice or naan bread, all the while enjoying Chiang Mai’s cool breeze. Bamrungrad Soi 2 (Na Wat Gate Soi 1), Muang, 053-242-621, 081-952-3155 Open daily, 10am-9pm.
28 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
Social News
Central 68th Anniversary The annual flower show returned to Central Chidlom once again to celebrate its 68th years of success.
Disney on Ice 2016 The Disney’s princes and princesses onnce again took over the ice stage for the Disney on Ice 2016 at Impact Arena. Alongside familiar characters like Ariel, Rapunzel and Bell, Frozen’s Elsa, Anan, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven also joined force for the first time.
www.timeout.com/bangkok March-April 2016 Time Out Bangkok 29
TIME OUT MEETS
Leonardo DiCaprio The man of the moment on why he will always feel like an outsider in Hollywood. DICAPRIO IS a man with a lot to smile about; 2016 belongs to
him. After being nominated four times for an Oscar, there’s a very good chance he will walk up the aisle in February to pick up the Best Actor award for The Revenant. Set in 1823, DiCaprio plays real-life frontiersman Hugh Glass, who was left for dead in the Rocky Mountains by his hunting party. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman), it’s a brutal, raw revenge drama that puts Glass through the wringer: attacked by a bear, mauled by Tom Hardy (who, let’s face it, is scarier than a grizzly), buried alive and frozen so cold that he’s forced to sleep in the still-steaming carcass of a horse. Yes, it’s acting – but DiCaprio also lived it. The nine-month shoot in Canada and Argentina was so tough that some of the crew have described it as ‘a living hell’.
TO: You put yourself through a lot making The Revenant. In one scene your character is so hungry that he eats raw liver. Did you do that? Eat raw liver?
‘I did. Because the fake liver they gave me didn’t look real. Arthur, the Native American actor I was working with, had been eating liver all day while I was sitting there eating a big piece of Play-Doh. I had to give it a shot. But I only did it twice, and my reaction is up on screen. That’s instinct.'
TO: It’s a gruelling movie to watch. On a scale of one to ten, how tough was it to make?
‘Ten. But we all knew what we were signing up for. We couldn’t recreate this with CGI. We all knew that we were stepping into a “Fitzcarraldo”, “Heart of Darkness” type of experience.’
TO: You were filming out in the elements. Any near misses?
‘The whole movie! But the real nemesis was the cold, every single day. I had a special machine I called “the octopus”, which was like a giant hairdryer with eight tentacles that I warmed my body with between takes.’
TO: Are you an outdoorsy, get-up-at-5am-for-a-hike kind of guy?
‘I wouldn’t say 5am, but I’m definitely outdoorsy. I love being immersed in nature, going to places in the world that are pristine and untouched by man. It’s almost a religious experience when you go to a place like the Amazon and there’s no civilisation for thousands of miles.’
TO: You’ve had a few close shaves with death on your travels. You survived a shark attack in South Africa. And before that there was an incident with a parachute that failed to open. What goes through your mind in that situation? ‘It’s strange, because it gets right down to basics. It’s no more dramatic than getting a parking ticket. You just feel like: Shit, why did this have to happen today? I’m so young, I have such a great life ahead of me, this really sucks. There’s nothing intensely profound about it, other than the will to survive.’
TO: So you didn’t see images of your life passing before your eyes?
‘Actually, yes: I’ve had a couple of experiences like that where you get the glossy photos of your whole life passing by in a second – that stuff really does happen. Certainly that happened with the parachuting thing.’
‘No! I had absolutely nothing prepared. I didn’t think there was a shot in hell I’d get it. It would have been an absolute catastrophe if I had.’
TO: You grew up in a tough part of LA, and have said you felt like an outsider as a kid. Has that feeling stayed with you in Hollywood? Do you ever still feel like that? ‘I think I will always feel like an outsider. Marty [Scorsese] was the same. He came from the streets of New York and didn’t feel like he belonged in Hollywood. I can remember getting rejected systematically by casting directors as a young kid. I felt like the biggest outsider there ever was; that I’d never belong in that club. I had this idea that one day they reach out, bless you and say: “You are now part of this elite, you are the chosen one.”’
TO: Do you feel blessed now? ‘Hell, yeah!’
TO: People talk about the difference between being an actor and being a movie star. You seem to have spent your thirties trying to shed the skin of a movie star with the kind of films you make. Is that fair? ‘You know, the truth is that my attitude about the films I want to make has never changed. I made the same choices when I was 15 that I make now.’
TO: You supported President Obama. You’re a committed environmentalist. Would you consider running for political office?
‘I don’t know about that. I’ve been making this documentary on climate change for the last two years. If there was anything that I felt that I could do that would really contribute to what I think is the most important issue in human history – climate change – then I would love to take a higher position with it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean political office. I think that a lot of the change needs to come from communal efforts, from groups and people who are trying to rattle the system. I think change is going to have to come from outside. You can’t depend on politicians to make the right decisions.’
“You can’t depend on politicians to make the right decisions.”
TO: Has surviving made you less afraid of dying? ‘No. I’m still just as afraid of dying.’
TO: What would it mean to you to win an Oscar?
‘Honestly? It’s never ever what I’m thinking about when I’m making movies. There’s nothing I’ve done for the specific reason of getting an award. Every single time you just go in there trying to bat a thousand, trying to give it your all.’
TO: You were 19 when you were nominated for an Oscar for ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’. Did you have a speech ready? 30 Time Out Bangkok March-April 2016 www.timeout.com/bangkok
TO: The worldview in The Revenant is pretty bleak: people do terrible things to each other and nature is indifferent. Are you a pessimist?
‘That’s an interesting question for me as an environmentalist. You look back at that time [in The Revenant], and this surge west – extracting resources from nature, killing off indigenous Native American tribes, cutting down the trees and digging for oil. And you think: Oh my God, look how brutal we were. But I wonder how people are going to look back at this time period now. We are destroying nature and killing species at a rate that is unprecedented. I just came back from Paris [and the climate change talks]. If we don’t have a resolution coming out of Paris, we are destined for an incredibly bleak, dark future.’
TO: So, are you a pessimist?
‘No. I’m hopeful that we’ll evolve as a species. But there is something about human nature that is very destructive. Miriam Boutebaw The Revenant is now back in theaters. Note: The interview was conducted before the actor won the Academy Awards for Best Actor on 29 February.