Just a couple of foodies

It's that time of the year when couples come out in full-force, restaurants are jampacked, roses and chocolates are more expensive, and single people are more bitter than usual. Yes, St Valentine's Day is upon us and that means couples all over the place. We could have just given you a list of places you could go to for a special dinner (actually, we did -- check our Food listings). But in lieu of the upcoming "festivities", if you could call it that, we decided to round up a number of foodie power couples to get to know their favourite restos and what they do during on this romantic day. Perhaps we noobs could learn a thing or two from them.

SAMANTHA PROYRUNGTONG & NICOLAS VIVIN

VIVIN is a go-to place for all things gourmet. Having started out selling foie gras, VIVIN now sells a wide array of items like cheese and caviar. It's a basically the place where foodies who are very specific can possibly find what they've been searching for. It was a no-brainer to us then to include Nicolas and Samantha in our list as they are VIVIN co-founders. Plus, Samantha runs the famous Bangkok Foodies blog and website, so it's pretty obvious these two are legit foodies.

How did you guys meet?

At an Australia Day pool party, the moment of meeting was electric, although Nicolas was on a date at the time and Sam was unattainable. But obviously we found each other irresistible and the rest is history.

Which restaurant(s) do you frequent?

We love Japanese, although coming back from Tokyo it was hard to relive that experience in Bangkok. We love to fine dine, but this is mainly through Sam's occupation as a food writer, but on our casual days, we prefer something cheap and cheerful or comfy and low profile. We would choose Sühring, Paste and Le Du for a treat, Le Boeuf Thonglor, Nobu Thonglor, Klang Soi, Baan Ice for something in our hood, 80/20 or Canvas for something cutting edge, Chu or Phil Coffee for cafe tripping. For a weekend out and about; Conkey's Bakery picnic or the K Village Farmers' Market or other great foodie events around the city is where we usually like to explore. For delivery on a lazy night at home, we like to order from Pizza Mania, Daniel Thaiger, Sunrise Taco, Zaab Eli or Al Saray.

What's a 'date night' like in Bangkok?

Date night is a toss between a snazzy night out fine dining and hanging out at some cool bars with friends after or cooking a simple steak and veggies at home with some serious snuggling and live movie streaming after (not that kind of movie).

Is there a food that one of you likes but the other despises?

I hate carrots, mostly fried carrots, and can't handle rich dishes, whilst Nico loves cream and chocolate and can eat carrots cooked any way. I'm also sensitive to seeds like sesame, but he is not.

Name a dish that you both fell in love with. Where did you have it?

Now comes the shameless self-promotion but we love VIVIN's Strawberry and rose water foie gras terrine. It still is our favourite limited edition flavour, given that it was created by the both of us and that it tastes so f**king good. This year we are bringing it back for St Valentines Day, we recommend you put it on top of a seared steak Rossini style. We're drooling just thinking about it. Another dish would be the "Nakhonsawan" curry soup at Baan Ice, it's nothing amazing in terms of quality but it has a distinct sweet and sour taste and it has stink bean ( sator) in it! Unique indeed.

Any recommendations on what to do or where to go this Valentine's Day?

We typically go to Le Boeuf, we like to go there because it feels a bit like France, bistro style. It's casual but intimate and that's better suited to us than an uptight restaurant on this particular occasion. Otherwise, we think Upstairs At Mikkeller and the patio at Elements Okura Prestige are very different but romantic locations.

WIMINTRA JANGNIN & STUART JAY RAJ

The one-stop place for all things a hotelier needs to know is hotelintel.co. Like any good hotelier knows, this includes having a good knowledge of everything food & beverage, from where to buy the freshest produce to knowing chefs. We caught up with hotelintel. co's founder, Wimintra Jangnin, and her partner Stuart Jay Raj to ask them a few Valentine/ foodie-related questions.

How did you guys meet?

Through common friends.

Which restaurant(s) do you frequent?

