I like Thai, the wife likes Japanese (Shrimp tempura) and we both like Dim Sum (Penninsula)

I like all kinds of food, but I'm not a foodie by any means. One of my favorite places in Bangkok is Via Vai (directly across soi 8 from Monsoon) where I can get the best pizza in the city IMO.

I like Thai food when I'm shopping with my Thai friends and we stop for lunch. I eat whatever my friends bring to the table. It is usually at a food court, such as the one at Platinum Fashion Mall or MBK.

I will eat whatever my Danish friend Lars is cooking! He is a master chef at all kinds of dishes.

I like a good ahi sashimi and most dim sum. I also like Lebanese food from the restaurant (forget the name) in the basement of Phloenchit Center (by the JW Marriott).

I really like the Food by Phone book. You can get delivery from anywhere!!

Mostly I like to eat Thai in Bangkok (no surprise). An old favorite place I've been eating at since my first trip to Bangkok back in the 1980s is Lemongrass, just down the soi from Emporium. I have lots of Thai places we eat - Lana Thai at FACE is another favorite. There is also a Northern Thai restaurant in Siam Paragon that always gets good reviews... sorry, I can't remember the name. I find the food court food at the various malls to be mediocre, at best.

We have also eaten at Gaggan - wonderful for molecular cuisine! And we ate for the first time at Biscotti last trip - the Italian place in the Four Seasons that is one of Bob and Karen's favorites.

I avoid the hotel restuarants that serve "international food." We love Indian food, and I have gotten a couple of recommendations from people that we will try next time.

For the first time in years and years we won't be in Bangkok this year, as we'll be using Singapore as our gateway to SE Asia, Fortunately, lots of wonderful food in Singapore!

I love Thai food, so in Thailand I eat Thai - fairly spicy Thai, not dumbed-down-for-foreigners Thai. My favorite place is Taling Pling, on the same street as the Myanmar Embassy (which is how I found it). Plenty of locals, not expensive.

Kathie, if you like Indian food, you really should try a place called Mrs Balbirs on Sukhumvit soi 11/1. It is just steps inside this soi, on the right. An Indian friend took us there for dinner, and it was really great!

we eat it all in bangkok: Thai (harmonique, tongue thai, lanna thai at face, gallery cafe, jim thompson restaurants, among others); Italian: Biscotti (our all time fav), L'Opera, and others); Indian: Rang Mahal, Himili cha cha, Face; French; American; Swiss: Crepes and co; Bakery: anantara basement, emporium, jw marriott, and others; all the big hotel breakfast buffets; dim-Sum: Liu at the conrad, Peninsula; japanese: Fuji...

lol - do you get the feeling Bob goes to Bangkok to eat?

and swim, and shop, and relax, and see friends, and EAT....

trip 16 in less than a month!!!

Thanks for the feedback. Lots of great places mentioned.,have not been to lemongrass or Face in quite a while. Taling Pling sounds interesting.

kathie: have never heard of Gaggan, but will do some research on it.


Quizz: Thai restaurant on soi 8, down about fifty yards on the left? Thai restaurant on soi 23 close to a Vietnamese restaurant?

There was a rumor a while back that Chote Chitr had re-opened. Anyone know?

rayong, there have been lots of comments here about Gaggan. Do a search.

Earlier this week I tried out "The Local" a new Thai place on Suk. 23. It's by the second generation of the family that runs Oamthong and Naj. They do an interesting mix of old revival recipes and a few new innovations. It's all ala-carte dishes so not a place to eat on your own.

For northern Thai, nothing really compares to Gedhawa. Vegetarian Thai - Tham Na. Mexican - La Monita. French Cafe - Cafe Tartine. Bagels - Bangkok Bagel Factory. Cupcakes - Sparkles. Cookies - Sparkles and Bangkok Baking Company.

MichaelBKK, I ate there a month or so ago. positive comments from some Thai friends after the meal - not much talking as everyone dug in! Good service, and the prices seemed okay. I picked a dish that was much more spicy then I was used to.

>>>What are your favorite restaurants that you always visit? I consider the Monsoon on soi 8 a real gem. Also find myself repeatedly drawn to Basil in the SGS, and L'opera on soi 39.<<<


Greetings to the OP and thanks for mentioning the SGS; brought back fine memories of pleasant stays at that former BKK business travel hotel. (For the past ~ 16 months, another Starwood property, the St. Regis, has been my primary Bangkok work hotel. And that's soon to change, with some even lower corporate rate packages being offered by the Four Seasons. As some of you frequent Bangkok business travellers may already know, quite competitive corporate fare wars presently going on between select hotels; good luck with your BKK business bookings.)

Like the esteemed Carol, have never been much of a foodie, but can't resist giving the highest praise to a sweet little place called Chon Thai, located at a rather dear property called The Siam. Dined at the locale this past July, during a 'soft opening' river view pool villa weekend at the resort.

