It seems Soi Thonglor is a pretty good spot to indulge in Southern recipes, from the long-established, baan-baan Kua Kling Pak Sod to the cute Phuket Town. Now, the young Baan Ice owner “Ice” has brought his grandparents’ long-popular Mueng Korn (Nakhon Si Thammarat) recipes to this bar-centric district.

Unlike its original location tucked away on Thetsabansongkrao Road out in Prachachuen, this branch boasts a sleek façade with floor-to-ceiling windows covering the two-story venue. Upstairs is for private dining while downstairs reminds us of the green décor of the original branch, but brought up to date with glossy leather chairs. Tall bookshelves run along the walls alongside framed newspaper articles singing Baan Ice’s praises.

The menu here is well-designed and it seems you can just point at random because every dish we’ve sampled is a must-try. Start with the pad sator kapi goong (stir-fried prawns with sataw beans, B220), which boasts well-rounded flavors thanks to the shrimp paste and fresh and crunchy beans.

The gaeng luaeng pla sam lee (spicy sour soup with black-banded trevally and fermented young bamboo shoot, B180) is an impressive combination of sour and spicy, but we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who can’t handle a little heat.

Don’t worry, though, they still have plenty of milder options, like the moo kapi (steamed pork in sweet shrimp paste, B180), a delicious blend of sweet and salty. The khua kling moo (herbal, stir-fried pork, B180) is surprising in that it isn’t all that spicy, though it’s still packed full of flavor.

Not only are the main courses delightful, the desserts such as hima si chom poo (pink snow, B70) are a wonderful guilty pleasure.

Prices here are slightly more expensive than the original venue, but you’re still bound to get bang for your baht, which explains why Baan Ice is packed with in-the-know families during dinner and on weekends.