Suppatra River House

This has to be one of my fave restos in Bangkok. It's an absolute pain to get to but once there, the food never fails to disappoint. Compared to Calderazzo with its outrageously inflated prices and mediocre (in taste & size) meals, Suppatra was two-thirds of the price and we ate a banquet.

Admittedly, it's a bit of tourist favourite, what with the Thai traditional dancing and the river setting, but it's nice sometimes to see the boats decked out in Christmas light chugging up and down the river. And the food is sublime. Some standouts: chicken in pandanus leaves - juicy and tender little pockets of delight; deep-fried soft-shell crab - admittedly, you can't really go wrong with this; sea bass cooked in lemon sauce - there was a thick layer of garlic, but it still managed to retain subtle flavours and was cooked to tender perfection; even good old noodles with prawns was a sweet yummy complement.

The service is also very pleasant and cordial. Can't wait for the next visit.