The Place I requested to have Thai food and one of my Thai friends suggested Samlor for my recent Bangkok trip, a relatively new Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant which has been opened for about two years. The name Samlor means ‘tricycle’ in Thai and is by Chef Napol “Joe” Jantraget and Saki Hoshino (previously of 80/20). The space of Samlor is rustic and casual, located at a road junction of Charoen Krung and Si Phraya Road. 

I usually try to have a good mix of Thai food when I am in Bangkok, be it a casual meal like the one I had at the wildly popular Michelin Bib Gourmand Jeh O Chula (skip the insane queue by booking a slot on Klook), Michelin starred restaurants like Sorn and Baan Tepa, or a mid-range concept like Samlor.

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The Food Expect to find Thai elevated dishes inspired by local street food where there is an a la carte menu, seasonal menu and seasonal tasting menu. 

I started with the Spicy Thai Wagyu Tartare (150 THB/piece) since I haven’t had a spicy version before. This is relatively spicy and it definitely woke my palate up right from the start, which uses Nong Khai Wagyu along with Chilli and Toasted Rice on Rice Cracker. 

Most of the dishes use local ingredients, just like The Slow Cooked Beef Krapow (380 THB) which uses Nong Khai Wagyu Chunk. Fried along with Thai basil, it is a hearty beef dish which is great for sharing. 

There is this dish called Surprise Fried Rice (250 THB) and I was curious about it. A simple looking but delicious huge serving, the fried rice has a nice ‘wok hei’, is flavourful and is good for even 3-4 people to share. 

One of the dishes I insisted on trying is the Samlor Thai Omelette (280 THB). I am quite obsessed with Thai omelettes (though I still have no luck with Jay Fai), and this version is truly another elevated level. It comes in a fluffy cloud shape, almost like a huge egg soufflé cake. 

The surprise comes after you cut it open. Creamy and oozing egg yolk flows like a perfect lava, the other surprise is also the hot jasmine rice within the egg. Yes, more rice. Have the omelette with the accompanying chili, garlic fish sauce, and their homemade chili sauce. 

I also enjoyed the Fried Soft Shell Crab (620 THB) served with Chili Garlic sauce. You get a nice crispy and huge fried crab, which is delicious. 

My least favourite dish for the meal goes to the “Moo Ping” Smoked Pork Rib (780 THB). Served with Jaew Sauce, their version of moo ping (grilled pork on stick) is not the thinly sliced pork I had in mind, but rather it comes in thick pork ribs which is closer to the Chinese-style in terms of presentation. Not much of a surprise factor for me here in terms of flavour, as compared to the rest of the dishes I had. 

Rants Casual space with not so casual prices. Expect to spend about 1,500-2,000 THB per person. 

Will I Return Again? Overall, Samlor is definitely worth a try. The flavours of the dishes are punchy in general, and from a Singaporean context, think of it as an elevated version of Thai-style “Zi Char”. I will return for that Samlor Thai Omelette. 

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Samlor   
1076 Charoen Krung Road 
Bangrak, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Friday: 6pm to 11pm 
Saturday & Sunday: 12pm to 3pm; 6pm to 11pm 
Closed on Tuesday 

Ranted by The Ranter