There are two interesting restaurants side by side next door to the now-defunct Silom Village. I never quite understood the logic of calling a Sukhumvit shopping mall (be it open-air) Silom Village and know there is a Silom Village in Silom, and I know all about branding, but why not Sukhumvit Village? I digress. The Silom Village bit is being redeveloped across the road and another condo block is also going in where the original market was. This is on the green route where the numerous arms of Soi 31 connect to the various arms of Soi 23. This is on the road that mates the two multiple sois and is still technically part of Soi 31.
Inevitably, as they are in similar shophouses, Antonio's and Sonie's have a similar layout. They both have a small downstairs restaurant with a bar and kitchen, while upstairs there is a larger mezzanine restaurant. I have already covered Sonie's see article.
Antonio Armenio, an Aussie with clear Italian background, is the inspiration at Antonio's. Tony has plainly set his stall out to run a proper restaurant and in the blurb at the front of the menu he promises the freshest produce, the most delicate of preparation and truly personal service. Last time I read such an offer to personal service it was not in such an altruistic establishment. However, I think I got the gist. In addition, Tony refers to his family background in Puglia in southern Italy. Tony cares and it's all very personal. In other words, if it ain't right, just say 'fix it again, Tony' and he will.
The last time I visited, it was a Sunday evening and Tony was not at home. However, the black-and-white-clad staff were more than keen and were most definitely on the case. I had phoned ahead, mainly to check the restaurant was open on a Sunday, and therefore a table had been set aside. In fact, it was what I suppose is the most sought-after place in the house: the table in the window bow. Unfortunately, it is a trifle tight for a proper-sized person and instead I elected to move to the other downstairs table. There are only three and one was occupied.
The moment we were seated, the staff positively flapped around us, bringing water and bread with nibbles as well as offering drinks. As ever, I requested the wine list. I was disappointed that it was a very short list and on the whole expensive. We had two wines that I know well from other restaurants: Banfi la Rima, a Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay blend from Tuscany, and Mandrarossa Merlot, from Sicily. Both were priced at 1,500 baht, which was more than I normally pay for these wines.
The menu was not long, but then why should it be? It is a small restaurant. However, before we could get to the menu, the waiter flashed clingfilm-covered seafood in front of us so that we could 'ooh' and 'ah' at the selection. And then with a great flourish that would have impressed Tommy Cooper, he revealed a Maine lobster under a cloth. It was unsurprisingly dead. Now I like lobster but if I am going to meet it pre-pot, I would rather like some proper communication. A waved manacle claw is a good start. Once in Croatia this process ended up in disaster as the lobster jumped free and attacked a fellow diner, but that is another story. I am not keen on inspecting the beast before I eat it. Some Italian restaurants, including some very good ones, have a glass display fridge that allows customers to see the food rather than having it stuffed under their noses. It also normally produces a wonderful aroma. But on plates at the table? It could be construed as a little naff, but others may like it.
The most important section of the menu is 'Antonio's famous top five house dishes'. The first dish is home-made ravioli filled with porcini mushrooms, topped with a cream of truffle sauce. This is very much Antonio's signature dish. I had it for the second time and it is well worth a decent detour just to taste it. The other starter we had was garlic prawns off the main menu. On's dish looked good with plenty of juice and she really enjoyed it.
For On's main, there was much banter in Thai that kept me out of the loop, but she ended up with another top-five dish: whole 'live' mud crab with angel hair paste agio olio. I reasoned it should have been wallowing in a gold mine at 1,200 baht, but it certainly was appreciated by the receiver as opposed to the payer. And I certainly did not get to greet said crab before its final journey in the eco-cycle, but I will assume it was indeed alive.
For my main course, I opted for yet another top-five dish, this time Australian veal rack pan-fried in breadcrumbs (alla Milanese). I did ask exactly what it was before I ordered. Rack to me means three ribs as in a rack of lamb. Three baby cow ribs would make a hungry lion happy. In fact, it was a single thick chop butterflied. It was delicious with plenty of meat. As with Vienna schnitzel, it came with lemon and it had a good slug of sage in the cooking: lots of flavour and some nice pink meat in the middle.
I resisted a pud but On had her usual ice cream before we summoned the bill and each received a complimentary lemonchello.
I think you will understand from my description that the food was fabulous, but some things irritated me. I found the service slightly condescending and thought the pricing was slightly optimistic. However, I must add that this is a popular restaurant and on that basis it is clearly charging what people will pay. Antonio's is certainly worth a visit: maybe on that special night out or just when you are feeling flush and want a special meal.
So two eateries: both successful and with two totally different styles sharing the same wall. Proof again, if it was needed, that there is no fixed formula for restaurant riches.

This article all was first published in the Sukhumvit Eye.

