Nice Farang Restaurant In Bkk(quiet)

[k2bikerider]

I'm looking for a nice and quiet Farang restaurant in BKK that I can take my wife to for a nice dinner, $$$ isn't an issue, since when we are in the US where we live we can rarely go out for a nice dinner just the two of us. So when we are in Thailand(she and our 2 daughters(3 1/2 and 18 months) for 2.5 months and I for 1 month, we can get my mother in law to watch the children while we go out for an evening alone. Hope to see some nice suggestions. I made it general farang food since we like just about everything, and will eat enough Thai food with the family.

k2bikerider

[ajarnbangkapi]

Hi;

My first (best) suggestion is the Carlton on Silom, across the street from the hongkong bank, between the Dusit Thani and CP tower on that side of the street. It is just behind an elevator for the BTS going up to the sala daeng stop. I recommend the kobe steak and cream french onion soup with fresh baked bread, my favorite. Lots of family gatherings here, I have never been disappointed (or my guests). Extensive Foreign, Thai, and Chinese menus. Interesting story behind this place, been around over 30 years.

Another choice may be Bourbon street, quite family friendly, a gathering place for their holiday buffets. Sukumvit, behind mambo (used to be washington square theater). Good redfish here, but also some New Orleans and southern favorties as well. I like the country fried steak with mashed potatos, but the fish is a VERY close second!.

Hope that helps!

[Khun Yak]

There is a very nice place on S. Yommarat, off Thanon Sala Daeng. It's a french place called villa Bangkok or something like this. Very decent place... Not sure if it's still open but should be as it opened in Jan this year.

Cheers

KY

[leisurely]

I suppose it depends on what area you want to go to. I like Crepe and co. soi 10 0r 12, or Kuppa.

What a kind man you are

[percy2]

Hi;

My first (best) suggestion is the Carlton on Silom, across the street from the hongkong bank, between the Dusit Thani and CP tower on that side of the street. It is just behind an elevator for the BTS going up to the sala daeng stop. I recommend the kobe steak and cream french onion soup with fresh baked bread, my favorite. Lots of family gatherings here, I have never been disappointed (or my guests). Extensive Foreign, Thai, and Chinese menus. Interesting story behind this place, been around over 30 years.

Another choice may be Bourbon street, quite family friendly, a gathering place for their holiday buffets. Sukumvit, behind mambo (used to be washington square theater). Good redfish here, but also some New Orleans and southern favorties as well. I like the country fried steak with mashed potatos, but the fish is a VERY close second!.

Hope that helps!

The HongKong Bank has been on Rama 4 for several years.

[percy2]

Chesa is very nice.

http://www.chesa-swiss.com/location.htm

[Khun Yak]

Chesa is very nice.

http://www.chesa-swiss.com/location.htm

Yep, I have to second that - authentic swiss specialities and a very nice cheese fondue

[palm]

There is a very nice place on S. Yommarat, off Thanon Sala Daeng. It's a french place called villa Bangkok or something like this. Very decent place... Not sure if it's still open but should be as it opened in Jan this year.

Cheers

KY

Villa Bangkok has now closed and they apparently turned the house into offices. Shame really as it was one of the few decent French restaurants in BKK, other than Le Vendome and Normandie.

[OldAsiaHand]

Another choice may be Bourbon street, quite family friendly, a gathering place for their holiday buffets....

With the greatest of respect, I think that is a terrible idea. I like Bourbon Street as much as the next man, and the owner is even a pal, but it's hardly a place for a quiet, up-market dinner with one's wife. It's more like a hang-out for sex tourists on their night off or a place to take the kids on Sundays.

You need something like Philippe's (20/15 Suk Soi 39, 0.2259.4577). It's a world class French bistro that draws a classy bunch of high-so Thais and a few scattered farangs who know a great place when they find it. Other good choices would be Lord Jim's at the Oriental or, if you're big meat eaters, the New York Steak House at the JW Marriott.

[dantilley]

Indigo just off Soi Convent, same sub-soi as Himali Cha Cha. Nice, pleasant outdoor seating area too. Good French food.

[Khutan]

L'Opera in Sukhumvit 39.

Just excellent for Italian food. You go down Soi 39 and its on the corner of some other Sub Soi just after the traffic lights.

Its actual address is:

L' Opera 53 Sukhuinvit Soi 39 Tel: 02 258-5606, 02 662-5096

Open: 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10.30pm

[k2bikerider]

Another choice may be Bourbon street, quite family friendly, a gathering place for their holiday buffets....

