BK Magazine 820

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Pizza with Purpose Instagrammer makes it big with creative pies The White House Bangkok Chef Aleksandrs Nasikailovs makes fine dining cool Slava Thailand The numbers on how the invasion of Ukraine affects Thailand Skateboard Punk Artist TRK's adaptive work makes a splash on the streets

NO. 820 MARCH 25, 2022. www.bkmagazine.com

Yuk it up.

page 3 Who's in charge?

04

BK EDITORIAL Managing Editor Tyler Roney Senior Writers Alisha Pawa, Porpor Leelasestaporn

cover story

GROVE: COCONUTS MEDIA BRAND STUDIO Business Director Dietrich Neu Head of Business Development Shernan Plameras Senior Brand Editor Julianne Greco Senior Content Strategist Andre Frois Branded Content Writer Moe Thet War

It’s getting hot in here

Comedians tell us how Bangkok and Covid have made them funnier

Summer came unexpectedly early and no one is happy about it. Here are a few tips for staying cool in different neighborhoods around Bangkok.

Associate Thai Editor Ittipol Jungwatanawong Senior Thai Writer Witthawat Pukkhabut

Thonglor: Ask a passing hipster for something “artisanal” and you’ve got a 50/50 chance of it involving dry ice.

Senior Project Manager Sirinart Panyasricharoen Senior Account Manager Hafiz Rasid Digital Account Manager Nuttajuk Kittichailuk Project Manager Sawanya Chantarakana

07

Art Director Vatanya Bongkotkarn Production Supervisor Komkrit Klinkaeo

feature

Senior Graphic Designer Umporn Jiaranai Senior Business Development Manager Orajira Sukkasem Business Development Managers Chalida Anuwattanawong, Danial Heng, Joseph Toh, Stanley Yeo Business Development Executive Palita Nueangnit

From Netflix to skateboards, TRK is everywhere.

SOIMILK Editor Noranartta Chaikum Senior Writers Rujiyatorn Choksiriwan, Kristiya Chaisri

Ploen Chit: Argue with your significant other about whether you can afford to breathe the air-con at Central Embassy.

Ladprao: Order anything from Pathum Wan via the food delivery service of your choice. By the time it gets to you, it will be cold.

Din Daeng: Burning tear gas and pepper spray really put the 35 degree heat in perspective. It’s been a long time, but ask your local CIA food stall for details.

Publisher, Printer, and Editor Tara Rattanaphas

Silom and Sathorn: Scheme your way into a plush hotel pool party. Find a cart and steal a robe; no one questions a confident moron in a robe. Just ask a judge. Or ancient Greece.

08 food & drink

Hip-hop, tacos, barcades, and more

Prawet: Visit a friend who moved there for a cheap townhouse and let them suck all the heat out of the room as they explain their commute.

Thonburi: Jump in the klongs. As an added bonus, you may get the powers of a water monitor.

Phra Nakhon: Complain about how hot you are to Jay Fai cooking over an open flame and bask in the icy stare.

09

BK Magazine is a Coconuts Media publication.

Founder and CEO Byron Perry Coconuts TV Head of Content Vim Shanmugam

food & drink

Head of Operations & Talent Clarissa Cortes

Step into Chef Alex’s world at The White House Bangkok

coconuts.co Advertise with us advertising@coconuts.co

Where to find us!

Coconuts BK Limited

111 Room 5A, 5th Floor We Space Building, Soi Thonglor 5 Khlong Tan Neua, Wattana Bangkok, 10110 Tel: 02-041-5755 Email: info@bkmagazine.com

BK Magazine is edited by Tara Rattanaphas and published 24 times a year, twice a month by Coconuts BK Limited. Copyright © 2020 Coconuts BK Limited.

The titles “BK Magazine” and their associated logos or devices, and the content of “BK Magazine” are the property of Coconuts BK Limited. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Article reprints are available for THB50 each. The magazine may not be distributed without the express written consent of Coconuts BK Limited. Contact the Advertising Department for ad rates and specifications. All advertising must comply with the Publisher’s terms of business,copies of which are available upon request.

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food & drink

the last word

Bangkok’s best new spots

The art of the pizza with Feng Chen

Chaengwattana: Try to do your 90 day reporting online.

When you’re deported, you will likely be somewhere colder.

upfront

BY THE NUMBERS SLAVA THAILAND

230 Thai evacuees from Ukraine

around

20

Thais volunteered to fight for Ukraine in early March

1.5

million

Russians visited Thailand pre-pandemic, spending $3.3 billion

Ruble lost

34% of its value to the baht in 1 week

B2

125

years

of economic ties with Russia

million

Thailand aid to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sources: Tanskul, Nicky. “100+ Thais evacuated from Ukraine: MFA”, Coconuts Bangkok. Feb 28, 2022 Chuwiruch, Prim and Suttinee Yuvejwattana. “Thai Tourism Revival Faces Risk From Ruble Slump, Sanctions”, Bloomberg. Mar 2, 2022.

Wongcha-um, Panu Wongcha-um and Jiraporn Kuhakan. “Thai democracy activists sign up to fight ‘tyranny’ in Ukraine.” Reuters. March 3, 2022.

YOU SAID WHAT?

