Restaurants for upcoming Bangkok Trip
 

I haven't posted on this board in ages; but have enjoyed perusing through the topics and reading all the neat/informative 'trip reports', etc. At the end of the month my partner and I will be returning, to what has become an annual trip, to Thailand. We'll do 3 weeks on Samui with 3 nights pre/post in our favorite Bangkok. This time we'll do the "pre" at the Hotel Muse and the "post" at the Aloft (Suk. 11). We always have dinners at Gaggan (our fav!) and Baan Khanitha (more because of habit!).

We'll have 4 more nights and are considering:

FACE
Lemongrass
Kinnarree

Any advice/other recommendations? You can probably tell by the choices that we like predictable/full-service sit-downs for dinner.

For lunches: anyone got a good recommendation for dim sum?
What about Polo Fried Chicken (I understand this is kind of a hole in the wall)?
Lord Jim's lunch buffet?

2 weeks and counting... can't wait!
Thanking everyone in advance for their advice!

-David

Ps: What about the Blue Elephant (Sathorn)?

Sounds like a wonderful trip!

You have made some good choices already. Lana Thai at Face is excellent as well as atmospheric. There is also an Indian restaurant at FACE, but I found the food rather heavy.

Lemongrass is an old favorite - I've been eating there sine the 1980s. We have a meal there nearly every time we are in Bangkok.

I ate at Kinnaree once when we had a gtg there. The food was good, but nothing made me feel I had to return.

I haven't eaten at the Blue Elephant in decades. The food was interesting and well-prepared, but lacked pizzaz. So you'll have to ask them to spice it up a bit.

Have a wonderful time!

I'm not a big foodie at all...... too many food allergies to let me wander astray! But that said, I do like Kinarree. I like the atmosphere. It is a house turned into restaurant. This is on soi 8 and NOT the Kinarree you will walk past on soi 11 when going to the skytrain, btw. Although, THAT Kinaree on soi 11 is supposedly a great breakfast place in the wee hours..... (It is located at the Grand Business Inn on soi 11)

Enjoy your trip!

Welcome back and 3 weeks on Samui is a very long time so you must love it there!

Dim Sum - any of the Chinese restaurant in a 5 star hotels will have good dim sum but my favourite right now is at Ah Yat restaurant in the 3 or 4 star Ramada. Lively crowd, mostly locals with some specialties like bamboo razor clams etc.

Polo fried chicken - right now the Soi, or road, that the restaurant is on is being worked on and it's a bit dusty. I would avoid for now.

Lord Jim's buffet lunch - on a week day that's a good choice but if you are after Sunday brunch then IMO the 2 best places are the Madison at the Four Seasons (best atmosphere and food) and the Brasserie at the Kempinski (best drink on offer and food).

Blue Elephant does have a nice atmosphere but I don't like fusion Thai food. Constantly being praised at the moment is "Bo Lan" restaurant and from my visits there the food is very good and gourmet Thai cooking.

http://www.bolan.co.th/wordpress/?page_id=12

Enjoy!

I've been to both Face and Lemongrass. They are both really good choices although I'm more of a Lemongrass person than Face.

Happy Travels!

I really liked the atmosphere and food at Face, yes it's touristy but hey you are a tourist. Food was great at Lemongrass. I am with Kathie ref Kinaree. Glad I have been but nothing made me want to return.

A couple of visits ago I went to Soul Food on Soi 55 , it's run by an American guy, "Tapas" style Thai food and killer cocktails.....I really liked it.

PS Pook, the Dim Sum place you mention sounds fab, I will check it out too.

for dim sum we love liu in the Conrad hotel off wireless rd..

kineree is good---the GTG Kathy spoke about was only starters and they were average at best... the setting is nice..

we love lord jim and had a giant lunch there the day we left for home last November---held us over on the plane..

lemongrass is ok but average imo..

we love biscotti in the four seasons for lunch and dinner..

gaggan is an experience and a 1/2...

face is good but I was slightly disappointed last year.

mrs bilbar on or around soi 11 is good I am told

Mrs Balbir's... soi 9/1 I think. It's on the right just a short walk down that soi. Very good Indian food. An Indian friend took us there because it's his fave in Bangkok.

And Bo-Lan did not impress me at all.

Just checked my journal (glad I write everything down). Mrs. Balbir's is on soi 11/1.

Welcome back.
Of the ones you are thinking about. Face, the Thai side would be my choice.
Wonder if Bahn Kathina has there service together over at the Asiatique night market yet. We were there with Bob last fall and had a great tasting meal but the service was lacking a little as they had just opened a few days before and were overwhelmed. Views from the second floor are nice.
Issaya....love the ambiance set in this classic old style colonial Thai house. The food is to die for and so are the presentations. Thanks Pook for this gem.

Aloha!

I forgot about issaya....

I like the baan khanitha on soi 23 the best.... the new one at asiatique is a lovely bldg. at a good spot, and I am sure they have things running smoothly by now...

I just took our kuranosuke to Vino di Zanotti with a live jazz quartet and he loved it there. Same food as Zanotti but smaller selection and also in an old Thai house. Mark that down HT for your next visit, with me ofcourse!

http://www.zanottigroup.com/vino-di-...i-bangkok.html

And me!!

and us!!

Sounds great!

Thanks everyone! REALLY appreciate all of your suggestions.