Feels Like One Night in Bangkok

Thai food is an exhilarating experience. Earlier this year I paid a visit to Pamika, a Thai restaurant with a reputation for great food and a vibrant atmosphere. A week or so before visiting the restaurant I stopped by Mae Sri, Pamika’s sister restaurant and after that experience, Pamika needed to be great. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Here’s how the night went down.

It’s always a little strange, visiting different restaurants owned by the same people. There’s an expectation that things will be the same or similar and I am always on the lookout for hints linking one restaurant to the next. Pamika couldn’t be more different than Mae Sri. That’s where all the comparisons end. Pamika has a striking attention to detail, from the carved furniture to the ambient lighting, from the food to the cocktails and everything in between, its the finite details that matter.

We were seated in the middle of the restaurant, at the best table in the house, a perfect spot for panoramic people watching. I observed as ornate cocktails and dishes piled with food arrived at different tables, each one getting wide eyed reactions and wows all around. Pamika’s inviting and cozy atmosphere makes it a great place to chill and relax while waiting for your food to arrive. The vibe from around the room exuded this laidback feeling where people were content to sip on drinks and wine while chatting over appetizers.

Our meal kicked off with a plate of delicious appetizers including Bangkok rolls, gyozas, crispy shrimp and more. I could have ordered two or three plates of this and made a day of it. They were perfectly cooked, crispy and fried and hit the spot. Although I may have been captivated by the selection, I was there to try much more than appetizers. We had to move on.

We rounded out the meal with a helping of the restaurant’s signature dish, the crispy pork belly with fried egg and rice. This is where I could happily tumble down the rabbit hole of Thai comfort food. The dish is bursting with flavour and you’ll never walk away from this meal feeling hungry. We also tried the chicken with green and red peppers, onions and cashews as well as the beef Panaeng (beef bavette, peppers, Thai eggplant and Thai basil). Nothing on the menu disappointed. I enjoyed trying each and every dish and each dish had something distinct that resulted in a near perfect night out. For the vegetarians and gluten intolerant folks reading this, many of the dishes at Pamika can be reworked to fit your needs though many of the dishes are already gluten free.

I highly recommend giving Pamika a shot if you haven’t already. If you have been there before, maybe it’s time to once again to spend one night believing you’re in Bangkok.