Returning after more than a decade: the wonderful food survives, but the dining experience does…read morenot.
I first discovered Bangkok Bangkok after moving to Miami 33 years ago and probably dined here 30 times over the following 15-20 years, usually with my husband and occasionally with groups of friends. It was widely regarded as one of South Florida's best Thai restaurants. It was expensive for us, so we came every few months when we wanted a genuinely special meal.
And special it was. There was nearly always a crowd waiting at the entrance. The dining room was full, with tablecloths, cloth napkins, fresh orchids, Thai art and soft music. The lovely servers wore elegant traditional Thai dresses, and their gracious service and tableside presentations made dinner feel like an occasion.
I hadn't been back in at least 10-12 years, but when choosing somewhere special for my new husband's birthday, I thought immediately of Bangkok Bangkok. He had never been, and I couldn't wait to introduce him to it--especially my old favorite, Little Big Man. That whole fried snapper was once the most expensive dish on the menu at $25; it is now $45. The rest of the menu has risen accordingly, but I was prepared to pay for the Bangkok Bangkok experience I remembered.
Unfortunately, that restaurant no longer exists.
The space is perhaps one-third its former size. We arrived shortly after 6:30 on a Friday evening and found only one diner in the restaurant. A casually dressed man in a worn T-shirt told us to sit wherever we wanted and dropped two menus on the table.
The little room was stark and brightly lit, with bare faux-wood tables, paper napkins, inexpensive rolled silverware and a tired sprig of chrysanthemum in each bud vase. Instead of soft background music, an oldies radio station played 1980s music interrupted by advertising. I have eaten in more inviting food courts. No other dine-in customers arrived during the hour-plus we were there, although a couple of takeout orders were collected.
The heartbreaking part is that the food remains very good. The $16.95 beef satay was tasty and fun to grill tableside, although both the beef skewers and accompanying sauces seemed smaller than I remembered. The beef Massaman curry--$23.95 in the restaurant, versus $22.95 for beef through the restaurant's online ordering menu--was delicious and spiced exactly as requested.
Little Big Man was still divine. The whole fried snapper was brought out sizzling, carefully deboned tableside and finished with the wonderful Thai sauce that makes this dish memorable. At $45, however, the fish was rather small. We were also pleased to find a respectable $34 bottle of red wine.
Service was functional but completely lacking the graciousness that once distinguished Bangkok Bangkok. The wine cap was unscrewed and a little poured into each glass; we served the rest ourselves. When we took some curry home, we were handed a clamshell and packed it ourselves. Then the bill arrived with an automatic 18% service charge. Our total was more than $150.
I don't object to spending $150 on an excellent birthday dinner with beautiful surroundings and attentive service. But this felt like premium special-occasion pricing attached to a bare-bones takeout operation with a few tables in front. As delicious as the food was, we couldn't wait to leave--and it made me genuinely sad to compare the experience with the Bangkok Bangkok I remembered.
The kitchen has survived, and I'm glad it has. We may try the food again as takeout. But I can no longer recommend Bangkok Bangkok for a celebration or an enjoyable evening out. Go for the food, particularly Little Big Man and the Massaman curry--not for the dining experience.
