BANGKOK – With its bustling street food culture and mastery of spices, Bangkok is a food haven.
From savoury boat noodles to tom yum soup to sweet treats such as mango sticky rice, I am spoilt for choice in every soi, or street. On a trip to the Thai capital in August, where I spend most of my time in the central Asok neighbourhood, I shortlist five must-try F&B joints that are worth coming back to.
Best pad krapow in town: Gapow Tapae
For me, no Bangkok trip is complete without a plate of pad krapow, or meat stir-fried with holy basil, from Gapow Tapae.
A friend took me to the eatery a few years ago, and I have never failed to return on subsequent trips.
Housed in a small, air-conditioned shophouse a stone’s throw from the popular Terminal 21 mall, it specialises in pad krapow, with five levels of spice to choose from. I usually opt for level two, which is similar to a medium-spicy mala stir-fry.
Lunchtime queues can stretch beyond an hour, so it is best to avoid peak periods and their hour-long break at 3pm. Go instead around 2pm or 4pm when the wait is shortest.
The original dish is made with minced pork and topped with a fried duck egg (129 baht or S$5), but there are also chicken and beef options.
For extra crunch, I go for a combination of crispy pork belly and minced pork (219 baht), and swop the sunny-side-up for fluffy scrambled eggs instead (59 baht).
This is not the cheapest pad krapow in town, but portions are huge and the flavours are lip-smacking.
Other notable dishes include tom yum soup with crispy sea bass (219 baht). The fish is fresh and served on the side for maximum crisp, while the tangy broth comes with a generous serving of onions, tomatoes and other vegetables.
Save room for dessert. The coconut milk ice cream (50 baht) and chrysanthemum tea (35 baht), both housemade, are soothing antidotes to Bangkok’s sweltering heat.
Value for money seafood brasserie: Scuba
Scuba BKK is a modern seafood brasserie in Ekkamai, a residential area that includes trendy cafes, bars and vintage boutiques.
The restaurant lives up to its marine moniker. Live lobsters and king crabs greet us from tanks, while dry-aged turbot and hake hang in display fridges. A decorative aquarium channels the movie Finding Nemo (2003), with blue tangs, yellow foxfaces and orange clownfish.
The three-course weekday set lunch (1,150 baht; 990 baht for two courses) is value for money. The starter is a juicy platter of oysters, whelks and Obsiblue shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce.
My main of mariniere mussels bursts with the richness of a white wine and butter sauce. Even after polishing off the mussels, the sauce is too good to waste, so I mop up the remnants with pommes frites, or fries.
A pot of mussels bursting with white wine and butter sauce, served with fries at Scuba BKK.
PHOTO: YEO SAM JO
Dessert is an Earl Grey creme brulee, a lovely blend of bergamot and caramelised custard.
From the a la carte menu, go for the horse mackerel sashimi (1,490 baht), which comes as a whole, delicately deconstructed fish and is enough to share. The mackerel’s pink, silken flesh goes wonderfully with the accompanying sauce – a wickedly tasty green concoction of aji amarillo (a Peruvian chilli pepper), coriander and briny clams.
Whole deconstructed horse mackerel sashimi paired with a tangy Peruvian aji amarillo sauce, alongside a chilled seafood platter at Scuba BKK.
PHOTO: YEO SAM JO
I pair my meal with a potent Scuba dirty martini (320 baht) fashioned from lobster fat-washed gin and garnished with an anchovy and pickled green chilli.
Hearty Spanish food: Cante at Canopy
One of the city’s newest dining spots is Cante, a Spanish fire grill and taberna at Canopy Bangkok Sukhumvit, a Hilton property that opened in August.
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