Lunching

Our Neck of the Woods 

FATTIES

Lunch is always a precarious meal. You never have enough time; restaurants rarely give you their best. See for a restaurant they give you what they can't sell or a tease of what they want you to order for dinner. That’s why you can go to any top-end place and get a set lunch under 500-600Bth (about 30 dollars a head) but try and go for dinner and your appetizers or salads will cost that much.

I always eat my lunch out, yes I own my own restaurant and yes I am a certified cook (I never say I am a chef because Marco Pierre White and Alan Ducass are chefs, and lets face it. Very few people can even wipe their bums let alone lace their shoes). But hey, I’m lazy and I work in the center of the city. So I have access to the best of the best within a 10min walk or a 10min motorbike ride (that’s how we roll in BKK)

I am always disappointed because usually the lunch menus are so small and so obviously last night's garbage so I end up coming back to my humble coffee shop and drink pints of Indian tea to kill the taste and fill me up. This day was nothing different. I have a lunch buddy. His name is BOO BOO. Younger than me, he shares my passion for food, free time and laziness. I use him because well he is the cutest human being you will ever meet and he drives a beautiful Mercedes.

I hadn't seen Boo Boo for some time, he was off gallivanting the world hanging with royalty, aristocrats and just about every cool person you and I just read and dream about. So we set of to a posh Japanese restaurant which usually cost 100-200 Dollars a head minimum. Surprisingly it was only 400bth!!!!! (12 bucks give or take who's messing with the exchange rate)

And the food was surprisingly as bad as the price tag. Boo Boo was not impressed. He relies on me for restaurant advice. He needs me. I had let him down. I am not in the business of letting people down. See Boo Boo needs to entertain lots of important people; he calls me, I tell him where to go, they get impressed, he buys another Mercedes. This is how it works. I had to do something. So I told him lets find a better place for coffee. He said yes, but inside I knew... he was not happy.

Nestled behind Soi 22 is possibly one of Bangkok's best kept secrets. The lady tells us it has been open for 2 years, HOW this place is not pack to the rafters is unbelievable.  Gastro 1/6

There are art exhibitions going on constantly inside this magical place. Check out this board. 

We get to the counter to order our coffee. They do proper coffee here. Double espressos, flat whites etc. Any place that offers you a double shot of coffee is a winner. The lady is charming and nice. She tells us we must try the French toast and the coffee will be delivered to the table. Surprisingly she only accepts cash, always a sign of tax evasion in the restaurant world, but hey we will let it slide.

 Look at this baby. 2 shot flat white. Keeping you wired for hours!!! Look at the cup!! None of this porcelain/ bone China crap. You can crab up with all your might. A proper coffee mug. The way coffee was meant to be had.

This is just art on a plate. French toast with organic honey from Thailand and the best fruits of this season. The bread is not Farmhouse. It's thick soft white bread, lightly coated in a batter of eggs and milk and fried to perfection. There’s some caramelized bananas inside for you to find, like a hidden treasure. This place does every little thing brilliantly. No fancy cinnamon sugar. No whole wheat bread with imported honey. Just the basics done right. The colours as vibrant and fresh as the flavors.

The menu looks perfect for brunch or a quiet coffee. This is a place you take someone special. You find each other, you come back with your kids. If Alice had her wonderland, then this, this place is mine! 

Food and restaurants should take a leaf from this garden and learn that over-complicating and opulence will never beat simplicity and humility. 

DID I mention they have free wifi!!!!! And you don’t have to ask 10 waiters, who will pronounce the password wrong and when you connect it disconnects within a second.  When you come in there’s a cute porcelain chicken with the password on its chest. Simple. Elegant and efficient. 

Brilliant! Just brilliant. Boo Boo was happy, I was happy!