Bangkok Restaurant Tips by SWFC_Fan

Restaurant Name: China Town Scala Restaurant

I ate at China Town Scala Restaurant on my first evening in Bangkok during a visit to the city in September 2007.

This large Chinese restaurant is located on bustling Yaowarat Road, right in the heart of Chinatown, and right next door to the Shanghai Inn Hotel where I was staying.

The Chinatown area is awash with simple stalls selling food on the streets, and there are a handful of simple Chinese restaurants. China Town Scala represents one of the most upmarket dining options in the area, but the prices are still very reasonable, albeit much higher than at the street stalls.

China Town Scala is particularly renowned for its shark fins and birds nests. I was told that the restaurant is very popular with Chinese visitors who believe the shark fin to be an aphrodisiac, and in fact there is a whole area of the restaurant devoted to people who are there to eat shark fins.

I opted to go into the other side of the restaurant where there was a full menu of Chinese dishes. These included the usual selection of appetizers such as hot and sour soup, chicken and corn soup, dim sums, prawn toasts and spring rolls.

Main courses consisted of a variety of stir fries containing chicken, beef, prawns, squid, fish, or vegetarian options. These included the usual selection of sweet and sour sauce, black bean sauce, oyster sauce, chilli sauce and stir fried vegetables. There are countless fried rice and noodle dishes to choose from.

The service was friendly and efficient, the waitress spoke English very well and the menu was available in Thai and English, with pictures accompanying some of the dishes.

Favorite Dish: I opted for:

Prawn toasts - Cost: 150 Bahts (approx. 2.35 GBP)

As there was no photo accompanying this item in the menu, I was expecting to receive small pieces of toast with mashed prawn and sesame seeds. That is what I think of as prawn toasts. Instead, I got 5 large rings of mashed prawn, covered in breadcrumbs and served with a tangy dip and salad. They were very nice and contained lots of prawn.

Egg fried noodles with prawns and chilli sauce - Cost: 300 Bahts (approx. 4.70 GBP)

I ordered the small portion for 300 bahts, but it was plenty for one person. I can only assume the larger portions are meant for sharing. I got about 10 large prawns, partly shelled in a very tasty, but not too hot, chilli sauce. The sauce had a great kick to it, but wasn't so hot that it burnt my mouth. In fact, it perfectly straddled the middle ground between being bland and being too hot to eat. Very nice! Served with plenty of thin egg fried noodles and stir fried green vegetables.

Singha beer - Cost: 120 Bahts (approx. 1.80 GBP)

I ordered a large beer, but the waitress appeared with a fairly small glass (maybe 250ml - 300ml) of cold beer. However, as I was half way through it, the waitress appeared and topped my glass up from a large bottle. Eventually, after three or four top ups, I had finished the whole of the large bottle. It seems that I couldn't be trusted to be given the bottle and drink at my own pace! ;-)

Excellent chilli prawns in the heart of Chinatown. Very highly recommended!

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (0) 2623 0183
Address: 483-485 Yaowarat Road, Chinatown
Directions: Located on Yaowarat Road, the main street of Bangkok's Chinatown. Next door to the Shanghai Inn hotel.

Restaurant Name: China Max

I ate at China Max one lunchtime during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This Chinese fast food joint is located on the ground floor of the Old Siam Plaza shopping mall, but with tables looking out onto the main road of Thanon Triphet.

The menu consists of a large variety of noodles, dim sums, wantons, soups and rice dishes, with prices between 50 and 60 Bahts (less than 1 GBP).

For example, the page of the menu shown in the second photo accompanying this tip includes:

Roasted duck noodles in soup - 60 Bahts
Barbecue pork noodles in soup - 55 Bahts
Shrimp wonton noodles - 55 Bahts
Braised roasted crispy pork noodles - 55 Bahts
Hainanese chicken noodles - 55 Bahts

The dessert menu features some rather strange sweet and savoury combinations, including an ice cream dish topped with sweetcorn.

The interior was simple, but most importantly it was extremely well air conditioned - just what I needed after walking through the hot streets of Bangkok.

Favorite Dish: I opted for:

Prawn wantons and soup noodles - Cost: 55 Bahts (approx. 0.80 GBP)

A dish of thin soup, with four slippery prawn-filled wantons, lots of thin noodles and green vegetables and leaves. The food was pretty average tasting, but great value for money at just 55 Bahts.

