It's tea time at Bangkok's Big Ben

THE SAME firm that runs the popular MK chain of hot-pot eateries has somehow assembled a quintet of restaurants with decidedly non-English names to create a thoroughly British dining experience on Bangkok’s Phatthanakan Road. 

The “restaurant mall” London Street is easy to spot because it looks like the MK Group has rebuilt the entire British Houses of Parliament in east Bangkok – complete with Big Ben. Let’s hope the hungry populace gives them a “vote of confidence” because this astonishing feat of replication cost the company Bt300 million.

The five MK Group brands – MK, Yayoi, Miyazaki, Le Siam and Le Petit – do draw some inspiration from English cuisine, but it’s really the surroundings that evoke chic Carnaby Street in its Swinging Sixties heyday. While the faux Big Ben chimes the hour, London’s iconic black taxi cabs and a double-decker bus roll past red telephone boxes and the entrance to a “tube” station while the Union Jack flutters overhead. 

In the restaurants, all the tables have touch screens from which to make your menu choices and all staff members wear smart uniforms.

Angus beef (from Australia, mind you) and salmon dominate the menus, but there are all sorts of dishes available to suit every taste.

MK offers a dish called London Signature for Bt450, a “high tea” set meal with Chinese and Thai twists. You get spring rolls filled with roast red pork, shrimp toast with deep-fried taro on the top, layered buns stuffed with salted egg and red pork inside, and roast duck with crispy fried pork served with a fried bun and peanuts.

Lighter and healthier, the London Street Suki Set (Bt399) is a big plate of sliced salmon, marinated shrimp, tofu, seasoned-seaweed rolls, sliced tender pork and vegetables. 

Thirty-seat Le Siam draws families and foreign expatriates with its “Thai restaurant in London” trappings and traditional Thai menu. Here, tender grilled Angus beefsteak is served with a spicy dipping sauce for Bt395, and there’s also Le Siam Authentic Miang-Kam (Bt115), Grilled Salmon with Spicy Mango Salad (Bt295) and, for dessert, London Street Delight (Bt110), which is coconut ice cream in the coconut shell with seven side dishes, from steamed sticky rice to corn to palm fruit.

Teppanyaki restaurant Miyazaki keeps its chefs in plain view as usual (it also has a room for more private dining), but at this location alone you can have a pan-fried Australian Angus Beef Set (Bt420), brought to the table with pepper sauce, fried garlic rice, miso soup and kaiso salad. 

Yayoi takes its name and cuisine cues from Yayoiken, Japan, but the chain is now popular in Australia, Singapore and the United States thanks to top-quality ingredients and service. The Beef Sukiyaki Set (Bt289) comes with five side dishes to mix and match – Japanese rice, miso soup, Japanese mustard-leaf pickles, kimchi, Chikuzen stew, egg omelette, savoury egg custard and salad. 

The Pot-cooked Rice with Salmon Set (Bt209) is topped with salmon roe and served with miso soup, salad, more of those mustard-leaf pickles and Japanese Tenderloin and Sirloin Pork Katsutoji marinated in the restaurant’s own tangy sauce. 

Le Petit, the youngest of the MK sister brands, is an English-style coffee shop that also has a wide range of snacks, desserts and fine tea. Le Capellini Arrabiata (Bt299) is rich with big, grilled river prawns and the aromatic Le Mushroom soup (Bt79) is served with garlic bread. Finish off with a warm Le Petit Pancake (Bt155) served with fresh strawberry and raspberry in honey and a pot of Wild Berry tea from Twining for Bt60.

 

 

SWING LIKE A PENDULUM

>>London Street is on Phatthanakan Road between Sois 43 and 45 and open daily from 10 to 10.

>>Find out more at (02) 003 4488 and www.LondonStreetPattanakarn.com.