Which Restaurants Do The Thai Elite Eat At?

[papaya9]

Out of curiosity I've always wondered where the Thai elite go for grub. I don't expect to see them at the homestyle ones that I frequent! It would be interesting to see them, in a non-exclusive setting of course. If anyone knows where I'd appreciate it much. Thanks in advance,

Kurt

[skylar]

I spotted a Thai TV actor at Oishi.

[davethailand]

Where ever the magazines tell them to.

[Casey Jones]

Out of curiosity I've always wondered where the Thai elite go for grub. I don't expect to see them at the homestyle ones that I frequent! It would be interesting to see them, in a non-exclusive setting of course. If anyone knows where I'd appreciate it much. Thanks in advance,

Kurt

Zanzibar (Sukhumvit Soi 11) used to be frequented by Thai movie stars (but unless you are Thai you wouldn't recognise them !!!) - probably the same still as there are usually BMWs, Mercs etc in the car park.......

Try it anyway as the food is excellent

[Prudent_rabbit]

Guisto's on Soi 23 (right hand side about a 1000 yards down, before the Tai Pan hotel) seen a member of the Royal Family in there twice. Bucketloads of Police and assorted mlitary outside whilst she ate

[Heng]

Pretty much anywhere, road side stands included.

[LaoPo]

Saw 1 of HRH Princesses in the Coffeeshop of the Montien Hotel - Surawongse Rd...later driving away in an Audi TT ...the staff was very excited

LaoPo

[phuketsiam]

I once saw one of the Princesses eating at the sea food restaurent we used to frequent at Phuket, a predominantly Thai place, and reasonably priced, ie much cheaper than any of the tourist places, I think they will go anywhere where the food is good

[Rinrada]

They tend to avoid anywhere that have too many Foreigners as diners...the very odd token "one" is OK but no more.

Makes theme feel uncomfortable......

[Pattayatony]

Soi Texas in China town eating on the foot path. I have been there many times as its great seafood my GF spots them, personally I couldnt give a S**T

[OldAsiaHand]

Phillippe's on Sukhumvit 39 draws a nice share of the fine-old-Thai-family trade in the middle Sukhumvit area. Plenty of Privy Counselors on their night off from the Palace and that sort of thing. The place is elegant without being stuffy and has about the best bistro-style French food in town. Prices aren't all that bad either. Oddly, not all that many foreigners seem to go there in spite of its location.

[daleyboy]

Friend of a friend owns a bar in Bangkok called skunk, and we were in their one night when this bloke walked in with a few friends, and my missus was like wow, look who it is. Apparently he was some big shot actor who had done soap operas, and was reall famous, i didnt have a clue who he was.

[Butterfly]

Phillippe's on Sukhumvit 39 draws a nice share of the fine-old-Thai-family trade in the middle Sukhumvit area. Plenty of Privy Counselors on their night off from the Palace and that sort of thing. The place is elegant without being stuffy and has about the best bistro-style French food in town. Prices aren't all that bad either. Oddly, not all that many foreigners seem to go there in spite of its location.

Thanks for the tip, OldAsiaHand, I will try it very soon. Always looking for new places.

I noticed that most places here die after only a few good months, which is a shame. New cook, new management or new menu and your favorite restaurant is no more.

I think we need a sticky thread somewhere with best restaurant around Bangkok so we can have direct feedback from TV members with expected costs.

Gusto is OK, used to be very good and yes it's one of the favorite restaurant of one of the princess. I spot her 4 or 5 times over there on my way to cowboy. Definitely overpriced now (1,800 baht per person without wine) as it's not as perfect as it used to. Most 5 stars Hotel have good restaurants if you don't mind driving to an hotel for dinner. I like the city better.

[lanny]

You might take a look at Neil's Tavern, on Soi Ruam Rudee, just off of Wireless Road. I can't say that I've ever seen any celebreties (at least not that I would recognize) eating there but there are always parties of very well dressed Thais. Without knowing specifically who they might be, it is obvious from the way they dress and the way the staff serves them, that these people are important in business or politics, etc.

It has been a long time since I went to Baan Kanitha, but they used to have the same type clientel.

[OldAsiaHand]

Neil's Tavern was the top of the pops once, but that was fifteen or twenty years ago. Now it's generally considered by Thai movers to be both crummy (food) and passe (status). Baan Kanitha is strictly a place to take farang visitors who want to taste 'real' Thai food without getting too ethnic in the process. Locals wouldn't be caught dead there.