What a great collection of diners at Chon Thai that evening. The significant majority consisted of Thai couples, perhaps taking advantage of the soft rates and a new BKK place to experience. (The esteemed Hanuman and his lovely family would have blended in beautifully.) Chance had it, I happened to know one diner, a manager with the Aman property group, who was with his lovely Singaporean wife for a weekend at The Siam. Since the early mists of time, yours truly has truly savoured being in the presence of attractive, petite, and well-dressed Asian women. That evening was, well, heavenly. (Indeed, at one point during dinner, the loved one quietly commented that the scene was out of one of those Thai 'hi-so' magazines, such as Thailand Tatler.)

Time will tell with The Siam and her Chon Thai. We're already booked for a celebration dinner with her this coming November. If nothing else, will always have the sweetest memories of this past July. (And a truly wondrous friend who works at the property.)

Can't resist mentioning my all-time favourite Thai cuisine : Book the Cook at ~ 36,000 feet, flying from SIN to BKK with Singapore Airlines. I love kicking off Bangkok business trips with a 'touch of Thai' in the air.

Signing off from San Francisco, soon to fly the all-time cherished SQ1 J tonight to Hong Kong. Early and warm weekend wishes to all,

macintosh (robert)


... Singapore Girl, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

Wow - Gaggan sure has a Wide range of reviews. Some of the negative ones are quite brutal! Seems like you either love it or hate it!

Well I LOVE Gaggan, and am really looking forward to going back there with Pook this evening.
I also like to eat Thai ( surprise surprise) in BKK. Found a cute place last time. Soul food on ThongLor. Nice little thai sharing plates.

Hi, give us some feedback on your evening. I know some of the reviews can be misleading in tripadvisor.

Not all cuisine or restaurant are suitable for everyone hence I don't make recommendations or suggestions on a public forum unless I know the person who is asking the question. Appreciation of food is subjective to what you are used to or how wide your dining experiences are. Some food are just too sophisticated to be appreciated by non gourmet.

Yeah, sounds like a large number of non-gourmet types got disappointed at Gaggan. I will give it a try since I have a wide range of dining experiences. I can deal with simple or sophisticated

I can't remember a lot of the restaurants that I have eaten at in Bangkok over the many years. However, one eatery that I always drop into is the Erawan Tearoom. It's directly above the Erawan Shrine, in the heart of town.

After a day of hitting the malls in the area, I always drop by there to relax, have a variety of dishes, have a glass of their delicious lime juice, and usually read a magazine that I've picked up at a bookstore. Whenever my Thai friend is with me, we also always drop by there for a light bite to eat. It's kind of a tradition that's gone on for years.

Since I stay in serviced apartments, I cook a lot as I hate being restaurant dependent. But, since I'm a lunch person, my Thai friend and I will drop in to different places for lunch on the weekends. I've never been big on dinner as I don't like to eat late and then go to bed.

http://www.erawanbangkok.com/tearoom.php

Happy Travels!

http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/eat/4-top-bangkok-tea-shops-477552

I'm one for tearooms and light food. Here's a short list.

Happy Travels!

Carol, Via Vai has a new look (at least for me) and an agressive effort in place to draw happy hour customers. Quite a crowd there on my visit last month. Agree about the pizza.

Guenmai, are we sisters? haha... I also HATE to eat a big evening meal and then go to bed. I like to eat 'more' at lunch and then walk it off. I, too, stay in serviced apts but I don't use the kitchen for cooking very often.

DH and I tried that tea room last year. It was really nice. Very busy place!

Rayong, curious about the 'new' look at Via Vai? It was a new look for me when the White Bar was added on the front side of the bldg a year or so ago. I like the open air dining, when the weather allows. Via Vai provides the live music for the outside diners at Monsoon!! Would love to see Via Vai get more business. They have been around in that same location for a number of years.

Carol, I was referring to the addition of the white bar in front. I remember it the original way. True about the business not being consistant? But Monsoon seems to pull in customers every night.

"simpsonc510 on Sep 16, 12 at 3:48am
Guenmai, are we sisters? haha... I also HATE to eat a big evening meal and then go to bed. I like to eat 'more' at lunch and then walk it off. I, too, stay in serviced apts but I don't use the kitchen for cooking very often."

I've always been a lunch person. You probably remember when we ate in B.H. at Panini Cafe that I ate my big meal at that hour and then I was finished for the rest of the day.

Happy Travels!

Gaggan, being molecular cuisine, is certainly not for everyone. El Bulli, where the Gaggan chef apprenticed, also got mixed reviews from "the best in the world" to "you call that food?"

Guenmai, yes I do remember that. We are also 'sisters' in that we are 'bag ladies' (purses AND luggage...haha).

So, are you planning a trip to BKK or is it still in the air?
I'll be there for 10 days in October, if you are coming at that time.

Carol

Carol, what are your oct dates?

