GREYHOUND CAFE

GREYHOUND CAFE

After our hot and tiring morning of sightseeing and tuktuk riding, we took a taxi to the Central Chidlom department store and went straight up to the 4th floor to the Greyhound Cafe.  Several friends had recommended Greyhound Cafe as a cool place for lunch so I was looking forward to seeing it and trying their continental/Thai menu.

We arrived at around 3:00 p.m. on a Saturday and expected the place to be empty but it was packed with shoppers whiling away their afternoon and enjoying a long lunch.  After a quick look at their menu, we decided to share a tomato bruschetta (120 THB) to start then A chose the classic Pad Thai (160 THB) and a lemon soda while I had the fried chicken noodle (140 THB) with an iced lemon tea.

Lunch at the Greyhound Cafe in Central Chidlom Department Store

The drinks were served right away.  I was pleasantly surprised with my iced lemon tea as it came with iced tea cubes which kept it cold and not watered down.  The tomato topped toasted bread came rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with fresh pepper, basil and grated Parmesan - we finished the half dozen pieces pretty quick.  Next up were the noodles which came served with a condiment tray of sugar, dried chili flakes, fish sauce and chopped chilies in vinegar.  We were supposed to add one or all to our noodles and make them as sweet or spicy or salty as we wanted.  (This condiment tray was something that we saw at almost every Thai restaurant we ate in during our stay in Bangkok).  The Pad Thai noodles were delicious, came steaming hot and with crunchy peanuts and fresh shrimp.  My chicken noodles came with dried pieces of squid that weren't chewy at all and flat rice noodles, although it needed a lot more help from the condiments tray than the Pad Thai.  After our simple and tasty lunch, we walked back to the hotel which was a few blocks away and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon in the chilled confines of our room.

ANOTHER HOUND CAFE

Another Hound Cafe at the Siam Paragon Mall

The following day which was a Sunday, we spent most of the morning window-shopping at the Siam Paragon, Bangkok's largest shopping mall.  After wandering around several floors and hitting the huge Kinokuniya bookstore and buying the kids a few presents, we were looking around for a place to eat and were happy to see another Greyhound cafe called what else?  Another Hound Cafe which was on the 1st floor across from the Greyhound clothing boutique.

The interiors of this cafe are darker with black walls and floors and sparkly chandeliers making it more of a proper restaurant than a cafe.  Their Thai-Italian menu, a curious combination but one that we were eager to try, was varied with both pastas and noodles and a few other Thai dishes.  They call it "Italian gourmet with a spicy Thai twist" and strangely enough, it seemed to work as there was a mix of locals and expats enjoying the modern cuisine.

This time, we decided to have dishes from both sides of the menu.  To start, A had the rocket salad with cherry tomatoes, olives, fresh Parmesan and the Balsamic dressing (240 THB) and I had their much raved about Greyhound's famous fried chicken wings (100 THB).  Usual iced teas with iced tea cubes (I could get used to this!) to accompany our meal.   For our main course, A had the spaghetti with Thai-style pork balls and tomato sauce (180 THB) and this time, I chose the Pad Thai with shrimps (190 THB).  The pasta dish was good with the pork meat balls adding a spicy twist to the tomato sauce while my Pad Thai noodles were a larger portion than the one at Greyhound Cafe and came mixed in already with fresh shrimps and crushed peanuts.

SWEET HOUND

For dessert, we chose parfaits which are freshly-made ice cream concotions from the next-door Sweet Hound dessert bar, specializing in sweets from waffles, cakes and crepes, parfaits, Thai desserts and ice creams.  The parfaits are glasses stuffed with all sorts of goodies and topped with ice cream.  I had the Thai-inspired Temple Flair (small size at 125 THB) which was a mixture of coconut jelly, dried banana, fresh mango and mixed berry sauce topped with raspberry ice cream and A had a scoop of chocolate ice cream.  An enjoyable and filling meal, slightly more expensive than Greyhound Cafe but with a bit more ambiance and a more creative menu.

_________________________________

Greyhound Cafe

4th floor, men's department at Central Chidlom department store

BTS stop: Chit Lom

Telephone: +66 2

Open daily, all day long

Several other branches in central Bangkok

Another Hound Cafe

1st floor, Siam Paragon mall

BTS stop: Siam

Telephone: +66 2 129 4409 or 129 4410

Open daily, all day long

Sweet Hound

alongside Another Hound Cafe

1st floor, Siam Paragon mall

BTS stop: Siam

Tel: +66 2 129 4409

Open daily, all day long

Main outlet in Thong Lor