Singha beer (large) - Cost: 70 Bahts (approx. 1.10 GBP)

A large bottle of cold beer, served with an iced glass.

Mirinda orange juice (330ml can) - Cost: 20 Bahts (approx. 0.35 GBP)

Good value Chinese fast food in a simple, air conditioned restaurant.

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Old Siam Plaza, Thanon Triphet
Directions: Located on the ground floor of the Old Siam Plaza, entrance via Thanon Triphet. Old Siam Plaza is located on the edge of Chinatown closest to the Grand Palace.

Restaurant Name: Coffee World

I visited Coffee World one morning during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This coffeeshop, with the motto "Where the World Meets", has branches all over Bangkok. I visited the Patpong branch on Thanon Silom, just a short walk from the Silom metro station and the Sala Daeng Skytrain station.

It is a very comfortable cafe, in the Starbucks mould. The interior features comfortable sofas and armchairs, atmospheric lighting and lots of people reading newspapers or working on their laptops (the cafe offers free wi-fi access). It is also air conditioned, which is very important in hot, humid Bangkok.

There is a reasonable selection of food, ranging from sandwiches and salads, to a whole array of cakes, cookies, gateauxs, waffles and ice cream sundaes.

The drinks menu is very extensive, including various coffees, cappuccinos, frappes (chocolate, caramel, French vanilla, strawberry cheesecake...), milkshakes, smoothies (various fresh fruit combinations), tea and soft drinks.

Prices are relatively expensive compared to those in Bangkok as a whole, but are comparable with other such coffeehouse chains in the city and are still cheaper than in the UK.

The friendly English-speaking staff take your order at the counter and bring it to your table a few minutes later.

Favorite Dish: I opted for:

Chocolate Frappe - Cost: 95 bahts (approx. 1.50 GBP)

A thick, chocolate flavoured ice blended drink. Similar to a McDonalds milkshake, in that it was difficult to drink through a straw until it had melted a little. It contained either ground nuts or small pieces of biscuit, but I'm not sure which.

Double Chocolate Brownie - Cost: 45 bahts (approx. 0.70 GBP)

A small piece of piping hot chocolate brownie, topped with chocolate sauce. Very nice!

Good coffees and cakes in Silom....and all over Bangkok!

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0-2233-7602 (Patpong branch)
Address: Locations all over Bangkok
Directions: I visited the Patpong branch on Thanon Silom.
Website: http://www.coffeeworld.com

Restaurant Name: MBK Food Court: 5th Food Avenue

I ate at The Fifth Food Avenue one lunchtime during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This international food court is located on the fifth floor of the Mah Boon Krong (MBK) shopping mall. The MBK mall is easily reached on the Skytrain – simply alight at National Stadium station and follow the covered walkways into the mall.

As at September 2007, the food court contained the following international food vendors:

Ali’s Arabic (Muslim)
Blue Ginger (Vietnamese)
Chutney (Indian)
Creative Canteen (Steak and seafood)
Giorno (Italian)
Nara (Thai)
Kow Kub Kang (Thai)
Tamarind (Vegetarian)
Wok & Me (Chinese / Singaporean)
Yura An (Japanese)
The Juice Bar (Fruit juice)
Soufl’e (Dessert)
Visage (Dessert)

Upon entering the food court, you are given a “credit card” which is swiped for each purchase that you make. After finishing your meal, you hand your credit card to the cashier at the exit and settle your bill (which includes an automatic 5% service charge).

Favorite Dish: I opted to purchase my meal from Nara, a kiosk which offered a large selection of Thai dishes. Amongst the choices were red, green and yellow curries with rice, various stir fries with shrimps, chicken, pork and seafood, rice and noodle dishes, soups and spring rolls.

I opted for:

Fried noodles in sweet soy sauce with chicken - Cost: 75 Bahts (approx. 1.20 GBP)

A decent sized plate of wide, flat egg-fried noodles, tender pieces of chicken and stir fried green vegetables. The meal was quite filling and very good value for money.

From the drinks kiosk, I ordered:

Draught Singha beer (330ml) - Cost: 65 Bahts (approx. 1.00 GBP)

Mirinda orange juice (with ice) - Cost: 25 Bahts (approx. 0.40 GBP)

A good choice of international food in the MBK shopping mall!

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: MBK Mall, 444 Thanon Phayathai, Pathumwan
Directions: Located on the 5th floor of the MBK mall in Siam. Catch the Skytrain to National Stadium and follow the covered walkways into the mall.

Restaurant Name: Little Italy

I ate at Little Italy one evening during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This fairly upmarket Italian restaurant is located on Sukhumvit Soi 23, about 5-10 minutes walk along the main road from the Sukhumvit MRTA (subway) station.

Despite being fairly upmarket, it appears that there is no dress code in place. I was still wearing my shorts, t-shirt and flip flops from a day of sightseeing, but after I enquired with the waitress at the door I was invited inside with no problems. I was going to sit at one of the outdoor tables, but the waitress insisted that I sit inside in the air-conditioned dining room.

The reason for me stating that this restaurant is “upmarket” is that all the tables were nicely set with wine glasses, elaborately folded serviettes and bread sticks. The bar area was plush, and even the lighting had an “upmarket” feel about it. The background music was provided by ABBA (by virtue of a CD…the restaurant wasn’t upmarket enough for a live performance!).

Not surprisingly for an Italian restaurant, pasta and pizza feature heavily on the menu. Pasta dishes include spaghetti, lasagne, linguini, tortellini and fusilli. The pizza choices are extensive (ham, pineapple, mushroom, pepperoni, seafood, chicken…), but sadly, in a country renowned for its hot chillis, none of the pizzas sounded as though they’d be hot and fiery! As well as the staple Italian dishes, there is also a choice of meat and seafood meals.

Appetizers include garlic bread, Parma ham and bruschetta, while desserts include tiramisu, blueberry cheesecake, fresh fruit salad and ice cream sundaes.

The staff were extremely attentive – I felt as though there was at least one pair of eyes on me at all times. Before I’d even finished swallowing my last mouthful, a waitress had appeared and whisked my plate away!

Favorite Dish: I opted for:

Pizza Diavola - Cost: 270 Bahts (approx. 4.20 GBP)

A large thin pizza with a thin and crispy crust. Topped with small pieces of pepperoni, diced tomatoes and red peppers. It was tasty enough, but I’d have preferred more (and hotter!) peppers.

Strawberry Cream Cup - Cost: 180 Bahts (approx. 2.75 GBP)

Strawberry ice cream topped with whipped cream, strawberry syrup and an Italian Tricolore flag! Pretty expensive by Thai standards, and not a particularly big portion.

Singha beer (330ml) - Cost: 90 Bahts (approx. 1.40 GBP)

Sprite lemonade (330ml) - Cost: 50 Bahts (approx. 0.80 GBP)

While waiting to pay my bill, I received a complimentary liqueur…but I promise not to let the generous hospitality unduly influence my VT review! ;-)

Good Italian food in the heart of Sukhumvit…although relatively expensive by Bangkok standards.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 260 9750
Address: Sukhumvit Soi 23
Directions: Located on Sukhumvit Soi 23, about 5-10 minutes walk along the main road from the Sukhumvit MRTA (subway) station.

Restaurant Name: Black Canyon Coffee

I ate at Black Canyon Coffee one lunchtime during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This coffeehouse/restaurant chain, claiming to be “The Nation’s Largest Coffee House Chain”, has branches throughout Bangkok and all over south-east Asia. I ate at the branch on the first floor of the Old Siam Plaza shopping mall on the outskirts of Chinatown.

The drinks menu is reminiscent of that of Starbucks and other such coffee chains. You will find a large selection of coffees, espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, frappes, iced teas, smoothies, milkshakes, soft drinks, fresh fruit juices and beers.

However, unlike most coffee chains that I’ve visited in the past, Black Canyon also has an extensive food menu.

These range from sandwiches and salads to steaks, soups and stir fries. Some of the items I noted from the menu included beef steaks, red snapper, salmon steaks, chicken teriyaki and club sandwiches.

There is also an extensive section of the menu devoted to Thai dishes. You can choose from a huge selection of rice noodles, soup noodles, curries, Pad Thai (noodles with prawns) and various stir fried seafood and meat dishes.

