COCONUTS HOT SPOT – Ernest Hemingway’s “iceberg theory” supposes that the true essence of a story should not be stated by the story itself, but rather the reader must dig deeper to grasp the underlying themes and tones of the piece. It’s all about getting the most from the least.
At first glance, Hemingway’s, a new restaurant on Asoke’s Sukhumvit 14, seems like the sort of place Bangkok’s savvy diners might want to avoid. Most of the establishment’s neighbors cater to the tourist crowd, with predictable menus and inflated prices. Establishments in this area certainly have a reputation for being the go-to for over-40 farangs to guzzle Chang during Happy Hour with unsavory local company.
Despite its location, Hemingway’s is certainly not in the same category as the aforementioned bars. The months-old eatery attempts to capture the legacy left behind by the famous adventurous American author Ernest Hemingway, part of the “lost generation” of 1920s American expats. Hemingway’s is situated in a grandiose teakwood house with a serene courtyard garden on the premises.
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The menu ranges from elevated American dishes to entrées with an obvious Latin flair, as Hemingway lived in Cuba for a great deal of his life. Heavy hitters like the grass-fed, lava coal grilled, Australian Sirloin (THB900) or the sizeable Hemingway’s Burger (THB220) will please the carnivorous American crowd, while interesting dishes like the Sea Bass in Hemingway’s Oyster & Absinthe Broth or the Chiang Mai Wild Mushroom and French Goat Cheese Pizza (THB300) bring something new and interesting to the table.
Play Hemingway for a day and knock back a few classic mojitos (THB195) and jot some thoughts down over a few appetizers. The patas braves with mojo rojo and saffron aoli (THB150), or the Spanish mix platter of olives (THB150), certainly offers some good company when getting into reading as well. The garden seating lets diners get a peak of what Siam might have been like almost a century ago. And that’s the real treasure at Hemingway’s: the story behind it all. Much like readers have to get below the surface of a Hemingway piece, diners are urged to get into the history of this grand venue, which, over the years, has housed several prominent ambassadors.
To those ranks, you can now add some fantastic Spanish dishes and a host diners ready to gobble them up.
FIND IT:
Hemingway’s
Sukhumvit Soi 14, at the end of the soi
Asoke BTS, Bangkok
Photos: Cole Pennington
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