The story of the lobster attack is here

I make no pretence of knowing much about non-European food. That does not mean I do not like it; it means that I have no in-depth knowledge and as such do not feel competent to write about it in detail. But I do know what I like.
Recently, Beefsteak and Burgundy Club lunched at Monkeys Chinois. One or two members were not excited by a trip to the Chinky but I looked forward to it and got something different. Monkeys is owned by Eddie, a Thai restaurant entrepreneur who already operates the well-known Witches – Witchs Oyster Bar in Ruamrudee Village on Ploenchit Road and the Witchs Tavern in Thong Lor.
Monkeys, according to Eddie, is a modern restaurant with contemporary decor and food served with a modern interpretation. My lunch with B&B certainly tickled my appetite but what really impressed me was that, at the end of the meal as conversation turned to the usual banter, Eddie gently withdrew to a comfortable sofa and went to sleep. I had all those years running restaurants, being bored out of my mind by groups who hung around after a meal chatting and drinking, and hard as I tried I could never quite get myself to nod off.
After this introduction, I wanted to go back and try Monkeys out as a normal customer and duly took Her Indoors along the following Sunday.
The restaurant has a minimalist decor with big lampshades, comfortable chairs and, rather oddly, Formica bonquet seating. There are several big windows, a central bar-type area and a tiled floor. The staff are well dressed, with the girls wearing long dresses. Overall, I thought the message from the decor was slightly confusing. In European terms, it was cafe meets Chinese without the flock wallpaper. But this is Bangkok and Asia and it did work. I was less convinced about some of the muzac, which might have been better reserved for nearby discos, but some of the jazz was quite pleasant.
I was agreeably surprised by the wine list: it was not only extensive but very realistically priced. There were several bottles under the 1,000-baht mark and I had a bottle of Macon Villages at 1,400 baht and a bottle of good Aussie Merlot for 1,100.
The menu starts off with a large dim sum selection that is sensibly always available as opposed to being considered just a lunchtime dish. We started with dim sum in the form of the Emperors Dumpling selection; the other option was Rainbow Dim Sum. I like these options as I really do not know what I am ordering. This way, the restaurant makes up my mind for me and presumably they know enough to pick a sensible range of dumplings. They took a bit of time to arrive but were obviously cooked to order and were very good indeed.
My problem with Chinese food is that I always order too much. So we were being cautious, although the prices meant that ordering a number of dishes would not break the bank. There were expensive dishes such as abalone steak at 2,200 baht and suckling pig at 1,200, but that was a lot of pig and for a lot more than one. Most dishes were in the 200-300 baht range.
So next we ordered a small portion of Cantonese roast duck, which came interestingly served with sliced ginger and peanuts. It was very good. For our B&B meal, we had the whole duck served with pancakes and plum sauce as in Peking duck, but we got the meat as well as the skin. On my second visit, the Cantonese duck had the breast skin and meat but no pancakes, etc.
Next we had crispy roast rib of pork with special monkey sauce. It was a good slab of ribs with the meat suitably soft with a sweet and sour sauce.
We now had a problem in that a little more was called for but not too much. I was keen for On to try the crispy prawns with sweet mayonnaise and wasabi, which I thought was the truly memorable dish from the B&B lunch. This comprises large prawns in batter with a mayonnaise including a good slug of nice hot wasabi horseradish. Apart from the wasabi mayo going so well with the prawns, the batter was truly crisp and, more importantly, clean. All too often, batter is spoilt by used oil. To an extent, that is inevitable because oil deteriorates as it is used and, frankly, it is not cheap: replacing the fryer oil weekly is no small overhead and, even with filters and skimming, it is bound to get dirtier by the day. So these prawns in nice clean batter with this wonderful hot mayonnaise were a joy indeed.
Regrettably, the other dish we ordered was almost the opposite because of one of my pet hates. It was sizzling beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce. The problem was that it was covered in diced capsicum (pepper), which I dislike. The beef was nice and tender but, as hard as I tried, I could not get that distinct capsicum flavour out of it. There was no mention of capsicum on the menu, which only mentioned black pepper. But others may have been more than happy with the capsicum infusion. On certainly was not bitching and enjoyed her piece of steak.
We needed a couple of desserts as final palate cleaners before heading home replete.
Monkeys is a pleasant change: it is not a traditional Chinese restaurant but is, as it says, a modern restaurant serving traditional Chinese food in a contemporary way. The food standard is high and staff attentive.

This review was first published in Sukhumvit Eye see website

Even though I live virtually next door to Koi, it has taken me some time to get to it. I got a whiff of Koi when I trundled past one night and there was a happening party going on. But the slightly obscured sign and the two doormen standing in the drive of this modernistic house did little to persuade me I needed to come back.
Then a 30-something relative who works in the City (London) turned up in Bangkok with some friends. They seemed to be 'doing' Bangkok in style before moving to the beach. 'Where are you dining?' I asked, half-expecting the usual questions about what and where. 'Koi,' was the answer. 'Do you know it?' I felt rather stupid saying 'No, I only live next door!'
The next day I was on the net finding out about Koi. The cuisine is described as 'Japanese inspired with Californian accents'. The website told me Koi came to Bangkok in 2005 and seemed to win every award ever awarded by a Thai magazine. Big PR budget, I concluded. Then the web informed me there were three other Kois: in Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas. Why on earth did Koi come here? If it had to come this way, Singapore or Hong Kong seemed more in line.
Or was it another case of Thailand attracting business because it was the place somebody wanted to go? I still do not know why, but I do know from the website that in 2006 there were parties and model nights, though nothing seemed to happen in 2007: not even a miserable award. Clearly, the PR budget was exhausted.
Then there was a quantum change at Koi: a bloody great illuminated sign appeared saying 'Avenue on 20' and listing three operations: Koi, The Bridge (an Italian restaurant) and the Fashion Bar. It was almost as if Koi had come out! All this had happened to me within a week, so when I was having a quiet evening I thought I would try the Italian, but as I was about to be the customer in this pointed-cube glasshouse, I declined and trundled down the road to the ever-reliable Bie Otto.
However, a few nights later, I decided to try Koi proper, taking 'her who is seldom obeyed' with me. We caterpillared up a few steps to the reception area and were escorted to the restaurant, which involved going down steps and then over a series of small steps, both up and down. It was almost as if the designers had decided they wanted to make sure any shuffling old or disabled person tripped on the way in or way out. Was this feng shui or a dastardly plan to keep the wrinklies out?
In the restaurant, there is a good view over the courtyard complete with a fine old tree and mosquito-breeding ground (pond) as well as the reception area. Apart from the steps, the design of the entrance was very clever and from the restaurant it looks impressive. The reception desk is a red cube of light, while the walls on the internal side are glass. The first area has lighting on the wall opposite the desk, but the second area has lighting the other side. So as people move from one area to the other, they are in full view and then in silhouette.
I asked for the wine list and immediately realised why we were then the only customers. They seemed to be LA prices*. As I recognised some of the wines, I realised that whilst many high-end restaurants may seek to triple the cost of wine between purchase and sale, here it looked like the multiple was four or even five. There was little wine under 2,000 baht a bottle. I chose a bottle of Pinot Grigio at 1,960 and Argentinian Malbec at 1,750. And do not forget the plus plus!
The menu is mainly Japanese with a big sushi and sashimi list of options as well as salads, hot and cold mains and tempura dishes. I must admit I am not knowledgeable about Japanese food. I knew I wanted sushi as starter but which fish and how was another issue. So I consulted the maitre d' who then supplied a combo menu: this seemed to offer sushi options for groups and legions. However, I picked the smallest, featuring seven fish, and hoped for the best. In fact, it was a decent portion for two and was good except for the insistence that I use two sticks to eat it with. The fork was first introduced to Western Europe in the 10th century by Theophanu, Byzantine wife of Emperor Otto II, so I would have thought it could have got to Sukhumvit Road by now.
Needless to say, that darn Japanese cow (wagyu) was all over the menu offering parts of its anatomy for sums in excess of 2,000 baht. So we settled for more modest fare. On had grilled duck breast on top of wasabi-scented potato cake and ginger plum sauce, whilst I opted for miso-bronzed black cod and a harlequin of vegetables. I thought On's duck looked a mess: the presentation was far too busy. However, she enjoyed the meal. The trouble with my cod was that the first aroma that hit me: was of cooked peppers (capsicums). Now I do not like cooked peppers as the taste seems to permeate into everything that gets near it, so whilst it was good chunk of cod and the vegetables were cooked al dente, I was put off by the capsicum infusion. If On's duck was over-produced, my cod was almost the other way and I could have done with a little potato, or similar, to round the dish off.
For pudding I had a machimisu, which was described as green tea mousse and was surprisingly good. It had a sponge base and structure with layers of cream-like sauce that had a delicate but not sweet taste.
By the time we got to pay the LA-sized reckoning, the place was filling up. The paying customers were all farangs and farangs with multinational-funded jobs, I concluded. The man me behind was telling his companion about his BMW and driver. If price is not a problem and Japanese cuisine is your thing, then there is much to recommend Koi. If you are a English teacher, there must be worse places to sit outside with a begging bowl. I suspect the mini-rebranding to Avenue on Soi 20, the addition of the Italian restaurant and giving the bar a separate name are indicative of success, or lack of it. Moving what works in LA and NY to BKK is a big move, especially if the pricing is brought as well. It looks like a leap too far.

