You’ve probably been to Tawandang, but this branch has none of the original’s barn house kitsch. Instead, it fits into Duangrit Bunnag’s redesign of Siam Discovery’s top floors, with undulating wood and narrow light tubes hanging from the ceiling. The area closest to the live band playing Thai pop is a bit too open, with its rows of tables faintly food court-esque (you are in a mall, after all). But climb a couple of steps and the platform surrounding the bar offers views of Phaya Thai through expansive bay windows. The food and beer, on the other hand, borrow directly from the original Tawandang. The microbrews (weissen, dunkel and lager) come at a reasonable B95, 130 or 260 (0.3cl, 0.5 and 1 liter, respectively); and despite a shorter menu, Tawandang faves like the deep-fried pork knuckle served with spicy sauce (B380) have made the cut. The food seems to be designed to wash down your beer—or is it the other way around? It’s all slightly uninspired but the accompanying sauces are suitably tangy and fiery, the produce fresh and the portions generous. So while the sauerkraut and mashed potatoes with the aforementioned pork knuckles were served cold on our last visit (and the sauerkraut overly acidic), you can’t really complain about the giant chunk of pig that’s been roasted to a perfect crisp. Pork ribs (B280) are too tough, too bland and, oddly, they’re cut laterally, as if about to be dropped in tom saep. But dip them in the accompanying jaew sauce and you’ll soon order another pint. The Thai side of the menu is fairly satisfying, too, with more well-balanced sauces. In fact, our only complaint with their laab talay (spicy seafood salad, B180) is that they don’t serve sticky rice. Service has the kind of seasoned diligence that has all but disappeared from Bangkok’s most recent openings. Maybe that’s because Red Sun, unlike Siam Discovery’s other sixth and seventh floor venues, is always pretty busy. Sure, it’s the kind of older, family crowd you don’t see at trendy bistros, but it’s not a bad crowd to follow for solid, pocket-friendly food that everyone can agree on.Corkage B300 for spirits and B200 for wines.
