Kalpapruek has always been our go-to restaurant in Bangkok for home-cooking-style comfort food - nothing fancy or exotic. For decades, Kalpapruek was also famous for its orange sponge cake - it’s still being offered today, to a whole generation of nostalgic Bangkokians who still return here for a taste of their retro childhood food from nearly half a century ago. Kalpapruek was opened on this very spot on Pramuan Road in Silom back in 1975 by the late Prince Bhisadej Rajani and Thanpuying Datchari Rajani.
We had a light lunch today at Kalpapruek, as we were booked for afternoon tea at the Oriental Hotel later that afternoon:
Hor mok pla - steamed curried catfish mousse, served with rice crackers.
Jui guay - Chinese rice pudding with minced pork-yellow bean-curd topping and crabmeat.
Northern Thai lunch set - Northern-style pork sausage, fermented pork sausage, charcoal-grilled pork loin, crispy pork rind, served with minced pork-green chili relish, minced pork-tomato-red chili relish, glutinous rice, boiled duck’s egg and raw salads
We finished off with some Thai iced milk tea, coffee and its legendary orange sponge cake which used to hold Bangkokians in thrall all those years ago. Many other newer, better baked goods have come by and passed it over in the intervening decades. But for me, it’s still a taste of nostalgia.
Address
Kalpapruek
27 Pramuan Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Tel: +662 236 4335
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm daily