As the name suggests, Tenderloins is a bar first and a restaurant second, but the food here is far superior to your typical pub fare. In fact, it rivals what is served in many restaurants, including fancy maitre d’-ed venues that are considerably more expensive. Having said that, you’ll pay more for dinner here than in other bars. Not caring what you stuff in your mouth aside, the only reason you might not want to pay these prices is if your primary concern is atmosphere. Tenderloins is not a good place for a business meeting or a first date. It’s a bar after all, with a pool table, televisions tuned to sports channels and sexy waitresses, and when the tables in the seating area in the back of the bar are full, it can be extremely loud, owing to the low ceiling and generally noise-enhancing acoustics. In addition, some women might not feel comfortable in this colorful neighborhood of hostess bars and massage parlors. If you’re looking for some tasty grilled meats, however, and don’t need a five-star setting, Tenderloins is ideal. From our last meal there, we have only two complaints: our dinner rolls were on the stale side and our anemic iced tea was just a shade off of water and tasted like it looked. Everything else exceeded our expectations. The prawns with citrus salsa were six plump shrimp served with a tangy salsa and a side salad of fresh, freshly tossed greens in a nifty vinaigrette. A rocket salad was served with ripe avocado slices, crispy bacon slices and sun-dried tomatoes. The secret weapon here is the super-hot grill, which allows for the right texture outside without overcooking inside. It is surrounded by glass in the open kitchen and is outfitted with a ventilation system that actually works (!), efficiently sucking the smoke and smell up and away. It is small but ably manned by a grill chef who is just as comfortable with a slab of beef as he is with seafood. Another selling point is that, unlike the current trend in high-end steakhouses, sides are included. Kudos also go to Tenderloins for their kebabs, which are not just excellent value but really delicious as well. Our Caribbean fish kebabs were terrific, cubes of moist fish that were slightly charred outside and grilled cheek-to-cheek with Mediterranean-style vegetables. Beef and bacon brochettes are also a solid choice. Another advantage of the skewers is that the meat is sufficiently thick to be satisfying, which is unfortunately often not the case with steaks in the Bangkok-standard 200-250 gram range.
