Three new hotspots that prove 72 Courtyard – located between sois 16 and 18 in Thonglor — is the “in” place to be these days!
By Posh Wattanaporn.
Evil Man Blue
Whether you are feeling blue or you are just fancying sipping on a serious cocktail drink, Evil Man Blue (EMB) is a good choice for you. The purple and blue neon lights will bring you to the dimly lit, narrow bar with retro funky atmosphere. This place is like an American diner and underground jazz bar, and unique even though it’s kind of trapped itself in 1950s. You are sure to find a beautiful spot to imbibe the Thonglor bar scene.
The atmosphere in the secluded bar feels intimate and allows you to talk to the bartender. EMB is a fun place with a fun quote on the wall like “Trust me I’m a bartender.” When you want to release your blues, you can write something on the wall here! We met the head mixologist, Koravic (aka Jae). You can just tell him the spirit base you like and he can offer you the delicious cocktails to suit your mood. The man behind this successful bar is Liam Baer, an American mixologist who helps to create drinks.
Music: During normal hours, EMB plays funk, R&B, old school hip-hop. Every Wednesday to Saturday night you can enjoy beautiful live Jazz music by Dan Philips, a renowned jazz guitarist; and the Bangkok Edge Quartet.
Drinks: Try this adorable drink, “This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven,” which is a mixture of banana-washed blended scotch, maple, chicory, Amaro, cinnamon and determination. The presentation is impressive with the glass labeled with three monkeys. It’s best to sip a drink while having a banana chips in the same time. It’s a truly sweetly rich mix with a strong cinnamon odor. For something refreshing, go for “The Honey Badger,” a combination of Rosemary-infused Bourbon, Yellow Chartreuse, honey, citrus, ginger and Vindication. Other masculine cocktails are “The Salad Day,” an interesting name that might catch attention from Salad lover. It’s a mixed between tomato washed gin, French Aperitif Liquor, Bianco Vermouth, and pink peppercorn.
Food: Nothing more American like “Mac and Cheese Balls (THB260)”, a cocktail will go well with it. Also, “The Pizza Pocket (THB240)”, the new menu that you should try.
Why go: Why not go? 72 Courtyard keeps bringing the real deal for Bangkok eateries and bar scene. The whole complex offers you good drinks, good food, good music, what else do you want?
72 Courtyard – Ground Floor
Opening hours: Tues-Sun, 6 p.m. till late
Tel: 02 392 6922
Rating: 4/5
www.facebook.com/EvilManBlues/
Beer Belly
Think about beer o’clock; think about “Beer Belly” — another hip place that you can’t miss at 72 Courtyard. It’s a paradise for beer tap lovers (Hitachino (THB 420/pint), La Chouffe (THB 420/pint), Verdett (THB 380/pint), Hoegaarden (THB 360/pint) and many more). It’s a place where you can enjoy beer while playing game such as jenga, pooltable, pingpong, and beerpong with your friends.
Music: Live music every Wednesday-Saturday!
Why go: Lots of fun games, and cool graffiti to enjoy especially for taking photos with the wall. Try it out.
72 Courtyard – Ground Floor
Opening hours: Tues-Sun, 6 p.m. till late
Tel: 02 392 7770
Rating: 3/5
www.facebook.com/beerbellybkk/
Little Bao
From Hong Kong with love, Little Bao is another magnet that draws in foodies to 72 Courtyard, a swanky hotspot for dining and drinking hub in Thonglor. The pink neonlight of the logo is iconic that you cannot miss the place when walking into the complex.
Chef and owner May Chow decided to bring her award-winning bao (Chinese burger) to Bangkok. Her idea: to present the modern diner with a fun and playful culinary in a sophisticated and relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with astonishing wooden seats and metal bar stools – but it’s all about sharing food and having fun whether with food, drinks, or music.
Little Bao Bangkok follows the same original menu as in Hong Kong but Chef May surprises Bangkok fans by offering exclusive dishes such as “Under the Bridge Crab Fried Rice (THB 290),” a delicious crab fried rice with chili, black bean, and topping with lots of crispy garlic.
The smoked eggplant salad (with chili garlic miso, yogurt, pine nuts, and shiso, THB 240) truly amazed us. The flavor was rich and delicious. Derived from a classic Chinese stir-fried eggplant mixed with bean paste, it reveals sweet and salty notes from one bite to the next. Perhaps the tastiest vegetarian dish we’ve ever tasted.
Another promising starter is the lamb tartare (mixed with a juicy fuyu mayo, takana, and fried shallot (THB 360). It tasted like no other. This tender and toothsome dish is served with yuba chips.
Bao buns are what you can’t miss. It’s like a Chinese burger, split in half and stuffed with one of the four filling options: pork belly, crispy Sichuan chicken, fish tempura, and shiitake tempeh (THB 260 each).
But our mission would not be complete without having the “Ice Cream Bao” (THB 140), the delicious signature ice cream that melts your stress way. There are two ice cream flavors: green tea ice cream with condensed milk and salted ice cream with caramel. Ice-cream baos can take up to 15 minutes, so order early!
Don’t forget to try their signature cocktails: Yuzu Leaf, wild turkey, yuzu, maple syrup and seal salt)(THB 420) and Chry’s Lemonade, cana brava rum, chrysanthemum, honey, lemon) (THB 340). There is also an import beer like Hitachino beer from Japan and Flying dog beer from the U.S..
Why go: No, this is not a place that specializes in bao bun; its menu offers real Cantonese flavors in Western style.
72 Courtyard – Ground floor
Opening hours: Tues-Sun, 6 p.m. till late
Tel: 02 392 6922
Rating: 4/5
