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 City
Heat
Firework
Displays
The Thais love firework displays and they fill the air on New Year’s
Eve. One of the best locations to view them is at the Chao Phraya
River where they are set off from barges anchored in the middle
of the river. Each of the major hotels fronting the waterway has
one of these firework-laden vessels and uses it to entertain guests
eating and drinking at its venues overlooking the river. If you
are interested in viewing the pyrotechnics, reserve a spot for New
Year’s Eve at your favourite riverside location. Especially
popular are displays produced by the Shangri-la Hotel, The Oriental,
The Peninsula Bangkok, the Montien Riverside Hotel and the Bangkok
Marriott Resort & Spa. You do not, however, have to be a guest
at the hotel to witness the displays. Simply go to the water’s
edge and watch the show. It is always, by any stretch of the imagination,
a spectacular event.
Bring
on the Beer
It’s beer drinking time in Thailand! In many ways the foaming
amber beverage is the ideal beverage for the Land of Smiles. It
is a great antidote for the heat produced by both weather and food.
Now that the rains are lessening in frequency, outdoor drinking
venues are springing up all over the place. They are hard to miss,
but if you can’t easily find one, then visit the World Trade
Center where a substantial area is occupied by beer vendors. It
makes you think you are in Germany! All of Thailand’s major
breweries have outlets there as well as an assortment of good food
on offer, including some tasty German fare. Another popular outdoor
spot can be found at the Sukhumvit Road entrance to the Ambassador
Hotel. The emphasis here is on Singha Beer, but Heineken is also
served. The barbecued chicken is great and there is live entertainment.
Hard
Rock Café
Part of a worldwide chain, the music gets louder as the evening
progresses, but the food tastes great and everyone always seems
to be having have a good time at the Hard Rock Café in Siam
Square. The highlight of the menu is the hamburger. In a city where
finding a decent burger is a little like locating the elusive needle
in a haystack, the Hard Rock’s version stands heads and shoulders
above the crowd. Manager Ng says it is because they import their
beef from the US. Their barbecued ribs are also a winner and reason
enough for a trip to the restaurant. As the evening progresses,
the lights dim and the music becomes a little harder on the eardrums.
By the time 2:00am rolls around, chaos prevails. If you are interested
in dinner, go early. If you want drinks, a snack and some good music,
go later in the evening.
Italian
Invasion
Make no mistake about it, the Italians have invaded Bangkok. Of
all the Western cuisines available in the city, the most prevalent
is the food of Italy. Several hotels have Italian restaurants and
independent Italian eateries have cropped up all over the place.
The competition is fierce and this keeps the quality of the food
high. If you are in the Sukhumvit area, try La Gritta (0-2255-7350)
on Soi 19. Chef Marco constantly changes his menu and enjoys creating
regional promotions. Near Silom Road on Soi Saladaeng is Zanotti
(0-2636-0002), a favourite with Bangkok’s Italian community.
Elegant and refined, it is a great place for a business lunch or
for entertaining friends. In the Siam Square area there are several
options, but many turn to the Focazzia (0-2255-6888) at the Novotel
Siam Square. This place jumps with activity and serves food of signal
quality.
The
Emporium Shopping Center
If you are interested in seeing where wealthy Thais and expatriates
with bulging wallets shop, try the Emporium Shopping Center on Sukhumvit
Road. Easily reached from the Phrom Phong Skytrain stop, it offers
a completely different perspective on shopping in Thailand. This
is where you will find designer clothes with exclusive labels that
are real! It is also where you will find the latest in appliances
rarely seen in Thailand. Espresso machines, food processors, digital
televisions, home theatres and massive refrigerators of all types
are on display. The supermarket has food from all over the world,
with a particularly large selection of delicacies from Japan. There
is also a large motion picture complex on the top floor showing
the latest in Western movies.
Return
of the Steak
An interesting development on the local restaurant scene has been
the return of the steak. Recently out of favour with many diners,
it has made a triumphant return. The New York Steakhouse (0-2656-7700)
at the JW Marriott Hotel on Sukhumvit is one of the city’s
most popular restaurants. Open only for dinner, it serves US certified
prime grain fed beef and Australian grain fed beef of the highest
quality. Another place specializing in steaks is Madison (0-2251-6127)
at the Regent Hotel. Open for lunch and dinner, it is ideal for
a business related meal. A nice feature of this restaurant is its
impressive collection of single malt whiskies. Other worthy steakhouses
are Hamilton’s Steakhouse (0-2236-9999) at the Dusit Thani
and the Fireplace Grill Steak House (0-2656-0444) at Le Meridien
President. The latter has been around for several years and has
recently spruced things up and promoted steaks to the forefront
of its menu.
