Spain and Thailand both have a word for food that exists mainly to go with a drink. In Spain it is tapas. In Thailand it is kap klaem (กับแกล้ม). The dishes differ, but the idea behind them is close, and so are some of the habits around them.
What kap klaem means
Thai sorts food partly by what it is eaten with. Kap khao covers dishes eaten with rice. Kap klaem covers dishes eaten with alcohol, whether that is beer, whisky or rice spirit.
Typical kap klaem is salty, crunchy, sour or spicy: fried peanuts, sun-dried pork (moo dad diew), fried chicken, sour Isan sausage, and spicy salads such as larb or yam. Plates go in the middle of the table and everyone picks at them for as long as the drinking lasts. More dishes arrive as the night goes on.
What tapas are, and how they are eaten
A tapa is a small portion of food served with a drink at a Spanish bar. It can be as simple as a saucer of olives or a few boquerones, or a hot dish such as patatas bravas or croquetas. In the Basque Country the equivalent is pintxos, often served on bread.
In some cities, Granada being the best-known example, many bars still give you a free tapa with a drink. Elsewhere you usually pay for each one, and larger shared portions are called raciones.
Where the two habits meet and differ
The logic is the same. Salt, fat, acid and chilli make you want another sip, and a drink makes you want another bite. Both habits are sociable, and much of the food is ordered to share.
The biggest difference is movement. A Spanish tapas outing, the tapeo, often means standing at the bar, having one drink and one tapa, then walking on to the next bar. Kap klaem usually stays put: one table, whether at home, at a street-side restaurant or at a beer garden, with dishes ordered for the group.
The flavours differ too. Spanish drinking food leans on olive oil, garlic, cured pork and preserved fish. Thai kap klaem leans on lime, chilli, fish sauce and fresh herbs.
Where to try tapas with a drink in Bangkok
These Bangkok venues in our directory are built around Spanish small plates and drinks, according to their own listings:
- LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar, 33rd floor of INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit: a menu of drinks and pintxos from Spain's main regions, with Spanish wine, gins and craft beers.
- Paella House & Wine Bar by El Tapeo, Sukhumvit Soi 26: a taberna concept with Spanish plates and snacks, wine by the glass or bottle, and draught and bottled beer.
- La Malifeta Vermuteria, Song Wat Road: a tiny vermouth bar in the old town serving croquetas, pincho de pulpo and confit leek with Spanish wines and cocktails.
- Tinto Tapas N Wine, W-District, Sukhumvit 71: a wide range of Spanish small plates with a Spanish wine list.
