FAHTHAI
95
THAILAND COUNTRY CODE
+66
EXCHANGE RATE
THB32 = US$1
LAMPANG FREQUENCY
3 flights per day from Bangkok
CAT CAFÉS, SPEAKEASIES AND PIZZERIAS – WHAT’S HOT
THEGUIDE
thailand
B A N G K O K
B A N G K O K
NEW DIGS
High-end Thai restaurant
Bo.Lan
has moved
into leafy new premises in Thong Lor. It has
become a fixture on lists of Bangkok’s best
eateries, coming in at No 28 on this year’s San
Pellegrino Asia’s Top 50. Here, the emphasis
is on balance, with an innovative tasting menu
of Thai salad (
yum
), chilli relish (
kreung jim
),
a stir-fried dish (
jan phat
), curry (
keng
) and
individually served soups (
nahm keng
).
bolan.co.th
A SLICE OF NAPLES
Sukhumvit Soi 33 has emerged as one of
Bangkok’s best dining strips. The latest news
is that the brains behind lip-smacking Italian
restaurant Appia have branched out to found a
dedicated pizza place,
Peppina
. They went the
extra mile, sending their chef off to be trained
in Napoli and then specially importing their
pizza oven. This is seriously popular pizza so it
pays to book ahead.
peppinabkk.com
QUEER AND DEAR
The wonderfully opulent, opium-den style
Maggie Choo’s
has positioned itself as one
of the city’s hippest drinking dens and it
now hosts one of the city’s best gay nights.
Maggie Choo’s Oscar Wilde-themed Sunday
night event, The Importance of Being Earnest,
features cabaret singers, stand-up comedy and
choreographed dance acts.
facebook.com/
maggiechoos
PURR CAT CAFƒ CLUB
For travellers who miss their fluffy, feisty
companions, Purr Café in the Thong Lor area
of Bangkok provides a hefty dose of feline fun.
Cats here are one pampered bunch; humans must
wash their hands thoroughly and don special
slippers before entering the play zone. Beyond
that, some basic ground rules apply so as to
ensure harmony between visitors and residents:
no picking up, no flash photography, no tail-
pulling, no “people food” etc. The café serves
up delights like red velvet cake, iced coffee and
hot vanilla tea – nothing much of interest to a
spoiled Scottish Fold, but plenty to sate the sweet
tooths of two-legged visitors. Check out the cats’
profiles on the café board and pick up a cute
cat-face cushion for any furry, feline friends you
might have back home.
facebook.com/PurrCatCafeClub
Three current happenings
in the City of Angels
Need to escape the hubbub of
Sukhumvhit? These two quirky
venues are the places to go
What’s on
Something
different
SMALLS WINE BAR
The latest project from Q Bar Bangkok owner
David Jacobson, Smalls Wine Bar makes
for a pleasing counterpoint to the pulsing,
high-octane Sukhumvit nightclub scene.
Cosy, intimate and quiet enough to allow
for conversation, the bar brings additional
polish to Suan Plu, an area that’s emerging
as the latest Bangkok hotspot. Occupying a
three-storey corner townhouse a few hundred
metres from busy Sathorn Road, Smalls
is open from 8.30pm until late. It serves
up French bistro fare, wine, beer, absinthe
and double-pour cocktails, with live jazz/
blues bands and the occasional international
DJ providing the soundtrack. The décor is
an eclectic blend of New Orleans pub and
absinthe den, with outdoor seating on each
floor and a striking rooftop terrace where
large groups tend to gravitate. The best
drinks? Since you’re here, why not share an
absinthe fountain with friends, with a plate of
fresh oysters to go with the Green Fairy.
facebook.com/pages/Smalls
