Serving up the feisty flavours of southern Thai cuisine reinterpreted in a refined format, Sorn (two Michelin stars, #39 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants) is Bangkok’s hottest table and consistently fully booked minutes after reservations open online. With 40 seats per night, word is out that locals have offered cash incentives to staff who score a table for them. Regional ingredients are sourced directly from local suppliers to showcase uncommon ingredients like smoked horseshoe crab roe, sand mole crab and wild quail eggs. Southern seafood is the main star here with Tapee river prawn, Phuket lobster and swimmer crab from Surat Thani.

Flavours are very punchy, and the intensity and spice levels build up to a crescendo at the main rice course. Our entire dining party found the whole menu delicious and eye opening. Stand-out dishes included the crab covered with creamy yellow chilli and roe, and the southern herb and turmeric rice salad dressed with fish innards (Imagine a Thai nasi ulam).

Tip: 8 seats are saved for international diners, and the announcement that international reservations are open will be posted around mid-month on Facebook and Instagram. Email the restaurant at info@sornfinesouthern.com with your reservation details, phone number, and attach your flight itinerary and hotel confirmation. If you’re flexible on dates, be sure to mention it. They’ll email you back a questionnaire to complete before going through the reservation process and pre-payment for the menu.

Book: Watch out for reservation notifications on Instagram and Facebook 
Address: 56 Sukhumvit 26 Soi Ari, Klongton Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

This omakase-only yakitori joint, which opened in May, is the first overseas outpost of popular yakitori joint Torisawa. The Tokyo mothership is notorious for its six-month waitlist. The omakase menu consists of 12 skewers of chicken and vegetables, Japanese steamed rice and a dessert (matcha brownie or yuzu sherbet).

Stand-out skewers include Chochin (the fallopian tube of chicken with an attached egg) and Hatsumoto (the connective tissue and blood vessels next to the heart) – both worth braving the fear factor. Special mention goes to  how perfectly cooked the liver and gizzard were, since organ meats are so easy to get overdone. I don’t typically enjoy breast meat and tend to favour dark meat but the chicken breast skewer here was juicy and the combination of freshly grated wasabi and smoke from the fire really brought the meat to life.

Tip: It is easier to snag seats at the second seating at 8.15pm as the first seating at 5.30pm is more popular among locals, who prefer to eat earlier. If you’re feeling peckish while waiting for dinner, take a 15-minute stroll to Orihara for some happy hour drinks and snacks

Book: DM on Instagram or on LINE @torisawa22bkk. Closed on Wednesdays.
Address: 2nd floor, 267/16 ACMEN EKAMAI COMPLEX, Soi Sukhumvit 63, Klongton-nua, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

The two-Michelin-starred restaurant isn’t new but those who’ve tried their modern take on traditional German fare will be pleasantly surprised by their culinary direction has become more Nordic. Gone are the Curry 36 currywurst and frankfurter, pretzels and miniature juggies of dark beer. However, the classic spätzle with lashings of black truffle is still available as an add-on – do order it!

Some favourites include the refreshing Doi Inthanon rainbow trout swimming in a green juice of apple and sorrel studded with salmon roe, and the white asparagus with very sweet langoustine poached just right and elevated with heady vanilla bean. The lamb main with pears, beans and bacon was a hit, with the loin perfectly pink and tender, and other tasty bits and bobs of lamb done in various styles.

The Sühring brothers have upped the ante on the plating, with every dish or snack a visual and gustatory delight. To conclude the meal, the signature eggnog, made with the twin chefs’ grandmother’s recipe, is still served alongside a bevvy of delicate petit fours.

Tip: For couples, request to be seated at the romantic Glass House for lunch. If you have a larger party, ask for the lovely nook overlooking the garden and Glass House extension.

Book: Sühring
Address: 10 Yen Akat Soi 3, Chong Nonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120

One of the hottest openings in Bangkok, Villa Frantzén opened its doors in June with a pared back dining space serving up modern Nordic cuisine accented with Asian ingredients. When I was there in the second week of its opening, the sprawling villa was filled with local hi-so types. A 5-course prix fixe menu is served and some favourites were the cold poached lobster and rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes and vendace roe and the baked turbot which reminded me of a similar dish at Frantzén. The supplement for signature Frantzén dishes such as the Prestige Selection caviar with jackfruit and coconut waffles and nori brown butter; and poached oyster 63.4C with smoked cream, spicy pumpkin and sea buckthorn oil is well worth it.

Service was unpolished and some dishes were too heavy on the fried shallots but that could be due to the then-opening jitters. Skip the wine pairing (it’s the same pairing no matter what dish you picked for that course) and order some bottles from the extensive wine list.

Do check out the Nordic-inspired cocktails at their cocktail bar where you can pretend you’re in a cosy cabin refuge with blonde woods and furry throws on couches.