*Tom Finn - our LA correspondent writes: 'At a decent restaurant in LA, $50 to $60 would be the cheapest bottle on the list. To get anything worth drinking, you're looking at $80. Most wines in LA are $80 to $120 per bottle. Usually there are a couple of bottles in the $60 range, but how you determine what a 'decent' restaurant is will determine what that bottle will taste like!'

Note This article was first published in Sukhumvit Eye. Website

I had missed Sergio from his perch outside Basilico (Soi 33) where I often pop in for a quick evening feed. So I was pleased when I was told he had opened his own spot in Soi 53. It did not take me long to find myself outside the doors of this impressively sized restaurant and find myself being greeted by Sergio. I suppose it is that greeting that is the main loss that Basilico has suffered with Sergio's departure. Even when I first went there and had never met the man he always behaved as though he was pleased to see me. He is one of the better greeters around town with a slightly scruffy look, but always a broad smile. It says you are welcome and yes I am working hard to make your visit worthwhile!
Bacco is a large restaurant divided into two by the bar and pizza kitchen. The back area is somewhat quieter and it was this area that Sergio took me to. The decor is fairly basic but this is set off by some large colourful paintings that are naive - futuristic as well as a few bright modern copies of classics. It all produces that bright open look and feel that gives the typical Italian pizzeria feel to the place.
The wine list is very extensive and generally well priced, for this town, with several wines under a 1,000 Baht. As a result of this pricing I decided on slightly better wine and ordered a bottle of Gavi. I later had a Sicilian red at Sergio's recommendation.
I had no sooner picked up the stiff card menus than I was reminded of Basilico; this was, of course, set up by Sergio but there the similarity ended. I was particularly interested to see pizza variations in the form of panzerotti (4 options), piada (5), and cassoni (4). They are all slightly different and I did try a few which were first rate: a kind of pizza sandwich with nice warm bread. The great advantage is the dough is so thin in piada al crudo that the Parma ham tasted, and the unlikely stracchino e ruccola (cheese and rocket) really worked well, which I doubt it would have done between two slabs of normal bread. I had these because the enthusiastic Sergio took on the job of ordering the starters and what a feast we had!
After the very pleasant selection of panzerotti, piada, and cassoni we were treated to a plate of Sergio's favourite antipasto dishes. We had six dishes including a little nicely pink goose liver with a raspberry sauce, slices of Italian sausage, a large mussel enveloped in tomato sauce, parma ham with melon, a small edible cheese basket filled with rocket, and finally tuna tartar that had pomelo in it. They all were good and the pomelo (Thai grapefruit style fruit) in the tuna tartar was a new idea for me and worked well. Okay, Sergio was on the case and he was making certain that what we had was first class but nothing took very long which suggests the kitchen has all these dishes covered and knows what to do.
For mains we were feeling slightly bloated after Sergio's starter feast and I shied away from the more substantial offerings of steaks and chops and all kinds of grills and settled on Involtino al san Daniele (roasted chicken breast with ham). I gave the order to a waiter and seconds later Sergio was back. I was not allowed chicken because Sergio cannot find good chicken in Thailand. Plenty of chicken he said but none that was good. In other words no nice corn fed fat chicken from Bresse. So I had duck a la orange instead. On proved who the real trencherman was and demanded a tenderloin. My duck tasted good and was presented nicely on mash with sauce and a ramekin portion of spinach; the garnish was three segments of orange. On’s steak has a similarly sparse presentation and she declined a sauce. The mains were, taste wise, well up to standard even if they did not have the arty tarty bits that high end restaurants tend to spend time and effort delivering.
Sergio told me he was keen to make Bacco primarily a restaurant, unlike Basilico which is mainly a pizza parlour. He does still own a sizable chunk of Basilico and does not want to compete head on. Well, on greeting alone, he is way ahead of them, and yes Bacco's food is much better. It is first class fare without the frills: white table clothes, and fancy garnishes. I shall undoubtedly go back.

I had heard about Tapas for a long time but as I understood it was open all day I had been intending to try it out one lunch time, when I wanted to get a late lunch. However it never happened and finally I trundled in on a Sunday evening. I knew Vaughan had fled Melbas (formerly Alex's) deciding the high-so-ness was all too much for him. He had just started here with a nice normal English owner with no pretensions!
This side soi is strangely reminiscent of a London mews and many will have visited the strange bar on the corner know as Cheap Charlies. However the main sign on Soi 11 is to the Sabai Sabai massage parlour. Also in this small soi is the Pickled Liver pub, dedicated to George Best, and the doctor used by many to get a medical certificate to say they are alive! But all in all this is a good central location close to the Sukhumvit Road but away from the traffic and bustle thus a pleasant back water. There is a move afoot to pedestrianise this small street in the evening and that would improve it more, not that, I might add, there are many vehicles anyway!
I have to say I found the decor had a distinct unfinished look with concrete floors and the building skeleton very much in evidence. Then the tables and chairs are very much cafe style. However on the other hand the bar positively shone and there are some big original oil paintings that really stand out and show some real class; designer unfinished could be the style description!
I had booked, which I seldom do on a Sunday evening, and although there was space Vaughan told me that a short while earlier the place had been packed and no seats available! We were given the window seat at what can only be described as a cafe style table. Perfectly comfortable and no table clothes and napkins for hovering waiters to grab and stick on your lap for them to fall off and hit the floor minutes later. So from that point of view I was more than happy!
The wine list is very interesting because it contains entirely Spanish wines, but that should not suggest it is anything other than adequate. There were seven whites, two rose, fifteen reds and surprise surprise sherry, including Tio Pepe, an aperitif that was very popular in the fifties and sixties in England. Well so I am told! We settled for a Muscat-Chardonnay, described as gentle quaffing wine which it was, and a Tampranillo-Cab. Sauvignon-Merlot blend to follow which could have been similarly described.
Now to the food which is generally Tapas style dishes. I do like this food because it encourages picking and sampling different tastes and presentations. There were plenty of such dishes and all priced in the 100-150 Baht range, the exception being special ham from the Pata Negra, the black foot pig! Also there was a small selection of Paellas, which were the sole specific main courses and were produced for two and up. They took half an hour to cook, which is a good sign.
The two of us munched our way happily through nine tapas dishes and felt more than full at the end. Our dishes included tortilla, garlic prawns (gambas), two different croquettes, aubergine with ham, mussels, and meat balls. The dishes were ordered in two tranches; a very comfortable meal with interesting food.
Tapas Cafe is not fine dining by any means but it is good basic food served in suitable surroundings with good wine options and the staff proved to be more than up to the job. If you not trying to impress visiting firemen, or some hi-so princess, I can think of few places that are more amiable.

When I first heard about this restaurant I was a tad confused as it refers to itself as stylish Italian! Well I had heard of stylish Italian clothes, stylish Italian furniture and even stylish Italian hairdressing (although I hasten to add that did not refer to the hair slaughter house I recently ventured into in Alba), but never stylish Italian food. This description may have had something to do with the stylish German cars sold downstairs; yes, modern Minis are considered stylish although the first one I owned with a waggly long gear lever and a floor starter was considered more practical that stylish. I suppose we could blame it all on the 'Italian job, ' the first one of course with the cameo by the ever stylish Noel Coward now stylishly back in fashion thanks to one half of the Pet Shop Boys.
On a wet Monday my defiantly un-stylish Bangkok taxi weaved me through the typical Bangkok traffic to this location amid the trendy bits of Ekamai. The location is easy to find as the Mini building stands out on Ekamai and the entrance is just round the corner in soi 7 with a car parking area that can be driven into. Thus, customers are deposited directly at the stylish lift that whisks them directly to the oh so stylish bit on the 6th floor. The large restaurant is stylish in a modern minimalist sort of way with dark colours, white table cloths and bright flowers. Stylish décor, I decided, as I looked forward to the food.
As ever I wanted to start with a bottle of white wine which would be both an aperitif and the wine for the starters. The list was decent length with several more interesting wines including some good Alsatian wines from that region’s premier négociant, Hugel, as well a good selection of white Burgundies. However the prices were fashionably, or should I say stylishly, on the high side. So as I intended to drink two bottles, I opted for house wine and selected a French blend Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion. I must admit to being a little concerned when I saw the bottle and realised it was from Bordeaux and my worst suspicions were confirmed when I tasted it; it took me back to that era in the UK when everybody demanded, and got, dry white wine. I spoke to the waiter and there were no problems in changing it for the house Pinot Grigio, which I also thought was very dry for that wine varietal. Maybe somewhat un-stylishly, I like my white wines with a bit of fruit and some subtle body. The American Merlot I had after was very good for a house wine.
So onto the food and we were given two menus, the regular and a decent list of Chef's recommendations. It was the first item on this second list that caught my eye as it was Tasmanian Wagyu Lamb! Of course the reason I was confused was the lamb bit. I checked it when I got home and yes I was right: wagyu literally translated means Japanese cow (see Wikipedia and search " wagyu"). Maybe this was a cow that had stylishly turned into a sheep thus giving a new meaning to a wolf in sheep's clothing. Maybe the wolf was a Wagyu bull all along!
Between the menus there was an impressive range of options with soft shelled crab, French calamari, and even Maine lobster getting in on the act as well as various beef variations from steaks, Black Angus as well as that darned Japanese cow, plenty of lamb recipes, and an abundance of seafood. There was also an impressive menu of pastas and in particular risottos. However I rather copped out on the starter as there was an appetizer described as Antipasto Fuzio. It was for two and I rather hoped we would get a selection of those special starters as happens in many of the better Italian eateries around town when that choice is made. Somewhat disappointingly this was little more than Antipasto carne with a variety of cold meats; nothing wrong with it and it went down well
For mains On wanted duck and selected ' crispy duck breast with wild berry sauce' which she enjoyed. From the specials menu I had ' Australian Portobello mushrooms stuffed with Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese'. This I would have enjoyed more if the chef, in his infinite, or was it stylish, wisdom, had not used a spicy chilli sauce to complete the garnish. Mushroom is a subtle taste and I am surprised that an Italian chef did that! I did point out this problem to the manager when he asked about my meal; lamentably we did not finish the conversation as his mobile rang!
To finish off I had the pear poached in red wine. The pear was fine and this is a dish I enjoy. Sadly on this occasion somebody had smothered the pear in hot chocolate sauce, an addition not mentioned in the menu description.
All in all an interesting evening perched in this airy loft that looks down on Ekamai as well as across Bangkok. The manager implied that the lack of customers was due to the newness of the business as it has only been open for a few months. Maybe that was also the reason for the little glitches. It is certainly an appealing location. The decor is certainly stylish. On that basis Fuzio probably deserves to do better.

