Since there are innumerable Thai restaurants in Bangkok, it's not surprising that there is also a huge variety of styles, cuisine and décor amongst these establishments. One such place that stands out from the crowd is the Basil Thai restaurant in the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel on Sukhumvit Road. It's true that hotel Thai restaurants haven't always fared well in the past, and that's due to a variety of reasons but this restaurant is different and its continued success in the face of an overall slowdown in the hospitality industry here at the moment is a testament to that fact.

At a recent dinner I sampled food here for the first time and became an instant fan. From its idiosyncratic décor to its liberal interpretation of Thai cuisine, Basil manages to engage diners on several different levels. This restaurant makes no effort to be traditional in any way and that starts with the overall look of the place. There are some traditional Thai elements to the design here but they are integrated into a look that can only be called eclectic. Whoever did the design was inspired by influences that are varied and unusual.

The look is modern but there are a number of traditional elements woven into to it that it's hard to place that tag on it alone. The chairs are a mix of wicker and hand-made wooden lattice-work with red seat cushions (and are very comfortable) with dark wood tables that have bright metal-worked surfaces. The walls are light wood but the lighting in the main room gives them and the ceiling a salmon-like color. There are several side rooms off the main room which are opened as the need arises and which feature bright swathes of color on their walls in red, green and purple.


Basil Thai Restaurant Interior
The bar area has a hi-tech glass and metal look with large vertical lighted panels to either side of it in lavender. And the back wall of the main dining room is made up of a back-lighted panel that changes colors and highlights a shelving unit that contains the stark black outlines of numerous wicker cooking utensils and other items. There's a similar, smaller unit at the entrance to the restaurant as well as an open counter that gives it a shop-like feeling. The overall look is interesting, but, surprisingly, not intrusive while you're enjoying the equally interesting food.

The large menu contains some items that you would find in many upscale Thai restaurants as well as items that are unique to Basil. Chef Thanida pays homage to some of the traditional roots of Thai cooking but goes off on her own most of the time and manages to create dishes that bring out the best of Thai cuisine while exploring new territory at the same time.

I had what was probably the best soft-shell crab I've ever had in the country and it really wasn't that out of the ordinary in its preparation except that it was cooked to the perfect level of crispness and was covered with an extremely light batter that contained just enough sesame to influence the overall flavor of the dish. Another great preparation was the snowfish in a yellow curry, the curry being close to the southern Mussaman style, however, with potatoes in the mix. Mussaman is usually a rather strong curry but this one was lighter and didn't drown out the delicate, nutty flavor of the snowfish which itself is certainly not a traditional Thai ingredient.

The tom yum goong was perfectly balanced and featured prawns with a good level of sweetness to them, balancing out the lemongrass flavor and the stir-fried tenderloin with coconut palm hearts was another interesting combination with its tender mushrooms and a crunchy texture provided by the vegetables. Even the pandan crepes wrapped with sweet coconut and served with mango ice cream struck an interesting balance and were a perfect end to a stimulating meal.

Since there are so many ways to enjoy Thai food in this city, where the best Thai cuisine in the world is produced, it can sometimes be a bit bewildering as to where to dine. However, if you end up in Basil you will guarantee yourself an interesting and delicious experience, savoring the results produced by a creative chef and a unique approach to the art of Thai cooking, not to mention an atmosphere that will provide its own distinctive element to your meal.

Basil Thai Restaurant
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel
250 Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: (66) 02 6498366

Tom Aikins been a writer, editor and publisher for most of the last 32 years. He has been in Bangkok, Thailand for the last 13 years, he is married to a Thai national and has two daughters. Tom started in magazines back in 1976 but the last three years he has been working exclusively on the web. Tom now produces a social networking site at http://bangkokdining.ning.com that provides information about the Bangkok dining scene and http://thaihotels.ning.com that covers hotels and travel in Thailand. These sites are very helpful both for travelers and also for expatriates.