A flood-hit restaurant in Thailand has become an unlikely dining hotspot after fun-loving foodies began flocking to its water-logged deck to eat amid the lapping tide.
Key points:
- A tropical storm and heavy monsoon rain caused the nearby river to rise and flood the restaurant
- Despite earlier concerns from the owners, the restaurant has become so popular people have to book
- Diners scramble to avoid a soaking from the bow wave that passes every 15 minutes
Now, instead of empty chairs and vacant tables the Chaopraya Antique Café is as full as ever, offering an experience the canny owner has re-branded as “hot-pot surfing.”
If you like your food washed down with plenty of water, this is the place for you.
Shortly after the water tops the parapet, the first diners arrive. Before long, the deck is crammed with carefree customers happily tucking in as if dining in a deluge is the norm.
The wait staff – some clad in rubber waders — step gingerly through the swirl that quickly rises to more than 50 centimetres.
The restaurant, in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok, opened in February in a riverside location that perfectly complements its antique architecture and décor.
But that setting has come back to haunt it.
AP: Sakchai Lalit
)A recent severe tropical storm and heavy monsoon rains combined to raise the river’s water level. Add in the tides and the result has been a daily inundation of water.
Coming straight after a months-long coronavirus shutdown, it could have spelt disaster for the business.
Instead – boosted by publicity in the Thai media — it’s now so popular, if you want to dine, you’ve got to book.
“This is a great atmosphere. During this flood crisis this has became the restaurant’s signature attraction. So I wanted to challenge myself and try out this new experience,” said Siripoj Wai-inta, munching his food with the water creeping up his shins.
AP: Sakchai Lalit
)The owner has dubbed the experience “hot-pot surfing”. When a passenger boat motors past you find out why.
The delighted diners scramble to avoid a soaking from the bow wave is the moment everyone waits for, and with one passing every 15 minutes, no one goes home disappointed.
It’s 44-year-old TV presenter Titiporn Jutimanon’s first restaurant venture, he says he was worried what would happen when the floods came.
AP: Sakchai Lalit
)
“It turns out the customers have a great reaction. They are happy. We can see the atmosphere of customers enjoying the experience of eating in the water. So a crisis has turned into an opportunity. It encourages us to keep the restaurant open and keep customers happy.”
But best of all, he says, it means he keeps his staff happy by keeping them employed, so, even amid harsh economic times, the only thing that needs a bail-out is the restaurant itself.
AP