We eat at Oskar a lot on Sukhumvit 11. By a lot, we mean averaging four times a week! If not Oskar, we go to Bamboo for Middle Eastern food on Sukhumvit 3, or when we really need to get a good quality fast Thai meal, is it too uncool to say that we are regulars at the 'Eat Thai' basement food court at Central Embassy? The only authentic Sichuan food and the best Chinese food, in our opinion, in Bangkok is Chuan Wei Fang on Narathiwat 24. We also go to Indus regularly for their weekend unlimited a-la-carte brunch, Great Shanghai for Peking Duck, Cocotte for steak and Lenzi for Italian. We are fortunate that one of us speaks a lot of languages so when we travel we get to eat local, authentic food and not those touristy ones. At Chuan Wei Fang, all the staff are Chinese speaking -- it seems no one speaks Thai or English there. As long as you know what to order, it's amazing.

What's a 'date night' like in Bangkok?

Every night is a date night for us. Anywhere that involved great black and blue steaks, great red wine, truffle cheese, and Iberico ham. The perfect date is the taste of flesh and blood swirling in our mouths with a really nice complementary red wine to pique the palate.

Is there a food that one of you likes but the other despises?

I love liver. He can't stand it, though he regularly buys me a tub of VIVIN Foie Gras when he wants to get in my good books. He loves anything with eggplant but I hate it.

Name a dish that you both fell in love with. Where did you have it?

We have a few -- in Hong Kong at our favourite Sichuan restaurants (Sichuan Paradise and Qi -- House of Sichuan). A few in the US -- pancakes at Sarabeth's, and others in Bangkok at the places that we've already mentioned. Cocotte does the best black and blue cooked steak that we have tasted in Bangkok. Oh yeah, did I mention Iberico ham? I did? Okay, it's worth another mention -- Iberico ham.

Any recommendations on what to do or where to go this Valentine's Day?

Go where you can enjoy the food, go for what you really like and don't think what your Instagram photos would look like. Most of our food photos are sh*t, but we get to really eat great food that we enjoy. We don't care about how others think it looks.

FRANCESCO LENZI & GRAZIELLA CARTA

"Unpretentious and cosy, Lenzi feels like dining at a friend's home" -- praise for Lenzi Tuscan Kitchen in Thailand's first Michelin Guide. Serving up authentic Tuscan cuisine in the heart of the Big Mango, this Italian restaurant is helmed by chef Francesco Lenzi. We spoke to him and his partner, Graziella Carta, about their foodie habits.

How did you guys meet?

We met at a private foodie event around eight years ago, Francesco was presenting his family's hams and cheeses. We have been good friends till two years ago when we fell in love with each other.

Which restaurant(s) do you frequent?

We'd love going out for Japanese and our favourite places are Sushi Cyu And Carnival at All Seasons Place and Sushi Hinata at Central Embassy. We even love 80/20.

What's a 'date night' like in Bangkok?

Our date night starts with a nice dinner somewhere and ends with some cocktail or dancing. We like Maggie Choo's and Sing Sing or Ce La Vi. Is there a food that one of you likes but the other despises? Both of us like every kind of food.

Name a dish that you both fell in love with. Where did you have it?

We fell in love with 'Risotto ai Crostacei' at Lenzi Tuscan Kitchen. It reminded us of the time when we were having dinner in summer time in Sardinia, in a restaurant in front of the sea eating a particular seafood risotto. Back to Bangkok, Francesco made a surprise creating a new risotto inspired by the sea and the beach, elegant and passionate .. Risotto ai Crostacei got a place in Lenzi's menu: it's slow cooked carnaroli rice in broth of crustaceans with raw Mediterranean red prawns and dried smoked eggplant. Needs to be tried at least once!

Any recommendations on what to do or where to go this Valentine's Day?

We prefer to share love all days and all times during the year. We would love to celebrate the day on an island like Koh Lipe but unfortunately Francesco needs to work a lot! How to celebrate it? Mojitos, nice music and party on the beach.

