BANGKOK, THAILAND: Cristina Spanu will continue to operate Belguardo Restaurant in the Paragon along with a new Italian chef, as yet unnamed, beginning early 2009. Chef Marco Cammarata is now involved in the restaurant at the Jazz Club Niu’s on Silom Road.
Something caught my attention the other day when I was in the local Au Bon Pain Café in Bangkok!
This bakery and Café chain originated in America and was known to be on the cutting edge since its beginnings. The company bought a few Cruvinet Wine Preserving Machines in the early eighties for new stores they opened in Houston and Dallas. Now they are a leading the pack once again by banning trans fats in their products. In 2005 a few key employees bought 75% of Au Bon Pain and have now expanded the company to over 250 outlets worldwide. The chocolate croissant is particularly good as well as many other sandwiches and bakery goods.
Special Note: I took this photo for the header today and while I was doing so, an employee rushed out to tell me I could not take any photos. It seems that businesses are ultra-sensitive about photos being taken of their premises these days, especially in America, but I hardly gave it a thought in Bangkok. This is why I am being forced to depend on the Internet for photos as it is becoming increasingly difficult to take shots, especially inside a restaurant. I was taking this particular picture from the public sidewalk outside their property. The odd thing is, that this piece as well as most others I write, are promoting these businesses and I am being treated worse than a dog for my trouble.
Long Table Restaurant & Bar
25th Floor
48 Column Bldg.
Sukhumvit Soi 16 (Sammita)
Tel. 02 302 2557-9
Website: www.longtablebankok.com
Opening Hours: Daily 11am-2am
Parking Available at parking tower
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive
The Bed Supper Club Group have poured a lot of money into construction and decoration of this enormous space occupying the greater part of the 25th floor in the Column Building. The main attraction is the long communal table, which seats up to 70 persons. A long slick bar with bright red under-lighting extends through a floor to ceiling plate glass window out into the most tranquil part of the place; the outside terrace where you can hear a waterfall from the adjacent swimming pool and look onto a sparkling view of the city.
The drinks and especially wines-by-the-glass come highly priced, something that is ultimately drinkable is 500 baht per glass other less interesting selections go for 300 baht a glass. The Thai-influenced cooking is not the main draw and the furniture and barstools are designed more for looks than comfort although, in spite of this the place seems to be a big hit with the mixed crowd.
Belguardo
Unit 515 Ground Floor
Siam Paragon Centre
Tel. +66 (0) 2-610-9380
Website: www.belguardo.com
Opening Hours: 11 am to 11 pm every day
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive
Belguardo is situated down in the depths of the Siam Paragon Shopping Mall basement in the rear of the food hall, and is quite a trek from the front of the Paragon and the Skytrain, although if you arrive by car a side entrance is located a short walk from the restaurant. Cristina Spanu (Guest Relations Manager) controls the front of house. Cristina has been a driving force in the Italian restaurant scene in Bangkok for many years beginning at Pomodoro on Sukhumvit near soi Nana. Pichai Kijjaroentorn (General Manager) and
Parmigiana Melanzana is a mainstay dish, a favorite of mine and flawlessly prepared. There are many other good choices available on the menu as well.
146 Sukhumvit Soi Thong Lo
(Soi 55) Bangkok 10110
Tel. +66 (0) 2-392-1881
Website: www.beccofino.co.th
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11:30am – 2:30pm; Dinner: 6:00pm – 11pm
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive
Beccofino has now been open for four years and has garnered a reputation for presenting fine Italian cuisine to the city of Bangkok. The menu has a choice of an outstanding array of well executed Italian dishes including a choice of daily hand-made pastas or selections from the charcoal grill, and the restaurant broke the barrier by offering a selection of wines from other wine producing countries other than Italy.
In addition, it features cooking classes taught by Chef Angelo Rottoli who previously was a chef at the three-star Michelin restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and in fact, opened a Tokyo branch for them. Beccofino Restaurant Manager, Julian Allain takes care of all the responsibilities in front of house and will be glad to help you. Bangkok’s only authentic manner’s class is taught by Yukiko Matsuhashi using international standards, both are either translated into Japanese or supervised by Japanese Customer Relations Advisor, Emi Kagawa.
