Look no further than the City of Angels for a high-end eat fest holiday that doesn’t break the bank
By Mavis Teo
Bangkok is one of Singaporeans’ favourite spots for a weekend getaway, especially for cheap street food and bargain shopping. But why go cheap when you can go chic in Bangkok for a fraction of the prices you would pay for similar offerings in other cities?
For just half of what you would pay in Hong Kong or Taipei, you could retire in five-star hotels for the night. You could also feast like a king on tasting menus or at the chef table helmed by chefs of international acclaim for much less than you would pay in Singapore. Whether it’s traditional Thai or innovative Indian you are after, you can have your pick of cuisine. The launch of Michelin Guide Bangkok last December further validated the city’s position as a gastronomic city.
Seventeen restaurants won stars in the 2018 guide, 28 was given the Bib Gourmand while the Michelin Plate introduced in 2018 to acknowledge good quality was conferred on. But because there’s only so much one can eat in a weekend, we have picked out a few we think you shouldn't miss:
3. Gaggan
Don’t leave booking a table at this Michelin-starred restaurant that is also ranked no.7 on the World’s Best 50 Restaurants to the last minute. Since chef and owner Anand Gaggan has announced that he’s closing shop in Bangkok in 2020 to open a new restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan in 2021, Gaggan has been receiving an average of 500 reservation enquiries a day. Best described as inventive Indian, the food at Gaggan comes in 25 courses, most of which can be finished in a bite. While the tastes may remind you of some ingredients commonly used in Indian cooking, the textures and forms are anything but Indian, thanks to the ingenuity of molecular gastronomy. The execution is often theatrical, aimed to elicit a giggle or two from first-timers, especially when it’s served in a slathering of mashed pea and mushroom on a plate to the tunes of Kiss’ Lick It Up and the only way to consume this course is to literally lick your plate.
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