“The old and the new generation can’t ever coexist, under a military government dictated by senile generals.”

Rap Against Dictatorship member Hockhacker in the group’s new music video, “Homeland”.

“I did not join [the Ukraine legion] as a Thai national, but I did so as a human being.”

Chanapong to Coconuts Bangkok upon volunteering to fight in Ukraine.

“I get what they’re trying to do but I’m not sure the right thing to do is to attack every Russian out there.”

Mikkeller Bangkok owner Jakob Rasmussen on the announcement that The World’s 50 Best was banning Russian bars and restaurants.

HOT OR NOT

PAYPAL After months of terrified gig employees shuffling around their digital cash, a PayPal spokesperson gave freelancers in Thailand a last-minute reprieve just two days before the service was set to clamp down on functionality. The move comes after months of worry as the government looks for new ways to profit from the gig economy and Thailand’s status as a destination for remote work. However, later correspondence showed that this development is only temporary.

RAD

OPHTUS Everything’s political these days—especially when you hire an exiled academic to front your goggles. Pavin Chachavalpongpun became the unlikely face of gaming eyewear company Ophtus earlier this month, with the expected PR sideshow.

Fleeing in 2014, Pavin remains a well-knownpolitical firebrand. As such, an Ophtus billboard got a visit from police and was prevented from being put up. But the joke’s on them; by the first week of March, the ad was on tuk-tuks and food carts.

Hockhacker, Liberate P, Protozua—the whole gang returned with their latest YouTube hit “Homeland” on March 3rd. Standing up for the LGBT community and imprisoned dissidents and railing against the state, this is Rap Against Dictatorship’s first hit of the year, likely to be followed by many more if they can stay out of prison. Fans of the group would be well-advised to see the video while they can, as many of the group’s more popular anthems can be censored.

CHANNEL 5 An army-owned TV station claimed invaded Ukrainians were faking corpses in a debunked report. Hosts Kanok Ratwongsakul and Teera Tanyapaibul showed a video of body bags moving, but the footage was from an Austria climate change protest. This isn’t the first time for Kanok in the “fake news” butter churn; he was also caught spreading fake videos of liberal darling Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit just before the 2019 election.

cover | just for yuks

The English-language Bangkok comedy scene thrived prior to Covid: nightly shows, international talent, multiple dedicated venues. The pandemic all but destroyed it. After what is now years of uncertainty, Comedy Club Bangkok is running weekly shows and workshops, RAW Comedy is bringing in fresh faced open-mic tryhards, Bangkok Comedy is testing the waters, and there are pop-up shows and showcase gigs throughout the city. Comedy is well and truly back.

BK Magazine speaks with four Bangkok comedians on how the scene has changed.

CHRIS WEGODA In many ways Chris Wegoda is the face of Bangkok’s English-language comedy scene, performer and co-owner of the Comedy Club Bangkok. Bringing acts both big and small to the upper floors of the Royal Oak and packed venues throughout the city, Chris has watched the thriving comedy scene he helped build crumble and be built back again.

In addition to being a comedian and an entrepreneur, you’re also an award-winning bodybuilder. Are you trying to make the rest of us look bad?

Yes. That’s your answer. Yes. Normally comedians aren’t bodybuilders. Usually the more normal you are as a comedian, the better. It’s about getting the audience on your side. So I guess I’m making my life more difficult. Also, you forgot, I’m also an award-winning actor and an award-winning club owner. You missed a few of my awards. So I’m just trying to make you feel even worse. Just make sure you include all of my awards.

Can you give us a little history behind the Comedy Club Bangkok?

I started doing improv a long time ago, and then I did a one-off open mic at the Royal Oak before it was the Royal Oak—it was the Bull’s Head.

That put me on the path to stand-up and to meet Drew McCreadie, my business partner, and then I started doing open-mic in a pub called the Londoner on Sukhumvit 33 right on the corner. I spoke to Drew about opening a club and he said sure.

That was in 2014. It’s been good ever since. Though, obviously, the last couple of years have been shit—

on and off. Certainly people want comedy, mind you. But we’re doing reduced capacity shows and [doing two shows a night] allows us to get more people in. We’re getting 40 to 50 people a show, so nearly 100 people a night.

Is it harder finding new talent?

We’ve not been able to get big-name acts in obviously and we haven’t had one for like two years. We only have the local talent. But things are opening up and we’re hoping to get headliners in as soon as possible.

We’re looking into getting some really big names in soon—not to the Comedy Club Bangkok but much bigger. In 2020 we were like, hey, we should be able to do a big show by 2021, but that didn’t happen. So it just keeps going. We’re hoping omicron is the end of it.

Any big names planned for 2022?

We’re talking but it’s difficult to finalize. You can’t say to a comedian, ‘Hey, you’re going to perform in front of 50 people, can we pay you half as much?’ A lot of time they’re not going to want to do that. I’m hoping things get better, but in the meantime we’re still continuing with stand-up and workshops.

Speaking of the workshops, do you have any advice for newcomers?

It’s not magic. You can’t teach everything about comedy, but you can teach things so that you won’t bomb.

