Bangkok’s dining scene moves fast, so don’t miss a single bite. Discover the city’s top new menus, chef pop-ups and nightlife news in the debut edition of Kulinary Kurrent. 

Staying on top of Bangkok’s food scene takes work, but that’s where we come in. Welcome to the first edition of Kulinary Kurrent, your shortcut to what’s actually worth eating and drinking in the city. We’ve done the filtering so you don’t have to. Here are five food happenings to keep on your radar.

Liu at Conrad Bangkok Presents Mother’s Day Dim Sum & Family Sets

Treating mum to 32 handcrafted dim sum, roasted Peking duck and fish maw soup guarantees your favourite child status this year

Mum’s probably tired of getting the same old generic gifts, so you might as well take her out for a decent meal. Liu at Conrad Bangkok is running a three-day Chinese feast until 12 August, courtesy of Chef Andy Fung. If she is a dim sum fanatic, THB 1,388++ per person gets her 32 handcrafted items, including filo crab claws, Peking duck rolls, snow fish and pumpkin sago.

Dragging a bigger group along? The Family Set for four costs THB 6,888++ and comes stacked with crispy tiger prawns, fish maw soup, roasted Peking duck and char siu pork. If your entire extended family decides to crash, you can shell out THB 16,888++ for the Signature Set with a hot and cold platter, steamed garoupa and longevity noodles. Book a table and pretend you planned this weeks ago 

3rd Floor, Conrad Bangkok, 87/3 Wireless Rd, Lumpini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. Tel: +66 2 690 9255. Open daily from 11.30am-2.30pm and 6pm-10pm. 

Nobu Bangkok Reaches New Heights with the Launch of Nobu Bar

Sound & Sensation takes cocktails through five sensory themes: Ground, Awaken, Ember, Bloom and Echo, each different in character

Nobu Bangkok is adding another reason to look up with the opening of Nobu Bar, 57 floors above Bangkok at The Empire. The world’s highest Nobu is debuting its Sound & Sensation menu, where cocktails meet five sensory themes: Ground, Awaken, Ember, Bloom and Echo. Add smooth DJ sets, Japanese craftsmanship and a skyline that does most of the decorating and you have the makings of a rather good night. 

There’s no rush to get through the menu. Take your time, try a few different serves and let the music set the pace as the city lights flicker below. Each theme brings something different to the glass, so there’s plenty to explore beyond the usual cocktail order. Nobu Bar is less about ticking off another rooftop and more about finding a spot you’ll want to come back to. 

57th-58th Floor & Rooftop, The Empire, 1 S Sathorn Rd, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok. Tel: +66 2 407 1654. Open daily from 11.30am-2pm and 5.30pm-midnight. 

SOMA Bangkok Gets Cooking with a New Seasonal Menu

Three chefs, one seasonal menu and one big question: “What makes guests want to return for another bite?”

Too many cooks are supposed to spoil the broth, but SOMA Bangkok is making a strong case for the opposite. Its new seasonal menu brings together head chef Pak Yamoo, executive chefs Chalee Kader and Weerawat “Num” Triyasenawat, all tackling one question: “What makes guests keep coming back?” The answer, it seems, is plenty of cooks and a menu worth returning for.

Highlights include Chef Pak’s sour orange curry with oil-poached barramundi, salmon roe and crispy vegetables, based on his granny’s recipe but given his own twist. SOMA’s fried beef brisket with house-made soy sauce takes patience: 48 hours from salt brine to sous vide, cold-smoking over coconut husks and hay, then a final deep-fry. An interpretation of sa pla pairs golden trevally with prik larb and Northern Thai herbs and aromatics, while a seasonal pomegranate and pomelo granita brings things to a sharp, icy close.

Siam Patumwan House, 414 Phayathai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. Tel: +66 95 372 2644. Open daily from 11am-4pm and 5pm-11pm. 

Carito’s Goes Full Phuket for Two Days Only

Local Canteen, Dibuk House and shhh. are bringing some of the best of Phuket to Bangkok, with Southern Thai food and Latin-style cocktails in tow 

Thai-Latin joint Carlito’s on Sukhumvit Soi 22 is bringing Phuket’s Old Town culinary heavy hitters to Bangkok for two nights only on 28 and 29 August. Local Canteen is taking over the kitchen with Southern Thai spice, while cocktail hot-spots Dibuk House and shhh. run the bar. You won’t need to board a flight to hit the island’s best spots; they’re bringing the food, the drinks and the vibes straight to you.

The two-night menu serves up Southern Thai dishes including khao-yum Local Canteen, spicy rice tossed with herbs and a family-recipe Thai anchovy relish, Ko-Lae lamb marinated in Southern Muslim curry, Phuket-style prawn fritters curry-fried with herbs, grilled Thai Tajima wagyu bavette with southern tamarind chilli sauce and coconut dumplings in sweet coconut milk. 

The bar menu comes from Phuket Town’s Dibuk House and shhh., with four cocktails given a Latin twist. Highlights include Rusted Flower Fizz, Anong gin highball with smoked melinjo, honey osmanthus and pink grapefruit tonic, and S-Tropicana made with roasted-coconut-infused Lilit spirit, khao-mak, budu mango and mezcal, finished with jasmine-roasted-rice whip. Lilit and Nakin supply the spirits. 

547-549 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok. Tel: +66 95 370 7699. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm-11pm. 

KAYAKI Takes a Toyosu Market-Inspired Menu to EmQuartier 

Four exclusive ingredients arrive at the new location, including white otoro, the rare abura bouzu

Now at its third location at The EmQuartier, KAYAKI introduces the Toyosu menu, an exclusive new set inspired by Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market, Japan’s renowned destination for premium seafood and fresh ingredients. While they still focus on the aburi technique, the menu introduces four new ingredients: oyster, live hokkigai, sawara and rare abura bouzu, known as white otoro for its rich, buttery texture. 

The EmQuartier special set also includes KAYAKI favourites such as aka ebi, Argentine red shrimp, chutoro leek and otoro suki, premium tuna belly with raw egg. The Toyosu set comes at THB 1,390 for six courses, with a choice between oyster and live hokkigai. The new location also offers a family table and a couple table, both with the grill removed from the centre for a more relaxed, private meal.

1st Floor, EmQuartier, 695 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana. Tel: +66 65 956 9694. Open daily from 11am-10pm.