Eating in Thailand - Baan Kanitha

There are two in Bangkok, with Liz, Brian and myself going to the one with the art gallery attached on South Sathorn Road.

It's a large space with a high ceiling, something like a barn with Thai characteristics.

Don't mistake that as a criticism though. It was a very elegant and comfortable space.

And after the disappointment of the Mango Tree a night or two before, I can say that the dining experience here was much more enjoyable.

The service was first class. Attentive without being intrusive.

The food was of an altogether better class and standard than the Mango Tree. Quite frankly, as it was something like a fortnight ago, I'm not going to go into any detail about what we had because I basically can't remember.

I will be going back though the next time I'm in Bangkok.

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Eating in Thailand - the Mango Tree

Okay, I may as well get the greatest disappointment of my almost finished trip out of the way first.

The Mango Tree should have been a great place to have dinner.

It was literally just around the corner from the hotel in Bangkok in Soi Tarntawan, off of Surawong Road.

It is nicely appointed inside, and has a very pleasant outdoor area as well.

If you are sitting outside, they have a small ensemble playing traditional Thai music. Even better considering given that one of the Er Hu players was a rather good looking young man.

But the food was another matter.

I had good memories from dining there some years ago, but I suspect that it is now trading on its reputation.

How you can get things like pad thai, red curry and a garlic and pepper dish wrong in Thailand is simply beyond me (though there will be a later installment on this theme generally, and pad thai in particular).

Suffice to say that my memory of the red curry is not of it being red, but grey. And that sums up how it tasted.

And this from a restaurant that is well known and well regarded, and at the better end of the scale in Bangkok.

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