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Jay Puy
Inconspicuous to the point of being invisible, this lauded curry stall proves Bangkokian's dedication to food over setting. Here's the catch: Jay Puy has no tables, diners sit on plastic stools in the middle of the sidewalk braving heat, noise and even rain in the wet season. All for a thick and flavourful bowl of kaeng kàrii , a Chinese-style curry.
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Jay So
This bright blue crumbling shack is living proof that, where authentic Thai food is concerned, ambiance is often considered more a liability than an asset. Fittingly, Jay So has no menu as such, but a mortar and pestle and a huge grill are the telltale signs of ballistically spicy sôm-tam , sublime herb-stuffed grilled catfish and other Isan specialties.
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Je Ngor
Je Ngor proffers banquet-size servings of tasty Thai-Chinese dishes in a banquetlike setting. The Sukhumvit branch of this lauded Thai franchise is probably not an ideal choice for a first date, but it would be a great locale for grandma's birthday dinner. The relatively short, seafood-heavy menu features rarities such as sôm-tam puu dawng (papaya salad with preserved crab) and baked rice with preserved olive.
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Kai Thawt Jay Kii (Soi Polo Fried Chicken)
This Cinderella of a former street stall has become virtually synonymous with fried chicken. Although the sôm-tam , sticky rice and lâap (spicy 'salad' of minced meat) give the impression of an Isan eatery, the restaurant's namesake deep-fried bird is more southern in origin. Regardless, smothered in a thick layer of crispy deep-fried garlic, it is none other than a truly Bangkok experience.
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Kaiyang Boran
In a neighbourhood filled with old-school Bangkok-style grub, Kaiyang Boran's unabashedly Isan menu stands out. It is even more incongruous considering that the owner is Thai-Chinese and had never eaten the fiery dishes of the northeast until he met his wife from Chaiyapoom. The comfortable setting and air-conditioning make this an ideal spot for overheated neat freaks made nervous by streetside dining.
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Kalapapreuk On First
When Thai society types give their cooks a day off, they wander over to this airy café in the Emporium mall for ahǎan faràng (Western food) or regional Thai specialities. The dining room is not as in-your-face hip as much of the Sukhumvit scene, but in this part of town it's pleasant to find a place where flavour takes a front seat.
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Kaloang Home Kitchen
Don't be alarmed by the peeling paint and the dilapidated deck; Kaloang Home Kitchen certainly isn't. The laid-back atmosphere and seafood-heavy menu will quickly dispel any concerns about sinking into the Chao Phraya, and a beer and the breeze will temporarily erase any scarring memories of Bangkok traffic.
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Khrua Aroy Aroy
Despite being the kind of family-run Thai restaurant where nobody seems to mind a cat slumbering on the cash register, Khrua Aroy Aroy ('Delicious Delicious Kitchen') lives up to its lofty name. Stop by for some of the richest curries around, as well as the interesting daily specials including, on Thursdays, khâo khlúk kà-pì : rice cooked in shrimp paste and served with sweet pork, shredded green mango and other toppings.
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Kim Leng
Want a home-cooked meal, but having trouble convincing random strangers on the street to make one for you? A visit to this eatery excelling in the foods of central Thailand is a decent substitute. As with much of the food of the capital, sweet intermingles with spicy here, and you can't go wrong with Kim Leng's hàw mòk (steamed curry) or náam phrík kà-pì (shrimp paste dip served as a set with veggies and deep-fried fish).
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Komala's
Welcome to the McDonald's of Indian food - in atmosphere, at least. If you can forgive the form-fitting plastic furniture and reckless use of teal, this Singaporean chain puts out some wonderful south Indian vegetarian staples. Go with the crispy pancake-like dosai , or impress your date and order the beach ball-sized bhattura , a deep-fried bread that unceremoniously deflates when pierced.
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Kozo Sushi
If you need some purity in your diet, become a trainspotter along the sushi tracks of this restaurant. But be prepared for some duelling chopsticks during the hugely popular all-you-can-eat lunch. Wait for the sushi chefs to restock the supply to get the freshest catch.
