Ever dreamed of visiting Thailand? Well now you can—in Williamsburg! And no, we’re not just talking about an exceptionally good Thai restaurant that will transport your tastebuds; we’re talking about an entire bus tour through the streets and canals of Bangkok while you’re served dishes native to the country.
You’d nearly miss BangBang Bangkok on Grand Street, if not for the tiny neon sign confirming you’re at the right place. Upon entering, you’ll be greeted at the door and offered a seat to grab a drink before the tasting menu begins. BangBang Bangkok presents the first Thai tasting menu in all of NYC.
Once the time of your reservation has struck, you’ll be guided along their narrow bar to a back room that’s anything but a room. In fact, what you’ll be entering into is actually a bus, or a simulation of one. With colorful gingham seats, enormous windshield wipers and your very own tour guide, BangBang Bangkok takes you on an in-depth tour of Thailand through Bangkok’s streets, bridges and canals.
Tour guide and manager of BangBang Bangkok, Art, effectively takes you around his home city in an effort to encourage all of his customers to visit his beautiful country. The evening kicks off its 10-course menu with the Welcome Amuse (a French dessert twist combined with Massaman curry in a chicken-mouse filled Choux au Craquelin) while driving through Bangkok’s vibrant streets.
As you move on to the following course like Bangkok (lime tart, coconut, cashew nut, topped with coconut foam; steam pork dumpling, soy vinagrette gel shallot tuile; cold lobster clear soup, lime foam) and The Influence (tomato sorbet, green papaya salad aspic, lime gel, cashew nut & parmesan crumble) the bus will actually transform into a boat, sailing you through Bangkok’s floating markets.
We understand a common hesitancy towards viral-style restaurants going above and beyond in their visual presentation and individuality in relation to their quality of food. Let me say it here that we’d still recommend this tasting menu if we were crammed in a dark corner staring at a blank wall.
The food had taken us by surprise with its rich flavors, thought out ingredients and innovative plating. It was as if each bite was more delicious than the next. However, we could have had endless portions of the White River (poached lobster in a coconut soup, mushroom galangal compote with dried chili tuile and coriander oil), our favorite dish of the night.
From there, you’re back on wheels as you cross the oldest bridge in Bangkok and carry on to the booming streets of Chinatown. As you move through the city and dine on each course, Art shares bits and pieces of cultural and historical information on the beautiful sites being projected. The menu ends on a bright note or Bang Bang as they call it, with mango sorbet and sticky rice sponge.
Overall, this will go down as one of our favorite finds of the year. Whether you have people in town visiting or you’re planning a date night, we can’t recommend this unique experience enough.
đź“Ť 131 Grand St