We don’t find ourselves on Sukhumvit Soi 11 all that often these days, as the once famous nightlife hub seems to slip further and further into a downtown version of Khao San. Just walking down the traffic-clogged streets is exhausting enough, but in that respect Angel City offers a welcome respite from the innumerable cocktail vans and their tinny music systems.
Stepping into this 50s-style diner for the first time is a pretty impressive experience and, if nothing else, it gets top marks for going the extra mile with its décor, from the large chrome doors to the Forbidden Planet-inspired murals on the walls to the classic black and white checkered floor. A big highlight (for us) are the individual jukeboxes located on each of the gigantic tables flanked by striped red and white couches, which can seat at least six people. For just B5, you can play classic tracks from the diner heyday of the 50s and 60s.
The food sticks to the same script, focusing on artery-clogging American treats, with a small diversion into Thai food. The place’s long hours mean you can enjoy everything from hearty breakfast fare like corned beef hash (B269) and breakfast burrito (B285) to sweeter options like the cinnamon French toast (B199) and chocolate banana pancakes (B179). But we admit we’ve always stuck to the long list of sandwiches and burgers that dominate the menu.
First things first, there’s very little finesse here, but then you don’t come to a diner for finesse. That’s pretty evident in the Ultimate Grilled Cheese (B195), a combination of cheddar, American and Swiss cheese, pickle, tomato and hot mustard. They claim it’s on sourdough but the bread looks suspiciously like your standard sliced white, and the whole thing feels a little processed and sad. The chips it comes with are also disappointing; thin and pretty dry, they don’t add a lot in terms of taste, even if the accompanying coleslaw is fresh and has a nice zing to it.
The signature Angel City Burger (B299) fares a lot better: a towering affair whose tasty bun is packed full of ingredients. The patty isn’t the best we’ve had in Bangkok, being slightly dry, but when combined with the unctuous melted cheese and cleansing pickles and lettuce it makes for a very satisfying dish.
The patty melt (B285), a mix of melted Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and thousand island dressing served on rye bread, or the rich, spicy Texas beef chilli (B245) are the ultimate comfort foods, despite the guilt you feel eating them. Shakes are equally decadent: thick, sweet and, as with the Butterscotch shake (B129), rich and full of flavor.
Like the venue’s décor, the food is all about being big, bold and very American. That, and the slightly high prices might put off some people, but we have a feeling we’ll be back for another spot of retro escapism and a hearty fix of comfort food.
