Thonglor is full of it -- a glitzy essence that drives the opening of LED-clad venues and shiny new places to eat and drink. Per contra, in the midst of this relatively long, colorful street, rests a solitary pair of thin wooden doors whose quaint appearance hides a secret world.
We sat down with Ashley Sutton, Australian-born creator of The Iron Fairies Wine Bar & Restaurant and author of a three-volume children's story of the same name. In the following hour, we uncovered an origin story and discovered how lasting impressions take more than rust-colored fey.
"I don't know much about fairies," admitted Sutton, sitting astutely inside a private room carefully concealed behind a wooden shelf. "I sketched these [stories] a long time ago; I didn't think of it as a money-making thing, it was just something to do." With matter-of-fact humility, he continued his tale.
"I wanted to go into graphic design, but I was never good at maths," he began, narrating to us of how events in his life led to a glass apprenticeship and then a job in the mines north of Perth. After an accident took part of his left hand, Sutton returned to glass and moved to China where he ventured into steel. A business partner later saw his sketches and urged him to publish his fairy story -- that eventually took him worldwide, and to Thailand.
"This was my workshop," he pointed around the vicinity and chuckled, "I used to go to the wine bar nearby, then it got too crowded and I couldn't get a table, so I had to open this place up." Consequently, the restaurant in Bangkok follows a chain started in Perth and New York. "I used to think if I sold one glass of wine a week, I'd be happy."
'The Iron Fairies' is a story told from the perspective of benighted miners digging for the illusive gold. Instead, they find iron -- which they make into fairies through a secret formula. At times, the formula is defective and a 'blue fairy' comes to life. Due to their mischievous nature, the miners keep blue fairies under lock and key. The books hold a secret that will release the blue fairies and save the miners from their doldrums.
Creative as this is, Ashley Sutton believes fairies have little to do with his success. "There's an X-factor," as he spoke, Sutton brought in a hammer to fix a loose stud on the arm of his chair. "You have to first have the right combination of atmosphere, music, and the best foods and services you can provide, and then you have to know your market and be practical." Once the bolt was back in place, he said perceptively, "That could have caught on somebody's shirt."
The secret of the Iron Fairies goes far beyond its theme and favorable location. While most swear by the décor, good food, and live jazz -- patrons return (often frequently) to this unique little nook on Thonglor because it provides all the necessities for a great night out, plus something wickedly magical. That 'X-Factor' Sutton talked about lies in his own personal touch. It may be seen everywhere, from the working factory contraptions, to the sketches on the wall, and the chests of peanuts on every table. This ingredient is not only hard to find, it is hard to imitate; and thus is why 'The Iron Fairies' easily rolls off the tip of everybody's tongue.
The Iron FairiesAntique Factory, Wine Bar & Restaurant
395 Soi Thonglor, Sukhumvit Rd.
(Opposite of Thon Kleung Restaurant and Home Place building)
Space is limited and reservations are highly recommended.
No reservations after 8:00 p.m.