One of the biggest ones is this: tell fucking jokes. One of the biggest mistakes with new people is that they just talk and hope to reach a punchline. Stand-up is set-up, punchline. That’s all it is. People do it in their own way, but it’s always set-up, punchline. We also talk about how people see you, how you’re different. Do you play into it? Do you play against it? Comedy is in many ways very male dominated, so if you’re a woman you already have something that’s different. With workshops, I emphasize that it’s for people who want to do stand-up, not people who just want to build confidence. I mean, it is very good for that. I’m not saying you need to want to be a professional stand-up, but I would like people to do the workshop and then go on stage. Improv, that’s a different kettle of fish, it’s a group thing, super fun.

One of the next things we want to do is an improv workshop in Thai.

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022

05

© Franki Soul

LE’ANA FREEMAN Le’Ana has a warm, unbreakable smile and a razor wit—and she’s always, always listening. Hailing from the west coast in the US, Le’Ana started doing stand-up a few years ago but now headlines shows throughout the city with a mix of acerbic dating commentary, political lampoons, and, on occasion, a bra with props.

How did you start doing stand-up in Bangkok?

I started in 2018 because I did this activity where you make a list of 100 fears and I’d already been bungee jumping, so there were not a lot of things I was afraid of but top of that list was stand-up comedy. It took me about a year to actually get up on stage and I remembered how much I missed doing public speaking—which is something I’d been doing since I was 16 for different political organizations. Comedy is a different type of speech because it’s outcome oriented.

If you say something and people don’t laugh, it didn’t work.

You’re still pretty involved with politics. Is that something you want to bring more into your comedy now that the entire world is on fire again?

Absolutely. I definitely see myself in the John Stewart arena—Bill Maher, Trevor Noah—I’d like to get to the point where I do political comedy exclusively. I’m the vice chair of Democrats Abroad in Thailand now and I started doing political comedy because they had paid me to do comedy after a dinner.

Bangkok’s female comedians have been killing it with their own shows—some of which you’ve headlined.

Can we expect more women-led showcases in the future?

I don’t think there’s a single female comedian in the city who hasn’t

been told that female comedians aren’t funny. But when we do all female shows it sells out guaranteed every time, wherever it is, whoever is hosting. You can’t say that for the male shows. So when people get their head out of their ass, it’ll grow because people like to hear from us.

Yeah, at an all-female show they know they’re not going to have to put up with some guy doing a half hour of prostitute jokes.

Exactly, because the world is on fire, people want authenticity. And there’s nothing authentic about ladyboy jokes or prostitute jokes or dick jokes. If there is something to be added to the dick joke arena, it probably will be done by a woman.

How have you found the crowds in Bangkok? They’re not exactly known for their manners.

You know, when I wrote that list, I was expecting my first show to be the infamous Def Jam comedy where you have 30 seconds until they boo you off. But for me when you’re talking about comedy with sexist overtones— about sexism as a woman—or racial over tones, that’s when the crowd stiffens up. So for me it’s just more of a challenge. But I think the crowds are fine, but you never know who you’re going to get.

RIC DIEZ When performing, Ric looks like a ghost who is haunting you by accident.

Bangkok’s funniest one-liner comedian, Ric is behind the spate of Broken Souls and Broken Toys shows in Bangkok, the former being a variety show that includes comedy, poetry, music, and performances. Born in Spain and raised in Belgium, Ric can often be seen around the city scrawling jokes in a notebook serial killer-style.

You’re pretty unique among the comedians of Bangkok.

Most everyone is doing observational stuff. What drew you to one-liners?

Well I would say that one-liners can also be based on experience and observational, but it came organically—I hate that word, I hate myself for saying that word. I started doing stand-up and trying long jokes and short jokes, and I was consistently receiving feedback that the one-liners were funny and that I was failing miserably at doing anything else. The reason why I stuck with it is that I really enjoy the process of trying to find them. They are a puzzle. Observational jokes can also be a puzzle, but it’s the satisfaction. You either discard the joke, or you find the joke faster.

The Broken Souls combines a lot of things—music, poetry, performances—do you think this sort of variety show is picking up? How did Broken Souls and Broken Toys come about?

The first Broken Toys sold out and we had people begging for tickets.

We had to throw people out at the door, which was unfortunate because we could have doubled the capacity without the Covid limitations—easily.

So it was ridiculously successful for a first show at a new venue. The next one will be on April 28. Broken Souls started at Fatty’s Bar & Diner who do an open mic every Tuesday. I started going there because it’s one

of the few open mics for comedians and there’s very few. Then I did a comedy showcase at Custard Studio and Brownstone, and I thought it was a great space. I come from a background of loving good rock and good art—and a cozy family vibe. It’s like we’re sharing an experience instead of going to an event. The next Broken Souls will be March 25th.

Did you first get into comedy in Bangkok?

Yes, I started in Bangkok. My wife had left to Europe for work, and I thought, ‘What can I do?’ Something we liked to do was see comedy, so I went to the Comedy Club Bangkok website to see the next show and it was really close to my house. Then I saw that the next weekend was a comedy workshop—meet people, learn about telling jokes. A week later they said, well, if you did the workshop then you can do the open mic and I did, because I might as well.

Because of your style you tell a lot of jokes—a lot.

How many jokes do you tell in a 10-minute set?

