Street Bangkok

Adjacent to the Canal Saint-Martin, this stylish Thai canteen – opened in September 2015 – offers a regularly changing menu of delicacies to a young and trendy clientele. Past the glass façade, diners peer up at long neon lights that run across the red walls and ceiling, while the kitchen/servery is open, metallic and designed like some sort of futuristic scaffolding. Behind the counter, Ja Euarchukiati – a former chef at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Bangkok – leads a team of skilled Bangkokian chefs who here serve up typical ‘Chatuchak’ set menus. Named after the popular inner-city market in the Thai capital, these colourful little dishes come served in baskets and feature things like skewers of chicken curried in coriander, lime and coconut milk and served with rice, pork in a bittersweet sauce or a salad of beef marinated in soya and topped with mint and Thai chives. To really fit in, try the ultra-spicy house speciality of papaya salad, which is a great match for a Singha beer or a home made lemonade. For fifteen euros or so, you can do quite well.

TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER