69 South Sathorn Rd., 02-675-4200-1
Despite a capacity of about 300 seats, Baan Khanitha@Gallery still manages to fill up, even on days plagued with heavy rain like when we visited. Moved from Soi Ruam Rudee last September, Baan Khanitha is a lot bigger than the former location and has been made impressive in many ways, including decoration and service. Everything about the décor screams out “Thai” including the wooden sculptures, wooden tables and chairs, Buddha figures, plate cabinets and the staff’s traditional uniforms. Dishware is bright green ceramic, and a cute teapot even comes in the shape of an elephant. The service was fantastic and lively, plus every waiter could speak English. Our waiter had a good sense of humor, too. He was always making us and the other tables nearby laugh and smile. The waiters were well trained and service minded. They led customers to the restroom when asked for directions. The least impressive aspect of the restaurant was the food. Though it came very fast (less than 10 minutes), its flavor was generally sweet, bland or light—similar to what most Thai restaurants in the US serve. This was especially noticable in their puu nim phat phong karii (soft crab stirfried in curry powder and eggs), yam som o (spicy and sour pomelo salad with shrimp, chicken and coconut) and kaeng phet pet yaang (roast duck red curry). On the other hand, the miang kham (appetizer with chunks of ginger, shallot, peanuts, coconut flakes, lime and dried shrimp wrapped in wild tea leaves), which was a free snack for every table, was outstanding. Another good recommended dish was plaa krapong phat kimao (stir fried seabass with chili, hot basil leaves and eggplant). It was tasty with mild chili and fresh seabass. Considering the cooking style and décor, it’s no surprise that the place was packed with expats and tourists; it seems to cater to them. The desserts were great because they didn’t have to balance sour, salty and spicy flavors. The Bua Lawy Baan Khanitha (boiled dumplings in coconut milk), bua lawy nam khing (boiled dumpling in ginger) and tapioca pearls and cantaloupe were fine. The price is high for most Thais, but it’s a good place to introduce your foreign friends to the Thai taste and feeling before having genuine Thai dishes elsewhere in town.
