India, Sept. 23 -- Almost every Bangkokian has been there: your friends are visiting, and they start texting you weeks in advance, asking for your top recommendations. "Where shall I eat? What are the best Thai restaurants and food in Bangkok? Send me all your Bangkok food recommendations!" While we honour the trust they put in us, we can't help but rub our eyes and scratch our heads every time. Such is the burden of having good taste.

Some of us end up recommending the same places over and over again, while others set out to really tailor to specific needs. This list, which comes after one too many late-night "I need recs!" texts, aims to incorporate everyone from first-timers and picky eaters, all the way to adventurous pla raa regular...