It’s impossible to walk a few metres in Bangkok and not run into tourists. Not at Kro Kret, a weekend market just an hour from the Thai capital. This artificially created island houses one of Thailand’s largest clusters of Mon people from Myanmar, who were primarily responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Indo-China. I jostle for space with monks in ochre robes on the packed ferry; this island used to be best known for its Buddhist shrine but today, food is the biggest draw.

Kro Kret’s biggest claim to culinary fame is the tort man nor galah (Mon-style deep-fried fritters). Bangkokians also come here to stock up on local condiments. Or Tor Kor Market has been ranked one of the world’s finest for fresh food, the perfect spot to shop for supplies for my Thai cooking lesson. My market guide for the day is Chef Manachai from Basil, the signature restaurant at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. He is not an easy person to please but after multiple stops at Or Tor Kor we finally arrive in his kitchen. Culinary academies like the one at Basil are no longer an uncommon sight in premium Bangkok hotels. Two hours later, Chef Manachai is convinced that I’ve mastered the art of fixing a Thai green curry, the quintessential Thai papaya salad ( som tam ) and the mildly sweet steamed pumpkin pudding.

At 5pm — not dinner time by any means — the serpentine queue outside Thip Samai, Bangkok’s legendary pad thai establishment, continues to grow. In the ’40s Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country’s then Prime Minister, decorated the pad thai with the status of ‘national dish’, thus ensuring the dish’s popularity not just in Thailand but all over the globe. Thip Samai’s hot streetside woks churn out pad thai after pad thai with assembly-line precision, always finding the balance between the sweet, the salty and the sour. The ‘Superb Pad Thai’ wrapped in a light omelette is Thip Samai’s signature dish.

Not all Bangkok’s culinary experiences revolve around Thai cuisine or street food. My dinner experience at DID (Dine in the Dark) at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is unforgettable and humbling. Mobile phones are powered off as we are led through a dark corridor, except there’s no light at the end of it — only more darkness. The entire four-course meal is served in the dark — you need special motor skills to manage the cutlery while your olfactory nerves and taste buds work overtime for you to guess what’s on the plate. The restaurant is manned by visually challenged wait staff while the exceptional cuisine on offer includes Asian and global favourites.

For Sunday lunch, I choose Methavalai Sorndaeng, which goes back to 1957; the staff uniform and interiors probably haven’t been refreshed ever since, lending this restaurant its unique appeal. The cuisine is steeped in the royal kitchens of central Thailand — food presentation borders on art while popular dishes like the hor mok (steamed curry) and yum hua plee (banana flower salad) live up to their hallowed reputation. The restaurant hasn’t much changed its food script over six decades; a complete contrast from my dinner venue. After a quick stop at Bangkok’s legendary flower market I arrive at 2015’s hottest new restaurant in Bangkok.

The House of Sathorn has worn quite a few hats since 1889 — a private mansion, a luxury hotel, the Russian Embassy and now a fine dining restaurant. Turkish Chef Fatih Tutak’s menu has been shaped by his travels, and the creativity occasionally borders on the macabre. Like ‘hunting’, the restaurant’s most ordered dish, which is duck breast served with blood spatters of pomegranate sauce.

Of special interest is The Capital by Water Library, which assembles over 30 labels of stills and sparkling water in a larger-than-life fountain — the perfect accompaniment to the contemporary European cuisine on offer.

A weekend is clearly not enough to explore Bangkok’s culinary offerings. I am left with no time for shopping; but everything else can wait when you’re in line at Thip Samai for that steaming hot plate of pad thai.

Travel log

Getting around

There are multiple options to explore the city — taxis, tuk-tuks, the Bangkok metro and Skytrain.

Stay

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com) is located in the heart of the city’s shopping district and is walking distance from both the Metro and Skytrain stations.

Explore

Quite a few hotels offer culinary workshops. These cookery sessions are a great way to explore Thai cuisine and culture.

Tip

Taxis can overcharge. Use the metro or the Skytrain where possible.

Ashwin Rajagopalan is a Chennai-based lifestyle and travel writer

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW