COCONUTS HOTSPOT – “But I ordered a bellini,” I said, as the server put down a flute of what appeared to be sparkling wine with a maraschino cherry. I wasn’t annoyed. It’s not unusual in Bangkok for the diner to have to explain the menu to the server. Besides, it was brand-new Tribeca Restobar‘s first-ever brunch, and I came expecting minor glitches.
But the server politely responded, “We make them with peach liquor.” I took a sip and smiled for three reasons. I was getting two types of alcohol instead of one; the staff at Tribeca was surprisingly competent; and my drink was delicious, as was the meal that followed.
If you’ve ever spent a weekend in New York, you’ll know that, for a fixed price, you can enjoy one of Gotham’s most venerable institutions: a massive platter of food and free refills on a handful of acceptable pre-noon cocktails. That is not exactly the formula at this not-so-subtly named establishment—but it’s close enough.
“We wanted to do American style comfort food and a good brunch with varied options,” co-owner Shareen Arora said in an email to me the next day. Arora is the sister in a brother-sister team, which also incudes her brother Rishi. “We have always found a lack of options if one doesn’t want to do a big hotel brunch.”
The two have created a sun-drenched space heavy on whitewashed brick, marble tabletops and leather booths. Copper hanging lamps complete the look and an entire wall is devoted to a black and teal map of Lower Manhattan and the Hudson River. Oh, and there is a THB499 all-you-can-drink promotion on bellinis, mimosas and Bloody Marys.
The food menu is, as intended, nearly as diverse as New York City itself, with a mix of diner classics (Reuben sandwich), Southern heart-stoppers (buttermilk fried chicken and waffles), iconic Mexican fare (huevos rancheros), Italian staples (spaghetti carbonara) and Brooklyn yoga mom favorites (granola and yogurt parfait). Brunch fetishists will be pleased with the familiar hangover cures like brioche pain perdu (that’s fancy-talk for French toast), steak and eggs and the biscuit sandwich. A slightly different nighttime menu will have meatier mains and to-share options.
But there is more to the food than just a round-up of the usual suspects, and, like the bellini, each has a creative flourish. The Restobar’s carbonara comes with pork belly. The obligatory Benedict here features a base of buttermilk pancake and maple-glazed pork belly.
Ask your server. They’ll probably be able to explain.
FIND IT:
Nihonmura Mall, Thonglor Soi 13
02-712-9209
