The buzz: Since its opening at the end of last year, the Aloft Hotel has generated instant buzz thanks to some irresistible deals, like B499 for a molecular cocktails buffet, and a recently-ended happy hour deal that ran late and on weekends. Now the newly opened Crave looks to keep the positive vibes humming with Executive Chef Nachart Tengkanokkul serving up familiar dishes with a twist.

The décor: It keeps the same concept as other Alofts around the world, which means raw cement walls, contrasted with vivid touches of orange and red. At night, the space gets even more colorful thanks to the LED lights that run along the bar and the outdoor sofa area.

The food: The chef is trying to bring a twist to familiar flavors while utilizing top imported ingredients. The results are dishes like Kurobuta black pork (roasted pork tenderloin served with sautéed bell pepper, crumbled feta and quince jam, B490) and pan seared US scallop topped with peppery crabmeat, grilled eggplant wedge and garlic foam (B650). You can also opt for something light and healthy like the 20-minute cured salmon (marinated raw salmon served with ginkgo and micro sprout tossed in a Northeastern style vinaigrette, B300). As for dessert, they recommended the rich choux cream filled with chocolate kahlua ice cream and topped with soft cream and almond cookies (B190).

The drinks: There’s a full bar on offer with cocktails ranging from B240-260, but you might be better off just heading upstairs for the molecular cocktails at W XYZ. All the menus can be browsed on their iPads and we love their super savvy sommelier app, which describes the taste, year, label and more for each wine. Wine by the glass (red, white and rose) starts from B330. Hop in now for their wine buffet (red, white, sparkling and rose, B690) from 7-10pm, available until June 2.

The crowd: It’s Soi 11, so you can expect partygoers having some pre-party meals. There’s also now a decent following of Facebook fans who’ve dropped by to enjoy their promotions. Pieng-or Mongkolkumnuankhet