bangkokgigguide.com: Gig of the week for .

I had actually considered making the Santana concert a GoW, but as it was a one time event I probably would have caught some flak from my dear colleague, whom I'm already driving crazy for reasons we won't go into here. It just so happens I had dinner on the Chao Phya River this week and with Loy Krathong coming up thought it would be quite appropriate. Frankly, this is not a music venue in the sense of what we normally do here, although they do have live music. A guitarist and keyboard player alternate on vocals and play all the old favourites at a very reasonable volume. Very reasonable. I must admit that it was the right music and atmosphere to accompany a dinner on the riverside, and with the slight cooling of the weather as we head into Thailand's version of winter, it proved to be the ideal place. There will be no picture with this week's e-zine for the simple reason the guys just sort of set up in the middle of the floor and go for it. There is no stage or anything and most of the diners try to get as close to the riverside as possible.
Getting there is easy. Take the Sathorn Bridge towards Thonburi and make a left as you are coming off the bridge at the sign that says Charoen Nakorn Road. At the lights, turn left again and keep going until you reach the U turn. Once turned around, stick to the left lane until you see the large sign for Baan Rim Nam. The entrance is the same as that to Supakarn Condominiums and the restaurant is actually located right in front of the building, directly on the river. Parking is plentiful and was not a problem.
Baan Rim Nam is spacious and open air, although an air-conditioned section is provided for those who don't want to sit outside. A large terrace runs the length of the far side and extends out to the river. Obviously, the tables there are the ones to go for. We had a table as close to the river as you could get without actually jumping in, and to my pleasant surprise the amount of locals present was considerable. Always a good sign when dining in a Thai restaurant.
The view of the bridge and hotels across the water, with all manner of boats large and small, most of which were catering to a different form of dining on the river as well, was very pleasant to say the least. Ferries, tug boats, the occasional long tail boat whizzing by, keep you entertained.
Anyway, a round of beers was ordered and a set of menus requested. The menu is extensive without being excessive and prices are reasonable unless you decide to go for Phuket lobster and the like. Which we didn't. The large bottles of beer arrived and I'm happy to say they were at a good temperature for that sort of beverage. And by now you know that we take the temperature of our beer somewhat seriously. Some snacks were ordered including the staple fried cashew nuts and a couple of Yams or Thai style salads. One of my all time favourites, minced catfish salad with mango dip arrived. When enjoyed together with the cashews you have to look long and hard to find something better.
It wasn't too spicy, in fact by local standards it wasn't spicy at all. No problem, it is always possible to ask for more chillies anyway. We decided to go for the Hor Mok Talay, which is basically seafood with coconut milk steamed in a baby coconut. Raw shrimp in fish sauce, chicken soaked in white wine, whole crab in curry sauce and Pla Tu with all the trimmings were next. All to be accompanied by a huge plate of crab fried rice.
Although it took a little while, when the food arrived it was worth the wait. Every dish we had ordered proved to be delicious and to those unaccustomed to the fiery local cuisine, very friendly to the inexperienced palate. In other words we had to order more chilli, much to the amusement of our waiter. Crazy farangs is most likely what came to his mind.
Several large boats were docking at the pier in front of the restaurant and it turns out that it is also possible to book and partake in a dinner cruise from this venue. If you've never tried this, it is highly recommended, as the cruise involves a short stop at all the major sites along the river including Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, the Royal Barges etc.
By now it was time to consider dessert, and with mangoes and sticky rice on the menu, there wasn't much to argue about. We cleaned out the kitchen of this dish and were not disappointed. Just the fact that it was available in October was something in itself. We also had another round of beers for the road and as it turns out was a very good move. Suddenly the night sky exploded in a burst of colour from fireworks set up by the big hotels across the river. A barge in the middle of the river fired off one massive salvo after another, causing the traffic on the bridge to pile up immediately as people stopped to take in the show. The fireworks were capped off with a thundering grand finale, and we were suitably impressed. If you're looking for a pleasant evening, dining on the river with some light live music in the background, look no further.


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