Think Thonglor is becoming too chaotic for you? Head on to the more low-key but equally vibrant Sathorn 10 area, Bangkok’s newest gourmet hub.
by Rich Kantita.
Restaurant owners have been seeking out a new hub to escape the familiar Thonglor as many are fed up with the never-ending traffic and pedestrian crossings that makes it all too chaotic. Thankfully, there’s now the more low-key but equally vibrant Sathorn, which is the upcoming new foodie playground in the city, accessible between BTS Chong Nonsi and the Surasak stations and reachable by foot between the Soi. In addition, BTS plans to open another exit in between the two stations which will most certainty make this new foodie central become even busier. Sathorn CBD has a good mix of crowd, locals on the Charoenkrung side and expats along Sathorn Road, which keeps the area busy with new restaurant openings one after another. In the meantime, here are some new places to check out in this booming Sathorn area:
Lady Brett Tavern
The classic New York tavern style restaurant was one of the first to locate at the Sathorn business center. Dressed in leather, dark wood, and glistening dimmed light, it is easily a place to sit back and relax and enjoy the drinks and some great list of dishes on the menu.
Eat: Fired up with binchotan hardwood, the Josper BBQ oven selection is the right thing to do. Chicken, seafood, pork, or Australian Black Angus beef, or go big with the signature, 800g Dry Aged Tomahawk served with creamy spinach and roast garlic. These are only a few to start with. Burgers are also in the mix.
Drink: Lady Brett offers a great list of cocktails and wine for food pairing. Best to ask the waiters for recommendations. As for the classics, there’s the Hemingway Tribute, Classica Collection, and more.
Visit: Open daily from 5 p.m. till midnight (149 Sathorn 12, 02 635 0405)
Chu
Have you ever heard of chocolate heaven? From their first branch at Asoke, Chu opened its second home at the Silom-Sathorn area. Both branches have the same design and menu; they simply want to reach out to the other side.
Eat: Not only is Chu they known for chocolate. There is a delicious selection of burgers, pasta, and dessert to indulge in too. Start light with “Eggs Benedict with Back Bacon” that is perfectly round and cooked at the right level of medium-well, on top of the bacon. Dig deeper with the juicy “BBQ Pulled Pork Burger” while wrapping up in strings with “Crab Linguine with Lemon & Chili.” Don’t miss out on the dessert: the “Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava” is to die for.
Drink: Chocolate, it seems, would be only the right thing to do here but there are different flavors and levels of chocolate to indulge on. We recommend the “Mexican Chili Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow” that will make you come back for more. The richness of the chocolate perfectly soothes the chili flavor, making it hot but not too heavy to sip on. Coffee is also in the mix and mocha tastes differently from the typical mocha. Their “Dark Chocolate” brings out the coffee flavor to an entirely new level.
Visit: Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (1st Floor No. 150, Soi Pipat 2, Silom Road, 026 368 685)
Sorrento
Twenty six years of being “Salute by Sorrento,” and moving its location aound Bangkok from Silom to Sathorn, this second generation Sorrento is perhaps the best back-to-the basics but with a tad of new techniques up their sleeves. Not only is Sorrento one of the first Italian restaurants in Bangkok, it has chef and staff who have been working there for over 20 years. Because they consider the restaurant their home, guests are are welcomed to dine with the warmest, friendliest of service.
Eat: “Authentic mix of the Old with the New World, dishes here recalls eating from a home-cooked meal by your very hip grandmother,” one of the partners describes Sorrento, and we agree. Highly recommended is “Pizza Zalute” with stuffed mascarpone, mozzarella, parmigiana, and white truffle oil. Try the “Linguine Alle Vongole,” which makes a delightful seafood pasta. Finish the dining experience rightfully with “Panna Cotta” dusted with fresh Madagascar vanilla.
Drink: Created by the very talented Diageo competitor from South Africa, the award-winning cocktail that is part of the menu is called, “The Butterfly Effect.” For those more in favor of mocktails, rest assured that they make superb ones that do not taste like the basic fruit juice. Nevertheless, sticking to what Italians is best known for: wine and dine, is your best choice. There is a wide range of wines to choose from.
Visit: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (till midnight on Friday-Saturdays), Valet service available (Sathorn Soi 10, 02-234-9933)
Luka Café
This café is all things chic and friendly. How friendly? Even dogs are welcome inside and owners get assistance in controlling their pets and avoid them disturbing other costumers. Also a furniture store (by Casa Pagoda), it is no wonder that the café has that character: every piece is vintage, artsy, and unique. There is even a soon-to-be opened showroom on top of the building, so expect to view some incredible paintings here soon.
Eat: The all-day-breakfast is a good blend of healthy and comfort food. The idea came from an American-born Thai-Japanese partner who understands what gourmet eaters’ want: delicious food that pleases both the eyes and the palate. The burrito wrap is stuffed with healthy ingredients while retaining the fast-food appeal of bacon, eggs, and cheese; and served with a fresh tomato salsa that helps start the day right. Burger is a good choice as well.
Drink: One of Luka’s partners handles the importation of Tea Atelier, which is the café’s main tea product, and noted for its wide range of flavors and different brewing styles. Tea Atelier blends its own tea, and a popular brew is the cold tea, which is made unheated and left to sit for over eight hours to reach the right amount of strength. We recommend the White Flower Tea, which can only be found here! Their coffee — local coffee is from Ceresia and imported coffee is from Portugal and Brazil — is also a must-order!
