Inspired by his grandmother recipes, the owner Eh opened Supanniga Eating Room, serving an appetizing range of traditional Thai dishes from both her hometown in Trat (by the east coast) and Khon Kaen (northeast) where the family is now based. With comfortable but chic decor, an outside terrace and some strong martinis, this restaurant on Thong Lor is worth a trip along the road to Soi 8. It is very easy to find, in an old shop-house just a few metres before the Ei8ht lifestyle mall on the right-hand side if you are coming from the BTS (Thong Lor). It’s around a ten-minute walk, but you can take a taxi from Sukhumvit for around 50 baht.
Over three floors this restaurant is a combination of brushed concrete and wooden fittings, inspired by the hotel of the same name that Eh’s family own in Issan. It feels a lot more spacious than it looks outside. At the back of the ground floor there is a low bar and a decent selection of wine on the shelves. On the third floor there is a cosy outdoor veranda space with a sofa and cushions, coveted as the best seats in the house.
The tables are laid with pretty blue-and-white china, the accent colour is sunshine yellow and despite the modern touches it feels like popping round to a friend’s place for a bite to eat.
But most people aren’t lucky enough to have friends who can cook like the team at Supanniga Eating Room, who take home-cooking to a new level. We tried a variety of dishes recommended by Eh. Ka lum plee tod nam pla is cabbage fried quickly in a very hot wok and seasoned with high-quality fish sauce from Trat; the scent of this can sometimes be overpowering, but in this dish it was just the right balance. Kaeng moo chamuang curry is sweet and mild, pork and the leaves of the garcinia cowa tree, a relative of the mangosteen.
Desserts include a classic mango sticky rice and the rather more inventive Thai tea panna cotta; much less creamy that its Italian counterpart. Alongside the well-stocked wine cellar, Supanniga Eating Room serves a decent selection of strong martinis, including a British-inspired Earl Grey tea martini.
Their fresh juices and mocktails also complement the food nicely, especially the sweet and refreshing Roselle cordial. Supanniga Eating Room is a fantastic local restaurant which addresses the needs of discerning diners who are looking to experience time-honoured regional cooking.
BTS: Thong Lor
Address: Next to ‘Ei8ht’ shopping complex, 160/11 Sukhumvit Rd, Thong Lor
Tel: +66 (0)2 714 7508