October 2007
Also published in Sukhumvit Eye

I was on a flying visit to Patong when I suddenly found myself confronting a cut out image of Keith Floyd. Floyd was one of the first British celebrity chefs, although I notice he does not like that word. He came after the Craddocks and before the current hoard of chefs who hog the TV screens in the UK. He had lots of style and always had a glass of wine to hand. Of course he is much older now but the image of him in a white jacket saluting passers by with a wine glass is the image I remember. Seeing this cut out I recalled that I had read about his new restaurant at the Burasari Resort and suddenly all my dining plans were changed; I had to try Floyds.
The restaurant is called Floyd's Brasserie, which suggests something other than a top class restaurant. Not that I am knocking brasseries, far from it. But a brasserie suggests an emphasis on speed and to an extent cramming them in. I would have thought that that was not Floyd's style, I do not think that anybody intended to make this anything other than a top restaurant, and therefore I wonder why it is called a brasserie.
The restaurant itself is divided into an aircon section, an outside, but covered, eating area as well as a large public kitchen area that is also outside. The outside is attractive enough with trees mingled into the setting. The problem with the aircon bit is that the doors are usually open and I did not find it very efficient.
When we arrived we were greeted by a pretty looking girl with a deep voice, an interesting choice of employee to meet and greet! The next problem was getting wine on the table. The wine list was very interesting as it included some genuinely different, for Thailand, wines and thus I selected an Austrian white. In the white section there were also unusually wines from Portugal and Germany, and in the red section Uruguay was an unusual call as well a single Thai wine from Chateau des Brumes. I must admit that since Floyd has put his name and image all over the restaurant, I was surprised how difficult it was to get wine. Floyd's trade mark was that he would not do anything without an open bottle nearby. He would have got very frustrated if he had been a customer here! I had a feeling that the problem was that the single wine waiter was doing all the showing and opening and quite frankly did not have a hope in hell of keeping up! However once we got into the system it all worked well and we had a Barbera d'Asti as a very drinkable red. This I thought was well priced at 1,000 Baht.
Now to the food. I must admit the menu did not immediately light my fire. Since the dishes were all numbered I can tell you there were 18 mains and starters, and one of the mains loin of pork with apple and calvados sauce was off. I find it hard to believe that Phuket island was out of pig that day! Again I get back to my brasserie comment: this was neither that kind of menu nor a top end restaurant menu. I had Poached eggs Burgundy style, which disappointed me. It was not as described liquid ham and eggs, but it was something different and I am glad I tried it. I suppose it was a brasserie dish in the end! One of my companions had prawn cocktail that looked good but tasted very ordinary and another had lobster and fish soup, which he enjoyed.
I found the main course selection uninspiring so I opted for tournedos Rossini, and both my companions had lamb. It would be hard to criticise either dishes as the standard was high as was the presentation. I suppose I was expecting something let's say more flamboyant! The one thing that really did grate was the service. Our waiter was perfectly polite but he really did not know when to shut up. We ordered the meal then he went into a great spiel about how it would be priced as there were various set options which depended upon the menu choice and having bored us with that then checked our orders again!
Finally we got to desserts and I was interested by a savoury offering; an unusual section although in effect it had two items, namely cheese and the interesting sounding glazed pear Welsh rarebit, which I opted for. Only to be told it was off! So since I had my mind set on Welsh rarebit I ordered one. Not exactly the best I have ever had and the problem finding some Worcestershire sauce was massive, mainly because the waiter did not understand what I wanted and did the usual Thai trick of guessing. His first offering was honey! Finally somebody understood and went to the bar (my suggestion) and found some L&P!
To summarise the meal is a little tricky in that I was disappointed by various aspects, mainly of the service. In addition two items out of 28 on the farang menu were off, although there was to be fair an extensive Thai menu as well. There was nothing wrong with the food and the problems with the service were almost because they were trying too hard, or else it was organisational. An example was we planned to be three and one person was late. I think every staff member in turn tried to clear the extra place off the table (that was about 5 or 6), and I got fed up with saying go away.
I was also disappointed because I was hoping for something different. There are some good restaurants in Patong already offering this standard of food, with good service and a spectacular sea view! This is a courtyard in the middle of town. I suppose I should not have believed the hype. Floyd's is after all just another hotel restaurant: difficult to fault but nothing to write home about!

Japanese cuisine is a style I have really not got into. I have the occasional sushi dish and I certainly like some fish tartares. But my experience of that gastronomy is strictly limited. So when a friend said, try Sonie's, it is a sort of farang Japanese fusion style and I am sure you will like it, I was immediately inclined to do so. I like different food and different styles and Sonie sounded a guy with an interesting attitude to it.
In fact Sonie describes his food as Italian Japanese fusion and it has proved immensely popular over the years with a highly successful restaurant in Soi 39 that has morphed into a Thonglor restaurant as well as this small place adjacent to Silom Village, Sukhumvit soi 31. The downstairs looks more like a cafe than a restaurant and even upstairs (mezzanine level) has only seven or eight tables. The downstairs clue to restaurant status is the wine fridge, more than the sushi counter, as well as a few subtle decorations; I liked the elephants!
After getting a sensibly priced bottle of wine on the table I sat down and studied the menu. At first sight I was thinking mostly Japanese but once I had studied the offering, the more diverse I realised the dishes were. I think my friend's description of farang Japanese was more accurate that Italian Japanese.
There was a wealth of appetisers augmented by a big section of Sonie's special rolls. The appetizers included tar tar tuna, yaki gaki and shrimp cocktail. But the Sonie roll section included oh my god roll (tuna, chilli, green onions and avocado), caterpillar roll (eel, avocado topped with teriyaki sauce) and Sonie sushi pizza (shrimp, tempura batter, with avocado and baked); a wealth of choice and some suitably weird names as well as ideas. In the end I had a couple of rolls, one off the special menu that included rock lobster, avocado, gobo, ebiko and green seaweed and Queen roll (fresh salmon, avocado and salmon roe). Both rolls were good and fresh in addition to being well presented, but I suppose my main impression was the size of the portions. There were two of us so I presumed two rolls would be a reasonable starter, and I nearly ordered more. In fact these two rolls would have almost passed as a main course.
We did however wait until after the arrival of the starters before we ordered mains. There was a section clearly marked mains which seemed to owe more to New Orleans influences than Italian with three Cajun styled dishes and the ubiquitous Hamburg steak with melted cheese and Japanese sauce.
However there was also a pasta section that included a wafu pasta sub section. In the main part I was interested to note an anchovy and garlic olive oil sauce among the more normal cabonaras etc.
On wanted beef so she had Argentine rib eye and I had pork fillet from the specials menu. Again good sized portions and nicely cooked and presented.
The rather sparse decor and entrance to Sonie's belittles the interesting and varied food that is served inside. The clientele seemed to be mainly Japanese, however the food range is suitable for all tastes and for the adventurous this is a positive playground.

This hidden away location is idyllic but it is a tricky place from which to trade. The last couple of years have seen various incarnations appear and then fail. The problem is that this former ambassador’s restaurant is in the little known Sala Daeng 1/1 which is a narrow soi parallel to Soi Sala Daeng 1 which runs between Rama lV and Sala Daeng Road. Most taxi drivers do not know it. It is a charming old house that is worth finding. The latest operators have spent some money putting in a horse shoe shaped bar in the main area and a large wine store in the second room. These are improvements but they have taken away a little of the comfortable colonial feel that there used to be.
The restaurant manager, Bird, is an old friend who was formally at Pomodora (Sukhumvit Road between Sois 3/1 & 5). He speaks excellent English and is a very good manager. It is interesting to note that Pomodora seems to turn out good managers since I keep meeting their ex-staff around town, mainly in senior positions.
I was here a few months ago when it first re-opened as Aubergine. I must admit I was not that impressed. I got the feeling there was no real direction but now, as soon as we walked, in I felt that despite the restaurant being largely empty there was some energy.
We were seated in the back room at a decent table and I studied the wine list. Not a bad list but the prices are all on the high side with no white under about 1,500 Baht although the Merlot was 1,000 Baht.
I must admit the menu did not immediately light my fire; it was kind of alright but there was nothing that stood out. However I spoke to the new chef Jeremy from Cannes and he tells me the menu is due for a total revamp. He pointed to the Degustation menu as an example. I did glance at that menu but it was really too much for a latish evening meal – it was a start at seven and finish after ten type menu!
In the end the food we did have was well prepared and presented as one would expect in a good French restaurant. I had Cheese Croquettes with Parmesan as a starter. This was not haute cuisine but it was an unusual dish and was done well with what I thought was basically deep fried Mozzarella, nice and gooey in the middle with a clean look with no nasty fat smells. For the main I threw out a challenge by saying I had had just about the best duck confit I had ever had in that very restaurant, then called Villa Bangkok, a year or so before. In fact this was a very good confit, although I am not sure it quite scaled the heights of that superb dish I had drooled over. Having said that the offering was well above the standard confit on offer in Bangkok and as such I would recommend it. My other comment concerned the menu description which was 'Pan fried duck confit'. Thank god it was not! On had frogs legs and a steak; no complaints there!
The food was good, the service was good and the atmosphere was not bad considering it was a wet Monday night. I would love to see somebody really make this site work because it is such a great location. I am told the new owners have restaurant interests elsewhere; I hope they do have as well including lots of customers they can direct here otherwise I fear another denouement. Because, sadly, whilst Bird and Jeremy are good guys I doubt they have the Bangkok following to fill this place up. But whilst Aubergine is there, and running with this team, it is certainly worth a visit. I just hope enough visit and make it the success it deserves to be!

