A total of 56 restaurants and 20 street food joints have been reviewed by Life over the past 12 months. Eleven of them have made it to our list of 2018's most impressive dining experiences
Khua Kling Pak Sod
19 Soonvijai, off New Petchaburi Road Call 02-020-4542 and 06-1419-1419 Open daily, 9am-9pm Park at Holiday Inn Express' car park Most credit cards accepted
The family-run eatery humbly opened in 2007 to showcase homestyle southern Thai cuisine that's been passed down and long enjoyed in the household.
Thanks to the full-flavour fare it offers, the small establishment quickly became a citywide favourite, much-treasured especially by chilli-loving Thai food connoisseurs. So much so that the brand has expanded to four outlets throughout Bangkok.
The brand's newest, Soonvijai branch occupies a large front space of the Holiday Inn Express. The 55-seater with cheery contemporary Thai decor is flocked to mainly by families and medical professionals in the old residential neighbourhood lately known as the location of the Bangkok Hospital empire.
The menu is the same here as what you'd find at the three other outlets, listing more than 80 home-cooked delicacies from the South and Central Region. Recipes are attentively controlled by Auntie Nuch, the family cook whose culinary dexterity is said to be second to none. Produce is manually sourced on a daily basis to ensure it meets the family's high standards. Sometimes it means paying exorbitant prices to nail the best in the market.
The restaurant uses, for example, only hefty crabmeat pieces from exclusive sources, fish from artisan fishing boats and not large-scale commercial ships, shrimp paste from a producer who's also the family's close friend, and vegetables from trusted growers, some from the family's own garden.
Among the choices are khua kling goong, or stir-fried chopped prawn with southern spices (380 baht); phad cha-style stir-fried crabmeat with fingerroot, basil, kaffir lime leaves, lesser eggplant, garlic and red chillies (580 baht); stir-fried pork with southern-style green curry (180 baht); sour and spicy soup with short mackerel (180 baht); deep-fried giant silver pomfret with fresh bird's eye chillies (190 baht per 100g); bai liang phad khai, or stir-fried paddy oat leaves with egg (180 baht); and the restaurant's best-selling khai phalo, or braised pork leg and eggs in sweet brown sauce (280 baht).
The restaurant has eight options of dessert to give its clients a luscious end to the meal. All sounds decent. But should you have to pick just one or two, go for the candied mini mango in chilled syrup (80 baht) and young coconut pudding (80 baht).
Mihara Tofuten
Narathiwas Ratchanakharin 5 Call 083-655-4245 Open Monday to Saturday, 6-11pm Park at Asia Center building's car park Most credit cards accepted
This new breed of establishment, a tofu omakase restaurant, proves that soybean curd isn't necessarily bland and boring, but a fluffy and flirtatious foundation of dishes that can go beyond imagination.
The story of Miraha Tofuten started almost six decades ago, as a tofu manufacturer in Saga, Japan. And thanks to Thailand's superstar chef Gaggan Anand, Mihara in March this year began to call Bangkok its second home.
The new branch, of which Anand helped craft the concept, features a 15-seat dining counter encircling a small dynamic kitchen led by a Japanese head chef. Regular tables were set on the upper floor, which seats up to 30 guests.
As an omakase (Japanese word for "up to the chef") fine-dining restaurant, it serves the chef's selection of the day, as opposed to allowing guests to order from the menu.
Dishes basically centre on variations of soybean curd as well as seasonal selections of Japan's prime culinary produce -- from champion-grade wagyu beef and top-of-the-line oceanic harvest to exquisite artisan condiments.
On offer now is a 16-course dinner, which costs 4,900 baht per person. Through a precise line-up of dishes that have been cleverly concocted, it reveals a multi-fold elegance of the underrated ingredient.
You may expect to find the likes of Mihara's secret recipe, burrata-like yuki tofu; wobbly glutenous sesame-based goma tofu; cottony momen tofu; bamboo-basket-aged zaru tofu; tofu milk dashi (fish-stock-infused soy milk); superfine and silky sheet of yuba (tofu skin); and a selection of tofu chocolate made with 50% tofu cream. The dinner is sophisticated and meticulous yet very quick and fun.
Seating times are 6pm and 9pm. Reservations are a must.
