Papa's Kitchen - Phattanakan Soi 30 - Bangkok
Papa's Kitchen - Phattanakan Road, Soi 30, just down from Phattanakan Road on the left.
I've eaten many burgers in Bangkok, from the top rated joints to the stuff of nightmares.
Papa's Kitchen is the stuff of legends. It is, by far, the best burger I've eaten in Bangkok and for those that know me, that's saying something.
The first thing the wife and I noticed is the elegant yet understated decor of the place. It's in a standard size townhouse so it can seat perhaps twenty five comfortably downstairs.
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We ordered our appetizers, the Salt and Pepper Calamari with Garlic Aioli (170B), the Cheese and Spinach Spring Rolls with Chili Jam (165B) and the Tower of Onion Rings (135).
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The calamari was just average, I think a bit more seasoning in the batter would have helped. As you can see from the pictures, the garlic aioli never quite made it to the table.
The spring rolls were cooked perfectly, not greasy at all. In my opinion the flavor of the spinach was lost in the cheese and lacking the contrast between the two flavors, I can only give an average rating to them.
The Tower of Onion Rings however more than made up for the other apps with the flavor, size, quantity and price. The rings were perfectly cooked, the batter crispy with juicy onion inside. I'd go back just for the rings and the cold beer.
Now to the burgers....look at the cute burger trying to hide from me.
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Simply put, this is the best burger I have had in my last four years of writing about burgers in Bangkok.
The burger was 150 grams of Australian beef. There was no taste of filler, just a touch of salt and pepper was all my palate could detect.
We were not asked how we would like our burgers cooked, which to me, is simply not acceptable, however Pappa's was able to pull off a medium temp with the burgers so juicy that they threatened to overwhelm the white sesame seed bun these patties from heaven were presented on. Wheat buns are also an option for those who want to eat a healthier version of the burgers.
One thing that also impressed us was the quality and care that went into the topping preparations.
I had the Flying Dutchman (280B)
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The burger patty had an outstanding "char" flavor from the grill, which in my book, elevates an above average burger into burger greatness. It was perfectly seasoned to enhance the naturally incredible flavor of Australian beef.
As you can see from the from the picture, the egg is still wonderfully runny and the bacon nice and crispy. The cheese wasn't cooked to oblivion and added a wonderful smoothness to the tang of the dijon mustard. The grilled slice of ham added a bit of saltiness with the bonus of ham. The runny yolk of the egg was the glue that brought this melding pot of flavors together.
The burger the wife had, not surprisingly enough, was the French Kiss (295B). Her comments were:
The burger was perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned. The combination of the toppings (brie, bell peppers, rocket and bacon) were wonderfully done. The bun was easily able to withstand the onslaught of the burger juices and this is definitely one of the very, very best burgers in Bangkok.
Papa's also offers the usual offerings of farang food, from fish and chips (240B) with the mushy pea option and/or the chip shop curry sauce. Braised New Zealand lamb shanks (495B) and a wonderful selection of panini sandwiches are on offer.
Something near and dear to my heart is how they charge. They only charge VAT, there is no service charge, it's up to the diner to decide the tip, just like it should be and I have to say, the service was excellent.
In doing research for this, I found this: Papa's Kitchen, Bangkok, Bangkok - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor
Pappa's is ranked 7th out of nearly 8000 reviews. I've got to agree it's really that good.
If you love a good burger, this is burger Mecca in Thailand. Make the pilgrimage, you won't be disappointed.
