Explore Bangkok through Eric Nam’s lens for a gastronomical adventure like no other
This
buzzing
neighbourhood
along
Sukhumvit
Road
offers
a
wide
range
of
culinary
options,
from
upscale
restaurants
to
trendy
cafes.
Top
of
your
list
should
be
Sorn,
a
Michelin-starred
restaurant
housed
in
a
restored
two-storey
mansion.
While
most
of
us
are
familiar
with
dishes
such
as
pad
thai
(stir-fried
rice
noodles)
and
green
curry
–
central
Thai
cuisine,
in
other
words
–
Sorn’s
head
chef,
Supaksorn
“Ice”
Jongsiri,
prefers
to
spotlight
southern
Thai
fare,
which
is
characterised
by
big,
bold
flavours.
Here,
chef
Ice
and
his
team
reinterpret
traditional
recipes
using
modern
techniques,
using
sustainable
ingredients
sourced
from
across
southern
Thailand.
Standout
dishes
on
the
22-course
menu
include
the
decadent
Gems
on
Crab
Stick,
which
features
blue
swimmer
crab
legs
coated
with
crab
roe.
Photo
credit:
Booking.com
Explorers
For
dessert,
head
to
ICI.BKK
for
Instagram-worthy
creations
such
as
the
Chilli
Crab,
a
cake
that
looks
impressively
like
the
real
deal.
Here,
a
“crab
claw”
is
fashioned
out
of
a
tomato
sponge
cake,
served
alongside
calamansi
mousse,
chilli
sauce
and
coffee
caramel,
and
then
garnished
with
salted
egg
crumb.
Other
noteworthy
desserts
include
the
Poodle
Doodle,
a
dog-shaped
cake
with
a
butter
cheese
frosting,
and
the
Starfish,
a
bright
yellow
creation
made
with
a
coffee-vanilla
mascarpone
mousse
and
filled
with
pineapple
compote
and
praline.
Ekkamai:
Wattana
Panich
Ekkamai
is
often
overshadowed
by
neighbouring
Thong
Lor,
but
it
certainly
holds
its
own
when
it
comes
to
food
options.
For
starters,
this
is
where
you’ll
find
Wattana
Panich,
one
of
the
most
famous
eateries
in
Bangkok.
“I’ve
heard
so
much
about
this
family-run
restaurant,
which
goes
back
generations,”
Eric
says.
“I’m
not
just
talking
about
how
long
it
has
been
around
for
–
it
also
serves
a
soup
that
has
been
cooking
for
more
than
50
years!”
The
soup
in
question
is
a
beef
broth
that
has
been
simmering
non-stop
in
an
enormous
vat
for
half
a
century.
Each
morning,
the
owners
use
some
of
the
leftover
broth
from
the
previous
day
as
a
stock
base,
adding
water
and
fresh
ingredients
–
including
nearly
10
different
Chinese
herbs
and
spices
–
to
the
mix.
The
result
is
a
rich,
flavourful
broth
used
to
make
the
eatery’s
signature
kuay
teaw
nua
(beef
noodles),
which
comes
topped
with
meatballs
and
innards.
Eric’s
verdict?
“This
has
been
50
years
very
well
spent,
and
I’m
glad
the
family
has
kept
the
recipe
unchanged,”
he
declares.
Where
to
stay:
Traditional
Thai
dishes
won’t
be
the
only
gem
you’ll
find,
as
Ekkamai’s
dynamic
blend
of
culture,
entertainment,
and
convenience
has
earned
this
neighbourhood
the
title
of
hipster
central.
Here,
you’ll
find
The
Salil
Hotel
Sukhumvit
57,
tucked
away
in
an
artful
concrete
jungle.
Silom:
Le
Du
Bangkok’s
gleaming
business
district
is
home
to
several
fine-dining
hotspots
including
Le
Du,
which
recently
topped
Asia’s
50
Best
Restaurants
2023
list.
True
to
its
name,
which
is
derived
from
the
Thai
word
for
“season”,
the
restaurant
combines
the
best
seasonal
produce
with
age-old
culinary
techniques
and
a
dash
of
modern
flair.
The
four-
and
six-course
tasting
menus
change
regularly,
but
diners
can
expect
inventive
dishes
such
as
crab
with
mushroom
and
homemade
sriracha,
aged
duck
with
kale
and
green
curry,
and
golden
snapper
with
sticky
rice.
