The best restaurants and cafes in Ekkamai

Co-owner Gary Stewart and Chef Colin Stevens bring traditional slow-cooked, wood-smoked, American-style BBQ to the fore at this threestory eatery on Soi Ekkamai 12. Mouthwatering beef brisket and fall-off-the bone beef and pork ribs are the specialties here, but you’d also find lots to love with the pulled pork, pork belly, and hot links. The meats are smoked in custom-made, wood-fueled vertical smokers for hours on an end, 16 in the case of their signature beef brisket (B880). When the meat is cooked as good as these, seasoned only with salt and pepper, you barely need any sauce, although sides are more than welcome. Try their AK Chicken (organic whole baby chicken with signature brine, B750) if you aren't a fan of those red meat menus. Most of the meat dishes come in platters that include jalapeño corn bread, creamy slaw and a choice of sides. You can order more sides (B120/each) from a selection that includes smoked beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, and more. Roasted Shrooms (B300), a dish of fire-roasted seasonal mushrooms with herbs and salt, is also a perfect addition to the platters. There are also breakfast items for you to choose from, including the Big Kahuna (B390), a sinful treat that includes homemade sausage, bacon, egg, baked beans, and jalapeño corn bread, as well as sandwiches, quesadillas and salads. Vegan dishes are also available. Traditionally, a meal of wood-smoked beef brisket won’t be complete without some bourbon. Ash Kickers boasts one of the m

After almost five years of operation, Kaizen Coffee has moved from its original branch at Tai Ping Tower to the end of Ekkamai Road, just a few hundred meters away. While the first branch has been turned into its headquarters and bakery, the relocated coffee shop now serves full-on meals in a twostory glasshouse-style building decorated with warm tones and raw materials. Kaizen has always focused on the character of coffee beans, wanting its customers to experience the real taste of coffee. So there are no fancy cream-topped, matchamixed drinks here; just classic cups like espresso, or the usual filtered, freshly brewed black or white coffee, served hot or cold (starts from B120). Non-coffee options such as fresh, sugar-free pressed juices are also available. At this new venue, the food menu has been extended to include simple yet creative dishes that bring out the best of locally sourced seasonal produce. Options include breakfast plates, pastas, sandwiches, salads and acai bowls. Our favorites include the homemade ramen-spaghetti with anchovies (B320), the pickled mackerel (B240), and the acai berries bowl (B270), which is topped with banana, berries and Medjool dates. Wrap up your meal with one of their house-made cakes (prices start from B75) or cookies (B85).

After spending almost two decades managing footwear companies throughout Asia, New York-born Jonathan Spearman is stepping into a completely different role behind the kitchen counter. At his new shop Pizzeria Mazzie, the pizza place that’s got everyone talking, Jonathan tosses the flavors of New York and more into amazingly delicious pies. Tucked inside shopping and dining complex Park Lane, Pizzeria Mazzie evokes the cozy and boisterous vibe of pizza shops scattered throughout NYC’s neighborhoods. There’s a touch of elegance from the heavy use of marble, while the dominant use of black and white gives the whole space a masculine chic feel. Take a seat at the white marbled bar and witness thin-crust rounds being cooked in a gigantic woodfired oven. Just like the perfect New York-style pizza, the slices churned out at Pizzeria Mazzie have a crispy crust that still retains a chewy texture. Toppings are varied and, at times, unexpected. For an authentic NYC pizza experience, go for the Pizzeria Mazzie Brooklyn Classic Cheese (B350), a simple choice that packs in the flavors of house-cooked tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, parmesan and oregano. No.3 (B450) features an adventurous approach to pizza that traditionalists may shun—a combination of cooked coppa di parma and aromatic truffle oil. The Hot Hipster (B510) is another unusual yet delicious creation, mixing spice-infused wildflower honey with spicy Calabria salami. Also worth mentioning are the pizzeria’s excellent

Brave Roaster: Space Oddity combines a café, co-working space and beer bar in one massive space. Located on the second floor of the recently revamped hangout complex Seen Space, the space is clearly a café manifestation of the David Bowie song “Space Oddity,” featuring a minimalist loft space with nothing other than polished mortar, and black and white furnishing. The menu is targeted to those who want more from their cuppa than just a caffeinated kick. The long counterbar fields out aromatic specials like Fume de Latte and Fume de Mocha (B155 each), both of which are smoked with hickory wood chips to add a unique complexity, and the sweet yet refreshing Café Helado, a cold brew slushie served with yuzu jelly and coffee syrup (B125). To kick off happy hour, try the sparkling wine-based Prosecco Berry (B145).

Cafe Thieves and Bar is located in peaceful Ekkamai Soi 12 as part of froyo parlor Freeze Frozen Yogurt’s third branch. Swing open its doors and you’ll find yourself in a space dominantly dressed in pink and green, and featuring indoor plants, mirrors and booth seating—a theme inspired by cafés in the ’50s. Hoping to be your new favorite all-day-dining spot, the restaurant offers a menu that lists everything from light breakfast dishes to heavy dinner options. Make sure you try the Thieves’ Cheeseburger (B380), a perfect composition of Angus beef, mozzarella, cheddar and sautéed mushroom sauce, or the soft-shell crab pasta with crab roe, chili paste and spicy seafood sauce (B380). On the sweet side, the cinnamon sugar French toast (B220) and American-style pancakes loaded with homemade strawberry sauce (B250) are must-tries. We also tried the Rose Velvet froyo (B219) and absolutely loved it, more so when we paired it with the white malt honey latte (B140) made with Horlicks (our favorite malted drink from childhood). A selection of frizzy refreshments in various flavors is also available, as well as mocktails sweetened by homemade syrup. The second floor acts as a bar. Come by for reinvented classics like the o-lieng Negroni (o-lieng infused sweet vermouth, B300) and the gin-based Blossom Tamarind (tamarind pureeand lemon juice, B280)

Breaking away from restrictive reputation, Broken Eggs is a hip Spanish tavern that’s unafraid to inject a contemporary spin to tapas bites.

A new destination combining gastronomy and entertainment in the heart of Ekkamai, OH CHIC is a social club and eatery that offer Italian-Asian fusion dishes along with nightly performances by deejays or live bands and rotating themed shows.

The team behind Cocotte—the swanky steak-slash-ribs specialist on Sukhumvit 39—loosens up on its meat-centric concept by letting seafood co-star at a new Mediterranean spin-off in Ekkamai.

The only way to enjoy Ban Beung’s famous noodles was to make a trip all the way to the small town in Chonburi. 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.

Sit back, relax and enjoy your tea at Peace, the oriental teahouse created by Teerachai Limpapaitoon, a tea expert who loves to educate Thais on Japanese and Chinese tea. The minimally decorated space serves Gyokuro, the king of Japanese green tea, in three different ways – cold brew, hot brew and with yuzu sauce. If you’re Chinese tea fan, try the Jinjunmei, a red tea that gives off a distinctive flavor when brewed in different temperatures. There are also cold drinks such as the Green Espresso matcha latte, served in cold bowls instead of with ice (said to ruin the flavor). Koicha Cream, their version of homemade milk ice cream is also a must. If you can’t finish the ice cream, just let it melt and drink it as matcha latte.