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The Con Man's Restaurant! and other Bangkok, Thailand Restaurant Reviews

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DarkRay   
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Real Name: Raymond
Lives In: Singapore, SG
Member Since: Nov 04, 2003
VT Rank: 510

 
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Bangkok Restaurants
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Somboondee Seafood: The Con Man's Restaurant!
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  • Written by DarkRay on Jun 18, 2007
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  • Bangkok - Exterior of Somboondee Restaurant
  • Exterior of Somboondee Restaurant
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  • Restaurant Name: Somboondee Seafood

    First off, this restaurant is a SCAM. But I thought I review the restaurant anyway just to give you an idea of their horrid fare.

    The restaurant was situated in a deserted part of Bangkok. I guess in a way, it deters diners from getting away to other restaurants easily... The place looked old and dinghy, and albeit I visited the restaurant in October 2006, it felt like I entered a time warp and ended up in a restaurant of the 70s. Yup, the decor was like that, and not in a good way.... at all.

    I actually thought the place felt haunted because it was so sad looking and ridiculously empty - we were the only diners when we entered the restaurant and was only joined by another very small group of unfortunate diners later in the night.

    Since the restaurant was created to cheat the money of a gullible diner like me who would actually mistaken this as the famous Somboon Seafood for this questionable eatery, the service was actually surprisingly good and somewhat enthusiastic (to part me with my money I guess). I actually thought the staff smiled and laughed a little too much - they must be laughing at how silly my friend and I were to fall for their scam.

    No contact details will be provided since I would not want you to be cheated like me. Go to the genuine Somboon Seafood instead.

    Favorite Dish: The food in the restaurant was ludicrously overpriced. While most decent establishment Bangkok would charge way less than 100 baht for a serving of Pad Thai, it cost 600 baht here. We ordered it anyway because my friend was a fan of Pad Thai. Bad choice, because the Pad Thai was both burnt and tasteless at the same time. I did not know that such a combination was actually possible before this.

    Interestingly, the Stir-Fried Asparagus with Prawns actually cost the same as the Pad Thai at 600 baht, which made it a better deal. This dish was actually quite tasty. But considering that the restaurant calls itself a seafood restaurant, the prawns used were laughably tiny.

    The star of the show, was of course the crab, which was as you may expect by now, supremely overpriced. It cost a whopping 1,000 baht per kg and these were not even the large and scrumptious ones like the Sri-Lankan Crabs. I cannot believe I actually paid very good money for their lousy local mud crabs! Because these were the smaller crabs, eating them were a chore since you had to cracked through a lot of shells for very little meat. The unappetizing looking curry gravy tasted as bad as it looked, which was no surprise at all.

    The prices for the non-alcoholic drinks like soft drinks, fruit juices and coffee were of course equally unreasonable as well, which were from 150 baht - 250 baht.

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    Theme: Seafood
    Comparison: more expensive than average
    Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
    Directions: If any cab ever drop you here, just take another cab to the real Somboon Seafood.
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    Bangkok Sky Restaurant: Dining With A View
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  • Written by DarkRay on Jul 4, 2004
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  • Bangkok Bangkok Sky Restaurant
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  • Restaurant Name: Bangkok Sky Restaurant

    Located at the 76th and 78th Storeys of Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Bangkok Sky Restaurant is the second highest* restaurant in the whole of Thailand as of June 2004.

    All meals at the restaurant will include complimentary access to the observation and revolving roof decks, which offers its visitors a spectaculary unobstructive view of Bangkok in all its panaromic glory.

    My buddies and I had their weekday lunch buffet which at 310 Baht, was a steal in my opinion. Not only was the food spread very diversied (including Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Western), they were all very delicious! And the best part was that their service staff were cheerful, friendly, enthusiastic, and not fake in their service. Really, it was my best meal in Bangkok!

    * For those interested, the highest restaurant is Stella Palace, a Chinese Restaurant which is located at the 79th Storey of the same hotel.


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    Theme: Eclectic/International
    Comparison: about average
    Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
    Phone: +66 2656-3000
    Address: 222 Rajprarop Road, Rajthevee, Bangkok 10400
    Directions: Baiyoke Sky Hotel is next to the Pratunam Market (a wholesale clothing center) and the older and related Baiyoke Suite Hotel. The nearest BTS Station is Chit Lom and Phaya Thai.
    Website: http://www.baiyokehotel.com/baiyokesky/bkk-sky.html
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    Comments for DarkRay about Bangkok
    balhannah Wed Feb 4, 2009 20:57 UTC
     Hadn't heard of the Ancient City before, so thanks for the information. A place I would like to visit.
    mahadragon Wed Jan 14, 2009 17:31 UTC
     This information about popular sites at each stop is posted right inside the trains just above the door usually. It can be found on each train.
    iantham Thu Jun 12, 2008 03:49 UTC
     Great tip. My taxi driver drove me here inspite of me giving him the address of the real Somboon in Thai and English. I got conned 7,000baht (S$300) for a simple meal that should have cost no more than 800-900bahts (S$40-S$50).
    RafaelTheSecond Wed Oct 17, 2007 23:52 UTC
     I would love to see everything in Bangkok, what an interesting place!;)
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