I got it down to three jokes per minute. Some jokes may have more than one laugh, but in 10 minutes I have 30 jokes. It’s not more impressive than writing a long story at the end of the day. It’s actually fewer words than most comedians because I have a lot of pauses. So I’m cheating.

cover | just for yuks

SARIN SURIYAKOON

TANAWUT SUKKE

You never know which Sarin you’re speaking to. Is it Sarin the mind reader? Sarin the comedian? Or just Sarin? Like all mentalists Sarin is quick on the draw and careful with his words— attributes the medium and comedian brings to his stand-up.

Brash, blithe, and confident— Tana is the sweetest person that will ever make you cringe to your core. Tana grabs your attention by the throat. Now a regular feature on the circuit, Tana originally came to stand-up through an English assignment.

You grew up in Isaan right?

So how’d you come to be a comedian in Bangkok?

I moved here about six years ago for university, and I was very bored because I took a break from my thesis because it stressed me out and I lost a few friends through that process. So I found the comedy club and became a fan and started to make friends there.

They became like my substitute friends.

Then, when I went back to university, I signed up for an English class and I had to do this assignment where I had to interview foreigners at landmarks. But I thought: instead of going out to talk to random strangers why don’t we do a documentary on comedy? But, the person who was supposed to perform one night was in the hospital and they called me 30 minutes before the show and I was forced to write and perform in 30 minutes. It was an interesting experience but I didn’t go back to perform or even watch it for two months.

It’s difficult to do stand-up in any language, let alone your second language. How did you get a feel for how to be funny in English?

After I came to like English through movies and songs, I didn’t just think of English as a language but also a culture.

So I became familiar with the cultural impact, that’s why I have a grasp on my second-language’s humor. I always say if you can make or understand a meme in English, then your English is good.

So how did you originally get into comedy and mentalism?

In a previous interview you identified as non-binary, preferring the term androgynous. Have you found a lot of support for LGBTQ+ performers and crowds in Bangkok?

With the crowds definitely. As a Thai person, I get some people who are trans, man or woman, or gay that are excited to see me perform—even though sometimes I bomb. They see someone on stage that kind of represents them. To be honest the scene’s very white and male-dominated, so I am happy to be part of it.

With the comedy community as well, they’ve been very welcoming. It’s not a problem but sometimes there’s an argument about how I can get into an all-female show, but it’s just us talking and figuring it out together. I always say that when someone has a question it helps them understand me, and me to understand myself.

Do you plan to mix your drag act with your stand-up any time soon?

I would love to do that. The first time I did it was at a variety show. It was an opportunity because it wasn’t just comedy. I feel like it can be incorporated into what I do but drag is so hard and time-consuming. And for someone like me, who is extra large in Thailand, I can’t just buy a costume from the shop so I have to make it myself. Do the makeup myself. Edit the music myself.

It’s so time consuming.

I originally got into comedy through magic. I was initially performing as a mentalist in the comedy clubs, and I thought that comedy would improve my stage presence, so I tried and it worked so I kept doing it. [For mentalism] actually, it’s quite simple because I was studying for a Masters Degree and it was a very stressful time, and I stumbled upon a coin rolling YouTube video and after that I couldn’t stop practicing magic and mentalism. So I started from there.

Was learning comedy in a second language difficult for you?

It was really difficult. The reason I didn’t do it the first few years I was performing was that it was really difficult to find a topic that both foreigners and Thais can relate to. So I had to learn a culture from them in the first few years. When I performed as a mentalist I got to know comedians, I got to know how an audience thinks.

Mentalism is a big risk.

What do you do when it goes wrong?

Well, it used to go wrong. The best I can do is to plan well. There is material I can do that is really risky. But, as you know, risk comes with a reward, right? I usually plan the risky routine in the middle. I put it in the middle to make sure I can recover after I fail.

Have you been doing a lot of shows during Covid?

No, I kind of burned out. I just keep writing in the journal and writing comedy or anything else at all— reading books and thinking about mentalism shows. My latest show was on December 10 at the Hive Thonglor, and it was material I had been thinking on through Covid. I’ve been practicing fun magic, close-up magic, at home with my neighbor. I have my favorite neighbor to practice magic with—that’s all I do, performing for neighbors.

And what’s next?

I’ve been thinking about doing YouTube material. It’s new to me but obviously I have to do it because I learned from Covid that I need to do that. Online presence is becoming more and more crucial. But I like live shows. I love to interact with the audience but sometimes it is so difficult with Covid.

feature | skateboard punk

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022

07

Artist’s unique style adds passion to Bangkok’s streets and skateboards Netflix, Converse, Red Bull—TRK is everywhere.

By Alisha Pawa Born and bred in Bangkok, contemporary Thai artist Teerayut Puechpen, also known as TRK, has been turning Bangkok’s street art scene upside down with his modern appeal and fantastical style.

“As a child, I always knew that I wanted to become an artist, but as I grew up there was a shift in culture where graphic design and technology changed my perspective, and I became passionate about contemporary art,” Teerayut tells BK Magazine. “My passion for writing and love for art were interconnected and I was able to express it via technology and graphic design.”

TRK is also the art director of the popular skateboard brand Preduce and has been an integral part of their projects over the years.

