by joanna on June 22, 2010
My favourite thin-crust pizza in Bangkok
The first week I was in Bangkok a friend took me to Limoncello. Having just moved from New York, I was impressed by the authenticity of the thin crust pizza being served. I hadn’t expected to find this in Bangkok and frankly at the time, I thought, well I guess they must know how to do good Italian in this city. Well….yes and no. Not everything is good, but there is lots of high caliber Italian in Bangkok (Zanotti, Vino, Guisto, Vicolo 4, etc) – and it turns out Limoncello really is special. After several years in Bangkok, it remained among our top Italian food destinations. [keep reading…]
by joanna on June 6, 2010
A wonderful little cooking course in a Thai-style outdoor kitchen
Thai food has become one of my favourite international cuisines. And unlike French or Italian where there are many competent executions in various cities around the world, I find Thai food a bit lackluster when not in Thailand. Don’t get me wrong, some places outside of Thailand do get it right, but they are few and far between. So we’ve decided to take matters into our own hands and make Thai food at home. I myself am a very comfortable and accomplished Western cook but I am unaccustomed to how to build the Thai flavour profiles. This is why whenever we go back to Thailand, I try to take a Thai cooking course to supplement my knowledge of Thai cooking. On our most recent trip, this was Baipai Cooking School in the Chongnonsee area of Bangkok. [keep reading…]
by Paul on February 25, 2010
If you ever find yourself shopping for bootlegs computer accessories at Pantip Plaza in Bangkok, do yourself a favor and skip out on the foreigner friendly fast food chains and S&P (I’m not knocking S&P) found on the ground level. Instead walk across the street to Soi Som Prason 4. A short walk up the street is Mama’s. Mama’s is cheap, lacking any kind of ambiance (save for the orange chairs) but has surprisingly good food at an ever better value. [keep reading…]
by joanna on January 25, 2010
A very special New Year’s Eve at Amantee
We decided to spend Christmas and New Year’s in Thailand this year. It was time to totally chill out and honestly I have yet to find a better place than Thailand for complete relaxation. But we still wanted to do something special for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok and when we heard Amantee was having one of their seasonal celebratory event dinners, ourselves and some friends immediately booked a table. [keep reading…]
by joanna on January 12, 2010
A modern oasis of calm on bustling Petchaburi Road
I have said it before, but will say it again….I believe spa treatments are not a luxury, but rather an integral part of taking care of oneself. Not only do they promote relaxation, but depending on the treatment one has it can stimulate circulation, release knotted muscles, condition and rejuvenate the skin, reduce local muscle and joint inflammation and more… To that end, there is no shortage of spas in Bangkok, but my experience is there are a lot of places in Bangkok where massage are spa treatments are offered where the aestheticians are not so skilled and perhaps not appropriately trained. This is why word of mouth counts for everything in Bangkok and why we would like to tell you about the Sivara Spa. [keep reading…]
by Paul on January 8, 2010
Signature dish “Surf & Turf Indiana” recipe after the jump.
When working for Lookeast Magazine I had the chance to sit and talk with many Bangkok chefs. One of these was Arijit Ghosh, then new Executive Chef at Café 11. He’s a soft-spoken, gentle chef in an age of increasingly more exaggerated “personality chefs”. [keep reading…]
by Paul on January 5, 2010
Like HCMC today, the Bangkok foreigner scene of old thrived close to the river. These days, however, I never really think to set foot down there. It’s the kind of place you visit once, the first time you come to the city… King’s Palace, check. Emerald & Reclining Buddha, check. Either the Oriental or Shangrila for tea or brunch, check. Then for most who live in the city (unless they work nearby) the river is a distant memory. This has more to do with the difficulty and time it takes to get down to the river than what’s on offer. But, if you wait till Sunday brunch time, with no traffic… the other side of the river is accessible in about 20 minutes tops and you don’t even have to wait for a ferry. This is the perfect time to venture out to Trader Vic’s massive brunch/lunch buffet spread. [keep reading…]
by Paul on December 28, 2009
Anyone who’s ever talked to me about dining in Bangkok knows my passion for spreading the word of Soi Polo Chicken. You’d think that’s the only chicken I ever eat in Bangkok. As much as I’d love their beautiful fried garlic encrusted chicken every day of the week… well, that’s not incredibly healthy. Thai’s do a mean grilled chicken as well. That and some Som Tam is a tasty meal that’s not too bad for you. My favorite for grilled chicken currently is “Hai”. [keep reading…]
by joanna on December 25, 2009
An unlikely place for breakfast on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road
I first discovered The Robinhood Pub when I lived across the street at Emporium Suites. For me it was a go to place for a beer with friends or to watch a game. It’s just your typical unpretentious, down-to-earth English pub. The crowd is varied….expats and Thais of all ages…the burger is good…and the beer is reasonably priced. So when Paul told me they also served breakfast, I had to check it out. We love the Dubliner breakfast, so I wondered how The Robinhood would stack up. [keep reading…]
by joanna on December 7, 2009
Homestyle, satisfying Italian served alfresco on a cozy Silom rooftop terrace
Vicolo 4 opened in 2008…however, unless you know Silom Soi 4 well, it’s not really the kind of place one stumbles upon. It’s tucked away on the second floor over top of a bar with very little signage. But it is so consistent in its presentation of homestyle Italian that Bangkok insiders often hear about it by word of mouth. When I was growing up in the southern part of the US…this was most often a formula for success. A hole in the wall tiny place, that regulars love. Nothing pretentious or flashy…but just delicious homemade dishes and friendly service that keep people coming back again and again. In fact when we are in Bangkok, we always make a point to stop by and here’s why you should too. [keep reading…]