Beccofino’s Cristofle silver carving trolley, with table-side carving by Chef Angelo, is one of a very few in use today and there is also a dessert and cheese trolley to select from, both of these have proven to be exceedingly popular.
34/1 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Tel.+66 2 252 1611 (check)
Website: www.giannibkk.com
Opening Hours:11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-10pm M-Su
Credit Cards: all Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive
I first met Gianni Favro years ago while he was a partner and chef at Vito’s Restaurant, located in Bangkok’s Ruam Ruadee Village when it was in its prime, a far cry from what it has become today.
His present establishment, Gianni is not too far along Soi Tonson from Ploenchit Road, tell the taxi driver to drive slowly and watch carefully or you will miss it, as it is off on the right side in a tiny driveway leading into a condo complex. The restaurant has now been open more than 10 years and vitello tonnato, beef lasagna and sous-vide beef cheeks are all excellent choices along with many other dishes concocted from specialty products imported from Italy twice a week.
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
494 Rajdamri Road,
Bangkok, Thailand 10330
Tel: +66 2 254 1234 Fax: +66 2 254 6308
Email: bangkok.grand@hyatt.com
Opening Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2:30pm
Dinner 6:30pm – 11pm
Live Music 10pm – 2am
Dress Code: Smart Casual (No Singlets/Slippers/Shorts)
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive
On the Lower Level the Hyatt Erawan’s Italian Restaurant Spazzo serves authentic Italian cuisine and a wide selection of dishes and regional specialties are prepared by chef Frederico. Spazzo is open for lunch and dinner but an added surprise is that after 10pm the restaurant morphs into a night club with many singles prowling around the two circular bars, with ultra-high energy live music by an international band. Don’t expect to have a quiet conversation after the music starts but, what the hell—that’s normal. Brunch is served on Sundays.
The 17th Anniversary party was a lot of fun, and the rooms were packed with a fun crowd. The Italian food was very good: roasted lamb, pumpkin risotto, mozzarella and tomatoes and many more offerings with plenty of sparkling, white and red wines and whatever else you might want to drink. Everyone was having a good time and they stayed until very late.
Oriental Hotel
48 Oriental Avenue,
Bangkok 10500
Tel. 02 659 9000
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm; Dinner: 6pm-10:pm
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive
I first dined at China House in the Oriental Hotel when it was a converted Thai house next door to the hotel. It went through a major renovation and became encompassed into the hotel itself as a separate wing along with a few designer stores in 2006. With such a large population of Chinese in Thailand, it makes perfect sense that there is a Chinese restaurant in almost every hotel and many more freestanding ones all over the city.
The interior was completely redesigned to appear as if it was a restaurant in Shanghai in the “good old days” before the communist takeover, when Shanghai was known as one of the most interesting cities in Asia devoted to fun as was Singapore in that same era both were labeled “sin city”. Everything in the restaurant is red and filled with Chinese decorations of all sorts; the female staff are all dressed in long Chinese high-collared slinky dresses—very beautiful.
Jereme Leung, is consulting chef, he was founding chef of the Whampoa Club, the stunning Art-Deco style Shanghainese restaurant located on the Bund in Shanghai. One of his proteges, Chef Kong Khai Meng, with stints in both Hong Kong and Shanghai is resident chef. As it was an impromptu lunch, we ordered two types of spring rolls, noodles and dumplings along with a few other small dishes. Since the cooking was extremely satisfying and well prepared, I look forward to having dinner where I can order more complicated dishes from this marvelous restaurant.
PLEASE ALSO SEE THIS LINK!: Best Yakatori in Bangkok – Jidori-Ya Kensou Yakatori – Bangkok, Thailand April 4, 2008
114/6 Silom Soi 4 Silom Rd.
Bangkok 10500
Tel. 02 234 3044
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Inexpensive
Yakitori House Japanese Restaurant has been in business for 26 years in the upper reaches of a parking garage, where you must then ascend another two steep flights of stairs (not as bad as it sounds) in Patpong, Bangkok’s the most infamous red-light district. In the past, I visited it but never returned due to the cigarette smoke that you could cut with a knife, although at the time I commented that it looked like we were on a movie set of a smoky bar in the 1930’s. Now with the current no-smoking laws their is no smoke save for that coming off the grilling skewers, which is sucked up by a fairly efficient exhaust fan, and all is tolerable. The 
cooking is evenly good, though some may say it is old-fashioned, it is very properly prepared skewered chicken in the way it has been grilled in Japan for years. Although they only sell large bottles of Shochu they do have one bottle of Korean Shochu, called Jinro in a half bottle, however there are no others available by the glass. I believed sake is available by the glass or carafe and beer of course is available in large or small bottles.
It seems like nothing has changed here since it opened in 1982 and even though things look a little worn out, at least the owner, Manabu Ohta, runs it in the same way it has always been run, and now with additional help from his daughter.
The monthly Beef & Burgundy lunch for August was held at Beccofino Italian Restaurant in Bangkok.
Following is an official account of the lunch with minor editing:
Beccofino received us back after an absence of two years. It was apparent that several members are regulars at this popular Italian restaurant on Thong Lor. A total of 16 were expected and the number grew to 17 with the arrival of Michael Holt from Auckland B&B. In deference to the restaurant’s provenance, proceedings commenced with the quaffing of Prosecco, that increasingly popular vino frizzante from the hills behind Venice; this one was very good and matched well the canapés presented by Chef Angelo. Minus one (usual) culprit, we sat down to lunch in the main restaurant in the “expensive” seats, namely those nearest the window from where the comings and goings of 
the Thong Lor hoi polloi could be observed. The antipasta misto alla Italiano was superb: a succulent mixture of Italian meats and Mediterranean vegetables. With it came Barth Rene Reisling 2005 from French Alsace and a history lesson from Tim Randall. Wine spokesperson Julian Merrill thought it was over-acidic until he had consumed some food, then it received somewhat begrudging approval. Next came risotto al funghi porcini e zafferino. I’m not a risotto lover, but this was good, and those who were declared it to be excellent. Peter Williams had chosen Villa Cernas Chianti Classico Riserva 2003 to go with this. Julian’s first thought was too much tannin but confessed it 
matched the food extremely well. The main course comprised Grilled Ozzie Wagyu-style beef with sautéed potatoes. I thought it was excellent, being cooked to perfection, moist, flavoursome and not such a large portion that anyone was over-faced by the size. We drank (the last of Peter’s) Fermoy Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 with this, and very nice it was too.
Proceedings were concluded with heaps and heaps of Italian soft cheeses followed by Chef Angelo serving each of us with a selection of some carefully prepared and very tasty desserts. Earlier we had sung
Happy Birthday to Soi Dog Grahame Fox who was 
UK-bound the next day to spend the actual anniversary in a Scottish dog-house. Mark Ryan, food spokesperson, enlivened the proceedings by bestowing an appropriate number of “Woofs” upon each course. Foxy translated this for our benefit into praise for the work done the staff. Michael Holt assured one and all that a warm welcome for B&B dinner would be extended to anyone visiting Auckland on the last Tuesday of each month.
About Beefsteak & Burgundy Club:
Each Club limits its membership to 30. There are all male clubs, all ladies clubs and mixed clubs.
The objects of the Club: “To promote good fellowship and 
goodwill amongst all sections of the community. To further the education of its members and the community in the appreciation and understanding of good food and wines.”
Branches are as follows:
UNITED KINGDOM
LONDON 55 Male London
JAPAN
TOKYO 126 Male Tokyo
CANADA
SUDBURY 193 Mixed Sudbury
STONETOWN 227 Male Stonetown
PEOPLES REPUBLIC of CHINA
BEIJING 212 Male Beijing
SHANGHAI 238 Male Shanghai
SHANGHAI LADIES 257 Ladies Shanghai
BRAZIL
BRAZIL 235 Male Sao Paulo
SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE 254 Male Singapore
THAILAND
BANGKOK 249 Male Bangkok
U.S.A.
St Francis 214 Male San Francisco
DENMARK
Copenhagen 256 Male Copenhagen
