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Long has Bangkok been hailed the land of the mouthwatering street foods. Backpackers and foodies alike wander the city’s labyrinth in search of the best cheap eats that the many street stalls have to offer. Bloggers and travel writers have made entire careers out of documenting the ever-changing street-food landscape.
But what about those who prefer eating sitting down? That prefer their red wine slightly below room temperature and their cocktails served in the appropriate glass?
For those looking for an indoor dining experience it should be noted that three of Bangkok’s restaurants have broken the top 20 on this year’s prestigious The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Asia list, as voted by industry professionals.
While there may be debate about who voted, which restaurants were left out and which were included, nobody is denying that the lucky few who were chosen serve up some of the world’s best food.
With a total of five of the city’s restaurants making the list, there is little doubt that Bangkok has whatever your palate is looking for.
Here is a breakdown of those Bangkok restaurants that made this year’s top 50 Restaurants in Asia.
#3 Nahm – Thai food done with a high-end twist. Chef David Thompson’s London Nahm was the first ever Thai restaurant to earn a Micheline star. Must try: Bite-sized portions of smoky Chiang Mai-style chilli relish with quail eggs and pork crackling. Cost: Individual dishes 300 – 700 BHT range, or indulge in the 1,700 fixed menu gets you apps, main and dessert.
#10 Gaggan – A modern take on Indian classics. Must try: Slow-cooked Iberian pork neck topped with a vindaloo curry reduction. Cost: 300 – 700 BHT a dish.
#19 Eat Me -Hip and laid back, this art gallery-cum-cafe is perfect for a late meal. The food is described as “Pacific Rim with South-East Asian and Middle Eastern twists.” Must try: Grilled kurobuta pork loin with cumin, garlic and spiced apple compôte. Cost: 300 – 1,200 BHT range.
#29 Sra Bua By Kiin Kiin – Molecular Thai cuisine with a theatrical twist (read: liquid nitrogen serving trays and do-it-yourself syringed noodles.) Must try: Grilled shrimp with frozen satay ice cream sauce and coconut pearl. Cost: Dinner for two 5,000 – 10,000 BHT.
#36 Bo.lan – Authentic Thai. The chefs Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava and Dylan ‘Lan’ Jones are alumni of David Thompson’s London Nahm restaurant. Must try: The Bo.lan Balance allows guests to try a little bit of all things Thai, from traditional dishes to more interpretive meals. Cost: 300-800 BHT for the a-la-cart menu, or go for the Bo.lan Balance, a multi (8+) course meal with a little taste of everything at 1,880 BHT.
And if, by some chance, you find none of the above restaurants tickle your fancy, you can always call on the Journeys Within team to whip something up. Or even better, include your own cooking class in your next tour of Bangkok.
No matter where you go in the world, you can always find an expensive meal – but I guess expense is in the eyes of the eater. It seems to me a global fact is that the fancier the setting, the smaller the portions, and the greater the cost.
I guess I am an “Asian old fashioned” guy. Give me a small, local place that is popular with the ordinary people where you get better food, more like “mama used to cook”, more of it at a cheaper price. The added benefit is getting into the foreign culture and learning more of their lives and what better way, than through sharing food.
Yes, you miss the “fine wine”, the background classical music playing, linens, and eating with the other tourists, but ask yourself: Why are you visiting that foreign country? Is it to experience their culture or to find your own in a foreign country?
Hey Jerry,
I totally agree with your sentiment that pricey doesn’t mean better and that some of the best meals are ones where everyone stands around the kitchen watching the magic happen. Can’t beat a home-cooked meal and simple is often better.
I also think it is completely valid, for those who can afford it, to indulge. The definition of culture is wide and it is up to everyone to find what they enjoy.
In short, to each their own.
Got any hot tips on hole-in-the-walls you found while in Asia?
I agree with that. I guess I fall into that “cheap, bulk eating” category. :-)) Besides, fancy places and dishes to me means cooking for foreigners and/or new, modern dishes for richer locals. We like old fashioned, local home cooking which blends good food with culture.
Also a great place to talk to locals about life in their country. Many know some English and like to practice speaking English, especially the younger people.
In some fancy places, one can find some where the chefs are foreigners or foreign trained; often Western-oriented dishes with a touch of Asia.
Hot tips as to where to eat? WOW! Difficult to say as most didn’t have English names on the signs, if a restaurant. In fact, most don’t have signs on their carts either – which of course often move around from place to place. While we stroll around a place, we look for a bunch of locals eating, then we try it out. Sometimes not easy though for us vegetarians – with an occasional fish on the side as most have really great meat dishes and meat broths.
Also, whether it is luck or a strong stomach, I’m not sure; however, one must always watch out for that “bug”. Eating at such places once does not guarantee it will be “bug-free” the next time. Eating in SEA where the weather is almost always hot and humid means a great place for bacteria to thrive. Maybe why so many cultures there have hot peppers in their foods as it kills off the bacteria?
Traveling in SEA and Asia in general since 1968, means that some great places we’ve eaten at have been replaced by high rises since Asia is changing almost monthly.
If eating time and a bunch of locals around a certain place while other places have few people, that will tell you where to go and where not to go. If it is not popular with locals, I’d stay away from there.
The more one eats in Asia, the more one builds up some immunity but still…. We’ve eaten off many a propane gas carts with no effects but got a one-day-stayed-in-the- room case of food poisoning by eating a salad in a five-star hotel buffet in Beijing, but didn’t sick when eating in a small, family-run place two blocks away. A friend in Bangkok ate off a propane cart outside the Sheraton Hotel and was in bed under doctor’s care for two days. So, who knows? The thing is to just be careful, take precautions, bring the Pepto, Tums, et al just in case.
Only going to Asia once a year or two now, my immunity system may not be as good as it once was, so I get a doctor’s prescription for an anti-biotic before I go and take one pill a day. So, far, I have not had any problems. Coincidence? Luck? Pill works? I don’t know but better safe than sorry as they say. No one wants to spend their vacation in their hotel room.
Ok, much more ramblings than you had asked for. 🙂
I think your blog is amazing. You write about very interesting things. Thanks for all the tips and information.