Boston-based chef personalities Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette are behind the Bangkok outpost of Spanish restaurant Toro at 72 Courtyard. Recently, the culinary duo has replaced the modern tapas bar with Little Donkey, a Boston-born eatery that champions a more playful approach to casual dining.
The restaurant draws influences from the food traditions of various places, “from Jersey to Japan,” but is not beyond tweaking some culinary customs. At the Bangkok branch, executive chef Arnie Marcella has come up with the current food line-up that never fails to impress foodies around the city.
Some of the highlights are perfectly grilled Koh Sichang-caught squid (B180) brushed with a tongue-numbing mala mix made with makwean peppers; and grilled maitake mushrooms (B160), enhancing the meaty fungi with chili paste, ginger and shallots. Meanwhile, Doucakis’ chicken wings (B150) are not like what you’d find at street food pushcarts. His version is stuffed with goon cheang (Thai chorizo) and sticky rice, and glazed with tamarind fish sauce and toasted rice dust.
An Instagram-perfect dish called Mama Donut (B280) appeases our hankerings for comfort fare. Inside the donut are Mama noodles doused in a thick, lava-like prawn tomyum sauce. The whole donut is topped with raw egg. All in all, the the dish is one huge guilty pleasure. The Little Donkey Burger (B350) is bound to be another diner favorite. The indulgent dish features a flavorful patty made with chuck steak and short ribs, and layered with foie gras fat, cheddar cheese and crispy potato chips. Don’t miss the Softshell Crab Sando Sandwich (B280), too. The crispy treat comes with an unconventional slaw made with sawtooth coriander and betel leaves.
For dessert, you have the Oatmeal Cookie Cake, inspired by a recipe from Doucakis’ grandmother. The meal-ender is topped with vanilla ice cream, a drizzling of kombucha-infused butterscotch and bacon bits.
Little Donkey is not just another restaurant that imitates what’s been done before. The cuisine is playful and delicious, but innovative. Finally, there’s one more place in Bangkok that’s trying to make dining out fun again.
