cakegal

We are all set for our wedding trip in August and I am now just trying to plan the details-most importantly, food. I have a few ideas and would love some help filling in the blanks.
Monday
arrive very late- snacks at the River Bar at The Peninsula.

Tuesday-
lunch at Jim Thompson house
cockails-Oriental hotel
dinner- need a suggestion for a romantic restaurant with great Thai food-maybe a teak house or something with a river view?

Wednesday
lunch-Chote Chitr
cocktails-?
Dinner- we would love to eat at Jok's Kitchen but I don't know how to get a reservation. Should I just email the hotel concierge, or is there a better way? If we can't go there, what is a good alternative?

Thursday
lunch in Chinatown-any suggestions for specific spots in the market?
drinks- Vertigo
dinner- we are completely open- suggestions for a great last night in Bangkok?

When we leave Bangkok, we will head up to the Golden Triangle for our wedding. We want to leave the Anantara and eat in the nearby town (is that Chiang Saen?) I only remember seeing one restaurant, but are there more? Which would you recommend?
Thanks!

Hanuman

Hi Cakegal,

Tuesday - if you're having cocktails at the Oriental then I suggest a Thai dinner with classical Thai dancing at the Oriental Sala Rim Naam. It will fit all of your requirement as well. http://www.mandarinoriental.com/bang...sala_rim_naam/

Wednesday - cocktail at 360 in the nearby Hilton. Dinner, I can get you a reservation at Jok but it's impossible for me to describe the direction there for you and I'm afraid that for a foreigner it will be almost impossible for you to find. I would not be surprise either if the concierge at the Penn does not know about the place and it's normally booked a month or two ahead of time but I can get you in. Even with a map, like from the latest Bangkok Post review - http://www.bangkokpost.com/leisure/r...worth-the-wait you will not be able to find it since "Jok", depending on how it's pronounce, is often referred to as a Chinese rice porridge dish and there are many, many such restaurant where the actual "Jok" restaurant is situated. I could preorder the food for you too since they don't speak much English there.

If you want I can make a reservation there for you so let me know how many people and the time and if you can't find it then head over to the nearby Yaowarat(China town) and enjoy one of the restaurant there or the numerous street food on the main road.

Thursday,

If you're having drinks at Vertigo in the Banyan Tree then I suggest a restaurant around that area as well. What do you like? Italian, French, Thai, Chinese, Japanese...?

Sadly I will be in either Kenya, Hokkaido(Japan) or West Australia when you visit or we could have a GTG at Jok!

simpsonc510

I would have much prefered Sky Bar to Vertigo for cocktails with a view, but that's just me. Sky Bar was voted amongst the top ten most beautiful bars in the world a couple of years ago. I forget which magazine it was.

I am sure hanuman's suggestions are good ones. It is too bad you will not get to meet him. He is a super representative of his city of Bangkok!

I note you are not thinking of restaurant options in the Sukhumvit area. I would include Kinnaree on Sukhumvit soi 8. It is in a Thai house with dining inside and out. We have eaten here a number of times as we stay on soi 8 when in Bangkok. The menu is Thai food. Everything we've had has been good. Dining outside might be more 'romantic' for you, but this would depend on the weather.

Another option might be the Long Table restaurant on Suk soi 16. It's about 30 floors up, and yes, there is a lo-n-g table, but there are also individual tables. The bar area is also a nice place to eat. The view is lovely!! I would think one of the tables outside, with the view, would be very special.

Enjoy your time in Thailand!!!

cakegal

Hanuman, thank you so much We would love for you to make us a reservation. I'm sorry we will miss you, but it sounds like you will be off on some amazing trips.
The date we would like to eat at Jok's is 11 August, around 8pm and we will be 2 people. Is it possible to send a private message with my information on this site?

Thanks you for the other suggestions. The dinner at the Oriental looks very nice. I had looked at it before but didn't know if the food was good.
For our last night we would love another Thai food suggestion. Last time I was in Bangkok I enjoyed Ruen Mallika-maybe something with a similar feel. If it is more convenient we could have drinks at Sirocco instead. I've been there before, but I want to show my fiance one of the bars with a view.
Thank you for your suggestions!

Kathie

Ruen Malika was going to be one of my suggestions. The other Thai house I'd recommend is Lana Thai at Face. look here: www.facebars.com and click on Bangkok. You will be able to access the menu at Lana Thai and at their Indian place, Hazara (I thought it wasn't as good as the Thai). They also have a charming spa and you can see the spa menu.

Hanuman

cakegal,

You can email me at [email protected]. One thing about the open roof-top bars in August - it could rain!

Curt1591

I thought part of the "charm" of Jok's Kitchen was that he made up the menu, daily, based on what he thought was his best finds. Maybe those were the single table days!

