So here's my list for my 8 nights:
1. Face (thai section)
2. China House (at least once and maybe twice)
3. Pen (not the hotel but the one Johnny Apple wrote about)
4. Lord Jim
5. Bed Supper Club
6. either the Pen, Oriental or Royal Orchid thai restaurant
7. Tongue Thai or Mango

Where else? Not interested in Italian, French or Indian (well I'd love Indian but my friend won't eat it).

Try the Penn- hotel - for Dim Sum very good and inexpensive considering the quality and service (value!)

Bill-- do you mean Mei Jiang? I ate dinner there once and thought the food and decor was lovely but we were literally the only people in the restaurant. I like a place with a bit more life. If they are attracting more locals or other tourists now than I would definitely go back. And this list is for dinner -- I don't plan lunches-just go someplace near where we are.

Yes and I meant lunch. I think you are right about the dinner there- I would skip it for dinner- just go for lunch for the Dim Sum. And I also agree with you that we don't feel comfortable if we are the only people eating there- we like a place to be full of people.

Thanks, Bill. If we're hanging around the Oriental during lunch we'll go over to Mei Jiang for lunch.

I love Vietnamese food but have heard mixed things about Le Dalat. Any Vietnamese restaurants anyone can recommend?

We ate at Pen a few days ago, it was phenomenal! And we had the same experience at Mei Jiang for dinner, the place was practically empty. Had great dim sum at China House - - the manager at the Oriental persuaded us to have it for lunch rather than the peking duck!

From Dc-- I eat at China House all the time and as I have said before it is my favorite restaurant in Bangkok. I eat both lunch and dinner there. I like the fact that I often see a lot of locals (or at least asians) eating there. Mei Jiang seems to only attract a few hotel guests -- and not many of those.

Did you try any of Apple's other restaurant suggestions? And how did you like the Oriental?

how about fabulous dim sum....try liu restaurant on 3rd floor of the conrad hotel...fixed price---about $30 for 2....optional sharks fin soup...all you can eat....choose from an english menu by plate...very unusual pieces...the best we have ever had....free bus to skytrain afterwards....right on wireless road...

make sure you try tongue thai, PLEASE....would be interested in your comments...

at the penn have dinner al fresco, menu for 2, at the rest. thal.....in the garden....don't have spelling of full name....
bob

OK Bob-- promise to try tongue tha. It's near the Oriental right?

it is directly in back of OP Place...just across the soi...before you come to new road...3 minutes from hotel lobby...

I think I can handle that! I must have walked by it.

its quite small....you can't miss it...it is quiet inside and has some nice simple paingings and artifacts around the ceiling to look at....maybe 20 tables...great menu....stuff can be spicy but it can be toned down...they will ask you about that...

gloria, try le dalat indochine for yourself. i went three times. excellent.
your list looks yummy!

Gloria,
Didn't try any other of Johhny Apple's suggestions because we only had 2 days. I was wanting to try the Polo Chicken but it wasn't in the phone book and I didn't get a chance to ask our floor butler about it. But the dinner we had at Pen was one of the best ever. As for the Oriental, I would never stay anywhere else in Bangkok. BTW, Julie of Julie's taxi, brought us to a place for lunch by the train station where almost no English was spoken ( we told her no tourist places). It was really delicious. And she recommended Somboon, a seafood place. Maybe next time, but I would trust her suggestions because her clients like non touristy places with excellent food.

Gloria, Just made reservations for Bed Supper Club our second night in Bangkok--will be able to tell you about it in Chiang Mai. I think you leave earlier than I do but will check e-mail if we don't finalize things before you depart. Kathy

Gloria, thanks for the list! Would you mind putting an approximate cost for each for dinner for 2 with an appetizer and a couple of drinks?

Thanks a bunch!

We had a beautiful lunch at Mahanaga (soi 29, I belive, just off Suk). The decor is lovely and the food was excellent.

Kathy-- I've been to Bed Supper Club. This will be a return visit for me and a first for my friend. The "new" restaurants for me are Face, Pen and Tongue Thai.

Kathy-- is mahanaga Indian? If so it's a no go because of my friend.

eurotraveler -- the two drinks will be more than the dinner!

I'm pretty sure I ate at Sombon a couple of years ago -- underwhelmed.

MahaNaga is fab - has a website - not India despite the name, kind of fusion Thai. I'd go there for dinner and sit outisde, the setting is stunning. For Vietnamese I like Thang Long on Soi Lung Suan - great for a reasonable but delicious lunch on a Central Chitlom/Gaysorn/Erawan shopping day.