Eat Me, a famous Silom eatery, is turning 20 next year—that’s a long time in the restaurant scene in Bangkok—and, so far, is nowhere near to being toppled from the top of the list of the city’s best restaurants. The secret, perhaps, lies in the the marriage of Eat Me’s casual yet effortlessly chic atmosphere and consistently reliable modern French fare. But that’s not all. The fact that it has always tried to inject new cool to its offerings is also worth noting. Talented-yet-underrated barman Buntanes “Pop” Direkrittikul is one of those responsible for making sure Eat Me retains its hip reputation. His latest kitchen-inspired savory “Sip Some Thai” drinks collection takes another look at the delicate line between food and beverages.
Pop started working in the F&B industry as service staff over ten years ago, but it wasnt until he joined Eat Me in 2011 that he began learning the art of mixology. The man worked his way up step by step, and is now head bartender at the eatery.
Sereechai Puttes/ Time Out Bangkok
“I didn’t really have a background in bartending. My big turning point came when the then head bartender resigned and I took the opportunity to step up. Eat Me sent me to learn bartending basics from Joseph Boroski himself, and later it was all about practicing, learning from other bars, and attending classes and workshops hosted by beverage companies,” Pop relates. “Afterwards, I got to know other bartenders in the industry, like Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, and you know, it’s good to be part of a community where you all talk about—and have a passion for—the same thing.”
“At Eat Me, we don’t change the cocktail list very often because our bar is there to support the restaurant. You’ll find classics rather than other [more creative drinks]. We don’t have ‘signature drinks’ because we like to present every item equally as much as we love to serve made-to-order drinks.” And that’s where the idea of Sip Some Thai began.
“One night, a regular customer asked if I could make him a cocktail based on laab moo (northeastern-style spicy salad with minced pork and crushed roasted rice). I thought it was an absurd idea but, at the same time, it sounded fun to try. I went through the kitchen looking for ingredients to create a one-off cocktail. And it worked! So when our team was discussing making a new drinks menu, laab moo was the first thing [on the list]. We started from there, developing more drinks until we were satisfied, and it became the Sip Some Thai collection.” Another notable creation takes inspiration from kaeng khiao wan (sweet green curry), which mixes Diplomatico Blanco Rum with basil, shallots, kaffir lime leaf, green curry paste, milk and lime juice. If you’re used to your cocktails having more citrus than curry notes, you may think one sip is more than enough, but, trust us, that’s not the case.
“Challenging yourself with something that sounds impossible is the fun part of being a bartender,” explains Pop. “Thai food-inspired cocktails are not a new concept but, from my experience, there are always better ways to make them. Let go of your worries and concentrate on perfecting the mixes. What you only need to bear in mind is that you’ re making a cocktail drink, not a cold soup. So make it drinkable.” Spicy salad- and green curry-inspired drinks are accompanied by crazier creations such as drinks fashioned after kaeng tai pla (Southern-style spicy curry) and som tum pu pla ra (Northeastern-style papaya salad with fermented fish).
So far, Pop has not joined any bartending competitions, which would probably explain why his name doesn’t have as much recall as other bartenders in the city. “Competitions don’t really matter to me. Entering competitions, for me, is somehow like doing self-marketing. I’m turning 34 this year, and I don’t really think I need them. If you had asked me in my early 20s, I may have been interested,” he says. “But I’m good if any of my team members wants to join, and I’ll support them. I’m happy to be here behind the scenes, rather than showing off at competitions. I prefer having my customers know me from being myself, mixing drinks, than from winning a competition.”
So what’s his definition of a good cocktail? “A cocktail is good because you like it. It’ s all about personal taste. My style doesn’t fit with all types of cocktails so I’d rather chat with customers [to find out what they like] and make recommendations. If they’re happy, we’re happy,” Pop reveals.
“I’ve never told anyone we have the best cocktails in town. We don’t serve fancy drinks made with smoke and fire. It’s how we treat our customers that keep them coming back. We comfort them. There’s something more than just the mixtures that makes them [feel comfortable to] pay B300 for a cocktail. It’s called an experience, and we always want them to have a good one.”