Review

Bangkok & Nearby
Phra Nakhon at Capella Bangkok offers a sincere interpretation of Thai cuisine in an elegant riverside dining room with light tones and mirrored panels. The menu draws from regional cooking across the country. Crisp rice with house made chilli paste arrives first. Yum som-o pla fu layers pomelo with crispy fish floss and betel leaf, bringing brightness and crunch. Sen mee gaeng pu, southern crab curry with vermicelli, has coconut milk binding spice into something full yet clean with chunks of crabmeat balanced by the bitterness of betel leaves. Muek tom holay, a clear squid soup from Surat Thani rarely found in Bangkok, stands out for its broth, with fried garlic and shallot adding light sweetness and gentle oil. Tom som pla anggoey gives a brighter, ginger profile, lifted by tamarind. Goong lie sue features tiger prawns grilled to tenderness, served with Thai chilli sauce and banana blossom. Goong pao, large river prawns, is grilled to perfection until the sweet meat separates easily from the shell. Among desserts, kanom kho nahm gati and lod chong boran are excellent. The former is a coconut milk with chewy sticky rice flour dumplings filled with palm sugar. The latter, scented with candle smoke, layers soft pandan droplets, black sticky rice and coconut ice cream. A very wide range of beverages is available.