September 2007

I had been told that the Rang Mahal was the best Indian restaurant in Bangkok, a claim I was somewhat doubtful about because there are a lot of Indians in Bangkok and more than a few own restaurants! However this tucked away four star hotel most certainly has many Indian clients so a good restaurant, of that ilk, seemed probable.
This is from the restaurant website: In ancient times, rang mahal was the name given to the pleasure house and banqueting room of the maharajahs of India. The maharajahs frequented these pleasure houses to get away from the hassles of ruling the kingdom. Once there, they were treated to the best food, drinks and music.
Bangkok is well known for its pleasure houses which I fear do not always feature such exalted ideals as the maharajahs did! But I was here for the food and drink and there was indeed music. The live music of the wailing nature that I must admit reminded of some pleasure houses I had encountered in Turkey. Pleasure houses I might add that were certainly not for the faint hearted! I digress although I am not sure mentioning pleasure houses when talking about a restaurant in Bangkok is all together wise!
The lift wafted me straight into the restaurant. The aroma instantly indentified the cuisine. Far more than the elegant but low key décor that positioned it as upmarket. Sadly for us Brits Indian food is seldom thought of as haute cuisine: a fact that upsets many Indian eateries who consider themselves vastly better than a curry house. But here was civility, space and great views all promising much more than just curry and popadums.
I was greeted and seated with great reverence with lots of scurrying and helpful noises. Mind you it still took me an age to get a bottle of wine opened and on the table. It was not till I started snapping that the wine was finally opened and I was allowed to actually drink the stuff. I have been absent from Bangkok for a few months and had almost forgotten how difficult it is to get a bottle opened in a so called top Bangkok restaurant. I sometimes think that the staff seriously believe all you want to do is look at the bottle, probably because the price of said bottle is outrageous, especially so if you earn a waiter's salary here! I found the Rang Mahal wine list priced to encourage that view!
The menu is impressive in appearance backed onto a wooden platter and then designed so that different leaves led you to different sections. A little confusing at first as I thought it was a thick covered menu rather than a slab of wood. The next problem was that the highly ornate writing and background merged in such a way that in the available light it was very hard to read. Then there were some special menus on a transparent middle page. I can read them now because I took a picture of them. I had already worked out that my pictures were likely to be more readable than the actual menu and that proved to be so. In any event I decided the menu was too difficult but there were the set menus and it was simpler to go in that direction. We had the Rang Mahal special menu at 1,080 Baht (++) which included Tandoori prawns in the starters and Murgh khada masala (chicken) and Elaichi gosht (mutton) as main courses among other delicacies. The first thing to arrive was a decent pile of popadums with chutney etc. These were actually the best popadums I have had in Bangkok. They were a bit dry, not the fried variety I am used to back home, but at least they were not spicy which seems to be the Bangkok norm.
The food arriving as the first course featured a very large tandoori prawn for each of us. The staff served each dish, quietly arranging the selection on our plates. With the mains, as there was still much food left over, the main dishes were placed on warmers. The mains also included both nan bread and rice with two types of nan offered. The one described as wholemeal was particularly good as it was quite oily and had a real yeasty taste to it. I am afraid I could not get over excited about the food. I cannot deny that it was a veritable feast but I think I would have preferred my usual Indian meal of fresh tandoori chicken and a curry. Here there were conflicting tastes and textures but nothing really sat up and said 'eat me.' On the other hand my dining companion was very happy and enjoyed her meal enormously so maybe it was just me!
The final piece de resistance was worth commenting on as it was a smoking bowl with little ice cream lollipops coated in chocolate. Looked impressive and tasted wonderful!
The Rang Mahal is a very serious restaurant and has a great deal going for it. Maybe I am just so used to thinking of an Indian meal as the dyno rod so that when I get elegance, service and civility I am too surprised to enjoy it!

It is to my shame that I have not been to La Piola before. I had heard about Mama's cooking but somehow never quite got there.
La Piola is called a family restaurant but I am not certain that that is what it is. It is a really rare restaurant type for Bangkok, but not so rare in Italy. Here Mama does the cooking and there is no real menu. You get what Mama cooks. You can either choose from a limited list of à la carte items or you can have Mama’s menu. The latter has everything one may require, thankfully in taster-size portions. The à la carte menu is entitled “slow food”! In addition there is an excellent and sensibly priced wine list; needless to say it is Italian wines only.
The day we visited the full menu that was on offer was as follows.
With virtually no delay we were given a plate of crudités with a hot anchovy dipping sauce. The hot sauce surprised me, I was trying to guess the ingredients and concluded it was béchamel with chopped anchovies and extra olive oil. I have probably already libelled Mama but in any case it was good and the anchovy taste was not too overpowering. As we nibbled at our raw veggies there arrived a plate of grilled vegetables and a basket of good looking bread and, if that was not enough, a large plate of Parma ham followed supported by half a melon. That was the starter.
Now for the pasta course. This started with a good thick vegetable soup followed by penne pasta with a light tomato sauce and then a fish ravioli with good strong fish taste. On gave me an old fashioned look when I suggested that these were the first two courses and there were only three to go!
The mains consisted of fish kebabs, courgettes (zucchini) grilled with mozzarella cheese on top, and then, just to make certain we did not starve, a chicken leg and thigh, each cooked to perfection and served in the casserole juices with accompanying mushrooms. The chicken fell off the bone but was not dry as it had stayed in the hot stock it was cooked in. It almost had a confit flavour to it.
A short break was permitted until the arrival of tiramisu heralded the dessert course and, with it, the liqueur course comprising a small jug each of lemoncello and coffeecello. And that was it except for the final espresso.
The concept is to offer a meal as it would be served in the home in Italy. If all Italians ate that much every day, Fiat would not be making small cars, so presumably this was a feast day lunch. In fact we had this meal for dinner but it would be a perfect afternoon meal and I am told some take that route.
Nothing flash, nothing too special, and I am sure Mama has no idea what fusion means; just good plain Italian cooking at its best!

