Food with a view!

[Keyvan]

The Rose Hotel used to be a GI 'by the hour' special. Until 10 years ago there was still a housekeeping desk on every floor to change the sheets at any hour of the night. Then came the refit [and the tariff increases].

Behind the hotel is what used to be the family home, back in the early days of the 20th century. It was totally restored and is now the perfect Thai house and home to a surprisingly good Thai restaurant, Ruen Urai [ http://www.ruen-urai.com ]. You can enter through the hotel foyer or directly from the hotel car park.

It bridges that difficult gap of being acceptable to non-Thais who whilst being experienced with Thai cuisine still do not want the full blast, yet it is not offensive to local Thais either [unlike Mango Tree and other such tourist places that Thais go to with farangs, smile and say 'very nice' but hate it].

Deep-fried River Prawns in tamarind, Chicken & Cashews, the Thai way, and the way it should be done. An amazing red curry of ostrich with wild ginger, kaffir lime leaves, and green peppercorn, their Massaman of Beef Tongue and a rich Choo Chee of prawns are just a few of our favourites here. It does not but it almost seems that eating Thai food in an old teakwood house makes it taste better!

Check your socks for holes, as it is shoes-off at the door!

A very special dining experience. However if dining there at lunch time it is very difficult sometime not to get over-excited at some of the eye candy through the windows that overlook the swimming pool of the Rose Hotel. Even more so if you have previously stayed at The Rose, used the pool and the sauna in the gent's change room, and had some nice experiences. Sitting in Ruen Urai you can get immediate indigestion, even though enjoying wonderful food, watching scantily clad Japanese boys flitting in and out of the change rooms....wondering what may have been!

[Gaybutton]

Thank you for these posts Keyvan. There must be loads of great restaurants in Bangkok. I wish more people would post about their 'finds.' Other cities too. For example, in Khorat I particularly like Chez Andy. He has a location in Ko Samui too. Here's the web site for Chez Andy:

http://www.chezandy.com/chez_andy_korat.php

[Keyvan]

Other cities too. For example, in Khorat I particularly like Chez Andy. He has a location in Ko Samui too. Here's the web site for Chez Andy:
http://www.chezandy.com/chez_andy_korat.php

Chez Andy is obviously Swiss and they have had quite an influence on European food in Thailand, I remember Bruno at the original Bruno's in Pattaya, their current Swiss chef is also above average. But even with my overwhelming love of Thai cuisine the 1st restaurant I visit every Bangkok arrival is Chesa, The wonderfully relaxed but quite fine dining restaurant on Sukhamvit Soi 20, one of those places that do it right, and without the fuss. Even the waitresses smile is real, a rarity in Thailand. Owners Thomas and Renee are Swiss professionals with many years experience in Thailand and Asia.

I love some of their simple dishes;

Capuns - Swiss chard dumplings with bacon, onions and cheese in a creamy sauce
Berner Senne Roesti - Rösti Potatoes with bacon topped with melted Raclette cheese
and the pride of Zurich - Geschnetzeltes Zurcher Art -sliced veal and kidney in a champignon mushroom sauce

Chesa makes the most perfect Roesti ever!

The place will be my first stop, 2nd night [1st night late arrival straight to The Balcony]...being Christmas they will have many great game dishes on their menu, venison, wild boar, or I hope so anyway, they usually do.

All to be ordered with Roesti and red cabbage for me!

Check it out: http://www.chesa-swiss.com/

[lvdkeyes]

This place sounds great and not too pricey either.