GOING GL@BAL Bangkok WITH ARNIE MARCELLA Since making a snap deci American chef Arnie M He takes time aff work us through the moveable feast that is Thailan As told to Craig Severs Photography Christopher Wise''m a firt-generation American chef born from lilo province. Two years ago, | was Visiting friends in Bangkok and was offered the opportunity to apen a restaurant, which has sinee become Bunker. We're often labeled “contemporary American" but my cooking isn't restricted by any tradition. On the surface, there's some heavy Mediterranean influence, but there area lot of Asian overtones as well, particularly from Japan. Prior to moving to Bangkok, | didn't have a deep understanding of the products or the people that drive Thai Cuisine, let alone Thai culture. My transition was hard and fast, and | did it the only way | know how: through food. | go to the market at least five times each weak, but nat just to buy ingredients. At the markets, you see what's fresh, and you see what the locale are eating. You might discover a kind af egoplant that's totally new to you, or a vendor might feed you a fruit you've never tried before just so they can see your reaction. The vendors make you feel asif you're part of their world. I's a special thing to be able to experience that nowadays, Bangkok is an amazing place for food, Every social interaction revolves around eating. When you meet most Thais, one of the first things they ask you is, “Have you eaten yet?” Whether you're hungry or not, they will feed you. Being able to66 Sreenmarket is the heart of the chef munity In fact, we might fighting 0 Jom tomatoes grown by 3 inits infancy. ‘connected with farmers who want to grow high-quality products in a socially fond memories of making egg rolls with we at ‘cook lumpia and kare-ka together. That is how Ifellin love with cooking, and it's still the core of my work My style isa melting pot of from the places I've been, wit nod to Japanese cuisine, thou: Filipino palate crept into my cooking at Bunker, we're Using a lot of sour-coconut dressings and fish crus, ang i'm current a modern take of dinuguan, land pork-blood stew, and or favorite dishes when | was growing up. 1 work with as well in Davao some Filipino ingredients jing a fantastic, single-origin get from Malagos Chocolate Just as there's an artisanal movement going on here in Thailand, there's one Filipino producers ho inthe next few lilo that a Fundraising {group | belong to in New York supports, and visit the ehlity of tradition and jangkok. In a single block, Buddhist temple and a community mall Late at night you can go to a street stall with plastic chairs and tables, and you'l see backpackers sitting next to young Thai professionals dressed to the nines in Valentinos and Patek Philippe watches. There's a mashup at every level inthis city. while it ean be confusing or frustrating at times, i's one of the most exciting parts about visiting this ety y day at Roots Coffee out at The sourced and roasted beans from narthern Thailand. They were certainly one of the -sin that movement, I's great at we also serve at Bunker 1 in New York, | often spent ry days off digging around the vintage shops. Machine Age in Ekkamai captures items. They mainly deal in love the kitchen section here, lot of inspiration for my work at Bunker just from checking out the sets and the funky, old utensils. My philosophy is to look for quality ppraducts that areas local as possible = not for the social responsibility aspect, alone, but also because those ingredient are usually just b Or Tor Ker Marke atuchak Park was the frst market | visited when | eame to Thailand. This huge, kempt fresh you an introdvetion tothe g Thailand has to offer. 13t the Royal Project Coffee Shop, where you can get sustainably own northern Thal coffee beans, a have a lunch of papaya salad and oy chicken at Som Tam Or Tor Kor.city GUIDE Saturday forcom/raotsbih Tagen? focom/juabanghok 20/20 Mcom/bosobit focom/tropiccitybtk Boca «“ The vendors make you feel as if you're part of their world. It's a special thing to be able to experience that nowadays ” 2PM (r Tor Kor is around the comer from © chatuchak Market, which is a mustvisit for everyone. When | frst moved here, was at Chatuchak practically every weekend for three months | love the vintage furniture section and | spend a lot of time checking out the erystal lassware, ceramics and art stalls - they ‘get my creative juices flowing. Before | go, | make sure to pass by Moo Yang Nakhon Pathom for roasted pork belly and fried crab dumplings. 