Bangkok's hardest restaurants to get a reservation

WHAT IT IS: A Chinese-Thai restaurant known for serving dishes chef’s table-style using ingredients available that day. (Don’t ask for the menu!) The restaurant used to have only one table, but now has six.

PRICE: A meal for a table of 8-10 people can cost more than B10,000.

HOW TO BOOK: Gather a group of around eight to ten, and telephone months in advance.

BOOKING TRICK: Making a reservation is not difficult (you can usually just call), but you are expected to wait around two to three months for a table.

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: The small Yok Hua Restaurant in Chinatown churns out hearty Hakka-style cuisine for less.

Jok, 23 Trok Issaranuphab, Phlap Phla Chai Road, 0 2221 4075. Open daily 12:00 - 15:00 and 18:00 - 22:00

Yok Hua, 577/30 Yommarat Sukhum Road, 0 2226 2525. 0pen daily 11:00 - 18:00

WHAT IT IS: A Michelin-starred shophouse restaurant operated by Supinya “Jay Fai” Junsuta.

PRICE: Expect to pay around B4,000 for a dinner for two.

HOW TO BOOK: There is no need to reserve a table, but walk-ins are expected to wait around three to four hours. If you’d rather not wait, try sending an email to jayfaibangkok@ gmail.com.

BOOKING TRICK: Ask for an availability via email and show up on time. However, wait time for the food is around one hour after you’ve ordered— Jay Fai is the only one behind the wok!

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: If waiting around for crab meat omelet (regardless of how good it is) is not part of your agenda, then try Nong Rim Klong, a ramshackle roadside eatery on Ekkamai, which is known for its egg dish and other flavorful street food. Prices are much cheaper, too.

Jay Fai, 327 Maha Chai Road, 092 724 9633. Open Tue - Sat 14:30 - 24:00

Nong Rim Klong, Soi Ekkamai 21, Khlong Tan Nuea, 086 044 9478. Open Mon - Sat 8:30 - 16:00

WHAT IT IS: A fine-dining Thai restaurant steered by husband-andwife culinary team Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and Dylan Jones

PRICE: Starts at B3,250

HOW TO BOOK: Reservation can be made on the restaurant website. Since Chef Bo was featured in the fifth season of Chef’s Table on Netflix, the restaurant has become more popular, so you should expect around onemonth wait time.

BOOKING TRICK: Keep checking the website for available slots or join the waitlist.

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: Err, the more casual offshoot of Bo.Lan, which focuses on Thai street food.

Bo.Lan, 24 Soi Sukhumvit 53, Khlong Tan Nuea, 02 260 2962. Open Tue - Fri 18:00 - 22:30 and Sat - Sun 12:00 - 14:30 and 18:00 - 22:30

Err, 394/35 Maha Rat Road, Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, 0 2622 2292. Open Tue - Sun 11:00 - 16:00 and 17:00 - 21:00

WHAT IT IS: A casual eatery serving home-cooked fare in a setting reminiscent of your grandmother’s Old Town residence

PRICE: À la carte dishes are priced from B50 to B300

HOW TO BOOK: Keep checking the restaurant’s Instagram (@baannual372) to find out when they start accepting reservations. Booking can be made only from 7 am by sending a direct message with your name, and preferred time and date.

BOOKING TRICK: Send a DM at 7 am sharp, but avoid making a reservation on a Saturday or Sunday. Do not resend the message as it makes your reservation request drop down to the end of the queue.

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: Suanthip, a one Michelin-star restaurant that churns out family-style, comfort dishes using fresh ingredients and intricate cooking techniques

Baannual 372 Soi Samsen 2, 08 1889 7403. Open Tue - Fri 12:00 - 21:00 and Sat - Sun 16:00 - 22:00

Suanthip, 17/9 Sukhaprachasan 2 Soi 76, 0 2583 4540. Open daily 11:00 - 21:00

WHAT IT IS: A chef’s table-style popup dinner by former Nahm head chef, Prin Polsuk.