Visit: Open daily, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. -7 p.m. during weekends (Thanon Pan Road, Sathorn, 02 637 8558)
Kumi
In Congolese, means “ten,” which refers to the restaurant being in Sathorn Soi 10. In Japanese, the word means “together.” Kumi is not entirely a fusion restaurant and the menu is heavily based on organic and fresh ingredients with some exotic ingredients such as rice and quinoa, used in South America, as the fusion side of it. The restaurant mainly serves light dishes, vegetarian, and vegan food but also has a good range for dining. Most of the ingredients are organic material (about 70-80 percent), as it is actually difficult to find 100 percent organic products from suppliers in Thailand.
Eat: A fast food joint but with quality, healthy ingredients and very few heavy dishes, this healthy corner is a great place to head to for a pleasurable meal. We recommend “Goat Cheese Vegetarian Millefeuille”, “Mediterranean Breakfast Set,” “Organic Berry Rice with Seabass Fillet,” and “Passion Fruit Mascarpone” for dessert.
Drink: Fresh-pressed juices are the best alternative to coffee that can give you a real boost for both your health and diet. Try the “Green & Tender” if you enjoy sourly taste or the “Watermelon Beetroot” for a more soothing splash.
Visit: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., kitchen closes at 9:30 p.m. (71/1 Sathorn Soi 10, 02-635-3673)
Revolucion Cocktail
Bringing funky-style to the remix of Sathorn, Revolucion Cocktail offers more than just good drinks. Although the drinks itself is its own signature and gimmick with the Aztec glasses, fire-blazing shots, the Che Guevara graffiti on the wall also takes us back to the oldschool style. Lining up with many exciting events such as Disney Trash night, which is not cute and cuddling like the cartoon, Ladies Night, Friday After Work and more.
Eat: We recommend the revolucion pizza, bikini sandwich, and revolucion ceviche for the selection of tapas from Revolution Cocktail. Coming soon is “Clandestino Cantina,” a mix of Mediterranean and Latin American food on the second floor. The awardwinning Italian chef and the very talented Mexican chef create dishes that suit the cozy atmosphere of the place.
Drink: Signature drink includes “Lemon Tart Martini,” which is refreshing and tasty like a dessert, “Revolucion Cocktail,” which Is a mixture of fruit and rum, and “Cherry Manhattan,” for the bourbon lover served with sphere ice.
Visit: Open daily 5 p.m. – 2 a.m. (Sathorn Soi 10, Silom, 02 235 4823)
Il Fumo
Luxurious, classic, and very elegant, Il Fumo found a perfect location in this 1950 heritage home, where it delivers impeccable service from the bar right to the private rooms on the top floor. Owned by the same owners of Vesper, this Italian contemporary restaurant gives us a taste of the true essence of European dining. With high-quality ingredients, such as imported meat selections from Spain and Italy, Chef Luca Appino knows the drill. Also, in collaboration with John Walker & Sons, they’ve got a most luxurious private dining room where there is a super-premium range of whisky for the aficionados to play with.
Eat: Steak me! The beef selection should attract real connoisseurs. Wagyu is beef aged from 8 to 15 years and has more natural fat while fassone beef are from cows that are 100 percent grain-fed, thus they have less fat. Il Fumo is also the sole importer of Gallegan beef from Galicia, Spain.
Drink: Award-winning classic traditional cocktails are adapted to the food or to the ingredients that’s available. Must-try!
Visit: Open Mondays-Satirdays, 6 p.m.-1 a.m. (1098/2 Rama IV Rd, Sathorn, 02 286 8833)
Chicon
You might be familiar with Les Café des Stagiaires, which also has a branch in Shanghai. Chicon, the French bistro, sits right on top of it. Chicon Bangkok offers a more proper dining room for guests who prefer a fine course meal unlike the Les Café des Stagiaires, which is a tapas bar. Guests at Les Café des Stagiaires should definitely take a journey upstairs, where hints of Danish, Belgian, and French joie de vivre are present, and where a very talented bartender who created the special cocktail list by Monsieur Bom is also stationed. Of course, they do have a big wine selection as well. This homey apartment style French bistro brings a very distinct European air to Bangkok.
Eat: The menu consists of 5-8 starters and the mains, which changes every two to three months. Like vegetarian? The chef can make anything easily upon request. Since it is a French restaurant, we recommend the “Pork Feet.”
Drink: I requested a light but strong cocktail, and the talented bartender made just the right kind for me: refreshing but hits the spot. Here, they make their own syrup and use fun techniques to make drinking even more exciting.
Visit: Open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 7 p.m. till midnight. Kitchen closes at 11 p.m. Due to limited seats, booking is recommended. (142/21 Sathorn Soi 12, 081 207 3077)
Bunker
118/2 Sathorn 12
Although this funky new restaurant has not officially been opened to the public yet, they’ve recently welcomed “Asia’s 50 Best Chef” into the kitchen to do chefs does best. This retrolooking restaurant by the famous Tim Butler has already spark excitement among passers-by who are proving, this early, to be keen about what Bunker is bringing to Sathorn when it opens very soon.
