Baan Thai Suk 16 - The Taste of Thai Teak

Deep in the heart of the bustling city, nestled and dwarfed by the sheer towering office blocks and modern city living condos you come to Baan Thai Suk 16, an authentically Thai piece of wonderland.

ROB Review - Baan Thai Suk 16 - Gallery

Walking through the looking glass of chic glass fronted bars and trendy restaurants you find Baan Thai Suk 16 in a small sub-soi of Sukhumvit 16 behind Bangkok’s buzzing Asoke area.

Sitting on the veranda of this beautiful Thai teak country house restaurant, listening to the birds chirrup, you can see the modern world but feel absolutely no part of it whatsoever. Baan Thai is an oasis of pure country charm that lets you see the real beauty of Thailand for what can feel like the first time.

The Bali and Myanmar decorative touches, blend in to create a culinary country restaurant miles away from any sleek city eatery, without becoming a cliché of tourist style tradition. The downstairs, with only four tables, is like an old fashioned salon, totally relaxed but with a sense of occasion. You feel like dressing up to the nines but wearing your flip-flops all at the same time.

From the wooden entrance worked into the fence, across the pebbles and stepping-stones and angel fountain, you climb the outdoors staircase with its amber chandelier to a balcony. A couple of bistro tables and a couple of family sized ones line the three beautiful private dining rooms so there is a wonderful sense of intimate separation where you have your own space but with a cosy feeling of togetherness.

This culinary country charmer is the perfect place for long afternoons or evenings relaxing with family and friends, sharing all your favourite Thai meals. The menu is delightfully simple and appealing with no appetizers. You order a selection and share, true Thai style. The care, skill and honesty of the cooking makes you feel as if you have come home to momma to find she’s been to a top notch Thai cookery school and she loves you.

The freshly made Thai curry sauces have such a perfectly spicy sweet complexity that you suddenly realize that Baan Thai is not merely a talented, beautiful newcomer but actually a fully-fledged star in the making. The added brilliance of this shining Thai star is that the prices are so incredibly low, with mains from around 110 baht to 180, which for the high standard of food and the kind and thoughtful service makes you do a double take.

The deep fried sea bass with fish sauce is light and tasty and moreish. The sweet and sour soup with acacia omelette and shrimps is packed with flavour without being heavy. It is simple, yet sophisticated. The beef panaeng curry is a signature dish and the Thai lod chong’s iced sweetened coconut milk and green sweet noodles is simply divine.

If you want to head to the country without heading to the hills so to speak, then your own rural retreat is waiting with all the warmth and wonder of Baan Thai Suk 16.

ROB Review - Baan Thai Suk 16 - Gallery