PRICE: B3,000 per person

HOW TO BOOK: Keep visiting their Facebook page (Samrubforthai) to check when they’re open for reservations (these are posted randomly). Send a direct message with your name, contact number, and preferred date and time. The seating is reserved only for eight people per session

BOOKING TRICK: Try booking for a weekday and provide them with alternative dates.

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: Someday Everyday, also steered by Chef Prin Polsuk is a khao gaeng eatery at Warehouse 30 that churns out simple yet delicious Thai dishes.

Samrub for Thai, 11/1 Soi Charoen Krung 24, Khwaeng Talat Noi, Khet Samphanthawong

Someday Everyday, 52, 60 Charoen Krung Road, Khwaeng Bang Rak, Open Wed - Sun 11:00 - 18:00

WHAT IT IS: A wallet-friendly restaurant that elevates Sakon Nakhon-raised Thai-French beef

PRICE: Starts from B200

HOW TO BOOK: Look out for reservation announcements that frequently come out of the blue on their Instagram (@mahasanofficial). There’s usually a two-hour period in which you can reserve.

BOOKING TRICK: Call continuously during the designated two hours and avoid making a reservation on weekends.

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: Arno’s, a steak specialist with branches around Bangkok puts an emphasis on dishes made with locally raised beef.

Mahasan, 1843 Charoen Krung Road, 06 3406 5566. Open Mon - Fri 17.00 - 23.00, Sat - Sun 11.00 - 23.00

Arno’s 2090/2 Soi Narathiwas 20, 0 2678 8340. Open daily 11:30 - 22:00

WHAT IT IS: A fine-dining Thai restaurant that focuses on the diversity of southern Thai cuisine

PRICE: B2,800 for the southern Thai tasting menu

HOW TO BOOK: Reservations can be made via phone only on the first day of the month from 12:00 onwards. Based on our experience, the phone line is always busy. We were told that one successful customer managed to get a table after his 300th (or so) attempt!

BOOKING TRICK: Try calling from multiple phones continuously. Make sure your friends help, too!

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: The owner, Supaksorn “Ice” Jongsiri, also owns Baan Ice, a casual southern Thai specialist with branches all over Bangkok that offers a more expansive and affordable selection of fiery dishes.

Sorn, 56 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Klongton, Klongtoey, 09 9081 1119. Open Tue - Fri 18:00 - 23:00, Sat - Sun 12:00 - 14:00, 18:00 - 23:00

Baan Ice, Somerset Building, 115 Soi Sukhumvit 55, 0 2381 6441. Open daily 11:00 - 22:00

WHAT IT IS: A two Michelin-star restaurant by Indian rockstar chef, Gaggan Anand. Voted Asia’s best restaurant for three consecutive years, this restaurant is known for putting a molecular treatment on bites influenced by Indian, Japanese, European and Thai cuisine.

PRICE: B6,500 for the Gaggan Experience tasting menu

HOW TO BOOK: Tables for both 18:00 and 21:00 seatings are usually booked out one month in advance. Reservations can only be made on the restaurant’s website. And the tricky part is, you have to select a date and time slot, wait for confirmation, and then wait some more via email if there are available tables on your preferred date and time. If you do not succeed, you have to go through the whole process all over again. How frustrating is that!

BOOKING TRICK: Book far ahead in advance (around three months) and opt for a 21:00 seating.

OR TRY THIS INSTEAD: Gaa, steered by Chef Garima Arora, a former sous-chef at Gaggan. Located right beside its sister restaurant, the Michelin-starred Gaa takes local produce like unripe jackfruit and longan, and turns them into dishes worthy of acclaim.

Gaggan, 68/1 Phloen Chit Road, Khwaeng Lumphini, 0 2652 1700. Open 18:00-23:00 à Gaa, 68/3 soi langsuan, 09 1419 2424. Open Wed - Mon 18:00 - 22:00