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Krisa Coffee Shop
Beat the heat during a temple tour with a pit stop at this cosy café. It's air-conditioned and serves up cheap and cheerful one-plate meals, like kǔaytǐaw phàt khîi mao (wide rice noodles with holy basil and chilli), to see you through the expedition.
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Krua Noppharat
A few dusty paintings are the only effort at interior design at this family-run standby. Where flavour is concerned, however, Krua Noppharat is willing to expend considerably more energy. Krua Noppharat is as popular among foreigners as it is among Thais, but thankfully does not tone down its excellent central and southern-style Thai fare for the former.
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Kuaytiaw Reua Tha Siam
Back in the days when canals were the city's thoroughfares, the noodle boat floated from house to house. Now that life has moved to solid ground, this restaurant and others like it pay tribute to those days by serving bowls from decidedly landlocked vessels. The restaurant's namesake, kǔaytǐaw reua (boat noodles) are, like the chain's surprisingly decent Isan food, intensely spicy and satisfying.
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Kuppa
For Bangkok's ladies who lunch, Kuppa is something of a second home. Resembling an expansive living room, this place fancies itself as a 'tea and coffee trader' and the coffee is truly among the best in town. Thankfully the eats are just as good, in particular the spot-on Western-style pastries and sweets.
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La Piola
What a charming Italian eatery this is. The highlight here is the fixed menu; the only choice you make is what to drink. Three courses, including antipasto, three pasta mains and dessert, will effortlessly appear while the crowd is serenaded with Italian karaoke. You'll leave unimaginably full and drunk with flavours.
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La Villa
This new mini-mall features a handsome selection of eateries, including a branch of Greyhound Café, several Japanese restaurants, and delicious domestic ice cream at the local chain, iberry. Homesick foreigners will also appreciate the large branch of Villa, which carries an impressive variety of imported foodstuffs.
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Le Banyan
Sukhumvit's trendy diners demand change every six months: new menu, new décor, new chef, anything to chase away restaurant boredom. But for the monogamous eaters who value a stiff-lipped experience, this classy French restaurant proves its dinosaur wisdom with formal efficient service and traditional fare. A lush garden surrounds the charming house illuminated with candles and gleaming wine glasses. The house speciality is pressed duck, but the seared foie gras steals the show.
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Le Bouchon
Cast aside any preconceived notions of pretentious waiters and intimidating menus; this homely bistro smack-dab in the middle of one of Bangkok's more 'colourful' districts is a capable and fun introduction to French cooking. Choose your dishes from the blackboard menu toted around by the cheery waiting staff, but it'd be a shame to miss the garlicky frogs' legs or the savoury foie gras pâté.
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Le Lys
A soothing respite from Bangkok's traffic and the pressures of formality, Le Lys is in a new location but the superb Thai dishes and the relaxed vibe remain. Some diners snack and drink between sets of pétanque (French lawn bowls) in the restaurant's backyard
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Le Normandie
For decades Le Normandie was synonymous with fine dining in the city. And although today's Bangkok boasts a plethora of upscale choices, Le Normandie has maintained its niche, and is still the only place to go for a genuinely old-world 'continental' dining experience. A revolving cast of Michelin-starred guest chefs and some of the word's most decadent ingredients keep up the standard, and appropriately formal attire (including jackets) is required.
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Mashoor
Indian-Nepali vegetarian cuisine via Myanmar may sound like an entirely new cuisine altogether, but somehow it tastes just right. This informal kitchen, run by a Burmese cook of Nepali descent assembles a mean meat-free thali.
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May Kaidee
May Kaidee started doing non-meat around the same time that fisherman pants became the backpacker uniform. She knows her audience: easy on the chillies, heavy on the coconut milk. And she doesn't even wince when new arrivals ask for chopsticks for their curries.
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MBK Food Court
It's a lot like having all your favourite street food vendors in one place. There is no need to visit the noodle woman in one street, the fruit-juice man in another and then hike to find a mango and sticky rice stall. Come early for the popular vegetarian stall.
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Mizu's Kitchen
This certifiable hole-in-the-wall oozes character, not to mention the beefy essence of thousands of steaks served over the decades. Do order the house Sarika steak, and do take a hint from the regulars and use your chequered tablecloth to protect your clothes from the spray of the hot plate when it arrives.
