Once an old-school, 20-seater restaurant in Soi Decho, the 50-year-old Surawongse branch of Coca has successfully been relocated to larger and brighter digs in the neighboring soi. And don’t expect any nostalgia. The spacious, two-story white mansion follows the decorating scheme of many other contemporary Chinese restaurants, and is embracing a fresh new crowd of tourists alongside dazed loyal regulars. The glossy menu full of colorful photographs has both a variety of dump-in-the-broth suki items and Chinese banquet classics from or suan (pan-fried omelet with oysters) to shark fin soup. Which is not to say it is a tourist trap. Admittedly, prices are relatively high compared to other chain suki restaurants, but the quality of the food is par for the course. That’s why the dining area, filled with round tables and fish tanks (it’s still a Chinese restaurant), is packed nightly. For the hotpot, you can mix and match two of your favorite soups from the five kinds available—tom yam, fish, veggie, fresh ginseng and ba kut teh (Chinese herbal broth)—in a partitioned pot for an additional price. But don’t bother. You are generally safer with the standard chicken soup. For those with fat wallets, there are also some “premium” items on offer such as tiger prawns, abalone and thinly-sliced Wagyu beef. Again, pretty pointless considering the well-marinated tender slices of beef and wantons filled with whole shrimps that are available. Dim sum are dependably good, while a la carte main courses vary from mediocre (Coca Chicken, marinated chicken slices wrapped and baked in pandanus leaf) to really good (the prawns in tamarind sauce) to super delicious (the excellent roast duck, and moo krob, super-crisp skin and juicy pork meat). Parking is available but you have to fight for space as it is shared among Coca and its two spin-offs: Kroissant House bakery and Mango Tree Thai restaurant. Corkage B300.