Le Normandie
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok Oriental Avenue, off Charoen Krung Road Call 02-659-9000 Open daily for lunch and dinner Park at the hotel's car park Most credit cards accepted
With a high-profile career background and dexterity in contemporary French cuisine, the Savoy-born chef de cuisine Arnaud Dunand Sauthier has humbly led Le Normandie's all-Thai crew to stellar glory. The restaurant has been awarded two Michelin stars for the second year in a row.
Sauthier's cuisine is inspired by the natural abundance of his home region in the French Alps.
Among all-time celebrated dishes that bear the imprint of his culinary identity are French caviar with sea urchin roe, potato and Champagne sauce (2,300 baht) and roasted pigeon with endive, pear and cocoa (2,700 baht).
Of the current menu, featured dishes include braised organic fennel with marinated Brittany mackerel and liquorice sabayon (1,650 baht); oven-roasted cured milk-fed lamb leg with zucchini, goat cheese, basil and cardamom (2,650 baht); Brittany wild-caught turbot fillet with potato, Paris mushroom and bottarga (3,300 baht); southern French organic tomato soup with wild thyme and French whey cheese; and forever-puffy praline souffle with lime sorbet (650 baht).
A degustation menu is also available, with options ranging from three-course lunch (1,800 baht) to four-course lunch (2,250 baht); and six-course dinner (5,200 baht) to eight-course dinner (6,200 baht).
Matching the superlative cuisine, the service is uniquely Mandarin Oriental: a harmony of 5-star efficiency, heartfelt cordiality and genuine refinement.
Restaurant Gaa
68/4 Soi Lang Suan, off Phloen Chit Road Call 091-419-2424 and 065-229-4422 Open daily for dinner, 6-9.30pm Parking space is limited in front of the restaurant Most credit cards accepted
The restaurant's hands-on chef-founder Garima Arora used to work at Noma, formerly regarded as the world's best restaurant, in Copenhagen. That's where she cultivated her passion for naturally foraged ingredients, as well as her interest in science-centric, experimental cooking.
At Gaa, which received its first Michelin star recently, Garima defines the cuisine as modern, eclectic and intellectual. She leads a big team of international chefs through her wholehearted mission to transform low-key local produce into new, multidimensional flavours that, as she says, reflect the richness and variety of the land and the moment in time.
Many of Garima's creations take a cue from her Indian cooking heritage that centres on fermenting, curdling, pickling and, of course, spices.
The restaurant has its own fermentation chamber, where all of the condiments used in the food -- from cultured butter to fish sauce -- are created from scratch. Everything that is served to the guests is freshly prepared in-house and without any fillers or MSG.
Food here is offered as either 10-course (2,400 baht per person) or 14-course (2,900 baht per person) meals, and available in both non-vegetarian and vegetarian styles.
On the current menu, there are dishes such as chilled soup of guava, roselle, fermented mulberries; buttery doughnut stuffed with duck vindaloo; chicken liver terrine; grilled organic baby corn; unripe jackfruit with roti and pickles; poached crayfish meat with khakra bread and crayfish aioli; blue crab with long peppercorn and macadamia milk; tamarind-glazed pork rib; and organic burnt coconut sugar ice cream with pork floss.
The restaurant offers wine selections from respected trailblazing producers from around the world, most of which promote natural, biodynamic and organic practices. Optional wine pairing packages cost 2,000-5,000 baht per person.
Saawaan
39/19 Soi Suan Phlu, off Sathon Tai Road Call 02-679-3775 Open 6.30-11pm, closed on Tuesday Park at nearby Sommerset Park Suanplu Most credit cards accepted
The small, dimly lit, yet gorgeously decked-out Thai restaurant was recently awarded a Michelin star for its fine-dining cuisine prepared to recipes inspired by rustic home-cooked Thai meals.
Saawaan's 10-course dinner (a total of 15 items) is a superb collaboration between young and audacious chef de cuisine Aom Pongmorn and brilliantly innovative chef patissier Paper Chongphanitkul.
The dinner costs 1,950 baht per person, but you can add an extra 2,350 baht per person for a selection of pairing wine, or 680 baht per person for a package of tea pairing from northern-Thailand wild estates.
The meal is designed to offer a comprehensive variety of Thai primary recipes and cooking methods. The menu features key words including raw, dip, ferment, boil, miang (fresh vegetable wrap), steam, stir-fry, charcoal-grill and curry. A selection of dishes will be changed seasonally.
