Cool Chilli — Restaurant in Khlong Toei Subdistrict

I wanted to leave a review for Cool Chilli because I read through an unfair 1-star review regarding the restaurant.

First, they mentioned the lack of air conditioning. The restaurant has air conditioning, but through the partition to extra seating, it does not. The staff were kind enough to let us know this ahead of choosing our seat so we would be most comfortable.

Second, the customer cited poor service. This had not been the case the two times my wife and I dined here. The staff are younger in age and more reserved, but they are very kind and attentive. The reviewer might not be accustomed to Thai culture because there can be a misconception that aloofness by the staff is inherently ignoring the customer. However, this is not true. Unlike restaurants based on tip culture overseas, staff will not check up on a table here unless you flag them down. It isn't due to laziness or impertinence, but instead is a sign of respect for that customer's space while eating. They don't feign a smile and ask, 'How are your first few bites going?' because that isn't genuine service and most people would like to enjoy their first few bites without surveillance; that type of artifice is only common abroad where gratuities for dining are expected.

Lastly, the reviewer mentioned poor quality of food, but usually 1-star reviews alert me to the fact that they were annoyed by one thing and then decided to cast a hyper-criticial lens over every minute detail due to their disgruntlement. I can attest, on two separate dining occasions, that the food was well-prepared and delicious. The reason why I am moved to leave this review is because the prices for the portion sizes are fantastic in such a touristy district like Asok. Most of the dining options nearby are double or triple the price for one dish, so Cool Chilli did a great job offering reasonable prices for very large portions. And, both nights, we had to bring food home because the serving sizes were so abundant.

My wife is Thai and complimented her dishes of Pad See Ew ผัดซีอิ๊ว, Pad Gra Pao ผัดกะเพรา, while I savored some Rad Nha ราดหน้า(not a dish that is always available in Bangkok), and Pineapple Fried Rice ข้าวผัดสับปะรด. We also had some appetizers like fried shrimp cakes ทอดมันกุ้ง and fried morning glory ยำผักบุ้งทอดกรอบ.

Our bill hovered around 600 baht each night with two waters, two entrees, and an appetizer. Most times, if we eat at a Thai restaurant in a nearby mall, the bill will be well over 1,000 baht for the same dishes with much smaller portions.

I don't know why I am compelled to defend the slander against a restaurant whose prosperity has no impact on my life, however I am. Maybe it's because I respect restaurants that charge fair prices and treat tourists' pockets with respect, or maybe the tone of that one reviewer's pompous critique compelled me to do so. Either way, I think Cool Chilli is cool, and you should try it if...

Scant selection for food for the breakfast buffet. The staff has low hygiene standards. I’ve been here for a week and have seen one woman scratch her face OVER the food, and another staff member pick up a tea bag from the floor and put it back in the tea box. They also put their faces low over the food and breathe over it. Worse, the manager seems obsessed with following people around to make sure no one is taking food out. While this seems reasonable, she goes to unreasonable lengths to stalk customers. A family is here with twin babies who need milk, and she made an issue of them giving the babies milk in their bottles, I guess because if they don’t finish the bottles there, it’s technically “take out” but it was embarrassing to watch her harass this couple about it. They also don’t refill items regularly. I have to constantly ask for cold mild for cereal, at which point they replace the milk tower with a tiny bottle of milk—maybe because they’re afraid the couple with twins will refill? I don’t know. It’s bad though. I wouldn’t eat here again. The low hygiene, low food quality, and harassment from the manager and staff are not...

It was the last night of my family trip in Thailand. We were staying at Shama Lakeview Asoke and would like to have a quiet dinner before leaving. A reasonable choice would be the hotel restaurant. Despite decent reviews on Google (which I later found the comments were left years ago), the whole dining experience was the WORST I have ever had in Thailand.

Service is unbelievably poor. Each and every staff has very serious problem: all have very bad attitude, no one is not responsive, and took wrong orders for food and drink. Everything can go wrong went wrong.

Food is equally awful. Pineapple fried rice tastes weird and ingredients not fresh. Chicken has a strong frozen taste.

Environment and atmosphere also bad. Air-conditioning is a bare minimal. Many mosquitos and my two sons had over 8 bites in just 15 minutes. Left with the kids in a hurry to avoid further bites and not have chance to take any photos.

Anyone should avoid this restaurant and there are definitely better choices across the street nearby. Deeply regret to have chosen this restaurant (for the mosquito bites) and wasted the last...