Previously, TRK was commissioned by Netflix to promote the second season of Stranger Things by painting a massive mural in Soi Ekkamai 8, and last year the Converse City Forests campaign saw the artist painting the alleys of Ari. The Converse project, from the world-famous brand, used Graphenstone’s Ecosphere paint, a graphene-laced and lime-based product said to improve air quality.

“I’ve also had exhibitions at galleries globally, including in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and live painting in Tokyo and South America,” he says.

“I grew up in an environment surrounded by artists and underground music whether it was hip hop, sculpture, skateboarding, or sports. So, initially, I started getting involved in producing art for DJs and musicians such as posters and sculptures. That connection just went deeper and deeper,” says Teerayut.

But it’s not all back-alley art; TRK can get corporate too. Teerayut has been working on murals and skateboard decks for local and international brands like Nike, Converse, G-Shock, Red Bull, and many more.

When asked about how he coped during the pandemic, it turns out Covid equaled big skate deck orders.

“During the pandemic, it was a peak for skateboard culture and that’s why I’ve been very busy designing and painting skateboards. The demand for skateboards was extremely high. In fact, my supplies were running low. So, it was an unusual case [luckily] for me,” he says.

“What keeps me going is that I do different activities, which you can see through my Instagram. One day I am painting skateboards, the next day I am doing a live painting show at a party,” he says.

This is the first year for TRK to be contracted with a contemporary gallery.

“Usually, my work is more underground, and I take up small gigs from brands, but this year I’ve been completely and wholly dedicated to fine arts,” he added. “My dream is to have my exhibition at Art Basel in the next five years, hopefully.”

food & drink | news

90s kids can party at a new hip-hop club on Soi 11 CLUBBING IS BACK

Alright club kids, Soi 11 looks like it’s coming back.

And just in time is Juicy, an “old school” hip hop club.

How old school? Well, the art and arcades should give you a clue. Part of the Panthera Group and found in the Sugar Club Complex, on the walls of Juicy are murals from graffiti artists Omeka and Dave Horgan, and there are standup arcade machines for the hipsters to play Pac-Mac and Donkey Kong. The venue says that they are actually aimed at “90s kids” who weren’t even born when Biggie was on the scene. Like every club, there is a “pimped-out” VIP section suitable for two to 20 people and sofas line the walls. Currently the venue is limited to 50 percent capacity until Covid regulations are relaxed.

37 Soi Sukhumvit 11, Khlong Toei Nuea

INSTAGRAMMER PIZZA

THONGLOR TACOS

TEST YOUR MIGHT

Sarnies Pop-up features rotating pizza menu

Ambitious bites at the new Bendito taco joint in Thonglor

Game-centric Arcadia barcade lights up Phra Khanong

Tucked away in Sukhumvit Soi 37, this latest Sarnies Pop-up has rotating pizza menus that change every two weeks, overseen by none other than Feng Chen from @leopardcrust, known for her creative pizzas and claiming to have experimented with 500 pizza combinations and 100 batches of dough recipes to perfect her light, airy sourdough pizza. Her current pizza options include the Marinara (B280) tomato-based pie laden with fresh oregano and garlic confit; the Rocket Man (B360) cream-based pizza with pancetta, rocket, and mozzarella; and the Squash Goals (B350) with crispy sage, pancetta, mozzarella, and gorgonzola with pumpkin.

Finally, a Mexican place with a Philly cheesesteak. New in Thonglor is Bendito, making some very bold menu choices for diners who want to indulge in good tacos without breaking the bank. In the kitchen is Oscar Perez Garcia from Mexico City. If you’re a taco fanatic, get the beef on the Mexi Taco (B129) for the Australian slow cooked beef with bell peppers, coriander, and onion, but if you want veggie or chicken you can walk out paying B79 a taco. Strange as it seems, this taco joint swears by its Philly cheesesteak, and the the pulled pork grilled cheese (B269) isn’t too shabby either—which isn’t something you can often say about a Mexican restaurant.

Todd Ruiz, Coconuts editor extraordinaire, loves his arcade machines more than most people love their pets. Then again, most people didn’t build their pets from scratch. Follow the blue neon dragon to the Arcadia barcade in Phra Khanong to a chill bar under the glow of space invaders. Drop a coin and get to Tekken-ing. There’s a head-to-head machine for co-op and competition, and if you prefer to game soused, head over to the beer fridge for a few craft brews, including Batsquatch (B260) and Ther Mojito Cider (B160). For something different, try the Tom Yum Sour Ale (B200). Fully open at the end of March, Arcadia plans to offer bites and pints soon.

39 Sukhumvit 37 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea

54 1 Sukhumvit 49, Khlong Tan Nuea, 081 755 8810

1112, 24 Soi Sukhumvit Plus, Phra Khanong, 064 949 9744

food & drink | open door

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022

09

This fine-dining restaurant brings a taste of Latvia to Klong Toey The buzz: After closing his Thonglor outpost, Latvian chef Aleksandrs “Alex” Nasikailovs has returned to Bangkok’s food scene with his latest fine-dining experience in Klong Toey.

At White House Bangkok, cuisines collide: Alex steers from one destination to the next through theatrical presentations stemming from his 15-year culinary journey.

