great american rib co.

it tastes like america. it feels like a wannabe applebee's inside with a ton of factory-made college pennants, but the food is definitely the real deal (it is really good bbq for american standards), with some great german beers on tap. oh yeah, we can do it the american way...gluttony.
i highly recommend 'the feast' that serves about 4-5 people that has "butt-kicking chicken," a rack of ribs, pulled pork, pepper-pastrami pork tenderloin, baked beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw, curly fries, potato salad, and jalapeno (yes, actual jalapeno in thailand!) cornbread. ah yes, the american way of meat and carbs in american-sized portions (we 5 americans couldn't finish it all - there's a half feast available, too).
everything was delicious, but i liked the ribs best and thought the pastrami pork tenderloin was on the drier side. their smoking and marinating process makes all their meat super juicy and flavorful. of course we had starters and dessert and drinks, too. potato skins were a greasy, cheesy, tasty mess. bread pudding was rich and creamy. i now see why we have an obesity problem in the states.i got so excited about the food, i forgot to take a pic until halfway through. we jumped on this like velociraptors.

great american rib co.
2 locations: sukhumvit soi 36 and ram intra soi 57
starters and entrees 200+.

webby: http://www.greatrib.com/web/index.html

green acres is the place to be

oliver: the chores!
zsa zsa (i can't remember her character's name): the stores!
oliver: fresh air!
zsa zsa: times sqvare!

sorry, zsa zsa, oliver wins on this one. green acres at suan luang rama IX are awesome! the heavyweight king 'suan luang' measuring in at a whopping 200 acres kicks your garden's ass. this place features:
an homage to his majesty, botanical gardens, rommaniya garden, the reservoir, the sanan rasdara, and a water garden. who knows what half those things mean, but it practically looks like having a ton of things to walk around and look at.
especially this year, since the king is getting up in years, the park has more special displays and flowers. it's easy to spend a whole day here. food vendors and some craft stands are around, too (of course, would it be thai without them?) i wish we weren't blocking the beautiful scenery. poo.
merit tent which patrons can visit and earn some extra-leisurely merit.gourd tunnel. what else can you say about it?


suan luang rama IX (king's park). sukhumvit 103 (udomsuk) nongbon pravej bangkok 10260
hours 6a-6p; entrance fee 15B
you can get there cheap via songtaew (covered pick-up) from seacon square.

not your average ooooooklahoma

whenever i hear the phrase "dinner theater," a distant memory from a high school school orchestra trip to st. louis resurfaces: a bland dinner on a ferry boat (i.e. you can't get off) while watching a poor production of 'oklahoma!' accompanied by synthesizer. i don't search dinner theaters out.

rest assured, studio 9 patravadi theatre in the old city is nothing like 'oklahoma!' 3 major selling points to studio 9:
1. good thai and thai fusion food. i highly recommend the banana flower salad, the paprika chicken, and the magic chicken (translated from thai, it means "miraculous chicken").
2. thai traditional and contemporary art forms mixed to create original performances. i've seen acrobatic interpretive dance and an interpretation of eve and the serpent using thai dance and puppetry as well. the larger patravadi theatre is a great center for fostering thai performing arts and encouraging new works. i likey. when you come to studio 9, your show is included in the price of your meal.
3. it is super comfortable and hip and overlooking the chao phraya river. in case you happen to hate good food and entertainment, you'll at least enjoy being there. sleek and modern decor.

one waiter totally hit on dave. and when dave gasped when the acrobat made a drop-move, he made a point of coming over and saying, "don't worry, it's only show!"

it's only show!!
studio 9 (patravadi theatre). 69/1 soi wat rakang, arun amarain, siriraj, bangkok (across the chao phraya river).
since it is kind of confusing, there's a little map below.
entrees btw 100-300.
open sun-thur 11am-10pm, fri & sat 11am to midnight. performances fri & sat @ 7:30pm. make a reservation and ask for a table near the river. (02)866 2144

