Al’s Diner: A Former Slice of American Nostalgia in Shanghai
Introduction: A Taste of Home in the Heart of the East In the bustling streets of Shanghai’s Xuhui District, where sleek skyscrapers meet tree-lined avenues of the former French Concession, Al’s Diner emerged as a beacon of comfort for expats, locals, and anyone craving a greasy spoon escape from the city’s relentless pace. From its […]
Why Thai Somtam Belongs on a Cheeseburger
(and why Abi’s Diner in Bangkok proved it for 37 years) Why Thai Somtam Belongs on a Cheeseburger (and why Abi’s Diner in Bangkok proved it for 37 years) You think you know what a cheeseburger is allowed to be. Beef, American cheese, maybe some lettuce, onion, special sauce. Safe. Predictable. Mid-century American scripture. Then you walk […]
Abi’s Diner – Soi Sukhumvit 38, Thong Lor, Bangkok
A picture of Mr. Abi’s Diner in 1994 (187 metres down the soi on the left, where the baby-blue shophouse used to stand under a flickering pink neon sign that read อาบี้ไดเนอร์ and, underneath, “American Food & Stuff”.) The place is gone now. The sign came down in April 2021, the griddle was sold for […]