107/7-8 Soi Rangnam. 02-245-9760.
Like a lot of places on Soi Rangnam, Baan Ar-charn hosts its fair share of clueless foreign diners alongside big tables of Thais, all of them probably drawn to the place’s cozy but slightly awkward British pub meets country house looks. As for the food, there’s a Baan Ar-charn taste that’s both unique, completely monolithic (dishes are identical every time, and have been for years) and neither light nor particularly natural. Curries tend to be ridiculously thick, to the point of being sickening; most dishes are just not spicy (even when the waitress asks, “You want it spicy, right?” as you order); and the yaam (Thai salads) make your tongue go numb (probably thanks to all the MSG and salt). But despite the (admittedly delicious) roasted duck basking in a thick, fat, gooey curry (gaeng pet ped yang) or the similarly nauseating kiew waan gai hor kai, omelet with green curry, there are some tasty dishes: the wonderful, oversized, puffy shrimp cakes, fresh cotton fish with a deep-fried crust and green mango salad and tom ka gai with big chunks of fresh coconut.You can even get miang khan with a chunky homemade-tasting tamarind paste. It’s wonderful that they even keep stuff like this on the menu, which, incidentally, is long without being repetitive and, for once, doesn’t include a half-hearted attempt at Western dishes. This same menu proudly claims that the owner is an interior decor professor—our recommenation, don’t study with him. Nor do the poor choice of pop diva tunes and a generally unsmiling staff help lift the mood, even if the latter are very efficient. All in all, Baan Ar-charn is therefore a very mixed bag. At their prices, you’ve got a pretty solid neighborhood restaurant but we wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as a pleasant dining experience. Hey, at least, they’re open on Sundays. Corkage B100.
