Hailing from Hanoi

Chef Nguyen Thi Kim Hai, of Hanoi’s Sofitel Metropole, has recently added Vietnamese touches to Mistral’s (2/F, Sofitel Silom, 188 Silom Rd., 02-238-1991. Open daily 6am-11pm) Mediterranean buffet that will linger throughout the month of April. Expect some surprises, like desserts made from bitter black leaves (bánh gai) and little dew flowers to be munched on while you enjoy your appetizers: salads, shrimp rolls and dumplings. Lunch is B650 or B900 on Sundays while dinner is B750.

Cooking 101

Conrad’s (87 Wireless Rd., 02-690-9999) veteran chefs are holding Let’s Cook It Right: Conrad Cooking Class. Chef Hiroaki Yamaguchi shows you how to enhance a mundane garden salad with sliced raw fish, chicken fried Japanese style, miso soup with pork and simmered mackerel in soy sauce with grated radish. May 10, 10am-noon. Or meet with Executive Pastry Chef Slawomir Golaszewski who will show you how to create hazelnut and milk chocolate brittles, orange and white chocolate truffles, chocolate fondant and chocolate crème brulee. May 31, 10am-noon. Each class is B1,750 per person, including lunch and a certificate. For reservation, call 02-690-0299.

Owls’ Meal

Not that Khao San needed more backpacker-friendly options, the new Mexican Tartars (Rambutri Rd., Open 24/7) serves up the neighborhood’s crowd of boozed-up party-goers at any time of the day. The tidy (so far) and tiny eatery offers inside air-con seatings for around 10 people and outside seatings for those who love people-watching. Prices start from B39 for a vegetarian taco. The salsas and guacamole are said to be homemade. Give it a try if you are in the neighborhood, especially after 3am.

Same Old New Eat

Taking up the space of the previous Tho Khao restaurant, the much brighter and nicer Baan Narathiwas (6 Narathiwas Ratchanakarin Rd., 02-233-4305/6. Open daily 11am-2pm, 5-11pm) is a white two-story house with air-con on the first floor and open air seating on the second floor for those who want a meal with a view. The Thai menu’s forte is its seafood; try puu pad pong karee (fried crab with curry paste, B550 or depending on the weight), fried seabass in fish sauce (B280) and keng som pla chon tod krob (fried snakehead fish in spicy soup, B250).