Bawarchi's stylish interior — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
While Indian restaurants abound in Bangkok, finding any to dine in style in can be a tougher chore. Not only does Bawarchi serve up some of the city's finest northern Indian cuisine, but it also does so with some incredible twists on age-old recipes, without sacrificing anything to authenticity.
Bawarchi boasts five restaurants in Bangkok, with the flagship branch being located in the President's Tower at the Intercontinental Hotel at Chidlom, right next to the BTS Skytrain station.
The interior of the restaurant is plush and intimate, with plenty of Indian motifs, comfy dining chairs and live music accompanying the fine food each night.
Dal curries and naan bread at their best at Bawarchi — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
The menu selections here are vast, serving up all of the top northern favorites of Mughlai cuisine.
There's Rogan Josh lamb curry, cooked with fennel, ginger, garlic, and chilies; excellent paneer tikka from the tandoori oven, served with mint chutney; creamy Malai chicken kebabs; plenty of thick and rich dal curries and naan breads to choose from; and hara bhara veggie kebabs, in which minced vegetables get blended, covered in sesame seeds and served up like an ice cream on a stick!
Hara bhara veggie kebabs — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
In addition to the regular menu, Bawarchi has joined the select list of fusion-oriented restaurants in town in appealing to Thai tastes and avant garde gourmet. They serve up a Table d'Hote set menu, which features knockout standouts like tandoori tom yum goong, red snapper marinated in wasabi and saffron and basil risotto topped with prawn curry, all of which offer some novel new gastronomic wows without giving up any original flavors.
Bawarchi, fine Indian dining — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
While all the mains are absolute standouts – and you'll be hard-pressed not to lick your plate clean – you do want to save room for dessert, as the fried ice cream served in a coconut ball is an absolute must. The coconut ball is crispy and warm, and yet the ice cream inside is still frozen and cool.
Bawarchi also dishes out the unique chocolate naan for a meal finale, which is also a real winner. If they were to start a food truck selling these at Siam Square, the lines would be around the block and then some.
Chocolate naan at Bawarchi in Bangkok — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
Bawarchi is a great spot to impress a date, celebrate an occasion or bring a group to enjoy some fantastic Indian dining. Traditionalists will be happy, and those who want something new will also have plenty to choose from, as the restaurant does a fine job of sticking to age-old secrets while embracing new trends.
Succulent lamb at Bawarchi — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis