5 new Bangkok restaurants you need to try this January 2020

Bangkok’s food scene never moves at a slow pace. The city is often — if not always — hungry for the latest and greatest in dining. With a slew of new Bangkok restaurants popping up every month, the city is becoming one of the best culinary landscapes food lovers could ever dream of living in.

From a veggie-focused restaurant to a cool-hip Thai haunt, here’s a list of new Bangkok restaurants to wine and dine at this January 2020.

[Hero image credit: Unsplash/Louis Hansel]

Samrub for Thai

For something other than typical famous Thai dishes like pad thai and tom yum, Samrub for Thai is a new hub for ancient and long-forgotten Thai food. Led by the Chef Prin Polsuk, who has previously worked as a head chef at nahm and boasts years of experience in cooking Thai food, Samrub for Thai is the chef’s humble fertile spot for keeping alive the old culinary traditions and expanding the scope of ingredients and produce native to Thai cuisine. The omakase-like Samrub course menu here features three canapes, five main courses, and a dessert, all cooked up from hyper-seasonal ingredients. It is priced at THB 3,200-4,500 per person. Hidden just behind 100 Mahaseth, the venue accommodates only ten diners at a time, so make sure you grab a seat in advance to prevent disappoinment.

Samrub for Thai, 100 Maha Set Rd, Khwaeng Si Phraya, Khet Bang Rak, Bangkok; Open: Wed-Thu, 7-11 pm; Fri-Sat, 7 pm- 12 am; Sun, 12-5 pm for lunch and 7 pm-12 am for dinner.

Pongchuros

Delicious Isaan fare and MSG-free cooking never seem to go hand in hand. But Pongchuros, a new restaurant nestled within the Kessara Hotel, totally blurs the line between the two and offers up an Isaan-focused menu – think som tam and tom zaap – with not a single drop of the food additive being used. A play on a Thai word, Pongchuros (which means MSG in English) is a title that showcases their philosophy on cooking with only pristine and toothsome ingredients with zero dependence on MSG or other artificial additives.

Pongchuros, 38 Si Lom 3, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok, +6682 504 1198; Open: Mon-Sat, 12-9 pm.

Lord Jim’s

For those who are fans of Joseph Conrad, entering the newly-renovated Lord Jim’s within the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok will make you feel as though your soul is immersed into Conrad’s maritime novel, due to its setting mimicking an ancient sailing ship like that in the story. Apart from the nautical setting, the seafood menu here also aligns with the novel’s plot in exploring the sea. Come here by lunchtime to feast on a sleek international buffet or pop by at nighttime to enjoy an a la carte menu brimming with fish and fresh seafood as well as a meat selection, accompanied by the riverscape of the Chao Phraya River. The signatures include Steamed Hokkaido Scallop Pudding with Butter Sauce and Grilled ‘Jean Launardie’ Foie Gras with Belgian Endive and Hazelnuts.

Lord Jim’s, 48 Oriental Avenue, Bang Rak, Bangkok, +662 659 9000; Open: Mon-Fri, 12-2:30 pm for lunch and 7-10:30 pm for dinner; Sat, 11:30 am-2:30 pm for lunch and 7-10:30 pm for dinner; Sun, 11 am-2:30 pm for lunch and 7-10:30 pm for dinner.

getfresh by dressed

Salad enthusiasts, get ready for a new revamp of dressed. The veggie-centric brand is changing their name as well as their concept this year. Welcome getfresh: Bangkok’s new health food haven where you’ll bd fuelled with wholesome fare and beverages. The first of their locations dotted around town to ever be refurbished is the one at the hip new mall, Samyan Mitrtown. Following a farm-to-table concept, most produce used here is grown and harvested by local, small-scale farmers and especially at getfresh Farm in Pranburi. That guarantees you’ll be on track for your 2020 wellness mission.

getfresh, Samyan Mitrtown,Bangkok, +6683 979 1712; Open: Mon, 9 am-5 pm; Tue-Thu, 9 am-10 pm; fri-Sat, 10 am-10 pm; Sun, 9 am-10 pm.

Kimura Don

Are you after the next best spot for a Japanese food munch-down? If yes, march your way over to Kimura Don. Tucked on the 4^thfloor of Siam Paragon, the donburi-centric restaurant helmed by Chef Koji Kimura of two-Michelin-starred Sushi Kimura in Japan is the first international branch of his second restaurant, Kimura Don Tokyo. The legend of making aged fish for the purpose of bringing out ultra umami flavours features a repertoire of donburi, all covered with with top-notch toppings like aged fish, ikura, sea urchin, and so much more.

Kimura Don, 4^thfloor, Siam Paragon, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, +662 610 9611; Open: Mon-Sun, 10 am-10 pm.