Arriving Oct 23 (late) and departing Nov 2.

Thanks, working now on my dates.

I'll echo everyone else and say that yes, you can get whatever fast food you want in Bangkok. You can also go to restaurants that cater to tourists and order sandwiches, burgers, spaghetti, tex-mex, pizza, fries.....you name it.

But really, going to Thailand without trying the local food? That's just wrong. In my opinion Thai cuisine is the very best on the planet, and for many, myself included, its THE highlight of the country. Maybe start with something simple, like Phad Thai (noodle dish), move on to some stir fried veggie/meat dishes, and work your way up to the more spicy and flavor intensive curries. Many tourist restaurants will have menus with pictures and explanations of spice levels etc.. and it's a good place to try new dishes. And the street food...I could live for months just on street food in Bangkok. Don't be scared of it, if you can see them cooking it, then it's usually safe to eat.

When we go to Bangkok I like to eat Thai but the wife does not like Thai- its not "wrong" its just that she has different tastes. There are many foods that I do not eat- nothing "wrong" about those foods I just have different tastes as well. So we wind up eatig what we both like or find a venue where we can each enjoy the foods we like- its part of what makes a successful marriage!

We both like Indonesian food but found it difficult to find such food in Bangkok. The only place that comes up on line is in the food court at MBK. Has anyone found other places that serve Inionesian food?

BillT, there was place called Bumbu just off Sathorn close to the Surasak station. I never ate there but it's on my list. I'm hardly ever in that neighborhood. Bumbu served Indonesian and Malaysian food. The thing is, I have this sneaking suspicion that it's not there anymore.

Foods from other parts of Southeast Asia are surprisingly under-represented in Bangkok.

Two Thai restaurants that I would recommend.

You should have lunch at Krua Apsorn and consider ordering ahead to make sure to be able to get the stuffed chicken wings, which they frequently run out of. Everything we’ve eaten on multiple visits there has been good but other favorites (of ours) are the shrimp & lotus stem yellow curry, Thai omelet with crab meat, grilled river prawns and for sure finish with coconut ice cream, which is really more of a sorbet.

The other place in Bangkok that we dream about going back to is the Pud Thai restaurant Thip Samai. It is impossible to say where to find “the best Pud Thai in Bangkok” but there are some who say this is the place. The food there is so good and so cheap, that we usually try to eat there on our first night upon arriving in Bangkok as we know we’re going to want to go back again.

More detail on these places can be found at http://www.se-asiatravel.com/thailand/bangkok/bangkok-2012/

med---can you tell us where these places are located??

Thipsamai
313 Th Maha Chai | Banglamphu, Bangkok, Thailand
0 2221 6280

Krua Apsorn
169 Dinsor Bawornniwes Pranakron Bangkok
Tel : 0-2668-8788

Here is the addresses in Thai:
Thipsamai / ทิพย์สมัย
ที่อยู่: 313 ถ.มหาไชย สำราษราษฎร์ พระนคร กรุงเทพฯ 10200
โทรศัพท์ : (662) 221-6280

Krua Apsorn
บวรนิเวศ
พระนคร กรุงเทพมหานคร 10200 Thailand
02-6688788

I probably should have added that both of these restaurants are in or near the Phra Nakhon District of Bangkok convenient to the wonderfully quirky Phranakom-Nornlen boutique hotel; where we like to stay. Both are less than a $2 cab ride from there.

The locals call Thipsamai: "Pra-doo-PEE Pad Thai" referring to the nearby ghost gate of the Old City Wall.

The owner and chef of Krua Apsorn is Paa (“Auntie”) Daeng who formerly cooked for the mother and older sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the much loved reigning monarch of Thailand. The clientele seems a combination of local businessmen and well heeled lady shoppers with the occasional tourist mixed in.

"simpsonc510 on Sep 17, 12 at 8:47am
Guenmai, yes I do remember that. We are also 'sisters' in that we are 'bag ladies' (purses AND luggage...haha).

So, are you planning a trip to BKK or is it still in the air?
I'll be there for 10 days in October, if you are coming at that time."

I'm always planning in my head. I have found an unserviced apartment for a month rental, if I can get there for that long. I've recently been on e-mail with the owner. However, I never know whether I'm going anywhere until I'm actually on the plane. That's just the way it is with parents way up in age. Although, I'm constantly checking flights, I can't even think of booking one until around the end of November, for more than likely January/February.

Happy Travels!

Guenmai, sorry I won't see you in October, but my family will also be in Bangkok for the holidays once again. I am arriving Dec 18, leaving for home Jan 7. Maybe you will be there at some point? We can always hope.... And I know all about aging parents. My own are both gone, as well as my only sister. It was very tough going for a time.

Carol: Have fun in Bangkok. If I get there, I had planned on trying to leave the 10th of January or a few days after. The airfares drop around then. I need to be home before the 19th of February, however.

Happy Travels!