Expect to find from the current menu dishes such as koi pla, a local fish tartare prepared with Japanese amberjack and indigenous Thai herbs; flame-broiled rice-paddy crab roe with roasted sticky rice; fermented beef sausage tossed with crispy rice balls and herbs; sour and spicy consommé of smoked dry fish with Jean-Paul oyster; steamed fish curry pudding; squid with basil, Royal Project mushroom and salted egg yolk; charcoal-grilled Spanish Iberico Secreto pork with fresh bilimbi; and free-range chicken in savoury coconut cream gravy with grilled pineapple, wild bamboo shoots and black rice.
A super-delicious pumpkin custard with organic coconut cream, dollops of coconut rum gel, pieces of pandan chiffon cake and marmalade foam represent the desserts.
At the very end of the meal is an assortment of mignardis. They include calamansi mousse tart, jasmine meringue with candied mango-passion fruit, and durian-chocolate truffle.
Front Room
Waldorf Astoria Bangkok 151 Ratchadamri Road Call 02-846-8888 Open daily 5.30-10pm Park at the hotel's car park Most credit cards accepted
The four-month-old Front Room labels itself a Thai-inspired Nordic restaurant. Despite its clichéd cuisine concept, the 80-seater is reported to have made many veteran food critics and highbrow epicures cry tears of joy.
Its chef de cuisine Rungthiwa "Fae" Chummongkhon has a fancy portfolio, which includes 10 years at several of Denmark's Michelin-rated restaurants.
A native of Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand, Fae is an ambitious, work-addicted chef with a good palate. Her cuisine is a delicious marriage of traditional Thai recipes and Nordic cooking techniques, particularly curing, fermenting and smoking. That results in imaginative creations that reveal a familiar and comforting Thai flavour-profile.
The current menu lists 12 à la carte items: four options each under appetiser, main entrée and dessert.
Multi-course tasting meals (2,700 baht per person for the seven-course; and 3,300 baht per person for the 10-course) are highly recommended should you wish to thoroughly understand the cuisine, or simply to indulge in lengthy culinary excitement.
All dining guests here are treated to a warm, baked riceberry sourdough accompanied by salty-sweet butter infused with house-brewed soy sauce.
The full-steam 10-course journey began with a selection of amuse-bouches. It featured five light-bite delicacies including Danish pancake puff; razor clam with aromatic Thai herbs; and milk and broccoli emulsion.
They were followed by Atlantic salmon with carrot, bitter orange and rice mayo; sea urchin with jelly bacon and sea asparagus; egg yolk with mussel sauce in egg shell; Thai beef with pickled papaya; toothfish with clam and smoked sauce; and duck with pearl barley and mulberry sauce.
Desserts are represented by tamarind top sorbet and milk chips; and eggplant with caramel and mulberry.
Wine pairing packages cost 2,500 baht to 2,900 baht per person.
Haoma
Sukhumvit 31 Call 02-258-4744 and 061-460-5441 Open 6-11pm, Tuesday-Sunday. Park on the premises and along the soi Most credit cards accepted
A brainchild of bold and relentless Indian chef Deepanker "DK" Khosla, this restaurant, tucked in a sub-soi off Sukhumvit 31, unifies sustainability with fine dining.
Chef DK successfully combines humans' biological responsibility with highbrow cuisine, creating a culinary utopia out of his 380m² residence-garden restaurant.
Every detail here, from visual design and cooking to engineering and horticulture, reflects his deep respect for nature. Add with that the name, inspired by a divine plant in Persian mythology, one can also say that Haoma is where science and spirituality seamlessly merge.
The dining area is spread across a 32-seat air-conditioned dining room and a 38-seat alfresco terrace in the backyard, which currently boasts more than 40 variations of edible plants. All feed only on natural nutrients, some grow on organically treated soil, some via aquaponics -- and not a typical hydroponic system.
The restaurant takes pride in using sustainable approaches to deliver environmentally friendly gastronomy through refined craftsmanship. The kitchen, manned by an international crew of cooks, is wholeheartedly devoted to a zero-waste principle. Its cuisine stays true to the current season and the characteristics of each ingredient, and doesn't stick to any particular culinary region.
