Bo.lan @ Bangkok

Bo.lan together with Nahm and Gaggan are my top few places to visit for some refined thai cuisine. 



With a concept of a secret garden, stepping into Bo.lan felt like home away from home complete with shrubbery, tastefully curated art and furniture pieces and also the usage of plenty of wood in the décor. 

Lunch was supposedly a casual affair though in the email reminder, there was mention that it would take “2 ½ hours” and with a dress code of no flip flops and shorts. The anal system also included using a credit card to confirm the reservation which would be charged if there was a no show without a minimum of 24 hour notice cancellation. With such animosities served before even stepping foot on the property, I was not sure if I started this relationship on a love-hate note. 

Bo.lan amuse bouche

Some sort of fish cake topped with sliced chilli, simple flavours to start the meal with. 

The dishes were served with a choice of jasmine or brown rice – and of course, having both is an option too. 



Meal goals in such pretty colours!

Chicken Salad with spicy red chilli dressing and rambutan

Rambutan gave the salad a fruity twist and was definitely a welcomed addition to fruit salad. Loved the spices used and reminded us why Thai cuisine whets the appetite. 

Squid Salad with Samphire and deep fried shallots

Piquant flavours in a squid salad which made for a different experience. Infact, my first squid salad eaten and it was chewy, bouncy and none at all overcooked. 

Hot and sour soup with pork ribs and bamboo

Hot and sour notes were up my alley, infact this was more outstanding of the two in the soup department. Very rustic and I can imagine myself squatting in a village tucking into this – some kind of imagery eh! 

Galangal based soup with herbal chicken

A tame animal on its own, almost boring somewhat. Neither as wholesome as a double boiled Cantonese soup nor as tasty as the hot and sour soup. 

Stir Fried chicken with thai basil and heart of palm

Thai basil chicken is a must eat every visit to Thailand – fish sauce, basil leaves, minced chicken and chillies in all that simplicity is one complex dish that is hard to master. Yet, this was one winner of its own pulling off the spicy and tasty chops together. Simply aroi.  

Stir Fried prawns with aroma and holy basil

Prawns curled up so small, I would have thought these were shrimp instead. Mouthwatering stir fry.

Yellow Curry with ocean fish and pineapple

Another in contention for meh-dinarily boring. Pineapples juicy and that was pretty much it. I have had too many outstanding curries for this to be even ranked. 

‘Mon’ style khil lek curry with pork tendor

Redemption came in the form of pork curry – I suppose the ethnic groups do have signature dishes too and ‘Mon’ style hailing from Burma presented itself deliciously on a plate. Pork neck always works wonders for me, those chewy slices with bite giving the dish more character.

Dessert of the day

Rambutan, ginger julienne, soda and crushed ice made a refreshing treat for the sweltering Bangkok weather. Authentically thai or not, I loved every drop of it. 

Fruit Plate

If it were not for variety, I would be dead against selecting a fruit plate that could not be described beyond “season’s selections”. Being Asian, what are the odds of not having tried any of the fruit presented – and I muse when it was served. The most petite portions of rambutan, longan, water apple and nearly quite everything else except durian. But why? When Thailand prides itself on durians. To please the farangs, I suppose. 

And this, a stark reminder of every item ordered has a price tag. So did my pot of warm water.  



Lunch companion! 

Bo.lan is friendly, easy to like with hits and misses but not quite the authentic place to go for thai food. Palette seems to be suited more for foreigners (read: non-asians). That said, I enjoyed my visit to this secret garden, their immaculate toilets included. 





Bathroom goals!



Sucha cute tap.

Oh yes, throw that dress code rule out of the window – of the four tables occupied over lunch only we bothered with the sticky rule. Boo.

Bo.lan
24 Sukhumvit 53 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana