PHED MARK

"Chilli Temple In Ekkamai"

Let's get this straight: I have a lot of love and respect for Mark Wiens. Though his face can contort into some rather odd formations whilst eating dank curries, he is a man who lives and breathes food and his pursuit of perfection has lead me to discover many of my (now) favourite new restaurants. He deserves all the best things coming to him in the world and I wish him nothing but good.

In terms of his restaurant "Phed Mark", a play on Phed Mak, or spicy in Thai, this little corner restaurant lies a skip away from Ekkamai. His love of all things spicy is on display here with varying degrees of hot. 1-5, five being the ultimate test of chilli-hood, I opted for 4 since I do love spicy food but I also like to taste the flavours.

Overall it was not a disappointment. As far as celebrities making food, this one was a notch above the crowd. Though I would say I've had better plates of this dish elsewhere, for half the price, the meal was by no means mediocre. The egg was the highlight, perfectly cooked and crispy edges crowning that gorgeous deep yolk. The level 4 had quite a punch to it and I found my eyes watering towards the end of the plate.

​Overall, if you love spicy food and have a soft spot for Mr Wiens, then pay his place a visit as a sort of strange pilgrimage. He probably doesn't need the money by now judging on his view counts on Youtube, but if a baht dropped here helps in some way to make more content, then why not go out of your way and take the skytrain up to Ekkamai and have lunch.

FIND

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG  and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.