The vibe: Surprisingly casual for fine-dining. Alex took over the two-story building, formerly housing Balee Laos, and transformed it into his own little empire. At the front of the building, you’ll see his dainty cafe where he sells handcrafted pastries; once inside the building, the ex-Salon Du Japonisant bartender Kei Sawada will greet you with his scientifically twisted cocktails. We are told that the second floor will eventually sport a more formal fine-dining experience.

The food: Alex’s 10-course dining experience embodies a culinary travelog. Our journey begins with four starters: a translucent drop of catfish roe arriving on a charcoal, petal-like tartlet; a crispy doughnut stuffed with blue crab and topped with pickled cucumber; a wooden box of beetroot crackers with salmon mousse and roe; and slow-cooked iberico pork rillettes in wheat pillows. More visually pleasing is Tia Marra, served inside a crystal dome of ice. The chef then torches it with fire, revealing a French oyster resting in seaweed.

Next is mackerel freshly sourced from Satun province and grilled with smoked mackerel mousse and salmon roe. His sea scallop with burnt butter hollandaise sauce and stur-

geon caviar left us aching for more.

The duck liver tortellini, however, was our favorite. The plumb-stuffed pasta was on point with a shred of black trumpet mushroom and birch sap syrup, which provides a subtle acidity and strange-but-pleasant sweetness. The two desserts included the refreshing granita Snowball which when cracked reveals fresh dragon fruit and a chocolate treasure trove at the end that had some surprising flavor combinations—think tom kha kai or goose cheese.

The drinks: The only difference from Sawada’s days at Salon Du Japonisant is how he blends cultural uniqueness with science. Here, Sawada uses cutting-edge technology like the rotary evaporator (he claims that there are only eight places in Bangkok that use this equipment) to lend unique flavors to his cocktails. For B1,500, you’ll get seven cocktails to pair with all of the food above—imagine blue cheese with mango moscato, macha old-fashioneds, and a Japanese spicy wasabi sour. His cocktails are also available by the glass. The bitter negroni sees the luxe grape liquor Ruby Roman mixed with housemade grapefruit campari, tonka bean rum, and Earl Grey whiskey with chocolate crumbles.

Why we’d come back: With Alex and Sawada’s endless creativity, we can only imagine what they might come up with next. We might stop by to sample Sawada’s foie gras cocktail.

Porpor Leelasestaporn

Sukhumvit 16, Klong Toey. Open TueSun 7pm-11pm. Tel. 097-694-9898.

food & drink | new & noted

Mahaniyom Bar

TABLE TALK

GEN JAPANESE CHARCOAL GRILL RESTAURANT Acmen Complex, 267/31 Sukhumvit Soi 63 (Ekkamai).

Mon 5-11pm; Wed-Fri 5-11pm; Sat-Sun 11:30am–2pm, 5-11pm The restaurant stands out easily as the only Japanese-style house in Ekkamai’s Acmen complex. Gen goes well beyond its grilled chicken-specializing sister to serve up a wider variety of meat grilled on binchotan charcoal. While the free-range chicken still stands as one of the stars (try the slightly-roasted breast with yuzu kosho paste), the restaurant also does some fine Japanese wagyu.

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get a complimentary Satsumaimo Dorayaki or Ice Cream valued THB 80 when spending THB 1,000 or more /sales slip (limit 1 serve /card /table /sales slip)

1 Feb ’22 – 31 Jan ’23

NEW AND NOTED

60-year-old jewelry shop now serving enchanted sweet treats

Squid cocktail?

Steak in a glass?

Ingredients shine at new Mahaniyom Bar

It’s all about the mysterious menu at this Charoengkrung small dinner club

This 60-year-old jewelry shop turned cafe is not your typical hipster spot.

Owner Chutima “Ae” Bovonratanachote has a solid reputation for sweet treats from her first establishment at Sweet Pista Warehouse 30. Deciding she wanted to pursue her passion for pastry, she opened Chutie is Baking, a pastry lab where she churns out seasonal tartlets and traditional classic treats like lemon posset, marian plum tartlet, and fruit parfaits. Inside its ground floor, Chutie is Baking’s glass-enclosed kitchen, which takes almost three-fourths of the space, is a loud-and-proud testament to her baking passion.

The brains behind the defunct Backstage have teamed up with chef Chalee Kader of 100 Mahaseth for a distinctly nose-to-tail style of cocktails.

Described as “Thai-Rococo, but with a bit of disco,” don’t leave without trying the Squid and the Cow. The Squid is dried squid in clear tomato juice with ginger brine cordial mixed with vodka, sake, and mirin. The black part of this two-layered glass is, you guessed it, squid ink. Wagyu steak flavors take over the Cow, made with brown butter with black peppercorn in brandy, seared beef fat, red wine, Thai mulberries, and miso—all topped off with clear milk and blue cheese bubbles.

After closing his unusually creative cafe Nora in Melbourne, Australia, designer-turned-chef Sareen Rojanametin has brought his degustation menus to a newly-opened fine-dining experience in Charoenkrung. Serving only 12 patrons a day, Small Dinner Club defies expectations of even veteran food critics. In his 13-course experience (B4,500++), names, appearances, and even flavors can be deceiving, and no one can stop talking about the dishes as they eat. We’d love to write them down here, but where’s the fun in that?

1107 2 Charoenkrung Rd., Si Phraya

104 Si Phraya Rd., Khwaeng Si Phraya, 061 664 6588

1109 Charoenkrung Rd., Si Phraya (Bookings at Smalldinnerclub.com)

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY,MARCH 25 2022

Small Diner Club

11

Pridi

TABLE TALK

MASA GARDEN New Thai chef at Pridi space to get Phra Nakhon in swanky your day off to a Capella Bangkok delicious start

Europe meets Thailand with affordable Thai tapas in Thonglor

Capella Bangkok marked International Women’s day with Kannika Jitsangworn’s first ever meal, a palate-spanning collection of traditional Thai cuisine. Her flavors at Phra Nakhon span Thailand, with a little extra love for the southern style. Diners can eat indoors, but the best seats are amongst the trees, frogs, and river views of the Chaophraya. Phra Nakhon has been a fulsome offering to domestic travelers and gastronomes alike, despite the moratorium on international travel. Be sure to try her appetizer trio: a plate with a Phuket-style fresh spring roll, grilled mackerel fish cakes, and a twist on traditional miang kham, a betel leaf with red pomelo, green mango, ginger, coconut, long beans, shallots, and a chili vinaigrette.

With light wood accents, plenty of natural light, and lush green space, this cafe-slash roasting house ticks all the boxes for an excellent escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. Open every day but Thursday from 8:30am to 5:30pm and located next to the hip roaster Hands and Hearts in Pridi Banomyong Soi 25, Pridi has your morning covered with its straightforward menu: think sourdough bread and chicken liver pate (B165) or nutmeg spread and butter sourdough (B135), along with some specialty filter coffee starting at B180. If coffee is not your cup of tea, try their kabosu kumquat (B140) with a refreshingly citrusy tang to get your working day started right.

One of Rayong’s best known seafood sauces, Kang Banphe, is now using its signature mantis shrimp for Spanish tapas. Tucked away on Thonglor’s Seen Space 13, Thaipas excels in simplicity and boasts local produce and wild-caught seafood. The croquettes (B180) see Rayong mantis shrimp and local prawn in crispy and savory crispy fillings while fresh, plump sea bass ceviche (B180) is refreshing thanks to its Peruvian citrus marinade leche de tigre. Smaller plates like duck liver pate on baguettes start at B95, but for those who prefer something heavier, try their black paella (B420), squid ink rice with a backdrop of hefty Kang Banphe mantis shrimp and clams.

155 Pridi Banomyong Soi 25, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, 083-082-0517

251, 2 Thong Lo Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, 061 363 3367

Capella Bangkok, 300/2 Charoenkrung Rd., Yannawa, 02 098 3888

120 Soi Phrom Chit, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, 02-123-8581. Open Tue-Sun 11am-3pm, 5-10pm The Masa Group is at it again with a third opening, this time a sumibiyaki (charcoal-grilled) and Kansai-style sukiyaki restaurant in Phrom Phong. The venue channels a quaint Kyoto home with zen gardens, and Sarisa Narupakorn says she was inspired to launch the original Suki Masa by her and her daughter passion for Japanese cuisine. While the venue is still in a soft launch period, you can expect plenty of Kansaistyle sukiyaki, shabu shabu, nabe kimchi, butter yaki, nabe, and more to fill your belly during visits.

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get 5% discount on food only

15 Mar – 31 Dec ’22

food & drink

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022

12

ADVERTORIAL

FEAST OF A DEAL

Regional Flair

4 Thai restaurants that bring the flavors of the northeast and east to Bangkok with style Supanniga Eating Room (Thonglor)

Rongros

Unabashedly traditional flavors, a classy yet casual atmosphere, and prices that don’t make the eyes water—you’d be hard pressed to find a more successful combination, as Supanniga’s Thonglor location can attest. Alongside familiar staples, threegeneration-old recipes highlight the underappreciated dishes of Thailand’s east, like the rich and buttery moo cha muang (Chantaburi-style stewed pork with chamuang leaves).

160/11 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thonglor), 02-714-7508.

Open daily 10am-10pm

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get 10% discount on food only when spending THB 500 or more /sales slip (for Thonglor branch only)

392/16 Maharaj, 02-106-2198. Open daily 11am-3pm, 5-10pm

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get 10% discount on food only 1 Mar – 31 Dec ’22

Sri Trat Luxurious rooms of azure, button-backed leather sofas and louvered wooden panels welcome a buzzy, high-end crowd to dine on recipes drawn from Thailand’s eastern provinces, like well-stewed chamuang leaf curry and creamy lon pu kai dip.

1 Feb – 31 Dec ’22

Burapa

This eastern and northeastern specialist helped bring a bit of class back to Soi 11 in 2018. Just like its sister venue, Sri Trat, Burapa’s dishes are beautifully prepared and come in generous portions.

26 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-012-1423. Open Wed-Fri 5-11pm; Sat-Sun 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members

This isn’t just a tourist-baiting Thai restaurant—no matter what the prime view of Wat Arun may suggest.

Enjoy that view through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the downstairs bar and restaurant or brave the steep staircase to the rooftop deck, where you can munch on spicy fishcakes, tom yum with giant tiger prawns, and even pad krapow made with succulent ribeye beef.

