SoMaek Phaya Thai โซแมก พญาไท

SoMaek is named after the Korean mix of soju and beer, and it is set up as a pojangmacha, the Korean street-tent bar, at 55 Phaya Thai Road beside BTS Phaya Thai exit 2. You come down the station stairs and you are there, and the Airport Rail Link's Phaya Thai station shares the interchange, so it is one of the easiest meeting points in the area. Inside there is an air-conditioned section and an open one.

Getting a table is the hard part. In 2020 Wongnai reported reservations booked to the end of the year, with some space held for walk-ins, who can take a queue number from 16:30 before the 17:00 opening. The brand later opened SoMaek 31 on Sukhumvit Soi 31, with a DJ every night. Google shows 4.6 from 2,143 reviews.

Ryoii's Phaya Thai food guide recommends the beef tartare bibimbap, tofu soup, jjampong seafood noodle soup, the marinated salmon set and salmon-sauce chicken. Wongnai's 2020 write-up adds jajangmyeon in black bean sauce and Korean fried chicken with garlic sauce. Wongnai puts the brand at its 251-to-500-baht price level. Ryoii lists hours of 17:00 to 23:00 daily, while Google shows a 02:00 close.