I have not been to Le Banyan for a few years, but it used to be a favourite. Things seemed to go awry for a while and then last year I thought it had closed. But I think the reality was that Bangkok's oldest independent French restaurant suffered badly during the raising and resurfacing of Soi 8. There was a while when Soi 8 was more like an off road driving test than an accessible road! However I trundled round the other night and can say whatever was wrong is no longer an issue. Le Banyan is back at its best!
One of the best aspects of Le Banyan is its home in a pleasant old house with a delightful mature garden half way down Soi 8. This gives the whole operation a touch of class before one enters the door of the elegant dining room. I will go back to my first impression all those years ago when I said Le Banyan reminds me of the typical stylish country restaurant that I often stumble upon when in France. It definitely has that je ne sais quoi!
Michel Binaux and Bruno Bischoff are the hosts here with Michel in charge of the stoves and Bruno managing front of house and, after eighteen years, they still seem to have the enthusiasm that eludes many who try such a long stint in one place.
There is a good wine list with plenty of French wine as well as a few items from Australia, USA and Chile. I had a good well priced Chardonnay from Burgundy which had me once again commenting on how different French Chardonnays are from the so called New World Chardonnays and, at the risk of upsetting the ladies what lunch, I prefer the ones from Burgundy! For my red, Bruno put me onto a Californian cabernet sauvignon by Wente which he had decanted and was very good indeed. And yes, Bruno did give a wry smile when he made the suggestion and I queried a Frenchman recommending an American wine!

The menu may appear somewhat limited especially when the specialties are French duck foie gras and duck in general, with pressed duck being their forte; indeed a duck press is the symbol used as the restaurant logo. In my opinion there are more than enough options for most, however discerning, especially when you add the range of sauces available with the grills. As starters On had 'Seafood salad with sea scallops, salmon, roasted prawns, with a honey dressing' and I had 'French Riviera fish soup with garlic croutons and rouille'. My soup came with a scallop and a large prawn as garnish which, of course, made it look very good and the taste was spot on, with lots of garlic but none of the muddy taste that so often goes with fish soup. The seafood salad was also well praised.
For mains I had 'Roasted rack of lamb on a herbs crust and walnut'. Unusually this came with roast fennel as well as a herb crust that actually had a little bite to it. The meat was nice and pink and I was more than happy. On had a steak with the hot and spicy sauce, which I noticed she used sparingly, a fact not missed by Michel as he caterpillared past.
They did not have cheese, or as Bruno honestly put it, I would have had to wait ten minutes whilst the cheese warmed up, but he suggested the 'cheese in puff pastry' which had a good strong blue cheese flavour. All it needed after that was calvados and a taxi to waft me happily home well contented. And as I said after my first visit I could almost dream of catching a glimpse of the Loire on the way!

I had always thought that La Boulange was simply a snack bar and bakery. However, the other Sunday, frustrated at finding my first choice of eatery closed, I decided to take a look at its menu.
And what a pleasant surprise I got. It was clear that this was a full-blown restaurant, so I trundled in to sample the serendipitous selection.
The principal dining room is only small, but there is a second, much larger area on the mezzanine floor. Thankfully for me there was room downstairs and I was promptly seated by an attentive member of staff.
As always my first task was to order some wine, which I did from a list of decent French options. While the selection was not the most extensive, I was extremely impressed at the prices, especially my choice: a bottle of Gewurztraminer for just Bt1,000.
The house wine was on offer at Bt380 for half a litre, while there were several other very drinkable wines at less than Bt1,000 a bottle.
On the food front, La Boulange has a pleasant menu that contains a plethora of items, from fruit juices and breakfasts to a fair selection of classic French brasserie dishes. There’s also a blackboard promoting the daily specials.
Unintentionally, I managed to make a pig of myself. In the charcuterie section there were rillettes and a terrine, both of which are favourites of mine, and something of a treat in Bangkok. Dithering over which to choose, I decided on the charcuterie plate, which had them both.
Of course, I should have realised what was going to happen from the pricing: the rillettes were Bt115, the terrine Bt120, and the mixed plate Bt220. That said, few Bangkok restaurants offer any substantial starters for less than Bt200.
I was about to discover that La Boulange is priced to attract!
My charcuterie plate contained full portions of both the rillettes and the terrine, not to mention salami and two types of ham. It was more than enough for two and could easily have served as a sensible starter for four.
The staff noticed the error of my judgment and decided not to bring the dish I'd ordered for On, assuming, quite reasonably, that she would share my mammoth platter.
Eventually, we managed to get On the fish she wanted, and it seemed the staff had simply assumed she meant this to be her main course. They were nothing if not helpful, and it was obvious that La Boulange is far from being a formal-style restaurant.
Regardless of my over-ordering, the charcuterie was totally up to standard and I could have quite easily been sitting in a decent brasserie in France.
As the starter was so good, I decided to indulge myself further. Okay, I was also tempted by the andouillette. It wasn’t bad, made locally, and somehow I could tell! It came agreeably presented with mashed potato and mustard sauce, although I think I would have preferred just a good pot of moutard forte.
All in all it was a very enjoyable meal, with the prices almost too low to be believable. It's just a pity the place is not a little closer to where I live.
On the other hand, that is probably a good thing. All that lovely pork fat would do the diet no good whatsoever!

