By Linda Khoo Hui Li
NONTHABURI (Thailand), Nov 3 (NNN-Bernama) — Fun-loving foodies flocked to Chaopraya Antique Café in Nonthaburi, a flooded restaurant in the north of Bangkok, to indulge in a unique dinning experience.
The riverside restaurant, converted from a two-storey wooden house, has been flooded for weeks following heavy downpour triggered by tropical storm, monsoon rains and high tides.
The restaurant offers extraordinary culinary experience as diners must wade through the water to their tables.
Soaking their feet in the water and sitting on drenched chairs, diners get the thrill of enjoying their food against the backdrop of the majestic Chao Phraya River.
Sometimes, to avoid being soaked, diners have to stand while enjoying their meals when the water level rises. And at times, they are drenched by the lapping tides and splashing water when a passenger speedboat passes by.
The restaurant offers lunch from 11 am to 2 pm while the “mu kratha” – a Thai cuisine that combines Korean barbecue and Chinese hot pot – starts from 3 pm. It can accommodate up to 40 diners at any one time.
Since the videos and news of the restaurant went viral on social media, diners need to make a reservation as it is always fully-booked especially during weekends and holidays.
Manager of Chaopraya Antique Café, Jintana Jutimanon, said the restaurant opened in February this year but had to close when the government instituted a ban on dine-in service starting May to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
When the restrictions eased, she said the tropical storm and heavy downpour caused the water level to rise, and the restaurant has been inundated since September 20.
“We decided to stay open despite the flood. Surprisingly, our customers are enjoying the unique and fun dining experience. Through word of mouth, it has become a dining hot spot.
“We are very happy to see that customers love the atmosphere and splashes, while enjoying the barbecued pork in the water,” she told Bernama.
For diners who prefer to stay dry while dining at the restaurant, Jintana said they could choose to dine on the second floor of the restaurant while enjoying the view of Chao Phraya River.
She added that the restaurant has also taken various measures to ensure diners’ health and safety, such as conducting the necessary clean-ups at the restaurant.
“We are happy customers love the dining experience, and we are happy that the challenges had turned into an unexpected opportunity for us,” she said.
— NNN-BERNAMA