With the greatest of respect, I think that is a terrible idea. I like Bourbon Street as much as the next man, and the owner is even a pal, but it's hardly a place for a quiet, up-market dinner with one's wife. It's more like a hang-out for sex tourists on their night off or a place to take the kids on Sundays.

You need something like Philippe's (20/15 Suk Soi 39, 0.2259.4577). It's a world class French bistro that draws a classy bunch of high-so Thais and a few scattered farangs who know a great place when they find it. Other good choices would be Lord Jim's at the Oriental or, if you're big meat eaters, the New York Steak House at the JW Marriott.

[k2bikerider]

Another choice may be Bourbon street, quite family friendly, a gathering place for their holiday buffets....

With the greatest of respect, I think that is a terrible idea. I like Bourbon Street as much as the next man, and the owner is even a pal, but it's hardly a place for a quiet, up-market dinner with one's wife. It's more like a hang-out for sex tourists on their night off or a place to take the kids on Sundays.

You need something like Philippe's (20/15 Suk Soi 39, 0.2259.4577). It's a world class French bistro that draws a classy bunch of high-so Thais and a few scattered farangs who know a great place when they find it. Other good choices would be Lord Jim's at the Oriental or, if you're big meat eaters, the New York Steak House at the JW Marriott.

My wife would not like the Bourbon Street if it a place to hang out. She loves French and Italian Food... I'll consider Philippe's. Thank you!

[samran]

'Eat Me' just off soi convent (patipat soi 2) is a nice place. Relaxed, up market without being obnoxiously hi-so and intimate as well.

Good for then going for a quite nightcap at Vertigo on top of the Banyan Tree.

[Joe Schmuckatella]

I'm looking for a nice and quiet Farang restaurant in BKK that I can take my wife to for a nice dinner, $$$ isn't an issue, since when we are in the US where we live we can rarely go out for a nice dinner just the two of us. So when we are in Thailand(she and our 2 daughters(3 1/2 and 18 months) for 2.5 months and I for 1 month, we can get my mother in law to watch the children while we go out for an evening alone. Hope to see some nice suggestions. I made it general farang food since we like just about everything, and will eat enough Thai food with the family.

k2bikerider

Tee Sud Isan has Western, Thai and ISAN food. The Bangkok Post says it has the best burger in Bangkok. I would agree. I also think it has the best pork chops anywhere. There is an eclectic menu of offerings, including penne pasta, fish 'n chips, ribs, New York cheesecake, and on and on. Of course, the Thai food and the ISAN goodies are also amazing. Been going there since '99. YIM is the owner. AND, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners cannot be beat! Be there, or be square!

Take Skytrain to Victory Monument. Southeast staircase on Phaya Thai. 60 meters to Soi Rang Nam. Cross to south side of Rang Nam, and walk about 120 meters, just past Soi Lyert Panya - about 25 meters. See map and click to enlarge.

.

Below is replica of Bangkok Post Review of Tee Sud Isan Inter of 4 July 2003. Used with permission. Prices may have changed since then. - Joe

EATING OUT

Where's the beef?

Search reveals an Isan restaurant as the unlikely home to Bangkok's best burger

Reviewed by Nick Grossman

Tee Sud Isan Inter

4/11-12 Soi Rangnam

Off Phaya Thai Road

Tel 02-245-3665

Open 10:30am-10pm

American cuisine is not much revered outside the US itself. It's considered fatty, unsophisticated and low-brow _ like the people themselves _ and it's commonly associated with fast-food and microwave meals. Or it's thought of as a hodge-podge of quality non-native cuisines undermined by unworldly American tastes, offending millions of say, Italians, who might take offense at the idea of sticking pineapple on pizza.

Not surprisingly, it's hard to find reverence for the burger in Bangkok. In fact, it's hard to find a burger anywhere. The number of eateries that treat it with care are about as slim as the patties served up at your average Khao San Road guesthouse. And rarer still is a rare burger. Yes, a good burger should be juicy and pink inside, or at least be able to be ordered that way if desired. But most restaurants, including most Bangkok pubs, tend to cook it solidly through, burning away (or hiding) the flavour the meat might have possessed.

America's great contribution to the culinary arts needs a bit of tenderness.

Tee Sud Isan Inter on Soi Rangnam has been recommended by Bernard Trink for many years now and I decided on an anonymous visit to see if the restaurant's cheeseburger (95 baht) really is worth its weight in gold. The novelty is what most attracted me, though an Isan restaurant serving Bangkok's best burger seemed more a testament to the dearth of options than their considerable skills at grilling meat.

The restaurant's owner, Yim, was trained at the Oriental Hotel.