webby: www.patravaditheatre.com

a hundred children...and some teak furniture

a hundred children

before going in, i had walked by "a hundred children" a couple times and always wondered, "what is this place and why is it called 'a hundred children.'" well, i at least know the answer to one of those questions: it's an "inspired chinese furniture store and coffee & tea corner."
it's a nice stop-in joint to get refreshed, with some (but not a lot) of seating, and i'm actually not sure how much of the seating/decor is for sale (i bet all of it); their second floor is all merch. they've got the standard coffee and espresso drinks, some pastries, and several chinese teas available, too. teas come in a set for two including a couple cookies and a full pot (150B), so sorry loners. i got one by myself and didn't feel one bit guilty about it. they'll also refill your hot water if you like.
bathroom definitely gets a mention. thick, rustic wooden doors that close by a giant plank you slide through (like an old castle). the toilet is completely rectangular and you retrieve your toilet paper from a terracotta, impish-looking child. and the sink faucet is a carved teak dragon head. i could spend all day in there.
i had to take a shot of something in the bathroom. it's too unique:a hundred children. sukhumvit soi 14. underneath the asoke BTS.
drinks between 60-150. operation mon-sat 9am-9pm
webby: www.royalteakltd.com

dubliner in thailander

how could i not post about our favorite pub in all of this great city? the dubliner is irish-owned, with a real pub feel (translate: very masculine); i know not one person who doesn't love this place. 3 floors of dark, blocky wood tables chairs, irish decor and pool tables up at the top story. sometimes they even have an occasional irish band come play.

drinkies: wide range of imported beers - stella, paulaner, kilkenny, erdinger, corona, hefeweizen, guinness...you get it. standard thai beers, too - singha, leo, etc. handful of red and white wines by glass or bottle, too.

eats: burgers are (i'm guessing) more irish-style, meaning that they're not just beef, there's some other carby filling in the patty. they are large and in charge, just not traditional american style. other irish/western food offered, too, in the form of fish & chips, salads, sandwiches, steaks, etc. also a handful of thai dishes for those wanting an imported beer with their curry.

sweets: sticky toffee pudding is amazing, served hot with ice cream and oozing molten caramel. good enough to get even when you're full up to the throat. the apple thing is really delish, too (though i can't remember what it's called).

oh, we are indeed enjoying it.

dubliner. on sukhumvit, between soi 22 and 24.
drinks 100-300B, entrees 200-400B, desserts 200ish.
web-ers delight: www.dublinerbangkok.com

tamarind cafe: all things to all (vegetarian) people - CLOSED

tamarind cafe

UPDATE: WENT BY LAST WEEKEND (8/3/08) AND THE PLACE IS CLOSED AND GUTTED. where did you go?

mixy mixy.
is tamarind a restaurant or gallery? is it casual or hip? is it eastern or western? the answer is yes; all of the above.

tamarind cafe has a definite western aesthetic (california hip) with a hint of eastern flare (i.e. only in the west do we fashion our food into vertical structures - they even have a dish called "tower of babel"). the vegetarian menu is good and definitely a good eat, though on the blander side of vegetarian cuisine. though, perhaps i'm getting too accustomed to the flavor-packed thai palate. the only thing that discourages me from coming more often is that the prices are about as oversized as the seating (again, re: thailand).

here's the skinny:
@ drinkies- mojitos lacked the punch of lime, mint, and rum. the two that ordered the mojitos ordered other drinks after. velvet underground was a mango smoothie with a hint of mint and a tiny beety bitter bite. i loved it (anything that has beets in it definitely gets a try).
@ appetizer: crispy mushroom with spicy sauce. crispy mushrooms lived up to its name. spicy sauce did not. but, still enjoyable. malaysian quesadilla, which is actually more like a stuffed roti was very nice. peanutty, robust, and comforting; flavored just right to lull you to sleep and give you dreams of home (your malaysian home, that is).
@ mains: green falafel sandwich pita was pretty much like any other falafel pita you could get, though a little lighter, though still one of the heartier items on the menu.
@ after-sweets: lemon cheesecake, which was actually lime, was a tiny, tart portion with a thick, crumbly crust but very good. it didn't last long. chocolate cake with ice cream was nice, but nothing spectacular or memorable (did it have ice cream?). tamarind cafe & gallery f-stop, 27 sukhumvit soi 20, closest BTS @ asoke.
appetizers ~ 150B+, entrees ~ 200B+, desserts ~200B, drinks ~100B+
webby: http://www.tamarind-cafe.com/

bittersweet

bitter brown

there's something intrinsically inviting about bitter brown. tucked a little into asoke court with dark teaks, earthy greens and browns, contemporary art lining the walls, international easy listening playing in the background, you can't help but feel like a piece of eclectic, woodsy california is pulling you in, "the earth is calling you to return to it..." (that sounded a lot creepier than i intended).