Tip: Book a return visit for a weekend lunch in the gorgeous glasshouse nestled amidst tropical foliage.

Book: Villa Frantzén 
Address: 7 Yen Akat Alley 3, Chong Nonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120

Named after its chef-owner Supinya “Jay Fai” Junsuta, the one-Michelin-starred shophouse eatery is world-famous for its  crab omelette, The family restaurant has been around since the ‘80s, but only received mainstream fame from many accolades such as Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and the Michelin Guide in recent years.

You’ll see some people ordering one omelette per person, but I’d share that and order other dishes such as the fabulous yellow crab curry. I found their tom yum a little too sour, but loved the drunken noodles which was spicy and full of wok hei and chocka with vegetables and seafood. Don’t make the rookie mistake of not ordering enough food because you’ll have to wait a really long time for the additional dishes to arrive.

Tip: Make a reservation prior or be prepared to queue for hours. Email jayfaibangkok@gmail.com the number of people and your preferred time and date. They’ll typically get back to you within a week. Check their Instagram for the latest updates. Jay Fai is currently not accepting reservations for September so go early before they open for breakfast before 9am for the shortest wait. Afterall, nothing to start your day like a baller fluffy log of crab omelette.

Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 9am to 8pm.
Address: 327 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200

The Michelin Bib Gourmand-receognized Jeh O Chula, which has been in operation for three generations, serves one of the best Tom Yum Mama in town. Some Singaporeans (like me) had an intense craving for this dish but couldn’t find any comparable ones in Singapore to slake the itch. It would be illegal not to order the famous Tom Yum Mama which comes with instant noodles, squid, prawns, crispy pork belly and minced pork balls topped with lime slices and raw egg yolks all swimming in in a creamy and fiery tom yum soup. The robust soup is possibly filled with MSG but it is so tasty you’ll likely slurp down every last drop.

Other must-order dishes include the Thai-style sour and spicy salmon sashimi salad, deep-fried crispy pork belly, stir-fried kailan and the fried lup cheong sausage.

Tip: G get a Klook voucher beforehand so you don’t have to wait for hours in the snaking queue along the road. The vouchers tend to get sold out quickly so buy them early. Another plus of getting the voucher would be that you’ll be seated the air-conditioned indoors, and not by the smelly canal or along the sidewalk next to the noisy street. Just remember to be on time for your reservation timing or you might lose the table.

Open daily, 4.30pm to 1am
Address: 113 Soi Charatmeang, Rong Muang, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330

Unlike the kway chap (an offal noddle dish) in Singapore, the Thai version has pig’s innards and rice noodles in a peppery soup. One of the more popular kway chap stores in Yaowarat Chinatown is Nai Ek Roll Noodle, which has been awarded with a Michelin Plate. The store started out as a pushcart more than 50 years ago.

The peppery pork soup base, which has lashings of fragrant garlic oil and coriander, reminds me of bak kut teh in Singapore. The dish is particularly invigorating after a night out of drinks, so you’ll find locals thronging the place for supper.

Each bowl comes filled with minced and sliced pork, all manner of innards such as stomach, liver, kidney, tongue, and crispy pork. The offal is fresh and cleaned well so there’s no gamey smell.  I’d order the ‘Everything’ option, and definitely do not miss out on the best part — the silky cubes of pork blood, which are not available in Singapore.  The rice noodles come in little rolls for a chewier texture unlike the more common slippery flat sheets. Also save stomach for the deep-fried crispy pork belly on rice with greens and bathed in a lush brown gravy.

Opens daily, 8am to 12midnight
Address: 442 Yaowarat Soi 9, 9 Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100

Don’t be fooled by the laid-back vibe of the Bib Gourmand-rated restaurant. Food-wise, the extensive menu has something for everyone, from adventurous to staple or vegetarian. You’ll find all the greatest hits of Thai regional favourites from Chiang Mai in the north to Hat Yai in the south. Ingredients are sourced from local producers and diners can savour regional specialities such as Klongkhone shrimp paste, Sakon Nakhon dry chili and wild boar.

I especially loved the Chiang Mai Combo — a platter of Northern appetisers like deep-fried pork belly, Sai-Oua spicy sausage, pork in tomato relish and green chilli relish; and the laab Chiangmai – with minced pork, liver, intestines and herbs served with crunchy veggies and pork rinds. The crispy Thai omelette is raved about, so get the crab meat version if you’re not queuing at Jay Fai. More adventurous palates should try the papaya salad with shrimp paste and raw marinated prawns. Likewise, the Southern-style sour spicy yellow-orange curry with pickled bamboo shoots and sea bass had wondrously multi-layered complex flavours. If your spice tolerance isn’t high, be forewarned that spice levels get pretty intense here. Good thing the Singha beer on draft is under SGD$6 a pint.

Opens daily, 11am to 8pm
Address: 888/28-29 Mahatun Plaza, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330

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