TOP RUSSEL & MICHELLE GOH

Top Russel is the executive chef at Freebird, a restaurant that's been serving dishes from Down Under and received a Michelin Plate designation. His partner, Michelle Goh, is from Malaysia and is a pastry chef at the one Michelin-starred restaurant Sühring. Obviously, their foodie rep is legit.

How did you guys meet?

We met in Singapore while working at Pollen. We barely spoke for the first six months. After a while we were forced to talk to each other and ended up liking each other's company more than expected.

Which restaurant(s) do you frequent?

For Thai food, we always go to Sri Trat or get takeaway from Jeh O. We also enjoy going to Daimasu for Japanese BBQ. Our guilty pleasure would have to be Pepper Lunch or MK duck.

What's a 'date night' like in Bangkok?

We don't really go out at night as we are quite a stay-at-home couple. But we usually have one day a week where we spend time with each other. We tend to café hop, going from one place to another on our sh**ty scooter. A typical date night for us would usually consist of cooking something nice at home then watching a movie.

Is there a food that one of you likes but the other despises?

Top absolutely loves Thai chicken rice. He could have it three times a day, seven days a week. I, on the other hand, don't really consider it chicken rice as I grew up in Malaysia and the chicken rice there is different compared to Bangkok.

Name a dish that you both fell in love with. Where did you have it?

The giant bowl of Mama noodles from Jeh O. Top was so judgemental of people queuing up for hours just to have instant noodles. This was until I forced him to try it. Now we both willingly queue up for an hour for it (must have their crispy pork).

Any recommendations on what to do or where to go this Valentine's Day?

Even though we live in a very materialistic society and city, celebrating with your loved one shouldn't necessarily cost your months' paycheck. We find it romantic to cook at home even if it's the simplest of dishes, it's the effort that counts. Also, there's nothing more romantic than cooking together. If you are willing to splash out, we would recommend fine dining restaurants such as Le Normandie and Sühring, where you'll get the extra fine service, pampered with luxurious ingredients and fine wine.

BILLY BAUTISTA & OH LAOPANICH

This couple is the reason behind the heaven-sent existence of three restaurants: Osita Unique Spanish, Thai Niyom, and last but certainly not the least, La Monita. Billy Bautista is at the helm of all the kitchens as chef in the three restaurants, as well as being the co-owner with Oh Laopanich, who also takes care of the business side of things.

How did you guys meet?

We met in San Francisco where Billy was born and Oh was studying for her master's degree. We started dating and, after a few years, moved to Bangkok with the dream of opening our own restaurant.

Which restaurant(s) do you frequent?

We usually like to find hidden spots that serve good food and are very local. Billy's go-to food is Isan food while Oh typically likes rod jaad -- strong flavoured food regardless of nationality. For our Isan fix we like Terd Jim Joom located near the Laos Embassy (Soi Sahakarnpramoon). For southern Thai food, we go to Janhom in Ramkhamhaeng 21 or Doorae in the Korean Town (top of Sukhumvit 12) for Korean BBQ.

What's a 'date night' like in Bangkok?

Date nights for us are always about good food and booze. We love going to Ginza Sushi-Ichi in Erawan building for great sushi while chatting and drinking with the Japanese chefs. Daimasu for grilled tongue, chicken wings, cold beer and chill conversation. Philippe restaurant on Sukhumvit 39 for Champagne, Tsarskaya oysters and oxtail stew.

Is there a food that one of you likes but the other despises?

Billy loves tum tua with pla-ra (snake bean papaya salad with fermented fish) while I don't like the 'green' grass smell and flavour. I like black sesame dumplings in ginger tea but Billy thinks it's like eating raw rice dough. Name a dish that you both fell in love with. Where did you have it? A dish we both adore is beef fire pot. One of the best is at Heng Chun Seng near the Port Authority of Thailand.

Any recommendations on what to do or where to go this Valentine's Day?

