The Thai representative within the enchanting Face Bar cluster of restaurants, Lan Na Thai is situated on the upper floor of the teak pavilion close to the entrance.
Open briefly for lunches, the almost-mythical decor really comes to life at night, with halogen lights bouncing off the high vaulted ceilings and mustard yellow walls, highlighting ornate khon masks, with a mythical Garuda perched on a wall and a serene Buddha statue sitting cross-legged in one corner.
The menu is conveniently categorized by preparation methods, making it easy to cap your dishes to just one, or two, deep-fried items to suit the perpetual diet.
Appetizers start from 290 baht and go up to 650 baht for main seafood courses. A range of curries — massaman, penang, red, green, yellow — are priced according to the protein of choice (380 baht for chicken, 470 baht for shrimp), with a handful of vegetable dishes such as the eye-closingly tasty makua yao pad dao jiow (eggplant in yellow bean sauce, 220 baht) waving the banner for other food groups.
Guests can order from Indian and Japanese menus as well, perfect to appease finicky dining companions and famished variety seeking souls.
Ornate chic doesn’t come cheap so drinks are steep (195 baht for a Singha, 270 baht for cocktail).
The tom yum standard: A 290 baht zesty take on the traditional soup with a generous serving of tiger prawns to complement the signature herbs.
Open daily, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 6-11 p.m. 29 Soi Sukhumvit 38. +66 (0) 2713 6048. www.facebars.com