Bangkok: From temples to culinary mecca
If you think in terms of the historical public radar, Bangkok has had some kind of a ride over the last 25 years. Once renowned for its abysmal traffic (yes, even more infamous than Manila’s), there was a time when its red light district and furniture/handicrafts market were the must-visits of the diverse range of visitors to the country. Its cosmetic and sex change surgeries even fuelled its reputation as a global center of medical tourism.
And through all this, the traditional itinerary of temples, river cruises and crocodile farms remained a constant. From 32.59 million visitors to Thailand in 2016, they increased to 35.38 million last year and we can confirm 21.5 million visited Bangkok in 2016. (Just to put things in perspective, the Philippines enjoyed an all-time high of 6.6 million visitors in 2017.)
And as of late, the upscale visitors to Bangkok have added shopping and dining to their list of things-to-do. The number of high-end, luxury malls have proliferated, dotting the Bangkok urban landscape with happy shoppers and branded shopping bags. Siam Paragon, Gaysorn Village, Central Embassy — it seems there is no end to the spending power of your affluent Thai and the upscale tourists who frequent these malls. Even family outings are taken into consideration. Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World, found at the Lower Ground level of the Siam Paragon, is the largest aquarium in all of Southeast Asia with five million liters of water spread over 10,000 square meters, with giant spider crabs, the giant Pacific octopus, and penguins among the attractions.
Recently at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 Awards Night, three of the Top 10 restaurants cited are to be found in Bangkok, including the very best, Gaggan (for the fourth consecutive year). Suhring and Nahm are the other two; with Tokyo also claiming three of the Top 10. When you consider cosmopolitan cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Singapore are part of the survey, that’s quite a feat for Bangkok making it, without doubt, an ASEAN culinary mecca. And don’t forget the Michelin-starred food stalls — the crab omelet and the chicken rice ones coming to mind right away.
For a recent visit to Bangkok, I had been trying to book online a Gaggan table for over two months but had no luck, proof just how in demand tables at Gaggan are for the discriminating locals and foreign visitors. Gaa, just across the road, was my fallback. Just over a year old, it’s run by the former sous chef of Gaggan and its creative Indian cuisine converted into a 10-course degustation using the finest locally sourced ingredients.
For traditional Thai heirloom recipes, updated and turned into a spectacular dining experience, I would recommend Paste at Gaysorn Village Mall, where chef Bee Satongun shows why she was chosen Asia’s Best Female Chef this year (our own Gaita Fores copped the accolade in 2016).
I stayed at The Athenee, a Luxury Collection Hotel on Wireless Road, a two-minute walk from a BTS station. And I loved how they turned the fourth floor recreation and pool area into a “virtual” island resort. Located near a number of embassies, it’s a central, yet relatively quiet neighborhood. And just a stone’s throw away from Central Embassy Mall.
I mentioned Central Embassy because bookstores are my personal “cathedrals” and my new discovery was Open House Bookshop on the sixth floor of the mall. Along with Kinokuniya at the third level of Siam Paragon, these are now my two favorite Bangkok bookstores. I love how interspersed within the floor area of Open House are high-concept food stalls that allow you to spend countless hours amidst books and food — one of my versions of “heaven on earth.”
Bangkok is a case study lesson waiting to be learned. While staying very proudly Thai and fiercely celebrating their culture, they’ve also learned to be diverse and open, knowing that quality and unique experiences are what draw the high-spending tourist. Gaggan is really Indian cuisine, and Suhring is German cuisine, but they’ve helped put Bangkok on the global culinary map. And its Tourism Board has done wonders in inviting the right people and connections to make this news known throughout the world, cognizant of how digital and social media have democratized the process, making it that much easier to “spread the word.”
Having the 21.5 million Bangkok visitors is some shot in the arm for their economy, and I don’t even have to spell out the trickle-down effect that creates for the city populace. Its infrastructure welcomes these visitors, from the impressive airport to the clean, efficient BTS. And yes, the traffic situation can still be a daytime nightmare; but I love how they’ve risen above that over the decades.