Ironically, my brother-in-law came away with a severe allergic reaction. Nothing wrong with the food; just one of those freak things.

rnjd600

Hello,
My friend and I were also hoping to go to Jok's Kitchen. Will someone speak English if I call the phone number? We will be in Bangkok from August 11th to the 14th, celebrating the end of the Bar exam!

rhkkmk

i second the suggestion of face....it is a beautiful setting at night especially and the food is good...an easy taxi ride to soi 39 sukhumvit...

for less formal dining after drinks at the oriental would be tongue thai right in back of the hotel....the chicken cashew there is the best we have had anywhere!! it is on the soi directly in back of OP Place which is directly behind the oriental...

the 360 bar at the hilton is a great take with the best views up and down the river....go just before sunset!!

i much prefer vertigo to sky bar... you can also eat in that hotel--lots of choices...

i also love biscotti in the four seasons, but it is modern italian.... a drink in the lobby before hand is really charming....need res here.....go to vertigo after dinner for drinks or a bottle of wine....??

at the jim thompson house make sure to order the pomelo salad, the best in bkk, imo...

personally i would skip the lunch at CC....the owner is unfriendly and i found the food only to be so so... try the buffet at lord jim at the oriental instead or dim sum at the liu rest. at the conrad hotel instead...

Hanuman

rnjd600,

I doubt it but the owner's(Jok) daughter might speak some being a recent college graduate. The trouble is it's often one of the staff who pick up the phone but I guess it will not hurt to try. As I've said before the problems you will have is actually finding the place. The map in the Bangkok Post article is useless and the restaurant is semi-hidden in a small walking street in China Town.

Hanuman

I've made an attempt at putting Jok restaurant on Google map so hope it will help you guys: http://maps.google.co.th/maps/ms?ie=...dba35ad42c849c

rnjd600

Thanks Hanuman,
Is there a better way for us to get a reservation?

Thanks for the map.

Smeagol

I love the sky bar and it's a must visit for us when in BKK.

Craig

Go to the sky bar for cocktails but dress well (no sandels, shorts etc.) and bring lots of baht.

rhkkmk

go to both vertigo and sky bar and tell us which you like best

cakegal

Thank you all for the wealth of information! We are getting married the day after we leave Bangkok and I have no idea how I'll fit in my wedding dress with all of these great meals! I did forget to mention that I am a chef. I don't know if that would change your thoughts on where we should eat.
I have been to SkyBar, but it sounds like we should hit both there and Vertigo and compare. What's one more cocktail?
Hanuman, thank you for your help. I will email you soon.

Simpson, Long Table looks gorgeous and their bar food menu is really interesting. We will definitely have to have at least a snack and drink there.
Kathie, Something like Lana Thai is exactly what I had in mind. Thanks! Do you remember the names of any good restaurants near the Anantara?
rhkkmk-thanks for all of the suggestions! I had the pomelo salad at JT house last time I was in Bangkok and that is one of the reasons I want to return there! I keep hearing mixed reviews on CC. Does any else want to give their opinion?

One other question... We will be taking care of the paperwork to get married our first day in Bangkok. This involves an appointment at the American Embassy, then taking our paperwork to a translator, and then registering it at the amphur. Do you think this will be easy to do on our own, or should we hire a guide/translator to accompany us?

Kathie

We all have different tastes.

We love Chote Chitr. Their mee krob (which I used to think of as Thai junk food) is a revelation. We try to get there each time we go to Bangkok, but last time they were closed for the day we had available.

On the other hand, we've only eaten once at Tongue Thai and were not impressed. We found the food pretty bland. We were with Bob and Karen and even though they love the place, they felt the food wasn't up to TT's usual standards. That said, I think restaurants in SE Asia can be pretty variable - great one day, not so great the next.

When we were at the Anantara, just a month after they opened, our choices were the hotel restaurant or the hotel's Italian restaurant. The Thai food was excellent when we were there. BTW, we always specify the level of spiciness we want, as restaurants often make the food less spicy hot for visitors, thinking they are doing you a favor.

rhkkmk

we found the restaurants quite lacking around anantara... we went to one joint called the thai kitchen which was only fair....

not a bad idea to have a translator for your day in bkk... i suspect without things might move very slowly...

simpsonc510

Do you already have an established appointment at the embassy? I had to go there to add pages to my passport, and it took more time than I had thought it would. They speak English there, so I'm not sure you need someone to interpret (probably not). I'm just hoping you will have an established appointment time! DS also had dealings w/the embassy when his passport came up missing back in April, and he was scheduled to fly home about about a week later. It all worked out, but it took several days to get it all done! It sounds like you are well prepared with an understanding of all of the papers that you need to file and with whom, for your wedding. I hope it all goes like clockwork for you!

Yes, the bar food at Long Table is great! That's where I've dined there. DS has been to both the bar and also sitting at the long table in the main restaurant. I think the views from the outdoor seating in the bar area would be the best!!! Certainly more romantic for you.

Carol

Curt1591

On the chance that you might try hunting down Jok's on your own, this map might be beneficial; http://tinyurl.com/27qexyq

Personally, I think it's the kind of place better enjoyed with a local host.