Mixed in with other chain eateries in The Street Ratchada, SO Asean Cafe and Restaurant stands out by serving exotic Southeast Asian fare in a casual atmosphere.
From its blonde-wood furniture alone, it’s easy to mistake SO Asean for another one of those typical, charmless cafes that have sprouted all over town. Take a closer look, however, and you’ll realize that the eatery is adorned at every corner with traditional crafts that, along with the menu, contrive to tell stories of Southeast Asia and it’s food-passionate people.
The food at SO Asean saves you the hassle of traveling on a budget airline just to discover dishes such as sweet and sour, slow-cooked chicken and pork adobo from the Philippines (B185) or grilled herb-infused fish cake from Brunei (B215). It’s also fun to sample traditional food that might have inspired Thai favorites, such as Myanmar’s lah pet (B135), which is similar to our meang khum or the Cambodian fish amok (B215), which seems like a cousin to the Thai hor mok pla.
The coffee is not to be missed, either. So Asean serves brews, using medium-roast Arabica beans from Laos, in three traditional ways: drip like in Vietnam, ginger-spiced as with Indonesian bajigur, or iced and black just like Thai o-leang.
The restaurant is open until 22:00 (breakfast is served from 07:00 to 10:00 and the sunny side up egg served in pan is a must), but drinks can be enjoyed around the clock.