| EATING PLACES |
| Designs: janiisy |
| Eating Out
Bangkok is a city full of taste experiences and food sensations. Apart from the world renowned Thai cuisine with its incredible blend of spicy, sour, sweet and salty, there's also every other national dish from every country to be found somewhere in the city. Dining options are as unpredictable as some of the dishes. Great value food courts, riverside bar - restaurants, Thai style dining in teak pavilions, air-conditioned haute cuisine or well known fast food chains - a definite taste experience. Where to Eat? There's no shortage of eating options in Bangkok. Eat in a roadside noodle stall and watch the world go by. Savour the seafood or at a local restaurant perched over the river, admire the food and the views from a swish hotel restaurant overlooking the city, or take a quick snack in a shopping mall food court. Whatever you choose, you won't be disappointed. Start out with our location guide on where to eat. Eating Experiences The variety of eating experiences in this city is fantastic. Start with a great hotel buffet breakfast in air-conditioned comfort, move on to a bowl of steaming noodles or Tom Yam Kung on the street for lunch, then head off to a small intimate local Italian or Japanese restaurant for dinner. A gourmet's delight |
| Dinner Shows
Combined with a Thai dinner served in the traditional way, the Thai classical dance shows provide a glimpse into Thailand's unique cultural heritage. Although tourist oriented, the shows are generally well done and worth seeing. Some Thai dancing is very slow, elaborate and mesmerising, while the folk Thai dancing offers lively rhythms. Shows usually give a range of performances. Several restaurants specialise in these cultural evenings. The Chao Phraya Cultural Centre (02 258 5403) on the riverside close to Sathorn Bridge, The Piman Theatre (02 258 7861) on Sukhumvit, both provide traditional dinner and dance shows. Sala Rim Nam, also on the river, includes a good range of Thai dishes with the dance show. (Shuttle service available from the Tha Oriental Pier) Some of the hotels like the Tabtim Siam (02 641 4777) at the Radisson, the Thai Pavilion at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza (02 238 4300) also offer an evening of Thai food and traditional entertainment. The Royal Dragon (02 398 0037-8) on the eastern fringes of Bangkok, near BangNa, is very big with roller skating waiters and a nightly Thai dance show. Check your hotel also for nightly performances. Afternoon Tea English afternoon tea - traditional scones, clotted cream, sandwiches, cakes and, of course, tea. In times gone by the English upper class favoured this meal duruing the afternoon to bridge the hunger gap between lunch and dinner. For a very English afternoon tea, try the Author's lounge at the Oriental Hotel on the riverside, which has real clotted cream and a great choice of teas, but if it's not too hot, sit outside on the terrace instead where you can watch the boats (and Bangkok life) go by. Served from 2pm until 6pm. You can also find afternoon tea in the lobby-lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel also on the riverside, between 3:00pm to 6pm. On Sundays they have a wonderful 'high tea buffet' with over 40 delicious items to sample. West meets East at the Sukhothai Hotel (South Sathorn Rd, Silom) where afternoon tea is served in the elegant Thai surroundings of the lobby. Sandwiches, excellent pastries and a choice of teas served daily from 2.30pm to 6pm. Perfect for the middle of the afternoon in Bangkok. Food courts Often with great food and incredible prices, food courts provide a great opportunity to sample local items at low cost. They offer a collection of different mini-kitchens in one purpose built area. There's usually a wide range of regional Thai and Asian food like Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Wonton soup, along with a few basic western dishes, (pizza and spaghetti) on offer. Venues can vary from the basic supermarket basement to the trendy and cool food court like The Loft in Central Department Store Chiltom. Payment is usually by voucher. You buy a set of vouchers for the amount you want to spend. Any vouchers not used that day can be redeemed. Food courts generally tend to look cleaner and are often located in air-conditioned environments (inside shopping centres or department stores) which makes them a more attractive option on a hot day (especially if you're on a shopping mission) Shopping centres like the Emporium at Sukhumvit have the standard cheap and cheerful food court (average price of a dish 30 baht) complemented with a collection of other food outlets including KFC and some "salad bar and pasta" type places. Guava fruit shakes, local curries or salted fish with vegetables and a fiery dipping paste (Nam Prik.) Try them all!. Nearest Skytrain: Prom Phong The Loft in Central Department Store, Chitlom offers a new take on food courts. Black minimalist interior, trendy lighting, card paying system. Food includes old Thai favourites plus Indian, Vietnamese, northern Thai and some wicked western desserts like chocolate mousse. About 50% more expensive than the standard version on the ground floor but worth a visit. Nearest Skytrain Chitlom MBK Shopping Centre Like the shops which go on forever, MBK has lots of places to eat. Small food courts and much larger ones tucked away on the upper floors and around the complex. Plus loads of other independent restaurants. How do they all survive? Nearest Skytrain: National Stadium Central Department Store (Chiltom) As well the the trendy Loft, you can also eat the standard food court on the ground floor near the Supermarket and their restaurant on the 2nd floor which isn't strictly a food court but deserves a mention as it offers Khao Soy (a northern Thai spicy coconut soup - recommended) Nearest Skytrain: Chitlom World Trade Centre (Upper floor) This place is so big, it's hard to find the food courts, but they are there! Basic and very handy for a shopping break as it's a bit of a walk to eat anywhere outside. Lots of other smaller restaurants around the floors, located within the complex if you don't feel tempted by the food courts. Nearest Skytrain: Chitlom Street Food On the Street - you find eating places just about everywhere. Outside shopping malls, inside market areas, along the pavement - anywhere a cart and a few fold up tables and chairs can be placed. Don't miss out on these places as they offer great food - cheap and tasty. Often only available in a more sanitised form in restaurants. From a hygiene viewpoint, take a look for yourself. The basic rule of thumb - if the food looks fresh, the oil in the pan isn't dark brown and the food is cooked in front of you, it's generally safe to eat. Go at lunchtime, when food is freshest (hasn't been hanging around in the heat of the day) and when you can generally get a better choice. Stir-frying, grilling and soup made from boiling water offer safe cooking methods. Avoid eating anything raw as this may have been washed in contaminated water and avoid crushed ice which has probably come from a dubious source. Folllow the basic advice and go for it! Good choices include barbecued chicken and sticky (glutinous) rice, (Gai Yang and Khao neeow) spicy green papaya salad (Som tum) Noodle soup, yellow chicken and rice with fried garlic (Khao Mok Gai) or Pak Thai - a delicious fried noodle dish with a host of ingredients including peanuts, shallots, dried shrimp and tofu - just a few of the lunchtime favourites. If you're really feeling adventurous, you could try some other north-eastern specialities. Fried grasshoppers, beetles, ants eggs fried with garlic, and various grubs. Tastes vary but the general opinion is that they taste like chicken, while the grubs have the consistency of prawn crackers - taste for yourself and give us your comments! |
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