The best restaurants and cafes in Ekkamai

Joe Napol is back in the fine-dining scene with Nawa, a warmly-lit dining room in Ekkamai that aims to transform classic Thai recipes from the central region into progressive cuisine.

This new noodle parlor specializes in soupy street-style egg noodles with barbequed pork and pork wontons. The eatery is highly popular during lunch among hungry office workers so you may want to consider popping in early to avoid waiting in line.

Maynard Seekala’s humble eatery in Ekkamai is undoubtedly 2022’s most promising pizza spot. Hype is centered around its 48-hour sourdough bun, which is topped with sauces and seasonal ingredients from all over Thailand. Best of all is the restaurant’s unpretentious no-frills vibes. 

Used to be, the only way to enjoy Ban Beung’s famous noodles was to make a trip all the way to the small town in Chonburi (that’s easily a two-hour detour just to have your fill savory soup). Your life is now easier thanks to Mamarin, the new noodle spot in Ekkamai that has brought the district’s signature delicacy to downtown Bangkok. In the old days, Ban Beung was a well-known settlement for the Teochew Chinese, one of the migratory groups that greatly influenced Thai-Chinese cooking. Ban Beung-style noodles quickly became known for its flavorful noodles, which was prepared with dried squid, dried shrimp and pork bone. Mamarin whips up its own version following the family recipe of Ban Beung-born owner Cake Poonyamund (who’s also one of the members of the soulful band B5). You can opt for the classic version (B89), which comes with pork, fish cake, seafood bits and deep-fried wontons; the spicy tom yum version (B89); or the intensely hot yentafo (B99). Apart from the noodles, Mamarin also serves hearty dishes like spotted mackerel fried rice, and addictive desserts like butterfly pea-infused sticky rice with coconut milk and longan (B65).

It’s been over two years since Jay Sangsingkaew, a former chef at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Bangkok, moved on from the much-respected, yet short-lived, restaurant to launch her own venture. No longer a young hopeful aspiring to break through Bangkok’s culinary scene, Chef Jay pays homage to French cuisine at Restaurant Stage (pronounced “staj”), a name that alludes to the culinary term for unpaid internships.  When she opened Stage in 2020, the Europe-trained chef was committed to using only imported ingredients to create a series of multi-course menus that are assigned a number that suggests the restaurant’s constant progression. Recently, Chef Jay unveiled Stage Experience 7.0 (B4,500++), a 10-course set that, instead of solely focusing on international produce, emphasizes the use of local ingredients sourced from producers across Thailand, such as king prawns from Surat Thani and sweet potatoes from Phetchabun. The meal starts off with a four-bite amuse bouche that includes taramasalata rosette, egg mimosa, duck confit puff, and wild boar. Following closely is a delicate white asparagus dish with razor clams. In the third course, Ox & Bone, Chef Jay uses different parts of the animal to create a series of small dishes, namely oxtail terrine, bone marrow croquette, and tarragon emulsion. The potatoes from Phetchabun figure in the next dish, cooked using a special method that gives the root crop a different texture. Three seafood dishes follow, featuring king prawn, soft-sh

This dog friendly café is also a dog hotel for canines. Enjoy simple snacks like sandwiches and burgers while your pooch socializes with Dog in Town’s seven cute and uber-friendly resident doggies. (They’re all named after BTS stations: Ari, Thonglor, Surasak, etc.).

A champion of egg noodles with barbequed pork and soft-boiled egg, this old-school noodle shop morphed from a simple pushcart and is probably the most famous eatery of its kind in Ekkamai. Waits are notoriously long (its name translates to “Uncle Slow”) but the food is definitely worth it

100 Mahaseth, the restaurant near Charoenkrung that has elevated nose-to-tail eating and given a gourmet twist to less appreciated meat cuts, has branched out to Ekkamai. The new dining room boasts a more casual bar vibe, and serves creative tipples to go with soulful dishes that celebrate locally sourced ingredients from the northern and Isaan region. Wooden details permeate the establishment’s two floors, giving the feel of one of those suan arhaarn eateries outside Bangkok. Chef/owner Chalee Kader wants this second branch to feel less formal, designing it as a casual dining spot before party-goers hit the watering holes and clubs in the area. There are plans to include more tapas-style bites in the menu but, for now, you can enjoy 100 Mahaseth’s popular fusion dishes such as American-style beef pho and sai oeur hotdog. The restaurant also gives Isaan food a creative twist. The som tum ponlamai (spicy fruit salad) mixes pineapple with plara (fermented fish sauce),cockles and sliced green taro. For heavier fare, order the grilled bavette (locally sourced) served with a sauce of bai ya nang (bamboo grass) and grilled onion flower stem, or the Western-style blood sausage with spicy larb. Pair these boldly flavored dishes with drinks that pile on Thai spirits. Chamchan is a heady concoction that combines Isaan rum and New Moon (a spirit made from fermented jasmine rice) with lemon juice, purple lemonade and a shot of M150. Equally fun is Nam Dang Lumyong, which brings back memo

Its location in the Bangkok Mediplex Building on Sukhumvit Soi 42 might be uninspired, but the meat-free Thai menu does more than enough to pull in the local veggie crowd. Start with something raw (fresh spring rolls or mixed veggies salad with peanut sauce) before trying one of the hearty mains such as red “duck” curry with tofu or kanom jeen gaeng het (soft rice noodles covered in mushroom curry) To finish, the Banana Cereal Cream (grilled banana with sweet gravy and coconut milk) is a guaranteed sugar high. As you’d expect, there are plenty of smoothies and fruit juices to drink. 

Hear Hai attracts local seafood lovers looking to savor reasonably priced fried rice packed with charred flavors and heaps of crab meat. Other popular dishes include stir-fried giant prawns with salt and garlic, and yellow curry with crab and betel leaves. Make a reservation before you visit and expect to wait for your food. You’ll know the food is in demand, judging from the number of food delivery guys waiting out front