To celebrate Valentine's Day, have dinner and then bar-hop in the old town. Start dinner at 100 Mahaseth, 80/20 or Jua, have a drink at Tropic City and then go bar hopping in Yaowarat's famous Soi Nana at Tep Bar, Teens of Thailand and 23 Bar & Gallery.

PHOUGKHAE KOH & GAV KOH

Eats Payao Bistro & Bar specialises in northern Thai cuisine. The couple behind this restaurant is husband-andwife Phougkhae and Gav Koh, who share the kitchen and are cooks in the resto. So what are their foodie tendencies when it comes to Valentine's?

How did you guys meet?

We both met at Zuma at the St. Regis Hotel Bangkok. Gav came over to my table to chat me up and the rest is history.

Which restaurant(s) do you frequent?

We both love Opus at Thanon Pan and our other favourite is Eat Me on Soi Convent.

What's a 'date night' like in Bangkok?

After closing our restaurant for the night and making sure the kids are tucked i n bed, we usually sneak out to Smalls Bar, Revolucion Cocktail or sometimes just catch a movie and head home.

Is there a food that one of you likes but the other despises?

Gav loves his century eggs and cuttlefish but I hate it. He basically eats everything, including som tum pla-ra, insects, and so on.

Name a dish that you both fell in love with. Where did you have it?

Our most favourite dish is the pepper crabs we had in Singapore during our last trip to the Lion City in November.

Any recommendations on what to do or where to go this Valentine's Day?

Apart from our own restaurant, we think a perfect place for Valentine's would be Eat Me. The setting is great, food excellent and service superb. Unfortunately, we won't be heading anywhere as we have to be at our restaurant.

DAN BARK & FAY TRAGOOLVONGSE

Serving up a 10-course progressive American tasting menu, the one Michelin-starred Upstairs At Mikkeller not only gives patrons a fabulous dining experience, but also makes sure it's complemented with selections of craft beer, cider, and mead. Behind this resto is foodie couple Dan Bark, who is the chef and was formerly the sous chef at three Michelin-starred Grace Restaurant in Chicago, and Fay Tragoolvongse, who co-owns the resto with Dan and is also the general manager.

How did you guys meet?

We first met in 2011 at the Peninsula Chicago hotel in a restaurant called Avenues, where Dan worked as chef de partie and I had just graduated from college and started a job at the hotel. We have seen each other grow in this industry. With the same mindset, work ethics and passion for the F&B industry, it helped us understand each other better -- career level and personal level.

Which restaurant(s) do you frequent?

It really depends on the vibe and our mood each day. We try to eat at different restaurants as much as possible and there are so many great ones in Bangkok. But due to our schedule, it has been quite challenging to go out like normal people. But few places we always take our friends to is Sri Trat, where the food and service are genuinely good.

What's a 'date night' like in Bangkok?

We rarely plan our date nights in advance. We are more of impulsive decision makers when it comes to where to dine. We enjoyed Sühring a lot. Eat Me is also a great place for a date night, we enjoy the vibe there. A simple glass of whiskey for Dan while I snack on good cheeses and charcuterie at home is a great date night option, too. Is there a food that one of you likes but the other despises? Dan loves olives but I am not a big fan. So we always get two pizzas. One has olives and one doesn't. I love sweets. He is more of a savoury person. But we compromise!

Name a dish that you both fell in love with. Where did you have it?

The most memorable dish we've had is one of the courses at Avenues Restaurant in Chicago called Alaskan king crab. The dish was mind blowing with different textures and refreshing surprises. The dish we also enjoyed very much was the crab roe dip with fresh vegetables on the side. We love the different dimensions of the flavours in the dip and different textures from the variety of fresh vegetable. Dan is a hard-core vegetable fan.

Any recommendations on what to do or where to go this Valentine's Day?

Although every year we help other couples celebrate Valentine's day (Dan always works on Valentine's), Bangkok has so many romantic places to offer. But we think wherever you choose to go, as long as you spend quality time with your special one, that's already pretty romantic!