You can find full details of the menu here:

MENU

Favorite Dish: I wanted to try the famous Pad Thai, but it wasn’t available when I ordered it. So instead, I opted for:

Noodles with Prawns in Tom Yum Soup - Cost: 125 Bahts (approx. 1.90 GBP)

With the Pad Thai being unavailable, this was the first dish I noticed that also contained noodles and prawns. The waiter asked if I would like it spicy and, familiar with the reputation of hot Thai food, I replied “quite”. I am extremely thankful that I didn’t reply “very”! The dish consisted of a hot, thick soup containing about 4 large prawns (with shells still on), mushrooms, peppers, ginger, coriander, various other spices and numerous things that I didn’t recognize either by sight or by taste. It is fair to say that this was a very hot soup – I couldn’t eat it all, and my lips were still tingling an hour later!

A pitcher of Pepsi - Cost: 55 Bahts (approx. 0.85 GBP)

Having ordered the hot soup, I knew that cold drink was going to be needed. I therefore ordered a pitcher of Pepsi with ice – enough for 4 or 5 glasses, but priced at the equivalent of less than 3 glasses.

A popular coffeechain….but with the food menu of a restaurant!

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Branches throughout Bangkok
Directions: There are branches of Black Canyon Coffee all over Bangkok. I visited the branch at Old Siam Plaza shopping mall.
Website: http://www.blackcanyoncoffee.com/

Restaurant Name: Mr Chew's Speciality Restaurant

I ate at Mr Chew’s Specialist Restaurant one evening during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This small Chinese restaurant is located on the corner of Yaowarat Road and Thanon Song Sawat right in the heart of Chinatown. It is located a couple of minutes walk from the Shanghai Inn Hotel (where I was staying), on the opposite corner to the 7-11 store.

It is a simple restaurant, straddling the middle ground between the food stalls on the streets and the more upmarket restaurants of Chinatown. The tables are unset (no tablecloths or napkins), with just dishes and chopsticks laid out, and there is little in the way of interior décor. There was a small TV in one corner of the room, and this place had all the feel of a small family-run establishment.

For the entirety of my meal, I was the only diner in there. The restaurant didn’t deserve to be as empty as it was: the food was good, the value for money was excellent. I guess the location is a little unfavourable; there were few tourists in Chinatown, and lots of competing foodstalls on the streets to attract the locals.

Two speciality dishes feature highly on the menu: shark fins and abalone. I had to Google the latter to establish that it is a type of mollusc. Judging by their expensive prices, these are both highly desirable foods.

There are also plenty of cheaper Chinese staples to choose from, especially fried rice and noodle dishes. You’ll find the usual selection of soup noodles (with prawns, chicken, crab meat…), as well as goose legs and a variety of stir fries featuring seafood, chicken, beef, pork and vegetables.

The waitress was very friendly and spoke English extremely well. The service was relaxed and unhurried, I even had to wave at the waitress to distract her attention away from the book she was reading to get her to come and collect my plate and allow me to settle my bill. When I’m on holiday, I often prefer the service to be like this, rather than too attentive and rushed.

Favorite Dish: I opted for:

Special fried noodles with prawns - Cost: 80 Bahts (appox. 1.20 GBP)

A plate of thin fried noodles, with diced carrot, bamboo shoots, pieces of chicken and 4 large prawns. The meal was tasty and filling. Being a Westerner, I was offered a fork to eat my noodles with, but I preferred to use the standard issue chopsticks.

Singha beer (bottle) - Cost: 90 Bahts (appox. 1.40 GBP)

Pepsi (bottle) - Cost: 30 Bahts (appox. 0.45 GBP)

I also received a complimentary pot of Chinese tea.

Excellent value food in a low key Chinese restaurant. Highly recommended!

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Yaowarat Road, Chinatown
Directions: Located on the corner of Yaowarat Road and Thanon Song Sawat in Chinatown.

Restaurant Name: Bua Restaurant

I ate at Bua Restaurant one lunchtime during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This Thai restaurant is located on Thanon Convent in the Silom region of the city and is sandwiched between a branch of Starbucks and Molly Malone’s Irish pub, on a street that houses a good selection of cafes, bars and restaurants.

