What I Ate In A Day: Bangkok Food Guide

There are few cities as chaotic and compelling in equal measure, as Bangkok. From Michelin-starred street-food stalls to fine-dining experiences that push the epicurean envelope – the dynamic culinary landscape is reason enough to visit this sprawling metropolis. While one would need more than a week to do true justice to all that this city deliciously has to offer, as it happened, we had just about a day to make the most of it. So here goes with our 24 Hour Food Guide to Bangkok!

24 Hours in Bangkok, A Food Guide

Breakfast

A quick boat across the Chao Praya river to ICONSIAM set a steadying start to our day. The spectacular new mall is home to an indoor floating market SOOK SIAM, the first of its kind in Thailand. The intricate maze of kiosks and food stalls is deliberately designed to immerse your senses in a flood of aromas and fresh flavours , transporting you across 77 provinces of Thailand. We sipped on the likes of corn milk and coconut water “bubbles” – fresh “young coconuts” carved out from their shell and served as an entirely edible ball, cocooned by tender coconut flesh. Also not to be missed here are classics such as mango sticky rice, albeit dished up with a variety of different rice to choose from including butterfly blue pea rice, pink rice and black rice!

299 Charoen Nakhon 5 Alley, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San, Bangkok 10600, Thailand | Website: https://www.iconsiam.com/cn/attractions/sooksiam

Lunch

For lunch, we journeyed floors above the bustle of Bangkok (300m above ground to be precise) to Ojo, a contemporary Mexican restaurant. Situated at the top of the iconic Mahanakhon building, Ojo is so named after the Mexican spiritual craft Ojo de Dios (Eye of God). Fittingly then the restaurant’s retro-glam interiors play with jewel-toned pastels of pink and gold, a palette purposefully chosen to complement the skyline scenery at sunset.

The panoramic views through the floor-to-ceiling windows are matched by a parade of painterly plates with classic Mexican dishes suffused with a subtle twist by drawing on local ingredients. Think anything and everything from Coconut Ceviche amongst the appetisers, to Mexican Dark Chocolate Tamal, a dessert pairing panda ice cream and betel leaves with dark chocolate !

King Power Mahanakhon , 114 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road | Contact for reservations: +66 2 085 8888 | Website: https://www.standardhotels.com/bangkok/features/ojo-bkk

Cocktail Hour

After a short nap back at The Four Seasons, we headed down to the hotel’s landmark new cocktail bar, BKK Social Club which recently ranked #14 among the 50 Best Bars of Asia. Bridging Bangkok with Buenos Aires, the beguiling bolthole is inspired by the vibrant cocktail culture of Latin America, circa 1970s and ’80s. Lush greens tumbling overhead from chandeliers and airy semi-outdoor courtyards set an inviting scene, completed by ever-intoxicating cocktails.

Helmed by veteran barman Philip Bischoff (previously of Manhattan in New York), BKK signature drinks include “Hand of God,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to the legendary goal from late Argentinian footballer Maradona in 1986; and ‘Evita’ Perón.’ Eponymously named after iconic First Lady of Argentina, the latter stars a dainty compilation of flavours (pineapple rum, Campari, citrus and bay leaf) in a coupe glass!

BKK300, 1 Charoen Krung Rd, Khwaeng Yan Nawa, Khet Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand | Website: https://www.fourseasons.com/bangkok/dining/lounges/bkk-social-club/

Dinner

No Bangkok food guide would be complete without either a visit to one of the city’s many marvellous Michelin restaurants, nor without a classic Thai meal. We ticked both off the bucket list with dinner at Blue Elephant. Housed in a colonial-style home, the warm and rustic restaurant is as welcoming to locals as it is to tourists. We particularly loved that there is a dedicated vegetarian menu on offer with entirely plant-based dishes. Bookmarked for a future visit, is the adjoining Blue Elephant Cooking School for lessons in competent Thai cookery!

BTS station, 233 S Sathon Rd, Yan Nawa Sathon, Surasak, Bangkok 10120, Thailand | Website: https://blueelephant.com/restaurant/bangkok/

After-Hours

We rounded off our day with a nightcap at The Bamboo Bar at Mandarin Oriental. One of the city’s best live jazz bars, it’s every bit as stylish as you’d expect of a bar tucked away inside a Mandarin Oriental hotel, albeit with a quirky – almost eccentric – character flaunted by tiger-skin prints dotted between the bamboo furniture! Whilst historic and steeped in heritage, the cocktails are refreshed at intervals with one of the recent ‘Compass’ menus taking a cue from the vast variety of flavours found across the five different regions of Thailand.

48 Oriental Ave, Khwaeng Bang Rak, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand | Website: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/bangkok/chao-phraya-river/dine/the-bamboo-bar