most of their cuisine is euro-american - spaghettis, briskets, confit, etc. not extensive, but diverse enough to be interesting. their drink menu is similar - lattes, italian soda, teas, etc. it fits the general mood of the place: "simple".

though small, bitter brown is parsed in two halves - one half restaurant, one half coffee shop. restaurant-side is dark wood, craftsman-style blocky tables and chairs. coffee shop-side is a mix of eccentric comfy couches and chairs, with even a couple mats with triangle pillows for those who prefer to resume a supine position. across the driveway is a small outdoor courtyard with chairs and benches around a koi pond and pool lined by tropical shade trees. have your drink out there if you can manage the heat.
one place with three incarnations. makes any of us who are easily distracted feel a little more cared for.

bitter brown. @ asoke ct on asoke rd (sukhumvit soi 21), before the millennium grand hotel. exit MRT subway at the sukhumvit station. drinks around 30-100B, entrees 100-300B.

wrong side of the river

damnoen saduak floating market

hearkening back to the thai days of old when daily life centered around canals and rivers and boating was a major form of transportation, damnoen saduak floating market has preserved a microcosm of thai traditional life along the river...plus a few hundred foreigners.more than anything, damnoen saduak is a good photo spot, catching vendors selling from hand-paddled longboats. there are also some decent eats from boat vendors. but, i'd recommend heading to other places to get a more authentic taste of thailand.i was surprised at how small the floating market is: take a stroll down both sides of the canal and you'll be back to your starting point in half-an-hour. in general, i was underwhelmed by the place; it felt a little contrived and hokey, like people dressed as wenches and peasants for a renaissance fair. you could buy your typical tzatchkis here, though you'll get a better price for the same things at any other market in bangkok. and after 10am the canal was a boat-to-boat jam of all the longboats of foreigners in the canal. i'm not sure how true this is, but a curious anecdote about damnoen saduak i learned from my thai studies is that it's a bit like the shepherdsons and grangerfords of huck finn. apparently, the two banks of the canal have feuded for years, creating a competitive and self-serving culture. after visiting amphawa floating market, just 13km away, i realized what a floating market could be. go there instead.

thai francophiles rejoice!

savoury gastrocafe

any place that has "gastrocafe" in it's name has to be worthy of a check out. (also, any place with really plush seating is worthy of a check out).

savoury gastrocafe is the meeting of many contradictory things: s.e. asia meets france. utilitarian meets frivolity, clean, definite lines meets velvety sofas. and i LIKE it.
it ended up being a nice find since we weren't expecting much in the food court of siam paragon, but this little philippe starck-esque cafe was a perfect place to relax for a few hours while sipping iced drinks . all the food other patrons were eating was a little hard to not stare at. most of their food is less fusion and more separate-but-equal thai and french-esque.
i'm definitely going again. high marks on everything:
- environment - one of the only restaurants i've found that prefers silence over background music, options for seating, mid-bright lighting, waiters are attentive but let you do your thing.
- eats - delish. by biggest beef with fusion food is that it can often just mean blander, but all of the entrees and desserts were rich and delicious. pan-fried baby sea bass with herbed butter was well-seasoned (yeah, i sopped up all the butter. sue me.). duck confit was a fantastic combination of crispy duck served with grilled eggplant, squash and such.
- desserts. oh, the desserts. you could go for just desserts. the almond dacquois was fantastic - very nutty, moist, perfect ratio of pastry-to-cream-to-fresh-fruit. flourless chocolate cake was decadent. crunchy almond meringue with candied almonds layered with a smooth, light custard was divine, though you can't eat it without completely destroying it. the strawberry millefeuille 3 flaky layers of pastry, berries, and cream were light topping a generous lake of strawberry melba sauce.
sweet pea flower lemonade was light and pure and blue until you add the lime juice.
almond dacquois, with fresh fruit and fresh strawberry puree. sweet pea lemonade (which is actually limeade) behind.

savoury gastrocafe: lowest level of siam paragon in siam square. drinks around 100-200B, entrees around 250+B, desserts 100-200B.