I would classify Bua as a mid-range restaurant; it was fairly simple, but definitely a step up from the small family-run establishments in the city.

The menu features an extensive selection of Thai dishes:

Starters include prawn toasts, spring rolls, Tom Yum soup and a variety of other soups and appetizers.

Main courses consist largely of stir fries accompanied by either rice or noodles. For example, you can choose from chicken, beef, pork, prawns, crab, vegetables in a variety of sauces (sweet and sour, chilli, coconut, soy…) with a variety of other ingredients such as cashew nuts, lemongrass and pineapple.

Desserts include fresh coconut and fresh tropical fruits.

The service was efficient and the staff spoke a limited amount of English, so ordering my meal consisted of pointing at items on the menu.

Favorite Dish: I opted for:

Fried bread with prawns - Cost: 100 Bahts (approx. 1.50 GBP)

This was effectively prawn toasts. A plate full of sliced fried bread, filled with a generous amount of mashed prawns and served with a side salad.

Spicy chilli prawns with coconut sprouts - Cost: 120 Bahts (approx. 1.80 GBP)

About 5 large prawns, served in a hot and spicy chilli sauce with red peppers and coconut sprouts. I didn’t know what coconut sprouts were when I ordered the dish, but they tasted similar to water chestnuts (and not like coconut!). I avoided eating the extremely hot red peppers as much as possible, but even their seeds had a big impact on the dish! Very hot and spicy. As this dish wasn’t served with rice or noodles, I also ordered:

Pad Thai - Cost: 100 Bahts (approx. 1.50 GBP)

A plate of fried noodles with 4 large prawns, dozens of tiny prawns, fried egg, bamboo shoots, chicken, pork and carrots. This was effectively a main course in itself so, along with the chilli prawns and the generous serving of prawn toasts, I’d ordered far more than I could possibly eat!

The food was very tasty and spicy – probably the spiciest food I ate during my stay in Bangkok.

7-Up lemonade (2 bottles) - Cost: 20 Bahts (approx. 0.30 GBP) per bottle

Cold lemonade was very much required due to the spicy nature of the food.

Good value spicy Thai food in Silom. Recommended!

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Thanon Convent, Silom
Directions: Located on Thanon Convent, between Starbucks and Molly Malone's Irish pub. Just off Thanon Silom, the main road in Silom.

Restaurant Name: Cafe Kaldi

I visited Café Kaldi one afternoon during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

Thanks to Google, I have since found out that this is a popular Japanese coffee chain, which has now expanded beyond Japan. I visited the branch on the 4th floor of the Mah Boon Krong (MBK) shopping mall. The MBK shopping mall is easily reached by Skytrain; simply alight at the National Stadium station and follow the walkways into the mall.

The menu at Café Kaldi is similar to that of other coffeechains, both in Bangkok and worldwide.

The extensive drinks menu features the usual selection of various flavoured coffees, cappuccinos, iced teas, frappes, milkshakes, smoothies, green tea, fresh fruit juices (orange, lemon, pineapple, guava, mango…) and soft drinks.

The food menu includes a selection of sweet and savoury snacks, ranging from sandwiches to cakes, cookies, waffles and yoghurts.

The café is a wi-fi hotspot and offers comfortable seating in an air-conditioned environment. It is difficult to think of any particular features that distinguish it from Starbucks or Coffeeworld, except for a slightly varied menu, but it’s a pleasant place to escape the hot sun with a cold drink and a snack.

Favorite Dish: I opted for:

Chocolate smoothie - Cost: 65 Bahts (approx. 1.00 GBP)

A thick chocolate ice cream milkshake that was difficult to drink through a straw, topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

Waffle with butter and jam - Cost: 30 Bahts (approx. 0.45 GBP)

2 hot waffles served with a couple of slabs of butter and a small dollop of jam. Very nice, but could have done with more jam.

A good selection of drinks and snacks in a standard coffeechain outlet.

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Mah Boon Krong mall, Siam
Directions: Located on the 4th floor of the Mah Boon Krong shopping mall in Siam. Nearest Skytrain station is National Stadium.
Website: www.kaldi.co.th
Other Contact: info@kaldi.co.th