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No trust house Myriad attempts at getting to Forte (Sukhumvit Soi 24, tel: 02-661 0346/7) had been frustrated by everything from Friday night traffic to being gated in the Bumrungrad. Then at last a member friend offered to take me, so it was just a question of coordinating our calendars, or, more correctly, finding a day when other more important distractions, either in a bottle or a skin, did not monopolise. A taxi deposited us at the bottom of an obstacle course in the form of a set of stairs that looked as though they might lead to a pharaoh’s tomb. It must keep the doorman fit running up and down that lot a few dozen times a night. The man of influence escorting me had laid on a reception committee so we swept through the door without being bothered by the various personnel. I am told the entrance for non-members is Bt300, which includes two drinks. Membership is Bt20,000 but does include 11 bottles of Johnny Black or similar.
The place is large inside with two bars, a restaurant, big stage and a dance floor. There is also a mezzanine over the main bar. Seated on a stool near the dance floor and the band we attacked the man’s bottle of Johnnie Black and tucked into some Thai-style bar food in the form of prawn cakes and some chewy beef strips. Conversation, unfortunately, was blasted into oblivion by the slick band doing contemporary pop covers. But still, all this was superfluous as we were there for the show. The performance started tamely with just a few girls dancing on stage. However, it soon livened up when they left the stage and climbed on to the bars. After a few minutes things really started to heat up, mostly due to the fact that the troughs behind the bar had been set alight, trapping the dancers on the bar top. It was all good fun and the girls looked happy enough, though the guys sitting at the bars looked happier!
We were there on a Sunday night and the atmosphere was good but not really swinging as it is on other nights, or so I am told. The menu, on the other hand, was disappointing as it wasn’t really Spanish. Though there were a few definitive dishes, the majority were what I would call international, and simply made to appear Spanish by the addition of rioja or some other ingredient native to the country. I was rather hoping for tapas but there was no such thing. There was a gourmet menu at Bt2,000, which included various glasses of wine.
In the end we chose paella as a main course. This was disappointing, mainly because it had been finished off under a grill and the seafood on top was shrivelled up. Nor were there any chirozas (spicy Spanish sausages) in it. Most of the places around this area seem to cater for the Japanese, though I did find the music venue Imageries (2 Sukhumvit Soi 24, tel: 02-258 7010) among the broken paving stones. This is a dedicated music venue with the band facing three floors of tables. Although on the night I went it was quiet and only the ground floor was occupied. I would think they have to get very busy for the “gods” to come into play. I had a swift beer and watched a slick seven-piece band fronted by a very competent Thai lady singer. I am told this is an important venue for aspiring recording artists and certainly the standard of music, sound and light was high. My companion seemed to think I was looking bored, however, so I was unceremoniously eased out and sent back to the busted pavements. Fortunately a taxi arrived immediately to get me back to the fleshpots of Soi 4. I was left with very mixed feelings about Soi 24. Given the nightmare it can be to get down Sukhumvit I don’t see me going back in a hurry, although I would like to see Forte at full chat.
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