Sukhumvit Soi 26’s cool community space, Chapter Market, has a new landmark in Blimey, a new arrival serving something new in Thailand: Yorkshire pudding wraps. Yep, they have taken a traditional Sunday roast dinner and turned it into a chunky British burrito.
For anyone unfamiliar with the humble Yorkie, a Yorkshire pudding is traditionally a small, puffy, slightly chewy and crispy dough cup served alongside a roast dinner. Americans sometimes call them popovers. At Blimey, however, these little puddings have been supersized to roughly the dimensions of a dinner plate, making them large enough to hold an entire Sunday roast.
There are 11 different wraps to choose from, starting with the Sunday Best (B249), which is what I went for. This is the classic combination of roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables, stuffing and caramelised onions, with a generous pot of gravy on the side. The beef was tender, the vegetables were delicious, the stuffing did its job and the gravy was particularly good. It's a proper roast dinner, just wrapped up in an unconventional package.
Other options include the Pork Roast, Proper Cluck (roast chicken), and Full Roast, which combines beef, chicken and pork, with all the usual trimmings. There's also the Full Monty, a full English breakfast wrapped in Yorkshire pudding, complete with sausage, back bacon, egg, black pudding, mushrooms, hash browns and Heinz beans.
Try the Stout and About, featuring Guinness-braised beef, or the Shepherd's Pie, with minced lamb and mash. The Tikka takes a British-Indian approach with chicken tikka masala, buttery mash and tikka curry sauce on the side. Vegetarians aren't forgotten, with a roast cauliflower version featuring cheddar sauce, broccoli, red cabbage and roast potatoes.
You might not be entirely convinced by the Yorkshire pudding as a wrap. It's an interesting idea, but, be warned, it can be a little on the greasy side. It might not be a necessary improvement on a good tortilla, but fortunately, Blimey has another option. Most of the fillings are also available as proper British-style bowls, which might be a better choice for anyone who would rather enjoy their roast dinner without wrestling it out of a giant pudding.
These come as a bowl of 10 miniature crispy Yorkshire puddings served with your choice of custard, Nutella or Nutella and banana for dipping. It's a fun little dessert and a rather good way to finish things off.
But while Blimey was the reason for our visit, it was Chapter Market itself that left us thinking we should be coming here more often.
There's quite a bit happening across this outdoor mini-mall, with a growing collection of independent restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and stores. Phrom Hong caught our attention with its Hong Kong-style noodle dishes, while Smack promises impressive takes on Thai favourites such as padkaprao. Bayhouse is another to investigate, particularly for its classic American-style seafood boils. There's also Rocking Wok, along with several other bars, restaurants, and dessert options that look worth exploring.
Wild Child Tacos is another particularly tempting discovery. Serving beef, duck and chicken tacos, it has some very reasonable deals, including two beef tacos for B139, three for B199 or five plus one free for B379. The chicken and duck options are even cheaper. With a perfect five-star Google rating, it's certainly earned a place on our must-try list.
Beyond the food, one of Chapter Market's more interesting additions is HappyLyfe, an organic and wellness-focused community shop. It's the kind of place where you can spend considerably longer browsing than you intended. The shelves are stocked with organic groceries, herbal supplements, natural cleaning products, locally made goods, artisanal fashion, vegan options, keto-friendly products, free-range produce and cruelty-free skincare. There's a real emphasis on supporting local communities and smaller producers, which makes it feel more real and personal.
Founded by Mrinal Sharma, Manisha Misra, and Dr. Joanne Narksompong, HappyLyfe is also involved in various community and charitable initiatives. It's a lovely little discovery and well worth a browse.
With a cute barber shop, plenty of places to eat and drink, and a relaxed communal atmosphere, Chapter Market is gradually becoming the sort of neighbourhood destination Bangkok could use more of. It's mostly outdoors, but there's a decent amount of covered space for when the weather inevitably turns, and the layout makes it easy to settle in for a few hours.
Perhaps its biggest appeal is the variety. It's an ideal place to meet friends when nobody can agree on what to eat. Everyone can pick something different, order from their preferred spot, pay their own bill and regroup somewhere in the communal space.