The current à la carte menu presents the likes of oyster and corn tartar with yuzu lemon (490 baht); tomato consommé (470 baht); wild mushroom galouti kebab (460 baht); duck mousse and rillettes (590 baht); Haoma-raised fish with dashi and raisin jam (590 baht); tikka masala curry (850 baht); and whole roasted spring chicken with beer mustard and onion jam (1,200 baht).
Multi-course tasting menu is offered as a 13-course set (2,590 baht) and nine-course set (1,990 baht).
The restaurant also takes pride in the craft of mixology. Its bar offers a decent list of house-made cocktails based on the kitchen's excess fruits and vegetables.
Brunch is served à la carte-style on Saturday and Sunday, 11am-2.30pm.
Clientele is an international mix of food-aficionado millennials. Service by English-speaking staff is attentive, amiable and knowledgeable.
Mezzaluna
Tower Club at Lebua Bangkok, 65th floor Silom Road Call 02-624-9555 Open Tuesday-Sunday for dinner, only by reservation Park at Lebua's car park Most credit cards accepted
For its extraordinarily exceptional cuisine, the stately French restaurant has been for two years in a row awarded two stars by the Michelin Guide.
Its kitchen, under the very bold culinary direction of head chef Ryuki Kawasaki, is the humble driver behind the restaurant's achievement.
His internationally crewed kitchen works only with nonpareil produce from the world's best sources, mostly France and Japan. Some are very difficult to find and not available commercially.
Though at all times seen in the restaurant's ever-dynamic open kitchen, chef Kawasaki doesn't usually come out to greet his guests, unlike most famed chefs. Still very polite and ever-smiling, he prefers sticking around his cooking station to ensure the perfection of each detail.
Meals are currently offered in the form of a seven-course degustation dinner and only by reservation. Dinner costs 7,200 baht per person, with optional wine-paring package priced at 5,500 baht per person.
Currently featured dishes are Notsuke scallop carpaccio with kohlrabi, grey shrimp and Beluga caviar; Magaki oyster confit with beetroots, red radish and Banyuls vinaigrette; veal sweetbread with shiitake mushrooms, ginger, Kyoto carrots and caramel jus; Maine lobster bisque with green lentils, shungiku and Morteau sausage; Pacific cod with sake kasu marinade and custard; Jerusalem artichokes, mirugai and water celery; Barbary Duck, roasted and consommé, with foie gras, barley, Yurine and maitake mushroom; Niigata Murakami wagyu beef A5 grilled over bincho charcoal with endive, shallots and Périgord black truffle; Yezo Shika deer with blackcurrant crusted, red cabbage, radicchio and Poivrade sauce.
To guarantee an impeccable and top-notch experience, the 35-seat dining room is attended to by a 17-member team of veteran service staff including three sommeliers. Service quality is beyond criticism.
R. Haan
131 Thong Lor 9, Sukhumvit 55 Call 02-059-0433 Open daily 6-11pm Park on the premises. Most credit cards accepted
R. Hann (pronounced "ah-han" and meaning "food") is a fine-dining Thai restaurant run and co-owned by Chef Chumpol Jangprai, Thai cuisine master and cooking celebrity. It was awarded its first star by the 2019 Michelin Guide.
The exquisite 88-seat establishment is evidence of a profound dedication and high financial contribution that celebrates Thailand's abundance of food sources while raising the country's long-treasured culinary flair to another level.
Every ingredient is sourced from the best origins and only within the Kingdom. For example, the garlic comes from Si Sa Ket province, pomelo from Phichit, toddy palm from Phetchaburi, salted fish from Narathiwat, fish sauce concentrate from Rayong, freshwater prawns from the Bang Pakong River and caviar from the Royal Project at Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak in Chiang Mai.
Meals here are offered only in multi-course set menus. Of them is a line-up of dishes changing every four months following the ceremony of the Emerald Buddha's seasonal attire changing.
Current menu sets (2,912 baht and 2,512 baht per person) feature dishes such as grilled Thai mackerel salad with Hua Hin sturgeon caviar; blue crabmeat with green duck eggs and creamy crab roe espuma; massaman curry with local Black Angus beef ribs; old-fashioned chilli dip with sheatfish; stir-fried crispy pork belly with red curry; Royal Project's Bresse chicken pot pie with coriander and garlic; hand-kneaded Chitralada tilapia fish cake with rice vinegar; Lanna Thai-style jelly of organic pork curry; and classic tom yam soup with king river prawns and fresh herbs.
