Baruza Bistro Nights

If Silom is a rich and heady mix of traditional, modern, wild, wanton and wonderful then Baruza is the restaurant reflection of Bangkok’s heart and soul. Just like the city, not all is what it seems at this Japanese, fusion style restaurant.

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To begin with the black and red décor and the big open windows give this corner-of-the-soi eatery a great view of the city. Whilst you could easily pop in here in the daytime, the restaurant has a feeling of late night hangout.

It has a hip, nighttime feel without any of the tawdry trendiness which transforms so many a would-be hit to an all-time miss. It is a café, a Japanese restaurant, a Mediterranean bistro and the type of place you find in the cool places in London. In other words, it feels totally at home in Bangkok.

When it comes to the food, the menu has the stamp of foodie written all over it. There is energy and passion in the dishes which bursts out beyond the confines of what is on the surface a small, average-looking restaurant of which there are thousands. It’s true to say that you could easily walk past Baruza as it is only really once you are inside that you really see its appeal. You quickly realize how few places there are that feel part of a social, fun night-out, not just a stuffy meal in a stuffy restaurant.

The food is not only reasonably priced but undoubtedly better than you will probably ever expect. It is not just good food but is actually very very good. The seafood salad is fresh, succulent and has a lashing of maple syrup which is smoky and wonderful. The som tam tempura with Vietnamese shrimp is not a fusion gimmick but tastes like an established dish that should be on every menu.

The mushroom caps with herbs and emmental are a good side, but a little too dry as a stand-alone appetizer. The pepper steak, washed down with a good glug of vino, at a reasonable round the 120 thb price, gives any night of the week a Saturday night feeling. The sauce is almost too good if that is possible and the lamb chops are wonderfully tender.

The pork cordon bleu is something a little different, with the meat stuffed with vegetables and shrimp and the signature taste of Thai basil. The cheese sauce to the side is the best part of this dish though and could be eaten by the ladleful if that wasn’t so wrong.

This is a restaurant to go before a big night out experiencing the sights and sounds of Bangkok’s nightlife, to feel part of the action or after a wander around the seductive sois of Silom. Baruza strives to be bigger and better than it could be or it needs to be and that makes it one of those rare finds that is actually staring you right in the face on one of the busiest streets in Bangkok.

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