I travel to Bangkok a number of times every year and among all the things I love about the place, food probably sits right at the top. On every single visit, my Thai friends manage to surprise me with dishes or restaurants I hadn’t tried previously. I was in Bangkok in March and I was again treated to some sumptuous fare! I’m listing a couple of my favourite spots followed by a very special coffee place which just stands out from your many coffee joints in Bangkok.

Jay-Fai restaurant @ Pratu Phee
327 Mahachai Rd, Samranraj, Phranakhon, Bangkok, Thailand

Now, when my friends first told me that they served some mean crab omelette, I felt a little uneasy. I have had bad allergic reactions to crab in the past where my lips would swell and my throat would start itching. However, as they pointed out, unless you slowly get accustomed to the food you seem to be allergic too, you can’t possibly build an immunity to it. Doctors may not agree, but it’s proven to be true in the past for many of my friends. So back to Jay-Fai. They really do serve a mean crab omelette. You cut through the rolled omelette et voila! It is packed with delicious juicy crab meat. Now, we had to wait 45 minutes before that omelette reached our table, but it is well well worth the wait. Also note that it is an unassuming corner coffee shop with indoor and outdoor tables and without air-conditioning. The food however is restaurant-priced, well, at least by Bangkok standards.

YUU @ Thong Lor

By far, the best Yakiniku I’ve tried outside of Japan. Their selection of meat was just out of this world and the quality can rival some of the best restaurants I’ve eaten at. I’ll let the images do the talking.

Agalico @ Thong Lor
J Avenue Soi Thong Lor 15, Sukhumvit 55 Rd., Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand

Over the past years, Starbucks and many other coffee outlets have started sprouting throughout Bangkok. While I really don’t mind grabbing a cuppa at any of these outlets, they usually lack ambiance as most are located at major shopping centres, with the exception of Starbucks at Thong Lor, which has a nice outdoor space. My friend took me to Agalico, a coffee shop also along Thong Lor, slightly off the train station. It’s by far the most cosy coffee place I’ve come across in Bangkok. In fact, the courtyard is so beautiful that you may forget that right outside is all the hustle and bustle of Bankok. My kind of place.

 Any interesting places in BKK you would like to share?