Desserts on offer include Thai pumpkin in bitter wild honey syrup accompanied by pandanus custard; mango parfait with sweet sticky rice; ice cream made with rice milk and locally grown vanilla; and mung bean marzipan chocolate with egg yolk.
Service blends well-trained efficiency with heartfelt cordiality. Reservations are highly recommended.
Via Maris
Convent Road Call 02-236-5558 Open for lunch and dinner on Mon-Fri, and for dinner only on Sat & Sun Park at Sibunruang building across the street (fee applied) Most credit cards accepted
The 40-seater, decked out in warm sun-kissed hues, offers what it calls "naive yet democratic Mediterranean dishes" prepared by Sardinian-born head chef Francesco Deiana.
The menu is inspired by the unique and flavourful recipes and produce of countries along the Mediterranean ancient trade route, including Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Turkey.
Most of the dishes showcase prime-quality fresh oceanic harvests, local and imported, complemented by an abundance of indigenous herbs and spices from along the coastline, from North Africa to West Asia.
From the menu, the fish and figs (380 baht), despite its very simple name, proves among the truly worth-having. It's a carpaccio of local organic black grouper, of which translucent raw meat presented in thin slices provides a super-fresh, toothsome quality. The delicate-tasting fish is dressed with Puglia extra-virgin olive oil, capers, cherry tomatoes and lemon juice, the latter in a form of crusty ice flakes to prolong the chillness of the dish. Going marvellously with the fish carpaccio are the silky, juicy and jam-like flesh of Royal Project figs.
The bistro is proud of its cauliflower steak (340 baht). Half a cauliflower has been poached in milk then slow-roasted and finished up on a skillet, to give the naturally sweet, almost creamy-tasting vegetable a nice brown and slightly crispy crust, before being served on a bed of strained yoghurt cheese and sprinkled with zaatar spice mix, cumin tomato and chilli-pepper powder.
Sardinian-style Christmas roast suckling pig roulade with Sultana-seethed rice and saffron (650 baht) is also brilliant.
Other dishes worth sampling include the Moroccan-style braised lamb couscous; pork ribs stewed with hand-rolled fileja pasta and spicy 'nduja; and slow-cooked chicken arabesque with cinnamon and ginger honey.
The bistro has its own drink list of fizzy concoctions, beer, wine, coffee and tea. A wider selection of cocktails, however, can be ordered from next-door Vesper's menu.
Lunch sets are also available on weekdays at 290 baht (two courses) and 370 baht (three courses).
Perfectly complementing the comforting cuisine was a heartwarming mix of world beats and affable service. There's no service charge. The corkage fee is waived for parties of two.
Le Du
399/3 Silom 7 Call 092-919-9969 Open Mon-Sat 6-10pm Park at nearby Trinity Complex Most credit cards accepted
Having been on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list for a few years, Le Du, by chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn, earned its first Michelin star last month.
The fine-dining restaurant, whose name means "season" in Thai, takes its cue from Thailand's centuries-old culinary cultures, featuring two tasting menus: a four-course (2,290 baht or 2,990 baht plus 1,400 baht for wine pairing) and six-course signature tasting menu (3,590 baht, plus 1,800 baht for wine pairing).
"We not only want diners who are familiar with Thai food to enjoy our menu but also those who are new to Thai cuisine," says chef Ton of his modern approach to familiar Thai dishes.
Ingredients-driven and influenced by seasonal produce, the menu showcases two amuse bouche prepared with pineapple and beetroot. They are followed by a "Forest And Sea" line-up of squid tagliatelle cooked with lemon grass; wild sea bass served on a bed of pomelo with caramelised shrimp paste and coconut cream mousse; a soup of wild mushroom, smoked pumpkin and dried river fish; river prawn with pork belly jam, shrimp paste and organic black risotto.
Le Du's "From The Ranch" main course is represented by charcoal-grilled pork jowl with braised pork leg sauce, pickled choi sum and housemade chilli sauce. It's a fine-dining take on the popular Thai street food khao kha moo.
The dessert section of the menu is aptly named "Sin". One of the desserts is a coconut panna cotta, which comes with charcoal coconut ice cream lemon zest, coconut tuille and a black sesame purée. Need we say more?
Reservations are highly recommended.
