Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lot is probably Supanniga, which focuses on the typically seafood-based, herb-forward
dishes of Chanthaburi and Trat in western Thailand.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
EATING IN BANGKOK
David Thompson is the Head Chef of the award-winning Thai restaurant, nahm (
Click here
). He is also the author
of the bestselling books
Thai Food
and
Thai Street Food.
How Do You Describe the Food of Bangkok?
The food of Bangkok is more urbane, with the rough and rambunctious tastes of the wild and remote regions pol-
ished off. There's a huge Chinese influence here because Bangkok was a Chinese city. The central-plains food,
which Bangkok is the epitome of, is refined and has the classic four flavours (sweet, sour, salty and spicy).
What Are Some Classic Bangkok-Style Dishes?
I like some of the dishes in Chinatown, whether it be the oyster place I adore (Nai Mong Hoi Thod), or whether it
be noodles with fish dumplings or with roast duck. Also
?oo pàt pong gàrèe
(crab fried with curry powder), when
done well, is easy, but is bloody delicious and accessible. And
pàt tai
- well, you can't really escape from the
cliché, however delicious it might be.
The Best Food 'Hood?
It depends on what I'm looking for. Chinatown, for smoked duck or noodles. But if you want to eat Thai food,
you need to go to the markets. Bangkok still has some remnants of the city or villages that it was. For Muslim
food you can go down to the area near Haroon Mosque, near the Oriental Hotel, or for Portuguese cakes, you can
go to Santa Cruz. There's still those types of areas.
Your Favourite Restaurant
It changes all the time. I like Krua Apsorn (
Click here
)
. It's local. It's good. It's unreformed. It's not too precious.
They cook for Thais, they feed Thais and it is Thai.
The Best Market
Of course, Or Tor Kor (
Click here
). Even though it's sanitised, its soul has not been expunged from it as it's mod-
ernised. There's some great stuff there.
Best Eating Advice for a First-Time Visitor
Just bloody well eat it - don't think about it - just eat it. It's so unlikely you'll get sick, but you will kick yourself
for not actually just diving in. Go to places that look busiest, because they're busy for a reason. And a bit of food
poisoning, well that adds local colour, doesn't it?
Snapper
INTERNATIONAL
$$
(
www.snapper-bangkok.com
;
1/20-22 Soi 11, Th Sukhumvit; mains 200-1950B; 5pm-midnight Mon-Fri, noon-mid-
night Sat-Sun; ; Nana exit 3)
Allegedly Bangkok's first restaurant serving New Zealand
cuisine, Snapper specialises in Kiwi-style fish and chips. Choose from one of four sustain-
ably harvested fish from New Zealand, your cut of fries, and the delicious homemade tar-
tar sauce or a garlic aioli. A handful of other seafood dishes and salads and a brief wine
list round out the selections.
Bo.lan
THAI
$$$