Cutting to the chase, the burger I received was the best I've had in town, beating out competition from pubs, Nana Plaza's Woodstock and even the late-night alcohol sponges served on Sukhumvit Soi 4 until the wee hours (which are also highly recommended for their curative powers).

Tee Sud, a rather non-descript place with a little bar and lively mixed clientele, uses pure ground beef imported from either New Zealand or Australia. They're savvy enough to make their burgers high as well as wide, meaning it's not all bun. That said they're still on the small-side. Unfortunately, my request for a medium burger wasn't met _ no pink in sight _ but it only proved that the beef was good-quality as the burger retained a good flavour. [They've educated their cooks about not making hockey pucks since this was written. Nice and juicy now. As for size, you'll be full, because it's MEAT, not FAT! Ask them if they have any moo-burgers! Unique on this planet! - Joe]

In addition to its burgers, Tee Sud offers an extensive Thai menu and a few other international dishes. The well-sized ribs (200 baht) are particularly popular and they've invented their own Thai-style burritos by offering tortillas with phad ka pow filling (85 baht).

On offer are also some innovative dishes like the Isan-style Burritos.

Photos by ANUSORN SAKSEREE - Bangkok Post

But mainly I recommend Tee Sud because of its diversity and ingenuity and, of course, dedication to the burger.

Cue American national anthem and begin to raise flag: These qualities are exactly what makes American cuisine, and the States, for that matter, unique. As a nation of immigrants, America's diversity and ingenuity, not tradition, have always been its strengths. There's something to be said for the tremendous variety of restaurants, many excellent, to be found in any major American city. And Uncle Sam has always had a knack for invention.

Case in point _ the hamburger. One might correctly guess from the name that its roots are in Germany, but only because it's based on the ground meat that the city of Hamburg made famous. The moment of true incarnation occurred in America _ what's less certain is where and when. Some hamburger historians claim the St Louis World Fair of 1904; while other persons point to a greasy spoon in Connecticut whose owner threw some scraps of meat on a bun for a customer in a rush.

Regardless, the hamburger now serves as perhaps the most rightful inheritor of the title of National Dish and a classic symbol of Americana.

Hamburgers not only represent the commercial, fast-paced style of American living but also its ability to spin out huge phenomenon from something as ludicrous as a ground meat sandwich.

The highway construction of the 1950s fully ushered in the hamburger craze, and since then an internal battle between fast-food chains has been waged over the burger, especially in California. The obvious ones aside, chains like Fat Burger and In-and-Out burger have cult followings in the Golden State and even have unwritten menu items only known to regulars. I need not mention the global domination exercised by the Golden Arches. I'm sorry I did.

In homes across the country, BBQs are taken as seriously by men as women might take a bridal shower, stereotypes forgiven. On an individual level, people have their own preferences when it comes to the burger that belies the one-size-fits-all assumption spread around the world by an atrocity like the Big Mac.

No, as attested by all the failed attempts in Bangkok's pubs, the burger _ oft misunderstood _ involves culinary artistry like any other dish. Any old hand at the grill knows how easy it is to ruin a burger, particularly by misjudging the intensity of the flame, overcooking it, and thus drying it out. But what most people don't know is that a burger can be so much more than just a ball of ground meat. Flavoured with garlic, onions, or rubbed up with liberal doses of BBQ sauce, the burger is to America what the sausage is to so many European countries. At Tee Sud, the tradition continues.

[awayguy]

The best quiet romantic restaurant I know is the Banyan on Soi 8. Its about 500 metres down on the left side. Beautiful coverted Thai house - quite formal classic restaurant interior - with views of the floodlit tropical garden through the picture windows.

Its a French restaurant with a Frenchman in the kitchen and another FOH. The food is as good as at any of the 5 star hotel restaurants mentioned without the 5 star price tag. It's not cheap, but it won't kill you either. Good karma to patronise well run privately owned restaurants!

[stickman]

I like Italian so if you want very nice, but quiet Italian, consider Rossini's at the Sheraton or Angelini's at the Shangri La. Both of these restaurants are very nice in that the tables are spaced apart and there is usually a pleasant atmosphere.

[dantilley]

The Bangkok Post says it has the best burger in Bangkok. I would agree.

I read this also, but don't agree, they're nothing special. The burgers in The Barbican on Soi Thaniya, Silom, has much better burgers, probably the best I've had in Bangkok.