Sometimes a place that I know nothing about will catch my eye.
Such was the case with Curries and More, which I'd seen several times as I'd taxied down Soi Rumrudee, but didn't know what sort of place it was. Then I saw a brief write-up that suggested I might just like it. However, the article left me with a nagging concern, as it didn't say if the restaurant sold wine or not. After all, a meal without wine is eating; a meal with wine is dining. I eat breakfast and after that I either lunch or dine, or sometimes both!
Thankfully, it turned out the place did offer wine, so off we went.
Curries and More is an attractive restaurant in a stand alone building with a big forecourt and both inside and outside dining areas. The outside area has a glass roof that has water flowing over it, which helps reduce the temperature. Inside is Spartan, but with some eclectic modern art.
We were greeted and seated quickly enough and a wine menu was produced. I was also encouraged to see a nice full wine rack near to where I was sitting.
Unfortunately, I quickly realised why it was full – the prices! Not many people are prepared to drink wine in a curry house when it costs more than it would at the Conrad just up the road.
I don't often bang on about wine prices, but some restaurants are just plain stupid with their pricing policies. At Curries and More, most bottles were at least Bt2,000 (before the plus plus).
Knowing my way round a few wine merchants' lists, it was clear to me that the prices being charged in the restaurant were about four times the wholesale price. Bearing in mind that the food is competitively priced, I couldn't understand why they were so keen to upset the wine drinkers. Maybe when I had earlier called to ask if they sold wine, they should have replied, 'Sure, if you can afford it.'
The food menu is long with a multiplicity of sections, from starters, soups salads and crepes, to a whole page of pastas, noodles and fried rice. Ironically, the list of curries was quite disappointing in that essentially they were all Thai blends. Thankfully, the menu also boasts a steaks page, a list of mains (mostly Thai) and a vegetarian page. You're not, as they say, strapped for choice. The only snag is that the dish descriptions are printed in a very thin script, which means reading glasses are needed even by those who normally have 20-20 vision.
I selected four starters for the three of us to share and they turned out pretty well. The avocado dip with crudites arrived as a sort of pre-starter, and that worked well, though more by accident than design. The dip was a little under-seasoned for my palate, but otherwise good. Of the other three dishes, the fish cakes were good, the baked mussels were over baked, but there was lots of decent cheese making it more like a well done croquet monsieur than mussels baked with cheese. The chicken steamed in a banana leaf was really moist and there was a good sauce of soy and other ingredients with sesame seeds. All in all a pleasant set of starters and we all enjoyed them.
We had delayed ordering our mains so we could get through the starters and have a small break between courses. Once rested, we ordered two curries and a sweet-and-sour duck for me. With the main dishes we were offered a choice of white or brown rice.
This was the first time I had seen brown rice in Thailand and I was amused to find that while it is considered a healthy option in the West, it is looked down on here as poor man's food because it is unprocessed (unpolished), with the inner husk still on it.
Rice stories aside, we all appreciated our main courses and rounded off the meal with some suitable puds.
We all enjoyed Curries and More because the food was good and the service was spot on. However, I won't be going back because, as I said, I like to dine, not eat, and dining there is simply too expensive. If you're happy just to eat, then check it out – the water is very competitively priced!

Anybody who has been down Sukhumvit Soi 11 has seen it. Seen the vast oval capsule that some think looks like an extraterrestrial visitation, others are just confused. To me it's a modern day ark, complete with a walkway up the side for the animals to enter two by two. Easy enough for said animals, too, as there are more than a dozen car jocks to park their wheels, plenty of doormen to direct them and a few bouncers to make certain they stay peaceful. And if further evidence were required that they are indeed going on a journey, their passport will be demanded before they can get on board. Of course I had forgotten mine but embarrassment was avoided. I just said the magic words: "Noah is expecting me!" And with that I was whisked into the heart of the beast.
The name of this visionary business is the Bed Supperclub; not exactly words I would expect to find grouped! Strange images are created — I can't say the idea of eating on a bed enthrals me either.
It was only after meeting Noah, who assured me they actually had places for grown-up humans, as well as animals, that I took the plunge and went in to the ark.
Inside is very white, and on either side of the dining room, at two levels, are vast beds. On the beds are small, low Perspex tables and those eating are invited to remove their shoes and climb on to a bed. Most people seemed to sit with their backs to the wall with their feet outstretched. Eating is a bit like being in an airline with the same open invitation for food to drop on the only clean shirt you have!
All I can say is everybody looked very happy. Hey, it's different!
In any event I was content to be on one of the few proper tables. If they had got me on one of the beds I'm not sure they would have ever got me off again. Unlike saving a beached whale they could hardly wait for the tide to come in.
Bed has a new centrepiece, called "The Fossil", an ageing petrol shack from near Hua Hin, which represents art in this ultra-modern setting. A video is screened on one wall, which the artist says helps viewers recall the importance of such places as communal centres, selling essentials and fuel. They are disappearing as Thailand modernises, he says — more Tesco bashing.
The menu I was given was the daily one, which is in fact a weekly menu, with a fixed priced three-course dinner for Bt1,250. I was told that at weekends it goes to four courses and Bt1,650.
There were three starter options, five mains and three puds. Needless to say in such a trendy spot veggies took up one of the options in both the early courses. Then for mains there were two fish, one beef and one chicken dish.
For starters I opted, at Noah's suggestion, for the wok-seared tuna sashimi on avocado with yellow tomato-mango vinaigrette. For the main I ordered the Australian beef sirloin with tomato, olive and caper sauce on soft polenta. As those descriptions suggest this is modern fusion-esque cuisine. Obviously each new menu is carefully thought through and dishes experimented with until they work. It is certainly not heavy fusion, it is sensible fusion in that they use what is good, available and fresh.
The food was first class: the combinations worked, the tastes were different and interesting, and the presentation right. Bear in mind, most people are lying on beds, so food that rolls or falls off your plate is not recommended.
I had two niggles, which I pointed out to Noah. The tuna may have been wok seared but that was done at the prep stage and thus the fish was cold from the fridge. This is a busy restaurant — it was full the night I was there " but there is still no real excuse for serving food at fridge temperature. The second niggle was minor, in that I discovered that there was also an a la carte menu. It is clearly hidden away and only those who know, and ask, get to see it. I would almost certainly have stayed with the set menu but I see no point in having another menu if it is hidden under Noah's bushel.
During dinner there was a strange performance involving torn up newspaper and a living statue. Something happens every night to amaze, amuse or just confuse. It is all part of being different, original and trendy, I assume.
Many think of Bed as a dance club and it does have some very serious DJs. Jointly with Q Bar, just around the corner, its is running the Bangkok DJ Festival from November 26 to December 4 2006. (For full details see the Clubbing section of the Bangkokgigguide.com.)
The largest area is the restaurant but the other end is very much a club and after 11pm when star DJs are on the whole area is treated as one musically. Otherwise there are two different musical offerings.
I had a drink with Noah in the club end where there are two bars, with the one upstairs offering a slight refuge from the main bar and dance floor. Entrance to the club is Bt600, which includes two drinks. But go early as queues are not unknown, and take your passport as it will be required, however old an animal you are.
Noah also assured me this is not a place that la belle de la nuit are welcome. So as they say BYO.
Make no mistakes, this is a slick operation where the staff are well trained and fairly fizz about. There is also a restaurant and bar manager who is on the case, and rather than simply chatting with or ignoring customers is constantly checking all is well. On a busy night this place has 800 people through the doors and I can imagine they would all get served and looked after properly.
Quite simply, I was impressed, as was On, who watched the whole spectacle fascinated. With the exception of the fossil it ain't like that in Nakon Nowhere! The food was interesting and good, and because the place was full the ambience was great. And, of course, this is a not bad place to be seen. So next time somebody slinks of and says conspiratorially "I am off to Bed", they probably are!