I have, at last, found life in 72 courtyard though it took me a minute to find the elevator and the 1st floor button in it. (I am this lazy, don't judge).
Tucked away in a corner of the upstairs terrace at 72 Courtyard is Little Donkey. An odd name for a restaurant, but it is the first international outpost of Massachusetts' Little Donkey by James Beard award-winning chefs Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer. At the Bangkok branch, head chef Steve Doucakis keeps in theme by serving small plates packed with Western and Asian flavours.
Little Donkey's vibe is casual, almost canteen style seating with an open kitchen (keeping up with the latest trends), and friendly. With an outside bar area, the restaurant is a good hangout spot to enjoy the outdoors, while the cosy interiors are for those who can't live without air-conditioned comfort.
THE MENU
The menu is modelled after an Izakaya format, small things, big things and in-between things. "We try to give a wide variety of dishes based on eating styles. The menu is casual and fun," says chef Doucakis.
Start off the evening with the Navy's rose (B320), a refreshing drink of pink gin, Chardonnay, strawberry and elderflower.
Mama ‘donut’.
Parma ham & ricotta toast.
From the Munchies & Veggies section, I got the Parma ham & ricotta toast (B320). The ricotta is made in-house and is paired with a Hong Kong style XO sauce, also made in-house. With a bit of a surf 'n' turf vibe to it, the dish is a bit salty and a bit fishy. Meaty and creamy from the cheese, the crunchy garlic chips garnish add texture to the dish, as do the dried black beans.
The Stuffed chicken wings (B150) were a hot favourite of mine. And by hot, I mean hot! The rice and Chinese sausage stuffed chicken wings come with no bone and are coated in a sticky tamarind glaze with khao khua or toasted rice powder atop. The accompanying ranch dip is an ode to chef Doucakis's American upbringing though the wings really don't need a dip, they are that delish!
The Mama "donut" (B280) is a fun take on the Thai classic and favourite, Mama noodles. "I love eating Mama and so does everybody else. This is a perfect representation of our menu, where it is fun and relatable with a bit of creatively," says the young chef of his dish. Using the tom yum kung flavoured Mama noodles, minus the seasoning, the noodles are poached in a prawn shell broth to enhance their flavour. The noodles are then breaded and fried to a crisp. It is served with tom yum mayo shrimp, which come from Koh Si Chang in the Gulf of Thailand. Little Donkey makes their own curry paste and tom yum sauce to go with the dish, which comes with a poached egg for your yolk porn IG pic. The crunchiness of the noodles goes well with the creaminess of the runny yolk.
Though if these dishes are made for sharing, I highly recommend them giving diners bigger eating plates. The plates are like saucers and hold nothing more than a bite. Which wasn't a problem with the next course ordered Off The Grill.
Head chef Steve Doucakis.
Mala squid.
Stuffed chicken wings with the Asian connection.
Grilled maitake mushroom (B160) comes with a hazelnut-chilli paste. The nuttiness is to complement the earthy mushrooms as the sauce is romesco-inspired. "It is a bit of a seasonal product but it is my favourite mushroom," says the chef. Maitake are perfect for grilling and this dish was a winner for me, as was the Mala squid (180). The squid, also from Ko Si Chang, is coated in house-made mala, a traditional northern Thai-Chinese spice blend. But the catching process of the squid lends it a unique flavour. Once the squid is caught, it is left in sea water, which seasons the squid. No extra salt is added to the squid, which is simply grilled. Served with scallions and citrus mayo, which uses preserved lemons for that tang.
To further the Western and Asian theme, wash this down with the Asian connection (B320), a heady mix of London Dry Gin, lemongrass and yuzu tonic.
From the Meat & Seafood section, I got the Soft shell crab sando (B280), which is a twist on the popular Japanese pork or chicken sandwich. Yuzu kosho slaw made with sawtooth coriander and Chinese cabbage, and katsu sauce complete the dish. I am not a fan of this dish, as I couldn't taste the yuzu and found it lacking in excitement.
Little Donkey's Rice & Pasta section is the more substantial section if you're feeling more than peckish. The Kimchi yakisoba (B380) is the star of that section. Succulent beef tongue and soft goat's cheese from Samut Sakhon made good partners. Who would've thought?! The house-made kimchi is marinated for three days outdoors and then left for two months in a fridge.
A large dish for sharing between three people minimum is the For sharing -- beef short rib kanom jeen (B520). "I thought the khanom jeen worked better sharing as there is something about a large bowl, a big chunk of meat, the spicy naam ya sauce. It comes with all the condiments so it is a bit of communal experience. This version is more conducive to sharing and mixing," says chef Doucakis.
For dessert try the Oatmeal cookie cake (B180), which comes with bacon butterscotch and vanilla ice cream. Local palm sugar is used to make the butterscotch, which is balanced out with housemade kombucha for a hint of tartness. Crispy bacon is sprinkled on top of it for salty goodness.
If you're a fan of the "B" word, Little Donkey is open for brunch. Expect dishes like Ricotta toast with homemade strawberry jam, the Little Donkey omelet with smoked bacon, Cheddar, mushrooms and spinach, and the Fried chicken sandwich with mango slaw and chilli mayonnaise.
For beverages, the bar offers refreshing daytime cocktails, Bloody Marys, and a selection of wines. House-pressed fresh juices are available, featuring healthy signature blends and orange juices.
INSIDER'S TIP
All seafood, save for a few like the hamachi, is sourced from Koh Si Chang where chef Doucakis has built relationships with the fishermen over the last couple of years. The lamb comes from Australia.
The Beet it Bombay (B320) is Bombay Sapphire gin infused with green peppercorns and worth a try.
The outside area is a common area where you can sit and order from any restaurant in 72 Courtyard. On Fridays and Saturdays, there's a live band on the terrace from 8pm till midnight. Eat to line your stomach and then head to Beam to drink and dance the night away.
72 Courtyard is a tad slow to catch up with the green scene. I was disappointed to be served a fresh coconut with a plastic straw.
VALUE AND VERDICT
This is a place for a friendly meetup between friends who don't mind sharing food. "The food is not supposed to be taken seriously and everything is supposed to be fun, approachable and relatable," are chef Doucakis' words, when talking about Little Donkey. And I would tend to agree.
- LITTLE DONKEY
- International izakaya
- 1st Floor, 72 CourtyardSukhumvit 55
- Open Monday to Friday from 5pm-2am, on weekends from 11am–3pm and 5pm–2am
- Call 02-392-7790, visit littledonkeybkk.com
