Tucked away down Soi 18 there is a little place where everybody knows your name and it’s called the Blue Boar.
It is run by three great guys; Johnnie Walker and Grant hailing from England, and Luka from Switzerland. They just opened up last March and are definitely doing it up right. You couldn’t meet a better group of guys if you tried. They are always around greeting folks and making you feel at home, and it shows, not just in their character but in the character of their patrons as well. It really is just like a big family when you walk in to this place. Lots of smiling faces and happy people saying hello and introducing themselves, an atmosphere I rarely run into in good old Bangkok. I feel so fortunate to have stumbled upon this place and happy to have made friends.
You can find it by the glowing Blue Boar sign out front and a couple of tables outside, a beer tap, and sometimes a BBQ grill firing up some shis-kabobs or Thai BBQ. As you walk in, it is lit up brightly with a nice pool table right smack dab in the middle of the room. A little bar deep in the back. It’s a casual beer drinking bar/restaurant filled with good people. The atmosphere is always upbeat and cheerful. The staff are warm and friendly, always on hand to get you taken care of.
Let me just start off by saying that the food is absolutely amazing! I did not expect the level of culinary mastery that I go here. Seriously, I have had worse food in 4 and 5 star restaurants. The food is incredible. The owners told me that this was their intention, to have a casual place with outstanding food, they do it! I tried several dishes: Grilled Salmon, Swedish Meatballs, and their Guinness Pie.
My favorite was the grilled salmon. It is a nice big piece of salmon cooked perfectly, moist and tender. It comes with a warm creamy dill sauce that is to die for. I love this sauce so much. On the side is a nice fluffy rice pilaf and a vegetable medley. The rice pilaf was a hefty helping with good flavor that blended well with the salmon.
The Guinness Pie
The Guinness Pie was my runner up. The presentation on this is exceptional. It comes out in a huge bowl covered with a nicely browned flaky crust over the top and served with a side of roasted potatoes. The pie itself is greatness. A rich thick stew with big chunks of meat and vegetables inside. I could have eaten on this all day. It reminded me of my mother’s stew back home. If you need a dish to take you back, this is the one.
Blue Boar Swedish Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs are one of their signature dishes here. This was one from the restaurants previous establishment that the boys liked, so they decided to keep it and improve on it. Again, kudos to you my good men, Mission Accomplished! These babies were Delicious with a capital D. Big mouth watering meatballs drenched in a thick creamy brown sauce, a side of mashed potatoes, a little salad, some marinaded pickles, and a pomegranate sauce. They were nice and firm but not too hard, just kind of melt in your mouth. A Very nice dish that most would enjoy.
Those were my top three at The Blue Boar, and I can recommend them with the highest marks. Again, the presentation of this food is just unbelievable. I hope the pictures do it justice because it completely blew me away. I am honestly at a loss for words to describe just how good it was. You will have to give it a try and see for yourself to fully understand my meaning and I can say with certainty, you wont be disappointed.
Also worth noting, due to the current situation and the fact that they are a new restaurant, they are putting the money where their mouths are. They are running a special every day of the week where, if you come in anytime after 3pm and order a drink, They Gonna Feed You!!! And I am not talking cheap bar food either. These guys are going to feed you proper and for free. Yep, that is not a misprint. You order a drink and they are going to show off what they do. And the drinks are cheap, 70 baht bottles and 99 baht pints. They want to get the word out about the Blue Boar, so get on in there and check it out.
Here is the run down
Monday is pasta day, carbonara, bolognese, and aglio e olio. (and they brought out a few pizzas for everyone while I was there, too. To go with the Italian theme, I guess. The pizzas were fabulous as well.
Tuesday, shish-kabobs and sliders, both are excellent. By far my favorite 10/10.
Wednesday, Bangers and mash.
Thursday, Fish and Chips for all you English mates out there.
Friday, Thai BBQ
Saturday, BBQ
Sunday, The Sunday Roast, another English favorite.
*They have another special, 2 pizzas and a bottle of wine for 990 baht. How can you beat that?
Seriously, you could not meet a better bunch of guys in this city. I really appreciate the fact that they invited me in and turned me on to this place. I go back often with the same warmth and kindness that you just don’t get so much around town.
Gentlemen, I wish you all the best and am certain the you will leave your mark on Bangkok and for all our readers, Do Yourself A Favor and Get On Down To The Blue Boar, you wont regret it!