FARANG RESTAURANT REVIEW: BED SUPPERCLUB

The Bed Supperclub is one of the most popular nightspots in Bangkok, a place where people go to see and be seen. There are actually two sections to it: a nightclub and a restaurant. I've been to the nightclub a few times for networking events, but I find the loud techno music and extremely overpriced cocktails a bit off-putting.

Still, I've been wanting to go the restaurant side for a long time. In fact, before we moved here, I saw some photos of it in a magazine (Travel & Leisure?) and being the fan I am of futuristic architecture and furniture, I knew I wanted to check it out. Well, it took a year and a half, but we finally ate there a few weeks back.

The exterior of the Bed Supperclub looks like something out of the Jetsons or 2001: A Space Odyssey. I had to take this photo during the day because it's impossible to get a good one at night with our little digital camera.

The interior has one basic color scheme: white. There are two levels and each has long beds against the wall. There are a few tables in the middle of the place, but who wants to sit at one when they're going to a place called the Bed Supperclub? The stark interior is jazzed up with sculptures and a series of revolving art exhibitions.

As you can see, we went to the Bed (as people around here refer to the place) with a large group - eight people. Because of the "sitting on a bed concept" that is about two people too many, because the last two people to arrive (that would be us) don't get a place to lean their backs against for the entire evening. For this reason, I just could not get comfortable at this place. What the really need is some sort of partition between the different groups of people so everyone can have a place to sit relatively normally.

The Bed promotes itself as a trendy, hip and funky place and they back it up by having their employees do trendy, hip and funky things throughout the night. If you've ever wanted to have someone dressed up like futuristic bug offer you a giant sugar cube made of styrofoam, then this is the place for you.

The restaurant at the Bed is one of those places that has a set, scheduled menu. Generally, you need a reservation to get in and they ask you to arrive at 7:30 even though dinner isn't served until 9:00. I think the concept for that is to get patrons to absorb as many not-so-stiff drinks at stiff prices.

Since the menu is set, you have to eat whatever they're serving that night, but they do ask you in advance if there's anything you're allergic to or just don't like. I am not a fan of fish, so I told them that and got an alternate dish for the main course while everyone else got sea bass.

Another concept here is one of "mystery food." They don't tell you exactly what they're serving until after you eat it. So you get soup, a salad, a main course and a dessert and after everyone is finished with a particular course, they flash the name of the dish on the wall so people know what they just ate. Usually, this sort of thing would scare the bejesus out of me (especially in a place like Thailand where people eat all sorts of crazy stuff), but I'm pleased to report that the food was excellent (and at 1750 baht - or $55 - per person, it better be).

Later in the evening, they have some performance artists come on to entertain the guests. This night, it was a girl painted and posing as a statue for a little while until she is magically awakened by some guy in a flamboyant outfit. They then did some sort of erotic dancing for about a minute before they pranced away. It wasn't quite Cirque de Soleil, but I guess it was OK in a "well there's something you don't see everyday" kind of way.

All in all, the Bed was a good time and I'm glad we got to go once. But to me it's the type of thing you only need to experience once just to say you went. There are plenty of other great (and less pretentious) restaurants around town that have cheaper food and offer an equally good time.