Music
Lovers Take Note
If you are a music lover, the Pathumwan Princess Hotel (0-2216-3700)
with its convenient location adjacent to the Mahboonkrong Shopping
Center is a good place to satisfy your needs. They always have something
exciting happening. In its Lobby Bistro & Bar, the Filipino
group New Edition performs everything from romantic ballads and
R&B to hip-hop, funk and dance each night from 20:30. Jasmine
String Quartet, a group of comely Thai musicians, play relaxing
tunes on weekends, including lunchtime. The popular Tanapat Jazz
Group has returned with their blend of R&B classics. This is
a great hotel to cool your heels after a hard day of shopping. Call
for information as the groups are constantly changing, but rest
assured, something musical will always be happening at this lively
hotel.
The
Ethnic Rembrandt
For most people hotel rooms are a very important factor contributing
to an enjoyable holiday. At the Rembrandt Hotel (0-2261-7100) on
Sukhumvit Soi 18, the rooms are, of course, important, but the hotel
has really made a name for itself because of its excellent ethnic
restaurants. Leading the way is the fabulous Rang Mahal, considered
by many to be Bangkok’s best and most authentic Indian restaurant.
Located at the top of the hotel, it offers great food and some of
the city’s best views. Mexican food lovers turn to Senor Pico’s,
the hotel’s well-known Mexican eatery. It not only serves topnotch
food, it also has excellent Latin inspired musical groups on tap
each evening. The hotel’s da Vinci, an Italian restaurant,
has just opened and is already making a name for itself. For Thai
food, particularly with a light and modern flare, its Red Pepper
has long been a favourite.
Coffee
Comes to Bangkok
Finding a decent cup of Western-style coffee used to be a major
problem in Bangkok. But things have changed enormously in the last
couple of years. Starbuck’s, the chain from the United States,
has arrived on the scene big time and is multiplying rapidly. It
is now almost impossible to go to a major shopping area in the city
and not find a Starbucks. Local chains like Black Canyon are also
proliferating and numerous independent outlets now dot the urban
landscape. Perhaps the most significant change, however, has been
the arrival of espresso-type machines in the city’s restaurants.
In a city where Nescafe used to be the name of the game, this is
a refreshing change. Ending a meal with a cup of coffee in Bangkok
is no longer a letdown.
Business
Lunches
Let’s face it, a lot of business gets done over a good lunch.
Bangkok is a cosmopolitan city and for this reason offers lunchtime
opportunities that sometimes can’t be found in other cities.
Dim sum lunches, for example, are a real favourite with Bangkokians.
These steamed and fried Cantonese tidbits are always tasty and can
be found at lunchtime in virtually every Chinese restaurant in the
city. Buffet lunches are another alternative and are particularly
attractive if your business group contains people of several different
nationalities. The buffets in Bangkok’s major hotels are enormous
and always offer a wide variety of ethnic foods. At a bare minimum,
all of them have Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Western sections. Many
have sushi bars with a chef in attendance; some have pasta counters
where a chef will create a pasta dish; most have a selection of
dim sum and noodle dishes.
Screaming
for Ice Cream
Most people seem to enjoy ice cream. If you fit in this category,
try some of the locally made ice cream available in Bangkok. It
is not only of high quality, some of the flavours are unique. Producers
to consider are Iberry and Dairy Princess, both have outlets in
several shopping centres around the city. Iberry also has a fairly
large shop on the ground floor of the President Park on Soi 24.
The flavours that make the products of these companies noteworthy
are passion fruit (fantastic!), tamarind, custard apple, black sesame
seed and the infamous durian. The latter, surprisingly, makes a
great ice cream that people who can’t stand fresh durian seem
to enjoy.
River
Kwai Bridge Week
This annual event lasts until December 5th. During this period a
multi-media show will be produced at the bridge site in nearby Kanchanaburi
in English, German, Chinese and Japanese. There will be a parade,
a Miss Peace Pageant and a variety of other exhibits. Tickets for
the event are available at Thaiticketmaster for 600, 400. 200 and
100 baht. Tickets at the site are only 50 baht. For details call
0-2204-9999, or if you are into computers checkout www.thaiticketmaster.com
<http://www.thaiticketmaster.com>
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