A nice local experience with overly loud live music: Restaurant Charm Eatery and Bar Sathon (16. December 2023)

The first night in Bangkok is always the one where you have to decide where to eat based on the way you feel – and I felt like having some proper local Thai dishes. And the fact that weren’t any foreigners in this restaurant (recommended to us by the W Bangkok) was definitely a good sign. The idea was to share a few different dishes and try as many different bites as possible. The first course was “Aok Ped Tod Prik Kluer (crispy smoked duck breast with chili and garlic)” (290 THB), which was mainly just crunchy. I mean, sure, it wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t much ‘meat’, but there was mainly crisp from the fried bit and spice from the chili. So, not the best of all starters.

The second thing we tried was the “Pu Phad Kaow (stir-fried tons of crab with rice)” (390 THB) and to be fair, this was much more enjoyable. There was actually really plenty of crab meat, which was lovely. Secondly, the fried rice was nice as well and worked well with the crab meat. So, a really tasty and good dish.

Then there was the “Gai Tod Wichian Buri (deep-fried chicken thigh leg with wichian buri famous sauce)” (280 THB), which was actually quite nice. In the little basket on the side, they hid the steamed sticky rice, which was also a nice combination with the chicken legs. The famous sauce was somewhat not that special, but still, it was a nice and tasty dish.

The “Moo Sam Chun Tod Kratiam (deep-fried pork belly with garlic)” (280 THB) was a bit disappointing. The fried pork belly was largely fat, and there was barely any meat. I mean, sure, I do understand that this is cheaper, however, if I’m ordering pork belly, I do expect a bit more than just fat.

The “Gaeng Keow Wan Neua Roti (green curry with beef and fresh chili served with roti bread)” (280 THB) was one of my favourites. To be fair, I didn’t quite figure out how you eat the two things together, but the roti bread was lovely (and fatty) and the green curry was even better. A combination, which really made me appreciate Thai food.

The “Gaeng Phed Aok Ped Rom Kwan (red curry with smoked duck breast)” (390 THB) was even better. I mean, curries are just the best thing ever. On top of that, the duck breast was so incredibly smooth and tender, it was a true bite of heaven!

The “Pla Sai Tod Ka Min (deep-fried marinated sea bream with fresh tumeric sauce)” (320 THB), on the other end, was my personal low in terms of food experience that evening. The fish was fish, and it was fried. So, it kept its promise. However, the flavour and the taste of it was somehow lacking because there was barely any ‘meat to the bone’.

The place is simple and nice, but the live music playing was definitely way too loud. It was super hard to hold a conversation or to speak to the waiter. The waiters and waitresses (and all forms and ideas inbetween) were nice and professional, but not always the quickest. Especially, when you ask for sparkling water (a concept not so known in Thailand, but you rather have to ask for soda water), then it takes quite a while. Given the place was quite crowded, I would highly recommend you to book your table in advance.

Rating:

Atmosphere:
Service:
Dishes:
Price-Performance Ratio:
Overall Rating:

Contact Details:

Restaurant Charm Eatery and Bar Sathon

124 Sathon Soi 12 Alley

Silom, Bang Rak

10500 Bangkok (TH)

Tel.: +66 81 357 9602

E-Mail: charmeatery@gmail.com

Homepage: https://charmbkk.com/

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.