The best restaurants and cafes in Ekkamai

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

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).

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 most

In the hopes of becoming a successful chef, aspiring rookies apply for a “staging” or an internship at acclaimed, oftentimes Michelin-starred, restaurants. Most of the time, a staging is unpaid, but it’s an opportunity for young hopefuls to be exposed to different culinary techniques that may be beneficial to their prospective career. Jay Sangsingkaew, a former chef at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Bangkok, along with her kitchen crew at the famed, short-lived restaurant, enters into a new venture that’s named after this significant first phase in a chef’s career. Stage (pronounced “staj”) is an elegant dining room that promises sophisticated French fare with global influences. The current menu is partly inspired by Nordic fare. Diners can opt for either the four-course (B1,900), six-course (B2,900) or the 10-course Stage Experience (B4,500) meal. The 10-course meal commences with a squid dish with dashi-poached seaweed topped with passionfruit gel—it’s a combination that looks lighter than it appears—followed by Hokkaido sea urchin with milk corn and brown crab served in a caviar metal tin. The meal moves on to heavier fare, which includes a tartare of aged venison given a salty kick with the addition of capers, shallots and truffle vinegar, and Spanish carabinero prawns, the parts of which are all optimized—its fat is used to stir-fry sticky Hang rice from Sakhon Nakhon, while its head is made into chips. Dessert brings a simple yet still impressive finish to the meal. You hav

Bangkok residents have been showing more interest in buying local ingredients or products to support Thai farmers. It’s now easier to access these products, thanks to VIVIN, a grocery and restaurant that champions goods made by artisans across the country. VIVIN Grocery was founded six years ago by Frenchman Nicolas Vivin, who originally wanted to promote homemade foie gras, based on his grandma’s recipe, together with local products from the many different provinces of Thailand. Nicolas first put up a pop-up store at the Bangkok Farmer’s Market, then expanded with shops in The EmQuartier and Central Chidlom. Both shops closed and Nicolas and his wife, Samantha Proyrungtong, relocated operations to Ekamai Complex. The new VIVIN Grocery, apart from selling local ingredients, such as goat cheese from Chiang Mai and sausages made from local pork, and a curated selection of “made in France” products, now serves freshly-cooked fare made with the same products they sell in the store. Customers can now sit and consume their food or order French-style dishes, including duck confit (B380) where a duck leg is deep-fried in duck oil until it’s crispy on the outside, and served with mashed potatoes and bread. We’re also huge fans of Blue Cheese Burger (B340), which is served with Thai blue cheese, a soft bun and a juicy meat patty, and of Fluffy Omelettes (B220 to B290), a bouncy Normandy-style omelette cooked with cheese of your choice: classic, goat cheese or artisanal cheese. VIVIN ha

Combining an art gallery and a café, Ink & Lion is owned by a couple who both have art in their blood. Those who are passionate about arts, crafts and coffee will definitely fall in love with this place. Interesting artwork from both local and international artists are always on exhibit. Ink & Lion, who trained the latest winner of the National Thailand Brewer Cups, is now also roasting small batches of coffee. You can try their beans at the café or buy a pack for home brewing. Parking is limited, although there is more parking available at a site opposite to the café.

A brand-new community space sits behind a curved white articulated facade in the middle of Soi Pridi Banomyong 31. Its first floor is home to a coffee bar-slash-lifestyle-store (merchandise include vinyl record equipment, Thai leather bags) by Craftsman, one of the rising star roasters in the city, while the second floor houses the showcase restaurant of a natural wine importer, Marchwood. Craftsman’s blends are from Doi Sam Meun in Chiang Mai and have been co-developed with local coffee processors. Fruity and full-bodied, these blends are great for making espressos (B95), lattes (B110) and flat whites (B110). Non-caffeinated choices are also listed on the menu. Try the cold Valrhona Choc (B150), which mixes milk and dark chocolate. These drinks can be paired with brunch plates from Marchwood, which include Fruits on Toast (B290) and Brioche Toast (B320). Marchwood also offers a three-course meal with wine pairing for dinner (B1,800).

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 st

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)