There is one way of finding a restaurant that is to your liking, and that is to open your own. For most of us it’s just a fantasy. But for Khanitha Akaranitikul, owner of the Khanitha boutiques and a well-known name in Thailand’s fashion industry, it was important. She had to entertain many clients and suppliers from Thailand and overseas, and because she needed certain standards of décor and service would take them to a hotel outlet. But the food wasn’t authentic: it was either too blend or too sweet. Seven years ago Khanitha decided to open her own place serving good Thai food in homely surroundings. As a boutique owner she knew how important location was, and decided on the prime business conduit of Sukhumvit Road. She found a rather neglected old house, sitting in a pleasant garden, and recognized the potential.

Baan Khanitha or Khanitha’s House, was the proverbial overnight success. The house converted extremely well, with a number of little rooms and corners which makes for cosy and if you wish intimate dining. Perhaps the most important element however has been the personal stamp. Khanitha employed kitchen and waiting staff she could train herself selecting mainly female chefs “because they would regard me as part of their team”. For the menu she took traditional Thai recipes and adapted them to her own tasted. “It’s like the fashion business. You change a collar here, a sleeve there, and you have something new”.

With the owner herself usually in residence the place become very homely. There was always a personal welcome for the regulars, and first-timers found themselves with a new friend. And the restaurant fulfilled its original function. Any Bangkok resident will tell you that one of the most perplexing requests from overseas visitors is to be taken to “a real Thai restaurant”. Baan Khanitha solved that one.

Capacity : 130 persons

36/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23 Bangkok 10110
Tel: (66 2) 2584181