Butterfly, do go to Phillippe's. It's been around for about ten years now and I think you'll like it. Philippe runs the kitchen personally. He's a Corsican and a heck of a cook. Usually several times in the evening he makes rounds in the dining room wearing his chef's suit, so introduce yourself and tell him that an old-time fan of his place sent you around.

Edited February 15, 2006 by OldAsiaHand

[johnh101]

Royal Garden Plaza in Pattaya. The missus is always pointing them out. I even recognised one myself the other week.

[papaya9]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it much. Are there anymore that you know of in Bangkok?

[raro]

Neil's Tavern was the top of the pops once, but that was fifteen or twenty years ago. Now it's generally considered by Thai movers to be both crummy (food) and passe (status). Baan Kanitha is strictly a place to take farang visitors who want to taste 'real' Thai food without getting too ethnic in the process. Locals wouldn't be caught dead there.

Butterfly, do go to Phillippe's. It's been around for about ten years now and I think you'll like it. Philippe runs the kitchen personally. He's a Corsican and a heck of a cook. Usually several times in the evening he makes rounds in the dining room wearing his chef's suit, so introduce yourself and tell him that an old-time fan of his place sent you around.

sounds good...where is that phillipe's place?

[baht&sold]

Where ever the magazines tell them to.

Never a truer word spoken

On the other side of the coin (I REALLY shouldn't but I will;) according to a Bangkok mag, MK has gone Hi So at Paragon:

-SNIP/ "The first thing of this new MK that caught our interest was its glorious look inside when seeing it from the outside, we wanted to go in to see and we suddenly realized it was an “MK Restaurant but hey GOLD, 200th celebration restaurants” with its “Gold” logo name and that was like “WOW! It’s so hi-so”. ....

It ends with “Critic rating: 4/5”

Ok, that was just a bit of fun but it appears to many, pretty much all magazines in bangkok appear to have a vested relationship in reviews and some go a step further by catering to hi so's or wannabes- a sort of narcissistic symbiotic relationship. Bottom line, don't be a sheep, get out there and try some new restaurants and bon appetite

[OldAsiaHand]

Neil's Tavern was the top of the pops once, but that was fifteen or twenty years ago. Now it's generally considered by Thai movers to be both crummy (food) and passe (status). Baan Kanitha is strictly a place to take farang visitors who want to taste 'real' Thai food without getting too ethnic in the process. Locals wouldn't be caught dead there.

Butterfly, do go to Phillippe's. It's been around for about ten years now and I think you'll like it. Philippe runs the kitchen personally. He's a Corsican and a heck of a cook. Usually several times in the evening he makes rounds in the dining room wearing his chef's suit, so introduce yourself and tell him that an old-time fan of his place sent you around.

sounds good...where is that phillipe's place?

The post in which I first mentioned it is on the first page of the this thread.....

"Phillippe's on Sukhumvit 39 draws a nice share of the fine-old-Thai-family trade in the middle Sukhumvit area. Plenty of Privy Counselors on their night off from the Palace and that sort of thing. The place is elegant without being stuffy and has about the best bistro-style French food in town. Prices aren't all that bad either. Oddly, not all that many foreigners seem to go there in spite of its location."

[raro]

Neil's Tavern was the top of the pops once, but that was fifteen or twenty years ago. Now it's generally considered by Thai movers to be both crummy (food) and passe (status). Baan Kanitha is strictly a place to take farang visitors who want to taste 'real' Thai food without getting too ethnic in the process. Locals wouldn't be caught dead there.

Butterfly, do go to Phillippe's. It's been around for about ten years now and I think you'll like it. Philippe runs the kitchen personally. He's a Corsican and a heck of a cook. Usually several times in the evening he makes rounds in the dining room wearing his chef's suit, so introduce yourself and tell him that an old-time fan of his place sent you around.

sounds good...where is that phillipe's place?

The post in which I first mentioned it is on the first page of the this thread.....

"Phillippe's on Sukhumvit 39 draws a nice share of the fine-old-Thai-family trade in the middle Sukhumvit area. Plenty of Privy Counselors on their night off from the Palace and that sort of thing. The place is elegant without being stuffy and has about the best bistro-style French food in town. Prices aren't all that bad either. Oddly, not all that many foreigners seem to go there in spite of its location."

