This Thai restaurant in one wing of the beautiful Grand Postal Building is run by the Impact Exhibition Management group, whose reputation lies not in food and drink but rather the huge event halls on Chaengwattana Road. You can somehow feel this in the way Manorah is decorated. The space feels like a canteen filled with row upon row of tables rather than an intimate restaurant .

 

The mundane atmosphere is replicated in the food, which largely comprises tourist-friendly Thai staples, from tom yum kung (B220) to chicken and cashew nut (B140) and massaman curry (chicken or beef, B180). Most of it is very traditional, though they do incorporate the occasional modern twist, too. The pla duk foo (crispy fish and green mango salad, B150), for example, is made with shredded salmon and cashew nuts instead of the usual catfish and peanuts. The flossy strands of deep-fried fish have a lovely texture and are not too oily, pairing nicely with the mango salad, even if the salad alone is too sharp and spicy.

 

The yam som-o (pomelo and prawn salad, B150) is also very fiery, not helped by the chunky clusters of bittertasting pomelo. The kua gling gai (stirfried chicken in Southern-style curry paste, B150) is even more palate-burningly hot and also very salty. Thankfully, the gaeng gai gorlae (fried chicken in Southern-style curry sauce, B150) provides some letup from the heat with its sweet sauce, though the fried chicken is so dry it scratches your mouth. Dessert is no better, whether it’s the mismatched flavors of their grilled banana stuffed with sweet taro paste (B65) or the floury pumpkin dumplings in coconut milk (B55). 

 

Though the food is far from perfect, service is excellent and dishes come out of the kitchen at a rapid pace. But there were only six diners (including us) when we last visited, so the two wait staff weren’t exactly kept busy. Sitting in such a vast dining room, this makes for an awkward-feeling meal—just one more reason why we won’t be rushing back.