Rib Room & Bar (RR&B)

Just as the landscape 30 floors below has changed, the former Rib Room & Bar, The Landmark Bangkok’s venerable steakhouse, has been given a new, more modern name—RR&B—and a new, modern look. Appearance-wise, RR&B doesn’t conform to the steakhouse stereotype: no dark wood paneling and no big, masculine, wooden tables. Instead, it’s more of a sexy and sophisticated minimalist décor, with eye-catching red palette and floor-to-ceiling windows. For those who like to watch, there’s an open-kitchen overlooking the dining room, or you can spy on the chefs via the TV screens in the adjacent bar. While you’re there, try the signature Dragon Eye, a sweet, lady-like concoction of Absolut Raspberry, Absolut Vodka and dragon fruit, with dashes of lime and grenadine. The menu doesn’t stray too far from the standard steakhouse template: 5 kinds of beef (Australian grain-fed, US Angus, Wagyu, Matsuzaka and Thai-French); traditional side dishes such as steak fries, mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach and lip-smacking potato gratin (all at an extra charge, of course); tableside Caesar salad; and so on. But RR&B stands out in that it ages some meat (Thai-French) on site; it’s also unique in offering four different cooking methods: charcoal-grilled, spit-roasted, a la plancha (on a hotplate) or in a wood-fired oven. Steaks run from B1,000-ish up to B5,500 for a 300-gram chunk of fatty Matsuzaka. Good value and good for the indecisive are set menus. The extensive wine list is about half French and half New World, with some choice “sommelier” selections. An interesting quirk: the price of a soft drink goes up after 9pm. (They don’t want you to have trouble sleeping because you drank too much Pepsi close to bedtime, apparently.) Business is brisk, so reservations are highly recommended.