Going Greek on Silom

Full of the rich tapestry of life, Silom’s party sois are building up a reputation as a place where as well as experiencing life every which way, you can also be well fed along the way.

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For weekend shoppers seeking respite from the throngs along Silom, to the night time fun seekers, Souvlaki fills a hole for the hungry, Greek style. The Classic Greeks were renowned for having something of a liberal and some would say tongue-in-cheek attitude to certain pursuits in life and so perhaps Souvlaki has found its homeland in this hectic part of Bangkok.

Although a restaurant, it is probably best to describe Souvlaki as something of a pit stop. This is where you stop off en route to the main part of your evening, or to recover from a night of dancing. Newly taken over, the restaurant is a simple taverna style with a couple of seats outside, a bar seating area and some seating upstairs. It is true that the place needs to be revamped with a good lick of paint, but true to Greek country style it just about manages to get away with what might be considered, anywhere else, to be a little rough around the edges.

It is hardly the wisdom of Plato to say that it is always good to go Greek when you are hungry but Souvlaki has an innate understanding of the type of Greek food people like, which is basically kebabs.

Cooked on a grill, the lamb kebab comes in a homemade patty and is served in thick pita bread, which is also grilled. Crammed with cooling tzatziki, tomatoes, onions, parsley and lettuce and only 130 thb the result is a good filler and the meat has a great grilled flavor.

The food at Souvlaki isn’t going to win any awards and in some ways this is what is likeable about the place. It cooks simple Greek food and tries to do it well. The feta cheese dip shows the chef wants to label Souvlaki as a restaurant rather than takeaway style joint.

The creamy texture, wonderfully grilled pita bread and hint of spice make this a 90 thb appealing appetizer. The meze dishes are all a reasonable 70-90 thb and for sit-at-the-bar style eating, or a simple dish or two at the blue and white covered tables out at the front, a good way to sample a few different flavors whilst people-watching in this interesting part of the city.

The beef meatballs are flavored with ouzo, the national Greek liquor, fresh herbs and come with a tomato sauce. At 145 thb they are good value and the meat is fresh and tasty, although it won’t imprint on your mind as a dish to necessarily come back to. The meatballs are a little fried tasting but are certainly good enough. This isn’t a restaurant that you make a meal out of for a night out but Greek food is always a winner for the hip, happy, hungry hoards.

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