A lovely restaurant, but somehow still not feeling it: Restaurant Ruen Noppagao (7. January 2024)
The Ruen Noppagao is in walking distance of the W Bangkok, but a bit hidden in a side street, hence, it is a place I would probably not have encountered if the hotel hadn’t recommended it to me. But, I must say, it was a good recommendation. There was a little welcome bite once you were seated, which was nice to tickle with your palate.
Then it was time to try a few different dishes to check out what kind of authentic cuisine they had to offer, so I went for the “Yum Som-O (spicy pomelo chicken salad in chili oil coconut dressing)” (165 THB), which was actually quite nice. What bugged me a bit was the amount of the decoration on the plate, which was not intended to eat, so basically, you would have 50% of the plate dedicated to ‘decoration’, which makes me wonder why.
The “Nua Yang Jim Jiew (grilled organic beef, served with tamarind and roasted rice dipping sauce)” (580 THB) was quite okay. The meat was cooked to temperature and was good in terms of quality, but I was missing the ‘grill flavour’ you get from nicely grilled meat.
The “Mee Grob Rama 5 (crispy rice noodles with diced prawns, chicken and tofu in sweet & sour sauce)” (320 THB) was something completely different from what I had expected, that didn’t make it less good, though. The crispy noodles were actually a welcome change to the typical fried noodles, I would have every single morning for breakfast.
The “Gang Phed Ped Yang (roasted duck red curry)” (255 THB) was actually quite good, and I liked that the curry was sliced, so it was ready to eat. The statement that the curry wouldn’t be spicy wasn’t entirely true, but still in the realms of enjoyable for a European.
The place is quite nice inside, however, what I did not appreciate too much was the fact that the covers on the table were dirty when entering.
The staff is friendly and really tried to do their best to create a memorable experience. And while they really were friendly and caring, somehow it still felt a bit off.
Still, all in all, I can recommend you to visit the Ruen Noppagao if you’re in its vicinity. Good food, fair prices, modern and nice atmosphere, with generally friendly staff.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Ruen Noppagao
Soi Sathon 6
Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak
10500 Bangkok (TH)
Tel.: +66 2 116 3317
E-Mail: ruennoppagao@gourmethouse.co.th
Homepage: http://www.ruennoppagaorestaurant.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. 