[MiG16]

Id have to agree with one of the post earlier about Eat Me

one of the best places for food. plus they do very good dessert. theres an art gallery downstairs.

indigo in osi convent (same soi as Eat Me) is also good. more open courtyard atmosphere.

for good italian.....try Bella Napoli in Sukhumvit 31. best pasta in town

one very nice quiet french restaurant that you might enjoy is Le Cafe Siam (near the express way off Rama4) quite pricey though..atleast for me. maybe not for the farangs

[youngkiwi]

Vertigo on top of the Banyan Tree Hotel on Sathorn road is delightful. It is renowned as one of the best restaurants in Bangkok but don't forget your platinum visa!

[realthaideal]

I'm looking for a nice and quiet Farang restaurant in BKK that I can take my wife to for a nice dinner, $$$ isn't an issue, since when we are in the US where we live we can rarely go out for a nice dinner just the two of us. So when we are in Thailand(she and our 2 daughters(3 1/2 and 18 months) for 2.5 months and I for 1 month, we can get my mother in law to watch the children while we go out for an evening alone. Hope to see some nice suggestions. I made it general farang food since we like just about everything, and will eat enough Thai food with the family.

k2bikerider

Hey K2

Actually I just wrote a thing about a nice restaurant that is casual, elegant, romantic, warm, all kinds of good things, in BKK. It's a French restaurant called C'est Bon, off CHit Lom at the Sky Train, behind The President Hotel. I accidentally posted it to the Thai food section, but have asked administrators to move it here to the Farang Food Section if possible. We'll see which category it turns up in eventually. Anyway, read about it. It's a great date or intimate restaurant, but really walks the line well between upscale casual, and fine dining. And then the French food is killer on top of that. And for the right price. Look for a header about a French Restaurant BKK. YOu n the wife ought to find it easily and enjoy it alot. It's tucked away enough, and the right size that it feels like it's your special secret place.

Happy dining! Maybe post where you end up going later, and how you enjoyed it too....

Bon Appetit!

Realthaideal

[percy2]

Tee Sud Isan has Western, Thai and ISAN food.

hel_l of a first post!

And you registered on the same day.

A more cinical person would think your the owner and just going for a free advert

[markuk]

Admirals Pub on Soi 18 is good, Danish restaurant with some thai and spicy dishes, very nice place to relax and eat!

[hUsh]

Some restaurants that I personally like and would recommend...

Thai: Curries and More @ Ploen Chit, Soi Ruamrudee

Italian: Rossini's at Sheraton Hotel Sukhumvit Asoke; Biscotti at Four Seasons Hotel Rajadamri

French: Le Notre at NatureVille Apt., Langsuan Road

Others:

Kuppa at Sukhumvit Soi 16 - Thai & International dishes, good desserts too

Coffee Beans at Soi Ruamrudee - Thain & Int'l- with very good cakes

V9 at Sofitel Hotel Silom with good reasonably priced wines

enjoy!

[Jockstar]

The Great American Rib company is fantastic on soi 36.

[Jockstar]

The Great American Rib company is fantastic on soi 36.

[Thug]

American: Bourbon Street on Sukhumvit Soi 22.

Italian: Scoozi in Silom and Pizza Aroi in Sukhumvi Soi 25.

All great restaurants.

[thecatman]

Edited April 25, 2008 by thecatman

[thecatman]

Tee Sud Isan has Western, Thai and ISAN food. The Bangkok Post says it has the best burger in Bangkok. I would agree. I also think it has the best pork chops anywhere. There is an eclectic menu of offerings, including penne pasta, fish 'n chips, ribs, New York cheesecake, and on and on. Of course, the Thai food and the ISAN goodies are also amazing. Been going there since '99. YIM is the owner. AND, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners cannot be beat! Be there, or be square!

Take Skytrain to Victory Monument. Southeast staircase on Phaya Thai. 60 meters to Soi Rang Nam. Cross to south side of Rang Nam, and walk about 120 meters, just past Soi Lyert Panya - about 25 meters.

Can anybody tell me if this restaurant is still in operation ??

[farangene]

Tee Sud Isan has Western, Thai and ISAN food. The Bangkok Post says it has the best burger in Bangkok. I would agree. I also think it has the best pork chops anywhere. There is an eclectic menu of offerings, including penne pasta, fish 'n chips, ribs, New York cheesecake, and on and on. Of course, the Thai food and the ISAN goodies are also amazing. Been going there since '99. YIM is the owner. AND, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners cannot be beat! Be there, or be square!

Take Skytrain to Victory Monument. Southeast staircase on Phaya Thai. 60 meters to Soi Rang Nam. Cross to south side of Rang Nam, and walk about 120 meters, just past Soi Lyert Panya - about 25 meters.

Can anybody tell me if this restaurant is still in operation ??

I was told it was sold to another owner who put in a/c and raised the prices. Some of the old menu items (ie Issan tacos) are still available.