Grill 101 may be situated far from the city center up in the north of Bangkok, but we’re fairly confident in saying that its quality stacks up with all those grill and chill place in and around Thonglor. The décor features the requisite black-framed windows and bar and high ceilings, with the real charcoal sat atop red lights adding a suitably fiery touch between tables. Beyond the decent selection of meat cuts, the food takes a distinctly fusion route. The spaghetti in cream shoyu sauce with mushroom (B170), for instance, is just as you’d expect, creamy, salty and greasy—but also very enjoyable. Another of our favorites is the crispy soft-shell crab salad (B220), which is impressively presented with a whole crab sitting atop a bed of fresh greens. The Japanese sweet and salty sesame sauce goes really well with the crab, which is crunchy on the outside and soft and fleshy inside. There’s also interesting Thai-inspired appetizers on offer, like pork laab stuffed with cheese (B120). A little off-putting at first, it’s one flavorful dish once you add in all the fresh lime, slices of garlic and dried chili. When it comes to their main attraction, Grill 101 offers a good range of meats, from the luxurious Japanese Kobe strip loin (120g/B2,200) or Australian Wagyu strip loin (120g/B650) to more budget versions. We can happily report that the cheaper Australian Meltique beef (three slices/B250) and Nue Kho-khun (Thai local grain-fed beef/B250) both make for fresh, satisfying options. The Australian Meltique beef comes with beautiful marbling while the Nue Kho-khun is the more tender. To go with your meat, they offer a small wine list starting from B120 per glass (B790-B1,890 per bottle), while their beer list extends beyond Asahi to imported options. Add in the attentive service and Grill 101 makes for a solid (if a little quiet) out-of-town destination the next time you crave some grilled goodness. Corkage charge B300-400.
