Two Bangkok restaurants face each other on soi Cowboy, Old Dutch, left, Corner Place, right. Which is the author's favourite? Read below.
I'm kind of unhappy about the fact that I failed to take very many picture of my meals. I love food shots on webs sites but I guess I was so mission-hungry sometimes that I forgot about my always-present point-and-shoot camera. Sometimes I only had my iPhone camera but it does take a good shots of static subjects, such as meals. Meals tend to stay put. And the camera has image stabilization function. So if I'm well oiled, the Canon SD850is makes up for shaky moments.
Sukhumvit Road is kind of the spine of Tourist Bangkokl. It runs roughly northwest to southeast, with a bit of it running east-west. It's an old city so don't expect the kind of engineering marvels represented by plumb lines and surveyors laser 'scopes. Suk is claimed to be the longest street in Thailand. It goes from soi 0 in the west to I don't know how many soi 100+ in the east. From 0 to whatever, you can eat any hour of the day or night. On the street. Off the street are many more single-cart vendors to what I call open kitchens (restaurants but with open frontages and typical plastic chairs and tables that are rounded up each night) to fancier sit-down meals in air-con conditions to mass-market fast-food eateries that blight some blocks and malls of Bangkok.
A few of my faves off the street:
*Darn if I can remember the name of a Japanese owned resto with western and Asian food up Thong Lor (soi 55), lefthand side, about 100 metres. Unusual takes on western and eastern foods. Kind of a fusion style but, well, you'll have to try it. But let me mention the outstanding drip coffee they serve for 80 baht. Yummmm. A friend told me about this place near end of my 7-months stay. (I will seek the proper name and insert it.)
Looking back to Sukhumvit, this is alley leading to Gunn's Lady Apartments. On the left is great espresso bar, right is great pork noodle soup. It's also great spot to watch apartment dwellers come and go, ahem.
*Between 53 and 55 (odd soi's on north side of street), under the Thong Lor Skytrain platform, is a narrow alley leading to Lady Gunn Apartments. I can assure you there were lots of ladies in and out of that apartment. I know because I spent many an hour there in the outdoor cafeteria style tables eating great pork noodle soup, sliced chicken on bed of rice and Thai espresso. As you enter this subsoi, on the left there's rice and chicken vendor, then pans of pre-cooked food, then noodle soup lady; on right as you enter is espresso/juices/drinks bar and then tables. Each side is covered for rain/sun. Two laundry machines sat at the far end.
*Heading inbound to soi 24 (south side) is Emporium, a high-end mall with expensive jewelry and clothing, and occasionally discount stuff. But the fifth floor holds a huge food court, where fave Burger King resides. Just before I left, Mosburger, a Japanese burger chain (I'm not making this up), r just moved in and will probably take customers from BK. Mos offers a huge selection of burgers, regular as well as those made from tofu, vegetables, salads, etc. Yep, I'm not making this up. I know guys who love this stuff. I never got a chance to try it. Also there's Sunrise Tacos. (I was warned off this shop.) There's another recommended one in a plaza past soi 14 and Times Square Building. I had some good beef there, but otherwise, quite unremarkable. Manager though speaks perfect English.
Just some of staff at Londoner, plus Danish customer who shows up in many of my pix. These t-shirts are old uniforms. They're now wearing smart black outfits and camel coloured vests, except the beefeater hostess girls, Racky and Pat, left to right.
*Soi 33 corner (almost across from 24, but a little more inbound) is the site of my most visited bar-restaurant, the Londoner. The western and Thai food is excellent, and the German brewmaster's house-brewed Pilsner is better than average. He admits he'd like to tune up the bitterness, which I approve, but it would turn off many Thai and some western customers. Yes, many Thais go there. It's a barn-size of a place, not my preference generally, but staff are great.
A Toronto friend introduced me to the place and all his friends there, which has been a wonderful experience. I ended up hanging out with these guys and gals my entire time in Bangkok. The bar has 99 baht a beer Mondays, half-price food Tuesdays and 2-for-1 booze Wednesdays. The entire week, from 5 to 7 p.m., it's 2-for-1 beer happy hour. But the downside is, the food and booze is extremely expensive, except on specials nights. The house Pilsner and and Creamy Bitter is 160 baht a pint. That's $5 Cdn. Thai meals are the cheapest but still way too expensive, at 160 baht and up. Western meals are 200 baht and the sky's the limit. As an example, a Pilsner and meal would easily hit 500 baht. And the Londoner charges the VAT on top of the prices!
There it is on the signboard, breakfast for 130 baht, but including biscuits and gravy. Must be an American thing. Or is it English? Inset picture, lower left, of burgers being grilled for free Sunday lunch.
*Just before soi 22, is an alley leading to Washington Square, which curls around to soi 22, down soi. You will find very good food in this sort of second-tier bar street. The Silver Dollar serves a free lunch on Sundays and good meals from a limited menu. It's where I had what I thought was the best western breakfast in Thailand. Eggs, fried potatoes in onions and lots of bacon for 100 - 130 baht, depending on the day's signboard. I and friends have eaten other meals there and were rather impressed. Next door is Texas Lonestaar (image right), which does a free lunch on Saturdays. I have not eaten there otherwise.
*Farther along is the very good Bourbon Street (image left), which specializes in Cajun and Mexican foods. Had my best hamburger there. And farther along and around a corner is Hare and Hound (image right). Eaten there four or five times and it was always very good, especially brekkie.
*Speaking of soi 14, go down soi 20 metres and dead ahead and slightly right, is another open kitchen with really good food, but bad service. Had larb gai there. Ummm, ummm. That's a salad-like Isaan food with really spicy meat. Can be chicken (gai) or pork (muu). You can order it a little bit spicy (phet nid noi).
*Got ahead of myself geographically . . . back outbound and across Sukhumvit is Asok and soi 23, which leads to the soi Cowboy go-go bar district. The latter, by day, is a busy little street that leads to the MRT subway stop, Asok. Both Asok corner and soi Cowboy also have numerous on-street vendors but also several restaurants.
Bought some really nice spring rolls and sweet sauce at Asok corner one afternoon, just outside the MRT entrance. Also had fried breaded banana slices. Ummm, good. But these food vendors quit in the evening and make way for the illegal booze bars that operate all night at Asok corner. See the colourful umbrellas of the food sellers in the image at left. The booze bars open around 11 p.m. and remain till 4 or 5 a.m.
The Corner Bar, also known among us as Tiger's Bar (Chinese-Thai owner's nickname), although I think its official name is something I cannot remember. Great food.
At the corner of 23 and Cowboy is Old Dutch restaurant and Corner Bar, across from each other on Cowboy. I really didn't much like the food at the Old Dutch, although the English brekkie was dependable (and expensive, 195 baht). The Corner Bar, which I think has another name or two, has really good Chinese-Thai food, 40 and 50 baht. Rice and noodle dishes, with good stire-fried vegetables and meats. I ate there two to five times a week. By far my favourite place.
*Now back across Suk and inbound to soi 8 is Soi 8 Bar, a New Zealander owned place, with a very personable owner. Very good and bountiful food and well priced drinks, especially at happy hour. Customers there are mostly foreigners, well dressed and well behaved. But still a casual place, with friendly, well trained staff. The latter is not common in the town. It offers a free barbecue food on Friday nights. But be there by the start at 7 p.m. because once the last customer is served, they close the grill.
I'll try to add more here as I remember them, but this is a pretty complete list of my memorable food haunts. Of course, I've eaten at the giant MBK and Fortune Town IT malls, Huay Kwang market, Siam Square, but not the food court at Siam Paragon which people compliment, and too many other places.
Happy eating!