...oooooooooops....

[steveromagnino]

Where ever the magazines tell them to.

Never a truer word spoken

Actually, i'd say that is the domain of the expats here, most of the Thai people with genuine money go where the food is good.

The movie star people have far less money, but are often able to blag free stuff... in much the same vein the current expat 'hole' of choice Koi somewhere off Suk 20 or 22 is it>? cannot recall, but somewhere round there has the east european models hanging around; I cannot think that any of them would be paying.

That said, all people (movie stars and royalty) like to eat out.

Places off hand I can think of for dinner:

- Oriental various restuarants

- The Dusit is a favourite of the Queen

- Giannis on Soi Tonson popular

- Caldarazzo

- California Seafood - very popular for the rich Chinese

- Je Ngor - ditto

Steak

- The Rib Room on top of the Landmark

- NY Steakhouse - very popular with politicians and so forth

- Fireplace Grill

For the younger 'hot chicks' set, well anywhere really with half decent food; tryhards used to go to Emporium, but since that area of Suk started to get less and less Thai and less upmarket, they are starting to move around to Thong Lor and other places further afield.

I have eated at Phillippes once, excellent indeed.

Not far from there, L'Opera is quite popular, although quite why I am still a little mystified, yet that's where all the big wigs I know seem to always insist on eating.

[Jockstar]

Out of curiosity I've always wondered where the Thai elite go for grub. I don't expect to see them at the homestyle ones that I frequent! It would be interesting to see them, in a non-exclusive setting of course. If anyone knows where I'd appreciate it much. Thanks in advance,

Kurt

Stalker??

[seraph]

Biscotti, the Four Seasons

Pan Pan, Lang Suan

Lord Jim's, the Oriental -- I sat opposite Gene Hackman once (not on the same table, of course) but he doesn't count as Thai Elite.

Galprapruk on First, Emporium

Some restaurants in China Town, such as Kum-Lung H.K.

Giak Shark Fin on Suriwongse

[Blake7]

Yes, I like Phillipes though not quite up to La Normandie standards.

For celebrity-spotting try Koi, the new California/japanese place. very Hi-so.

Butterfly - it is your turn to buy me dinner. I bought you a buffet at the Shangri-La and dinner at that italian place....

[steveromagnino]

For celebrity-spotting try Koi, the new California/japanese place. very Hi-so.

I think you were probably right after the launch, but I cannot see that place going well long term.

The Thai hi so set I know are already anti the place for a variety of reasons (including not being treated in the way they expected, etc etc) so I think it will end up like the Q Bar of fine dining (lots of expats, not too many Thai hi so)....

It has the price point right, and the restuarant might succeed though....and the younger male set, well let's just say the choice of girls that the restuarant has might appeal to some foreign educated Thai guys

Will be interesting to see how it develops, but I don't think they got the PR quite right, it certainly is nice enough to do well, but depends on gettnig the right crowd. I am not sure they want the high maintenance hi so Thai crowd actually...

Thinking about it, MOS also used to turn down the Thai hiso crowd, didnt work too well for them though.

[papaya9]

Thanks guys! Not a stalker, but there are usually ultra-fine Thai girls associated with this crowd, which I do enjoy looking at

[CarlBkk]

Which soi is Koi on? Is it a bar/club as well as restaurant?

Thonglor restaurants (Greyound etc.) still attract the young, whitened wannabes and Langsuan always caters for the older Benz-driving or chauffeur crowd. They don't seem to know a good restaurant from a bad one, so long as it's Italian. Cos that's in fashion. Langsuan ironically has some of the worst Italian food I've ever tried.

[raro]

Thanks guys! Not a stalker, but there are usually ultra-fine Thai girls associated with this crowd, which I do enjoy looking at

...and how would you define this other than stalking? Peeping?

[Axel]

Which soi is Koi on? Is it a bar/club as well as restaurant?

Koi is on Sukh. deep into Soi 20.

Claim to be Californian/Japanese. I am not sure if this combination is needed in Asia. In Bangkok I would look for a real Japanese place, if I feel like eating Japanese.

Went there only once, food was ok, athmosphere not, perhaps more Californian of which I have not too much knowledge.

Parking is a bit of a problem, means you wait ages for the valet bringing your car back.