Hailed as “Bangkok’s answer to Brooklyn”, Charoen Krung Road has drawn plaudits as host to a full-fledged renaissance. Thanks to a steady stream of hip new openings, the 150-year-old street once known simply as New Road is now home to Bangkok’s Creative District, a neighborhood fueled by art galleries, shops, and of course, restaurants featuring some of the city’s most exciting chefs.
According to Thanavut Kosolwongse, co-owner of critically-acclaimed "Michelin Plate" eatery 80/20, the recipe for a neighborhood revival includes proximity to many hotels, easy access to markets and food shops, the move of Thai Creative and Design Centre (the library, museum, workshop and co-working space known as TCDC) to the area, and a genuine sense of community.
“We believe the restaurant business is all about people,” said Thanavut. “Helping each other promote the neighborhood together is always better than doing it yourself. Everyone’s hard work has changed Charoen Krung to be the new hotspot of Bangkok.” 80/20 relies on 80 percent local, seasonal produce. The dining room’s industrial-chic decor and open kitchen give the impression of an upscale brasserie, while a Thai-Japanese team of chefs churns out dishes that gently tweak Thai favorites like its crackling-studded pork belly.
Down the road, 100 Mahaseth draws hipster crowds with nose-to-tail Isaan dishes like its signature grilled bone marrow in a two-story shop house outfitted with brick and glass. And just a few minutes south at "Bib Gourmand" Baan Phadthai, Thailand's national dish gets star treatment with top-notch ingredients in a comfortable bistro setting.
For 100 Mahaseth’s chefs Chalee Kader, who spent years in San Francisco cooking, and U.S.-born-and-bred Randy Noprapa, opening a restaurant on Charoen Krung road has inadvertently created a sort of family with the other businesses in the area. “We all help each other out,” said Chalee. “We just have a good heart for each other and a good feeling for each other.”
Nothing has proven this more than the neighborhood’s popular “block parties”, charity dinners featuring courses by 80/20, Jua and 100 Mahaseth, with cocktails courtesy of tiki bar Tropic City. At one recent event, held outside on a closed-off strip of soi 28, guests crowded a communal picnic table piled high with chili relishes, chicken skewers and a gigantic roasted seabass. Proceeds were earmarked for the community around Talad Noi, an old manufacturing neighborhood that is rapidly gentrifying, like much of the rest of Charoen Krung.
Built during the reign of Rama IV to accommodate Western residents’ requests for a street on which to drive their horse-drawn carriages, the 8.5-km-long road soon began to attract traders and shop owners, becoming the city’s biggest center for commerce. Today, the street is still lined with Thai-Chinese shophouses that now house edgy art galleries, popular nightspots and famous street food vendors. The converted Prince Theatre Heritage Stay, once a seedy back-alley cinema, now sports beautifully deigned lofts, suites and hostel accommodations
Speedy Grandma (Charoen Krung 28), housed in a minimally-decorated, concrete-heavy shophouse, illustrates the neighborhood’s bohemian, free-wheeling vibe. The gallery — which features work by young Thai artists — also serves drinks, screens experimental films and hosts flea markets, luring a keyed-in crowd of art world insiders.
Punters looking for a nightcap will head to the FooJohn building (Charoen Krung 31), arguably Ground Zero for those in the know. Recalling Wong Kar-wai’s dreamy film “In the Mood for Love”, the first two floors host a French bistro and a cocktail bar. The top two floors showcase food from across the Atlantic: Texas-style barbecue at Spare Parts, run by an American-born chef who grew up in Bangkok.
Longstanding vendor "Bib Gourmand" Jok Prince (1391 Charoen Krung Road) — moved from its original location behind the Prince Hotel — specializes in silky Chinese-style congee, while dueling fish ball vendors Jao Long and Jae Lee (1456 Charoen Krung Road) continue with their years-long rivalry over who serves the best soup noodles.
All the same, it might be the neighborhood’s ineffable “charm” that ultimately wins it its fans, like chef Chet Adkins, who lives just 800 metres from his restaurant, Jua.
Only a few steps from 80/20, Jua is a specialist in yakitori-inspired dishes like grilled tiger prawns smeared with durian butter. Once an executive chef at high-society nightspot Ku De Ta, Adkins originally hails from Florida, but is now happy to call Charoen Krung home, and fellow chefs like Joe Jantraget of 80/20 and 100 Mahaseth’s Randy his family.
“Here, it’s a much better vibe,” he said during a quick break from a busy dinnertime service. “It’s like the real Thailand.”
In the hotter-than-hot Charoenkrung neighbourhood, where everything buzz-worthy seems to be, 80/20 is ploughing its own furrow with a unique take on Thai cuisine. With 80 percent of the ingredients sourced locally and sustainably from the nearby Talat Noi market, the designed-toshare menu shines. Delicate seared tuna with daikon, frozen grapes, and butterfly pea is a standout, as is the artful charcoal-grilled squid with som-za emulsion. Save room for the beguiling puddings.
Baan Phadthai was founded on the lofty belief that this favourite street food dish could be elevated to a gourmet meal. The secret to their success, they claim, is a combination of 18 to 20 ingredients used in each pad thai they make. A variety of add-ons are available, but the organic, homemade tofu and the fresh crab are noteworthy. This polished version hasn't lost its authenticity, and this is a place where locals and tourists eat side-by-side.
Here's what out Inspectors said about Jok Prince (Bib Gourmand/Street Food)Congee is the ultimate Asian comfort food, and one of the best bowls is at this little stall down a narrow alley. The rice porridge is topped with minced pork balls and either a raw egg or a century egg. The congee is smooth and savoury and has a smoky aroma.
