Ruen Mallika / Royal Thai Cuisine / Sukhumvit Soi 22
The building is the first thing. A large traditional Thai teak house estimated to date to the reign of King Rama II, roughly two hundred years ago, sits in a quiet sub-soi off Sukhumvit 22, its dark wooden eaves visible through the trees before the entrance comes into view. It is not a place you stumble upon. You have to know it is there.
Ruen Mallika opened in 2002 under Ajarn Mallika, whose family name now runs across several Bangkok institutions. The cuisine is royal Thai: dishes historically prepared for the Thai court, with the level of care and presentation that implies. Every plate arrives in celadon, a greenish ceramic used in Thai royal dining for centuries. The servers wear traditional Thai dress. A bowl of water with floating jasmine arrives before the meal for handwashing.
The food earns its reputation. The flower tempura, edible blossoms lightly battered and fried, is unlike anything on a standard Thai menu. The massaman curry is deeply spiced and slow-cooked. The menu is thick as a book and covers rare dishes that have disappeared from most Bangkok restaurants entirely.
Ruen Mallika is recommended by the Michelin Guide and has been a fixture of serious food tourism in Bangkok for two decades.
189 Sukhumvit Soi 22 / +66 2 663 3211 / ruenmallika.com Reservations recommended. Confirm current hours and offers on the official site.