Get a complimentary Sea-salted Fresh Coconut Milk Ice Cream valued THB 180 when spending THB 1,500 or more /sales slip Or Get a complimentary Pumpkin Custard (Kanom Mo Gang) Fried Shallot Ice Cream valued THB 280 when spending THB 3,000 or more /sales slip (Not applicable with Tasting Menu and limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip)

Supanniga Eating Room

90 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 02-088-0968. Open daily 10.30 am-11pm

Rongros

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get a complimentary Malva Nut & Young Coconut Jelly in Fresh Coconut Milk Sauce valued THB 120 when spending THB 1,500 or more /sales slip Or Get a complimentary Assorted Thai Dessert Platter valued THB 350 when spending THB 3,000 or more /sales slip (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip) 1 Nov ’21 – 31 Oct ’22

1 Feb – 31 Dec ’22

Brought to you by Citi

Sri Trat

Burapa

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the last word | pizza passion

From butterfly pea custard to pomelo, this pizza maker defies expectations H Like many of us, Feng Chen, 30, didn’t expect to be isolated indefinitely during the pandemic.

To cope with the boredom and regain a sense of control, this graphic designer started making a pizza every day while chronicling her journey on her Leopardcrust (@leopardcrust) Instagram account. What started as a hobby has become a passion. In two years, Chen’s recipes have expanded to 600 combinations and earned her more than 17,000 followers and counting. BK Magazine speaks with Chen about her pizza philosophy. By Porpor Leelasestaporn

ow did you start your Leopardcrust account?

The pandemic was hard for everyone, and with all that [depressing] news and uncertain circumstances, I felt like we all lost a sense of control.

It was pizza that helped me get through those moments. Making pizza reassured me that I still had some control over my life. So, I set myself the goal of making 100 pizzas—one a day, every day—to cope with my boredom. Before this account, I only had my personal one. When I posted the pictures of my pizzas on Instagram, I could share something positive with everyone. Since I had all those pizza pictures on my phone, I asked myself, ‘Why don’t I just share them?’

It’s been a pleasant surprise to see so many people interested in my pizzas. Pizza gurus and chefs all around the world started to recognize my works. When traveling becomes easier, I’d love to go and eat their pizzas so we can exchange methods and techniques and hopefully push the craft forward.

Do you have any pizza places you like in Bangkok?

Délices de Capoue in Ekkamai, their pizza was a lifechanging experience for me. Before their pizzas, I associated pizza with something heavy. But their 72-hour fermented pizza opened my eyes to the possibilities of what dough can taste like and how it doesn’t have to make you feel bad after eating it. The pizza we know is usually heavy and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if I want to eat it every day, I need it to be a bit lighter so that I can feel like I want to eat it tomorrow.

Tell us about your pizza combinations.

I’m sure that among these pizzas there will be some bad ones. It’s not easy, the craft. That’s why I set the goal for 100 pizza recipes because even if I fail, the next day I can just try again. I collected photos of every single pizza I made–not the ones I made for my customers, of course, since it would be unprofessional of me to take pictures of someone else’s pizza before serving them.

All the combinations are written down in my journal, and I also number every single one of them so that I can track them on my journey.

You rate your own pizzas. Why? That’s for my #WeirdoughWednesday. It’s a practice I made up. It’s permission to make something and challenge myself to think about something really unusual once a week. Even if it turns out to be a bad one, the next day I can just eat a good pizza. But these weekly practices really helped me grow as a pizza maker. Sometimes you find something really good that you never considered. You just have to try and break away from the traditional. I have deep respect for traditional pizza making, but I believe it can go beyond where it came from. When you look back into the history of the food, tomatoes were not accepted by the Italians for almost two hundred years. If tomatoes had arrived in Italy and had been accepted culinary practice before that, maybe there would have been even more dishes made out of tomatoes in Italian cuisine. That’s my thinking when I try to do different things. Now that I have 500 pizzas, I can just bring out the best ones to Sarnies Pop-up.

What is your favorite Weirdough Wednesday pizza?

It’s really hard to choose since I’ve been doing this for about a year now, so that would make around 60 of them. Last week’s combination was pomelo and chili flakes. I didn’t expect it to work as I thought it would be just okay. Turns out that the crunchy pomelo toppings are really good for pizzas. Another one was chestnuts.

I bought chestnuts from Yaowarat and combined them with cured egg yolks, grana padano, basil, and a bit of mozzarella. The chestnut has the right fragrance and the texture, with a subtle sweetness and smokiness in there. The saltiness from cured egg yolks and grana padano also help balance out the sweetness. All of these weird combinations, you just need to try it.

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it works better than you might expect. You can push it as far as you want or just keep it simple. It’s this accessibility that I love about pizza. There’s nothing wrong with that.

This pop-up will be temporary, so what do you plan to do after this?

I want to open a supper club where I can connect with more people. For me, food is all about connection, and I want to do something more intimate. I’m just someone who loves seeing other people eating my pizza, not a restaurant owner. When you open a restaurant, you have to handle all the stress and responsibilities that come with it. I always have a lot of respect for those who open pizzerias, but my relationship with pizza is different. I want to have some free time to experiment with the recipes. Diversity made me fall in love with the city, so this is my chance to give it back.

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