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Chinatown’s neon-lit curry joint <a href="https://www.facebook.com/charmgangcurryshop?destinasian">Charmgang</a> has been a smash hit from the moment it opened in 2019. Clued-in diners still book out its tables well in advance, which makes the recent arrival of sibling outpost <a href="https://www.instagram.com/charmkrung/?hl=en?destinasian">Charmkrung</a> (taking over the top floor of a nondescript office building a few blocks away) a welcome development. Here, chef Aruss “Jai” Lerlerstkull eschews the by-the-book Thai cooking he championed at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/charmgangcurryshop?destinasian">Charmgang</a> for a more playful approach, focusing on small bites and medium-sized mains that riff on ahan kap klaem (Thai drinking foods). Highlights on the menu include Lerlerstkull’s take on kanom krok (a savory rice flour pancake) with chives and chicken liver pâté, and peppery fried corn cakes. The massaman curry with beef cheek and raisin-studded roti nods to Lerlerstkull’s Southern Thai heritage, while the deceptively simple but flavor-packed cabbage fried rice follows a recipe taken from his school canteen. All are matched brilliantly with an inspired drink list, ranging from cocktails that incorporate Chinese herbs and spices to funky natural wines from small-scale labels that are hard to find elsewhere. —Chris Schalkx
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/charmkrung/?hl=en?destinasian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instagram.com/charmkrung</a> 
+66 97 994 5523 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/hBzHv8gjg9yTBkkA6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6/F, 839 Charoen Krung Rd., Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok, Thailand</a>

Charmkrung: Flavor Packed

Bangkok Dining