'm usually in the mile ofall the action with a bucket of pork in fone hand and a cacanut in the other, 4PM (On the other side of the city, creative arts movement is rapidly building along the riverside. Warehouse 30 on Charoen Krung Road is perfectly in tune with the young, creative energy that pulses ‘thiough this district. This old World War ‘era warehouse often hosts exhibitions and design events, and it's usually apart fof the monthly galiery-hopping nights through the Talad Noi neighborhood. t's also a great place to shop for vintage ‘goods of just beat the heat for a while. | like to get a bite to eat at The Fox and the Moon or recharge with a coffee at A Coffee Roaster by Li-bra-Ry Café. My weekends revolve entirely around food, | get something to eat, an then I'l walk off before get a coffee, cocktail ot another bite to eat This creative district is ‘made for people like me. From Warehouse 30, | walk to Charoen Krung Soi 28, where | pop in to Jua, a yakitori joint with an incredible sake selection. On other days, Vil get some bites at 80/20, where they make beautiful modern Thai food with almost entcely local ingredients. | then ‘grab a cocktail at © @ Tropic ber in a renovated house love Bangkok’s live music scene, There's se much variety and energy init. You can feel the way the late HM King Rama 1 influenced this generation of Thai artiste With his passion for jazz music. © SoulBar is one of the best places fr lve Imusic in Bangkok. There's a great variety of soul and funk bands, the drinks are ‘reat and the place is always packed. Japanese cvisine is probably the biggest influence on my cooking style; the thoughtful, harmonious and minimalist eee és Re eeapproach to food inspires me. Even though it's all the way across town, | prefer going to Nagiya on Thong Lor Soi 13 for late night eats. It's 3 fun izakaya with an authentic Japanese atmosphere, where you can eat away the day's work with plates of sashimi and grilled pork belly. SUNDAY 9AM | head to Not Just Another Cup on Sathorn Soi 20 for brunch. The restaurant has beautiful natural lighting and the food and the coffee are excellent. | order the. ‘2098 Benedict with back bacon, though the French toast with seasonal fruit also looks tempting. From Sathorn, | take the river boat or hop in a tuk tuk and head out to Ratt Like wandering around the @ Flos Market and the surrounding area especially @ © Trok Mor Market. There is a litele bit of that old market world here the place exists only to serve the smal community living around it. It tems with locals shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables, fish sauce and curry pastes and other plants and prod: uve probably never heard of. This is not something you're going to see forever. Whenever 'm in the Rattanakosin area, | stop at a traditional medicine shop called cITY GUIDE ed otjustanathercup focom/tepbarthLOTT, “ Bangkok is an amazing place for food. Social interactions revolve around eating. Whether you're hungry or not, they will feed you. ” {© © Bamrung Chat Satsana Ya Thai (also called Baan Mo Waar). Near the Giant Swing, a religious strveture constructed in 1784, it makes allnatural balms, cil infusions and aromatics, including a Tiger Balm-like rub that actually works, You have to ring a doorbell to here's an old wooden display and glass with jars inside of them, and a grandma Grinding spices with 2 mortar and pestle Places lke this are a dying breed. 3PM [vide a wuictuk to Wat Pho, The massage school here still does one of the best massages in Bangkok and it's cheap. & one-hour Thai massage costs $8, while two hours is $4. 2PM Across the board, chefs are star use their position in the limeligh greater good. Dylan Jones an STAY IN STYLE ree ed eel eres ee hots boutgue notes in angkok’s oder dtiste for unique sa)“ My philosophy is to look for quality products that are as local as possible - not for the social responsibility aspect alone; those ingredients are usually just better ” Facebook com yas esreton (oi) 4528555888 TH rwuippieainuines.com | masunay "Bo" Songvisava of Bolan are champions of Thai cuisine, Thai products and sustainability. Over in Tha Tian, they've opened @ © Err This place has the same cool duality that find so fascinating: high-end Thai street food in an old-school shophouse. it's a great place for bites to share and cocktails inspired by the fresh goods at the Flower Market 3PM ike to cool off at the © @ Bangkok Arts 4 Culture Centre, Order one of the better drip coffees in Bangkok at the ground floor Gallery Drip Café, Then head vp to the top three floors to get up to speed on ‘what Thai artiste are doing 6PM When you're a chef, you never realy clock in or out, and you tend to view the world through your belly. like to snack my way up and down Yaowarat Road and my first stop isthe duck noodle guy near Talad Kao, then drop by T&K Seafood, which serves one of my favorite Thai dishes: squid with salted egg yolk sauce. Fried noodles, shu mai, grilled prawns ~ yes, | an consume an ungodly amount of focd. apm After feasting on Yaowarat, | walk it off on the way to Soi Nana, This community is the perfect blend of old and new. Some of the best bars in Thailand occupy old shophouses, and 2 few generations-old businesses stil operate down this so. | like to go to Tep Bar for ya dong cocktails - ya dong is basically a bootleg Thai version of an amara ~ and ive muse 10° Saxophone has been bringing top cover bands on stage to play for packed crowds for over 30 years. This small bar restaurant place fills with energy, and the sound system is great, even ifthe venve is sort of small. Sunday nights feature (Quest acts starting at gpm. Funk, jazz, blues or pop - the special act changes ‘every Sunday, but Phrima's Band always closes the place down with jazz f you love musie, going to Saxophone isthe best way to cap your weekend.