Skankynavia: Indian Food at Face (BKK)
I know, how silly is this? Eating Indian food when you're finally in Thailand? It's really only excusable if you had already sampled so many Thai dishes that you need a break from the coconut and lemongrass fireworks.
Face is a super trendy "it" restaurant sporting three different kitchens (Thai, Indian & Japanese) among the abundance of eateries in Bangkok. It's located downtown in the centre of Bangkok along the endlessly long street Sukhumvit, and the special thing about Face is that it's built in an old temple.
Ponds with fish in the garden along the wooden "klong" path to the main buildings:
Traditional old stone temple demon:
A necklace of marigolds:
Centered around the "klong" (a traditional path from the main gate into the house in Thailand) the many buildings are situated in different levels and shapes referencing the way restaurants and inns were looking back in the ancient times of Silk Road travelers.
Filled up with antique treasures from distant exotic shores, the many different spaces create the perfect atmosphere for sophisticated parties and super intimate dates. Only the two of you, surrounded by wooden walls, golden Buddhas and candle light reflected in the Tom Ka Gai soup. They even have a spa & massage here to make you relax before or after your romantic din din!
Waiting for our table.
The first day I arrived in the city we went out to celebrate my friend's birthday at Face and enjoyed their incredible take on the Thai kitchen. I wanted to snap pics and post about this. However, the room was so dark and intimate (= super cozy) that all the photos came out blurry and shaky.
A couple of days later my friend and I had a sudden craving for Indian food, and the best place to get it was at... Face.
We are seated in the Hazara, the Indian kitchen space.
Beautiful flowers.
It's 33˚C and I'm sweating like a pig, so ordering an iced tea as a pre-dinner drink is ok, I think.
Next up are the free snacks: Popadums with sweet spicy sauce, a green chili paste sauce and red pickled onions. Light and crunchy.
This pink colour is so Thailand:
For starters we pick a plate of mixed dishes:
Among others there is Punjabi Samosa (two pastry pyramids stuffed with mixed vegetables and Punjabi spices), Annari Salad (tossed pomelo and pomegranate with tomato, onion, coriander and herbs), Tandoori Murgh Chaat (sliced tandoori chicken in a
spicy masala with strips of green mango) and Chicken Tikka ( succulent boneless pieces of chicken marinated with yoghurt, chilli, herbs, spices and roasted in the tandoor).
Juicy!
Main courses arrive. Curry time!
Murgh Makhini which is a gravy (curry) dish cooked in a large brass pot and consist of boneless chicken roasted in the tandoor and then cooked in a creamy tomato based gravy, popularly known as "Butter Chicken". It's simply amazing and is as mouth-watering as it looks.
Ghost Korma: chopped lamb combined with rich cashew nut gravy and cream then finished in the handy pot.
Also stuffylicious, the tender meat melts on your tongue.
To accompany the curries we ordered Lasuuni Naan which is baked inside the walls of a clay oven and topped with fresh garlic.
It's naan with a bite--with a garlic touch (but not overwhelmingly so).
The combination looks good on the plate:
I like the cutlery and plates at Face--the rustic/ exotic theme is a red thread in all what Face does.
Even though we're very full, I have to order what I had on the first visit as well: Fried banana with fresh coconut ice cream.
The dough outside the banana is crispy and sweet - and when you slice it up, the warm Thai banana flows out.
The coconut ice cream adds a fresh, fruity element to the sweet banana flesh creating the perfectly balanced dessert. Oh, primitive gods and demons in distant green temple forests: All hail the holy jungle banana spirit of yumziness!
Food is normally super cheap in Bangkok. However Face is not the place you find street kitchen prices, it's basically the same standard as a regular restaurant in Denmark. BUT if this place was situtated in Copenhagen you'd pay 3-4 times as much anyway, so in that light this meal was a steal.
The atmosphere, the great and smiling service you always get in Thailand, the many things to discover and look at - and of course the overflow of delicious food makes Face a definite visit. They also have locations in Beijing, Pudong, Jakarta and Shanghai. But I bet the Bangkok spot is the jewel in the crown.
