22 October 2013

ROAST & EAT ME

Thursday was definitely a day for wandering. We began our day eating our way through the hotel’s breakfast buffet, then we took a boat to the water taxi station down river, rode a water taxi up river, visited a flower market, rode on a tuk tuk, walked through a Buddhist complex, took a taxi to the garment district, found a mall, ate some street food and wound our way to a special tailor. Believe it or not, by then, it was still only mid-afternoon.

With the pants ordered, we decided to conquer mission number two: find a coffee shop that Megan had been to on her last Bangkok visit.


The coffee shop, aptly named Roast, was in another area of the city not that far from the tailor’s location. We walked back to the train station and took one of the two major trains just a few stops to the neighborhood where Roast awaited.

After walking in the wrong direction and then in a circle, we stopped at a Starbucks to buy a special mug and to ask for directions to a location bearing better coffee. We were pleased to hear that we were not far away so we continued on our journey and, within a few minutes, found our desired destination.

The coffee shop-slash-wine bar-slash eatery was on the second level of a small open-air shopping center that embraced outdoor cafés. Roast had a familiar coffee shop vibe with small tables and cozy seating options in addition to the bar and beverage displays. The coolest thing in my opinion was the menu, which was an actual newspaper filled with menu offerings, local happenings and information on the restaurant and its staff.





A huge fan of food pictures, I loved that my taste buds were salivating as my eyes were tempted from one picture to another. We settled on three desserts to enjoy before our dinner reservation: a warm chocolate chip cookie in a ramekin topped with vanilla bean ice cream, some hazelnut cannolis with a raspberry sauce and a dark chocolate soufflé with gran marnier sauce on the side. A-mazing.

The time in the air conditioning prepared us for our journey across the city in a race to meet our reservation time. Eat Me is a fantastic restaurant that was recommended by several Bangkok magazine editors situated on a side street near BNH Hospital. The restaurant was dark with dark colored walls and dark flooring; low lighting provided a special occasion feel. The menu was not huge but the span of dishes was large (appetizers to mains to desserts, wines, beers, specialty cocktails, teas and coffees) and we were all able to easily find foods that enticed us. (Side note for picky people: two out of three of us have dietary requirements that include food allergies; the restaurant was absolutely able to accommodate each of our requests including gluten-free, dairy free and mint free.)

Since we had recently eaten our desserts, we did not feel the need for any appetizers. We ordered a braised oxtail dish with tiny pasta and chorizo, a pork loin with a corn and bacon hash, a black cod with a light coconut cream and an assortment of vegetables consisting of greens, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms.

The food was fantastic and the service was excellent. That was the best meal I had in Thailand, and I would definitely recommend Eat Me to anyone visiting the area. 

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